City of Sacramento
Racial Equity Committee Report
915 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814
www.cityofsacramento.org
File ID: 2022-02552 1/24/2023 Discussion Item 2.
Overview of Racial Equity Committee [Oral Report]
File ID: 2022-02252
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: Receive and file an overview of the development of the Racial Equity Committee and the mission and purpose of the Racial Equity Committee.
Contact: Kelly F. Rivas, Senior Advisor, (916) 808-5300, [email protected], Office of Mayor Darrell Steinberg.
Presenter: Kelly F. Rivas, Senior Advisor, (916) 808-5300, [email protected], Office of Mayor Darrell Steinberg.
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2- Brief timeline of the development and major actions of the Racial Equity Committee.
Additional Description/Analysis
Issue Detail: The Racal Equity Committee (REC) provides a space for Council to coordinate multiple council comments and requests regarding racial equity training, tools and capacity building for the city to develop a racial equity lens for decision making.
File ID: 2022-02552 1/24/2023 Discussion Item 2.
The Racial Equity Committee mission and stated purposes are a compilation of council and committee comments and requests that were approved by the Ad Hoc version of this committee on October 6, 2021:
Mission
1. Help the council align its advancement of racial equity in city decision-making with the impacts resulting from city policy, budget, and service-delivery decisions;
2. Provide a space to help coordinate the various city racial equity initiatives, efforts, metrics, and best practices into a holistic citywide informed approach (rather than a case- by-case approach); and
3. Increase engagement, transparency, and accountability for the City’s ongoing racial equity work.
Purpose
1. Short-Term: Provide direction for the development and use of an American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) racial equity rapid response tool to guide the federal ARP pandemic recovery expenditures.
2. Mid-Term: Coordinate a racial equity workshop or series of racial equity workshops for the full City Council.
3. Long-Term: Serve as the public reporting body for the multi-year long Sacramento Centered on Racial Equity (SCORE) initiative and workplan as facilitated by Race Forward in partnership with community represented by the Racial Equity Alliance and Racial Equity Council.
Policy Considerations: Council has directed staff to include consideration of racial equity in future policy and budget decisions. The above-mentioned work with Race Forward and community represented by the Racial Equity Alliance and Racial Equity Council in partnership with the city is the developing citywide Sacramento Centered On Racial Equity (SCORE) initiative and workplan. The SCORE process will define racial equity, develop a racial equity resolution for Council consideration, and guide the development of racial equity capacity building and tools for the city to apply a racial equity lens to decision making.
While the workplan for SCORE extends over multiple years, city staff developed an interim racial equity rapid response tool is being utilized to guide short-term decisions related to the deployment of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) resources provided to the city for the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Information on the development of that tool was provided in the October 26, 2021 meeting and an update on its use will be provided at the next meeting of the Racial Equity Committee.
Note: The City Attorney’s Office continues to advise staff about the risk associated with using race as a metric for investment due to equal protections considerations.
Economic Impacts: None.
File ID: 2022-02552 1/24/2023 Discussion Item 2.
Environmental Considerations: This action is exempt from California Environmental Quality Act.
Sustainability: Not applicable.
Commission/Committee Action: Not applicable.
Rationale for Recommendation: This report is an overview of council’s stated mission and purpose for the Racial Equity Committee and is provided for informational purposes at the beginning of the year.
Financial Considerations: Development and implementation of appropriate tools can be used to assess how funding allocations benefit and/or burden previously disadvantaged communities, guiding funding decisions and broadly informing policy decisions across the City. Establishing shared definitions and metrics in conjunction with evaluation of program outcomes will provide the framework to understand the impact of efforts to prioritize racial equity in city funding.
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable.
Attachment 2:
Brief timeline of the development and major actions of the Racial Equity Committee
September 6, 2016 – Council voted unanimously authorizing the City Manager to add one FTE Diversity Manager that reports directly to the City Manager’s office.
June 13, 2017 – Council passed FY17/18 budget which included funding allocation and direction for the appointment of a Diversity and Equity Manager tasked with developing a citywide diversity and gender equity plan focused on creating a workforce that is reflective of the city residents.
July 2018 – The Office of Diversity and Equity (ODE) is established.
September 15, 2020 – members of the Council’s Law and Legislation Committee asked staff to initiate the development of an equity lens for consideration in policy and budget decisions for Council consideration. Follow up to L&L occurred November 17, 2020.
December 8, 2020 – the council unanimously affirmed its commitment to moving forward on a Racial Equity Initiative. This was reaffirmed January 26, 2021 with the current sitting Council after three new members were elected to office.
June 29, 2021 – Councilmember Vang requested training and capacity building for councilmembers together in a workshop setting. Mayor Steinberg requested it be a focused workshop that brings council together in a facilitated way to discuss key questions around racial equity, including a racial equity lens for decision making.
August 24, 2021 – Mayor Steinberg announces creation of a Racial Equity Ad Hoc with members Schenirer, Guerra, Vang, and himself.
September 14, 2021 – Councilmember Vang asks for racial equity lens/tool be used for ARP Framework and Funding Priorities. Mayor asks for Racial Equity Ad Hoc to meet with city staff to develop an interim rapid response racial equity lens/tool for ARP Framework and Funding Priorities.
October 6, 2021 – First meeting of the Racial Equity Ad Hoc Committee October 26, 2021 – Second meeting of the Racial Equity Ad Hoc Committee provides direction for the development and use of a racial equity Interim Rapid Response Tool (IRRT) for ARPA expenditures.
November 30, 2021 – During Council comments, ideas, questions at the end of the City Council meeting Mayor Steinberg makes the formal request that the Racial Equity Ad Hoc Committee be made a permanent standing committee of the City Council.
January 11, 2022 – City Council adopts Resolution No. 2022-0007 establishing the Racial Equity Committee as a standing committee fof the Sacramento City Council.
February 3, 2022 – In an open letter to the City Council regarding the city’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2021/22 Midyear Review, Mayor Steinberg proposed to further the City’s commitment of establishing racial equity in culture and policy by allocating $500,000 to support the city’s ongoing racial equity initiatives.
February 15, 2022 – The City Council votes to adopt the proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2021/22 Midyear Review adjustments, including the $500,000 recommendation from Mayor Steinberg to support the city’s ongoing racial equity initiatives.
April 26, 2022 – City staff provides update on the implementation of the Interim Rapid Response Tool (IRRT) for American Rescue Plan Act programs and how it is used to facilitate consideration and build capacity to focus funding on racial equity.
October 25, 2022 – Councilmember Vang provides direction to Racial Equity Committee staff to develop a policy, to be adopted by council, requiring all city elected officials and exempt management employees (including appointed officers) to undergo regular periodic cultural competency, humility, and awareness training and asked for the training to be informed by the SCORE Initiative as facilitated by Race Forward with the Racial Equity Alliance and Racial Equity Council.