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07-14-20 Rising TIDES Agenda PacketREGULAR MEETING AGENDA 1.Call to Order 2.Attendance/Roll Call 3.Approval of Agenda 4.Approval of May 12, 2020 Minutes 5. Announcements 6.Recap Recommendations to City Council 7.Discuss Phase II of the Task Force 8.Adjournment July 14, 2020 – 5:15 pm via Cisco WebEx This meeting will be held via Cisco Webex in accordance with the local emergency declaration made by the City under Minn. Stat. § 12.37. The public may monitor this meeting by calling 1-415-655-0001 and entering the meeting code 133-306-4200. For technical assistance, please contact support staff at 763-593-8007 or webexsupport@goldenvalleymn.gov. If you incur costs to call into the meeting, you may submit the costs to the City for reimbursement consideration. Rising TIDES Task Force REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 5:16 pm by Chair Allen. Roll Call Members present: Joelle Allen, Ruth Paradise, Alex Moreno, Amber Alexander, Brad Taylor- White, Melissa Johnson, Myat Thanda Tun, Fartun Hussein, Ajani Woodson, Sam Powers and Sheri Hixon Members absent: Staff present: Kirsten Santelices, Human Resources Director Approval of Agenda and April 14, 2020 Meeting Minutes MOTION by Member Moreno to approve the agenda and meeting minutes. Seconded by Member Johnson. Motion carried 11-0. Recommendations Discussion Vice Chair Alexander discussed the topics for their assigned subcommittee: Diversifying Boards and Commissions, followed by Diversifying Recruitment and Retention. The group explained that with COVID-19, there has been a slight shift in the recommendations, and the group focused on items that they felt could best be implemented under the current conditions of the pandemic. Members discussed additions to consider as part of the proposed recommendations for both topics, including ensuring that inclusivity and belonging as a top priority. The second subcommittee discussed recommendations on Community Outreach and Education and Ensuring Equity in Programming and Facilities. The group accepted the recommendations as written, and mentioned spelling out acronyms, like NOAH (Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing). Chair Allen discussed the recommendations report on the two topics for her subcommittee: Communicating Equity with the City and Reviewing City Contracts and RFPS to eliminate bias and barriers. The group discussed additional forums, and using tools that the City has available, including Next Door to communicate with the community. The group agreed to discuss some creative options to hosting future events in the current climate. Member Taylor-White asked about using Census Data, and staff Santelices shared that Census data would not be available for another year. The group discussed the next steps as: reviewing recommendations again to ensure all are present and prioritizing the recommendations under each topic. Prioritizations should be considered by May 12, 2020 – 5:15 pm Via Cisco Webex MEETING MINUTES – Rising TIDES Task Force May 14, 2020 2 budget and the ability to complete during the current climate of COVID-19. Chair Allen will create the final presentation and staff will send to the group for review. Additionally, the group will think more about what Phase II of the Task Force would look like if the Council approves the recommendation to continue the Task Force. The group agreed that a crisis operations in response to COVID-19 should be considered as part of the work. Adjournment MOTION by Vice Chair Alexander. Seconded by Member Taylor-White. Meeting adjourned at 6:16 pm. _______________________________ Joelle Allen, Chair ATTEST: _________________________________ Kirsten Santelices, Human Resources Director RISING TIDES TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GOLDEN VALLEY CITY COUNCIL Year One Recommendations | June 9, 2020 Rising TIDES Task Force Joelle Allen - Chair Amber Alexander - Vice Chair Sheri Hixon Fartun Hussein Melissa Johnson Alex Moreno Ruth Paradise Sam Powers Brad Taylor-White Myat Thanda Tun Ajani Woodson City Staff Kirsten Santelices Tomas Romano Tim Cruikshank Summary Over the course of the past year, the Rising TIDES Task Force has endeavored to bring additional insight and perspective to topics of race and equity — and in particular around six topics identiﬁed as priorities in the Golden Valley Equity Plan. Out of our discussions as well as discussions we’ve had with community members, we bring forward several recommendations for the City Council’s consideration. Bringing in the Greater Community The task force began its work with the acknowledgement that in order for recommendations to work for the entire community, there needed to be a process for inviting them into the discussion. In the recommendation “Communicating Equity with the City” you’ll see the completed efforts to hold open forums where the work of the task force could be reviewed and expanded by members of the Golden Valley community. Many of the sentiments found in this report are consistent with what we learned in the open forums. We also acknowledged that a workable plan of action had to be grounded in data. That this data needed to be collected and leveraged to guide activities and ensure equity across the board. 5 Strategic Priorities Given the unique circumstances of the current environment – Covid-19 has brought on unprecedented times. As such, we understand that the Council may not be able to implement these ideas and practices immediately. We are mindful of that as we share with you the top recommendations for short term implementation. 