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Council reviews 'Together We Thrive' DEI strategic plan; outreach open through Oct. 3
Summary
The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission and staff presented a strategic plan, 'Together We Thrive,' that summarizes internal assessments, community listening and an action plan for city operations and outreach. The public comment period runs through Oct. 3; staff recommended phased implementation and noted potential future budget requests
Mountlake Terrace’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission presented a proposed strategic plan titled Together We Thrive at the Sept. 11 council meeting and requested council feedback; the public comment period for the plan is open through Oct. 3.
Why it matters: The plan summarizes demographic changes in the city, an internal assessment of staff and organizational practices, and findings from community listening sessions. It proposes internal reforms (personnel policy reviews, training, recruitment and consistency in policy application) and outward-facing actions (multilingual materials, accessibility improvements, community cultural events and community‑based outreach strategies) meant to improve access to city services and increase participation from underrepresented groups.
What the plan found: Commissioners presented demographic trends showing an increasingly diverse population and shifts in age and housing cost pressures. Consultants and staff reported internal feedback that city employees want more DEI training and clearer accountability and that employees reported experiencing discrimination and microaggressions. Community listening found residents value the city’s walkability, recreation and civic events but asked the city to do more to reduce barriers — for example, translation, weekend or evening access to services, childcare at public meetings and accessible meeting formats.
Action plan and next steps: The plan groups actions under internal operations, policies and community access. Short-term steps include updating personnel policies, developing consistent communications and preparing translated summaries of the plan (staff said Spanish translations of the executive summary and action plan are in progress). Commissioners and staff said they are not requesting additional funding immediately but may bring targeted budget requests in future cycles for items such as programming, translation or staffing. The commission urged councils to consider term limits for boards and commissions to broaden participation.
Public engagement: Commissioners described targeted outreach they conducted with faith-based groups, the library’s community sessions (including English/Spanish presentations), and small-group “meet where people are” conversations to reach historically underrepresented populations. The commission encouraged residents to provide feedback through the online survey, available in English and Spanish, through Oct. 3.
Council response: Several council members praised the breadth of engagement and the name of the plan. Mayor Pro Tem Wall and others supported the plan’s emphasis on community celebrations and cultural programming. Council members asked about survey response targets; staff said the online survey is not a statistically powered instrument and that commissioners would accept the responses collected as part of broader outreach. Council scheduled time for continued consideration and asked staff to return with any budget requests that arise from implementation planning.
How to comment: The plan and an online comment form are on the city website; staff said the executive summary and action plan are being translated to Spanish for the outreach period.
