Title
Fostering Connection & Belonging Community Engagement Briefing
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Receive a briefing on the Fostering Connections & Belonging community engagement process.
Report
Issue:
Whether to receive a briefing on the Fostering Connection & Belonging community engagement process.
Staff Contact:
Stacey Ray, Director of Strategic Planning & Performance, Office of Strategic Initiatives 360.753.8046
Presenters:
Stacey Ray, Director of Strategic Planning and Performance
Background and Analysis:
In December 2022, the City Council accepted a set of recommendations on reimagining public safety. During the process to develop the recommendations, the City made an intentional effort to bring together and listen to the lived experiences and perspectives of marginalized community members; community members who are often closest to community problems, but have been historically unengaged, experienced harm, and/or may feel distrustful of being involved in City decision-making and planning processes.
In those conversations, we heard from community members their hopes, concerns, and priorities for public safety, and also a desire to build more connections and stronger relationships amongst marginalized community members and the City.
Additionally, included in the Reimagining Public Safety recommendations is a strategy to build more authentic relationships with marginalized community groups, and actions to commit to regular and meaningful engagement with marginalized community members. The City’s 2023 community survey also highlighted soon after that marginalized community members report feeling lower levels of connection and belonging in the Olympia community.
In response, the City will be holding six community conversations in Spring 2024 with new and existing partners to discover alongside our community members how to improve connections and collaboration, increase belonging, and ways as a City we shift our engagement from transactional to more regular and meaningful.
Recommendations coming out of the initiative may include specific proactive steps the City can take, such as changes to policies and programs, ways to address unintended barriers, and ways to grow our collective cultural humility and competency. Input received from participating community members can also inform several timely City decision-making processes, including Olympia 2045, the periodical Comprehensive Plan update currently underway, and the 2025 Operating Budget process.
The City has contracted with a consultant team for support, Consor. One of their initial steps has been to identify six priority populations with whom to partner and host community conversations. The team conducted an analysis of Olympia’s demographic data, and holistically considered the interconnectedness of various forms of social vulnerability, oppression and privilege, identity, and inequality.
When considering the Olympia community, they identify inclusion, belonging, and equity priority populations as being:
• Most impacted by inequities and disparities;
• Social isolated, vulnerable, or marginalized;
• Under resourced, overburdened, and least able to sustain built resilience;
• Unable to equitably access power, resources, or opportunities to co-create, lead, or shape decisions that impact them; and
• Benefited first by overhauling systems, policies, practices that increase access to determinates of equity and improve connection and belonging.
Staff sought input on priority populations and potential community partners from Social Justice & Equity Commissioners at their December 4, 2023, meeting, and are using that feedback to inform the next phase of identifying and reaching out to potential community partners. Staff seeks community partners, organizations or individuals, with whom the City can co-create and co-host the six community conversations, and working closely with partners ensures the planning will be responsive to community members’ priorities, preferences, and needs, including determining how to intentionally reduce barriers to participation and foster an environment that supports connection and relationship-building.
The purpose of this agenda item is for staff to share the launch of this initiative, including the overall approach, timeline, communications strategy, and anticipated outcomes and deliverables.
Climate Analysis:
This project is not expected to have an impact on greenhouse gas emissions.
Equity Analysis:
This initiative will engage community members with a diversity of lived experiences and perspectives for the purpose of strengthening the City’s connections to and relationships with marginalized community members. The intent is to address barriers to engagement, grow staff’s cultural competency, and implement more inclusive and relational community engagement to inform City decision-making.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
Marginalized and underrepresented community members, including those having participated in the Reimagining Public Safety process, have said the City needs to engage in more meaningful and inclusive dialogue, collaboration, and responsiveness.
Financial Impact:
The estimated cost for this project is $100,700. Funds have been appropriated in the 2023 operating budget to contribute to implementing the Reimagining Public Safety recommendations.
Options:
1. Receive the briefing.
2. Do not received the briefing.
3. Receive the briefing at another time.
Attachments:
Presentation