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20 <br /> Bonnie Hammersley said the department directors had REI groundwater training today <br /> and this included people on the budget team and those dealing with outside agencies. She said <br /> there isn't a deadline by when everyone needs to be trained and everyone may not be trained <br /> within a certain time, but there are resources to make sure that staff is trained when they need <br /> to be. She said it is something that staff is working on as a way of changing their decision- <br /> making processes and will be a key driver for 22-23 budget process. <br /> Commissioner Hamilton asked when the commissioners are going to be trained on this <br /> since they are the decision-makers in many ways, and they need to be part of it. She said that <br /> she is ready to be trained. <br /> Erica Bryant said that it would be a wonderful next step to have all elected boards <br /> trained. <br /> Commissioner Hamilton said it would be great to have training, but to also have <br /> documents available to follow that will allow them to think about the impacts as they make <br /> decisions, organize meetings, participate in the process more, etc. with racial equity in the <br /> focus. <br /> Chair Price said she previously also wondered about a timeline and when Annette <br /> Moore was leading the effort, she had a slightly different strategy and wanted to wait on training <br /> commissioners. She stated that now that the new co-leads are in place, things may be different <br /> and that she agrees with getting everyone trained and on the same page. She stated that this is <br /> an ongoing process and while there are some benchmarks, this must be ongoing and ever <br /> evolving. She stated that new employees will take the training and noted that those that leave <br /> or retire will leave a gap so their replacements will need training. She stated that there remains <br /> the question of deciding if the training will be a requirement. She said there is an incentive to <br /> receive training vs. a requirement to do so because people say they just do not want to. She <br /> said that in terms of trust, it is an ongoing process to gain people's trust since the United States <br /> was founded on racism. She said there have been hundreds of years of policies, laws, thinking <br /> and sentiments and it is going to take a long time to unravel that. She said one of the things we <br /> can do is look at the way planning and zoning is done. She said examining the question of why <br /> certain areas only allow single family homes on large tracts of land is a beginning. She said that <br /> other places are looking at their application forms to see if there are changes to be made. She <br /> stated that there are a lot of elements that go into this, but for tonight, the Board is being asked <br /> to approve the framework itself and make suggestions. <br /> Commissioner Bedford said it was impressive to use the toy chest event as an <br /> opportunity to engage the community. She stated that as a politician, the biggest struggle is <br /> how to hear from those from which you don't usually hear from. She stated that did not know <br /> there was an International Association on Community Engagement and Appendix C was very <br /> illuminating to her. She explained that many Board members have had different racial equity <br /> trainings over the years but training together, and with other boards in the towns, can get them <br /> all on the same page. She stated that she looks to Chair Price, Commissioner Hamilton, and <br /> Commissioner Richards to help guide her because of their lived experiences. She said she is <br /> thrilled that the advisory boards can also get equity training. She stated that the Partnership to <br /> End Homelessness did racial equity training. She said groups often get stuck because so <br /> much of government work is downstream and they do not often look upstream at how to <br /> actually apply it. She said it is almost overwhelming because it is so massive but that she is up <br /> for it and wants to make sure it is done thoughtfully. She stated that updates must continue so <br /> the work does not fall apart. <br /> Chair Price said it is more than just the initial training and that it will continue to grow. <br /> She stated that the steps — normalize, organize, and operationalize — ensure that participants <br /> learn about what's going on, start working in it, go out and do it, then pass it along. <br />