Racial Equity Ad Hoc Committee Special Meeting - October 6, 2021

The Racial Equity Ad Hoc Committee of the Sacramento City Council held a special meeting on October 6, 2021, from 11:00 a.m. to approximately 1:00 p.m. via teleconference. The meeting focused on selecting a co-chair, approving the 2022 meeting schedule, discussing the committee's purpose and mission, receiving updates on citywide equity work, and considering a draft rapid response tool for American Rescue Plan (ARP) expenditures. The committee voted on three items and deferred action on the rapid response tool to a future meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Richard Falcon (United Latinos, Police Review Commission, Teatro Nahual) expressed support for the proposed plan, emphasized the need for equitable outreach to grassroots organizations, and requested broader inclusion in the Race Forward engagement process.
• Carolina Flores questioned how ad hoc committee members were selected and raised concerns about Latino staff retention, citing statistics that nine Latinos quit the city and requesting exit interviews.
• Nia Mooreweathers (Youth Forward, Sacramento Kids First Coalition) emphasized the importance of trust and accountability, echoed Councilmember Schenirer's call for culture change, and urged accessible and creative engagement.
• Chris L. (Sac Black Biz, American Redress Coalition of California) thanked the committee, expressed disappointment at not being included in initial Race Forward conversations, and indicated he would provide feedback on the three goals.
• Angela E. Herring highlighted historic underinvestment in low-income communities of color, requested community involvement in setting benchmarks, and supported the committee's development of a racial equity framework.
• Ejiro (Sacramento Housing Alliance) called for using trusted community brokers, targeted outcomes for housing and homelessness, metrics like wealth and asset poverty, and possibly a housing subcommittee.

Discussion Items

• Item 1 - Selection of Co-Chair: Mayor Steinberg recommended Councilmember Mai Vang as co-chair, proposing a less hierarchical approach. Councilmember Vang accepted and suggested starting future meetings with a land acknowledgment. A motion was made and seconded, with the vote delayed until Councilmember Guerra arrived. The motion passed 4-0.
• Item 2 - 2022 Regular Meeting Schedule: The committee approved a quarterly schedule for 2022: January 25, April 26, July 26, and October 25, all at 10:00 a.m., with flexibility for special meetings. Motion passed 4-0.
• Item 3 - Purpose and Mission: Kelly Rivas (Chief of Staff) presented the committee's mission: (1) align council intent with impacts of policy, budget, and service delivery; (2) coordinate city racial equity initiatives; (3) increase engagement, transparency, and accountability. The long-term SCORE initiative (Sacramento Centered On Racial Equity) with Race Forward was outlined, including community feedback about broken trust and the need for healing. A mid-term goal of racial equity workshops for the full council and a short-term rapid response tool for ARP funds were also discussed. Councilmembers emphasized embedding equity into everyday work, not treating it as a checklist. The committee voted 4-0 to approve the purpose and mission, with direction to report back on how the broader community can engage in the October 28 Race Forward meeting.
• Item 4 - Update on Current Citywide Equity Work: Presentations covered:
  • The Race, Gender, and Equity Action Plan (RGAP) focused on workforce equity, including staff training and the 21-day racial equity habit building challenge.
  • Inclusive economic development efforts, such as the Project Prosper initiative, the inclusive economic development investment guidelines, and CARES funding outreach that resulted in 60% of loans going to underserved areas.
  • The Transportation Priorities Plan (TPP) developing an equity lens for infrastructure investments, with criteria including historic disinvestment, infrastructure quality, and beneficiary demographics. Discussions highlighted the need to avoid dollar-for-dollar comparisons and to focus on outcomes, not just inputs. No vote was taken.
• Item 5 - Draft ARP Racial Equity Rapid Response Tool: Aimée Barnes (Manager, Office of Diversity and Equity) presented a proposed tool to guide ARP funding decisions with racial equity questions, a six-indicator Community Vulnerability Index (poverty, unemployment, education, health insurance, rent burden, disability), and guiding principles. The tool is intended to be used for both predetermined and undetermined funds. Due to the late hour, the committee agreed to schedule another meeting within weeks for a deeper discussion. No immediate action was taken.

Key Outcomes

• Item 1: Councilmember Mai Vang was selected as co-chair of the Racial Equity Ad Hoc Committee by a 4-0 vote.
• Item 2: The 2022 Regular Meeting Schedule was approved by a 4-0 vote.
• Item 3: The purpose and mission of the committee were approved by a 4-0 vote, with a directive to provide a report on how the community can engage in the October 28 Race Forward session.
• Item 4: The update on current citywide equity work was received and filed; no action required.
• Item 5: The committee deferred action on the draft ARP Racial Equity Rapid Response Tool and will hold an additional meeting in the coming weeks to continue discussion.