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Estacada council approves ordinance removing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee after heated public comment
Summary
After hours of public comment and debate, the City Council approved Ordinance 2025‑002 amending Title 2 to remove the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee from the municipal code. A separate motion to approve the ordinance with an exception to preserve the committee failed earlier.
The Estacada City Council approved Ordinance 2025‑002, a change to Title 2 of the municipal code that removes the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) committee, after two separate roll‑call votes. The final approval passed 5‑2.
The decision followed an extended public comment period in which multiple residents and community members urged the council not to dissolve the DEI committee and urged formation of a replacement outreach or accessibility committee. Commenters described DEI work as community engagement focused on schools, support for families and inclusion of underrepresented residents. One commenter, Nicole Andrews, described a classroom example and urged the council to “ensure that everyone feels that they belong,” language she used in testimony.
Councilors debated procedural and policy questions before voting. An initial motion to approve the ordinance with an explicit exception to retain chapter 2.33 (the DEI committee) failed on roll call. Council then moved to approve Ordinance 2025‑002 without the exception; that second motion carried 5‑2. The roll calls recorded the votes individually: Councilors Blevins, Dozle, McElroy, Metcalfe and Mayor Drinkwine voted yes; Councilors Prokop and Tenbush voted no.
Supporters of keeping DEI or creating a new outreach/accessibility committee said removal creates a gap in community engagement and harms the city’s reputation and volunteer recruitment. Several speakers — including residents who said they had participated in DEI workshops — described concrete benefits the committee provided in schools and community events. Speakers also urged the council to replace the committee with a new body focused on outreach, accessibility and removing barriers to civic participation.
Council members who supported the ordinance said they were not opposed to community engagement but had concerns about the committee’s scope and recommended using other committees or new structures for outreach. Several councilors called for a follow‑up plan for community engagement; at least one councilor proposed creating an outreach/accessibility committee as a next step.
The ordinance takes effect as provided in municipal code; staff and councilors said they would discuss options to preserve or replace the engagement work previously handled by the DEI committee.
