Good morning, everyone.

I like to call our racial equity committee uh meeting to order at 9 10.

Um clerk, would you call the role to establish quorum?

Thank you, Chair.

Vice Chair Telamantes.

Member Gareth is currently absent, member Jennings.

And Chair Banks.

I am here.

Um I will lead the land acknowledgement, and Councilmember Jennings, would you help us with the Pledge of Allegiance?

Thank you so much.

Please rise if you are able.

To the original people of this land, the Nissanon people, the Southern Maidu, Valley and Plains Mewak, Putwin and Winti Peoples, and the people of Walton Rancheria, Sacramento's only federally recognized tribe.

May we acknowledge and honor the native people who came before us and still walk besides today on these ancestral lands by choosing to gather in the active practice of acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento's indigenous peoples, history, contributions, and lives.

Thank you.

Will we please remain standing and salute?

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which you stand.

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

Thank you, everyone.

Thank you, Councilmember Jennings.

We have one item on consent, our racial equity meeting committee meeting minutes.

Uh clerk, do we have any comments on these items on this item?

Thank you, Chair.

I have no speaker slips for the consent calendar.

Okay.

Is there a motion on the floor?

There's a motion.

Okay, move by Councilmember Jennings.

I'll second that item.

Um all in favor?

Okay, that item passes.

Uh, do we have any public open public comments?

Is this or for item two, Chair?

Or just open public comments.

Oh, for matters not on the agenda.

I have no speaker slips on the agenda.

Thank you so much.

We will move to item number two on the discussion calendar.

This is the Sacramento Center on Racial Equity Score Work Plan, and Ami will present.

Thank you so much.

Okay.

Good morning.

Um members of the Racial Equity Committee and those online.

Uh Ami Zenzelay Barnes, uh, diversity and equity manager, pronouns are she and they.

I'm here to um provide some background, a little grounding, and then uh the city manager's response uh to the request uh from the last meeting on March 30th, and round out with a recommendation to approve um the score work plan.

So just want to ground us in in January 21st um at our racial equity committee.

Uh we learned from the Racial Equity Alliance uh and their feedback and vision around uh the score work plan that we have been working on since the fall.

Um really want to just emphasize uh a couple of things that this is a roadmap, the score work plan.

It's iterative, it's going to emerge, it's going to be shaped by our uh partnership.

There's shift in language from urgency to sustained commitment.

Um the work plan is to help break down silos and center the human experience of our Sacramento community.

Um align timelines with capacity and resources of the city and other resources external as well, and embed the community and accountability report from last January of 2025.

Continuing with that, um we worked with the Racial Equity Alliance from the fall to January to help update the SCORE Work Plan, uh coordinate, and then begin to prepare for a community leader forum that happened on February 24th, and that community leader uh forum was implemented.

We also made um adjustments to the phase timeline given how long it has taken us to do our consultation and work uh to ensure that community careholders' voices were included as well as um the shared looking at the work plan and the input.

So we adjusted the timeline uh for the different phases that takes us to 2029 and beyond.

The community leader forum just wanted to highlight really uh beautifully facilitated by the Racial Equity Alliance.

Um there were over 20, 25 uh community leaders that were involved in that conversation.

There were breakouts, um, and there were some key feedback that ended up informing um our work, um, and uh some of the information that we'll be sharing in a couple of minutes.

There was also a note and theme of training and building capacity among civic as well as community careholders, addressing structural barriers, language access, intersectionality, meeting times, transparency, the continued need for trust building and relationship building, and the recognition of community expertise and the need for ongoing outreach and collaboration.

Also, at that at the March meeting, you also learned the very similar and then some unique things from the Racial Equity Alliance and their perspective, and they shared that as well.

But these were some of the big overall themes from that community leader forum.

And from there, three major questions emerged where is the funding and how will it be allocated or sustained?

How do community organizations fit into the work plan, what that could look like, and then how will long-term resourcing and infrastructure be insured.

Those were huge questions that were part of the discussion in March, and we received direction from Madam Chair to respond to those.

So those are the three questions that I would bring to your attention in attachment one of the materials for today.

You see that each of those questions are laid out with a response.

To highlight that, the city has two major funding commitments currently to support the score work.