1.Heavily Publicize Board Commission opportunities. Seeing oneself represented across a range of leadership roles is necessary for building a diverse pipeline for future commission openings. Consistent use of social media with shares from partners in diverse spaces will get the word out and increase engagement. 2.Build routines to ensure internal employee culture. Creating an overall culture of belonging through training and regularly scheduled team building exercises that both introduce and celebrate different cultural backgrounds. 3.Utilize existing community resources to more quickly implement outreach activities. Build and leverage strong partnerships with community organizations who are already reaching diverse audiences. Create cross promotional opportunities to each organization’s mutual beneﬁt. 4.Ensure that staff members are trained to be friendly and responsive to the needs of diverse populations. In the short term, training on several fronts should be a high priority as the city prepares to become more inclusive. Through training and tips during internal meetings, staffers can begin to develop a baseline understanding of different cultures as well as how communication styles might differ among them. 5.Host a supplier diversity series that provides detailed information on how to do business with the city. This guide available both online and in hard copy should detail the ins and outs of a successful city partnership. The Task Force began by starting with Six (6) priorities as outlined in the Equity Plan. Communicating Equity with the City Appealing to broader audiences City Contracts & RFP’s Equity in how RFP’s are announced and who is eligible Increasing Diversity on Boards & Commissions Increasing diverse representation Diversifying Recruitment, and Retention Hiring for additional perspective Community Outreach & Education Programming that reﬂects the changing demographics Programming & Facilities Programming that better reﬂects the changing demographics Already reeling from COVID-19, on May 25, 2020 the nation watched in horror as a police officer snuffed out the life of George Floyd Now more than ever, it is imperative that city leadership take a proactive, visible stance on the impacts of systemic racism. The disproportionate impact of Coronavirus on Black and Brown communities and the death of George Floyd are symptoms of the same problem. The city has a short window of opportunity to write a new chapter that better supports inclusion, belonging and the City’s values. The task force members are available to serve as thought partners to provide insight to the communications team around cultural sensitivity. In light of Current Circumstances Given the unique circumstances of the current environment – three recommendations not originally discussed have been added to this packet. 1.Conduct two Courageous Conversations in June. Making space to speak freely about the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent protests is one step toward processing these traumatic events and healing. Two conversations should take place. The ﬁrst for city staff and contractors - where HR and city leadership serve on a panel to answer questions and listen to reactions. The second facilitated conversation between community members and the police chief will alleviate tensions and allow all residents of Golden Valley to feel a restored sense of safety as it relates to law enforcement. 2.Reconsider the Equity Manager position. When COVID-19 began to take its toll on socializing and budgets, we could have never imagined George Floyd. Despite the acknowledgement of the disproportionate impact of COVID on communities of color, all agreed to reevaluate the position at a later date. However, the death of George Floyd is a stark reminder that we need someone at the city whose job it is to help navigate racially charged situations and the unique needs of different communities. 3.Extend the serve of the Rising TIDES task force by a minimum of 1 year. The task force is making headway on several fronts — including bringing in members of the community to participate in processes they once felt excluded from. Our hope is to continue work on the recommendations included here and see some of them through implementation. Communicating Equity with the City A few of our short term recommendations have already been completed. They include: •Two community listening sessions in order review the work and recommenda7ons the task force has done around specific topics. •October Session – We discussed: 1) Ongoing community engagement, 2) diversifying employee recruitment and 3) Inclusive RFP processes. •January Session – We discussed: 1) Equity in Programming, Services and Facili7es, 2) Reviewing Outreach and educa7on ini7a7ves and 3) Increasing Diversity in Boards/ Commissions, elected officials, etc. Communicating Equity Communication efforts should be rooted in data and therefore the task force recommends that both short and long term initiatives be put in place to collect data about the racial, cultural, gender, lifestyle makeup of residents to effectively develop messaging, programming and beyond that are culturally relevant. It is important to emphasize to residents that all data collection is voluntary and that at any time they can see how the data is being used as well as remove themselves from lists. Short Range: 1.Gather Data on diverse communities including: people of color, LGBTQIA, differently abled, religions, immigrant / ﬁrst gen, languages and associated socio-economic data, education levels, current level of engagement, family structure / size, age, associated mediums of engagement, other to determine population size within the city and to begin understanding how their needs may differ. 