RESOLUTION __________________

A RESOLUTION relating to public outreach and engagement; establishing citywide community involvement principles; directing the Department of Neighborhoods to lead City departments in the development of community involvement plans; directing the Seattle Office for Civil Rights to assist City departments with the development of community outreach and engagement efforts that advance racial equity; directing the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs to develop a citywide language access strategy; and superseding Resolution 27709, Resolution 28115, and Resolution 28948.

WHEREAS, the mission of the Department of Neighborhoods is to support and build inclusive partnerships across the City in order to provide Seattle communities with equitable access to government resources; and

WHEREAS, equity must be a central focus of any public involvement plan in order for it to engage, serve, and improve outcomes for all community members, including vulnerable and historically underserved populations; and

WHEREAS, successfully engaging community members in decision-making processes increases the likelihood of public support and better outcomes; and

WHEREAS, Resolution 27709, adopted on October 26, 1987, created the Department of Neighborhoods to promote and support public involvement at the neighborhood level; and

WHEREAS, Resolution 27709 was subsequently amended by Resolution 28115, adopted on December 18, 1989, and by Resolution 28948, adopted on July 11, 1994; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution 27709, Resolution 28115, and Resolution 28948, District Councils and the City Neighborhood Council receive dedicated staff support from the Department of Neighborhoods and are tasked with rating and ranking eligible applications for Neighborhood Matching Fund allocations; and

WHEREAS, Mayor Murray recognizes and appreciates the numerous hours District Council and City Neighborhood Council members spend in service to their communities as active and engaged volunteers; and

WHEREAS, active participation in District Council and City Neighborhood Council proceedings generally requires an ability to regularly attend evening, in-person meetings, a form of public involvement that commands a significant, ongoing commitment of volunteer hours and does not work for all; and

WHEREAS, The City of Seattle, as a steward of public funds, has a responsibility to direct its limited outreach staff and other public engagement resources to programs and activities that are inclusive and encourage participation by a broad range of community members; and

WHEREAS, all City departments should apply outreach practices that reflect Seattle’s commitment to the Race and Social Justice Initiative, are culturally sensitive, and acknowledge and address barriers to participation; and

WHEREAS, on July 13, 2016, Mayor Murray issued Executive Order 2016-06 directing the Department of Neighborhoods, Seattle Office for Civil Rights, and City Budget Office to develop a resolution that (1) establishes a series of principles to advance more equitable community outreach and engagement practices across all City departments and (2) supersedes Resolution 27709, Resolution 28115, and Resolution 28948 to end the practice of providing District Councils and the City Neighborhood Council with unique and prioritized access to City resources, thereby affording Department of Neighborhoods staff the capacity to assist and engage a broader range of community voices; and

WHEREAS, in response to Executive Order 2016-06, the Department of Neighborhoods initiated a multifaceted outreach and online discussion effort called Engage Seattle to collect information on how community members prefer to receive information from the City and participate in civic processes; and

WHEREAS, as of September 12, 2016, the Department of Neighborhoods had presented Engage Seattle at more than 30 community events and received over 3,000 survey responses, with respondents indicating preferences for a broad range of engagement tools that allow them to participate in civic discussions through a variety of means, including digital and online resources, meetings and forums near their homes, and formats that allow for remote or flexible forms of community involvement; NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE, THE MAYOR CONCURRING, THAT:

Section 1. Community Involvement Principles and Plans.

A.    The Department of Neighborhoods shall lead all City departments through the development and periodic updating of community involvement plans that make information and opportunities for participation more accessible to the public.

B.    The community involvement plans developed for each City department shall implement policies and practices consistent with the following principles:

1.    Improve and expand inclusive outreach and engagement, as well as the creation of equitable representative systems and tools that are more reflective of, and accessible to, communities throughout The City of Seattle.

2.    Create well-designed, responsive, and culturally relevant public involvement plans.

3.    Build community capacity for meaningful participation and authentic outreach and engagement.

4.    Provide a wide range of opportunities for obtaining information and involvement in decision-making processes.

5.    Achieve greater equity with meaningful involvement of underserved and underrepresented communities.

6.    Effectively and efficiently manage the use of all resources, including community members’ time.

C.  By December 31, 2017, the Department of Neighborhoods shall provide a written report to the Mayor and City Council that provides an update on each City department’s progress on developing a community involvement plan or the date when the department’s plan was completed.

Section 2. Racial Equity. The Seattle Office for Civil Rights, as coordinator of the City’s Race and Social Justice Initiative, shall take the following actions to assist City departments with the development of community outreach and engagement efforts that advance racial equity:

A.    Support the Department of Neighborhoods’ effort to lead all City departments through the development and periodic updating of community involvement plans.

B.    Assist City departments in building capacity and developing community engagement practices that are rooted firmly in the principles of racial equity and community accountability. The Seattle Office for Civil Rights’ capacity building efforts shall include, but not be limited to, assisting City departments with the application of the Racial Equity Toolkit to analyze policies and programs and utilizing the Race and Social Justice Initiative’s Equity Lab, an interdepartmental idea exchange and innovation hub.

C.    Develop a citywide framework that assists City staff in understanding the impact of institutional practices on racial equity; the positive role of anti-racist community organizing and leadership in furthering the goals of the Race and Social Justice Initiative; and how to equitably share information, resources and decision-making with the community. The Seattle Office for Civil Rights shall submit a proposed framework to the City Council by June 30, 2017.

Section 3. Language Access Services. The Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs shall develop an updated, citywide language access strategy to be implemented across all City departments. The strategy shall include a plan that establishes thresholds for identifying populations in need, articulates how departments will provide language services on a project by project basis, and clarifies departmental resources for implementation. The Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs shall submit its recommendations to the City Council by June 30, 2017.

Section 4. The City Council, with the Mayor concurring, adopts the Glossary of Terms for use by the City in the development of community involvement plans and community outreach and engagement as appended to this resolution as Attachment A and incorporated hereto by reference.

Section 5. This resolution supersedes the provisions of Resolution 27709, adopted on October 26, 1987; Resolution 28115, adopted on December 18, 1989; and Resolution 28948, adopted on July 11, 1994.

Adopted by the City Council the ________ day of _________________________, 2016, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its adoption this ________ day of _________________________, 2016.

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President ____________ of the City Council

The Mayor concurred the ________ day of _________________________, 2016.

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Edward B. Murray, Mayor

Filed by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2016.

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Monica Martinez Simmons, City Clerk

(Seal)