HomeMy WebLinkAboutSJREQ4indesign2-4-21Accountability
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Human Rights staff attended “How Redlining Has
Created the Racial Wealth Divide in Iowa,” a we-
binar examining how the racial makeup of Iowa
neighborhoods and communities have been
influenced by federal housing policy and whether
judicial remedies exist to redress the resulting hous-
ing wealth gap between white and Black households.
Human Rights staff renewed membership in the
National Community Reinvestment Coalition.
The Iowa City Police Department (ICPD) was
assessed by the Commission on Accreditation for
Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) accredita-
tion. CALEA’s primary purpose is to improve law
enforcement service by creating a national body of
standards developed by law enforcement profession-
als. CALEA recognizes professional achievements
by administering an accreditation process through
which a law enforcement agency can demonstrate
that it meets those standards. CALEA examined
aspects of the Iowa City Police Department's policy
and procedures, management, operations, and ser-
vices and determined ICPD did meet its standards.
The City has entered into an agreement with the
Iowa Economic Development Authority for
additional Community Development Block Grant-
CV funds for emergency housing and utility assis-
tance for low-moderate income households who
have been financially impacted by COVID.
The City took applications for funding for nonprofit
organizations providing assistance with homeless
services, mental health services, child care services
or food distribution.
The City offered grants of up to $15,000 to assist
with operational costs for small businesses with no
more than 25 employees and less than $1,000,000
in gross revenues. Businesses affected by COVID
were given priority, with consideration given to the
extent of assistance received from other sources and
whether the business is owned and managed by a
person of color or a woman.
The City’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Staff
Group met in October, November, and December.
Staff from a variety of departments attended.
Human Rights staff attended the Race in the Heart-
land Conference. This virtual forum considered four
subjects: Education, Housing, Criminal Justice, and
the Workplace.
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City staff from a variety of departments including
Communications, the City Clerk’s Office, ICPD,
Human Rights, Public Works, the City Attorney’s
Office, Parks & Recreation, Transportation, and
others participated in the 21-Day Equity Challenge
sponsored by United Way of Central Iowa. This
challenge involved engaging with a variety of re-
sources—books, podcasts, videos, webinars, Ted
talks, etc, to expand staff knowledge related to a
broad range equity and inclusion topics.
Staff of Parks & Recreation viewed webinars for
‘Uncovering Bias in the Interview Process,’ ‘Skills for
Having Courageous Conversations about Racism in
the Workplace,’ and ‘Understanding Systemic
Racism.’
The Resource Management Division is beginning to
transition some curbside outreach to visual graphics
in place of or in addition to English words. This will
help customers who do not read English understand
our programs better.
Ellsworth Carman, Library Director, presented
“(Trans)gender-Affirming Library Practices: From
Patron Records to Restrooms, and Beyond” at the
Iowa Library Association’s Virtual Conference.
ICPD staff attended the virtual “Inclusion Summit:
Rising to the Equity Challenge” and “Access to Jus-
tice: Racial & Ethnic Disparities.”
Local leaders, along with representatives from the
City Manager’s Office and Iowa City Police Depart-
ment, attended the 8th Annual Iowa Summit on
Justice and Disparities. The conference addressed
minority disproportionality in the criminal justice
system. The City of Iowa City and Iowa City Police
Department were sponsors.
Human Rights staff attended “7 Things to Consider
when Engaging Hard to Reach Populations on Race,
Equity, and Inclusion.” presented by ELGL.org.
Human Rights staff participated in the Inclusive
ICR-Quarterly 2020 Coalition Meeting.
For the seventh
consecutive year, the
City earned a score
of 100 or more on the
annual Municipal
Equality Index (MEI),
the only nationwide
rating system of
LGBTQ inclusion in
municipal law, policy
and services. This year’s score is 112 (scores above
100 are possible due to bonus points). The MEI is
administered by the Human Rights Campaign, the
educational arm of the nation’s largest LGBTQ civil
rights organization.
