2022-04-06 Diversity Commission MinutesCITY OF EDMONDS
DIVERSITY COMMISSION RETREAT I
April 6, 2022
Meeting conducted via Zoom
COMMISSIONERS PRESENT
Dean Olson, Chair
Ardeth Weed
Alison Alfonzo Pence
Gracelynn Shibayama
Robert White
Councilmember Will Chen, ex officio
COMMISSIONERS ABSENT
Nikki Okimoto Glaros - unexcused
Sekou Kone - excused
Elaine Helm - unexcused
Alberto Orejel Malfavon - unexcused
Caitlin Chung — Student Rep
GUESTS PRESENT
STAFF PRESENT
Megan Luttrell, Program Coordinator
Economic Development & Community
Services
Molly Jay, Diversity Commission
Coordinator
6:00 P.M. — Call to Order and Land Acknowledgement: "We acknowledge the
original inhabitants of this place, the Sdohobsh (Snohomish) people and their
successors the Tulalip Tribes, who since time immemorial have hunted, fished,
gathered, and taken care of these lands. We respect their sovereignty, their right
to self-determination, and we honor their sacred spiritual connection with the land
and water." - City Council Land Acknowledgment
1. Roll Call: Dean called the meeting to order at 6:02 p.m. Alison read the land
acknowledgement.
2. Approval of Agenda: Alison moved to approve, Ardeth seconded; approved
by consensus.
3. Approval of March 22, 2022 Summary: Ardeth moved to approve, Alison
seconded; approved by consensus.
4. Public Comment: None.
5. Media Training — Kelsey Foster (20 minutes): Postponed to next month until
more commissioners present.
Meeting Summary
Diversity Commission
April 6, 2022
Page 1
6. Update from the City: Megan & Councilmember Chen (5 minutes)
Will Chen gave an update on Highway 99 opening and safety issues. We're still
in a test mode. Community has been hoping for a police substation; the area is
a high crime rate area.
Megan gave update on working at new Hwy 99 location since last week. Still
working logistics for operating in the space safely, currently there's no safety
plan in place. Shared experiences of unsavory people in parking lot. Ardeth
asked if there's some training in place for the nearby shop owners —the council
should perhaps make recommendation for support and safety training.
Will mentioned working with chamber on toolkit and having classes and safety
training courses. Also gave update on open Economic Development
Commission positions and reminder to spread the word.
7. New Business:
a. Grants Call for 2nd half of 2022 — (5 minutes)
Megan shared the grant application form from last year. She'll send the 2022 press
release draft out to commission as FYI and input before sending it out. Robert
asked if our current questions #3 and #4 should be updated? Megan and Molly to
look at past applications to determine best language.
b. Film Series 2022-2023 Planning (5 minutes)
Ardeth will introduce the film on April 16. Molly will send around list of movie
recommendations for 2023 in next two weeks
c. Holocaust Remembrance Day Event (1 minute)
Dean gave brief update Holocaust Remembrance Day on April 28.
8. Committee Reports:
a. Policy — Dean (15 minutes)
Dean gave update on DEI trainings. Will have a vote in next meeting to pass DEI
training recommendation for city elected officials to receive DEI training, and with
whom. Second, we need to add ADA language to the discrimination/hate portal.
Molly to massage messaging for submittal.
b. Partnerships & Outreach — Alison (20 minutes)
Alison gave update on meeting with League of Women Voters. Alison would like to
meet 1:1 with councilmember Chen to talk about increasing minority votes. She
also gave update on meeting with community engagement officer Tabitha
Shoemake.
Meeting Summary
Diversity Commission
April 6, 2022
Page 2
c. Events — (20 minutes)
Ardeth gave updates on film series, Juneteenth, upcoming cultural events, and
food events.
9. Old Business:
a. Council Annual Report Update (5 minutes)
Dean will pick this project back up before May commission meeting.
b. Elected City Official DEI Training Follow -Up (10 minutes)
Moved to May meeting when more commissioners are present.
10. Commissioner's Corner (10 minutes)
Alison passed.
Ardeth gave update on toolkit—wants to present to the Chamber first. Shared a
personal story around exclusive language in an HOA agreement she recently read
and is working to redact.
Gracelynn would like to explore hosting an event for POC adopted kids and also
shared a story in the Seattle Times about her family on Bainbridge.
Robert offered to support Ardeth in her HOA language -redaction pursuit.
Dean: Soon, if COVID doesn't come back, we will begin to meet together. My term
ends on 12-31-2022 and I ask that the Diversity Commission do not meet at the
Waterfront Center (WC) until after my term ends. I used to have trouble hearing in
the old center (from 2015 until we began meeting at city hall conference
room). Since 2018, I've asked for an assistive listening system (ALS) to be
installed. This request was made before the old building was torn down, during
construction and after opening the WC.
An ALS permits folks with untreated hearing loss, those with hearing instruments
and those who experience near -total -deafness to use a system that bypasses a
loud, blurry -sounding PA system. To date, despite asking in 2018, 2019, 2020,
2021 and 2022, the WC hasn't been able to install the ALS in the main room or get
as assistive listening device (ALD) for the upstairs rooms.
These systems permit a person to use a headset to hear, to use their hearing
instruments' telecoil to hear, to use hearing instruments' Bluetooth to hear and so
on. I've provided a set of resources to help get an ALS, plus a little ALD, to the
WC, to past senior citizen folks and present folks. When it's a loop with Bluetooth
and wi-fi, it helps push inclusion. The financing was offered - and could be covered
by at least two non-profit groups (cost isn't the issue).
Also, when meeting in the main room, people report that the lobby noise is an
issue in the main meeting room and that the main meeting room's ambient noise is
an issue. An ALS helps with this.
Meeting Summary
Diversity Commission
April 6, 2022
Page 3
When I give blood in the WC's blood donation room, the room's acoustics are so
bad I cannot understand what's said there. Some soundproofing is advisable to
help people with hearing loss, deafness, who use hearing instruments, to hear.
Adjourn — 7:41 PM
Next meeting: Wednesday, May 4, 2022 at 6:OOPM
Meeting Summary
Diversity Commission
April 6, 2022
Page 4