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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 14497 City of Palo Alto (ID # 14497) Policy and Services Committee Staff Report Meeting Date: 6/14/2022 Report Type: Action Items City of Palo Alto Page 1 Title: Race and Equity Quarterly Update From: City Manager Lead Department: City Manager Recommendation Staff recommends that the Policy and Services Committee receive this informational update on the City’s Recent Race and Equity Work. Background - As part of the City’s ongoing Race and Equity work, the City Council adopted a list of directives in November 2020 (link to Action Minutes (pages 4 and 5); Report CMR #11754). Progress on each of the November 2020 directives, as well as other efforts since February 2022, are detailed in this report. Additionally, the following City Council discussions and actions have taken place regarding the City’s race and equity work: - January 24, 2022: The Human Relations Commission discussed the 100 Community Conversations on Race with the City Council (CMR #13841) - March 7, 2022: The City Council discussed key dates and took action to celebrate Juneteenth, Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta Day, May as Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month and to add Indigenous People’s Day as dates of historic significance; and to also refer to the HRC further discussion on how best to honor these dates and have further discussion on the topic of key dates. (Colleague’s Memo and Minutes) - May 2, 2022: The City Council approved many recommendations that came from the Policy and Services Committee related to race and equity (CMR #14194; Minutes) - May 9, 2022: The City Council discussed hate crimes and hate speech and made further recommendations on ways to reduce hate crimes and hate speech (CMR #14079; Minutes) Past progress updates that have come to the Policy and Services Committee quarterly are as follows: - February 8, 2022 Update (CMR #13997) - September 2021 Update (CMR #13568) City of Palo Alto Page 2 - June 2021 Update (CMR #12342) - March 2021 Update (CMR #12053) Discussion In addition to the City Council actions in November 2020, the City has been actively engaged in many community initiatives, conversations, and events related to race, equity, and culture. These updates are provided at the end of this memo. The City issued a blog update in February to share information about hate crime awareness and how to report a hate incident or hate crime. Staff will continue to share information about race and equity efforts through the City’s blog, other communications channels, and will continue to maintain a Race and Equity webpage at www.cityofpaloalto.org/raceandequity Update on Work Assignments The tables below provide updates on the 17 assignments given by the City Council in November 2020 pertaining to the City’s Race and Equity efforts. The first table details updates on the remaining assignments in progress (3 of 17). These items are multi-part assignments that require additional work, and progress is continuing. The total number of assignments completed to date is 14 of 17. Further information is shared on the assignments following the table, as is updated information about the alternative mental health response programs. The assignments that were completed as of February 2022 are included in Attachment A. Updates on Remaining Assignments Assignment Work Assignment Status C Starting after the full implementation of the RMS and the first data collection period, direct Staff to resume annual data collection and analysis of police contact data similar to the previous Stop Data reports; Partially completed. Staff has implemented the new RMS system and officers are regularly entering the data into the Dept. of Justice database. The first reporting period that will be used for Dept. of Justice annual data reports will be January 2023. The Dept. of Justice report will not be Palo Alto-specific, so staff is pursuing options for a Palo Alto-specific report. K Return in the fall of 2021 with parameters, proposals, and strategies prior to engaging in Palo Alto Peace Officers’ Association (PAPOA) negotiations; In early 2022, the City negotiated an expediated extension with all of its labor groups including the PAPOA. This extended the existing MOU terms and conditions through December 31, 2022. Negotiations for a successor agreement will begin in the Fall of 2022. L Direct Staff, in coordination with the City’s overall diversity and inclusion efforts, to conduct a workforce demographic assessment as baseline information and to pursue an employee assessment to measure City workforce culture; Staff is collecting updated employee demographic information from staff who would like to update their personal identity data. Additionally, staff developed a framework for the data. Staff completed the Board/Commission demographic survey in 2021. The summary report will be uploaded to the race and equity webpage. This survey will be City of Palo Alto Page 3 Assignment Work Assignment Status repeated either annually or bi-annually. The survey is anonymous and not linked to specific BCC members. Staff continues to work on a citywide climate survey anticipated to be distributed this year. Staff contracted Ivy Planning Group to help with an organization assessment and CircleUp Education will be conducting the implicit bias and microaggression trainings. Also, staff included a budget request in the FY 2023 Budget for an Equity and Inclusion Official who can help continue to move this work forward. Further information is below. Note: Assignments Completed before February 2022 are listed with detail in Attachment A (this information was shared in the February Quarterly Report (CMR #13997). Further Details Assignment L: Direct Staff, in coordination with the City’s overall diversity and inclusion efforts, to conduct a workforce demographic assessment as baseline information and to pursue an employee assessment to measure City workforce culture The information in the table describes the work that staff continues to do to fulfill this assignment, which is the