HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/28/2023 03. Discussion of Equity IssuesB US INE S S O F T HE C I T Y C O UNC I L
YAK I M A, WAS HING T O N
AG E ND A S TAT E M E NT
I tem No. 3.
F or Meeting of: February 28, 2023
I T E M T IT L E :Discussion of Equity I ssues
S UB M IT T E D B Y:Robert Harrison, City Manager
J oan Davenport, Community Development Director
S ara Watkins, City Attorney
S UM M ARY E X P L ANAT I O N:
P er Council’s wishes, equity issues is an agenda item at the upcoming Council Retreat. A ttached
please find materials related to the E quity Analysis done in 2017, the work done by the
Community I ntegration E xploratory Committee, a power point presentation (we will provide one in
color for you at the retreat) and additional information provided by Council Member Cousens.
I T E M B UD G E T E D:NA
S T RAT E G I C P RI O RI T Y:P ublic Trust and Accountability
AP P RO V E D F O R S UB M IT TAL B Y T HE C IT Y M ANAG E R
RE C O M M E ND AT I O N:
AT TAC HM E NT S :
Description Upload Date Type
Equity Study_Council Retreat_b/w 2/23/2023 Backup Material
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis_no Appendices 2/23/2023 Backup Material
10_17_2017 04Aii Final Report and Recommendation to
Council_CIEC_no Appendices 2/23/2023 Backup Material
equity framework leg handout 2/24/2023 Cover Memo
1
EQUITY STUDY
BACKGROUND STATUS NEXT STEPS
2
AGENDA
1. BACKGROUND: The 2017 Asset Inventory, analysis, and
recommendations from the WSU Metro Center.
2. STATUS: A few examples of work done since the WSU
Metro Center report.
3. NEXT STEPS: What steps can the City Council take to
continue the conversation?
3
In late 2016, the City Council created an exploratory committee
to evaluate community integration. The exploratory committee
provided a report to Council with its recommendations in
October of 2017.
In 2017, the City Council commissioned WSU Metro Center to
create a report regarding equity in Yakima based on specific
factors provided by Council, and the assets WSU inventoried as
part of the project. WSU provided its report in November of 2017.
BACKGROUND
4
COMMUNITY
INTEGRATION
EXPLORATORY
COMMITTEE
FINDINGS
The Community Integration Exploratory Committee met
over the course of a year and was tasked with advising the
City Council on ways to improve community engagement
and giving a voice to all Yakima residents—and to make a
recommendation about a permanent committee and its
objectives. The committee identified the following
approaches and to make permanent the Committee:
1. Integration Lens on Policy Making.
Evaluate Council policies and actions with an eye
to equity and accessibility.
2. Sense of Belonging/Civic Pride.
Elevate the sense of belonging and civic pride in
Yakima’s neighborhoods through increased
engagement, facilitated in part by the committee.
3. Community Outreach and Education.
Broaden and diversify outreach, including
facilitating neighborhood forums, to maximize
participation and awareness.
4. Cultural Competency Training.
5
EQUITY REPORT
FINDINGS
WSU was charged by the City Council with inventorying
specific current City assets and comparing that data across
demographic variables and the geographical dividing line of
16th Avenue. As stated in the analysis: “City Council approved
this analysis… with the intention of using it as a tool to move
forward, and to inform data driven decisions to benefit the
city.” With that in mind, WSU made the following conclusions
and recommendations:
1. Yakima has both the staff and systems to support the use of
data as a tool for decision making. The City can determine
any additional data to collect based on the questions the
City wants to address in the future.
2. Yakima may want to develop criteria for making decisions
that include equity (an Equity Lens), to help ensure that
planning, decision making and resource allocation lead to
policies and programs that help to achieve equity.
3. In making equitable decisions, there should be authentic
community and stakeholder engagement.
6
STATUS
Since the Equity Analysis and Exploratory Committee
Report the City has taken a number of actions that align
with the recommendations in those documents.
7
ACTIONS
SINCE THE 2017
REPORTS
After the 2017 reports City Council and staff took a number of
actions to start working the reports’ findings and conclusions
into City processes. Some of those actions include:
•The City Council created a permanent Community
Integration Committee and tasked it with
•City Staff reviewed and confirmed that Yak Back, a
powerful data tool referenced in the WSU report, was
accessible in English and Spanish.
