Community Equity Advisory Committee Meeting – May 27, 2026

The Community Equity Advisory Committee of Fitchburg met on May 27, 2026, to hear a presentation from the city's DEI Employee Resource Group (ERG), approve an equity rubric, endorse proclamations for Pride Month and Juneteenth, and discuss flag‑raising policies.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes (April 22, 2026): Unanimously approved.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public appearances for non‑agenda items.

Discussion Items

• DEI Employee Resource Group (ERG) Presentation: Members of the ERG (Sarah Mazamayers, Anna Healy, Sarah Olson, Jeremy, Stephanie, others) introduced themselves and outlined their mission: “promote equity and social justice and create change through education awareness” to ensure employees feel they belong. Accomplishments included establishing Juneteenth as a city holiday, a bilingual incentive program (50¢/hour for Spanish, Hmong, or American Sign Language), a buddy program for new hires, and a workplace culture survey. Members discussed challenges in recruiting ERG members and need for transparent listening sessions. The committee expressed support and offered to collaborate.
• Equity Rubric Discussion and Approval: After postponing the item to address proclamations first, the committee returned to discuss the equity rubric. A member recommended changing language in the scoring section from “not every category must be fully exemplary” to “most categories do not need to be exemplary” to set realistic expectations. The amendment was approved unanimously, and the full rubric was adopted. The rubric is intended as a tool for the committee to evaluate city plans and will be shared with the Common Council.
• Proclamations for Pride Month and Juneteenth: The committee reviewed and unanimously approved draft proclamation language for Pride Month (June) and Juneteenth. The proclamations will be forwarded as recommendations to the mayor and city.
• Flag‑Raising Discussion: Members raised concerns about the current flag guideline (Pride flag up one week, Juneteenth flag up one week) sending a mixed message. After discussion, a motion was made and seconded to recommend that both flags be raised on June 1st and remain up for the entire month of June. The motion passed unanimously. The committee also noted the need for a broader flag policy review.

Key Outcomes

• Minutes approved (April 22, 2026) – unanimous.
• Equity rubric adopted with a language amendment – unanimous.
• Proclamations for Pride Month and Juneteenth approved – unanimous.
• Motion to recommend flags (Pride and Juneteenth) raised June 1st and stay up the full month – passed unanimously. Committee will communicate this recommendation to the mayor.
• Next steps: The equity rubric will be presented to the Common Council; ERG listening sessions planned for fall 2026; collaboration with the committee on future events and communication.