COMMITTEE AGENDA MEMORANDUM
Diversity & Inclusion Ad Hoc Committee
SUBJECT:
title
Receive a Presentation on the new Office of Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (REDI), Including an Outline of the Office Structure and Expanded Goals, and Consider a Resolution Addressing Systemic Racism and Promoting Racial Equity.
End
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
A. Receive information and a presentation on the Office of Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
B. Recommend the Board to adopt the Resolution Addressing Systemic Racism and Promoting Racial Equity.
Body
SUMMARY:
In July, CEO Callender announced the creation of a new Office of Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) under the External Affairs division. The new office will include the existing Diversity and Inclusion Program, with an expanded goal to break down any organizational barriers that enable systemic racism, and instead promote a culture of racial equity. This office will ensure that racial equity, diversity and inclusion practices are all equally reflected both internally and externally to better serve all communities within Valley Water’s service area.
In an effort to model best practices, staff drafted a resolution which contains solutions for consideration by the Diversity and Inclusion Ad Hoc Subcommittee and, if approved, by the Board to promote racial equity and recognize and condemn racial discrimination recently exemplified by the recent killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless others.
This resolution is consistent with Valley Water’s core values and the principles used in accomplishing Valley Water’s mission. Specifically, the purpose and intent of the resolution is to establish Valley Water’s response to individual and systemic racism and its commitment in taking meaningful action, internally and externally, to address the impacts of acts of prejudice, abuse of power, racial bias, racism, and barriers to diversity, equity and inclusion.
The resolution will direct the CEO to work with staff to further improve racial equity, diversity and inclusion in Valley Water’s culture and practices of hiring, contracting, programs and service delivery and employee support. In addition, the resolution will provide the CEO the authority to initiate a new framework and model to inform potential changes to Valley Water internal policies, procedures, and trainings to ensure that the workplace will not tolerate acts of prejudice, abuse of power, racial bias, or racism, and sets expectations to address conscious and unconscious bias. The resolution also calls for implementation of programs consistent with the intent of Proposition 16 upon its passage and the resolution calls for the creation of an End’s Policy relative to Environmental Justice.
The expanded and new REDI workplan will be developed over the next 90 days and will then be updated biannually and reported back to the Diversity and Inclusion Ad Hoc Subcommittee.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Resolution
Attachment 2: ACA 5 (Webar)
Attachment 3: PowerPoint
UNCLASSIFIED MANAGER:
Manager
Marta Lugo, 408-630-2237