•The City and its consultant, Berk, included equity concepts
and information in the “We Are Yakima” City of Yakima
Comprehensive Plan.
•The Community Integration Committee reviewed the
process for requesting traffic calming devices be placed
on neighborhood streets, providing valuable input on
equity issues.
•The Planning Division changed its forms so that notices for
public comment from the department are sent in both
English and Spanish.
•The Community Integration Committee reviewed the
Senior and Disabled Home Renovation Program and
provided suggestions on making it more equitable.
8
NEXT STEPS
How can City Staff help the Council further
implement equitable strategies into the Council’s
policies and decisions?
9
IDEAS,
THOUGHTS,
POSSIBILITIES
The City Council is tasked with determining the policy goals
associated with equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility,
and City staff looks forward to working with Council to do so.
To that end, City staff has some possible items to be discussed
at a future study session devoted to equity:
•Developing an Equity Vision Statement specific to the City of
Yakima
•Bringing to the City speakers and trainers addressing diversity,
equity, inclusion and accessibility for Council, Staff and
Committee members
•Evaluating other cities’ structures to address diversity, equity,
inclusion and accessibility in it’s everyday practices per
Council vision
•Land acknowledgement adoption, and the City recognition
of important heritage months, dates, and events
The Council’s equity vision should be shared and explained to
staff and committees so that it is used consistently throughout
City decision-making, action, and administration of the day-to-
day activities of the City.
10
ACTION ITEM
If the Council wishes to continue this
conversation, it should move to set a study
session devoted to equity policies and
strategies.
11
City of Yakima
Equity Study Analysis
Conducted by the WSU Metropolitan Center for
Applied Research & Extension
Draft Final Report, Revised
November 9, 2017
The Metropolitan Center for
Applied Research & Extension
WSU Everett
915 N. Broadway
Everett, WA 98201
206-219-2426
http://metrocenter.wsu.edu
12
13
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
November 2017
Contents
Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................... 3
Scope of Work ........................................................................................................................................... 7
16th Avenue – demographics over time .................................................................................................... 8
Task 1, Part A: Summary of the City of Yakima’s Data Collection Methods ........................................... 11
Terminology ........................................................................................................................................ 11
Methods .............................................................................................................................................. 11
Findings ............................................................................................................................................... 11
Public Safety Calls for Service ......................................................................................................... 11
Streetlights ...................................................................................................................................... 12
Code Compliance Requests ............................................................................................................. 12
Parks ................................................................................................................................................ 13
Transit ............................................................................................................................................. 13
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................... 14
Task 1 Part B: Process and Accuracy Audit Site Visit .............................................................................. 14
Methods .............................................................................................................................................. 14
Findings ............................................................................................................................................... 15
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................... 16
Task 2 Part A: Data Quality and Limitations............................................................................................ 16
Task 2 Part B: Confirm the input and output variables for the analysis ................................................. 17
Methods .............................................................................................................................................. 17
Task 2 Part C: Statistical Analysis ............................................................................................................ 18
Methods .............................................................................................................................................. 18
Results: Analysis of Historical Data - Parks ......................................................................................... 18
Results summary - parks ..................................................................................................................... 25
Results: Analysis of Current Data ........................................................................................................ 25
Police Department calls for service ................................................................................................ 25
Fire Department calls for service .................................................................................................... 28
Streetlights ...................................................................................................................................... 30
Code compliance requests .............................................................................................................. 32
Transit ridership .............................................................................................................................. 34
Bus stop benches ............................................................................................................................ 37
Bus stop shelters ............................................................................................................................. 40
Conclusion and Recommendations ........................................................................................................ 42
About the Metro Center ......................................................................................................................... 45
14
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
2
November 2017
Appendices .............................................................................................................................................. 46
Appendix A – Complete City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis ........................................................... 47
Appendix B – City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Task 1 Report .................................................. 48
Appendix C – Project Proposal ............................................................................................................ 62
Appendix D – Demographic Variables Over Time ............................................................................... 53
Appendix E – Summary of Accuracy Audit Findings............................................................................ 65
15
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
3
November 2017
Executive Summary
Washington State University’s Metropolitan Center for Applied Research and Extension (Metro Center)
was contracted by the City of Yakima to conduct of an analysis of a specified range of variables using
data compiled for the City of Yakima’s Equity Study. This report presents the principal findings from the
analysis (Appendix A – Complete City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis) and an overview of the city’s
methods for collecting, storing and sharing that information. This analysis of the Equity Study data is one
of a “series of actions the Yakima City Council has taken to address equitable distribution of resources
throughout the City of Yakima related to social, racial and economic benefits”
(https://www.yakimawa.gov/council/equity-study/ ).
