Mountlake Terrace DEI commission finalizes work-plan slides, assigns presenters for city council review

The Mountlake Terrace Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission on Tuesday reviewed a draft work plan it will present to the City Council and assigned commissioners to present sections of the plan.

The commission agreed to organize the presentation around five categories ' training, planning, engaging, commemorating and celebrating ' and asked staff to add the commission mission statement to the deck for emphasis. Commissioners also agreed on who will open, cover topics and close the presentation at the council meeting, and asked staff to circulate a revised slide deck before the commission's March meeting.

Why it matters: The presentation will be the commission's primary briefing to the City Council about its 2024 accomplishments and its work plan for the coming year; commissioners said they want the Council and the public to clearly see how commission activities tie back to the ordinance that created the body.

What the commission did: A staff member told commissioners the draft work plan had been circulated late the previous evening and asked for feedback on who would speak. Commissioners volunteered to take specific slides: Scott agreed to lead and wrap up the presentation and others offered to present sections on training, planning and community engagement. Commission staff said the slide deck includes photos, a mission statement and a notes field intended to help speakers.

Commissioners requested the mission statement be added in a slide near the start of the deck so the Council sees the commission's formal charge before accomplishments and work priorities are presented. The group also asked staff to replace one headshot and to reassign the slide labeling so the chair is shown correctly.

Logistics and scheduling: Commissioners discussed timing for the Council presentation and noted that the City's State of the City event is scheduled for May 20; staff warned the conflict may require the commission to change its regular meeting date in May. Commissioners asked staff to confirm the commission's speaking order and to send final slide notes and any headshots to communications staff for upload.

Procedural items: The commission moved and seconded approval of January meeting minutes (mover and seconder not specified in the record); the motion carried. A separate motion to excuse an absent commissioner was also moved and seconded and the chair stated the motion carried.

What comes next: Staff will circulate an updated PowerPoint with speaker notes and a proposed running order for the City Council presentation; commissioners will confirm who speaks and finalize slides for the March meeting. The commission also directed staff to follow up with communications staff to ensure the deck and any promotional material are formatted for the City website and social channels.