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Consultant presents draft equity plan; council receives update and asks for internal audit next
Summary
Equity Praxis Group presented a draft equity plan after community listening sessions; council received the update and asked staff and the consultant to proceed with an internal DEI audit and to provide metrics and draft actions in 3'6 months.
The City of Carpinteria received a status report May 12 on work to develop a municipal equity plan. Equity Praxis Group briefed the council on community listening outcomes and draft plan focus areas and next steps.
Equity Praxis's founders said the project began with five community listening sessions and eight stakeholder interviews; their draft plan organizes actions in six focus areas: housing, health care, inclusion and access, economy and business, law enforcement and public safety, and language/cultural access. The consultant said it has incorporated feedback from a city DEI committee and expects to present a near-final draft in the coming weeks.
The firm described a second-phase internal audit to assess city policies, staffing diversity, budgeting and other internal practices. The consultants advised the council that conducting the internal audit and identifying measurable metrics could take roughly three to six months, depending on staff capacity, and offered to add DRACI (decider/responsible/accountable/consulted/informed) assignments to each recommended action to clarify responsibility.
Council members asked that the draft plan be shared with the newly formed public engagement committee and requested that the plan include measurable outcomes and baseline data points to evaluate progress. The council voted to receive and file the consultant's update and directed staff to return with the final plan and a timeline for the internal audit and staff-development elements.
Why it matters: The equity plan will set priorities and measurable actions for City Hall and the community on language access, housing equity, public-safety relations and inclusive engagement.
What comes next: Equity Praxis will revise the draft with committee input, the city will commission an internal DEI audit and staff training program, and the council will review the final plan and implementation schedule.