On June 6, 2017, the Metro Center met with Yakima City Council members on the Neighborhood and
Community Building Committee: Chair Dulce Gutiérez, Carmen Méndez and Avina Gutiérez, to clarify
the scope of work, define the specific variables and geographic dividing line to be analyzed, and the
overall intent of the study. Data used in the analysis came from existing sources, including data collected
by the city and census data. The Metro Center was not contracted to collect additional data for this
analysis.
This report includes characterization and analysis of data sets specified in the scope of work which
follows, and provided to the Metro Center by city staff:
• Public safety calls for service
• Streetlights
• Code compliance requests
• Parks (excluding privately funded parks, or those that charge for use)
• Transit ridership, shelters, benches
These data were compared across demographic variables obtained from U.S. Census Bureau and the
geographical dividing line of 16th Avenue. In addition to examining the applicability of the data for the
purposes of the Equity Study, the Metro Center team also documented the methods of collection,
storage, and sharing of these data between departments.
On September 15, 2017 the Metro Center submitted an initial report (Appendix B – City of Yakima Equity
Study Analysis – Task 1 Report) which concluded that City of Yakima has a professional and appropriate
process for collecting, storing, and analyzing data, and a staff knowledgeable in the data infrastructure.
Additionally, the data is recorded and handled in a reasonable and professional manner for its original
intent: to support the city's geospatial data and land use planning.
However, our examination revealed that while most of data sets assessed in this contract were
developed using best practices, and are a professionally appropriate resource for the operations of their
associated departments, with the exception of the Parks and Recreation and Parcel data, the data did
not include date attributes. For example, the data indicated the presence of a streetlight, but did not
indicate the date it was installed. As a result, while the data are appropriate for their designated use in
city asset management, they could not be used to evaluate budgetary decisions and resource allocation
over time, making it difficult to use the data to address the equitable distribution of resources
throughout the city. The specific details of the utility of the data, and a summary of the analysis of the
data sets, appear in the body of this report.
16
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
4
November 2017
Findings and Recommendations
Demographic Change over Time
The City of Yakima has undergone many changes since it was incorporated in 1883. Yakima’s population
has become more diverse, more educated, and median family incomes have risen (Appendix C –
Demographic Variables Over Time). However, although social conditions in Yakima improved overall,
they have not been shared by all residents as demonstrated by the ethnic segregation marked by 16th
Avenue:
• The proportion of residents who are of Hispanic origin has increased at a greater rate on the
east side.
• Median family incomes have increased at a greater rate on the west side.
• College graduation rates have increased on the west side and decreased on the east side.
• The proportion of youth has increased over time on the east side. Whereas the number of
seniors has steadily decreased on the east side and steadily increased on the west side over the
same period.
City of Yakima’s Data Collection Methods
Our analysis suggests the City of Yakima has a professional and appropriate process for collecting,
storing, and analyzing data, and a staff knowledgeable in the data infrastructure. We found no major
sources of explicit bias in the collection, handling or storing of data. However, we did find several
opportunities to improve data quality and quantity related to equity analysis
• Develop the Yak Back application in Spanish to meet the needs of more residents
• Develop an anonymous way to determine the status of Yak Back complaints to eliminate
duplicate complaints and illustrate the city’s responsiveness
• Create a system to allow residents to request additional street lights
• Create criteria for prioritizing code compliance requests, including those that do not threaten
public safety.
• Creating a formal system of reporting the conditions of bus benches and shelters
• Add the condition of park amenities to the data currently collected
Process and Accuracy Audit Site Visit
Our team was able to confirm the accuracy of the parks data provided for the Equity Study. Using the
parks data as an indicator of overall quality, and in combination with the assessment of data collection
methods, we can infer the general reliability of the city’s data. We also identified the opportunity to
provide park improvements with an increased emphasis on equitable distribution of parks and
amenities.
