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Auburn committee seeks balanced DEI language and a task group to draft a language‑access plan
Summary
Members agreed the comp plan should reflect equity goals without jeopardizing grant eligibility and tasked staff to draft an implementation statement tying the comp plan to the city's equity policy; they also urged creating a short advisory group to design a language‑access plan.
Committee members discussed how the comprehensive plan should address diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and language access without risking federal or state funding.
Members suggested adoption of an implementation statement that ties comp‑plan actions to the city's existing equity policy rather than peppering DEI terms throughout every section. Bilal urged actionable items targeted at historically underrepresented communities and asked for concrete steps, such as translated materials and outreach. Other members emphasized practical, prioritized actions rather than broad aspirational language.
"Whatever that policy is should be a policy that applies to all of the sections," Chair John Cleveland said, recommending a single implementation approach that guides the plan and supports grant applications. Phil and staff confirmed the city has an equity work plan and suggested referencing it in the comp plan so the city can meet grant affidavit requirements while also embedding measurable implementation steps.
The committee asked staff to convene a short advisory task group (including community representatives) to produce a language-access plan and to recommend short-term actions (e.g., website language tools, translated public‑facing materials) with prioritized timelines and resource estimates.
Why it matters: explicit implementation and prioritized actions can increase participation, improve grant competitiveness, and provide measurable steps for equitable engagement.
Next steps: staff will prepare comp plan language that (1) references the city equity policy and (2) tasks an advisory group to report back with a language-access plan and prioritized short-term actions.
