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National League of Cities 2016 City Cultural Diversity Award Copyright 2014 City of Dubuque Presentation(s) # 1. ITEM TITLE: National League of Cities 2016 City Cultural Diversity Award SUMMARY: Presentation of the 2016 National League of Cities (NLC) First Place City Cultural Diversity Award to the City of Dubuque for its support of Inclusive Dubuque and its efforts to develop a community equity profile. SUGGESTED DISPOSITION: ATTACHMENTS: Description Type National League of Cities 2016 City Cultural Diversity City Manager Memo Awards-MVM Memo Staff Memo Transmitting NLC City Cultural Diversity Staff Memo Award NLC Diversity Award Press Release Supporting Documentation NLC Diversity Award Application Supporting Documentation THE CITY OF Dubuque UBE I erica .i Masterpiece on the Mississippi 2007-2012-2013 TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager SUBJECT: National League of Cities 2016 City Cultural Diversity Awards — 1St Place DATE: March 17, 2016 Human Rights Director Kelly Larson and Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque Inclusive Dubuque Coordinator Katrina Farren-Eller will be presenting the National League of Cities 2016 City Cultural Diversity 1St Place Award. // k�4 Mic ael C. Van Milligen MCVM:jh Attachment cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager Kelly Larson, Human Rights Director THE CITY OF Dubuque DUB E N'�Amiii itI 1 en I Masterpiece on the Mississippi 2007.2 12 I'3 TO: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager FROM: Kelly Larson, Human Rights Director DATE: March 17, 2016 RE: National League of Cities 2016 City Cultural Diversity Awards — 111 Place The National League of Cities awarded a first-place award to the City of Dubuque as part of the 2016 National League of Cities (NLC) City Cultural Diversity Awards. The award was presented at the Celebrate Diversity Breakfast held on Monday, March 7, during the NLC Congressional City Conference in Washington, D.C. Assistant City Manager Teri Goodman was present to receive the award on the City Council's behalf. The NLC recognizes and celebrates the growing diversity of America's communities and believes that diversity should be reflected in the activities of all cities and towns across the nation. The City Cultural Diversity Awards Program was established in 1995 to showcase examples of how cities achieve excellence in diversity. It also promotes the positive results of"a total community collaboration." The award program is designed to: 1) encourage citizen involvement in local government-sponsored activities; and 2) enhance and show the appreciation of cultural diversity as a way of life in our municipalities. The City of Dubuque was recognized for the role City Council and staff played in supporting Inclusive Dubuque. Inclusive Dubuque is a local network of over 60 organizations and individuals from faith, labor, education, business, non-profit, and government dedicated to advancing equity and inclusion in Dubuque. The network officially launched in October 2013, meets for peer learning monthly, identifies and supports opportunities for action, and in 2015 hosted a series of community dialogue sessions and collected surveys and a variety of community data. The process culminated in the release of a community equity profile. Award applicants must respond to three core questions, describing: • what makes the program a good example of cultural diversity for the community and others, including the role that local elected officials played in initiating, encouraging, or supporting the program and the diversity of the staff and others involved in implementing the program; • how the program supports cultural diversity in the community; • what lessons the City learned that might be helpful for other communities that may wish to replicate the program. In responding to these questions, the award application highlighted the significant leadership and financial support of the City Council in the Inclusive Dubuque efforts, including the development of an equity profile and the associated efforts to engage community members in dialogue sessions. It also highlighted the diversity of staff and residents who participated in facilitating and attending dialogue sessions and completing community surveys, as well as efforts made to reach groups often underrepresented in government participation. Finally, it described the importance of short term, demonstrable actions by network partners. This is the second time that the City of Dubuque has received this award. In 2012, the City received second place honors for its work around intercultural competency and the Police-Community Dialogue on Race. We request that Inclusive Dubuque Coordinator Katrina Farren-Eller and Human Rights Director Kelly Larson be allowed to present this award to the City Council on behalf of the Inclusive Dubuque Network Partners at the March 21 , 2016, City Council meeting. cc: Katrina Farren-Eller, Inclusive Dubuque Coordinator 2 Dubuque CONTACTS: THE CITY OF Kelly Larson, City of Dubuque Human ah Rights Director, 563-589-4190 1111I � klarsonCDcityofdubuque.orgDuB