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Black Lives Matter partners 2020 Council goal setting summary_H14 City Manager’s Office City Hall 50 West 13th Street Dubuque, IA 52001-4845 Office (563) 589-4110 Fax (563) 589-4149 TTY (563) 690-6678 ctymgr@cityofdubuque.org www.cityofdubuque.org To: Partners that presented at City Council’s Black Lives Matter work sessions: Robert Kimble, Dubuque Dream Center Caprice Jones, Fountain of Youth Ernest Jackson, Jason Weston, Black Mens Coalition Dereka Williams, Switching Places Lynn Sutton, Tom LoGuidice, Friends of Fair Housing Jackie Hunter, Multicultural Family Center Rick Dickinson, Greater Dubuque Development Corporation Miquel Jackson, Anthony Allen, NAACP Date: August 14, 2020 Dear Partners, This week, the City Council met to complete their annual goal-setting. That process came on the heels of two productive work sessions on Black Lives Matter: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. This letter is to follow up with you all on how your recommendations were addressed during goal-setting, and invite you to continued partnership and work on next steps to improve the lives of black and brown members of our community. While Council did not explicitly adopt all specific recommendations presented in the work sessions and letters you submitted, there are several items where Council, as part of their discussion, specifically addressed racial equity. As City staff implement the final recommendations, there are opportunities to infuse racial equity into the process. Each year, the Council completes goal-setting based on the input they receive from individual throughout the year; organized groups such as yourselves and our boards and commissions; and input submitted by our department heads during their own annual goal-setting session. Each year, it is a challenge to pare down the many worthy projects and programs to a list of priorities that can be achieved with available resources. During the first two nights, the City Council discussed their vision, mission and potential priorities. They identified a list of 40 potential policy priorities and 26 potential management priorities to choose from. After lengthy discussion, they made one change to their vision statement, which is as follows: “Dubuque 2035 is a sustainable and resilient city, an inclusive and equitable community where ALL are welcome. Dubuque 2035 has preserved our Masterpiece on the Mississippi, has a strong, diverse economy and expanding connectivity. Our residents experience healthy living and active lifestyles; have choices of quality, affordable, livable neighborhoods; have an abundance of diverse, fun things to do; and are successfully and actively engaged in the community.” While the capitalization of the word ALL may seem small, Council had a robust discussion emphasizing that until black and brown lives are welcome and succeed, we have not reached our vision. Page 2 August 14, 2020 Letter to Partners Service People Integrity Responsibility Innovation Teamwork While it did not change this year, the City Council reaffirmed their commitment to the mission statement, which includes the goal of a creating an equitable community: “Dubuque city government is progressive and financially sound with residents receiving value for their tax dollars and achieving goals through partnerships. Dubuque city government’s mission is to deliver excellent municipal services that support urban living; contribute to an equitable, sustainable city; plan for the community’s future; and facilitate access to critical human services.” On the third night, Council prioritized the following items to the Policy and Management Agenda. Policy Agenda Policy agenda items are issues that need direction or a policy decision by the City Council, or need a major funding decision by the City Council, or issues that need City Council leadership in the community or with other governmental bodies. The policy agenda is divided into top priorities and high priorities. 2020 – 2022 Top Priorities (in alphabetical order): • Affordable Housing Creation: Direction and City Actions • Chaplain Schmitt Island Master Plan: Implementation and Phasing • Dream Center Facilities and Programs: Additional Funding • Equitable Fine and Fee Reform: Report, Direction and Actions • Equitable Poverty Prevention Plan Implementation: Outcomes, Report with Options, City Role, Direction, and City Actions • Fountain of Youth: Additional Funding 2020 – 2022 High Priorities (in alphabetical order): • Arts and Culture Master Plan Implementation: Update Report, Direction, and Actions • Arts Operating Grants and Art on the River: Update Report, Funding, Direction, and City Action • Childcare Initiative: Outcomes, City Role, Partners, Direction and City Actions • Code of Ethics/Social Media for Mayor and City Council: Development and Adoption • Food Insecurity: Report with Findings and Options, Direction, City Actions, and Funding (including Food Deserts and Grocery Store Attraction) • Four Mounds/HEART Program: Funding Management Agenda Management agenda items are issues for which the City Council has set the overall direction and provided initial funding, may require further City Council action or funding, or are major management projects that may take multiple years to implement. The management agenda is divided into top priorities and high priorities. 