2.Put into place various opportunities for gathering data and insights including surveys, events, professional data collection, etc. being sensitive to the reality that some groups including immigrants may be resistant to sharing personal information due to a lack of trust. Providing in person and anonymous ways of sharing data may help as will building trust over time. 3.Use various mediums to reach and inform diverse audiences about events, programming and other issues that impact the city. In addition to the city website and social media, Mediums can include where appropriate: schools, churches, mosques, synagogues, apartments, ethnic food markets. 4.Prioritize social media, which provides an avenue to share ideas, helps eliminate language barriers through built in translation, and allows people to connect with their networks on topics of importance. The task force notes that digital outreach will remain increasingly important and that the task force can play a signiﬁcant role in identiﬁcation and outreach to communities beyond those who regularly “tune in” to the city’s existing social, web, mailing list. 5.Distribute the Rising TIDES task force meeting packet through social media in addition to the website – to keep audiences apprised of the work we are doing – providing contact information so that they can send suggestions to the committee for consideration. Long Range Goal: A PRIDE like event that celebrates Diversity. In addi7on to twice yearly forums, consider crea7ng an annual event similar to PRIDE that celebrates culture, highlights the culture and contribu7ons of underrepresented groups and promotes a friendly welcoming environment for people of all backgrounds. This “Ethnic Pride Event” would feature city partners, local businesses – with a spotlight on minority-owned and/ or centered business, music, food and fun. Other RecommendaEons include: •Use the data collected in near range phase to determine focus and resource alloca7on of ongoing equity and inclusion work. •Complete hiring process for the Equity Coordinator as soon as 7ming and budget allows Communicating Equity Cont.’ Short Range Cont.’: 1.Be mindful of closing the communication loop after each major event and/or activity to circle back to let people know what we’ve done and how their feedback was used. A regular and prominent place on the website and/or through social would be helpful. Additionally, creating email and/or SMS lists and associated campaigns for building community is advised. 2.Assign a representative of the task force to attend city events as availability permits. 3.Create and/or adopt a framework for providing culturally- sensitive materials. This written guide should be a “ﬁrst line of defense” for getting cultural cues right. 4.Continue to create materials to distribute at City events explaining the mission purpose and relevant information. 5.Provide additional focus around ethnicity, culture and language vs a focus solely on race. 6.Twice yearly community forums to continue conversations around equity and provide a venue for people from different backgrounds to get to know each other. By the Numbers Limited data exists that provides full insight into the current demographics of the city or how the racial, ethnic, gender, religious and socio-economic make-up is changing. However, piecing together data from various sources, we are able to have a jumping off point until the appropriate data can be collected. The attached graphs are a part of the American Community Survey data from 2018. Four tables include: Social, Economic, Housing, and Demographic data and represent both Minnesota and Golden Valley. Other 2% Indigenous 2% Latinx 5% White 79% Black 7% Asian 5% Indigenous 1% Latinx 2% White 85% Black 8% Asian 5% MINNESOTA BY RACE GOLDEN VALLEY BY RACE Female 51% Male 49%Female 56% Male 44% MINNESOTA BY GENDER *GOLDEN VALLEY BY GENDER * No additional gender information was collected during the 2018 Survey Process For Reviewing City Contracts And RFP’s to Eliminate Potential Biases The task force believes that creating short, medium and long terms initiatives that increase opportunities for minority, women and veteran-owned business enterprises strengthens both the city and its citizens is imperative. Medium Term In the medium term, consider Adopting (modiﬁed or not) NMSDC guidelines for best practices in supplier diversity as a more comprehensive program is built out: •Utilize diverse businesses in all sourcing initiatives and purchasing events. •Establish corporate policy and top management support. •Develop a corporate minority supplier development plan. •Develop comprehensive internal and external communications. •Identify opportunities for diverse owned businesses in strategic sourcing and supply chain management. •Establish a comprehensive minority supplier development process. •Tracking, reporting and goal setting mechanisms. •Utilize diverse businesses in all sourcing initiatives and purchasing events. Short Range •Create a list of small and minority-owned businesses in Golden Valley and make a good faith effort to keep them informed of opportunities and timelines. •Create