Human Rights staff participated in The League of
Human Rights Agencies Annual Meeting.
Human Rights, City Clerk’s Office, and Commu-
nications staff attended “Building Diversity and
Inclusion Initiatives with Intention,” presented by
OneIowa.
The Public Works
Department created a
Diversity, Equity, and
Inclusion Committee
“door” featuring the
Committee’s Mission
Statement, an Inter-
faith calendar, meeting
minutes, information
and upcoming events
as a way to keep others
informed about the
Committee’s work.
Transportation completed a preliminary ADA
assessment and field review for all transit stops. The
information gathered will assist in developing a plan
to improve accessibility for all users, especially those
with limited mobility.
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Communications staff attended “Engaging through
an Anti-Racist Lens: a Discussion With Sophie Mc-
Ginley.” This webinar focused on anti-racist public
engagement.
Mayor Bruce Teague, together with Human Rights
staff and the Iowa City Police Department, partici-
pated in a conversation with LGBTQ-rights leaders
from Ukraine, in a program called "Advocacy for
the LGBTI Community," hosted by the Council for
International Visitors to Iowa City.
The City Bookclub discussed
the book Know My Name:
a Memoir, by Chanel Miller.
The book outlines failures in
the justice system for sexual
assault survivors, examined by
author Miller, whose attacker
received a criminally short
sentence.
Climate Action and Outreach is updating the con-
tact names and information for Community Based
Organizations (CBOs), identifying the level of
susceptibility to climate change impacts for stake-
holders, and identifying the level of connectedness
with City resources and decision-making process-
es for the stakeholders. The Division will use this
information to develop an outreach plan. A group
of City staff is also building a layered Geographic
Information Systems (GIS) mapping tool to be used
in planning and evaluating new climate initiatives,
further integrating equity analysis into each climate
action.
Public Works partnered with Communications to
translate the document used when carding a proper-
ty into multiple languages.
Parks & Recreation staff attended the “Access to
Justice 2020 and Beyond Conference,” hosted by
Mediation Services of Eastern Iowa.
The Johnson County Auditor’s Office provided tips
for voting safely in Johnson County for the Senior
Center.
The Senior Center participated in the Voter Virtual
Education Event through AARP Iowa with support
from TRAIL of Johnson County. TRAIL of Johnson
County also co-presented The Electoral College and
Other Issues Related to Informed Voting.
The Senior Center participated in the program:
When Iowans Voted No: The 1916 Referendum on
Women's Suffrage, offered by Anna Tunnicliff of the
Iowa Women's Archives. Conversations
10 members of the ICPD participated in 16 com-
munity presentations, including the following
topics: De-escalation & Crisis Intervention, Personal
Safety and Crime Prevention, Neighborhood Crime
Reports, Alcohol Safety, and Family Violence and
Child Abuse.
ICPD staff met virtually with the following commu-
nity partners: NAACP, FBI, US Attorney’s Office,
Johnson County Attorney’s Office, Johnson County
Disproportionate Minority Contact Committee,
NAMI, Johnson County Elder Abuse Team, Johnson
County Drug Task Force, CommUnity, Foundation
2, Shelter House, and Prevent Child Abuse-Johnson
County.
The Senior Center participated in
a National Coming Out Day Film
Discussion: A Secret Love.
The Senior Center participated in
a Book Discussion: An African
American & Latinx History of the
United States.
Accountability
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Justice
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Iowa City Transit offered free rides on Election Day
with the goal of removing transportation as a barrier
and helping people get to the polls and exercise their
right to vote. Rides were free to everyone all day,
with no proof of voter registration or destination
required.
The City Council voted unanimously in favor of a
new city ordinance that explicitly prohibits the Iowa
City Police Department from engaging in biased
policing and racial profiling.
The Fire Department created and implemented a
“Bias-free Delivery of Services” policy.
Finance eliminated the utility billing carding fee.
This fee was formerly added when customers’ water
was shut off, increasing the financial hardship of a
shut-off and leading to a domino effect.