2020 – 2022 Management Agenda Top Priorities (in alphabetical order): • Bee Branch Creek Project: Next Steps • City Racial Equity Toolkit: Implementation Page 3 August 14, 2020 Letter to Partners Service People Integrity Responsibility Innovation Teamwork • Community Cameras Program: Outcomes, Best Practices, Report with Options, Direction, Funding, and City Actions • COVID-19 Response: Update Report and Next Steps • Dubuque Riverfront Master Plan (US Army Corps of Engineers) • Viking Cruise Destination Preparation: Direction, Actions, and Funding • Traffic Signal Synchronization/STREETS Program: Update Report, Direction 2020 – 2022 Management Agenda High Priorities (in alphabetical order): • Dupaco Parking Agreement: Next Steps • Emergency Services Youth Camp: Next Steps • Grand River Center Future Operations: RFP, Direction, and Agreement • Human Resource Policies and Handbook: Revision • School Resource Officers: Direction and Funding • Smart Mobility: Parking Structure Improvements, Technology Purchases, and Other Actions I would like to share details of how several of these items can be implemented in ways that include the recommendations you expressed as City staff continues work around the organization’s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals. First, City Racial Equity Toolkit implementation was identified as a Management Top Priority. The City Council had a robust discussion regarding engaging the community in conversations around equity. Every City department is responsible for working with the Human Rights department and equity teams to develop a departmental equity plan. In addition, the City developed a Racial Equity Toolkit based on the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE)’s model. To achieve this priority, each department will use the toolkit to develop their equity plans, which identify how they will utilize an equity lens that leads with race to make policy and program decisions and identifies which disaggregated community and program-level outcomes they will use to measure progress. Departments will be directed to identify which of the proposed recommendations will be included in department equity plans and how community engagement with impacted communities will be a part of making this determination. The Human Rights department will facilitate these conversations, using that engagement to assist in drafting or eliminating particular elements from the department equity plan. As part of department equity plans: • Police Department: During his presentation to City Council, Chief Dalsing identified how the Police Department currently bans chokeholds, shooting from moving vehicles, and racial profiling; requires de-escalation training; utilizes body worn cameras; and has a comprehensive use of force policy and early warning system. He identified that through ongoing community conversations and the development of that department’s equity plan, they will Reimagine Policing, a concept that the Council discussed at length during goal setting. That re-imagining could include requests from partners during the BLM session, including strategy for School Resource Officers; Early Warning system and data transparency; review of Police policies including use of force policy, and more. It will identify ways we can keep people out of jail, minimize resident Page 4 August 14, 2020 Letter to Partners Service People Integrity Responsibility Innovation Teamwork interactions with Police when that is not the best response (for example, when brain health issues are involved), and emphasize community service and rehabilitation over punishment. Learning about and implementing restorative justice principles has begun in the Police department, and will continue. They will use the facilitated community conversations described above to do so. • Housing Department: Housing’s existing equity work and the identification of Affordable Housing Creation as a Top Priority can be expanded to include regular review of eviction data (could be located in Housing or Legal’s equity plan); incorporation of Analysis of Impediments recommendations as part of department equity plan; and implementation of the Inclusive Dubuque working group recommendations. • Human Rights Department: As part of its equity plan, the department can address with the Human Rights Commission the possibility of amending their education goal to include working collaboratively with the Dubuque Community School District on positive black history as part of school curriculum, including a more complete picture of black history that is not defined solely by pain and oppression; connect advocates to relevant partners including the DCSD regarding specific issues like youth education, student alliances, and transportation; and expanding transportation for youth activities after school. The Human Rights Department will work with community volunteers and the City’s equity data team to develop an initial set of equity driving indicators, including measurable goals, as suggested by Ernest Jackson during his presentation. • City Manager’s Office: development of state and federal legislative priorities in collaboration with community is identified as an action in the CMO’s equity plan, which is in draft form now. Assistant City Manager Teri Goodmann and Human Rights staff will convene a conversation with BLM partners to craft