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Estacada DEI committee raises concerns about market-study sampling, seeks greater role in city planning
Summary
Committee members said the city—s recent market-study survey underrepresented lower-income residents and omitted race/ethnicity and disability items; they asked to be involved earlier in future surveys and plan to raise the issue with city council.
Members of the Estacada Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee told one another at the meeting that the city—s recent market-study survey produced results the committee said do not represent the full community and that the committee should have been consulted earlier in the survey design.
Committee members said the released survey results showed an overrepresentation of higher-income respondents and lacked demographic questions such as race/ethnicity or disability status. "More than 75 percent are people who make more than $75,000 a year," a committee member said while describing the released results. Members said that combination of omitted demographic questions and a skewed respondent base undermines the report's usefulness for equitable economic-development recommendations.
Why it matters: the committee's charter calls for an equity lens on projects, programs and surveys. Members said the committee should review distribution plans and survey items before outside consultants finalize instruments so findings better reflect community needs.
Discussion and next steps: committee members described trying to obtain the survey—s distribution plan before the survey closed; they said staff promised the plan would be provided before the next meeting but that it never arrived. Committee members agreed to raise the concern publicly when the committee reports to city council on October 28 and to attend that council meeting in support of greater DEI involvement. One member said, "we should have known about the questions that they were even starting or maybe even they came to us with could you guys give us questions?" Another described the pattern as a repeated problem of hearing about initiatives only after decisions are final.
Members also tied the market-study concerns to goal number 5 on the committee—s work plan: updating an equity-lens tool the city can use to evaluate projects and programs. Several members said that tool has not been applied consistently and that earlier involvement would allow the committee to recommend the right demographic questions and distribution strategies.
What the committee did not do: no formal policy changes or votes on the market study were taken at this meeting. Members discussed bringing the concern to city council and increasing committee presence at planning meetings so DEI input is available earlier in project timelines.
What—s next: committee members said they will support a member—s presentation at the city council update on Oct. 28 and will follow up with staff to request distribution details for the market study and to propose specific equity-lens checklist items for future surveys.
