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Council reviews updated Community Values and Vision chapter; Social Justice & Equity input added
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Summary
The Community Values and Vision chapter was revised to include a Squaxin Island Scribe welcome, strengthened equity language and expanded protections; the Social Justice & Equity Commission and planning commission recommended refinements and inclusion of additional protected groups.
Joyce Phillips, planning manager, presented the Community Values and Vision chapter — an optional but central element of the comprehensive plan update — at the Sept. 16 study session.
Phillips said the chapter spells out community values, an equity commitment, and vision statements that inform every other chapter. The draft adds a welcome statement from the Squaxin Island scribe, strengthens the plan’s equity commitments and clarifies language that recognizes past harms and protections for historically marginalized groups.
Why it matters
Staff described the chapter as the plan’s ‘‘tone‑setter’’ — it frames how goals and policies across the plan should be interpreted, with an emphasis on equity, inclusion and belonging.
Key points and council reaction
Public engagement: Staff reported an early public survey and extensive outreach beginning in 2023 that helped shape the chapter’s values and vision statements; planning commissioners and land‑use committee reviewers urged plain‑language edits and more effective outreach to historically marginalized communities.
Equity and protected groups: The Social Justice and Equity Commission recommended adding language to address gender identity and expression, protections for military service members and families as well as veterans, and to be explicit about the city’s sanctuary values. Councilmembers suggested clarifying overlap where other chapters also reference protected groups and asked staff to ensure consistency (for example, the wording that covers diverse family structures and religious or spiritual protections).
Next steps
Phillips said the chapter needed final proofreading and formatting adjustments but that the substantive changes requested by the planning commission, land use committee and the Social Justice and Equity Commission had been included in the draft. The chapter is scheduled to be returned to council for acceptance as part of the overall plan update.
Ending
Councilmembers praised the chapter’s central role in shaping the plan and asked staff to ensure consistent language across chapters on equity and group protections. No formal vote was taken at the study session.