The 54,000 that remains from the 2022 contract with Race Forward, which helped us get to the implementation and passing of the resolution in December of 2024.

And then there's also the 250 allocation that was done in 2023 for a historical racial equity analysis as well as an equity study.

So this study was envisioned with that.

Want to highlight a couple of things here for your consideration.

Again, this is current funding.

Two important takeaways here is that we want to make sure that the equity study is aligned with the current work of the score plan right now.

We had a vision then.

We have and forging a new vision or adapting that vision of what it could look like so that it supports the phase one of the score work plan.

So we want to very much make this resource in alignment to move the score work forward.

The other is that the funding structure here is flexible to support different aspects of phase one as well.

For the next major question is seeing additional funding and partnerships.

Definitely the city is very open and committed to exploring how funds can support departmental but as well as community needs, the opportunities to expand the scope with Race Forward to enhance phase one, which we already have, a long-term relationship and supportive relationship, and RAICEFORIT also has a supportive relationship with the Racial Equity Alliance.

In addition to our partnership with the Racial Equity Alliance, and so we see is co-designers of equity infrastructure for the city, implementation partners across the score phases, lending that expertise, welcoming that expertise, and accountability stewards to ensure transparency and alignment with the work as well.

That's uh those are the three major ways that we see community organizations serving and advancing the SCOREWORK Plan.

Examples of community partnership activities, the community list leadership forum was one that the Racial Equity Alliance led and facilitated.

We can see engagement sessions also in alignment with that.

We can see training and workshops and leadership development, um lending to the expertise of city as well as community leaders to help build our collective capacity, data validation and community-led storytelling, um really have a focus.

Uh, the Office of Diversity and Equity really has a focus of moving uh not only on um data and performance measures through our results-based accountability framework, but we also want to be storytellers of the lived experiences behind the numbers.

Um policy recommendations and use of equity tools.

Um the um racial equity uh operationalizing racial equity resolution calls for many of these very same things, including uh assessment and dashboards and information data validation.

So we're right in alignment with operationalizing racial equity from the resolution, um, and these are just some examples of what that partnership could look like.

And then the long-term infrastructure and resourcing strategy.

Uh, here um, we know the city is facing a structural budget deficit, which uh affects long-term resourcing options.

Um, but we want to make sure that we are as creative as possible, and I think that commitment of supporting and working with the racial equity alliance around securing additional dollars and what that looks like outside the city, I think is going to become really key, uh, especially when we look at phase two and three, moving the work forward.

Um we hope to engage staff across the departments, which the score work plan identifies many of the equity work that is happening across the 15 departments.

Um, a leadership from the Office of Diversity and Equity will absolutely be key, and we look forward to this work.

Also, um strategic contracting for specialized support, which you saw in the current funding that we have and the proposed with Race Forward, and then focus on um an ongoing focus that will remain on building sustainable and a scalable equity infrastructure.

And so as we look at the current dollars moving us into and beginning the work with the formalization, approval of the score work plan, beginning the work, we can then also start to turn our eye towards 2028 and beyond as well.

So our recommendation is to approve the score work plan draft with the key considerations and what we've learned over the last several months so that we can begin to do the work, um, utilize the current dollars, and uh begin to engage community as well as um other members of the council and council staff as well.

So that concludes my report and look forward to the conversation and welcome any questions.

Thank you so much, Ami.

Um, do we have um speakers on this item?

Thank you, Chair.

I do have three uh public speakers on this item.

Our first speaker will be Lambert Davis, followed by Malakai Amen, and then Tiffany Wilson.

Okay.

Okay, race equity.

First of all, this may be an all-time low for me, because I mean my family and millennials really had to get me up to get this one because this is nine o'clock.

I'm not even sure if I've ever been down here at nine.

I knew I was here at 10.

Um I took some notes on what you what was said by Ami.

She's very sincere, but I I'm gonna try to prove how sincere City Hall is.

Uh this community leader forum.

I'd like to get a copy of who makes up that form.

Who are the leaders?

I'd like to get that if that's possible.

Um I saw 250k equity study.

Who got that money?

And was it soul sourced or I'd like to find out who who gets the money for equity studies?

See, when you study too long, you're studying wrong.

I've been saying that to you for a long time.

I'm not talking about you, I mean just a lot of studying.