foundation for normalizing equity into City organization operations. To assist with equity efforts going forward, as mentioned above, there is a request in the FY 2023 Requested Budget (City Manager’s Office Department Budget) for an Equity and Inclusion Official. The requested Equity and Inclusion Official position will help serve as the point person for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging work at the City. As a coordinator role, this position will help normalize, organize, and operationalize equity in and through City Services and with the City’s Boards and Commissions. The official will provide informal leadership, advice, and consultation to City departments on equity and inclusion principles and practices; provide strategic technical guidance and policy direction of the City’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts; and coordinate citywide outreach and engagement strategies, actions, events, and communications. As the Boards, Commissions and City Council begin the upcoming trainings on implicit bias and microaggressions, it is important to continue the discussions with the Boards and Commissions about how equity impacts the work that they do. The Equity and Inclusion Official will spend City of Palo Alto Page 4 time with the Boards and Commissions in addition to helping to move many of these workforce equity and inclusion efforts forward, including organizing an equity team. Update on Alternative Response Mental Health Programs (linked to Completed Assignment D): 1. Santa Clara County’s new Community Mobile Response Program (branded the Trusted Response Urgent Support Team (TRUST) Program): Santa Clara County’s Behavioral Health Department made a presentation to the Policy and Services Committee in March 2021 (CMR #12051) about their new alternative response program. As discussed then, the TRUST program is a non-law enforcement response resource for lower-level mental health crises based on Eugene, Oregon’s CAHOOTS program and other alternative response programs. Following that presentation, Palo Alto successfully advocated for inclusion of a third north county site in addition to the two originally proposed in East San Jose and Gilroy. The overview for the program can be found here: https://mhsoac.ca.gov/sites/default/files/MHSOAC_Materials_05272021_0.pdf beginning on page 101. The County continues to finalize the contract with the chosen provider and will continue to work with the City on implementing the program in North County. 2. Requesting federal funds for an alternative mental health response program: In order to ensure adequate coverage of a mental health alternative response program for Palo Alto, the City in 20221 submitted for federal Community Project Funding (earmark) for financial support for this type of program in partnership with the Cities of Mountain View and Los Altos. With the leadership of Congresswoman Eshoo, the City received notification that the funding would be awarded to the City (though the City does have to go through a formal grant process to receive the funding). Staff continues to work towards this. 3. The Psychiatric Emergency Response Team (PERT) program also continues to be successful in Palo Alto as another resource, in addition to the Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT). Other Citywide Race and Equity/Diversity Updates Palo Alto Art Center Activities Creative Attention: Art and Community Restoration Started in January 22, this exhibition explores the power of art to promote individual and community wellbeing. The exhibition also includes two artist residencies. One is with artist Christine Wong Yap, who is exploring places of belonging in the community with teens and seniors. The other is Marcel Pardo Ariza, who will be leading workshops with the Rainbow City of Palo Alto Page 5 Collective, the LGBTQ+ community at Avenidas. In the upcoming Restart exhibition, there will be some visual descriptions of artworks available by QR code for blind visitors. The summer is also when the Art Center offers the “Working Together” internship program—a collaboration with the Junior Museum & Zoo that promotes diversity in the museum field through a pipeline of engagement for diverse youth in paid teen opportunities, paid undergraduate internships and paid graduate fellowships. Palo Alto Children’s Theatre Activities Palo Alto Children’s Theatre has focused on producing work that allows all Palo Alto residents to see themselves reflected on the stage. The Children’s Theatre continues its initiative to create accessible programming for underserved communities, with classes, camps and productions offered through collaborations with Palo Alto Unified School District, Bay Area Title-1 Schools, the Magical Bridge Foundation, Stanford University, and The Breath Project. Some specific efforts include: • In Summer PAUSD Outreach, the Children’s Theatre works with PAUSD family services specialists to identify students who benefit from full scholarships for Summer Camps and Classes. This summer there will be 9 students participating in summer programs on full scholarships, offered in collaboration with the Friends of the Palo Alto Children’s Theatre; • This year, as part of our Magical Series Spectrum and Sensory Friendly offerings, which are enrolled based on developmental age, rather than chronological ages like most City classes and activities, the Children’s Theatre offered Magical Series Story Acting Classes each quarter, and starting in June, will expand to include Free Magical Series Music Therapy classes, with a focus on accessibility for neurodivergent participants. • From June – August 2022, the Children’s Theatre will take part in a collaboration with the Stanford University Compression Forum, offering free internships to rising high school seniors and incoming college freshman. The participants, who all come from under-represented / under-served backgrounds, will take part in a research project that explores the use of advanced technology in theatre. Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo (JMZ) Activities and Efforts The JMZ continues to work on recruitment and retention seeking to expand diversity of employees through internships (funded by a grant) as well as ensuring that staff reflects the diversity of the community it serves. In this effort, the JMZ is working with East Side Prep (a college preparatory school in East Palo Alto) to recruit ethnically diverse students as staff and volunteers for its Science Camp Program. The JMZ and Friends of the Junior Museum & Zoo are also focused on staff training on cultural diversity and sensitivity with the goal to develop staff to have sensitivity in how they communicate to many different cultures and lived City of Palo Alto Page 6 experiences in a way that uses appropriate language, is clear to everyone, and that expresses respect and understanding. The JMZ’s Access from the Ground Up project to build-in accessibility for people with disabilities into every facet of the new facility is in the process of evaluation, the final stage of the project. The five-year project was made possible by a $270K grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (ILMS) and by the participation of community groups, parents and advisors. Additionally, another grant by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation allowed for two adult- sized, motorized changing tables in the restrooms to allow parent and caregivers the space to tend to the changing and care needs of a larger child who may have a physical disability. The JMZ is also seeking further ways to increase access and opportunities for low-income neighbors. One such program is the Museums for All Program, a nationwide program to build economic equity into museum admission policies by the Association of Children’s Museum and the Institute of Museum & Library Services. It provides a deeply discounted admission ticket of $3 per person to a family that has an electronic benefit card or similar benefits. Palo Alto Public Art Program Activities Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King Artist Residency In the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, for whom King Plaza is named, the City Council asked the Public Art Commission to consider commissioning a permanent work signaling the City’s commitment to race, equity, and belonging. The Public Art Commission is committed to a permanent platform for ongoing conversations about equity, inclusion, and belonging in Palo Alto through the arts. As a result, the King Artist Residency Program was established. Rayos Magos, a San Jose-native Latinx mixed media artist, approved by the Public Art Commission as the first Artist-in-Residence with the City of Palo Alto Public Art Program. He has conducted over 30 meetings and interactions with the community since February this year. The most recent workshops were: What: Join these free workshops for adults 18+ to learn letter writing for mental health, creative expression, and sharing. Why: Letter writing, poetry writing, and creating using watercolor allows us to explore our creativity in a tactile way while expressing our emotions in a positive way. When: Tuesday, June 7 and Thursday, June 9 from 6-8 p.m. Where: Studio F-4, Cubberley Community Center, 4000 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto Workshops are free, but spaces are limited. Book via Eventbrite. Artist contact info: (650) 303-4633. Library Activities Here is a list of programs/events done by the Library between February 2022 and May 2022: City of Palo Alto Page 7 • Income Tax Preparation for Low-Income patrons (February 19 - April 16) • Black History Month (BHM) Storytimes • Lunar New Year (LNY) Events: o Performance by Leung’s White Crane Association o LNY Storytimes • Created Web Content: Booklists, blogposts, social media posts on BHM, LNY • Women’s History Month (WHM) Storytimes • Fair Housing Rights with Project Sentinel • Storytimes for Neurodiversity Week (March 21-27) • Norooz Events: o Norooz Dance Lesson o Norooz Storytimes • Created Web Content: Booklists, blogposts, social media posts on WHM, Norooz • Two Shibori Tie-Dye Workshops • Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Storytimes • Author Event: How to Make Dumplings with Samantha Mui • Created Web Content: Booklists, blogposts, social media posts on AAPI • Ongoing Activities: o Bi-Monthly Sensory Storytime o Monthly ESL Book Club o Monthly Stay Woke Book Club o Weekly ESL Conversation Group Timeline, Resource Impact, Policy Implications The work described within this report is being accomplished within current budgets unless otherwise noted (such as as the note of the Equity and Inclusion Official as an FY 2023 Budget request). Stakeholder Engagement Community engagement is an integral part of Palo Alto’s race and equity work. Engaging the community at large to provide feedback for the City’s Race and Equity strategy has been a priority throughout this process as shown in the Framework. The City continues to engage the community through a series of Race and Equity conversations. Updates on the City’s ongoing efforts can be found on the Race and Equity webpage on the City website (www.cityofpaloalto.org/raceandequity). Staff is also planning an updated Community blog with the information contained within this report. The blog will be posted on the City’s Medium page at: https://medium.com/paloaltoconnect. Attachments: • Attachment A - R&E Assignments Completed as of February 2022 1 Attachment A – R&E Assignments Completed as of the February 2022 Quarterly Report (Note: this information was shared in the February Quarterly Report (CMR #13997) (Note: the orange text is the work completed between September and February) Assignment Work Assignment Status A Adoption of the mission statement as a guiding statement of the City’s commitment to make equity a foundational principle in the City’s operational work; Completed: the mission statement was adopted by City Council on November 16, 2020. B Expedite implementation of the new police records management system (RMS) with quarterly reports to Council, and to return with the necessary agreements for the records management system allowing for Racial and Identity Profiling Act (RIPA) implementation; Completed. A