Good afternoon, everybody.

Welcome to Monday, March 16, 2026.

Um 5 30 p.m.

meeting of the measure you community advisory committee.

Uh this meeting is now called to order.

Will the clerk please call roll to establish the quorum?

Thank you, Chair.

Member McGee is absent.

Member Smith.

Sorry about that.

Yeah, there we are.

Here.

Member Sala.

Microphone.

Here.

I'm here.

Member Cook?

Member Miller is absent.

Member Johnston is absence.

Member Goris?

Here.

Member Noveo.

Here.

Member Garovsky is absent.

Member Pascal is absent.

Member Fry Lucas.

Here.

Member Rosa.

Here.

And Chair George.

Yep.

Thank you.

We have quorum.

Excellent.

I would like to remind members of the public and chambers that if you'd like to speak on an agenda item, please turn in a speaker slip when the item begins.

You will have two minutes to speak once you are called on.

After the first speaker, you will no longer, or we will no longer accept speaker slips.

Uh we will now proceed with today's agenda.

Would you be willing to lead us in the pledge and acknowledgments?

Thank you.

One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

All right, thank you very much, Member Gores, for that.

Um we will now move the consent calendar.

Um just to note there is like a uh another third item on here, which is not normally on the air, which is the uh dissolution of the metrics ad hoc committee.

Um I have a first and a second or motion a second.

Chair, we do have uh public comments on the consultation.

On the consent calendar, all right.

Sounds good.

Then let's let's hear them.

I have one speaker slip for the consent calendar.

Mr.

Lambert Davis.

Uh this is this is uh an item that uh my family and the millennials told me to come down here and speak on, which is uh the ad hoc committee.

During the some of you may not have been on the rostrum at the time, but during participatory budgeting, uh Chair Dickison and also Vice Chair Sala, they they really brought home how valuable the ad hoc committee could be if you use it right.

It can put the city in the staff of Sacramento, it can make them it could almost force them to be transparent.

When I see disillusion, uh that looks like to me you're you're throwing the burden on yourself too much.

You don't, and that can actually delay your time.

You don't have much time before the budget hits.

This is March.

So I notice you always go backwards when you're doing things, and it's because to me you don't have that ad hoc.

So I don't know exactly what that means.

Disillusion.

I know the word, but if you're voting to allow that to go by by passing the uh consent calendar, I think that's a tragic mistake for you.

Chair, I have no more speakers on the consent calendar.

Okay.

Uh just to remind everyone, um, this is like required by city code that we have to dissolve it because it's been around for a year and we can't have ad hocs for a year.

But we can recreate one with a new goal uh or the similar goal, but for the year 2026.

So that's why we have no choice but to dissolve it.

Um I have a motion in a second.

Anyone okay?

Oh, second.

Great.

So first by Salah.

Um, second by Nova Hill.

Okay, cool.

Um all in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Any oppose, abstain?

Okay.

I'm gonna say no just for the record.

I I I acknowledge that we have to um dissolve it, but dissolving it without a successor in place uh is problematic, lose momentum of the metrics, etc.

So it's not just like carte blanche dissolve it, it's like, hey, let's dissolve it and then put a new ad hoc metrics committee in place in parallel.

Both should happen at the same time.

Uh I guess we could end the same in the same motion create the secondary ad hoc.

I'll just clarify as chair.

Um, you can create an appoint members to an ad hoc committee without it um to requiring a vote of the full commission.

Okay.

Yes.

All right.

Let's uh do that with the exact same members that currently are on or that were on the old metrics ad hoc committee.

Uh unless pardon my interruption.

So is that motion?

I heard a motion and a vote with a no from um Commissioner Cook.

And then we have several members absent.

Is that that vote is completed, correct?

And yeah, you were creating an ad hoc.

Okay.

Yeah, I think I think that was already passed, so now let's we'll move on to like sort of an intermedium step here, which I guess is making that uh 2026 ad hoc committee uh for metrics um with the same members.

Um which were do you have those on hand?

I can get it if needed.

Okay, so it's myself, uh uh member Fry Lucas, Member Johnston, Member Rosa, Member Smith, Member Cook, and Member Noveo.

Is there anyone who does is on that, doesn't want to be it on it, or someone who's not on it and wants to be on it here today.

And this is again for like reviewing the dashboard that Ash uh created for us, and also um compiling our research such that we get to sort of uh inform the committee on what we feel it has high high ROI or what metrics we would like to see added or removed from the existing dashboard.

Uh clarification, Mr.

Chair.

Um, for this ad hoc we cannot meet quorum, correct?

Okay.

It has to be seven or less.

Okay, got it.

Thank you.

Okay.

Well, for now we can keep the members as is, and then if we need to change, we can do this later.

All right, let's move on to discussion calendar.

Um, which is the uh Office of Diversity and Equity.

Welcome.

All right, good evening.

Measure you community advisor, advisory commissioners, uh to those online and those in the chambers.

My name is Ami Zensile Barnes.

Uh pronouns are she and they, and I serve as the diversity and equity manager.

Um I am uh happy to be here and uh appreciate the invitation to share um work on our race, gender, and equity action plan as well as our score initiative.

So those will be the major components.

So in addition to that, um also gonna share a bit about um how we're transforming the race, gender, and equity action plan and incorporating uh results-based accountability framework from Clear Impact.

Um it's expansion beyond workforce, um, and how that race gender and equity action plan is intended to align with the score initiative.

Sacramento centered on racial equity, and support the operationalizing racial equity resolution 2024-0354, which calls for the commitment and resources of the city to operationalize racial equity throughout its structure and systems.

Um, and then round out with some next steps and deliverables and look forward to questions and and conversation um after that.

So the race, gender and equity action plan, I know you see a lot of PowerPoints, but just wanted to kind of highlight two things here is the arc of the work that we've been engaged with.

The Office of Diversity and Equity was established in 2018.

And there we immediately began being part of the GARE learning cohort.

GARE stands for Government Alliance on Race and Equity, and it is a national initiative of government institutions at the local, county, state, and federal level who are embedding racial equity in their work.

There, the result of that being part of that learning cohort resulted in the race gender and equity action plan being drafted.

And then we finalized it during the very dynamic year when COVID started in 2020.

And that's when we launched it.

We pursued through that and moving to the virtual environment in developing and establishing department equity teams.

And so every department has an equity team, including two charter offices.

And so we work very consultative as well as one-on-one and provide consultation and coaching for those equity teams as well.

And so since 2023 and since then, 2024 and 2025, we have annual equity team convenings where 60 to 100 city staff from those comprised of those equity teams come together for one day of learning capacity and how the strategic evolution of the race, gender and equity action plan will evolve in the previous year.

And this year we are expanding beyond workforce.

The race, gender, and equity action plan of the city was primarily focused on an internal strategy of workforce equity, which is about everything from hire to retire, all of the employment systems.

And I'll share a little bit more about that.

But the biggest thing for this year is our transition to include that, but to move to other systems of the city.

So looking at procurement and budget and contracting and applying a racial equity lens there.

So those are that's really the arc.

I just wanted to say like 2018, 2026, right?

Doesn't happen overnight.

Some parts of the race, gender and equity action plan, it was strategic for us to start internally around workforce in 2018-19.

And so the goal of the race, gender and equity action plan, and it still is, but it will evolve after this year is to reflect the city in order to better serve the city.

So city staff that are reflective of the diversity of the city are better able to serve it and meet the needs of the city of city residents and careholders.

Those that are in the middle squares are really the principles around how the race and gender equity action plan was forged, which is around using shared analysis and vocabulary, building capacity, implementing tools such as equity lens and equity assessments, partnering with others, breaking down silos, looking at what other departments are doing, best practices within the city and outside the city, using data and metrics as a way to inform your work, as well as operating with urgency, and operating with urgency doesn't mean you just run over folks.

It means you have a sense of purpose, you have a timeline, you have an action plan, and you know when you're gonna finish it.

And so you adjust from there.

But the overall goal of any equity action plan is systemic change through collective decision making for systems, policies, practices, and procedures.

And they centered around Sacramento youth of color and women having basic knowledge of careers within government service, fostering employment uh career development, and making sure that city staff knew how they can progress and move up within the city and how they can build their capacity and professional skills and acumen.

13 outcome, the 13th outcome was about a commitment into developing and investing in professional development.

And 14 was supporting retention efforts of a racially and diverse workforce.

So those were the most common RGAP outcomes up until 2024.

The current focus of the race, gender and equity action plan from 2025 and beyond is to remain centered on workforce, but it's also to include external equity efforts that city staff are doing.

I think one of the strategies around focusing on internal was that it allowed city staff to be able to see how a racial equity approach can be applied to external efforts.

Because when you can use the lens inside, you can use the lens for services and programs and service delivery.

So it's the same thing.

And that's part of the normalizing piece that we really engaged with when I first came on in 2018.

The development of performance measures aligned with department equity goals.

And you'll hear a little bit about more about that from the results-based accountability.

It's not just about data, but it's telling the story behind the data.

Is it what does it mean understanding the impact and how did we get there?

And how can we pivot along the way and monitor?

Preparing for expansion beyond workforce equity to external serving city systems.

The GARE approach is worth mentioning.

