Agenda Item #3.1
For Council Meeting of: March 15, 2022
CITY OF SANTA ROSA
CITY COUNCIL
TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: AMY REEVE, DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES
HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: SEED COLLABORATIVE EQUITY PLAN UPDATE
AGENDA ACTION: STUDY SESSION
RECOMMENDATION
This Study Session will provide an update on the City-wide diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging journey with SEED Collaborative and provide an opportunity for discussion.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In support of the Tier 1 Priority, City Council Goal of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity; the City has embarked on an Equity Plan creation journey with SEED Collaborative. SEED is facilitating the equity plan document creation and has moved into the stage of the workplan that includes the creation and management of three equity task forces, for Fire, Police, and the City. This is an update of that work.
BACKGROUND
In December of 2020, the City Council selected SEED Collaborative to serve as the consultant in creating an Equity Plan to guide the City forward. This plan contains the service and involvement of three distinct task force groups for Fire, Police, and the City.
On June 8, 2021, SEED Collaborative updated the Council on the workplan strategy, which included orientation, due diligence, facilitation, and equity plan phases. As of June 2021, the interview and focus group Orientation phase was completed. The Due Diligence phase had begun and included document and data review, including creating and analyzing an employee survey on DEI.
On October 26, 2021, the SEED collaborative again updated the Council on the work plan status. As of October 2021, the employee survey had been created and analyzed. Initial findings of the survey data were shared with the Council and the community.
PRIOR CITY COUNCIL REVIEW
On December 15, 2020, Council approved Resolution RES-2020-217, approving the Professional Services Agreement with Seed Collaborative, LLC.
On June 8, 2021, Council received an update from Seed Collaborative on the City of Santa Rosa Equity Plan Project.
On October 26, 2021, Council received an update from Seed Collaborative on the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Initiative.
ANALYSIS
SEED Collaborative will again update the Council on the status of the workplan. To date, all three task forces have begun their work and are at various stages in the process. The collaboration process will be explained, as will the formation of the final equity plan, with City-wide deliverables and priorities. An updated work plan and final product delivery date will be shared.
Meaningful work that grounds the organization in the DEI journey has begun to emerge from the work of these focus groups. There is an initial shared definitions document resulting from the meetings. Those definitions are beginning to be shared and used in a broader City context, including for an equity framework with Boards, Commissions and during selection processes for consultants and other City contracts.
The presentation will explain the work of the focus groups, revisit critical highlights and findings from organization data, and clarify the next steps in the process.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no new fiscal impact. Earlier budget cycles appropriated the funds that support the current SEED Collaborative contract.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
This action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it is not a project which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378. No further environmental analysis is required.
BOARD/COMMISSION/COMMITTEE REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Not applicable.
NOTIFICATION
Not applicable.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – Organizational DEI definitions
CONTACT
Amy Reeve, Director of Human Resources, [email protected], 707-543-3070
SEED COLLABORATIVE EQUITY PLAN UPDATE
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