Katrina Neely Farren-Eller, Inclusive Dubuque Coordinator, 563-588-2700 Masterpiece on the Mississippi zoo,-2012.2013 katrina(cDdbgfoundation.org NEWS RELEASE March 8, 2016—FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Dubuque Receives National Diversity Award DUBUQUE, Iowa —The National League of Cities (NLC) has presented a first place award in the 2016 NLC City Cultural Diversity Awards to the City of Dubuque for the City's support of Inclusive Dubuque and its efforts to develop a community equity profile. The awards are given to honor community leadership in developing creative and effective programs to improve cultural diversity. Award recipients were recognized during the Celebrate Diversity Breakfast held on Monday, March 7, during NLC's Congressional City Conference in Washington, DC. Other cities honored were San Antonio, Texas; Austin, Texas; Grand Prairie, Texas; Wichita, Kan.; and Avondale, Ariz. Dubuque received the first-place award in the 25,001 - 100,000 population category. Inclusive Dubuque is a local network of over 60 organizations and individuals from faith, labor, education, business, non-profit, and government dedicated to advancing equity and inclusion in Dubuque. The network officially launched in October 2013, meets for peer learning monthly, identifies and supports opportunities for action, and in 2015 hosted a series of community dialogue sessions and collected surveys and a variety of community data. The process culminated in the release of a community equity profile. "Inclusive Dubuque and its goal to advance justice and social equity in our community are top priorities for the City of Dubuque," said Dubuque Mayor Roy D. Buol. "Along with our Inclusive Dubuque network partners, we are committed to creating an equitable and inclusive culture to meet the economic and cultural needs of our diverse community. This is critical work that can only be successful through partnerships." Last year, Inclusive Dubuque asked community members to help create an equity profile of the Dubuque community focused on seven different focus areas. The goal was to learn about the experiences of diverse groups and to discover what disparities may exist. (Diverse groups can be defined by race, age/generation, culture, disability, gender, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, veteran status and other characteristics). On a monthly basis between February and August 2015, the equity profile process brought people together to share their stories and thoughts through in-person discussions and online surveys on each focus area. Ultimately, 584 community members attended 60 community dialogue sessions, and 1 ,995 community members completed online surveys. In addition, 24 community members were trained as facilitators. Inclusive Dubuque also gathered local data from sources such as the 2010 U.S. Census and government agencies. The process served a purpose beyond data collection, as it helped to catalyze a larger community conversation about cultural and equity issues in Dubuque. Results of the equity profile are available at www.inclusivedubuque.org. Inclusive Dubuque has established working groups for each of the core focus areas who are tasked with reviewing the data and identifying key strategies and actions. If you are interested in joining a working group, or for more information, contact Inclusive Dubuque Coordinator Katrina Neely Farren-Eller at 563-588-2700 or katrinaa-dbgfoundation.org. The NLC recognizes and celebrates the growing diversity of America's communities and believes that diversity should be reflected in the activities of all cities and towns across the nation. The City Cultural Diversity Awards Program was established in 1995 to showcase examples of how cities achieve excellence in diversity. It also promotes the positive results of"a total community collaboration." The award program is designed to: 1) encourage citizen involvement in local government-sponsored activities; and 2) enhance and show the appreciation of cultural diversity as a way of life in our municipalities. To be eligible, a program must demonstrate that: • it has enhanced the quality of life of the community for the improvement of equal opportunity and for the provision of greater access to government and government services by multiracial and multicultural populations; • it has increased citizen participation in government and community activities by all segments of the community; and • cultural diversity is an ongoing and recognized effort in your city or town. For more information on the awards program, visit http://www.nlc.org/build-skills-and- networks/networks/constituency-groups/city-cultural-diversity-awards . AWARD ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA AND ENTRY FEE Only National League of Cities member cities are eligible to apply. An entry fee is required to apply for the award program in a specific population category. A total of four City Cultural Diversity first place awards will be presented at the Monday, March 7, 2016 Celebrate Diversity Breakfast at the National League of Cities'Congressional City Conference.The following