Bellevue staff presented the updated Diversity Advantage Plan 2035 to the City Council on Nov. 25, describing a three‑year community engagement process and a framework for operationalizing equity across city departments. No adoption vote was requested; staff said they will return with adoption materials after council review.

Dr. Linda Whitehead, who led the diversity advantage team until her recent retirement, opened the presentation and said the session was for review and questions rather than action. Sarah Boyle, lead administrator for the initiative, outlined the plan’s scope: a set of guiding principles and 41 equity objectives informed by more than a dozen community dialogues and “over 1,000 pieces of individual feedback,” she said. Boyle described a near‑term timeline that includes finishing short‑term strategic equity plans by the end of the year, identifying key equity indicators by the end of Q1 2026, and developing an external reporting method and tool by Q3 2026.

The Centering Communities of Color coordinating team (CCC) presented five operational priorities they want reflected in implementation: transparent progress tracking and public review; investment in trusted immigrant and refugee resource hubs; expansion of culturally and linguistically responsive mental and behavioral health services; targeted support for women‑ and minority‑owned small businesses including procurement assistance; and creation of policies to assess and clearly communicate the city’s use of AI tools. Regina Glenn, CCC chair, urged the council to adopt the plan and “closely monitor it, and that when you get the results, that you present them in public hearings so the community can hear it at least twice a year.”

Council members from across the dais expressed broad support for DAP 2035 and its accountability focus. Several asked staff to ensure the CCC’s operational recommendations are translated into the short‑term plans and to provide measurable performance metrics. Council members pressed for clarity about data sources (staff said housing cost‑burden figures draw on the 2023 American Community Survey where noted), procurement tracking and the potential for a disparity study, and how objectives under public safety (for example, community‑based prosecution and alternatives to punitive responses) will be measured. Sarah Boyle said the city attorney’s office and related teams are already developing metrics for objectives such as the community court and CARES/CCAT alternatives.

Council member Conrad Lee emphasized placing a tangible cross‑cultural center on the implementation roadmap, not only “walls without walls,” and staff told the council that the 2023 budget includes funding for a site feasibility assessment and programming options. Staff also said current direction from council supports pursuing cross‑cultural programming and a feasibility evaluation for siting work.

What happens next: staff will return to the council with materials to request formal adoption of DAP 2035 and accompanying short‑term equity plans and equity indicators. Council members asked that any return include clear, public performance metrics and a schedule for reporting to ensure accountability.