Title
Adopt a Racial Equity Resolution
End
FileID
File ID: 2024-02008
End
Location
Location: Citywide
End
Recommendation
Recommendation: Adopt a Resolution to operationalize racial equity in the City, with the goal of producing material outcomes for all residents to thrive and fostering a culture of shared partnership and accountability between community and government.
End
Contact
Contact: Allison S. Joe, Senior Advisor, Office of Mayor Darrell Steinberg; (916) 808-5300; ajoe@cityofsacramento.org
End
Presenter
Presenter: Aimée Zenzele Barnes, Diversity & Equity Manager, (916) 808-1174, abarnes@cityofsacramento.org, Department of Human Resources; Jesse Villalobos, Race Forward, Race Forward, info@raceforward.org
End
Attachments
Attachments:
1 - Description/Analysis
2 - Revised March 2024 Scope of Work and Workplan for SCORE Initiative
3 - Proposed Resolution as amended by the Racial Equity Committee on October 29, 2024
4 - Proposed Resolution as amended by the City Manager
5 - Summary of REA and REC Hosted Listening Sessions
6 - Outreach Related to the Development of the Proposed Resolution
End
Description/Analysis
IssueDetail
Issue Detail: In 2021, Council directed staff to provide a possible framework to address racial equity and inequitable policies, practices, and decisions, and develop a definition of “racial equity” with community. Specific direction from the Council was to bring back a Council resolution which acknowledges historic and recent systemic harms and racism; and affirms a sustained commitment to a citywide racial equity initiative.
On January 11, 2021, Council created the Racial Equity Committee (Committee) as a standing committee of the Council to help the Council align the advancement of racial equity in City policy, budget, and service-delivery decision making and increase engagement, transparency, and accountability for the City’s ongoing racial equity work.
A draft resolution is one of the deliverables related to the City’s work with Race Forward, the Racial Equity Alliance (REA), and the Racial Equity Council (REC) as part of the multi-year Sacramento Centered on Racial Equity (SCORE) initiative and workplan. The goal of the SCORE initiative is to define racial equity, develop a racial equity resolution for Council consideration, and guide the development of racial equity capacity building and racial equity tools for the City to apply a racial equity lens to decision making.
On October 29, 2024, the Committee heard a presentation from Race Forward and members of the REA on key elements of their draft resolution, how it was developed with community, and next steps for implementation. This resolution, as amended by the Committee, is included as Attachment 3.
At the November 12, 2024, Council meeting the City Manager offered an alternative resolution for consideration, included as Attachment 4.
End
PolicyConsiderations
Policy Considerations: On February 15, 2022, Council passed a midyear budget adjustment including a recommendation from Mayor Steinberg to continue the City’s commitment of establishing racial equity in culture and policy, by investing $500,000 to be allocated to support the City’s ongoing initiatives. Of that amount, $100,000 was directed to support the work of the REA as a durable collaboration of Sacramento’s racial justice leaders- to lead the City’s SCORE Initiative and lift up the expertise, vision and goals of those communities of color who have experienced the outcomes of institutional and systemic racism. This item directly advances Phase 2 of the SCORE Initiative to finalize a City racial equity resolution.
End
EconomicImpacts
Economic Impacts: None.
End
EnvironmentalConsiderations
Environmental Considerations: This action does not constitute a “project” as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines.
End
Sustainability
Sustainability: Not applicable.
End
Commission/Committee Action
Commission/Committee Action: On October 29, 2024, the Committee passed a motion forwarding a resolution to Council for consideration. As part of regular updates by staff, Race Forward, the REA, and REC, the Committee heard several presentations on the development of the proposed resolution.
End
RationaleforRecommendation
Rationale for Recommendation: The resolutions proffered for consideration acknowledge past harms related to actions resulting in inequitable policies, programs, and practices based on race, and build upon current City efforts around racial equity. Current and future tools and practices identified in both resolutions can help inform Council related to resource and policy decisions with regard to racial equity.
End
FinancialConsiderations
Financial Considerations: Approval of a resolution would continue and build upon existing efforts to establish shared definitions and metrics in conjunction with evaluation of program outcomes and provide potential frameworks to understand the impact of decisions on City policy and funding.
End
LocalBusinessEnterprise
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable.
End