population categories each have a specific entry fee(all entry fees are non-refundable): •The under 25,000 population category entry fee is$200. •The 25,001 -100,000 population category entry fee is$300. •The 100,001 -400,000 population category entry fee is$400. •The over 400,001 population category entry fee is$500. The City Cultural Diversity Awards application must focus on one municipal program. If you have additional programs, they must be submitted separately with an additional application form and entry fee. A program must demonstrate 1)that it has enhanced the quality of life of your community for the improvement of equal opportunity and for the provision of greater access to government and government services by multiracial and multicultural populations;2) that it has increased citizen participation in government and community activities by all segments of the community; 3) that cultural diversity is an ongoing and recognized effort in your city or town. Programs may cover government-generated or community-based efforts in your municipality. Each program should ensure that its staff is diverse or exemplifies diversity. All award recipients will be chosen by an independent panel of judges, the City Cultural Diversity Awards Program Committee, with representatives from each of the constituency groups. AWARD RECOGNITION Award recipients will be recognized during the Celebrate Diversity Breakfast held on Monday, March 7,2016, during NEC's Congressional City Conference. AWARD APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS 1.Municipalities must email their applications and any additional materials as a single PDF to constituencygroups@nlaorg by Friday, January 29,2016. CHECKS MUST BE FEDEX TO: The City Cultural Diversity Awards Program C/o National League of Cities, Constituency Group Programs 1 301 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 550 Washington, DC 20004 2.The application must be accompanied by the appropriate entry fee for the selected population category and made payable to the NEC. These fees are for the expressed purpose of implementing the awards program and are non-refundable. 3.All entries must be received by January 29 2016. Previous award winning programs cannot be reentered. However, the same city may re-apply and submit a different program. 4.The attached application form has five parts:a title page that should be signed by the Chief Executive Officer in your community;a two- sentence description and a two-page executive summary that should highlight your citys program; responses to three core questions about your citys cultural diversity program;and optional exhibit materials. 5. Deliberations by a panel of judges will occur in mid-February A press release will be made available to award winners and their state municipal leagues shortly after the awards are announced.Winners will be notified prior to the NEC Congressional City Conference so that winning cities can be represented and honored at the Celebrate Diversity Breakfast awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. Award winning cities or towns will receive three complimentary tickets to the Celebrate Diversity Breakfast for registered delegates. If a winning municipality plans to have additional representatives at the ceremony, they will be able to purchase tickets on-site at the NEC conference one day prior to the breakfast event.Award winners must pay the NEC conference registration fee if they plan to attend other portions of the conference. 6. Municipalities that apply must be current members of the National League of Cities. APPLICATIONS AND PAYMENT MUST BE RECEIVED BY: JANUARY 29, 2016. A SEPARATE APPLICATION FORM AND FEE ARE REQUIRED FOR EACH SUBMITTED PROJECT. NATIONAL LEAGUE ofCITIES 6ii© 2016 NLC CITY CULTURAL DIVERSITY AWARDS APPLICATION FORM Municipality/State: Dubuque, Iowa Population: 581436 Project ritle: Inclusive Dubuque Inception Date: October 2013 NLC Member City Since: Application Submitted by: Kelly Larson Title: Human Rights Director Phone/Fax/e-mail: 563-589-4190/563-690-6691 /klarson@cityofdubuque.org Address: 1300 Main Street City/State/Zip Code: Dubuque, IA 52001 Project Web Site Address:www.lncluslvedbq.org Project Contact Person: Kelly Larson Tide: Human Rights Director Phone/Fax/e-mail: 563-589-4190 /563-690-6691 /klarson@ct,fdubuqueor9 Address: 1300 Main Street City/State/zip code: Dubuque, IA 52001 Name of Chief Executive Officer: Michael C. Van Milligen (i.e.,Mayor,City Manager,etc.) Title: y g Phone/Fax/e-mail: Cit Manager 563-589-4110/ ctymgr@cityofdubuque.org / Signature: Date: Address: 50 W. 13th Street City/State/zip code: Dubuque, IA 52001 Attached is the $ 300 entry fee based on the appropriate population category. Po ulation category(check one): Under25,000 ($200) 25,001-100,000 ($300) 100,001-400,000 ($400)_over 400,001 ($500) A SEPARATE APPLICATION FORM AND FEE ARE REQUIRED FOR EACH SUBMITTED PROJECT. Application Page One 2016 NLC CITY CULTURAL DIVERSITY AWARDS APPLICATION FORM DESCRIPTIVE SENTENCES This information, about your program, will be used in our press release. Please describe your program in no more than two