opportunities for small and minority-owned businesses by revisiting how contracts are awarded. Begin with contracts under $175, 000 where the City is not required to meet the public bidding law requirements; or ( 2) by requiring larger contractors to subcontract parts of the bid to underrepresented business. •Host information sessions / Lunch and Learn supplier diversity series which includes how to do business with the City. •Compile sample procurement policies from other municipalities. Use the guidelines to spell out the philosophy that diversity is good for the business and the need for regional, cultural and social diversity to access global skills and markets, offer varied viewpoints and styles, and beneﬁt different communities and local economies, respectively. Such procedures are established to give traditionally underutilized businesses a competitive advantage and meet customer and government requirements. Past DiscriminaEon: Policies should state the intent to create contrac7ng equity. Policy and programs should impact behaviors and prac7ces of the jurisdic7on as much or more than the behaviors of prime contractors and prime vendors. Flexibility: A strategy should match the condi7ons and laws of the jurisdic7on and should be flexible – if a strategy is not working, a different approach should be tried. Redefining large contracts. When possible, master contracts can be designed to allow several MWBE/ DBE firms to collaborate and win larger contracts. Unintended Consequences: Regula7ons and prac7ces should be examined in a careful and detailed way to ensure that unnecessary barriers are eliminated for small and diverse firms. MulE-faceted: Programs should be comprehensive and mul7-faceted to match the complex systemic barriers. Cultural Change: Strategies should create a framework for cultural change in addi7on to change stemming from regula7ons. A cultural change permeates all structures related to the procurement and contrac7ng process so that all people involved are thinking equity and non- discrimina7on. Over 7me, this cultural change begins to be embraced by the prime contractor and prime vendor communi7es. Capacity Building: Contrac7ng equity programs should contain or should connect to capacity building programs. In this way the jurisdic7on is dealing with availability (expanding the vendor pool) not just u7liza7on. Expand and Replicate: Contrac7ng equity programs should collaborate with other jurisdic7ons, expand their principles into other areas of the jurisdic7on, and when they have arrived at a successful strategy, replicate it with other jurisdic7ons. Short turn-around on payment to subs. Sub-contractors can o\en be the last ones paid and are least able to afford the wait. Sea]le requires primes to pay subs before the primes can invoice and get paid themselves. 1. Long Range Establish/renew a supplier diversity policy that provides minority-owned businesses with system wide opportuni7es for contracts – either independently or in conjunc7on with other contractors. Ins7ll Accountability for mee7ng supplier diversity objec7ves through annual review/audit of supplier diversity performance against objec7ves Reviewing Contracts & RFP’s Cont.’ The task force believes that crea7ng opportuni7es for minority, women and veteran-owned business enterprises strengthens both the city and its ci7zens. 2. Among other things, a comprehensive policy should acknowledge and address as appropriate the following: Increasing Diversity in Boards, Commissions, and City Council 1.Build connections with local school districts, businesses, and other community organizations to advertise opportunities to serve on Boards/Commissions with City. The Task Force was pleased to hear the recruitment policies and protocols already put in place by the HR department at the City. To further support these efforts, the Task Force, with input from the Community, discussed ideas/tactics in the following areas: Internal Culture, Leader / Ownership, Recruiting Practices and pipeline building. 2.Connect with special interest groups and provide readiness trainings for individuals who are seeking to run for public office or videos/ trainings for individuals interested in board and commissions. Seeing oneself represented on boards, in senior leadership positions, committees and task forces is critical to engaging a diverse slate for future openings. To do so, the Task Force recommends the following tactics to drive engagement with the community. Our boards and commissions are composed of talented volunteers. 1.Heavily publicize Board and Commission opportunities: •Continue “Why I Serve” campaign taking special care to include not only racial and ethnic diversity - but gender and differently able’d voices as well. •Highlight a different Task Force/ Commission/Board in each Golden Valley newsletter. •Increase social media marketing of opportunities. Diversifying Employee Recruitment Summary & First Steps The Task Force was pleased to hear the recruitment policies and protocols already put in place by the HR department at the City. To further support these efforts, the Task Force, with input from the Community, discussed ideas/tactics in the following areas: •Internal Culture •Leader (hiring manager) Ownership •Recruiting Practices •Pipeline Building Recommendations for Immediate Implementation: 1.Build routines to ensure internal employee culture is one of inclusivity and belonging. 