City of Sacramento
Racial Equity Committee Report
915 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814
www.cityofsacramento.org
File ID: 2024-00409 1/30/2024 Discussion Item 2.
Overview and Updates for Racial Equity Committee [Oral Report] File ID: 2024-00409
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: Discuss and provide any additional direction to staff regarding the mission and purpose of the Racial Equity Committee.
Contact: Kelly F. Rivas, Senior Advisor, Office of Mayor Darrell Steinberg, (916) 808-5300 Presenter: Kelly F. Rivas, Senior Advisor, Office of Mayor Darrell Steinberg, (916) 808-5300 Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Racial Equity and DEI City Timeline Overview
3-Presentation PowerPoint
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.
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.
File ID: 2024-00409 1/30/2024 Discussion Item 2.
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. Acknowledging that members of the Racial Equity Committee have asked several times during the 2022 and 2023 committee meetings for how a tool could be developed sooner for use with the city’s budget process, this update provides an opportunity for the committee to discuss and provide any additional direction.
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.
Environmental Considerations: This action is exempt from California Environmental Quality Act.
Sustainability: Not applicable.
File ID: 2024-00409 1/30/2024 Discussion Item 2.
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.
Racial Equity & DEI City Timeline Overview
This brief timeline provides an overview of major council actions and steps affirming the City’s commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion. Updated Nov. 2023
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.
August 2018 – Representatives from across the City are appointed to the GARE cohort.
December 2018 – GARE cohort goes through a 6-month training to develop, 1) Racial Equity Statement and 2) Racial History of Sacramento.
June 2019 – GARE cohort identify major themes along workforce continuum = workforce equity.
January 2020 – GARE cohort drafts 14 outcomes and actions of draft Race and Gender Equity Action Plan (RGEAP).
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.
January 2021 – The City Manager's Office executive team reviews the 14 outcomes and actions and Divisional Equity Core Teams form; first year of RGEAP 2021 – 2022 implementation.
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 the 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 a temporary racial equity lens/tool for ARP Framework and Funding Priorities.
September 2012 – December 2021 – Equity Teams and Council Staff participates in
6.5 hours training on racial equity and the role of government.
October 6, 2021 – First meeting of the Racial Equity Ad Hoc.
October 26, 2021 – Second meeting of the Racial Equity Ad Hoc.
January 25, 2022 – First official meeting of the Racial Equity Committee (no longer an ad hoc).
May 19, 2023 – First Equity Teams Convening. Over 80 members of all 16 Department Equity Teams came together for a full day of relationship and capacity building to further the work of the RGEAP.
November 2023 – Implementation of online mandatory training required for all City Staff who sit on interview panels.
OVERVIEW + UPDATES
RACIAL EQUITY
COMMITTEE
January 30, 2024
City of Sacramento
Purpose
The stated purpose of the Racial Equity Committee is to:
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.
Stated Committee Goals
Provide direction for
development and use of an
Interim Rapid Response Tool
(IRRT) for ARPA
expenditures.
Coordinate a racial equity
workshop or series of racial
equity workshops for the full
City Council.
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.
SHORT
TERM
MID
TERM
LONG
TERM
MID TERM
• Interim Rapid Response Tool (IRRT) developed and in use. • Community Investment Dashboard for ARPA created and in use. • Mandatory DEIB training for elected and appointed officials passed with a report back on the baseline assessment today.
• Intent has and continues to be to develop workshops in partnership with community via the SCORE initiative.
LONG TERM • Contract with Race Forward for SCORE initiative finalized Summer 2022. • Phase 1 of SCORE Initiative completed.
• Preview of the Racial Equity Alliance and Racial Equity Council’s 120-day community engagement plan provided last meeting, a full presentation and update will be given today.
SHORT TERM
UPDATES
QUESTIONS + COMMENTS
Next: Discussion Item 3 – addresses long-term in more detail:
SCORE update from Race Forward & Racial Equity Council
Then: Discussion Item 4 – addresses mid-term in more detail:
Mandatory training baseline assessment report/update
Then: Discussion Item 5 – aligns with overall goals:
SEED update and demonstration with GIS team
(SEED: Sacramento Equity Explorer Design)