HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Read Before Packet - 11/4/2020 - Memorandum From Travis Storin And Jackie Kozak Thiel Re: Leadership Planning Team Inquiry About Equity In The 2021 Budget
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: November 2, 2020
TO: Mayor Troxell and City Councilmembers
THRU: Darin Atteberry, City Manager
FROM: Travis Storin, Interim Chief Financial Officer
Jacqueline Kozak-Thiel, Chief Sustainability Officer
RE: Leadership Planning Team inquiry about equity in the 2021 Budget
At the Leadership Planning Team meeting on Monday October 26 , a memo was requested
outlining budget requests (aka Offers) in the 2021 Budget that further equity efforts/goals,
as well as similar budget Offers that are anticipated in the near future.
Bottom Line
This adapted one-year budget cycle included the testing of a rapidly prototyped equity lens
to provide the Budget Lead Team with considerations and opportunities for advancing
equity in the organization and the recommended budget. It also clearly highlighted that the
City of Fort Collins does not yet have a systematic approach to applying an equity lens to
the budget process and resulting investments. Based on community feedback this year, it is
clear the City needs to intensify the focus on equity throughout our community via the
strategic planning and budgeting processes. There are several offers across Service Areas
that are directly linked or in support of Council’s Equity and Inclusion Priority and Strategic
Objective 1.4, regarding advancing equity so that a person’s identity or identities is not a
predictor of outcomes.
2021 Offers Supporting Equity Goals
Attachment #1 displays Offers included in the budget and how each one relates to the
indicated Council Priority. A list of Offers was originally included in the cover memo that
was delivered with the 2021 Recommended Budget. The list in the attachment includes
some additions.
Evaluating Equity in the City’s Process for the 2021 Budget
Over the summer, the City’s internal Racial Equity Rapid Response Team applied a rapidly
prototyped and streamlined equity lens to the adapted budget for 2021 drawing on
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examples from other communities. Due to time constraints, every offer was not analyzed
and instead the team sought input from department heads and service area directors via a
series of equity prompts designed to illuminate areas of the budget where equity gains were
possible. The equity prompts addressed considerations for impacts to communities of color,
low income communities, minority and women owned businesses, staff impacts and more.
The process surfaced areas of opportunity throughout the organization to more proactively
embed equity considerations into both the City’s service delivery and approaches to
workforce development and retention. Key learnings include:
Approaching equity and inclusion holistically across the organization would help
mitigate uneven capacity for the work and allow for more systemic and sustainable
gains.
Opportunities exist for a more diverse workforce overall, and especially actions
inviting and fostering diversity in leadership positions.
Equitable engagement strategies are a significant part of embedding equity and
inclusion into key processes, programs, and policies; in a financially and legally
constrained environment, this will be challenging – resourcing for this would help.
– Examples of resourced needs for equitable engagement include translation of
materials and interpreter use, providing childcare, providing food and providing
other support to overcome barriers to participation.
– Non-resourced methods include strengthening staff capacity on how to better
invite and foster opportunities for inclusion of marginalized voices in engagement
and decision-making processes.
Trainings needed on racial justice work and applying an equity lens
Strengthening understanding of equity needs for all marginalized and under-
resourced populations.
Increasing engagement with minority-owned businesses while respecting legal
mandates for nondiscriminatory practices
Increase available data and training on equitable data governance and usage in
informing equity impact analyses and decision-making.
Future Cycles: More Systematic Use of an Equity Lens
The rapid prototyping process used for the 2021 budget cycle highlighted ways in which the
organization may want to approach future cycles. Key lessons learned include:
Starting the process at the onset of development of Offers. This could include
embedding equity questions and considerations into the budget request narrative
template.
Ensuring appropriate time for robust community engagement and participatory
community budgeting during all stages of budgeting for outcomes work.
Ensuring there is a certain level of public engagement continuity between budget
cycles and Strategic Plan
Promoting internal collaboration with respect to public engagement projects to better
streamline and coordinate efforts
Ensuring mutual understanding of equity work and how budgets can work to cause
either equity advancement or regressive impacts.
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Embedding more time in the process for departments to revise offers based on
feedback of submissions.
Explicitly stating the value of equitable budgeting practices and what the City hopes
to gain by engaging in such a process.
