Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Needs Assessment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Oshkosh DEI members discuss ways to better identify underserved populations
Summary
At the July 28 City of Oshkosh DEI committee meeting members proposed exploring surveys and data sources to identify community blind spots; they referenced Winnebago County and the citys community surveys as possible sources and suggested a future agenda item to plan outreach methods.
Committee members at the City of Oshkosh Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee meeting on July 28 discussed how the committee might better identify underserved or overlooked populations in the city and gather community-level data to inform future work.
"I'm wondering if we could spend some time talking about ways that we could find out more about what's happening just in the community in general," one committee member said, urging a future discussion and noting barriers such as internet access and English literacy.
The nut graf: committee members proposed reviewing existing data sources and scheduling a focused discussion to consider surveys, outreach methods and partnerships that could reveal "blind spots" in who the committee currently hears from.
Members referenced past local data-gathering efforts. One member noted, "Winnebago County does a pretty significant survey, and they have presented in the past some of the information ... regarding housing, regarding people with food insecurity. The city also does a community survey every year." The committee discussed that such county and city surveys might be useful starting points but may not reach all populations.
Discussion points included whether the committee should create its own survey, the limitations of web surveys for people without internet or who cannot read English, and the value of partnering with nonprofit organizations that serve specific communities. Participants said they wanted to think about populations that "we're not hearing from" and agreed it merits a future agenda item rather than immediate action.
No motions, votes or formal directions to staff were recorded on this topic; members agreed to plan a conversation in a future meeting and to consider existing county and city surveys as potential data sources.
The exchange closed with committee members acknowledging the complexity of identifying underserved groups and the value of engaging with community organizations that have direct contact with residents.
Ending: The committee did not adopt a specific outreach plan at the July 28 meeting but agreed to place further discussion on a future agenda so members could research potential methods and partners.
