Sacramento County EEOAC Meeting – July 2, 2024
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Sacramento County EEOAC Meeting – July 2, 2024: Statistics Review and Recruitment Discussion
The Sacramento County Equal Employment Opportunity Advisory Committee (EEOAC) met on July 2, 2024, at 3:34 PM. The meeting focused on reviewing workforce statistics for the General Services and Health Services departments, discussing recruitment challenges and diversity gaps, and planning next steps, including inviting the county CEO and DEI director to a future meeting.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Absences: Motioned by Jennifer, seconded, and carried. Excused absences were approved.
- Approval of Minutes: A motion was made, seconded, and the minutes were approved without changes.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were made.
Discussion Items
- Thank You Letter Timeline: The committee discussed the timeline for sending a thank you letter. Some members expressed urgency to send it promptly. It was decided that comments would be due by Thursday and the letter would be drafted on Friday.
- General Services Statistics (2022 & 2023): A member presented statistics from the General Services Department:
- For 2022: 382 total employees. Minority representation was reported as 41.9% (the count was given as 16, but the percentage suggests approximately 161) and female representation as 14.4% (55). For 2023: 384 total employees, with 161 minority (41.9%) and 55 female (14.3%).
- Skilled craft workers: In 2022, 178 employees (48 minority, 27%) and no females; in 2023, 187 employees (56 minority, 29.9%) and no females.
- Service maintenance: In 2022, 64 employees (49 minority, 76.6%; 14 female, 21.9%); in 2023, 53 employees (39 minority, 76.6%; 12 female, 22.6%).
- Officials/administrators: In 2022, 28 employees (4 female, 14.3%; 11 minority, 39.3%).
- Hires, terminations, promotions, and discrimination complaints were also covered.
- Discussion on Recruitment and Diversity:
- Members expressed concern about the persistent lack of any female representation in skilled craft positions for both years.
- Several members criticized the county’s recruitment methods, stating that HR outreach does not reach diverse communities effectively. One member noted that recruitment “stops at 5 PM” and fails to engage community-based organizations and unions.
- Concerns about nepotism and institutional racism were raised. A member described a system where recruitment often relies on personal networks and where exam processes can disadvantage minority candidates.
- The chair and others recommended inviting the county CEO (David) and DEI Director Stephanie Jackson to a future meeting to discuss recruitment strategies, anti-nepotism policies, and the inclusion of community and union representatives in DEI efforts.
- It was noted that the DEI cabinet is still in a foundational stage, but members stressed the need for faster, more innovative action.
- A member suggested that the EEOAC itself could play a role in recommending recruitment changes and should have representation on the DEI cabinet.
- Health Services Statistics (2022):
- Presented statistics for the Department of Health Services, which split from Health and Human Services. In 2022, 1,056 employees, 62.2% minority, 77.1% female.
- Top categories: professionals (584, 79.1% female, 54.5% minority), office clerical (161, 78.3% female, 76.4% minority), paraprofessionals (134, 73.9% female, 77.6% minority).
- Hires, terminations, promotions statistics were presented.
- Members noted that this department demonstrates better diversity, likely due to its existing diverse workforce and effective outreach. It was suggested to issue a commendation for the department.
Key Outcomes
- Approval of Minutes: Carried.
- Thank You Letter: Comments due by Thursday, letter drafted Friday, then sent.
- Priority Invitation: The committee strongly recommended inviting CEO David and DEI Director Stephanie Jackson to appear before the committee in July, August, or September 2024. This request was emphasized as a high priority after two years of waiting.
- Commendation for Health Services: Agreed to generate a letter commending the Health Services Department for its diversity statistics.
- Motion to Adjourn: Seconded and carried.
Meeting Transcript
Happy summertime. I thought we were gonna uh give the fires meeting in the five because we had all that good rain. Anyway, so we'll call the meeting to order at 334. Go ahead and go ahead and do it. Thank you all for joining us today. Annette is answering and she wants to know ahead of time. Amendment. But she lets us know ahead of time. Thank you. Thank you. Patrice also let us know that she wasn't going to be here in advance. Here who was supposed to be here. Yeah, okay. And here. Thank you. So we have a quorum with citizens. Something that I want to be later on. Thank you for that. So we'll go ahead and do the approval of member of absences. But it's something that we need to do. So we heard the excuse absences. Thank you. First from Jennifer. Second. Any discussion on it? Oh well. All those in favor. We're gonna kind of cut to some of the chase. All those in favor, we can't do it. That's why to say aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? Motion carried. Okay, thank you. All right. So approval of the minutes. Who's had a chance to take a look at the minutes? Any changes we've been seen by anyone? Everyone had a chance to look at it previously to this. Okay. Okay. All right. Um ask for a motion to approve the minutes. And we there's a we'll get a second, and then if there's changes, we'll do that during discussion. So is there a motion to approve the minutes? Okay, hang so far. Second. Second. Jennifer, any discussion, any changes, anything that anyone saw that needs to be amended. Paul question kind of speed some things up a little bit.
openpublica.com