Making sure diverse perspectives within a department participate in identifying the
equity opportunities and impacts; more time built into the process will allow for this.
Host workshops to introduce equitable budgeting concepts, processes, and
examples
Evaluate appropriate ways to consider equity in purchasing practices, to be reflected
as part of BFO offer scoping and development
Continuing to create educational content to help community members better
understand the budget process and impact
We are committed to learning from the process this year to inform future cycles and the
recommended 2022 Budget. We also look forward to utilizing the results of the equity
indicators project to prioritize the work funded by ongoing, enhancement and redeployment
Offers. Also, the Community Impact Ad Hoc Committee will be discussing peer learning and
ideas related to creating an Equity Office at their November 23 meeting.
It is standard process to solicit and implement process improvements ideas after each BFO
cycle. That continues this year with a team focusing on equity, how to solicit community
ideas for such Offers and improving the effectiveness of our outreach and me ssaging.
Additionally, the City of Fort Collins has been accepted to a Bloomberg Philanthropies
program called the ‘City Budgeting for Equity & Recovery Program.’ Fort Collins is one of
30 cities accepted to the program based on an application submitted earlier in the summer.
The program’s goal is to help cities confront budget crises while strengthening their
commitment to equity in the wake of COVID-19. It is intended to help cities develop and
implement plans to drive financial recovery and ensure that their budget crises do not
disproportionately harm low-income residents and communities of color.
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Attachment #1
This offer helps ensure access to the City’s website, through a focus on accessibility, usability and compliance of the
City’s various webpages. Additionally, the E-gov team helps to make important meetings and engagement opportunities,
such as participating in a Zoom Council meeting, prominent on multiple webpages.
This offer houses the City’s primary communications team, which is responsible for leading and collaborating with other
staff for the engagement efforts of many key priorities that impact historically underserved groups. This often involves
producing materials and graphics in Spanish, and the team also handles most priority and emergency communications of
the City, helping to ensure that all residents are able to get the information they need to respond accordingly.
This money funds the public engagement specialist, who works to advise the organization on how best to engage with
historically underserved groups. This individual maintains key relationships with cultural brokers in the community and is
involved in much of the City’s broader equity work.
- The Spanish language team helps to ensure that staff is able to better communicate with Spanish speaking residents of
Fort Collins
- The Hiring team works to make sure that we recruit from diverse communities and they track those numbers
- The District one staff commonly works with the transient populations,
- The School Resource Officers, works with students in schools all across the City
- The Crisis Negotiation Team often engages with those having a mental health crisis
- Campus West helps reach out to the underrepresented student population
- Victim Services works with victims to assist in their pursuit of justice.
This offer helps to fund the lead specialist in employee relations, who manages the City’s equal opportunity, and
ADA/Title VI compliance program, and also manages the ethics reporting and investigation process. This work is critical
to employees and community members being able to feel safe in reporting potential incidents of noncompliance or
discrimination.
The Recreation Department offers Reduced Fee opportunities for qualifying low income residents to be able to use of
our recreation facilities and programs with a discounted rate.
The Economic Health Office (EHO) team is supporting equity in a number of ways. The team has committed to providing
all materials in Spanish and will be working to translate its online resources to ensure they are available in both
languages. Additionally, the team is working to connect with business owners who have historically not taken full
advantage of EHO resources.
Council Priority: Equity and Inclusion
Offer HPG 9.2 Ongoing: Communication and Public Involvement Central Communications
Offer HPG 9.3 Ongoing: Inclusive Public Engagement
Offer SAFE 18.1 Ongoing: Police Office of the Chief and Administration
Offer HPG 24.3 Ongoing: City Manager's Office - Policy, Legislative, Compliance & Performance Excellence Div.
Offer C&R 50.13 Ongoing: Reduced Fee Scholarship Program
Offer ECON 26.5 Ongoing: Economic Health Leadership
Offer SAFE 18.3 Ongoing: Police Special Operations Division
Definition: Implement the usage of an equity lens, including staff and Council training, develop
indicators and metrics and consider a resolution regarding antidiscrimination.
Offer HPG 4.2 Ongoing: IT Applications - E-Government Services
Offer SAFE 18.4 Ongoing: Police Criminal Investigations Division
The following Offers support the two Council Priorities shown related to equity, along with a statement of how
each Offer supports the priority.
