06-08-2023 Diversity Comm Agenda Packet
OUR MISSION:
To advise City government to ensure Federal Way is a community that is united amidst diversity, where everyone is equally respected, valued,
needed, and cherished. Equality is not sameness; it is equivalent value.
Staff: Levi Luft, Diversity Equity Inclusion Analyst
*TIMES ARE ESTIMATES ONLY
REGULAR MEETING
Agenda
Hylebos Room
June 8, 2023
5:30PM-7:30PM
Notice: Meetings are held in-person. To request an accommodation to attend, please contact Levi
Luft, levi.luft@cityoffederalway.com, 253-835-2653 no later than close of business the day before the
meeting.
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. INTRODUCTION: Commissioners/Staff
3. PUBLIC COMMENTS (2 Minutes/person)
4. COMMISSION BUSINESS
5. STAFF REPORT. (10 minutes)
• DEI Analyst Recruitment
• Budget
6. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS (10 min - 2 minutes/Commissioner)
7. NEXT MEETING
• July. 13, 2023, 5:30pm Hylebos Room, City Hall-Federal Way
8. ADJOURN
Topic Action
or
Info
*Est.
Time
Presenter
A. Approval of Minutes (April and May) Action 5 Min All
B. Community Agreements Action 5 Min Chair Myers
C. Budget Info 10 min Sarah
D. ARPA Funding Updates Info. 10 Min Sarah
E. Community Safety Info 10 min Chair Myers
F. Community Listening Sessions Info. 15 Min Vice Chair Wallace
G. Commissions Involvement Subcommittee Action 10 Min C.I. Subcommittee
H. Community Engagement Info 10 min All
DIVERSITY COMMISSION
MINUTES
April 13, 2023
Diversity Commission April 13, 2023 Meeting Minutes Page 1
COMMISSION MEMBERS PRESENT:
Saudia Abdullah on Zoom at 5:50 p.m.
Allison Fine on Zoom at 5:34 p.m. left at 6:46
p.m.
Shante Lane on Zoom at 5:34 p.m.
Tracy Myers
Gin Hooks on Zoom at 5:34 p.m.
Tirzah Idahosa
COMMISSION MEMBERS ABSENT:
Shermoin Clardy
Trenise Rogers
Lisa Wallace
STAFF PRESENT: Brian Davis (City Administrator)
Victoria Banks (Administrative Assistant I)
CALL TO ORDER:
Meeting called to order at 5:34 p.m.
COMMISSIONER/STAFF INTRODUCTION:
Staff and Commissioners introduced themselves.
PUBLIC COMMENT (2 Minutes/person):
None.
COMMISSION BUSINESS:
Commissioner Myers motioned to add the Roger Freeman and MLK awards update to the Agenda and
Commissioner Idahosa seconded the motion. Motion carried 4-0, Commissioner Fine abstained.
A. Approval of Minutes (February and March):
Commissioner Hooks motioned to approve the February meeting minutes and Commissioner Fine
seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0.
Clarified from previous meeting that the Diversity Commission concluded that because of
conflict of interest, the Commission would not move forward with sponsoring Commissioner
Idahosa’s Juneteenth event at the PAEC.
Commissioner Myers motioned to amend the March meeting minutes, category F that the
Commission did decide not to sponsor the Juneteenth event being held by Commissioner Idahosa
and Commissioner Fine seconded the motion. Motion carried 3-0, Commissioner(s) Idahosa and
Hooks abstained.
DIVERSITY COMMISSION
MINUTES
April 13, 2023
Diversity Commission April 13, 2023 Meeting Minutes Page 2
Commissioner Hooks motioned to approve the March meeting minutes and Commissioner
Idahosa seconded the motion. Motion carried 4-0, Commissioner Idahosa abstained.
B. Community Agreements/Commissioner Engagement Agreements:
This document was created at the Commissioner’s Retreat for holding each other accountable and
how the interaction is with one another. There will be further discussions to agree upon how
future discussions will take place in a respectful and productive way for all parties involved.
C. Work Plan Update on Council Approval:
Staff member Brian presented, stating that the Work Plan’s movements are as follows: The
Council Committee, the Parks Committee, and then forwarded to the full Council for approval.
The discussion and deliberation were already had and the agreement was made to approve the
Work Plan.
In the March meeting minutes, the correction of this statement is as such, “Create a public-facing
calendar to highlight all community events” and change it to: “Create a public-facing calendar to
highlight community events.”