The City issued a preliminary plan to accelerate
community policing, focusing on the manner in
which crisis calls will be handled, a commitment to
unbiased policing, and an effort to use innovative
solutions for common problems.
Parks and Recreation staff launched a pilot program
entitled ‘Root for Trees’ that strives to grow and
expand the tree canopy coverage and tree diversity
throughout the Iowa City community. City funding
for this project subsidizes the cost of trees for Iowa
City residents by 50% and includes an option for a
90% cost reduction for those that are income eligi-
ble. This program runs October 15, 2020 through
May 15, 2021 while supplies last and is in partner-
ship with Iowa City Landscaping and Garden Center
as well as the Earl May Garden Center. Residents
can find out more about the program and apply for
a voucher at icgov.org/root4trees. This program is
especially needed due to losses from the derecho.
Parks & Recreation partnered with United Action
for Youth to host Neighborhood NESTS (Nurturing
Every Student Together Safely) at the Mercer Park
Aquatic Center three afternoons each week while
school was in session. Neighborhood NESTS serve
as a safe space with trusted adults, where children
and young adults can gather for academic success
and emotional wellbeing during this school year.
The City joined several local government amicus
briefs in lawsuits challenging the Health and Hu-
man Services Rule that removes the Affordable Care
Act’s Section 1557 anti-discrimination protections
based on gender identity, sexual orientation, and
sex stereotyping. The Rule not only rolls back these
discrimination prohibitions, but also allows for
for Beginners with Tony Sanchez, and Use it, don't
lose it! Spanish Conversation with Jessica Ortiz.
The Senior Center took part in Transgender Aware-
ness Week: Readings & Discussion.
The Senior Center took part in the Native American
Heritage program series.
The Senior Center conducts several ongoing virtual
Spanish language-learning and conversation oppor-
tunities including Beginning Spanish Mini-Inten-
sive, Spanish Conversation Practice Group, Spanish
Conversations
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Outreach
Human Rights placed an ad in the GO Guide for the
month of October, November, and December.
Human Rights placed ads in the online student
newspapers of West High, “West Side Story,” and
City High, “The Little Hawk,” for the months of No-
vember and December.
The City Manager’s Office sponsored the BIPOC
Strategic Doing workshops.
The City sponsored
the virtual event,
“The Johnson County
Americans with Dis-
abilities Act (ADA)
Celebration.”
Iowa City Public Library Board Member Hanna
Schultz presented “Fostering Public Health-Public
Library Collaborations” at the Iowa Library Asso-
ciation Conference. The presentation focused on
building partnerships between libraries and public
health organizations.
City staff from various Departments attended the
South District Neighborhood Mural Ribbon Cutting
Event. The mural is located at the entrance of Faith
Academy, 1030 Cross Park Avenue.
Human Rights hosted a
virtual program presented
by the African American
Museum of Iowa celebrat-
ing the Tuskegee Airmen,
Black heroes of the sky
during World War II who
included some of the
most decorated fliers of
the war and 13 Iowans. These brave soldiers fought
for freedom abroad and equality at home.
Human Rights hosted two virtual sessions on how
to apply for the Social Justice & Racial Equity Grant.
Justice
discrimination against women based on their preg-
nancy status or pregnancy history, weakens access to
translation/interpretation services for patients with
limited English proficiency, and limits the scope of
the rule so that health insurers could no longer be
covered at all by Section 1557.
The City joined an amicus brief drafted by the Pub-
lic Rights Project and the City of Seattle to support
the lawsuit challenging President Trump’s executive
order (EO) "Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping,"
which strips federal contractors of federal fund-
ing if the contractor holds diversity trainings that
mention "divisive concepts," including unconscious
bias, white privilege, etc. The vagueness of the EO
also raises concerns as to whether federal funding
to local governments that use such trainings may be
threatened.
