Marina DEI task force delivers final recommendations; council to consider implementation steps

The Marina DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) task force presented its final report to the council, summarizing months of meetings, community outreach and ranked recommendations. The nine-member group — assembled to reflect the city’s racial diversity and to include subject-matter expertise — proposed priorities intended to make city operations and services more inclusive and equitable.

Top-ranked recommendations presented by task-force members included: improving survey inclusivity and re-surveying underrepresented groups if participation is uneven; publishing and tracking demographic data for city employees, leadership and appointed officials; establishing measurable (SMART) DEI goals and using a racial-equity scoring tool for budgeting and project review; prioritizing outreach and intent to build trust with historically marginalized communities; and forming a diverse DEI advisory committee reporting to the city manager and council with an annual public report.

Council members thanked the task force for its work and discussed next steps. Council did not adopt policy changes at this meeting; staff said the report is to be received and that council later will need to determine implementation structures and potential next steps such as a continuing advisory committee or staff-led implementation plan. Public commenters expressed both strong support for the work and opposition from some residents who objected to government DEI programs. Council consensus was to receive the report and consider formation of an implementation body in future meetings.