CITY OF SIGNAL HILL
STAFF REPORT
2175 Cherry Avenue • Signal
Hill, California 90755-3799
12/13/2022
AGENDA ITEM
TO:
HONORABLE MAYOR
AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:
JOE HOEFGEN
INTERIM CITY MANAGER
SUBJECT:
FOLLOW UP REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE DIVERSITY COALITION
COMMITTEE (DCC) INCLUDING SUGGESTIONS FOR ITS PERMANENT STATUS
AND ONGOING MISSION
Summary:
At the City Council meeting of September 27, 2022, the Council directed staff to prepare a follow-up report on the work of the DCC including suggestions for its permanent status and ongoing mission around Signal Hill Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Goals. This report provides background information and outlines options for Council consideration to further advance the work of the DCC in FY 2023-24 and beyond.
Recommendations:
1. Receive and file the staff report.
2. Provide further direction as deemed appropriate.
Fiscal Impact:
The current year FY 2022-23 budget allocates $30,000 in facilitator assistance for the work of the DCC through June 30, 2023. The FY 2023-24 budget does not include an appropriation of $30,000 for consultant support for the DCC. The alternatives outlined in this report could either decrease or eliminate the payment for facilitation services and shift additional work to City staff to support the work of the DCC in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-24 and in future years.
Strategic Plan Objectives:
Goal No. 1: Ensure long-term fiscal stability.
Goal No. 5: Ensure an enhanced quality of life for residents.
Goal No. 6 Promote a transparent and open government.
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Background and Analysis:
A brief recap of some of the milestones related to the formation and work of the DCC is provided below:
· July 28, 2020 DCC created as a means to engage the community and dialogue on various aspects of race and equity
· October 13, 2020 Professional Services Agreement with DISC Solutions · December 9, 2020 First meeting of the DCC
· May 25, 2021 City Council received a DCC status report · January 12 - 31, 2022 Community Survey on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion · May 10, 2022 Community Survey results presented
· July 19, 2022 Inaugural Celebrate Diversity Breakfast · August 9, 2022 DCC Members receive Certificates of Recognition · September 13, 2022 Mayor Jones motioned and Vice Mayor Hansen seconded placement of future discussion item
· September 27, 2022 City Council provided direction for follow-up report Additionally, the City Council adopted a Draft Race and Equity Draft Framework to help guide the work of the DCC with key steps listed below:
1. Review: The DCC will review existing policies, procedures, documentation, and practices in the organization, as well as emerging best practices from other jurisdictions and advisory groups, to identify areas for improvement and focus.
2. Engage: The DCC will engage stakeholders to discuss potential improvements and to solicit additional feedback and options.
3. Report: The DCC will synthesize the outcomes of the Review and Engage stages and provide recommendations for immediate and near-term actions to the City Council.
4. Take Action: The City Council will select actions for implementation and evaluation.
The City Council direction from the September 27, 2022 Council meeting was for staff to return with this report providing some possible options for continuing the work of the DCC before the City’s FY CITY OF SIGNAL HILL Page 2 of 5 Printed on 12/9/2022
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this report providing some possible options for continuing the work of the DCC before the City’s FY 2023-24 budget process which will get underway in the spring of 2023.
It is important to note some key distinctions between the formation and operation of the DCC versus other Committees/Commissions of the City. Based on the nature of its work, the DCC has operated with a degree of autonomy compared to other committees/commissions as summarized below:
Appointments
· The DCC appoints its own members.
· The Sustainable City Committee self-appoints four community members and one local business representative.
· For the three standing Commissions (Planning Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, and the Civil Service Commission), the City Council makes the appointments following recruitments coordinated by Human Resources.
Number of Members
· The DCC is currently comprised of 16 members.
· The Planning Commission, Civil Service Commission and Parks and Recreation Commissions each have five standing members.
· The Sustainable City Committee has the following Representatives o Four community representatives
o One local business representative
o Three Commission representatives and three alternates o Two City Council representatives
Staff Support vs. Consultant Support
The DCC is assisted by a facilitator at a direct cost of $30,000 to the City. There is some staff support provided in finalizing DCC minutes and posting DCC agendas.
For other Commissions/Committees, (Planning, Parks and Recreation, Civil Service Commission, and Sustainable City Committee), there is no facilitation contract in place. Because many of the staff members tasked with providing support to other Commissions/Committees are salaried, the cost to the City is “indirect” - meaning that it is an allocation of time versus a direct cost/payment for the City.
Agendas, reports, and minutes are all completed by City staff as follows:
Committee/Commission Staff Support
Planning Community Development Staff
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Sustainable City Community Development Staff
Parks and Recreation Community Services Staff
Civil Service Human Resources Staff
Similarities Between DCC and Other Committees/Commissions · The DCC as well as other Committees/Commissions are open to the public and subject to the Brown Act.
· Past agendas/minutes for the DCC as well as other Committees/Commissions are available on the City’s website.
In terms of options for the continued work of the DCC, staff has identified the following options for City Council consideration:
Option One - Sustainable City Model
Create a structure similar to the Sustainable City Committee - with representatives as follows:
· Four (or more) community representatives
· Three Commission representatives and three alternates · Two City Council representatives
This option likely would require staff support from the Community Services Department, the Police Department, and the City Manager’s Office (depending on the issues addressed) in place of outside consulting services.
Option Two - City Commission Model
Modify the DCC to become a five-member (or more) Commission staffed by the Police Department and the Community Services Department.
One key difference between the current structure and Option Two relates to how individuals are appointed currently to serve on the DCC. As previously referenced, the current structure has members self-appointing versus the Commission structure which involves City Council appointment of members.
Option Three - Non-Profit Model
Create a new non-profit organization separate and apart from the City of Signal Hill.
Option Three is more difficult and costly to implement and would require the creation of bylaws, articles of incorporation, and a separate board of directors to fulfil the mission of the DCC. This option additionally would require a source of ongoing funding to cover operational costs and likely would require continuing consulting services for an additional year and possibly longer. # # #
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As part of the preparation of this report, staff has spoken with Fred Abdelnour, facilitator of the DCC, and provided him and the DCC an opportunity to provide a report on the work of the DCC to date and their suggestions for the future structure and operation of the DCC. On December 2, 2022, Mr.
Abdelnour forwarded the information prepared by DCC members for discussion at the City Council meeting on December 13, 2022 (Attachment A).
The options outlined in this report are intended to provide some possible paths forward to continue the work of the DCC in FY 2023-24 and beyond as options to the current DCC model.
It is important to note that the City Council does have the option to continue with the current DCC structure but may wish to revisit the parameters for the work of the DCC and require more frequent reporting than has occurred over the past two years.
Reviewed:
_________________________
Sharon del Rosario
Attachment
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