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New Equity and Inclusion Commission outlines priorities on engagement, data and trust building
Summary
Roseville’s newly seated Equity and Inclusion Commission presented a work plan emphasizing community engagement metrics, data collection, interdepartmental coordination and time to build trust; commissioners asked council members for public support and patience as they develop metrics and procedures.
Roseville — The city council and the newly formed Equity and Inclusion Commission met jointly July 14 as the commission presented its first public strategic priorities and asked the council for support, data access and time to build trust.
The commission characterized its initial months as foundational. “Unlike long‑standing commissions, equity and inclusion is more nuanced; it’s hard to point to a single capital project,” Praj, the commission chair, told the council. Commissioners said their early work has focused on learning how city government functions, reviewing prior racial equity work and convening a technical advisory group and staff core team to avoid duplicate efforts.
Priorities and requests: Commissioners identified three near‑term priorities: (1) supporting departmental improvements to community engagement by identifying common metrics; (2) standardizing and collecting engagement and demographic data so the city can evaluate who participates in city processes; and (3) maintaining open communication and public education about commission opportunities, including recruitment of diverse residents and publicity for the youth commissioner role. The commission urged the council to publicly affirm the commission’s legitimacy and to assist in removing barriers to data access where needed for benchmarking.
Why it matters: Commissioners argued that inclusive engagement produces better outcomes and that the commission’s role is both practical and civic — to help make public processes more accessible and effective for residents from historically marginalized groups. Commissioners asked for patience as the group builds internal trust and governance practices; they said the commission has only been fully seated since April and needs time to operationalize a strategic plan.
Next steps: The commission will work with staff liaison Antonio and the city core team to develop SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time‑bound) metrics that embed equity into department engagement practices. Council members praised the commissioners’ progress and encouraged continued communication and occasional council briefings as the commission advances its work.