When you go to college, you don't study forever, you have to graduate and move on.

This thing is dragging out for a reason.

It's intentional.

And remember, the current president is in the middle of abolishing DEI.

So for me to believe that Sacramento City, which has resistance to DEI, if they're probably thrilled that he's there because they were already stonewalling you and delaying you from being funded.

Now he's in there.

So you know, I really do pull for you because you're up against almost insurmountable barriers because of this.

And so I wish you well.

Thank you for your comments.

Our next next speaker is Malachi Amen, followed by Tiffany Wilson.

Good morning, Madam Chair and members of the committee.

I am Malachi Amen, executive director of the urban partnership, also a founding member of the Racial Equity Alliance.

And we'd like to thank this committee for bringing this item to today's hearing as well as city staff for all of the hard work.

It's been an honor, quite frankly, to Ame.

And Larissa, there she is behind the mask.

Yeah, it's been an honor, quite frankly, to work with them to work with all of you.

That a lot of members of the public will have about you know how we do the work.

You know, we we have I think a lot under our belts in terms of um contending with a nation that needs to demonstrate that we are still a government of the people for the people and by the people, and it's not a part-time uh commitment uh in the spaces that we serve in today uh here in this institution and in the community uh institutions that have been engaged together in this work.

Uh it is something that needs to happen every day, all the time, and it takes resources.

It will take resources um to carry that work out as Ame uh so eloquently identified.

Um, you know, I I've and many of my colleagues have been a part of this for years and haven't gotten paid.

Uh and we're not asking to get paid, but you know, we we we know that there needs to be resources, and we know that we need a real solid commitment on the part of the city, and we look forward to your time is to continuing uh to go forward.

Thank you for your comments.

Your time is complete.

Our next speaker is our final speaker is Tiffany Wilson.

Good morning.

I come to you today with three requests.

Um, my first request I'm Tiffany Wilson, I'm a member of the Racial Equity Alliance.

Uh, my first request is that you approve the score work plan today.

Uh, my second request is that you take this work and that you spread it amongst all of administration and council.

Uh, I think when we address equity, you address upstream those things that become uh inequity downstream homelessness, housing instability, job instability, economic instability.

So uh I know that we are in a deficit, but I encourage you to resource this because I do firmly believe that when you address equity upstream, you start to address those problems that present themselves downstream that you are really struggling to deal with.

You know, I think you have a JPA on your council tonight, right?

In regards to homelessness.

Um, my third request would be to resource this work.

Uh again, I know that that's a big request in a deficit time, but again, I do believe this is incredibly important work.

Uh, the Racial Equity Alliance um has gone out, and we fundraise to support ourselves to do this work, independent of funding that we received from the city because it is so important.

But even if the funding that we have, you know, we're limited in what we can do.

And I think that Mr.

Lambert raised a very great question.

Who was involved in the community leaders forum?

The Racial Equity Alliance organized that form.

We were the ones that put it on, but without resourcing, we're limited in what we can do as an all-volunteer group.

Uh, and as a consultant who has seen public outreach budgets, uh, I think it's incredibly impressive what we do with the shoestring budget.

But that being said, we're not reaching the amount of people that we need to reach.

Uh, and so I would encourage the city, although it's a deficit to, you know, please resource this work, to please work in collaboration with community, and to please pass the plan today because I think it's at utmost importance that we address equity upstream uh to prevent those downstream health and economic inequalities.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

Chair, I have no more speakers for this item.

Thank you.

I just wanted to take this moment to thank all the public speaker, uh, Mr.

Lambert, Malakai, and Tiffany.

Thank you so much for just being here today and sharing with you, uh sharing with us your insight.

Um, I just want to take this moment to thank Ami, uh, the Racial Equity Alliance City staff for all your hard work to get us this moment to to this moment.

I believe this is a special meeting.

It was not originally on the agenda, but we wanted to bring it back because of the work that was done at the community leadership forum and the requests from the alliance actually on key three questions that we wanted to make sure that city staff could respond to.

And so appreciate that feedback loop and appreciate um city staff coming back to answer the three questions on you know, where's the funding, how would be allocated and sustained, um, how does our community partners and residents actually fit into uh this work planned.

And the last part is really thinking about long-term uh infrastructure, especially uh under these budget constraints.