We have have been a member of the government alliance on race and equities since 2018.

We use this model, theory of change, visualize, normalize, organize, and operationalize.

It is a huge foundational aspect of our work and the race, gender and equity action plan, and all racial equity work that we do is centered around this approach.

And we have benefited a great deal from our own capacity building as the Office of Diversity and Equity and Technical Support from the GARE Initiative and the GARE Network tremendously.

The role of department equity teams really just want to highlight here that every department, I really want to highlight this, is unique in size, role, culture, and needs.

No two department equity teams are the same.

There's a colleague who's retired, and he's he said there's 15 companies within the city of Sacramento.

And I think from an equity standpoint, that's very true.

And so that's something to contend with when you're talking about changing organizational culture, creating shared norms, shared vocabulary, shared understanding.

You need to understand and be able to relate to those different cultures.

So that's something I really want to highlight for you all as commissioners.

How is it embedded, and how is it expected, and how is it measured in the work?

Because we don't want to have city staff or departments think that equity is over here.

It's right here.

And it's the lens through which you do your work.

So how do you embed it and how can you create an equity-centered approach?

How can you create equity-centered community engagement?

How can you create equity-centered performance measures?

And so that's really the transition that we're making for the race, gender, and equity action plan.

So here, one of the ways that we're doing that is through the results-based accountability framework.

I really want to highlight for you all, too, that we, as the Office of Diversity and Equity, we're part of a learning cohort, which was a training cohort from the government alliance on race and equity.

It was called the Jurisdiction Evaluation Learning Exchange.

It took place from October 24 to October 25.

There, we received as an office without expense to the city, technical support on results-based accountability, how to do it, and how to engage, and how do we can further the implementation of our own race, gender, and equity action plan.

And given that we've had budget deficits for three years where training and going anywhere was not an option, this was huge for us.

And so really wanted to highlight that and really kind of give credit to the government alliance on race and equity, seeing that there are many jurisdictions that were challenged with budget issues or other challenges and needed technical as offices, we need technical support and learning and capacity building in our own in order to lead effectively our colleagues and the city staff.

So from there, a colleague Marcos Marquez from Clear Impact really saw a connection to us with the county, particularly the Department of Family, Adult and Family and Adult Services, and was able to make a connection so that we can access the clear impact software and dashboard.

Again, low low to no cost, okay?

And so that was huge for us.

I've been wanting to do RBA for years, but the cost it made it cost prohibitive to do that.

So this was a great opportunity coming from this learning cohort.

And we immediately applied it and said, how can we build it into our work?

How can we start to train the equity teams on this work?

The framework, how can we learn it ourselves?

So it really is a ship, really build the ship as you sail it.

And so as we teach it to the equity teams, we're learning and building our capacity at the same time.

So I really wanted to kind of highlight that for you all as well.

So in the framework, as we began to launch it in really the summer of 2025, we started to work with our equity teams and ask the questions of not only who do you serve and who are your clients, so thinking about who do you serve from council to commissions to community care holders to other departments, to other staff, to other counties, compliance agencies, regulatory agencies, those are all our clients when you think about that.

So understanding your client ecosystem was really important in order to develop your performance measures.

And then these two were the guiding questions, and they're the foundational questions for our equity teams and how they will expand their work from workforce equity.

Which performance measures would create the most impact for the department, again, linking their work to current work, and then if the data improved on that measure, would it advance equity the most?

So this was a way of starting to get them to think about performance measures and embed equity, but at the same time aligning it to the purpose, the role, authority, and function of what their department, their division, or their team is responsible for.

So it really helps to create that bridge.

And here, just for illustrative purposes, uh, this is a foundational illustration of the RBA framework.

I'm hoping it'll be beneficial for you all as well.

Uh, but this is a framework that we work with uh predominantly in asking those two questions.

And so, really, there are three types of performance measures.

The three types are how much did we do, how well did we do it, and is anyone better off.

And where equity lands here for just the the short time we have is in the green is better off under how much and better off under how well.

Usually we can count how much we do, how many trainings, how many classes, or how many fairs, how many people walked in through the door, but do we know if they're better off?

Do we know if equity was moved?

Was it impacted?

Did it did we make a difference?

And so this work that we're doing is really helping us get to this front work, is really helping us understand what we're measuring, and that if we are truly measuring equity, not just counting something that we do.

And so, really appreciate the model is very simple, but it has an elegance to it to force us to go.

Oh, okay, we know how much the number was of people, but how do we know they're better off?

And that's the real challenge, because we may not have the data.

We may not have the infrastructure to collect that data.

We may not know.

So we're gonna have to get inventive and creative, and it shouldn't stop us from asking that question.

So that's really the journey that we're gonna be on.

Um, the RBA training.

So since September of 2025, when we did the equity team convening, we had Marcos Marquez, one of their senior advisors from Clear Impact.

He facilitated that, and again, that was out of that cohort, uh, the Jelly Cord from GARE.

Um, we did a deep dive with our equity teams to understand those three types of performance measures and the turn the curve strategy, uh the turn the curve.

Uh we don't have time to get into that, but that's basically telling the story behind the numbers.

What's happening?

What are people facing?

What are the barriers that people are experiencing?

And so uh that strategy is part of the uh RBA framework as well.

And so learning and then also providing technical support to the equity teams as well.

And so, with this, really want to make the bridge that as the SCORE initiative is moving forward, we want to make sure that the race, gender, and equity action plan aligns with the future Sacramento Centered on Racial Equity Citywide Plan, and that our work is continuingly to support what is being called for in the operationalizing racial equity resolution that was passed in December of 2024, and that there is alignment and cohesion with department work and the score deliverables.

So our work is ongoing to continue to do capacity building with the RBA Turn the Curve strategy, providing technical support through the SCORECAR dashboard, consulting with city leadership on how the RGAP is being expanded, and then now blending the GARE theory of change, visualize, normalize, organize, and operationalize, plus the RBA framework to guide that expansion.

So that moves us into SCORE.

And so SCORE, who is involved in SCORE, the major container for SCORE is the Racial Equity Committee, which is one of the four subcommittees of the council.

And there is every meeting, an update on the SCORE initiative is provided.

So I definitely encourage you to check that out.

The Racial Equity Committee began in January of 2022.

And so that's really the container for the SCORE initiative.

The Office of Diversity and Equity provides staff support to that committee, so we're heavily involved in that work, and we want to make sure our work is aligned.

So we're one of the partners in addition to Race Forward.

RaceFord is a national organization that is dedicated to creating a multiracial equity-based society.

The GARE National Initiative is an initiative under Race Forward.

We also work with our community partners, the Racial Equity Council and Alliance, which is primarily now the Racial Equity Alliance, and the City Racial Equity Committee, which is comprised of four members of our council.

And so this is a more formal definition of SCORE and what it is as it began in 2022, but for simplicity would really highlight that the SCORE initiative is a co-governance initiative.

And by being co-governance, it's meant to be a co-creation with community careholders.

So those community care holders are our racial equity alliance.

And they are leaders within the community from various backgrounds from public health to nonprofit to CBOs in the city that have a relationship with RaceFord and are partners for us, but also reach out deeper into the community as well for additional voices.

And so the ultimate goal through that co-governance and co-creation strategy, which is also known as place-based, but it's really a co-creation to be very deliberate to transform the city, internal and external structures of the city in the governmental process to serve all people directly with community as co-creation.

So it is a co-governance type strategy.

The deliverables, there was a scope of work and contractual obligation as well.

We did truth-telling and trust-building circles with community and city leadership and the mayor council.

And then the developed partnership and accountability strategies to center communities of color and the racial justice work and honor that in the governing space.

The TBD 2026 on these next two shouldn't have been there, so that's my apologies.

They should just be TBD.

That's the work right now, as well as co-creating the racial equity action plan.

So to create that racial equity action plan city-wide, so the racial equity, the race, gender and equity action plan will inform that work.

It will be enfolded as we imagine it to be for the citywide is to create a roadmap, and that's the SCORE work plan.

And that's the work where we're right now at the Racial Equity Committee, is to finalize and review the SCORE Work Plan.

And it is meant to expand of the and involve the expansion of the race, gender and equity action plan.

It's also meant to involve the application of our Sacramento Explorer Design Equity Tool, our GIS tool that we developed last year, and also the implementation of a citywide racial equity study project.

But the biggest thing, in addition to that, I would also add is that it is also meant to leverage current city data, reports, and strategic plans and equity tools.

Because what we want to do is we want to leverage all of the equity work that is happening all over the city.

We don't want to create something that's isolated.

So it's really important that we do that, and there's a very deliberate and intentional strategy to do that.

And the work plan documents that document that is the work plan will really be our transparency roadmap that we monitor and that we collectively come together on to move the work forward towards the citywide racial equity action plan.

And just rounding out, looking ahead, uh we will continue to work with our equity departments, uh equity teams to finalize their RBA performance measures by June of 2026.

Um we will continue staff training and technical support on the RBA framework.

That's just ongoing.

Nothing that we do doesn't usually involve some kind of capacity building or training.

You want to give staff tools, people tools and resources in order to do the work effectively and confidently.

Support and deepened consultation with partners on the score deliverables, and that's with the Racial Equity Alliance and other community careholders.

