DEI Office Restructuring

Observed that council participation through the Assistant City Manager on the Community Relations Advisory Board works well, and suggested assigning a council liaison to the DEI office to improve communication and reduce surprises.

Strongly opposed placing the DEI function in HR, saying 'that's where DEI goes to die,' and urged support only for a director-level position.

Urged Council to hear the story of the former DEI officer Tyra Smith, saying she may have been undermined by a resistant culture, and warned the next hire could face the same dynamics.

Objected to folding the role into HR because personnel matters would be kept from the public, and asked for an explicit carve-out allowing whoever holds the role to communicate publicly.

With 30+ years as an equal opportunity program manager, he suggested renaming/expanding the office to IDEA or adding a separate EEO function to cover women, people with disabilities, LGBTQ residents, and immigrants; warned that HR placement creates a conflict of interest; and revived his 2015 proposal for a diversity advisory committee.

Submitted a written question asking what revenue source would finance a contractor to oversee the program; staff answered it would come from general fund money set aside in the budget.

Submitted comments (read by Councilmember Pompi) saying DEI should be a permanent presence, housed under the city manager, integrated into annual planning and onboarding, and measured by success stories.

Argued the city should hire an experienced director-level professional who can define their own job, rather than hiring a consultant to design the position and then closely evaluating a presumably junior hire.

Submitted online comments asking whether the city is ready for change, how progress will be measured, and how Council will ensure the officer has support; she agreed with Mayor Pro Tem Weaver on bringing in an expert.

In a second comment, noted a superstar hire would be great but, if progress is slower, a council-assigned liaison could channel council wisdom into the office.