Commissioner Idahosa motioned to withdraw the word all from the March meeting minutes
reading as: “Create a public-facing calendar to highlight community events”
and Commissioner Fine seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0.
D. Roger Freeman and MLK Event Award(s) Update:
Staff member Brian presented that we are in the process of speaking with the recipients about
being presented at the Federal Way School District’s Board Meeting on May 9, 2023 at 6pm. If
there is a good number of recipients coming, the event would moved forward but if not a change
of plans would have to take place.
E. Commission Involvement Subcommittee:
Chair Myers presented a form created by Commissioner Hooks and added a few tweaks/revisions
with thinking of this form by adding number seven, being better served by another commission or
entity. The way this would work is example: A Commissioner wanted to bring an event/idea
consideration form, the subcommittee would receive it, using the Mission Statement, Community
Commitment, and a rubric would be created to guild on what needs to prioritized to bring onto the
agendas for further discussion and bring actions upon. Commissioner Hooks thought that this idea
was super-duper dope! Commissioner Hooks recommends “number seven not be a yes/no
question nor the question stating better served but instead it states another Commission that we
could partner with or to whom we could refer?” If there are opportunities to partner with other
commissions that might be a better service to the City and the residents. Also, this should be
accessible to the residents of the City to be able to recommendations as well. This form was
created to have anyone wanting an event or the Diversity Commission’s support in an area, for
the Commission to keep track of all those requests.
DIVERSITY COMMISSION
MINUTES
April 13, 2023
Diversity Commission April 13, 2023 Meeting Minutes Page 3
The subcommittee will come back together and create/add in new language and get it out in
advance to gather a vote from the Diversity Commissioners for the next meeting.
F. Subcommittee Clarifications:
Subcommittee members (Community Involvement Committee Members: Commissioners
Wallace, Idahosa, Hooks, and Myers) are meeting for the purpose of determining what the
Commission will be involved with, being apart of the process of bring that forward to the
Commission to make decisions around.
(Community Engagement Subcommittee Members: Commissioners Wallace, Idahosa, Hooks,
and Myers) writes letters to Council stating what the Community has brought forth to inform all
of what is happening in the community and what they are concerned about. Their duties are to
also plan the logistical part of Community Listening Sessions, including budget planning.
G. Federal Way Community Festival Update:
Commissioner Fine presented stating that there was a meeting with a part-time City
employee/Event Planner that has declined to be the Event Planner for the Festival. Staff member
Brian agreed to speak with other Event Planners. The vote was approved to have Commissioner
Fine to pay for the Festival Logo to be created but ended upon using the in-house Graphics
Department to come with the new Logo. The discussion to postpone the Festival from to 2023
and plan to have the Festival in 2024 to have more time for planning was had. The letters for
sponsors, vendors, and entertainers are being rewritten from 2018.
Commissioner Fine motioned to move the Community Festival of Federal Way to Summer 2024,
Commissioner Myers seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0.
H. Community Engagement:
Commissioner Idahosa presented stating that a link from an old notice was sent out at the end of
March 2023 from Human Services about the signing up for the ARPA program. A meeting was
held three days prior about the real ARPA Funds with some Technical Assistance. There was a
small amount of people that showed for the Technical Assistance help but no one from the
community that would have wanted to apply. After speaking with Staff member Sarah,
Commissioner Idahosa was given a flyer with limited understanding of what was meant by the
information on the flyer. One Technical Assistance meeting was sent up with no real technical
assistance given to show the community members how to access to the application, the
community complains about not having access. Extending the date of the ARPA application for
community members to sign up and have more meetings to help the community with
understanding of the process of the ARPA application. Suggestions for consider setting up a
Technical Assistance Seminar for future opportunities to help community members with a
consultant at no cost (for the publicity of it) but in everyday language. Staff member Brian and
Commissioner Idahosa are having a meeting next week (Tuesday, April 18th at 10:30 a.m.) to
discuss what has been done so far by the City and Commissioner Idahosa will bring her
suggestions for ways to improve or supplement what has already been done so together there is a
better process in the future and any other Commissioners are open to coming.
