HandoutsTHE CITY OF
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
Creating an Equitable Community
(and Organization) of Choice
A High -Performance Organization (and Community) with
Engaged Employees and Residents that is Data -Driven and
Outcome -Focused built on the five pillars of:
Resiliency Sustainability
Equity
Transparency Compassion I
Through Partnerships, Planning, Et People
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www.cityofdubuque.org
Adopted by City Council on January 16, 2024
2024 Council definitions for consideration
Goal: shared understanding of pillar definitions
1. Regarding Equitable Community of Choice pillars
• Equity: a condition which deliberately creates choices, access and opportunities for all
people to fulfill their basic needs, advance their wellbeing and achieve their full potential
(Source: E&HR office/staff working definition)
• Sustainability: a community's ability to meet the environmental, economic, and social
equity needs of today without reducing the ability of future generations to meet their needs
(Source: the Sustainable Dubuque task force/City of Dubuque Council adopted -definition)
• Resiliency: the ability of individuals and systems to prevent, prepare for, and recover from
adverse vulnerabilities while adapting to long-term changes (Source: 50% by2030
Community Climate Action & Resiliency Plan/ City of Dubuque Council adopted -definition)
• Transparency: No shared definition at this time.
o Potential definition: Open, honest, accountable and accessible government (Cori's
draft based on several government agencies and associations)
• Compassion: No shared definition at this time.
o Potential definition: consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to
alleviate it (Combination of Merriam Webster and Oxford dictionary)
Recommended action: I recommend that Council adopt the shared definitions above and that
they become the back of the one -.page handout on Equitable Community of Choice -"what we
mean by these words".
2. Regarding DEI(B)
The following definitions are shared definitions of terms as suggested bythe Office of Equity &
Human Rights:
• Diversity: all the ways in which people differ
• Equity: a Condition which deliberately creates choices, access and opportunities for all
people to fulfill their basic needs, advance their wellbeing and achieve their full potential
• Inclusion: making everyone in the group feel respected, supported and valued. When
people feel as if they truly belong and can be their full selves, they are engaged an active
contributors.
In 2024, department managers began exploring the concept of Belonging as an additional pillar of
our DEI work. This addition follows a trend established by other organizations doing this work and
speaks especially to how we implement our internal/employee-focused equity goals. The definition
shared by our VIdl facilitator that we have been using is:
• Belonging: Feeling accepted and comfortable in the workplace. (Emphasis on the word
feeling, as it points out that this is more focused on an individual's experience)
Recommended action: I recommend that when we speak of our"DEI goals", we update this to
"DEIB goats" and use the definition above.