2.Train all people leaders to conduct a ‘sense of belonging’ exercise with employees – how do we continue to create a culture you want to be a part of? How can we further improve? 3.Host internal team events to celebrate diverse cultures. 4.Explore listening strategy options in order to stay in touch with current city workforce and foster connection/inclusivity in such unprecedented times. 5.Conduct ‘stay interviews’ with current employees – Why do they stay? What do they like about working for the city. Recommendations for Future Consideration (likely require longer turn-around/additional resources and partnerships): 6.Upskill leaders in building diverse pipelines for their roles •Create a venue for leaders to know the skills and interests of their current employees to advocate for them as openings occur. •Institute a practice of employees completing internal resumes. •Provide training for all hiring managers on how to effectively source and recruit talent. •Set goals for leaders to broaden their networks/build pipelines for future openings (e.g. meet one new person in my industry per quarter). Diversifying Employee Recruitment 5.Update recruitment collateral (job postings, job descriptions, interview guides) to emphasize commitment to Inclusivity •Showcase people of color in recruitment collateral •Include City Values language on all job postings •Review and update required/desires skills to remove any unintended bias/barriers to diverse communities •Update interview questions to include question on how candidates understand/showcase the city’s values of Diversity & Inclusion 6.Review and adjust recruiting practices to ensure diverse outreach •Target colleges with D&I focuses (Augsburg, Hamline) •Build connections with local school districts about careers in Government •Ensure diversity in interview panels for open roles 4.Prioritize hiring Equity Manager role.It has become increasingly clear that during these unprecedented times, an equity manager would be highly beneﬁcial to both the city and the community. The city should consider a waiver for this position and bring someone on board sooner rather than later. Diversifying Employee Recruitment One key step to supporting people with special abilities is to appoint individuals within an organization as champion employees with special abilities. A champion is an advocate, has knowledge about special abilities and may have special abilities themselves. Champions can provide knowledge, support companies to explore programs such as Lifeworks and Reach for Resources, help host panel discussions, job fairs and workshops. Through these activities and media resources like articles, local news programs, company publications and product brochures, companies and champions would be able to share their success stories and the value of employing people with special abilities 1.Find ways make it easier for people with Special Abilities and Employers to work together. •Not having the support needed to help people with Special Abilities, achieve. •Job Coach on site •Special ability Champions •Disabled individuals experience a lack of conﬁdence or are unsure of their capabilities due to being in the development stage of the new opportunities they are experiencing today. •No clear path or limited options to ﬁnd job opportunities. How do they ﬁnd jobs they can do at a company. 2.Stress the importance of nurturing a diverse workforce. •Social Inclusion and enrichment •Take part in society •Bring different skill sets •Part of the company 3.Educate employers that people with special abilities are skilled, will grow and achieve. •Misconception’s •Giving the opportunities Summary The Task Force focused on how to use community outreach and education to create relationships built on trust between the City and community members. The Task force discussed the following as strategies to reach that goal: Outreach and education ensuring that everyone feels that their voice is being heard. Outreach and education where a diverse mix of people can gather and get to know each other. How outreach activities and educational goals can overlap. Communication tools to reach a wider representation of people from diverse groups within the Golden Valley community. Utilization of strategies enumerated in “Eliminating Barriers in Programming and Facilities”. Community Outreach & Education The Task Force recommends that they continue their work by helping build strategies to implement the outreach initiatives described below. This work would include: Short to Medium Term Recommendations •Determine, in consultation, which of the ideas below would be implemented, in what order and the timelines. •Develop methodology to use in gathering the necessary information: i.e. whom to contact in order to determine what planning bodies will be responsible for overseeing each activity to be implemented. •In cases in which the suggested activity builds on an existing event, (example: block parties) consult with the responsible group concerning implementation. •Note: The initial information gathering and outreach can begin even if immediate implantation of activities/events needs to be postponed due to Covid-19. Long Range Recommendations: 1.Utilize existing community resources to implement outreach activities. Suggestions include •Schedule regular meetings (yearly or semi-annually) with “Block Party” organizers. •Schedule regular meetings (yearly or semi-annually) with leaders of nonproﬁt civic organizations within Golden Valley •Schedule regular meetings (yearly or semi-annually) with appropriate staff from