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The update to the Road to Zero Waste Plan is occurring through the Our Climate Future process that focuses on equity
in process and outcomes. Development of future policies and programs, including those to address macro plastic
pollution, will be developed with an equity lens to the extent possible.
In addition to providing outdoor air quality programs, data and services, it includes the Healthy Homes program that
supports underserved communities and those with respiratory issues by recommending low-cost or no-cost solutions for
common indoor air quality issues. The program provides DIY and phone assessments and Spanish materials to lower
barriers to access, and provides resource materials in an effort to make the program resources more accessible.
Climate change is rooted in societal systems that have led to disparities along race, class, and other dimensions.
These inequities are exacerbated by climate change, where vulnerable populations are often hit first and worst.
Through Our Climate Future, the City is prioritizing actions that address equity, reduce emissions, and enhance
resilience - leading to better outcomes for all.
This offer supports staff to coordinate the Citywide implementation of the Municipal Sustainability and Adaptation Plan,
which includes a goal for the municipal organization to lead by example as an inclusive, diverse, and equitable
workplace.
This offer furthers the City’s equity goals by delivering programs and services that are at the heart of the City’s delivery of
social and human sustainability services with the mission to support a diverse and equitable community for all residents.
The Social Sustainability Department was created to have an enhanced focus on many aspects of social health,
including equity and inclusion as one of the key themes of its first strategic plan. Also included in this offer is working with
a consultant to manage identify, gather, and manage data collection that will ultimately lead to the creation of equity
indicators that will be tracked for increased transparency and accountability.
Same response for both Offers 28.2 and 28.7: These offers further the City’s equity goals by ensuring funding support to
our community’s nonprofit providers and affordable housing projects to ensure services and housing are accessible to all
in our community, especially those who are historically marginalized and underrepresented.
Same response for both Offers 18.26 and 28.4: These offers further the City’s equity goals by providing funding and
dedicated staff to ensure services and coordination for homeless services in our community which is directly linked to
furthering equity and access for people who are typically marginalized, disadvantaged, and overrepresented in the
homeless community.
Citywide Housing Plan and Implementation and Housing Manager – This offer furthers the City’s equity goals by
dedicating a position to develop and deliver the Housing Strategic Plan centered in equity and in alignment with
community goals, and establish clear goals, targets, strategies, roles and definitions achieving affordable and achievable
housing, and coordinating the Council Ad Hoc Committee to support the plan’s development. Strategies that prioritize
equity (ensuring all community members have access and ability to have their housing needs met) and other community
goals, such as carbon neutral housing stock, will be identified in the process.
A significant portion of this redeployed work will focus on developing resources, funding translation, and other access
tools for small businesses. The objective is to increase access for businesses owned by community members who have
historically not accessed these types of City resources.
Offer NLSH 28.6 Enhancement: 1.0 FTE - Citywide Housing Plan & Implementation and Housing Manager
Offer NLSH 28.2 Ongoing: Human Service Programs & Affordable Housing
Offer SAFE 18.26 Redeploy: Police Campus West and Bike Patrol to Homelessness Coordinator (1.0 FTE), Street
Outreach and Restorative Justice
Offer NLSH 28.4 Continuing Enhancement Homelessness Initiatives
Offer ENV 27.3 Ongoing: Air Quality
Offer ENV 27.2 Ongoing: Waste Reduction and Recycling
Offer ENV 27.4 Ongoing: Climate Commitment
Offer ENV 27.5 Ongoing: Municipal Sustainability
Offer NLSH 28.1 Ongoing: Social Sustainability Leadership / Equity / Housing & Homelessness
Offer NLSH 28.7 Continuing Enhancement Human Services Program Grant Funding
Offer ECON 26.9 Redeploy: Economic Recovery Support
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The purpose of this redeploy offer is to hire a full time contractual position intended to engaged directly with minority-,
women-, low-income, and veteran-owned businesses. A strong preference will be to identify and hire a bi-lingual
individual who can support engagement with our Spanish speaking population in their preferred language. This will be an
extension of the work funded through CVRF dollars at the end of 2020.
Natural Areas utilizes volunteers to collaborate extensively with public schools and other organizations to provide learning
opportunities, hiking and nature experiences, and volunteer projects to a diverse spectrum of residents. Several
programs are oriented to provide nature experiences to community members who may not have as much accessibility as
others, such as programming offered in conjunction with the Boys and Girls Club.
