2019.01.22 WS Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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5 II. Council Directives The City Council passed a resolution on October 10, 2017 creating the Inclusive Community Task Force (resolution attached). Within that resolution were reasons for creating the Task Force, which the Task Force has used for the learning and research completed in 2018. The directives were: Identify Barriers; Cultivate Connection; Pursue Partnerships; Diverse Workforce and Housing; Public Space Welcome; and Examine the need for Inclusivity Commission. To get a grasp of the understanding the Task Force members had in regards to these directives a survey was completed by the group. The survey results assisted the Task Force in recognizing what each of the members knew about the directives and where future conversations could go based off of that knowledge. These survey results helped identify different community sectors that the Task Force members had access to and could utilize for learning. Sectors were then assigned to each of the members based on their connections, knowledge and familiarity of the community institution. These sectors included Public Safety, Parks and Recreation, Faith Communities, School Districts, nonprofit groups such as Community Partners in Youth (CPY) and Northeast Youth and Family Services. The Task Force members were tasked with learning from representatives of these groups how they do or do not feel welcome in New Brighton, what barrier or difficulties existed to participating fully in society and to learn generally how they feel being members of this community. Sectors Public Safety The New Brighton Department of Public Safety identified perception as the biggest barrier to operating effectively. The Department is active in ensuring that they work as a partner with the community through various events and proactive engagement. The Department has a Community Engagement Officer that spearheads these initiatives. However, due to the public narrative around policing there can be hesitancy to engage with officers due to perception. The Department will continue their engagement efforts to overcome negative perception. Staff from the Department of Public Safety encouraged the Task Force to report back on what the findings of the group were and how the Department of Public Safety can use such findings for their continued engagement efforts. Parks and Recreation Members of the Task Force met with representatives from the New Brighton Parks and Recreation Department also. The Task Force found that the Parks and Recreation Department offer numerous activities and events to many groups of people which create strong community interaction. It was found that Parks and Recreation has a multitude of different types of employees, many of whom only work part-time or seasonally. A challenge for the Department is ensuring that all of these employees are properly trained and knowledgeable on how to engage with people from all walks of life and communities. It was noted that the Parks and Recreation Department would like to partner with the Task Force on community events that promote inclusivity.