Uh continue to consult with city leadership on expanded scope, but also aligning of the score deliverables and then prepare for integration of city efforts in that plan.

And the last thing I'll highlight is that in this year we hope to beta test and subsequently launch three citywide equity efforts.

One is the online SAC Equity Impact Planner and Assessment Tool, and that's drawing from the city of Milwaukee, where we hope to create a web-based equity lens that city staff can use in their own time as they do projects.

They will get a score, and they will get recommendations and they will get resources, and they will also give be given an option to have a consultation with our office.

The second is a Sacramento Equity Mapping Atlas, again, drawing from the city of Milwaukee is uh creating a data equity profile of the city of Sacramento that is completely equity focused.

Um, usually people have to go to different, and we want to create the one kind of stop shop of of equity data.

Um, and then the third is creating an equity impact statement for staff reports that go to council.

So we are uh working with city leadership right now in creating that template and also the clerk's office, uh, who's helped to really kind of kick start that as well.

Um, that staff would know how create a template of what they should write, what they should consider, and have a training and be able to write and have an equity statement that would be included in all staff reports going to the council, which would be tremendous.

So that's our three um initiatives that we hope to have beta tested and launched by the end of this year.

And that rounds out it.

Look forward to questions and any conversations.

Amazing.

Thank you for that presentation.

Um I open up to members here to ask any questions they would like.

Uh, member Smith.

Um I want to say thank you for your presentation.

Um I have a lot of questions regarding uh measure equity and and diversity inclusion.

Uh I don't think you have the answers, but at least you have the same questions that I do, and it sounds like you have a pretty thoughtful, deliberate approach.

So thank you for that.

Um I did want to ask a few questions about what you've done so far.

Um you mentioned that you trained, I think it was a 60 or 120 people this last year.

Um if the objective is to affect change in awareness of diversity, equity, inclusion in city departments.

Uh I guess my question is how well positioned are these folks who attended your training to do that?

Um, I think it varies for the teams, but I think that's actually been a learning curve for departments over the last two to three years is that um department leadership and particularly uh middle managers have to have a connection and they need to be able to support.

So it has been a learning curve because some have struggled with that.

And then also we'll have leadership that will change.

Right.

And the leadership will change, and then there's like a vacuum that needs to be filled, and then so we'll come in and support, and then they'll have to reshape it.

And we offer that guidance, and actually there is uh insight paper from Gare that gives you some guidance on how to structure equity teams.

So we utilize that as best we can.

Um but I think it's become a lot better than in 2021 and 2022, where I think people were, oh, you're interested in diversity, why don't you sit on this equity team?

Versus now, oh, we have a data person on this equity team because we need to start tracking.

Right.

It's always very different.

But it's been an arc, it's been a it's been a learning curve.

So I think this become a lot better.

Okay, awesome.

Not perfect, but I think it's I think they're realizing that because if things aren't moving, um, those folks can become disillusioned and it doesn't go anywhere.

Right.

So I think that's not the intention, but it can happen if the if there's if they're not set up well, and there doesn't need to be leadership connection and communication.

So I think the departments are doing a lot better with that regard.

Awesome.

Um second question.

So last year you got a five hundred three thousand dollar um uh you asked us for 500 three thousand dollars.

This year your request is 517, if I remember correctly, yes-ish, maybe it's it's in there somewhere.

I promise.

I think measure you funds support the three full-time positions of our office.

All right.

So we don't necessarily add, I think it's yes, but okay, so you asked for the positions, right?

I believe that's what the funding is covering.

Okay, so right now there's about uh 66 million dollar shortfall in the general fund, which is you know part measure you as part of uh the general fund, and I assume that you're primarily funded out of the general fund.

Um the shortfall is about 7.6 percent of the general fund.

If you um if the city has to cut your budget, um that would be roughly 10 and a half percent below what your asking or what you've asked for that the 517,000 dollars that's gonna have to come from somewhere.

Um how is that going to impact your services delivery um and the three initiatives that you've mentioned?

Uh, which will you be able to accomplish and which will you not be able to accomplish?

Um I would say that all of them could be accomplished if we were impacted.

What I would say is it would take longer.

Okay.

So draw it out into another year, that sort of thing, or right.

I think that's that would be my that's what I'm thinking right now as well.

Um we also wouldn't be able to respond to um consultations as fast or you know, as we want the plans and programs to move and needs happen, like for the staff, like the staff report, um, you know, you think about how many staff reports come to the council.

There's it could be like I don't know, 500 to a thousand a day.

Right.

Somebody would be like, Office of diversity and equity, we need to you to see your so we're not gonna position ourselves to review them or be we don't have that kind of bandwidth now.

Right.

So I just want to be clear about that.

But I could see a great deal of consultation being asked of city staff if we do have that as a requirement, or asking staff to put in a staff report that we may not be as available and we'd really have to think about scaling back, or how would we would do those things?

Um I've been in the in this in the equity industry for a long time, and I've seen we're always and no no disrespect to the cities, these are the programs that usually get cut.

So you you work it out, and you know, you just have to kind of scale back, and you have to manage expectations of what that the consultations um and that kind of um deep coaching could be, and I find that's where the transformations happen when people are able to sit in a space and really brainstorm with you about like, oh, I didn't realize that you could do it that way, or I didn't it seems so much easier than it looks like on paper.

It's it's kind of a it's relevatory in a way, right?

Right.

Um, so I think that's the scaling back, but I don't see us moving away to any of these initiatives.

I would love to see all of our departments carry on as if it is their initiative.

Right.

So if we can put that in position ourselves to do that, then the impact wouldn't be as great.

But I hope that makes sense in terms of.

And then finally, um the tough question.

Um you've mentioned that you worked with departments to set up metrics uh that relate to the equity lens and and what have you.

But as you think about your own performance, um you mentioned that you respond to departmental requests, those sorts of sorts of things.

How do you measure success in your own department in your own departmental operations?

Who are your primary well, I mean, I think we have an understanding of who your primary customers are.

But how do you define that and their orientation, their concerns?

How do you integrate that into your own department's departmental uh performance plan?

Um for our office, I would feel that we've done a great job about normalizing the conversation that equity is a consideration.

Right.

Uh I think about like you know, the and and not to highlight the council in any way, but in that prioritization process that they did for to have DEI and equity even mentioned was huge.

Um where I think our performance can improve, is that we would love to see that equity is the lens through which you see those priorities.

And so I think that that is I think we have to get more precise about um, and that's what I'm hoping with the RBA framework, which we haven't, we've really just dived into that this last year.

I'm hoping that we can get very specific about aligning the work that you do and how equity is there.

Is it there or is it not?

Right.

And I think that will improve some of our performance as well.

I think we've done a great job about getting people to ask the tough questions, even from how they set up interview panels, how they set up RFP panels, um, embedding equity in grants and management, having implicit bias training.

I think all of those things are great, but I think that you know, until it is a natural part of the work, it's not quite where I would like it.

Um so I would say we're like halfway there, but I also know this work takes it takes a you know, it takes time.

Um, and I don't say that as an excuse, I say that as a time for people knowing that they're they're working with such bandwidth, and you know, this isn't the first year of the budget deficit, this is like year three.

Um and helping them see that equity could actually help you do it better, that it doesn't have to be an extra effort to do it.

You can actually tell your story in a different way with an equity lens to demonstrate how the work is improving the lives of all people, just not just people of color, not disabled people, all people.

So it's race and and so I think when you have those kind of conversations, and we're we're a team of three, you know, and we can't be everywhere, but until we get to that point where we're we're seeing that, and I think we could be on our I think the score initiative was one of those visions and ideas of how that can happen, and I think that's gonna be huge, and I think we have to do it with community.

We can't just do it as government driving it, right?

So, but that takes time to forge as well.

So I think there's a lot of simultaneous paths, but I would say the normalization, asking the questions, how people are thinking differently about their work, but also not necessarily seeing equity as central to the work, and I think that's the that's how I would define it.

Okay, our clients, if I think I'm answering your question too, um, I think is everybody.

Okay, I really do.

Um, from boards and commissions to council to city council to council staff, um we see ourselves being a resource um, a guide, a consultation, um, coach, uh, and um and a pathway for you to say this is how you can make this impact even in a better way.

Um, so we answer all requests as much as we can.

Um, so we don't see anybody not a client or not somebody that we would work with.

Um and one of the other things I would definitely add too is that I think one of the beautiful things about equity work is that it also helps you break down silos and say, hey, did you know?

And our positionality is hey, did you know that this department is doing the same thing that you're doing?

You should reach out to that department.

You know what?

Well, let's make that connection for you.

Instead of doing it over here in silos, instead of let's magnify the impact and let's share resources, lessons learned about how that work can move forward even better.

And you still may do it in a different way because your roles and functions are different, but there's something to glean from when two departments or a team, two teams are doing something that's very similar that they can learn and adapt and grow and then embed that right away into their work.

So I really appreciate that about the work.

And city staff, um, I think now more than ever are very concerned about equity.

I think they just need to understand or know how to do it and how can it be done with the pressures that they face.

Okay.

Which was very different than 2018.

Roger.

All right, thank you.

Thank you.

Thanks for the questions.

I appreciate it.

Um I'm gonna hit you with a couple as well, if you don't mind.

