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Council backs renaming of DEI coalition to 'Access and Equity Action Committee' and advances resolution
Summary
Following a months‑long revitalization effort by the DEI Coalition, councilmembers supported renaming the body the Access and Equity Action Committee and voted to move the related resolution forward; the committee motion removing the item from the chair's committee passed unanimously.
Council members and the DEI Coalition agreed on March 9 to pursue a formal name change and updated scope for the city’s citizen equity advisory body. The coalition proposed renaming the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Coalition to the "Access and Equity Action Committee (AEAC)," arguing the new name better reflects policy‑review and access goals and would avoid polarized reactions to the original phrasing.
Council members broadly supported the change and suggested clarifying the committee’s charge to include reviewing city policies, codes and legislation for equity issues and advising the Charter Review Commission where relevant. Members also discussed appointment staggering, meeting cadence and whether interview requirements should be mandatory; they asked staff to draft resolution language incorporating those edits and return it for first reading.
The committee then approved a motion to remove "the city’s response to systemic racism" from the chair’s committee so the revised resolution could be prepared and moved through the council process. The motion passed 7–0. Brian Gibbons, the coalition chair, said the group has resumed active work on outreach, newsletter submissions and partnerships with schools and ODOT on accessibility projects.
Next steps: staff and the coalition will draft an updated resolution reflecting the new name and revised charter language, circulate it for comment and present it for formal council consideration.
