Fitchburg Community Equity Advisory Committee Meeting – April 22, 2026

The Community Equity Advisory Committee of Fitchburg, Wisconsin, met on April 22, 2026, to continue developing an equity toolkit/rubric for evaluating city reports, proposals, and plans. The committee reviewed two versions of the rubric, discussed refinements, and agreed on next steps to finalize the tool. The meeting also included approval of previous minutes and brief announcements.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the minutes from the March 25, 2026, meeting by unanimous voice vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public appearances were made for non‑agenda items.

Discussion Items

• Equity Toolkit Review: The committee spent the majority of the meeting reviewing a draft equity rubric designed to assess how well city documents (e.g., plans, RFPs) incorporate equity. The group examined a version prepared by committee member Jessica, which included color‑coding and a 4‑point scoring scale (4 = emerging, 3 = developing, 2 = strong, 1 = leading). Members discussed:
  • The need for clear definitions of key terms such as "well‑being" – some suggested replacing it with "thriving" or adding context.
  • Consistency in language across rows (e.g., using "data" consistently in the data collection row).
  • Whether to use a 4‑point, 5‑point, or 7‑point scale to allow finer differentiation (e.g., between "developing" and "strong").
  • The difference between "approve with conditions" and "return for revision" in the scoring criteria – members noted the committee is advisory, so final approval rests with the city council.
  • The importance of using the tool early in the planning process to avoid costly revisions later.
• Racial Equity Lens: Chair Chris proposed adding language explaining that the committee leads with a racial equity lens, with a definition and rationale (e.g., race often indicates disparity even within other marginalized groups). Other members supported this, and Chris agreed to draft the language.
• Glossary and Training: Bill suggested creating a glossary of terms; Colleen reported on a meeting with Sarah Lawton from the Government Alliance for Racial Equity (GARE), who offered to provide video modules and potentially visit the committee to help staff learn to use the tool.
• Process: The committee discussed whether to combine elements from Jessica’s version and Bill’s comments. Members agreed that Chris would integrate feedback from the discussion and circulate a revised document via email (without meeting quorum), with a goal of final adoption at the next meeting.
• Outreach to City Departments: Donald proposed inviting department heads to learn about the toolkit once it is finalized, to encourage early use.

Key Outcomes

• Minutes Approved: Unanimously approved.
• Equity Toolkit Next Steps: Chris will merge feedback from the meeting into a revised rubric, circulate it to the committee via email, and bring a final version for approval at the next meeting.
• Racial Equity Lens Statement: Chris will draft a statement explaining why the committee centers racial equity, to be included in the toolkit cover sheet or as an asterisk.
• GARE Resources: Colleen will follow up with Sarah Lawton to schedule a presentation for the committee or city staff.
• Announcements: Janice announced a Juneteenth event on June 17, 2026, at the senior center featuring an award‑winning author; another member shared a GSA event on May 9; Colleen invited members to a Nina community of practice call featuring Deepa Ayer on the second Wednesday of each month.