Um so one of the questions I have is how is that GIS tool helped inform decisions in your department or others?

Do you feel like we're making data informed decisions internally?

Um just curious if it's played a part.

Um yes, I do.

Um we reference it all the time with teams, people ask us about it.

Um they also um departments also want to know if they can tweak it for some of their work, uh, because it doesn't quite hit the mark, you know.

We have these layers, but they're looking for something else.

Um I think we've done at least um we've presented to at least three or four commissions, um, uh, especially in 2025.

So I think it's a great tool.

It also helps as a consultative tool for us.

So when we have somebody that meets with us, we're saying, okay, what's your what's your goal or what's your performance measures?

Could be a KPI, could be, you know, something, and then I'm like, oh, okay, and you work within these zip codes, and oh, okay, this is the particular goal.

Okay, let's pull up the C tool, share my screen, and let's, you know, and see what it is that you're trying to do.

So it's often a clarifying tool for them to be a lot more precise about how they're going about the work and what they mean by equity.

I cannot underestimate the having a shared understanding of equity.

Equity is not equality.

It is looking at how you're improving measures, but you're improving measures for all people, but you may use different strategies for different people, given their situatedness, as I'm learning from the Ethering and Belonging Institute.

Um, so we find it very helpful as a comp, I would say mostly as a consultative tool.

And I do think departments are using it.

Um, I'm seeing it in a lot of staff reports, like a screenshot of the districts outlined and the zip codes outlined.

So we're seeing that more and more, and we get consulted on that.

Like, hey, is this an appropriate use of the tool?

So we're definitely seeing it used, and we promote it as much as we can.

One, because it's also something that uh is a tool that the public can use.

So you can be creating shared data with the communities that you serve as well.

And do you guys have much uh intention for like improving it or continuing to add to it, I guess, as we go forward?

Yeah, okay.

Oh, yeah, all the time.

Right.

Um another question I have is like around the RBA model of uh metrics.

Uh obviously there's like some metrics overall happening within the city, um, at least at like department levels.

And I know I when talking with Pete, he's also sort of an advocate of like the RBA model.

Um I'm just curious, like, do you feel like this is gaining traction in the city?

Because I would love to have, I think, as a com as a body, we've also expressed our opinion on it of instead of having sort of like out outputs, right?

We have outcomes.

Um, yeah, I was just curious to get your take on how the city's, you know, embracing this or not embracing it, or um, has it been easy?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Um, well, I say, as the as the Office of Diversity and Equity said that's what we're gonna go with.

So we're kind of telling the equity teams as a strategy, I should say.

Um, but it's understandable, they relate to it, they can see how if their department is using specific goals, they can see how they can relate.

So it's not this model that's becoming burdensome, like an additional, because that that was I I was concerned about that at the beginning.

So it seems that it's being able to translate and then distill what teams, departments are doing.

Um, so the equity teams I would say were kind of our first litmus test with it.

Um, and we are doing RBA check-ins and refreshers with them right now.

And they're coming to these meetings with performance measures that include workforce equity as well as, and we're just kind of helping them refine it.

So that's a good sign after having launched it last summer.

As far as the citywide, I think that's still kind of a question yet to be answered.

Because I think we still need to have more consultation with the city leadership.

But I will definitely be proposing this as a strategy for our citywide racial equity action plan.

As I said earlier, I think it's a simple under those three questions are just really simple.

And then how do we measure it and tell our story behind those numbers?

I think is just such a really great way of doing that.

So we could do that in many different other frameworks, absolutely.

Still need to have more consultation.

So far you've felt that like people are receptive to it, I guess.

Okay, yeah.

They can see it relational to their work.

Yeah, they can see how they can create a performance measure based on the work that they do.

Makes sense.

Even if they start off with a how much, they may need a little bit more help to go into how well and how do you know if somebody's better off?

Because that's where the that's usually where the data falls.

But then that's the opportunity where you can start to create a develop data development agenda.

If you don't have the data, how can you get it in order to really answer those questions?

Yes, definitely.

Umber Sola.

Yes.

Thank you.

I always I always enjoy your presentations.

Thank you.

Um, and I remember when you're off how long has your office been in place?

Uh 2000 July of 2018, so going on.

So, yeah, it's a while.

So it's nice to see that you're making progress.

In the very beginning, I was like, whoa, she's got at that time it was you.

She's got quite quite a heavy lift in front of her.

Um so I'm I'm really happy that you're moving forward and you've put in the structure, still not there, and and you're right, it takes a while.

So because of that, and I know that it's always the first the first programs to go, and that's that's usually how it happens.

It happens in our poor neighborhoods, it happens when anything to do with um race and ethnicity, diversity, what all those programs are the first programs that get cut because they're seen as nice to do programs, they're not essential programs, which I I disagree with.

The work that needs to be done here at the city and for our community has to start with the work that you're doing.

Otherwise, we start it, we go backwards, we start it, we go backwards and and progress never happens, and it's of critical importance that all the departments are now moving slowly in the direction you're wanting them to move in and understanding and getting and being able to speak the same language, and I I think that's really important.

So, and I I'm I was as I was hearing your presentation.

I have a few questions, but I was hearing your your presentation.

We've only seen a couple department presentations.

Is it one or two?

Anyway, I have not seen them.

So if they have access to who they serve, so you're encouraging them, know who you serve, who are your clients, they should have those numbers, they should be able to, and what I see in the presentations is they just women of color, and they it's just a blanket thing.

Well, we're not all the same, just like you said, the departments are not all the same.

So being able to say women or young people of color or or being in that way is is very hard for me because I want to know, okay, when you're talking about women of color, which groups are you talking about?

Because each group is very different, has very different needs, like what you said each department has, and I haven't haven't seen them break down, but I'm hopeful because I know they're gonna eventually get be able to show and be able to identify because of um the equity, the data that you're providing for everyone, and eventually it'll be citywide that that will happen.

Um so I do have um a couple quick oh one thing that I noticed, and I mentioned it last Tuesday.

I happened to be looking at the agenda last Tuesday, and it brought to my attention because someone mentioned something.

Oh, who was it?

Anyway, and I was looking at this, and I realized that there's nothing on the agenda in any of our agendas that says we provide interpreter services, language services for you.

If you need that language service, you can call here and we'll arrange it for you.

So it struck me because oh, I know someone mentioned that they have the language manager in place.

Oh, is community community engagement, and then I was, oh, they that's right, I forgot about the language manager.

So the language manager, and then she's really well, she's been here six months now.

Um that should have been looking at all documents, all signage, everything on language, letting people know that it's available, because right now, if you walk in, you don't know it's available unless you get to the counter and you're not speaking very well.

They may say you do need an interpreter, they may or may not use an interpreter and try to use a staff who's bilingual to interpret, but at any rate, that should be a signage, they should have that everywhere.

If you need interpretive servers, call this number and we'll arrange it.

What I've seen happen, especially here in City Council, they bring their own person to interpret for them.

And it's not it's not very good, because especially if it's in Spanish.

So I made that point, and and so um, whoever's responsible, I think that would be the city manager, the clerk's office for ensuring their agendas are inclusive, that they I think I think the someone heard me, and and and if not, I'll bring it up again to them that that should happen.

So that's just and I know it's not your responsibility, but um that and the reason I say that is that I know there's a few departments that are probably better at this than others, but most are not on.

They're not they're not there yet.

They're not looking at who we serve and and and doing an assessment, a survey of their environment of their services to make sure that meets the needs of who they're serving.

Um my other um, and I I have the same question he did, because the first thing I thought of is how do you know, how do you measure are we better off?

That because we we've seen with the departments give us numbers of okay, the numbers.

We serve so many people, we saw so many young people, and they attended so you know so many of these trainings, etc.

But we owe our question is the money that we gave you was was it impactful?

Did it result in your goal, and I'll just use the fire department.

Your goal, the fire department is to in long that's a long-term goal, um, to increase the diversity of um fire officers.

And um we don't know they it's it's still a ways away, but there's there's intermediate ways of of measuring whether that program that we gave them did it have was that person who participated and better off, and how were they better off?

We don't know that.

So we're left with okay, we're giving you so a million something for helping so many 150 kids.

That it could be worth it if it if we're able to look at the impact that's having on these 150 individuals that go through their programs, and then eventually that's gonna lead towards increasing diversity, not just of women, but of African American, Latinos, Southeast Asians.

Um that one is a hard one.

And how do you because that would be one of the matrix we would want to be able to utilize and look at, and I uh I don't know, I don't have the answer, and and I know that it's probably one that many people in your in your profession would want to know how to effectively capture that and help others capture it.

And so and I would like to hear kind of I know you have some initial thoughts of how how to start capturing that data, maybe maybe not, but I'm sure I'm sure you do.

And um and then my last question is I would like to see because it was a little confusing for me with all these plans.

Are all the plans that you talked about the score, the other the other plans that you have?

I can go on your website and look at the plans.

Yeah, you would definitely see the Sacramento, the score.

Um, and then the other plans that were mentioned are in their respective departments and and divisions.

Oh, so each department has their own plan.

Right.

Yeah.

Okay, so if we want to see if they have a plan, so let's say yep, Yipsey has their plan.