DIVERSITY COMMISSION
MINUTES
April 13, 2023
Diversity Commission April 13, 2023 Meeting Minutes Page 4
STAFF REPORT (10 minutes * if time permits/applicable):
Budget: Staff member Brian presented about the Commission budget, up until 2020 there was no funding
for the Festival formally known as Flavor only sponsorships that made it go. In 2020 there was a $5k
addition to the budget at the request of the Commission to the Council that was added, which has been an
added source of funding for this event for the last couple of years with 2022 being virtual. Revenue for
scholarships was not included nor the associated expenses. Additional revenue was added this year to aid
with the MLK event, which is not typical something that is received for the MLK Event. There was a
contribution for the Roger Freeman Scholarship of $2k that was given but was not included in expenses.
Future expenses to be seen for transparency purposes. A discussion was had to have someone be able to
receive the total budget to know where the Commission is with their budget.
Staff member Brian agrees to bring a clear budget in a way that most business people understand profit
and loss statement for the years 2018-2023 and a request for receipts for the MLK event was asked.
COMMISSIONER COMMENTS (15 min - 2 minutes/Commissioner):
None.
NEXT MEETING:
Regular Meeting May 11, 2023 at 5:30 p.m., Hylebos Conference Room, City Hall, Federal Way
ADJOURN:
The meeting adjourned at 7:38 p.m.
DIVERSITY COMMISSION
MINUTES
May 11, 2023
Diversity Commission May 11, 2023 Meeting Minutes Page 1
COMMISSION MEMBERS PRESENT:
Shante Lane on Zoom at 5:39 p.m.
Gin Hooks on Zoom at 5:30 p.m.
Tirzah Idahosa on Zoom at 5:35 p.m.
Trenise Rogers on Zoom at 5:31 p.m.
Lisa Wallace
COMMISSION MEMBERS ABSENT:
Saudia Abdullah
Shermoin Clardy
Allison Fine
Tracy Myers
STAFF PRESENT: Sarah Bridgeford (Human Services Manager)
Victoria Banks (Administrative Assistant I)
CALL TO ORDER:
Meeting called to order at 5:50 p.m. but due to technical difficulties with Commissioner Idahosa’s
reception the meeting did not meet quorum and the meeting adjourned at 5:54 p.m.
ADJOURN:
The meeting adjourned at 5:54 p.m.
1
Draft: Idea/ Event Consideration Form
The use of this document is to determine the issues (projects, events, topics) the Commission will
address and work on.
This is to be used for Commissioners to bring forth these issues. The Commission’s
Involvement Committee will use the rubric to determine next course of action. This may include
adding it to our monthly Commission’s meeting agenda, forwarding it to a subcommittee to
address, providing a resource, or tabling it for another time (these are examples and not an
exhaustive list). The Commission’s Involvement Subcommittee will keep track of these requests,
to ensure we are not losing sight of the issues brought forth. Issues that we do bring forth, will
be reviewed, and voted on at Commission meetings.
1.) Idea Description:
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
2.) Are there specific dates to be considered? If so, please indicate them below:
Examples: Date: 8/9/23 Re: Application Due / 8/25/23 Re: Hosting Special Event
● Date: ______________ Re: __________________________________________
● Date: ______________ Re: __________________________________________
● Date: ______________ Re: __________________________________________
● Date: ______________ Re: __________________________________________
3.) Purpose:
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
2
4.) In what ways does this idea connect to Diversity Commission’s mission statement?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
5.) In what ways does this idea connect to the Diversity Commission’s Workplan?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
6.) To which community entities do you want to reach out?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
7.) Would this be an opportunity to partner with or be addressed by another commission
or entity? If yes, which Commission or entity(ies)?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
3
8.) Notes (questions, requests, additional info to be considered, etc.):
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
4
Reference Sheet
Mission:
The purpose of the diversity commission is to advise the city council and city staff on policy
matters to ensure all members of our diverse community are part of the decision equation.
To enrich the lives of all people who live, work and play in Federal Way by advising and guiding
city government with an equity lens on policies, procedures, practices and current/emerging
issues.
Community Commitment:
To partner and serve as conduit to the community for City leadership with the goal to help
remove barriers and increase accessibility to City services for our diverse populations. To
collaborate with City leadership to eliminate all forms of discrimination intentional or non-
intentional and help diverse communities be an active part of city growth.
The Diversity Commission is dedicated to helping Federal Way become a city where all people
feel a sense of belonging and where there is equitable access to information and opportunities
for all.
Rubric:
Score each category from 1-5, 1 being the least fitting and 5 being the most fitting:
Aligned with our Workplan
Aligned with our Mission
Serving A Community Need (under resourced, underserved, barriers to access)
Capacity for Commission to take on
Urgency (timeline, vulnerable/marginalized, population, impact on life, emergency)
Total Score