AGENDA ITEM REPORT
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A RESOLUTION AFFIRMING THE CITY’S COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ADOPTING A FOUR PRONG STRATEGY TO ASSURE MEASURED IMPROVEMENTS RELATED TO SOCIAL JUSTICE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
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BACKGROUND:
On Wednesday, July 1, 2020, the City of Coconut Creek hosted a virtual Town Hall Forum that included a panel discussion regarding advancement in social justice in the Coconut Creek community. The Unity in Our Community Town Hall Forum, hosted by the City of Coconut Creek, was a good first step to open the dialogue. The City committed to on-going conversations and implementing tangible steps to address the issues raised.
DISCUSSION:
Following that Forum, the City of Coconut Creek pledged to take action on several fronts. As we reviewed those action steps, it became clear that consistency and efficiency were paramount. Therefore, a multidisciplinary team was established for collaboration. The lead participants are listed below:
• Karen Brooks, City Manager
• Sheila Rose, Deputy City Manager
• Chief Albert (Butch) Arenal, Coconut Creek Police Department
• Jeff Gary, Fire Marshal
• Yvonne Lopez, Community Relations
• John Hartzell, Community Relations
• Wayne Tobey, Parks and Recreation
• Pam Kershaw, Human Resources and Risk Management
• Leslie May, City Clerk Department
The discussion of social equity is not a new issue, however, there is currently a great deal of momentum in this area. To assure the most effective use of City resources and consistent messaging on this topic, this resolution creates a policy umbrella that will be used to guide program development and to measure our success in continuous improvement in City services. In addition, our commitment is to weave the issue of social justice into all aspects of our multi-disciplinary work. For the purpose of simplicity and reporting, the major work efforts that are proposed for 2021 are summarized below. These focus areas were developed based on the input received during the virtual Unity in Our Community Forum.
Focus Areas
A. Education
B. Purpose Driven Business
C. Police Relations
D. Resident Involvement and Outreach
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of this resolution.
FISCAL IMPACT: N/A