I would go on their on their website and what would it be under?

How would I find their plan?

Uh I would do a general search, but one of the things about the plans that the city tends to do, whether it's like the general plan update or the parks plan or the um uh urban forestry plan, there's always a lot of deep community engagement for a period of time for an open window.

Um, and so that usually that public engagement is on the website, and then that usually informs the plans as well.

But I would say um just doing a general search, um just like school.

In the city of Sacramento website, yeah.

Okay, got it.

Okay, and um and then I really like I I can't wait until everyone's using the GPS for because they were supposed to use it last year when determining how they were gonna make their cuts so that they don't make a mistake.

And I and I'll give an example.

People are con seniors are really concerned and worried about um the community centers being cut because that's their programs.

So if I was a manager and I was looking at cutting community, the community centers, and in that community, there's a large African American senior community, and I was to cut that.

I would it would be I don't know if they're using GPS to see, okay, we're gonna we're looking at cutting this, and what would that and they put that information in with the GPS or GPS gives them in this zip code where this community center is, there's this large community African Americans and they're over 50.

Uh, then that might give me pause to say, okay, I'm not going to, I know I have to make a reduction in my budget, but I'm not going to do it in this area because the impact is, it's it's not going to be equitable for this community.

So are they doing that or not yet?

Um that I do not know.

I know that they actively have they're looking at um equity performance measures.

I don't know them off the top of my head because we just met with an equity team.

The other aspect is that I think that Yipsey has some really great data around who comes to their community centers through their active net data portal.

Um, and that's usually where you do a kind of check-in uh scan code, and you come in when you act, you know, you go into a center, um, and then that lets you know who's coming in, what times of the day.

So I know they track a lot of that data as well.

Um, so and I think that that does inform how they make their decisions.

Um I don't know.

Oh, okay, because they're just doing the straight numbers, like the bean counting.

That I don't know.

But I will say this, uh appreciate your comments.

One thing about data as well is to get disaggregated data is really hard because a lot of people don't want to fill out my ethnicity, my gender, my disability, my age, my and I think that just saying that that that's something that we strive for, but for us uh from a city staff perspective, that's incredibly hard to get, um, especially at that level of detail.

Um, I think there's a number of factors that do that from time to bandwidth to the right instrument to how can we do that, but also trust that people have of where their data goes and giving it to government, you know.

There's there's a whole host of reasons why getting disaggregated data is really challenging.

Um, because that's what you want to strive for, right?

Um and disaggregated not only means just race and ethnicity and gender and disability and plus plus, but it also means geography, it means geospatially where giving your zip code and you know where you tend to shop and where what community center, how far do you live, you know?

But that getting that data is really um challenging.

So I think to kind of answer one of your questions there was um I would probably bring it if there's any thoughts or questions that you have, or questions, or what I would say is any thoughts you have about how to do that, how to build trust and how to encourage people to fill out such information, and what can the city do to help encourage that kind of engagement that's positive that they feel confident in providing it to.

And it also depends on the service, where, the when, the how but I say all that to say it's a challenge, but it shouldn't stop us.

We should always be striving to create a type of if we don't have that type of data, what kind of developmental agenda can we create?

What can we do in lieu of some of these things and create maybe and understand?

Oh, if we're just collecting zip codes, let's do some geospatial overlaying who are in those zip codes.

Yeah, yeah.

Right.

So if it's not them answering the question, so that would be one of my strategies, and that's one of the reasons why I wanted to create the C tool because zip codes tend to be that magical like number, everybody's kind of comfortable with that.

Yeah.

Um then you can overlay, but even that's not exact, right?

Because we're working with census data, Americans, you know, uh census survey data, but you at least have some idea of getting a uh uh um image of who are your clients and customers coming for that particular service facility or who you serve.

So it gives you some idea and it could inform some strategies that you may want to use given the nature of the program of service.

So that's one idea, but also I I think that's our year for exploring that.

What can that look like?

Um thank you, and I forgot um one more.

Oh, and I was just gonna say one part of the problem, this isn't the timing to build trust around race, ethnicity, um, and sexual orientation.

It's not the time because right now everyone is so scared of admitting who you are for fear of what's gonna happen.

Um but once this passes, because it too will pass of what's I think your program is gonna build trust in the community and and I think informing the community of why the importance of collecting this information, what you're gonna do with it, and why it's important.

Well, it'll take some time, but building that trust in the community, like if I give this community, it's if I give this information about me, it's gonna it's gonna lead to something positive.

But they don't, there's no trust right now because it's never been done before, and then right and in this current situation, there's definitely any trust.

But oh, I one of the when you said that you're you've been focused on work for force.

I was very happy to hear that as well, because last year I saw the report, the workforce report that this the staff provided to city council, and there's diversity, but it's it's a pyramid, and you can clearly see the diversity is way down here.

But when you go up that pyramid, the higher you go up, management, it's all white.

It's definitely, I mean, you got a little specks here and there, but it's basically white.

And when I asked a council member, I don't know, a couple council members.

I asked, so what programs or what what are you gonna do with this data?

Like it's clearly showing you that there's no upward mobility for the um diverse people that come in and work and start at um entry level, that they they it seems like they're stuck there, and there's not a lot of opportunity for them to move.

And they they said, well, where we're they suggest well we we have um staff uh staff groups like the African American group, the Latino, but they used to have a Latino group.

Well, we have that.

Well, that's fine, that's great, that's for retention.

That has nothing to do with upward mobility.

So they didn't really have a plan, but they said we're just looking at this, and we're gonna have a plan.

So I'm glad that you're tackling that, because that is that is um a problem.

And and when you you you can't help but notice it if you're paying it, if you're looking at at the data that there's not a lot of upward mobility for for those that are not either white men or white women.

Um so thank you.

Thank you.

And so, oh, and my last ask is I would love to see, so you're I'm glad that you're expanding the training beyond the internal staff and you're doing it to others.

Can you include the commissions?

Because we're because we're commissioners doesn't mean we're all on the same page, doesn't mean we're all have the same understanding, and that we are all clear on what the goal and expectation is for just I'm a commissioner, I'm and I am a community member, but I I still need to be in line with the goals of the city around this issue.

And I I can guarantee you not all commissioners are all on the same page and are not aligned, and we do important work.

I would like to think we do.

So that's it.

Thank you.

Uh member cook.

Thanks for taking the time to explain the breath uh of your team's work.

I didn't realize it extended like beyond workforce equity into other parts of um government, the RBA, the score sounds like you have a lean but mighty team in front of you.

Um the question I have is really around the RBA framework.

I feel like that the challenge and and the opportunity is the RBA framework because that is truly the mechanism where you'll be able to move from like how many meetings the team had to is anyone actually better off as a result of it.

Keep me honest, it sounds like we're we're in the in the uh the counting phase of how many meetings are did we perform, etc.

And we're aspiring to get to the is anyone better off as a result of this.

Can you share like or even if you hypothesize it to be true, like some example outcome metrics that you've been able to move the needle on, which will essentially become the bottom right quadrant of the is anyone better off?

Yeah, um, I don't know if it's necessarily a phase, but I think you described it well.

I think um what we've learned from the RBA framework is the how much is usually the easiest thing to count.

Yeah, it's just easy, it's data is there.

You can throw an Excel spreadsheet number, you know, as um let me see if can I oh yeah, awesome.

Um go back to that, usually in that how much quadrant.

It's very easy, you know, dollar spent, yeah, how many of this um the how well um what I love about the framework it can let you know that you can do it by timeliness or ratio or attendance, completion of tasks is their standards, um, so that can kind of give you, and there's others, but it gives you a starting point, so tracks is it, and then the better off, you're really then looking at behavior or attitude, circumstance, environment, knowledge or skills.

That's much harder to measure.

Yeah, so um, you know the example in terms of I think from like a like a DEI training, I'm gonna riff here, is like number of participants, um, is like you know, 20.

Um, how well um, you know 80 percent of the 20 percent completed the six-week course.

Great.

Umly said they felt they can deal with conflict um confidently that's kind of an example.

Yeah, yeah.

But how do you create these evaluative you know instruments to get to that?

Because that's what you want to know.

Like, wow, if I got that data, I would probably restructure that program.

You know what I mean?

I would not offer that program again, because 12% of the 20 only felt, you know, they were confident in dealing with conflict, and the whole point of the training was to deal with conflict.

That's an assumption.

That's the clarity it gives you.

So you but you have to think at the front load end of really what are you measuring?

What is it that you really want to know?

And then I think that the other aspect of it is you link it to your mission, your purpose, and your role, your authority and function.

And one thing I would say, as we're learning as well, and what I would offer to you all as commissioners as well is that the city can't do everything.

So having performance measures of something that you actually that a city department or division are can't control is really challenging.

So that's that could be this is just my opinion has not been clear.

Is more like when you're looking at homelessness or the unhouse community, what is in the control and authority of the city and what is not.

Your performance measures should not be on the what is not, right?

Because then staff are being held accountable for something they have no role or authority in.

So some of those like big looming, complex ones, and then some of them can be very direct, um, service delivery, um, facilities open, um, and then when you get into staffing, um, and I think I think when I think of the city, those and those better off, you're really looking at, I think, of the backs track.

