Ukiah Municipal Code Art. 1A Equity and Diversity Standing Committee

There is hereby created a standing committee of the City Council known as the Equity and Diversity Standing Committee, which is an advisory body reporting to the City Council and to the City Manager and City department heads.

(Res. 2020-59, § 1, adopted 2020)

The Equity and Diversity Standing Committee ("Committee") shall consist of eleven (11) members. The members shall consist of two (2) members of the City Council and one member from each of nine (9) organizations in the City of Ukiah or the Ukiah Valley, including Redwood and Potter Valleys, which serve or represent: (A) persons with lived experience of poverty (currently or formerly living at or below the poverty level); (B) persons with physical or mental disabilities; (C) persons from the LGBTQA community; (D) Native American tribes and communities in Mendocino County; (E) persons from the Hispanic/Latino community; (F) persons of color; (G) persons whose primary language is not English; (H) youth twenty-one (21) years and younger; and (I) seniors sixty-five (65) years or older. In addition, Committee members must either reside or work in the City of Ukiah. Members shall be appointed by the City Council based on written applications submitted by deadlines established by the City Council and any oral interviews the City Council may elect to conduct.

(Res. 2020-59, § 2, adopted 2020)

A. Terms Of Office: All appointments to the Committee shall be for a term of two (2) years during which the member serves at the will and pleasure of the City Council. Appointments to fill vacancies during a term of office shall be filled as provided in section 1011 of this code. The person appointed shall serve for the remainder of the term of that vacancy. Members whose terms expire may be reappointed to serve subsequent terms.

B. Vacancies: Vacancies may occur as a result of the member's death or incapacity, resignation, no longer residing or working in the City, termination by the City Council with or without cause or failure of a member to attend three (3) meetings in any consecutive four (4) month period without the prior approval of the Committee.

(Res. 2020-59, § 3, adopted 2020)

The Committee has the following responsibilities:

A. To recommend for consideration by the City Council and City Manager written objectives to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion within the City workforce and in providing municipal services.

B. To recommend for adoption by the City Council and City Management a written action plan to achieve the written objectives, which includes processes and procedures to be used by the City to improve equity and diversity in the City workforce and in its delivery of municipal services.

C. To oversee the implementation of the action plan.

D. To provide an annual review and update to the City Council on the Committee's progress.

E. To propose revisions to the action plan as necessary.

(Res. 2020-59, § 4, adopted 2020)

The members of the Committee shall receive no compensation or reimbursement for expenses.

(Res. 2020-59, § 4, adopted 2020)

The Committee shall elect a presiding officer to preside at special and regular meetings. City staff assigned by the City Manager shall provide support services, including preparation and posting of agendas, preparing minutes, staff reports and other documents as required for the conduct of the Committee's business.

(Res. 2020-59, § 5, adopted 2020)

A. Brown Act: The Committee shall comply with the Brown Act. Upon the first appointment of its members, it shall establish a meeting date and time for regular meetings and a procedure for placing items on its agendas. Special meetings may be called by the Chairperson, City staff assigned to assist the Committee or by the Committee during a regular or special meeting.

B. Parliamentary Procedure: The Committee shall adopt any rules it considers necessary for the orderly conduct of its meetings which may, but are not required to, use all or any portion of Robert's Rules of Order or the City Council rules for conducting City Council meetings.

(Res. 2020-59, § 6, adopted 2020)