Thread by @shayshinecastle

OK, now onto the racial equity resolution. Here's the link, in case you missed it earlier: boulderbeat.news/2019/12/07/bou…

Some things have been added to the resolution since the first draft was released, including this bit about Boulder's first (and only) black mayor, Penfield Tate.

"In 1974 the City of Boulder elected its first and only black mayor, Penfield Tate II. He was mayor until 1976. Tate advocated for equality for all and due to his protection against discrimination and actions to make the LGBTQ community feel more welcome ...

"...and his attempt at introducing a “sexual preference” amendment to the Boulder’s Human Rights Ordinance lost adoption by the general public. Residents sought to recall Tate and all council members who supported the amendment...

"While the recall of Tate failed, in the next election he was voted out.5 Tate is quoted as saying, "The measure of a great city and a great country is not the size of its greenbelt, but how it treats its people."

Also a bit more depth on the banning of so-called dirty jobs that resulted in workers of color leaving town bc their jobs did.

"The 1927 Saco DeBoer zoning ordinance where DeBoer was hired to draft a zoning ordinance. The ordinance adopted in 1928, based on DeBoer's recommendations, pushed industry 'of obnoxious character' outside of the city."

"In the ensuing years, skilled and unskilled laborers (often those denied access to higher education) had to find jobs outside of Boulder."

119 city staff have gone through training called Advancing Racial Equity: The Role of Government. (of 1,000+ employees)
City is requiring that raining for all city supervisors, council members, fire staff. (325 participants)

Also going to require bias and micro aggression training for boards and commissions and city council

Joseph: You mentioned a lot the word community. When we think community, we think outreach, a lot of ppl getting together. We can miss out on specifics. I didn't get that from you here today.

"What I want to hear from you when you talk about community, did you reach out to LGBTQI community? The Latin community? Not just the community as a whole."

Yes, we have, says (I think) Aimee Kane, CMO program and project manager.

Correct me if I'm wrong; council moved so fast between topics that I missed it.

That process showed that white residents feel safe and comfortable. And are often unaware that non-white residents don't feel that way, Kane says.

Friend: Are the trainings for council going to be mandatory?
Not currently mandatory in the resolution, Kane says.

Friends: When will we have metrics to measure progress?
Not until we have our goals and strategies firmed up, via a public process.

Young recognizing members of the working group, several of whom are in attendance.

Wallach: This resolution is almost focused on process. Goals aren't really brought in. Why not?
Kane: Resolution is really a commitment to the work council is going to focus on. Goals will be developed with community.

"This is one of many resolutions in this space I anticipate council will pass."

Weaver summarizing: Statement of intent is tonight. Then we get community feedback on what specific goals and strategies should be.

Public hearing opening now. 13 speakers

Far fewer than I anticipated.

Anna Segur is speaking in Spanish.

I think I'm getting the gist of what she's saying: The Spanish-speaking population works in our restaurants, cleans our houses, are critical to our economy. But they are vastly under-represented in leadership and government.

Again, that's the gist based on my intermediate-at-best Spanish.

I appreciate what she's doing, bc all the English-speaking ppl are probably fairly frustrated and confused at not being able to understand her. That's what it's like for Spanish-speaking residents trying to engage with the city.

Not sure that's her intent, just my take.

Katie Farnan: I appreciate council bringing this up in a timely manner. "This is a first step; I'm happy to hear about the involvement of community and actual metrics."

"But what comes next? And how binding is this resolution? Where does real accountability feature?"

"I'm going to be hopeful" that this will translate to action. But I'm worried.

Asks for a comprehensive audit of all city policies, contracts, etc. that might conflict with sanctuary status of Boulder.

There's a line directly between racial equity and the sanctuary city policy, Farnan says.

"Ongoing training as a mandatory requirement" should be part of the resolution, she says. "It's a literal gift to be able to learn and grow in this way," via the training GARE is offering.

Nicole Perelman: "Right now you have a tricycle, but it could become a Prius."

"We have something that's full of intent ... but as things are worded now they're a little vague or a little squishy. Get more specific, bc that's how you get the Prius."