I think we're really looking at circumstance, knowledge, and skills.

Those tend to be the ones because you we're trying to affect and effect the circumstances of our residents to be in an upward, you know, closing gaps, upward mobility of some sort.

So um, but it also could mean behavior and attitude.

Um, but you know, the knowledge of you know, uh a workforce development program, you know, in um South Sacramento, like how many people knew and how did they find out, and you know, like so it just kind of depends.

Um, but aligning it to what that role does is really key because I think oftentimes the pressure is put on city departments in that in a way that it's like, is that actually what you are you do, or is that what folks want you to do?

Um, and then there's also the piece of how are community voices embedded into that space as well.

Is it just coming from staff?

Are voices there?

Is there data from community?

Um historical, current.

Um, so it really is it really is kind of a creative process.

No, and that's a really good transition.

I was like, I was trying to boil this down to are the citizens of Sacramento better or worse off as a result of this program.

Like, that's the mental model I try to apply to all of these conversations, and and I think specifically in this context about like the poorest and most vulnerable members of of the city, are are they better off because of the result because of the work that your team's doing?

And it's very hard to like quantify just very like serendipitously.

I saw the city um released the community survey a few weeks ago.

And uh I like I was kind of shocked at some of the results.

Um like what I saw is that the community survey showed that residents, right, taking care of vulnerable residents at only 22% positive.

That means like four out of five people in Sacramento think the city does a bad job taking care of the poor or some multiple members of society.

Like to me, that's crazy, right?

So I guess the question is is it even possible to like take the work that your team's doing and then somehow translate that into outcomes that the residents actually feel to me like that's the North Star.

Do you think about that or think about that?

Absolutely, yeah.

Yeah, I think that's a great description of it.

Um, and I think that's where if you can embed an equity approach or an equity lens, I think you can get there.

Um using disaggregated data, using historical, um, working with community care holders about solutions that really would matter or work in these different circumstances, and and even a bit of a targeted universalist approach is that um, and commissioner Sala, you said it as well, like with women of color, you're not gonna do you're not gonna have the same strategies for all women of color because their needs are different, their situatedness is different.

Um their points of privilege and oppression are different, their circumstances are different.

So it um, but it's it's taking time to consider all of those things.

But yes, that is the North Star, and I think that's where equity can the equity approach can really help understand that with voices of people who are closest to the problem, usually are often the most closest to the solutions as well.

And so incorporating that in there as well, I think is gonna be key.

I think the only point the point of consideration is that you're the expert, I'm not.

It's just hard to like look at it's clear that your team's doing a lot of work.

It's just hard to like make the leap from the work to the impact in the community.

There's some super simple metrics that are available for the public.

I don't think it does a good job, perhaps, but if you could somehow create a hypothesis or some type of framework that says these programs are impacting the community XYZ, and then maybe in a year or two, this number goes from 22% positive to like 40% positive.

Ta-da, and then now your team's budget quadruples.

Some something to consider.

Awesome.

I like that.

Um, but I would say also that um, you know, we're a small team, the sit the city departments have to be engaged in that work too.

We show them we can't.

It's I often I often say this, and I know it sounds like I'm trying to work myself out of a job, but it would be great to where cities and and government agencies actually don't need an office of diversity and equity.

That's to me is the ultimate North Star, because then these the conversations of it's this or that, it's just you know what you're lifting up is the vulnerability and equity is a strategy, or another creative strategy is there.

Um so um, and I would want to say that, yeah, the the coupling and alignment with the equity work, because I think a lot of city staff do a lot of great equity work.

I think they just don't link it to equity.

Yeah, they don't, you know, like and I've had we've our team is when we have con I'm like, I didn't think about it that way.

It's like, yeah, that's what you're that's what you're doing.

You're trying, you're you're assessing, you're getting data, you're seeing this gap, and then you're trying to understand what's the story behind that number, and what's the barrier, what's the root cause of why people are having that circumstance?

That's all equity work.

And then you're applying uh a different type different types of solutions or strategies to do that.

So um definitely like that proposition coupled with the department's work too, because it needs to be embedded in the work.

And I think you all are in a uh, you know, you've fund this office, it's really important to ask.

Like the questions is how is equity embedded in the work that you do, um, and seeing that and and understanding that, and if that could be and I'm hoping that the RBA framework is actually a way for city departments to communicate it in a very simple way.

Mm-hmm.

Thank you.

Uh do you want to be respectful of our guest time, but uh, Member Rosa, go ahead.

I'll be short.

Uh thank you for your time and your presentation, all your feedback.

I think as we talk about DEIB issues, it implicitly causes us to address like equity is something that we prioritize because there's such a strong history of inequity, belonging because you know, exc exclusion and discrimination.

And um, I'm curious how you all build that into like the the recognition of these historical inequities or these because I think we are all fairly aware of it and we see these things, we may not know always know how to like quantify them so we can track the progress that's been made.

I'm I'm curious how you all build that in.

And also kind of like what else is on your wish list, because I know we're a recommending body, and I think the work that you all are doing is really important, and it's not up to us per se to decide what funding comes, but um we can at least make a recommendation.

So I'm curious to know what your thoughts are about what you would like to see your office be able to do that you might not have funding for that's a great question.

Um let me go back to your first question.

Um we really do try to contextualize or acknowledge inequities that are happening, whether it's like a one-on-one consultation or we're talking to a department or we're doing a training.

Um if we're talking with um utilities, we try to put it in the utilities landscape.

If we're talking with you know, culture and arts, we put it in that landscape.

So because we want to make it real and at the same time lift up the work that they've identified as equity strategies and helping us understand, even as a team, how are you all seeing that connection?

So having those kind of real open conversations is really important because it lands.

All of those are change management strategies where you have to do culture shifts, you have to do assessments, you have to do monitoring, you have to do data collection.

So I often try to liken a racial equity strategy to those steps, which many departments do, which many in in any industry do if you're doing any kind of quality improvement or uh continuous improvement strategy, those are all basic elements, and so that's kind of a natural intersection of a racial equity strategy.

Um you're just measuring different things.

Um in terms of a wish list, um, I would love to see us have a research and data person.

I would love for us to have a communication and comms.

Um, and um a and a person dedicated for um training and capacity and learning development, like somebody focused on that.

Um of our the three of us, we kind of have to all do those things all at the same time.

So it would be great.

That that would be my initial uh wish list, but also with that, I would love to see um and have um uh uh a more articulated and explicit commitment of the city in regards to which it does have a committed one, and I should also say this to y'all, just to be very clear and and on the for public record as well, is that many times that our offices are often usually the ones cut is that we're not a compliance or regulatory, we're not conceived as a vital operation.

So when you get down to bare bones, what are you gonna keep?

Right?

And so city leadership has to make tough decisions, and they've been very communicative about that.

So I've appreciated that here at the city and the commitment to um maintain the work, the office as much as possible.

So I just wanted to kind of say that as well.

Um but to see the and to see the work land in a way that at any type of council priorities, I would love to see equity be the lens through which those council priorities are seen.

Um if there are um we are beginning that work um, you know, uh the budget as well, and we're all we're moving towards in that direction, because then I think it would speak to the need for staff, because I know so many departments are dealing with like bare like minimum stuff.

So without that kind of mandate or call, um, I would love to see both of those at the same time for the staffing and as well as the as that not necessarily the commitment, but the the call for institutionally this work must be seen, reported on, transparently, you know, communicated and identified and all the reporting mechanisms structures that we have.

That's ultimately what I would want to see.

And our office is supporting all the city staff doing that.

Go ahead.

Really quick.

So where's the accountability?

So you're all set, there and departments are supposed to use um C for making decisions about their departments, they're supposed to understand who who they serve and their community around them and have that data and look at and do an assessment.

But what if what if they don't do it?

Everyone in their departments that aren't doing it.

Where's the accountability?

Who holds them accountable, who's holding departments accountable to ensure that that's being done?

Um I would say probably community council city leadership is one that's holding them accountable, but right now that's not a particular mandate.

It's a resource that's available to them, they are encouraged to use it, but they're not necessarily required to use it.

So there's no um there's not an ordinance or a policy or oh no.

Oh that's good to know.

And um, and then I I was just thinking, so we're getting ready to hear we already heard a couple of departments, but we're getting ready to hear more departments.

So it would be appropriate for me to ask them if they use the C tool and coming up with their um proposed reductions or or not all departments are there yet.

It's very few that are using that tool to determine how they're gonna Yeah, they may be using it, but it may not be on reductions, and maybe on other decisions that they're using.

Oh, in case, but I could ask that general.

Yeah, I think the the question is how is equity informing your decision?

Right.

And that way you can give them the space and the opportunity to say how they're doing it, shaping shaping their work, their approach, um, and how they're you know monitoring and measuring their progress.

Uh do we have members of the public who wish to speak on this?

Thank you, Chair.

I have one speaker, Lambert.

First, I want to say I I want to give respect to uh Ami.

Uh it's an incredible uphill battle.

Based upon what I just heard, there's no accountability.

If you don't hold someone accountable, they won't hold themselves accountable.

Recently, I attended this month, I attended four different commissions race equity, budget audit, arts, city council, and now measure you.

And in all of them, there's been the ask for people to trust you.