detailed update is included below these tables. D Work with Santa Clara County on implementation of participation in the Santa Clara County Psychiatric Emergency Response Team (PERT) program and the Mobile Crisis Response Teams (MCRT) program and to return to the City Council with any necessary agreements for program participation; Completed. An update on this item is included below these tables. Staff continues to work on alternative service programs through partnership with Santa Clara County. E Develop/update a policy on the timing of records release related to investigations that qualify for public disclosure under SB 1421 and AB 748; Completed: Earlier this year staff finalized procedures and workflow related to the release of records associated with investigations that qualify for public disclosure under SB 1421/AB 748. F Amend and expand the current Independent Police Auditor’s (IPA) scope of services to include all administrative use of force reports where a baton, chemical agent, TASER, less- lethal projectile, canine, or a firearm is used, and all cases where the subject’s injuries necessitate any treatment beyond minor medical treatment in the field; Completed: The City Council approved a contract amendment with the IPA on June 14, 2021 which includes this language as part of the expanded scope of services. The first report to include this expanded scope will be the next IPA report. The August 30 report was written at the same time the contract scope was amended thus it did not include the expanded scope. The staff cover memo for the August report contained the summary of IPA contract amendment items. G Maintain an every six (6) months schedule for IPA reports to City Council containing reviews ready at the time of the report; and for the IPA to provide an audit workplan to the City Council for approval; Completed: The City Council approved a contract amendment with the IPA on June 14, 2021 which includes this language as part of the expanded scope of services. 2 Assignment Work Assignment Status This new schedule of report release started in August 2021. The most recent IPA reports were published on March 22 and August 30, 2021, as informational memos. The staff cover memo for the August report contained the summary of IPA contract amendment items. H Include use of force information to the regular Supplemental Report submitted to the City Council as a cover memorandum to each IPA report; Completed. The use of force (UOF) information for Dec. 2020-Dec. 2021 as an annual report of a full calendar year of data will be released with the next IPA report in February 2022. This information will be shared for the year 2022 in early 2023. The report includes all uses of force similar to the June 2020 report. The use of force (UOF) information for Jan. 1, 2015 – June 1, 2020 is available online (https://tinyurl.com/4kwwy6xb). I Refer the police reform legislative priority thoughts and input to the Policy and Services Committee who will be discussing the City’s legislative priorities in December 2020; Completed: This recommendation has been completed; it was included in the City Council-adopted legislative guidelines (CMR #11968: https://tinyurl.com/evzjwhpw) in February 2021. Staff and the legislative advocates continue to track bills. The City weighed in on several police reform bills as well. J Refer all race and equity work to the Policy and Services Committee for citywide diversity and inclusion practice areas and policing practice areas; Completed: The P&S Committee has been receiving quarterly updates and discussion items related to the City Council Social Justice priority and Race and Equity. Staff is working to get supplemental help to assist the City with developing a race and equity roadmap, training, and staff assessments. M Policy and Services CEDAW recommendation: Direct Staff to proceed with a community summit on gender equity issues and next steps in Palo Alto; Completed: The Palo Alto Summit on Women and Girls took place on June 12, 2021 with keynote speaker Lori Nishura Mackenzie. Information online at: https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Events- 3 Assignment Work Assignment Status Directory/City-Manager/Summit-on- Women-Girls. Potential additional steps and other recommendations are included in this staff report. N If the County does not assign a resource to Palo Alto in the next six months, refer to Policy and Services Committee the exploration of the feasibility of a CAHOOTS- type program; Completed: The County has assigned a PERT resource to the City of Palo Alto. O Amend the contract to require the Independent Police Auditor (IPA) to meet with the City Council in open session twice a year with each report; Completed: The City Council approved a contract amendment with the IPA on June 14, 2021 which includes this language as part of the expanded scope of services. The first of these meetings with the IPA will occur on September 13, 2021. P Refer to the Policy and Services Committee consideration of the Independent Police Auditor (IPA) oversight of internal complaints regarding misconduct related to harassment, discrimination, or retaliation resulting in city investigation of uniformed officers. Completed: The Policy and Services Committee fulfilled this City Council referral and had this discussion at the April 13, 2021 meeting. The staff report is online as well as the action minutes. The Committee voted to recommend the City Council direct Staff and IPA to include harassment, retaliation and discrimination claims within the IPA scope; and research best practices to balance the needs of transparency and public oversight while preserving the anonymity of complainants, witnesses and the subject. The City Council approved a contract amendment with the IPA on June 14, 2021 which includes this language as part of the expanded scope of services. Q Direct Staff to work with IT to streamline publishing police policy updates to the City website on a quarterly basis. Completed: The Police Department found a solution to streamline the redaction process to make quarterly updates. The policy was last updated on May 1, 2021.