places of worship and social service organizations to discuss outreach opportunities with their members or clients. •Partner with the Golden Vally Library on educational events. •Initiate a “Welcome to the Neighborhood” program through discussion with the block party organizers ( or after discussion at a block party event). •Provide the handouts in different languages depending on demographic needs. Become more welcoming with Programming for New Residents As we help integrate new residents into the Golden Valley Community, the city should pay careful attention to the needs of immigrants and others so that printed materials and other information is accessible in terms of languages including braille. Community Outreach & Education The Task Force recommends that they continue their work by helping build strategies to implement the outreach initiatives described below. This work would include: Long Range Recommendations Cont’: •Once a year have a City Council member attend a political party district meeting to give a “State of The City” report. •Meet with businesses to discuss the city’s diversity, equity and inclusiveness initiatives and their possible involvement in outreach efforts and/or diversity training. (Possibly offer “Culturally Competent Messaging” training mentioned below.) •For apartment buildings, especially NOAH properties, schedule a “meet for coffee” party to get to know apartment residents and discuss issues they feel are important to them. 2.Extend Event planning to speciﬁcally promote outreach efforts that include a diverse mix of city residents. Possible suggestions include: •“Pot Luck in the Park” supper (or weekend lunch) •“Soup & Substance” - meal and speciﬁc topic of discussion. •Non- committed events – “pop- ups” •Cooking classes to include food from diverse cultures, with city residents taking turns as presenters. •As a speciﬁc educational outreach effort offer a class on “Culturally Competent Messaging” training. •Hold additional informal community social events for bridge building through food, storytelling and music. 3.Programming and information for new residents to the City that takes into consideration how to to help them integrate into the community •Insure sensitivity to language needs of new immigrants. •Create a “new to Golden Valley” resident’s packet. The packet can have information about the city, about social organizations in the city, shopping, libraries, etc. •Monthly “Welcome to the City” meeting at City Hall for new residents Taking Everyone into account when planning for programs and Facilities The Task Force recognized that the City has a very robust Park & Recreation Program, as well as a wide variety of City wide events and programs. As the city increases in its demographic diversity, the Task Force considered the following issues to insure inclusiveness, accessibility and appropriateness for all members of our community. •Content •Community Involvement •Location •Accessibility •Communication Eliminating Barriers in Programming and Facilities For the purpose of this report, the items listed below for “Eliminating Barriers in Programming and Facilities” should be understood as the foundation for implementation of the strategies suggested under the next topic “Community Outreach and Education”. It is suggested that these protocols should also be integrated into the planning of existing programs and events conducted by the City or its affiliate organizations. Short Range and Ongoing Protocols in Programming 1.Inclusion and diversity in programing •Consider demographics when planning programs and events. •Create programming to attract different communities •Develop opportunities for multi-cultural education events 2.Utilize residents from diverse backgrounds in planning and implementing community programs and events •Look at the diversity of instructors in recreational activities and other programs •Hold additional informal community social events for bridge building through food, storytelling and music •Consider who the “presenters” are for programs and events and plan for diversity in activities and venues •Create programming opportunities to use local resources, people who are entertainers, speakers, teachers, etc Eliminating Barriers in Programming and Facilities 3.Consider Affordability of programs offered by the City. •Host scholarships and post availability in prominent location in publicity. •Plan for cost structure so it is affordable for people who would not qualify for scholarships 4.Ensure that all staff members are trained to be friendly and responsive to the needs of a diverse population. 5.Ensuring equitable opportunity to participation in City programming and events •Consider Affordability of programs offered by the City. •Host scholarships and post availability in prominent location in publicity. •Plan for cost structure so it is affordable for people who would not qualify for scholarships. 6.Ensure that all staff members are trained to be friendly and responsive to the needs of a diverse population. Taking Everyone into account when planning for programs and Facilities The Task Force recognized that the City has a very robust Park & Recreation Program, as well as a wide variety of City wide events and programs. As the city increases in its demographic diversity, the Task Force considered the following issues to insure inclusiveness, accessibility and appropriateness for all members of our community. •Content •Community Involvement •Location •Accessibility •Communication