Now, I just heard Commissioner Salah say something that's true.

At the top is predominantly white.

It's not coincidental that it happened that way.

Uh I've been in the workforce before I started my own, and I know why it's like that.

Because that's the way they want it.

Otherwise, it wouldn't be like that.

And as far as speed of trust, that's what I heard at race equity.

Speaking of race equity, while I was at that commission, did you know that they're the only commission that's not gonna meet again until June?

You know what that means?

That means the budget will be passed, and whatever they're talking about money-wise, see that's intentional.

That's systemic and institutionalized racist practices, and that's what we're challenging based upon all of the paperwork I've submitted to this city.

We have paperwork that has been uh altered, sabotaged, and they don't care if you catch them because we've caught them.

What's gonna have to happen is it's gonna and remember during affirmative action, white women were considered minorities.

Why?

So they could take advantage of that system.

Chair, I have no more speakers.

Okay, uh this item does not have anything to act on, so I guess we can move on to the next item.

Unless there's anyone else from no, you said no more speakers, right?

Okay, cool.

Um the next uh agenda item is the measure you budget recommendations um 2026-27.

Um Ash, if you want to tee this one up, obviously I have some things to say, but yeah.

Sure.

Yeah.

Um, so departments have been presenting their planned uh 15% reduction strategies to the city council all throughout this month of March.

I'll continue to share uh links to those presentations and videos as they become available.

Um but thinking about May 18th, which is two meetings from now, um, that's the date when you will need to approve final budget recommendations in order to get them in front of the city council's budget and audit committee uh later that month.

Um just wanting to kind of think about I guess which departments you most want to hear from between now and then.

I I'm just not sure we're gonna be able to hear from all of them.

Um a few things had happened just in terms of the scheduling.

I I take ownership over this, it is like something I'm a little um regretful about because I do feel like we could have better planned out the first half of this year from January through through May, but we are kind of at this point now, and it's a little bit too late to squeeze in all the departments before that May meeting.

So I would kind of frame this in in two questions.

Um the first question is in the month of May, when you're actually gonna approve your final budget recommendations.

Do you want to hear from any departments at all besides finance?

Uh so Pete, um, possibly Mirthala, the budget manager will be here to present what the city manager's proposed budget actually is during that meeting.

And again, you'll we'll want you to kind of finalize your your final budget recommendations at that same meeting.

So the question there is in May, do you want to hear from any additional departments?

If not, we're really just looking at this April meeting.

And so the question is would you know how many departments do you want to hear from in April, and which ones do you want to hear from?

Um, so don't you don't necessarily need to answer that all right now.

I'll I'll kick it back to Teddy, but really just something to think about.

And again, I am sorry we didn't more strategically plan um the the sequencing and prioritization of of departments to present to you all, but um we can do a better job of that next year.

Just a question.

Um you sent us that email that has like next meeting, we'll have Yipsey, police, um few others.

This is still all the case, or well, that this is who we've invited.

I will say, I mean, just realistically, I don't know um that even if all five were so one thing that's come up is as we've invited departments, some had to cancel or postpone uh just due to various issues that have come up.

Um so let's just assume for a second though that all of them are available to present.

That's five departments in one meeting.

You have three hours.

I will say one there's there's a sixth department out there that is planning to attend, but um this is this is up to you all, and that's the city auditor's office who conducts this community survey.

They are ready and willing to present those survey results directly to you.

Um so that is yet another department you would want to factor into kind of the timing of that meeting.

Potentially.

I I mean, real so that's another issue is like I I would feel bad if we invited six departments and one or two of them had to sit through the whole meeting, and then we we got to the three-hour time limit and they had to go home without even having presented to you all.

That would be unfortunate.

This is like the airplane seat scenario where we overbook and then hopefully not show up, I guess.

Yes.

Okay.

Um, I mean, like if they confirm early, then we maybe we can redecide.

Like we'll have to like maybe we should create a quick ranking real quick of like who who people really want to hear, and then if all of them say yes, we can just be like, all right, well, we didn't expect everyone to say yes, but you yeah, we'll we only hear from the top five or four, I think would be a good idea.

Sure.

Um I I personally would love to hear from community response, Yip C police.

Um as my top three, but my uh Yipsi community response, department of community response, and then police department.

Um I'd be interested to hear what other people's are, or maybe we should do this asynchronously.

That might be easier if people are wanting to just like survey.

Yeah.

I don't know.

I'd also welcome any input now to just uh just wanted to know if if we can't hear all of them, would it be possible to get some sort of written reports from them?

Yes, we can yeah.

I mean, I know also a lot of what the commission has asked for is may mostly metrics, right?

It hasn't necessarily been their budget reduction strategies or other activities that they're pursuing.

Um, but yes, let's um I'm trying to think of just the timing of that, like would it be by April or definitely by your May meeting, we should be able to get those written reports though.

And and to follow uh Commissioner's uh Miller's questioning is how's different is the data that is being presented to us to what is being presented at the different committees in the city council.

I understand uh police department, fire and a few other departments presented last week.

I understand tomorrow the city auditors will be presenting on the community survey.

So there are those uh documents or those presentations that we can looked to or be referenced to so we can uh try to expect that in how are we using our time here, which in my perspective I'll be more interested in figuring out how can we get to our cohesion and ensuring that while we present as a recommendation, it's fully um uh inclusive or your perspective, which if we don't have time to have those discussions, I don't think that will happen.

Uh member cook.

I think the frustration I have is this did not happen in a vacuum.

Like we didn't just wake up one day and say, oh no, we have five departments to meet next week.

Like we have been asking these departments to come every month, four months.

For example, Office of Public Safety.

I know that was the reschedule since December.

So this is a signal to me that yes, we're all busy, yes, there's many things going on, but it signals that the departments are not prioritizing the commissions in their like day-to-day workflow.

If these departments cannot allocate one hour out of the 2,000 hours a year they work, they shouldn't receive funding from this commission.

I mean there's no scenario I can think of where it is appropriate for a governing body which is supposed to make recommendations on what departments to fund to not have the departments show up at least one time a year.

Like to me, that is crazy, and we should not tolerate that.

And the mandate should be if you want the recommendation from this commission uh for continued funding, you must attend a measure you commission meeting at least once a year.

If you can't do that, then our default recommendation is you're not participating.

And I think that's what the taxpayers and the citizens of Sacramento want.

Uh Member Sulla.

I agree with you, Commissioner Novello Novello.

Um that these presentations that were not gonna have time to see all of them, you can see them either budget and audit or at city council because they're presenting.

So um, I was at City Council last Tuesday, and I saw the police presentation, community.

It was it was it was three departments, community engagement, economic development, and police yeah, police, but then under the big umbrella, there was uh arts and culture.

Um those were four that presented, and I I was able to have a real sense of and and they weren't they they gave options as to if they had to cut, this is what it would look like.

And and what I noticed right off the bat is they always make it worst case scenario.

So I'm gonna if I have to cut the 15%, uh the diversity program has to go, or the program that serves that gives free um bus rides has to go.

So I I found that to be interesting, but that's a different subject.

Um the I I agree that there is no way in April we we need to prioritize which ones are the ones we really want to live uh listen to and hear um the most critical of critical importance that we want to hear that we um that will help us in and and maybe we don't we we don't we can just focus on attending or listening after the fact uh to the presentations at budget and audit in city council, and then um as far as the uh auditors, I I think afterwards in May we can listen to them and their survey results because if we if we read what she presented um she presented it uh was in budget and audit the survey results, yes, and they'll be presented to council tomorrow.

Yeah, and so if you just want to hear it and see it, you can.

And if you really want her to come back and we want to ask specific questions, we can do that as well in relations to the measure you questions that were in the survey, but I don't think we need to have her come before us before the budget's passed.

Um is my only comments.

Okay, um, there is the task that we have to do, which is like make the document for the budget recommendations, which needs to be submitted by our May meeting, um, which means we have two meetings, like basically April and then May.

Um which means we have two meetings, like basically April and then May.

Um we just have I mean we have April, yeah.

Um so it would be very important that whomever group of people that go off and try to create um this recommendations document uh have a draft by our next meeting so that we can comment on it, discuss it, and then let that group also go off and maybe make those changes or um amendments that we ask.

So uh previously we've I think it was like one person would have to volunteer, but now we have ad hoc again, and so we can have a group of people go and work on this.

Um if there is anyone who's interested in driving that, um these are these are what we would submit essentially to uh like when we go to the budget recommendation.

So if it is things like we don't support any groups that um haven't come and presented, or we prefer you know to see uh you know whatever you guys feel like this is be a group where you can make those um make the make that recommendation.

Um so I'd encourage anyone who's interested to uh volunteer.

And I I would be looking for volunteers now, so we need to make that group anyone interested in that.

Yeah, and how do you make a recommendation when you have no idea what the department's doing?

Well, I think that would be it.

You basically remain silent on the shoulders.

You basically remain silent on them if you don't if you haven't heard from them.

The absence of an opinion is an opinion though.

You're saying that it's okay to not participate.

No, you're saying that you're not giving them your recommendation because they didn't show up.

So we're saying we'll we'll actually put that in the recommendation.

Is that what you're recommending?

Is that what you're saying?

That they didn't show up, sure.