The City joined an amicus brief of 54 local gov-
ernments and local government advocacy groups,
including the US Conference of Mayors, National
League of Cities, International City/County Man-
agement Association, and the International Munici-
pal Lawyers Association opposing a direct challenge
to DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals)
by the State of Texas.
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Outreach
Grant funds are awarded to organizations pursuing
projects intended to have lasting social justice and
racial equity impact in the local area.
Human Rights staff and the City Manager's Office
attended the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council’s
program, “The Truth About the South African Truth
& Reconciliation Commission," presented by Mark
Kende, Director of the Drake University Constitu-
tional Law Center.
The City celebrated Transgen-
der Awareness Week with a
proclamation read by Mayor
Teague and by flying the trans-
gender flag at City Hall.
Transportation staff are de-
veloping an outreach plan to
educate the public on recommended route, transit
stop, and service changes in early 2021. The plan will
reach out to underserved populations and 1-page
flyers translated into multiple languages will high-
light transit system changes by route.
17 members of the ICPD
attended 17 events in the
fourth quarter of 2020.
Events included commu-
nity listening posts, Trunk
or Treats, assembling
STEM Kits, curbside car-
oling, the South District
ribbon cutting for their
neighborhood mural, and delivering holiday gifts to
families in lieu of the annual Holiday with Heroes
shopping event that was cancelled due to the pan-
demic.
Kate Connell, Aquatics Program Supervisor, pre-
sented “Equitable Aquatics: The 3 P’s on Inclusive
Aquatics – Personnel, Programming and Policies”
at the National Parks & Recreation Association’s fall
virtual conference.
Staff of Parks & Recreation participated in commit-
tee meetings for Johnson County Community Part-
nership for Protecting Children, Johnson County
Disproportionate Minority Contact.
Green Iowa AmeriCorps in the Iowa City Public
Library held a book discussion: Braiding Sweetgrass:
Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the
Teachings of Plants.
Ongoing series of weekly articles written by Ju-
lie Sands, a UI Master of Social Work practicum
student working with The Center during the 2020
academic year, presented various topics to increase
competency within various cultures, including in-
vestigating the structural effects of the White-Amer-
ican culture.
Transportation began developing a 2021 Diversity,
Equity, and inclusion quarterly training schedule for
Transportation Services staff.
Communications staff attended “A 2020 Vision - It's
Time to SEE Us” and “COVID-19 Best Practices: A
Panel Discussion,” both hosted by OneIowa.
Police Department and Communications staff at-
tended “Me Too” training.
Communications staff attended
Neogov Diversity and Cultural
Competency training, as well as a
podcast on the Black Lives Matter
movement, a podcast on Climate,
and "13th", a documentary on mass
incarceration.
ICPD staff received on-line training on Diverse
Communities/Bias Prevention, De-Escalation,
Implicit Bias, Procedural Justice, and Preventing
Harassment and Discrimination.
Two ICPD officers completed training to become
Fair and Impartial Policing instructors.
ICPD staff attended virtual training, “Disability Lan-
guage and Etiquette.”
Parks & Recreation staff viewed a “Social Justice,
Anti-Bias, Inequity and Diversity” webinar that
included a discussion of what these terms mean in
Early Childhood Education and how they can and
should have a place in the classroom.
Training
Human Rights staff hosted Implicit Bias training for
City Board and Commission members. Communi-
cations staff attended.
Human Rights staff attended “Inclusive Resources
for LGBTQ Older Iowans,” presented by OneIowa.
Human Rights cre-
ated and posted a
Fair Housing train-
ing video accessible
on YouTube at any
time. The training
includes a quiz for those who wish to obtain a
certificate.
Human Rights present-
ed “Implicit Bias 201”
training for area orga-
nizations and business-
es. Communications
and Public Works staff
attended.
Human Rights and Communications staff attended
“LGBTQ 101 and Workplace Best Practices,”
presented by One Iowa.
City Clerk’s Office and Parks & Recreation staff
viewed the “White Privilege 101: Getting In On the
Conversation” webinar.
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