Equity? When you hear that word do you think about the amount of money you are going to invest in something, or do you think of justice? Social Justice? Economic Justice? What is the city thinking? 🙂 Don’t go there right? Ok, seriously, thanks to Susan for reporting on this meeting that was held at 11AM on a Monday – probably the only member of the public who was there!
District 16 Alder Denise DeMarb arranged for Colleen Butler to present on Equity Impact Review practices. Butler is the YWCA Racial Justice and Outreach Director and introduced Equity Impact Review on the city’s IdeaScale site and at the May 15 budget discussion at Packers Townhouses.
Six other alders also heard – and largely approved of — Monday’s presentation on Equity Impact Review practices in Seattle and King County, Washington. In both locales, officials made a decision to prioritize understanding the impact on equity in policy and budget matters. Seattle focuses on equity with regard to race; King County takes a broader look at equity and includes race. Equity Impact Review (EIR) promotes thoughtful consideration of impact and avoids unintended, and problematic consequences of initiatives.
Feedback was also overwhelmingly positive from others in attendance. Director of Public Health Janel Heinrich indicated that the city/county department is moving in this direction already, away from a model that focuses on services to individuals and toward looking at the multiple determinants of health – for examples, access to jobs and education (I would also add access to clean air and water – increasingly challenging in a city where construction is welcomed without attention to the permissible 7.5 tons of discharge per acre of a site per year.) Assistant to the Mayor Astra Iheukumere talked about what would be the importance of city-wide implementation.
As used in other communities, the process of EIR involves identifying and documenting existing inequalities, and requires prioritizing engagement of those in the community who are most marginalized.
Alder DeMarb indicated that the time is right for this and others seemed to agree.
Also in attendance were Alders Subeck, Weier, Ellingson, Bidar-Sielaff, Clausius and Zellers. The possible note of discord came from Alder Clausius (District 17), who seemed oddly concerned that EIR not become a platform for focusing on homelessness.
WHAT?! And this is the alder that is on the Affirmative Action Commission, a committee of the Department of Civil Rights?
