SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES OF THE
NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES AND EDUCATION COMMITTEE AND COMMITTEE
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2022
Consistent with AB 361 and City of San Jose Resolution Nos. 79485, 80237, 80266, 80290, 80323 and 80343, this meeting was not physically open to the public and the (Board/Commission/Committee) Members were teleconferencing from remote locations.
The Committee meeting was teleconferenced from remote locations and convened at 1:30 p.m.
PRESENT: Councilmember Sylvia Arenas , Chair; Magdalena Carrasco, Vice Chair ; Councilmember Sergio Jimenez, Councilmember Maya Esparza, Councilmember David Cohen, Members.
ABSENT: All present.
STAFF: Deputy City Manager, Angel Rios, Jr.; Senior Deputy City Attorney Karin Murabito; Paul Pereira, Mayor's Executive Officer; Grace Turner and Deputy City Clerk Ruth Krantz.
(b) Review of Work Plan
(c) Consent Calendar
None provided.
(d) Reports to Committee
(1) Office of Racial Equity Work Plan Status Report. (City Manager -Racial Equity)
Zulma Maciel, Director, Office of Racial Equity ; Racial Equity Manager, Andrea Truong and Immigrant Affairs Manager, Chris Cambises provided the presentation.
Public Comments : (1) Paul Soto expressed some criticism of the report and spoke to his unique experience being from the Horseshoe and reparations for cultural genocide. (2) Blair Beekman offered appreciation for practices of equity and budgeting. (3) Jill Borders spoke of her attachment to San José and the need for education on discrimination and need for truth and reconciliation meetings to be held by the City.
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(1) Office of Racial Equity Work Plan Status Report. (Cont’d.)
Councilmember Sergio Jimenez had questions regarding affinity groups, and Zulma Maciel, Director, Office of Racial Equity offered to pull information as requested. She responded to additional questions from the Committee.
Councilmember Maya Esparza and Councilmember Sylvia Arenas spoke to consideration of the objectives laid out and leveraging of resources, i ncluding examining the value of County and their respective departments and inclusion of the Gramatura framework item when it returns to Council.
Action: Upon motion by Councilmember Maya Esparza, seconded by Councilmember Sergio Jimenez and carried unanimously, the status report of the Office of Racial Equity from July to December 2021, and roadmap for January to June 2022 which includes both immigrant affai rs and racial equity work was accepted and c ross-referenced to the February 8, 2022 City Council meeting. (4-0-1. Absent: Carrasco.)
(2) Discussion of Proposed Equity Roundtable. (City Manager -Racial Equity)
Zulma Maciel, Director, Office of Racial Equity provided background and introduced presenters: Andrea Truong, Racial Equity Manager, ORE ; Carmen Brammer, Black Leadership Cabinet ; Héctor Sánchez- Flores, National Compadres Network, who then provided a presentation.
Public Comments: (1) Paul Soto spoke to need for reparations. (2) Blair Beekman spoke to equity and language interpretation during our meetings. (3) Jill Borders spoke on her excitement for the possibilities where healing can begin.
Action: No action required. The proposed Equity Roundtable framework, selection process, and member composition and provide input for consideration and further refinement was discussed.
(3) Equity and Inclusion Service Report. (Library)
Deputy City Manager, Angel Rios, Jr. provided opening remarks. Library Director Jill Bourne and Karla Alvarez, Library Community Programs Administrator provided a presentation.
Public Comments: (1) Paul Soto opined that “ equity” as is being used here is an oxymoron. (2) Jill Borders spoke to SB330 and affordable housing and need for a micro library if losing community space. (3) Michele Rowic, with the SJPL and member of the Library’s EDI program spoke to reducing barriers and noted that libraries are at the forefront of equity and inclusion. (4) Blair Beekman spoke to digital inclusion and a future of sustainable practices. (5) Jennifer Lucas from California State Council on Developmental Disabilities spoke to inclusion of those with intellectual and mental disabilities as members of the community with equal opportunities for services.
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(3) Equity and Inclusion Service Report. (Cont’d.)
Action: Upon motion by Councilmember Maya Esparza, seconded by Councilmember Sergio Jimenez and carried unanimously, the report on the Library’s equity and inclusion services, including efforts to strengthen departmental capacity to advance equity and inclusion services, understand the use and access to Library services, reach hard- to-reach populations through various efforts including a special focus on disability/adaptive ability access efforts, and the development of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Quality Standards for all City sponsored programs was accepted, and the report was cross -referenced to the February 8, 2022 City Council meeting for Council consideration and adoption of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Quality Standards. (3-0-2. Absent: Carrasco, Cohen.)
OPEN FORUM
1. Blair Beekman spoke to open public policies, racial equity and accountability , as well as the need for translation for all Zoom meetings and multi-culturalism.
2. Jill Borders addressed affordable housing units and equitable ideas for laundering facilities.
3. Paul Soto offered appreciation to Councilmember Arenas for acknowledging his contributions to the meeting process and to his representation of the Horseshoe.
ADJOURNMENT
Councilmember Sylvia Arenas adjourned the meeting at 4:10 p.m.
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Councilmember Sylvia Arenas
Neighborhood Services and Education Committee
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