Inclusivity committee to table for Hispanic Heritage Month, seeks partners and Spanish materials

The inclusivity committee reported plans to staff a small informational booth for Hispanic Heritage Month at a local public event and agreed the first-year effort will be modest — primarily tabling, distributing bilingual flyers and gathering volunteer sign-ups for a larger event next year. Committee members said they have reached out to local groups such as Casa Latinas Unidades and other community partners but had limited responses. Because partner materials were not available, the group decided to provide committee-produced handouts in English and Spanish and to use a sandwich board so passersby can see the booth’s purpose before approaching. City staff offered to print materials on request. Why it matters: the committee’s presence is intended to raise awareness and collect volunteers for a larger, partner-led observance next year; members noted the current political climate has made some community groups reluctant to take on visible roles. Details from the meeting: Committee members agreed not to stage a large event before January and emphasized that this year’s tabling should be informational — describing what Hispanic Heritage Month is and listing ways residents can help or volunteer. Members proposed bilingual flyers and a sandwich board that reads, for example, “We’re celebrating National Hispanic and Latinx Month,” and discussed displaying an existing joint statement from the mayor and police chief if city staff can supply a Spanish translation. Several people reported attempts to contact community partners (including Casa Latinas Unidades and La Raza) without success; members said it may reflect reluctance among some groups to be visibly involved this year given current politics. The committee also mentioned a proclamation approved in February 2023 that staff had not found in the shared folder; they agreed to target council schedule deadlines for any proclamation review next year. Logistics and next steps: City staff (Crystal) offered to scale existing flyer artwork for a sandwich board and to print materials if the committee sends copy and images. Volunteers from the committee will staff the booth; members will circulate proposed flyer drafts offline and print locally if needed. No formal vote or council action was taken.