this year’s priorities. This action was identified in the BMC request, and several of the items requested in the NAACP letter will need to be addressed at that level of government, where the City can play an advocacy role. • Economic Development: The Economic Development department is in the beginning stages of addressing minority and women owned businesses/entrepreneurship as part of plan and can explore collaboration with partners to create summer youth earn and learn program across all sectors. They can collaborate with the City’s Human Resources and Human Rights departments to begin this work within our own organization. Implementation of these action plans, and other departments’, will specifically address recommendations in the letter from the NAACP and BMC, as well as the remarks of several of the presenters during the BLM work session. Second, Equitable Fine & Fee Reform was defined as a City Council Policy Top Priority. City staff will work to identify a plan that includes community service alternatives to fines and fees currently imposed by the City that could help individuals avoid introduction to the legal system and costly fees that further burden those who may already be experiencing poverty. Page 5 August 14, 2020 Letter to Partners Service People Integrity Responsibility Innovation Teamwork Deliverables will include engaging the County Attorney’s office; community engagement to hear from those who have been impacted by these systems; identifying legislative priorities for the upcoming year; and establishment of pilots based on best practices. This type of program was recommended in the NAACP’s letter to City Council. Third, Affordable Housing Creation was identified as a Policy Top Priority. Specific deliverables the Council identified under this priority include a white paper on best practices; making sure existing housing stock is quality and safe; addressing landlord accountability; identifying ways to increase the number of landlords accepting Housing Choice Vouchers; continuing to support the implementation of the Multi-tiered Inspection program; and continuing to advocate for local control to pass a Source of Income ordinance. Specifically, Council identified the importance of community-level outcomes of home ownership and housing affordability data disaggregated by race as an indicator of progress towards this goal. This goal addresses recommendations included in the NAACP and BMC letters and several partners’ remarks during the BLM work session. Fourth, the Equitable Poverty Prevention Plan identifies that systemic racism is one of the explicit drivers of poverty. When completed late this year, the report that will have recommendations associated with that topic in the plan. This goal specifically addresses the BMC’s recommendation to measure income gap as an indicator of community progress for Black Americans. Lastly, continued support of the Dream Center, Fountain of Youth, and Four Mounds/HEART were specifically identified as Council priorities again this year. During their discussion of deliverables for the other priorities, City Council also identified specific components of them that address the recommendations presented in the BLM work session presentations. Specifically: • Arts and Culture Master Plan Implementation: Further the work of the Accessibility, Engagement & Inclusion Working Group established in 2018 to broaden participation and subject in arts and culture programming in Dubuque. • Childcare Initiative: Identify specific populations burdened by childcare barriers, including racial minorities, low-income, and single female head of households. • Emergency Services Youth Camp: Identify next steps to this program as a recruitment tool to diversify the City’s emergency services staff, which can be achieved when youth of color see staff that look like them in the existing force. • Human Resources Policies & Handbook: update City policies, training, recruitment and retention efforts to continue efforts to become an equitable employer of choice. Finally, the City Council continued to place a strong emphasis on community-level and program- level outcomes, and specified that they continue to disaggregated. The important thing, and the bedrock moving forward, will be to develop measurable goals with your input to achieve advances for residents of color in the areas of income gap, education gap, homeownership gap, and black incarceration rates. Page 6 August 14, 2020 Letter to Partners Service People Integrity Responsibility Innovation Teamwork Ongoing work on City Performance Measures is listed on the Management in Progress agenda, which is lengthier and includes items that are internal or administrative in nature, or are already funded and in the implementation phase. The City’s data team will work with the Human Rights department and community partners to identify key performance indicators that should be regularly reported on and reviewed to ensure that together, we keep this focus on racial equity and the recommendations presented in the BLM work session. I want to thank you, again, for all of the work that you are doing in the community today, and your continued partnership. I look forward to ongoing dialogue on ways we can work together to improve the lives of black and brown members of our community. In partnership, Michael C. Van Milligen City Manager MCVM:clb