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Bothell staff detail outreach, DEI roadmap as commission hears study session
Summary
City planners and DEI staff described Bothell's outreach strategy and the 2023—6 DEI roadmap, emphasizing partnership with community organizations, language access, and early use‑of‑AI safeguards; commissioners asked about measurable benchmarks and outreach to homebound and unhoused residents.
At a July 15 Planning Commission study session, City of Bothell planners gave a briefing on the city's inclusion and communications program, describing how staff are trying to reach marginalized residents through targeted partnerships and a cross‑departmental engagement team. No action was requested or taken.
Jacqueline Sampson, a planner in community development, opened the presentation and said staff were responding to a commission request for more detail on how the city contacts underrepresented groups. Mason Lavera, the communications and engagement manager, described a three‑person communications team and a larger, 16‑member cross‑department engagement group that meets monthly to coordinate outreach and messaging. Lavera told commissioners the team uses “channel segmentation” to adapt messages across platforms such as social media, email and mailers so information reaches different audiences.
Gabby Conya, the DEI coordinator, said the DEI program centers on building trust with communities and working through trusted intermediaries: “So one of the core tenants of the outreach that we do here is understanding that equitable access to our services is a foundational part of how we provide good service to our entire community.” She highlighted the DEI advisory committee, bilingual‑pay adjustments for staff, and an internal language‑access plan that trains staff on interpretation and translation resources.
Commissioners pressed staff on several operational questions. They asked how the city measures success, whether the communications team has capacity to reach homebound residents and how DEI coordinates with law enforcement and human‑services providers serving people experiencing homelessness. Staff answered that success is measured by a mix of quantitative analytics (open rates, event attendance) and qualitative feedback from community‑based organizations, and that the city leans on partnerships with service providers and a monthly human‑services forum rather than attempting direct one‑to‑one service delivery.
Commissioners also raised the city's generative AI policy. Conya said the city finalized guidance last year and requires staff to review any AI‑generated material through an equity lens to guard against bias. Lavera added that staff use AI to translate technical language into plain language for residents but do not rely on AI for certified translations.
Staff said the presentation was the first step in an ongoing conversation; they encouraged commissioners to continue sending questions and noted staff will return with further details as outreach and code projects move forward.
