Minutes 01-23-2024 - Assembly of Governments

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9 Meaghun Darab asked if the nonprofit organizations that partner with the local governments will receive training. Anita Jones-McNair said training can be provided to stakeholders such as non-profits. Matt Hughes asked how school districts have been engaged in the tool and if they have provided feedback. He also said that Mebane joined GARE and asked if there has been outreach to them. Shenekia Weeks said that the schools have attended some of the meetings. She said she hopes the partnership will continue to grow. She said that Mebane has not been part of the program, but they are hopeful that they will become involved soon. Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if there are triggers that cause a change in policy or allocation of resources. Shenekia Weeks said that they look at goals and consider how they help inform those goals, both present and future. She said if there is a trend they want to reverse, they can make incremental changes in policies. She said there is not a threshold but there is a since of urgency and GARE calls attention to that. Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if they are looking at data annually. Shenekia Weeks said that the current data was from 2022. She said they review it as it comes in and they hope to update it next year. Chair Bedford asked what the pocket questions were and how they were used. Anita Jones-McNair said that they have five specific questions, and it is an abbreviated version of the lens. She said that they are trying to see racial impacts, a desired result, burden, and benefits. She said the lens is about seven pages of analysis, which means it is not easily used. She said they have been using the pocket questions for agenda items. She said then the R.E.A.L. goes forward. She said that it provides information and guidance that you might not think about. She said council members receive pocket questions for every item, and hopefully it helps them make decisions. Shenekia Weeks said they are using them informally and they are being used to normalize this way of thinking and include it in the fabric of the town. Chair Bedford asked if the department heads are using it during the meeting or if it varies. She asked what the R.E.A.L. is. Anita Jones-McNair said that the R.E.A.L. is actually the racial equity assessment lens. She said that the pocket questions and lens are two tools that can be used. Shenekia Weeks said that considering who is benefiting and who is burdened is not usually part of project management. She said implementing equity is not a quick process, but they want people to begin thinking about it. Paris Miller-Foushee said while they are doing this work, how can they also engage the for-profit industry. Shenekia Weeks said it was important to have the internal work done in Chapel Hill before they began asking other groups to participate. She said the town is at that point. Anita Jones-McNair said education about the issues is one of the first things that needs to be addressed. Camille Berry said they receive input from advisory boards. She asked how advisory boards would be included in the work. Shenekia Weeks said they could reach out to advisory boards again and begin the process. Anita Jones-McNair said they have provided training for advisory boards and commission members in Carrboro. She said that OWASA is also included in the One Orange coalition and hired their first ever DEI specialist. Commissioner Fowler asked who created the dashboard. She noted that some of the graphics were difficult to read and the use of circles did not always show information in an accurate way and that a graph would be a better display.