sentences in the space provided below,keeping in mind the aspects of"who,what, where,when,how and why"about the program. A program must demonstrate 1)that it has enhanced the quality oflife of your community for the improvement of equal opportunity and for the provision of greater access to government and government services by multiracial and multicultural populations;2)that it has increased citizen participation in government and community activities by all segments of the community; 3) that cultural diversity is an ongoing and recognized effort in your city or town. Programs may cover government-generated or community-based efforts in your municipality. Each program should ensure that its staff is diverse or exemplifies diversity. Inclusive Dubuque is a local network of over 50 organizations and individuals from faith, labor, education, business, non-profit, and government dedicated to advancing equity and inclusion in Dubuque. The network officially launched in October 2013, meets for peer learning monthly, identifies and supports opportunities for action, and in 2015 hosted a series of community dialogue sessions and surveys culminating in the release of a community equity profile. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Use this page and the next page to highlight your ciVs program. Describe in detail the program in any municipal or public policy area developed by your city in the last eighteen months or more. Your summary should present a broad description of the program. The public policy area developed by our city, in collaboration with the community, is an initiative focused on equity and inclusion called "Inclusive Dubuque." Here in Dubuque, as in many communities across the United States, our demographics continue to change as families become more mobile and as employers recruit talent from far and wide. The changes bring with them the benefits and the challenges of cultural diversity. The initiative had its origin in conversations amongst a group of community leaders in 2012 who came together to discuss the ways in which changing demographics in our community were impacting us. Leaders shared stories of individuals facing challenges accessing resources, neighborhoods struggling with cohesion, and employers concerned about their ability to recruit and retain talent. With the support of a consultant, leadership across various sectors aligned, and ultimately the following vision developed: a community where all people feel respected, valued, and engaged. Application Page Two 2016 NLC CITY CULTURAL DIVERSITY AWARDS APPLICATION FORM EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (continued) Use this page and the next page to highlight your citys program )if you need additional space). The group formed "Inclusive Dubuque" a network of partners - including government but not exclusive to government - dedicated to furthering equity and inclusion in Dubuque. Inclusive Dubuque officially launched in October 2013, with City of Dubuque Mayor Roy D. Buol as a featured speaker. City Council goals for the period 2014-16 included a policy agenda item called Inclusive Community: Action Plan as a top priority, and the City Council allocated $75,000 per year over a three year period to support the effort. Since that time, the network has continued to grow and now consists of over 50 network partners, with the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque serving as the backbone organization. The group meets monthly, shares learning, identifies opportunities through data collection and dialogue, and takes action on those opportunities. In 2015, the network launched its first major collaborative effort: the Equity Profile Project. This was an extensive process to discover how diverse groups are affected by various systems in our community that impact economic wellbeing, housing, education, health, safe neighborhoods, transportation, and arts and culture. Each month, the committee leading the effort took one focus area and gathered qualitative and quantitative data from published sources and also from community members through the administration of community surveys and participation in community dialogue sessions. The effort to create the Community Equity Profile paid particular attention to improving participation in government and the community by all segments of the community. Communication about opportunities to be involved included monthly: 1) advertisements and stories in both the subscription newspaper and a free bi-weekly publication that is widely read and distributed; 2) e-mail blasts; 3) social media promotion; and 4) radio ads. Working with the Interactivity Foundation, we trained 24 diverse community members as facilitators to lead the dialogue sessions in the community. We reached members of traditionally marginalized communities through a series of events being led by and with these communities during the summer months. We met with formal and informal community leaders within various groups, worked with them to develop culturally appropriate processes, negotiated the parameters of participation (survey and/or dialogue), translated materials as needed, and attended events to conduct dialogue sessions or gather surveys. Events attended included Juneteenth, Spanish mass, Marshall Islands Constitution Day, Pride Fest, Friends of India celebration, meetings of LULAC, NAACP, and the Tri-State Muslim Association, and a private gathering of Filipino residents. Ultimately, 584 community members attended 60 community dialogue sessions, and 1 ,995 community members completed on-line surveys. 