Nikhil Mankekar, chair of the Human Relations Commission: "I and the HRC support this as an important step, and we recognize it as a step in a long process. But every step is important, even ones you may have taken before."

"I think this resolution can give hope to the community. Keep taking steps small and big."

"I know change can happen as long as good ppl come together to do them."

James Feeney: Many references to racial equity in the resolution, but not much about class equity. Maybe we want to broaden the language. .... Also light on accountability.

Likening city council to a TV show. Very clever analogy.

"But the real world doesn't happen in city council chambers; it happens on the streets." With police officers, etc.

Weaver reminding public that the resolution itself doesn't have specifics, but there are more details in the council packet itself.

Carrie Miller: "I'd like to call attention to the first sentence of the resolution" that Boulder's lands were stolen from native populations. "That's written in past tense. It's current. It's still stolen land no matter how comfortable you are on it."

John Tayer, from Boulder Chamber, is here. The Chamber is committing to partnership with the city on racial equity work.

"We recognize that mere words and statements are not enough." Going over what the Chamber has done/is doing around racial issues: diversifying the board, adopting new hiring practices based on skills vs. credentials, ongoing staff training on bias, inclusivity, sensitivity, etc.

"I'm humbled bc I know the list of actions I just read are not enough. A resolution is not enough, though an important step the Chamber supports. We have important and difficult work" ahead of us.

"It's a journey and we will stumble along the way."

Jeff Hirota from the Community Foundation Boulder County, which defines equity as "creating systems where we all thrive" and "do nothing about us without us," Hirota says.

Supports adoption of the resolution.

Claudia Hanson Thiem: I reviewed the resolution with a small group who have been doing anti-racist work in our community. She's sharing some of their thoughts.

"I'd like to ask you to do more work on this resolution before proceeding."

Thanks Young for expediting this, "But I don't think a hasty signing is an effective or respectful response" to racist incidents in our community.

"Please don't just sign this to feel good about it and then forget about it."

This is the position of Boulder Progressives, via an email they sent me. They ask that council not rush this bc of councilwoman Nagle's comments. They argue for more community involvement before adoption.

Them: "It is important to act with urgency, but listen to members of the community who deserve depth."

Sarah Dawn Haynes: At CU, we have required trainings. I feel that should be true for the city council as well. Really look at it as leadership development. As we battle climate change, it's linked bc of intersectionality.

"I also have some hesitancy to committing to this. I think there's some more to add, some accountability and consequences."

"I do look at these trainings and think it's awesome, but it's like CPR. If it's just once a year..." Does there need to be more budget for this? Is it just for this next year? "We get CPR trained every two years; white ppl don't got this. It is an ongoing lifelong commitment."

Brook Stableford: "Pause the process and not sign this, bc it's not a firm decision to do or not do something. Council needs to do a full diversity and inclusion training so they understand what they're signing. Otherwise, it's not in good faith."

That's the end of public hearing. Council going to discuss then vote.

Young: I wanted to address particularly Anna Segur's speech in Spanish. I won't do it in Spanish bc I want my fellow council members who didn't understand to be aware of some of the things she was asking about.

She was asking that we reach out to the Latinx community and that we address their concerns. I wanted to respond to say there is a lot of stuff going on in the city and if you'd like to meet with me, I'd be happy to sit down and chat with you on all the work that is being done.

"It's by no means 100% there, but it's a really good start."

In 2020, for example, city will be hiring a language access position. Also looking to pay staff people with bilingual skills, bc they often translate without additional compensation.

Also addressing Feeney's comments on classism: "When you address issues of race, you are addressing issues of class," bc POC have been so impacted for so long.

"The impact of policies done long ago are long lasting. To dismantle them will be a long process. We're just at the tip of the iceberg, getting started. Most of us recognize this is not the be-all, end-all; it's a start."

She was specifically referencing redlining, RE: policies. citylab.com/equity/2018/04…

Young: The reason there isn't accountability in this yet is bc we haven't developed that piece yet. That will happen through the community engagement process.