Community parks are readily accessible to all residents; there are no admissions costs to use playgrounds, dog parks,
picnic areas, trails and a host of other amenities. Maintenance of these facilities keeps them safe and in good repair for
all users.
Neighborhood parks, not unlike community parks, are used extensively by adjacent neighbors but also neighbors from
throughout the community. The parks are free to use and have been extensively enjoyed by the community during the
pandemic.
The paved trail system is heavily used and provide one of the best opportunities for the community to exercise, safely
socialize, and enjoy nature.
The urban forest canopy provides numerous aesthetic and environmental benefits throughout Fort Collins to all
neighborhoods.
Streetscape maintenance benefits the entire community with positive impacts by reducing runoff, sustaining an urban
canopy and increasing property values through enhanced aesthetics. Safety and transportation are at the forefront of the
program.
Since 1984, the City has offered a sales tax rebate on food for low-income residents. This ongoing offer would continue
to provide grocery tax relief for low-income residents of Fort Collins.
This offer funds our probation and special agency session services. Both of these areas reach an underserved population
and assist defendants in accessing necessary resources. Historically, almost all participants in special agency session
are experiencing homelessness.
- Duplicate Offer from above
Recreation administration is the “back of house” support for all recreation programs that are widely enjoyed by the
community. This also includes administration of the reduced fee program through eligibility, household member
enrollment, reporting, and scholarship disbursement.
Offer NLSH 33.1 Ongoing: Low Income, Senior and Disabled Resident Rebate Program
Offer C&R 39.2 Ongoing: Neighborhood Parks Maintenance
Offer ECON 26.10 Redeploy Economic Recovery Staff
Offer ENV 61.3 Ongoing: Natural Areas Public Engagement
Offer C&R 39.1 Ongoing: Community Parks and Facility Ground Maintenance
Definition: Understand current state of participation in cultural and recreation programming and
subsequently make adjustments to current practices to improve quitable participation through
potentially expanded programming and targeted support.
Offer NLSH 28.1 Ongoing: Social Sustainability Leadership / Equity / Housing & Homelessness
Offer C&R 50.11 Ongoing: Recreation Administration
Offer NLSH 42.1 Ongoing: Urban Forest Management
Offer Trans 41.2 Ongoing: Streetscape Maintenance
Offer SAFE 48. 5 Ongoing: Municipal Court Services – Specialized Services
Council Priority: Equitable Participation in Culture & Recreation Programs
Offer C&R 39.3 Ongoing: Hard Surface Trail Maintenance
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Community engagement and marketing are crucial to helping the community take advantage of, and to be aware of, the
wide variety of benefits and programs associated with the Recreation department. In addition, community engagement
is crucial to the ability of the City itself to better understand how to better serve the community.
Adaptive recreation help make recreation facilities and programs universally available to the special needs community.
- Duplicate Offer from above
The Lincoln Center plays a crucial role in hosting and presenting performing and visual arts from diverse cultures and
perspectives that can be enjoyed by all community members.
The Gardens offers the “Gardens for All” access program (similar to the Museum’s “Opportunity Fund”) to provide robust
free or reduced costs engagement opportunities for participation.
The Museum offers permanent and traveling exhibits that are widely enjoyed by the community; the “Opportunity Fund”
program makes it feasible for anyone to visit that may have limited resources or abilities. In addition, the museum
currently is hosting “Mental Health: Mind Matters,” an exhibit about the understanding and acceptance of mental health –
the exhibit is free to the public.
Art in Public Places is the epitome of an egalitarian approach to art where place-based art is provided throughout the
community for all to enjoy.
Offer C&R 64.7 Ongoing: Art in Public Places Artwork
Offer C&R 50.12 Ongoing: Community Relations and Marketing Services
Offer C&R 50.7 Ongoing: Adaptive Recreation Opportunities (ARO)
Offer ENV 61.3 Ongoing: Natural Areas Public Engagement
Offer C&R 64.1 Ongoing: The Lincoln Center
Offer C&R 64.2 Ongoing: The Gardens on Spring Creek
Offer C&R 64.3 Ongoing: Fort Collins Museum of Discovery
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