305 community members signed up to stay connected, and that number continues to grow. The demographic breakdown for participants in the process was roughly representative of the community demographics, at least for those groups for whom community level demographics were available. (see attached for continued answer) Application Page Three 2016 NLC CITY CULTURAL DIVERSITY AWARDS APPLICATION FORM THREE CORE QUESTIONS Seethe questions below and include your responses on this sheet or attach another sheet if you need more space. 1. Describe what makes your program a good example of cultural diversity for your community and others. Describe the role of your community's local elected officials in initiating, encouraging, or supporting the program.Also,please provide information about the diversity of the staff andothers involved in implementing the program. This program is a good example of cultural diversity because its core focus is on how different cultural groups in the community are impacted by the various systems in our community, and the methods used to discover the impacts extended beyond quantitative date to community engagement. The project blends government and elected official leadership with private partnerships, and is grounded in a recognition of the importance of citizens being active and engaged in the choices and direction for the community. It is reflective of what can be possible in a pluralistic democracy. (see attached for continued answer) 2. How does the program support cultural diversity in your community? The process to develop an equity profile supported cultural diversity by providing numerous opportunities for people to come together to discuss their experience of the Dubuque community based on their particular cultural lens. A total of 584 community members attended 60 community dialogue sessions and 1 ,995 community members completed on-line community surveys. We also trained 24 community members from diverse backgrounds to facilitate dialogue sessions, developing skills crucial to diversity and inclusion work in the process. (see attached for continued answer) 3. What lessons did your city or town learn that may be helpful for other communities that may wish to replicate your policy or program? One lesson learned is that there is a need for short term, demonstrable actions. For those who have been traditionally marginalized, it can be difficult to remain patient while people learn to examine issues through an alternate cultural lens. Another lesson learned is the value of taking a loosely structured network approach rather than a formally structured organizational approach. Permitting partners the latitude to determine where and how they can best contribute is crucial to maintaining engagement, particularly because issues around equity and inclusion have a history of being highly politicized. (see attached for continued 0 OPTIONAL MATERIALS Please feel free to attach optional materials after this page and send as a single PDF to constituencygroups@nlc.org. "Thank you for submitting this application for the 2016 City Cultural Diversity Awards Program. Application Page Four AWARD APPLICATION ANSWERS CONTINUED EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, con't. The Community Equity Profile summary was released in November 2015. We are now at the stage of developing working groups for each of the core focus areas, who are tasked with identifying key strategies and action areas. Community members participating in working groups are quite diverse in age, gender, and race. An Impact Council also is being established, whose role is communication across groups and identifying intersections between focus areas. As with most communities across our nation, racial disparities reveal themselves in the data. Working with the Local and Regional Government Alliance on Race and Equity and the Results Leadership Group we have hosted educational sessions to help normalize conversations around race, to learn about using a Results Based Accountability Framework to track our progress, and to infuse an equity lens in our decision making. The goal for working groups is to use a results based framework to determine where our strategies will focus and what disaggregated indicators we will track at the population level in order to be able to evaluate our progress over time. City staff from various departments serve on working groups along with community members. While the Equity Profile Project is a collaborative effort of the network as a whole, each network partner also chooses how they might best contribute. The City has participated not only by having staff serve on the Equity Profile committee, and now on working groups, but also by