ACTION REQUESTED:
Title
Communication from the City Manager and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer with a Request to WITHDRAW an ORDINANCE Regarding the RACIAL EQUITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT (REIA).
Body
BACKGROUND:
The City of Peoria is a Co-Founder of the Peoria City-County Commission on Racial Justice and Equity (“Commission”) and has approved the Charter of that Commission. The mission of the Commission is to “accelerate efforts to institutionalize racial justice and equity within county and city government and to advance its adoption throughout the region.” The vision of the Charter and the Commission is “to end racism in city and county government and to achieve racial equity and justice across our community.”
The actions of the City of Peoria play a large role in assuring success of that mission and vision.
The Commission has researched a racial equity impact assessment tool that would lead to an intentional examination of racial (and other) inequities which might arise or be present in the City’s actions, will inform equitable decision-making, and will identify options to address inequities. The Commission has recommended the adoption and required use of a racial equity impact assessment tool by the City of Peoria in developing, implementing or terminating City policies, programs, services, plans, and budgets.
A racial equity impact assessment (REIA) shall be required prior to the approval by the City of any new or amended policies, programs, services, plans, or budgets, except for those which are solely ceremonial (e.g., honorary street name). A REIA shall also be required prior to any existing policies, programs, services, plans, or budgets being terminated.
The REIA shall take such form as is determined in any instance by the City Manager consistent with the intent of assuring racial equity in the City’s actions, but at a minimum shall address in writing:
• How does this action advance racial and ethnic equity in the community?
• Have you analyzed the impact this action will have upon racial and ethnic communities? What is that impact?
• What is your data and how was it developed?
• Have you reached out to receive feed-back from each affected community? What is their input?
• Have you considered alternative approaches to this action which would better promote equity?
• What, if any, additional resources would be needed to better promote equity though this action?
The City Manager shall create a worksheet to assist in the completion of the REIA. The REIA and any worksheet shall be completed and made public sufficiently in advance of a decision on the new or amended policies, programs, plans, or budgets, to allow for the public to comment.
Responsibility to assure compliance with this ordinance shall lie with City Manager through the City’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion officer. The City Manager or designee shall determine within the City who shall complete the REIA and, if applicable, worksheet, for any particular City action. The scope of the implementation of this ordinance shall be phased to ensure staff have been trained in the tool and the concepts and principles of diversity, equity and inclusion.
October 11 Update - Based upon the comments received from the City Council, staff has eliminated the liberal interpretation Section 2.7 and repeal of conflicting ordinances Section 3 of the Ordinance. The Racial Justice and Equity Commission has been compiling data on inequities in the City and County, and that process is still underway. Attached to the Council Communication is the report out from the Annual Meeting of the Commission in June of this year. In addition, ICC produced a 2022 Peoria City/County Racial Disparity Report that is attached to the Council Communication.
Finally, County staff are working to map the key indicators identified by the RJE Commission and inequities in the County. As that map is completed, it will be presented to Council.
October 25 Update - City staff have included additional attachments: the Minneapolis Racial Equity Impact Analysis which summarizes the REIA process; the Dubuque Racial Equity Toolkit, which outlines Dubuque’s approach to this work; and an example from Chicago of the REIA on a low income housing program.
City staff would respectfully request to withdraw the ordinance for consideration. Staff would like the opportunity to provide the organization with more foundational training on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), as well as spending some additional time and effort to establish the business case for this ordinance in a more deliberate, concentrated effort. Focusing the time and space within the organization in one or two areas can benefit and hone the approach to this issue. Currently the City Manager and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer are participating in the program Learning and Operationalizing Racial Equity (LORE) through the Metropolitan Mayor’s Caucus. This program is designed to focus institutionalized practices and policies that yield disparate outcomes not only for communities that our organizations serve, but also within the organizations themselves. This training can inform the approach to this endeavor, and due to that, staff would like to withdraw the ordinance at this time. Staff would also request that the Council consider a future policy session on DEI, possibly even jointly with the County Board.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There will be minimal financial impact from the adoption of this ordinance.
NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS: N/A
IMPACT IF APPROVED: The ordinance would be adopted.
IMPACT IF DENIED: The City would not use the racial equity impact assessment tool.
ALTERNATIVES: Council could amend or modify the ordinance provisions.
EEO CERTIFICATION NUMBER: N/A
WHICH OF THE GOALS IDENTIFIED IN THE COUNCIL’S 2017 - 2032 STRATEGIC PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION ADVANCE?
1. Grow Peoria
WHICH CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR(S) FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION IMPLEMENT?
1. Have an efficient government.
DEPARTMENT: City Manager's Office