And so uh appreciate the honesty, the director, uh, the directness of uh what we need to be doing and how much now more than ever we need to be collaborating and working with our partners to implement this plan.

Um I have some thoughts, but I'm gonna hold it off real quick as I see some of my colleagues in the queue.

Um, first up is Mayor Pro Tem Aragara.

Uh no, thank you very much.

And I I do want to thank for all the the outreach that's been done on this, and and more importantly, um you know the the importance of making sure that we have tools not only for this council but for future council to see the data and the impacts when how resources are distributed and what and which communities are actually getting the resources to address those issues at the council level.

And I think uh, you know, uh Ms.

Wilson's point is very well taken that when we do it at the council level and and move upstream that we actually can make sure that we address all of the impacts uh that are happening downstream.

So with that, uh madam chair, I'll go ahead and uh move the uh the staff recommendation to move the the score work plan.

Thank you.

Okay, great.

My I the my colleagues are already moving the item.

Um I just had a question for our city staff uh really quickly um on this.

I know we're gonna approve this today.

And um I believe I also wanted to make a request, and I don't know if this was in the item.

Um, but when we approve the racial equity resolution, there was a timeline on bringing back the work plan and wanted to know um have we adjusted the time because I know we need to revote on that.

No, I don't think we've we don't we've discussed it uh at the trio meetings, but we have not changed it.

I think we were waiting to see how the score work plan was moving forward.

But that is um that's definitely on the to-do list, and we do need to revisit that.

Okay.

So can at the next racial equity committee meeting, when's the next one?

I think it's June.

June?

Yeah.

Okay, I'm looking at my staff.

Is it possible we can have an update on that at the June meeting?

Just where we're at status.

Okay.

Yeah, I think there was some strategies laid out of how we can approach it.

Okay.

Because I think the timeline, if I'm if I remember correctly, I think it's through the end of this year.

That's right.

So we will need to adjust it now that the score work plan would be moving forward.

We could adjust it to that.

Okay.

And then I just, you know, for clarity in particular, because Mr.

Lambert brought this up during public comment is regarding the 250.

Um, that 250 has not yet been spent.

Um, just for clarity on that.

And so what I'm hearing from city staff is to reallocate those dollars, uh, to have flexibility on those dollars to utilize it for the score work plan.

Is that accurate?

Correct, yes.

Okay.

Um, but beyond that, there is no funding set aside to continue this work aside from the remaining funding, which is 300 that 300,000 or so price.

Right.

Is that accurate?

Yes.

Okay.

Yes.

In uh in terms of uh consistent with the attachment.

The one thing I would lift up is that um having that flexibility, we want to ensure that the uh the dollars allocated for the study um will go through a um you know an appropriate process regarding you know a request for proposal um that uh would love to engage um our members of the racial equity alliance, but in terms of the city process.

So that hasn't been we want to look at that, we want to look at the scope, we want to shape dollars around that, but we will go through a uh request for proposal process.

Okay, thank you so much, Amiya.

Those are all my questions.

I think one thing I just want to just uplift is that I hear a community on that in order for us to sustain this work, it's really important to make sure that uh we find funding to sustain this work.

And I know that uh we, you know, given the budget constraints that we have, we are doing everything that we can.

Just want to really just name that because I know that this work is a labor of love, but it takes time, it takes resources.

And so I just want to name that I know we're in the middle of budget conversations right now.

Um, and we are gonna be doing trade-offs and having those debates.

We're having those debates right now.

And so just wanted to to flag that for my colleagues as well as we continue our budget conversation about resourcing uh priorities and and projects and initiatives that are uh incredibly important to the city.

And so just wanted to name that.

But uh great job to everyone.

We are finally here.

We are moving to adopt this um work plan, and just congratulations to the alliance and city staff and community members that work so hard to get us to this moment.

And so, with that, we have a motion on the table by um Mayor Pro Tem Gera, a second by Councilmember Jennings.

All in favor?

All right, that item passes.

Thank you so much.

Do we have any um committee comments ideas, questions?

None.

Okay, any public comments?

I don't think we have as this is a special meeting, there's no public comment matters not on the agenda.

Okay, great.

Well, thank you so much.

A meeting is now adjourned at nine thirty-five.

Thank you.

Thank you.