beginning to more closely examine the ways in which our operations contribute towards equity and inclusion, whether that is through delivery of our services, development of our workforce, community engagement with government, or partnering with residents and other organizations on actions to move equity forward. Working with the Local and Regional Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE), a core team of City staff has developed a draft equity toolkit to assist with decision making and is creating a template for department level equity plans that includes clear parameters and expectations, including benchmarks to measure progress. In partnership with GARE, we have also introduced basic concepts behind the toolkit through presentations to our City of Dubuque Leadership team, as well as through a half-day workshop for several departments. We have also conducted a train-the-trainer on facilitating conversations around race. QUESTION 1,con't. It also is grounded in a learning environment that recognizes there are no silver bullets and no single savior, that believes we all have things to learn and to contribute, and that acknowledges we have an unfortunate history of valuing some voices over others. Elected officials were involved not only in the early initiation and kick-off, but also have supported the effort by establishing a City Council priority around an inclusive community and allocating$75,000 for a three year period to Inclusive Dubuque. The Council has supported reorganization and expanded staffing in the Human Rights Department so that we might lead collaborative efforts to impact equity both inside the organization and with community partners. Human Rights Department staff and City of Dubuque Department Managers have been heavily involved in the Inclusive Dubuque efforts. Human Rights staff consists of a white female in her late 50s, a white female in her late 40s, a black male in his mid-thirties, a white male in his early 30s who came to the United States as a refugee from Bosnia, and a black male in his 30s who came to the United States as a refugee from Lebanon. Department Managers span three generations in age and consist of 11 white women, two black men, and 15 white men. Inclusive Dubuque network partners include advocacy and non-profit groups led by African-American and Latino community members (4 the People, Inc., LULAC, NAACP), an Interfaith group consisting of Christian,Jewish, and Muslim members, the local Multicultural Family Center, large employers and health care providers with a diverse employee base, K-12 and higher education institutions, government, and local human services organizations. QUESTION 2, con't. The process itself served a purpose beyond data collection, as it has helped to catalyze a larger community conversation about both cultural and equity issues that extend beyond those of us working on equity in a professional capacity. The hope is to encourage ongoing input and actions by community members of diverse cultural backgrounds, and to catalyze increased engagement on government commissions and community boards by linking people together through the network. We enlisted the Local and Regional Government Alliance on Race and Equity to offer presentations to network members and City staff in order to begin to normalize conversations around race in particular so that we are able to communicate effectively and work together to address the inequities. Each Network Partner also determines how they can be part of creating an inclusive and equitable community by "doing what they do best." Early actions have included: the Dubuque Community School District implementing cultural proficiency training; the Chamber of Commerce developing its first Minority Business Council; Greater Dubuque Development Corporation instituting an entrepreneur strategy; and Northeast Iowa Community College hiring an outreach coordinator specifically tasked with connecting minority community members to education and training opportunities. Finally, the City of Dubuque as a member of the Local and Regional Government Alliance on Race and Equity has begun a process designed to educate departments on inequities that exist in our community and begin to develop equity plans within each department of City government focused on recruiting and retaining a diverse City workforce, including in the top 10% of pay grades; analyzing our service delivery within departments for potential inequitable outcomes and making corrections; expanding the reach of public engagement efforts across all cultural groups represented in the community; and partnering with other organizations on programs or initiatives to advance equity. QUESTION 3,con't. At the same time, there must be partners willing to step up with concrete examples of things they have done to lead equity in their particular organizations, and there must be a degree of accountability in order to maintain funding. We have found working with the Results Leadership Group and using a Results Based Accountability lens has been helpful in supporting partners to think more critically and strategically about the impact of their actions.