Friend: I think a few events kept ppl from being here tonight. (impeachment march and Steve Fenberg/Edie Hooton event). So maybe we should slow down.

Friend: Can we add some teeth to the resolution, at least that we're (council) going to do the mandatory training?

Brockett also wants to make trainings mandatory for city council.

"In terms of accountability, I understand ppl's desire to look for that. This resolution is a step in a long journey."

BUT we could add language about developing metrics and reporting back to the community on a regular basis.

He's OK moving forward "bc I feel like this is a step and it's expressing council's intentions to do the work moving forward." The racial equity plan "is really where the action happens."

Swetlik has a q about third-party auditing that one of the speakers brought up. (I missed whatever that was in the resolution. Someone wanna fill me in? Or I'll update later.)

Staff says they'll look into a third-party auditor, what it will cost, etc.
Swetlik: I think it's important so we're not judging ourselves.

Also wants any training to be mandatory for city council.

Weaver: Some of us have already been through some of that. It seems like to me that by voting to this, each council member is committing to go to those trainings. And the accountability is ppl asking us if we've done the work.

"We can be fired by the voters and that's about it."

Swetlik: What about new council in 2 yrs?
Weaver: Yeah we need to work on how we refresh this.

Friend: "I don't think we should put the onus on voters to ask us" if we've done the training. That should be publicly available info right after we've done it.

Weaver: The reporting idea is good. Better than them having to ask us.

Young: What about having that available on the racial equity page of the website? Along with other ways.

Wallach echoes Weaver and Brockett.

"I would not make perfection be the enemy of the good here. It's something we ought to do and we ought to do it promptly. There's more work to be done."

Weaver: I found the criticism of the first line (about stolen lands) to be compelling. Suggests adding language that Boulder "continues to benefit" from the land stolen from the tribes.

Young makes a similar suggestion to change it from past tense to current, to reflect that lands are *still* stolen.

Friend asking for a bit more clarity in the bit about community values bumping up against one another. Does that mean deference is given to racial equity when that happens? I'm wondering if this resolution will be toothless.

"I'm still unclear on why tonight has to be the night."

Joseph to Young: Are the concerns by Friend valid?
Young: This is a council resolution. It recognizes that accountability is coming in the action plan.

"The community is welcome to write a resolution as well that commits the community; we're not committing the community to this work. We're committing ourselves to this work. The 9 of us here."

"This resolution is our resolution. We've gotten the feedback, just as we've got some emails that said don't pass it tonight, we were getting emails that said this is a great plan, go ahead and pass it."

Those emails came from the Human Relations Commission and the city's working group, Young says.

"It is the council's resolution and the work of the community is something that will happen and there will be opportunities for the community to come together around this. That's apart from what we are committing to here tonight."

Weaver: I feel very much the way Young does. We will adopt this for our own body here. There are lots of things we need community input on.

"Members of working group two weeks ago told us we shouldn't wait at all, we should adopt it that day. ... This is our promise to the community."

Also thinks community members should draft their own resolution that community members can sign onto.

Joseph: "Progress is about moving forward." Yes, there are issues, there is a gap. We have to close that gap and we have to move forward.

"I think tonight is a great night to move forward. And in the future, come, hold us accountable. ... The resolution is the skeleton."

Young moves to adopt the resolution

Guess she's not interested in seeing if anyone else has more thoughts.

Swetlik and Brockett still have more qs/suggestions.

Brockett wants to add to the plan: metrics on progress, regular reports to the public including council member attendance at all trainings.

Friend: Is there a timeline for completing that?
Kane: Next session is Feb. 7; bias and micro aggression training will likely start mid-year.

Yates: Several council members have day jobs. Are these trainings going to be offered at Dif times? I don't want someone to be called out bc they had to work.
Kane: We have 30 trainings scheduled for Jan, Feb and March. They are on weekdays; but we'll figure that out.

Nagle: If they could be held during council meetings, that would be great. There are some of us who work 7 days a week.

That's the end of discussion.

Council votes unanimously to adopt resolution.

Brockett: "We have a lot of work left to do. This is one step. I think we're committing to do the work but we have a lot left. I think we all recognize that."

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