So we're not, yeah.

Yeah, I think so too.

Yeah, put it in the recommendation.

Ultimately, it's the it's the decision decision of the city council.

What is it?

What what the recommendation is to what the their actual award is what what language do you propose?

Like I'm curious, like they didn't show up, so we don't support we have no opinion.

We we didn't receive a presentation, we didn't receive a presentation from them, so we could not make a recommendation on their program.

That's it, simple.

Don't read up.

That's like it's kind of like milk toast in the middle.

You're you're enabling them to not participate because there's no like accountability if they they would be embarrassed with that.

I think would be more of a forcing function is they were actually compelled to come and present versus saying, hey, they didn't participate because we don't have so because they didn't participate, we can't form an opinion.

How how do we make them come?

We we can't even council members to have that power.

No, we don't.

Yeah, but we can like um I'm just throwing this out there.

So like we can we can move that this commission establish a schedule that requires the city department receiving measure you funds to present to the commission at least once per calendar year.

We can say the presentation is da-da-da, then we can like make that a motion, and then we can say if that passes and there's enough of us saying yes to that, if the the department doesn't participate, then our default recommendation is that we do not support their funding.

I mean we can like wordsmith the language together, but we can take a formal position as a commission to say that if you want funding from measure you, you must come at least one every calendar year.

I think that's that is something we could do right now or more accurately within the scope of our commission.

If you want our recommendation, you must appear.

I like that, yeah.

I I think like just to pull the thread on that, but what is the language if they don't appear?

Is it just us saying we have no opinion?

Or is it actually us saying we do not recommend?

Uh I'm gonna real quickly I'm assuming we have to extend the meeting.

Um that's what you're giving me the look for.

Yeah, that is correct, Chair.

Okay, so um the motion is to extend the meeting by one hour.

Is there a second?

Member Miller seconds.

Um motions made by the chair?

Yeah.

Uh do I the only point I'm making is that like I agree let's take the vote first.

Uh anyone in favor say aye.

Aye.

Uh anyone abstain.

I'll abstain.

To ab to abstain, and then anyone three uh because it seems to be um you want to do a head?

I'll do a roll roll on this one.

Okay.

One moment.

Member Smith?

Aye.

Member Sulla?

Aye.

Member Cook.

Aye.

Member Miller?

Aye.

Member Goris.

Aye.

Member Novell?

No.

Member Fry Lucas.

No.

Member Rosa?

No.

And Chair George Off.

Yes.

The motion passes by two-thirds vote with six members voting yes, three voting no.

Uh the meeting will continue for an additional hour.

Okay.

Do the members voting no intensive leave?

Yeah, I was gonna ask them we who have quorum.

Yes.

Okay, so that's it.

Would you mind willing to say that's what I thought?

If they leave, we won't have a quorum.

Ten minutes, yeah.

Okay, so let's make this quick.

Um, we need to create a group that creates this rec budget recommendations doc.

Whatever you decide to put in it, I suggest if you have strong opinions, you join that group.

Like I member Cook, Member Smith, maybe Member Rosa, Member Sulla, like are you guys interested in being part of this group so that you come back next meeting and have that?

It's not the documentation, it's not a document that nobody reads.

It's actually the commission making a recommendation.

And if we're not doing that, then just say we're not doing that.

This is an avenue to make that recommendation.

If you want to also on top of that, um, make a more formal proposition to city council that members that receive funding have to show up to the measure you.

I implore you to do that.

Well, yeah, let's not talk about that now, though.

Okay, hold on for a second.

Point of clarification.

Yeah, member Cook.

Functionally, what is the difference between between saying they didn't show up and we don't recommend their funding?

Because we didn't come it becomes it comes to the same thing.

We're not making a recommendation.

Us saying we don't recommend their funding is more impactful than saying we have no basis to make a recommendation.

So maybe maybe like I'm talking, we're talking past each other.

I just guys I'm just gonna cut this off.

Like we just need to come up with a group if you guys want to be a part of that group.

Um I'm more again for you to do that.

137 million dollar, like I agree, then be part of the group and make the recommendation.

We're trying to like round this in a five-minute comment.

Member Cook, are you willing to be part of this group?

Yeah.

Okay.

Um, are you willing to be part of this group?

I'd better, yes.

Okay.

Um is there anyone else who would like to be part of this budget recommendation group?

No, we'll talk this out.

It's fine.

Member Salah.

Okay, member Saul will also be part of that group.

Member Miller will also be part of the group.

Member Rosa will also be part of that group.

That's five people of the ad hoc.

Um anyone else?

Okay.

Member Goris, that's six.

Okay.

Anyone else?

Anyone else?

Okay.

Um, I'll be part of it, but just as like uh the seventh is just the sort of like I'll let them run it though.

Okay, then given that um we do have a public comment who has been waiting here for like the entire uh show.

So if you would like to come up, uh I think we I believe it's for oh for this item first, Mr.

Lambert, and then we do have one more on off agenda items, and I think we would we should show some respect and let them talk.

Um yes, I do have one speaker slip, uh Mr.

Lambert Davis for item five that took a lot of courage to say that because uh measure you was not for the firemen, it was not for them.

I went to more meetings than probably anybody watching Mayor Steinberg present measure you, and they changed it from its original purpose, and then they went and made it corrupt by putting it into the general fund where you couldn't monitor it.

Now, as I listen to this, I remember hearing.

See, I'm I'm a I'm a big stickler for holding the city manager's department accountable.

Now I'm hearing accountability, but uh with all of this modern technology that's in existence, you mean to tell me that in a 12-month period you can't get something to read from a group that intentionally originally was not supposed to even receive funding, now they're receiving funding, and they won't show up.

I didn't know that till tonight.

They should not get funding if they don't meet the requirement.

Just like city manager's department shouldn't receive raises or anything like that.

That's an excuse.

I heard Mr.

Rogani say, well, you know, it happened again this year.

That's a pattern.

You he should be reprimanded for that.

You have 12 months to hit the deadline.

Look at the audience.

You know why it's like that?

Because people know, including me, that measure U has been co-opted.

It's been co-opted, and people should be held accountable for that.

You keep staying with what you're saying, Mr.

Cook, because they should be held accountable.

Are you telling me that people don't even have to come here and they can get paid, and I come here and don't get paid?

There's something wrong with that.

Because I'm a native.

Thank you for your comments.

Your time is complete.

That's true.

Thank you for your comments.

Uh I have no more speaker slips for item five.

Okay, so we'll move on to Commissioner Comments ideas off the agenda and public comment matters not on the agenda.

Um we do have public comment off the agenda.

Switch the order.

Yes, we do.

I have two speaker slips for matter public comment matters not on the agenda.

Our first speaker is Lambert, followed by Dan.

Uh the comment you just made was for item five, and then this one that you signed a speaker slip for will be for matters not on the agenda.

I'm glad you said that.

Uh, I didn't even know that, but now I got plenty of time to get to it.

Uh, the thing is, see, it's gonna come first of all.

My parents moved here in 1946, 1946, that's 80 years ago this year.

And I remember as a teenager hearing them tell me about things I'm hearing now.

Like I my parents told me when they moved here, they wanted to buy a home in Woodlake.

And I said, Well, what happened?

They said, Well, we had the money, but they couldn't buy there, and that's when I learned about restrictive covenants.

What a cruel practice that is.

They had the money and they couldn't do it.

When I think of them, and I heard the equity and all of that, the same problems are existing today.

As Commissioner Salah said, at the top is uh predominantly white.

How is that possible when you have all these people going to college, getting degrees, and I've read where a lot of people that are at the top don't have degrees.

They got in on a uh nepotism move, and that got them in position because I've encountered a lot of people just dealing with them, and they don't impress me.

You have to impress me to the B and Back Cheesecakes is better business bureau accredited.

That's impressive.

There's no scandals on us, and we have had more problems trying to get money, versus a no-written agreement given to a white organization, and nobody seems to know how it happened and how we're gonna uh audit it.

I learned that at budget audit.

I'm telling you, there's gonna be some some bombshells out of this city this year because we're sick of it.

Thank you for your comments.

Our final speaker is Dan.

Good evening, Commissioners.

Dan Toskowski, 35 year Sacramento resident, currently residing in District 7.

I was city arbitrist for 29 and a half years, retiring in 2020.

I'm here tonight on behalf of Trees for Sacramento, which is a nonprofit whose mission is the protection, preservation, and enhancement of Sacramento's urban forest.

And we've been going to the budget committee council members trying to get jump start to canopy coverage.

Last June when they approved the urban forest plan, the goal was to increase Sacramento's canopy coverage from 19% to 35% by 2045.

But you know how much money Urban Forestry guess from Measure U?

Zero.

Why is that?

The urban forest benefits every single person in the city.

Our climate is in crisis right now.

And if you ever look at the state of the air report from American Lung Association, we're doing poor, really poor.

In 2024, we're number seven for worst ozone, number seven for short-term particle pollution, number nine for long term.

It's bumped up a little bit, but I need to do a deep dive into the information because maybe these other cities have gotten worse.

But we would like the commission to recommend to the city council that urban forestry should be getting money.

We're we're looking at a million dollars because we need to jump start getting these trees in the ground.

And the reason being is we're losing the space.