• Add qualitative data (condition of amenities) to supplement the quantitative data (existence of
an amenity)
• Develop a set of criteria for prioritizing park improvements that include indicators of equity, in
addition to the current practice of informing service organizations of planned capital
improvements
• Provide the prioritized list, and suggestions, to private entities seeking to fund park
improvements
• Develop a policy whereby the city keeps a percentage of private contributions for parks to
support park improvements and amenities across the city.
Statistical Analysis of Historical Data – Parks
Parks were the only data that included an attribute storing the year of establishment, allowing for an
analysis from 1980-2015. Much of the data needs to be considered in historical terms; the east side was
developed earlier, following typical pre-WWII patterns (smaller parcels on regular street-blocks),
17
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
5
November 2017
whereas the west side was more recently developed, with more suburban forms (larger parcels, some
irregular street patterns). More recent developments often include parks as formal design elements,
whereas older developments frequently did not include similar land set aside for parks.
• When stratified by 16th Avenue, it appears that far more persons on the east side reside within
¼-mile of parks than on the west side
• While many demographic variables showed little change over the years, it appears that within
the ¼-mile area around parks, there were lowering proportions of persons of Hispanic origin,
younger and older persons, married persons, and home owners.
• Some notable trends are the decrease in the number of persons residing within 1/4 mile of a
park on the east side, and an increase on the west side; a drop in younger persons within buffers
on the east side; and changes in the proportion of Hispanics that seem to mirror general
demographic shifts over time.
Statistical Analysis of Current Data
Most of the GIS data sets were not encoded for longitudinal analysis (that is, the features in the GIS do
not contain attributes representing the time at which the real-world features were
created/installed/developed). Therefore, analyses for specific data sets were restricted to examination
of current features and data sets with respect to current demographic data. These data sets therefore
represent a benchmark more than allowing for analysis. No regression trend lines were added to the
graphs, and formal statistical tests were performed due to the small sample size; due to the small
sample size, trend lines are easily leveraged by outlier points, and correlation coefficients and p-values
are unstable. Findings include:
• Police department calls for service
○ The tracts with the greatest number of per-capita calls were on the east side, but there
appeared to be no association between demographic characteristics and counts of calls
per capita.
• Fire department calls for service
○ There is no consistent trend of more calls coming from tracts with differential income,
percent of residents of Hispanic origin, or renters
• Street lights
○ There appears to be no general association between streetlight density and
demographic variables that cannot be explained by basic principles of urban form and
historical development.
• Code compliance requests
○ Code compliance requests per capita appear to occur in greater numbers on the east
side
○ The data do not indicate whether the resident who submitted the code compliance
request is a neighbor, landlord, or someone who is just driving by. Therefore, the origin
of the request cannot be directly ascribed to any difference in services provided.
○ The data did not include any consistent record-level information on either status or date
of resolution, it is not possible in this analysis to make any conclusions on questions of
equity related to how the City responds to such requests.
• Transit ridership
○ Patterns in transit ridership are similar to those of streetlights, and are likely due to
similar underlying urban characteristics.
○ There is also slightly higher ridership in tracts containing lower proportions of persons
under 18 years of age, pointing to a potential mismatch between level of service and
need
18
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
6
November 2017
○ The patterns of bus stop bench density are similar to those of transit ridership, likely
indicating that benches and shelters are placed in locations with greater ridership.
○ Bus stop bench density appears to be higher in tracts with lower proportions of persons
65 years or older on the east side.
Conclusion and Additional Recommendations
Over the course of this project the Metro Center found that the city is doing professional work in the
development and management of the various data sets under their purview, gathered for specific
purposes related to city and department management. The data sets are useful for their original
purpose but, as this analysis has shown, the data sets within the scope of this study cannot adequately
provide an assessment of whether city resources have been equitably distributed. While this
determination cannot be made, we believe that information in this analysis, and the act of engaging in
this analysis, can prove valuable to the city.
City Council approved this analysis of the Equity Study data with the intention of using it as a tool to
move forward, and to inform data driven decisions to benefit the city. Data driven decisions cannot be
made without reliable data and proper systems for handling them. Our study concluded that Yakima has
both the staff and the systems to support the use of data as a powerful tool for decision making, and
data that can be used as an initial conditions statement and a base upon which to build. This is a
tremendous asset for the city. The city can now determine what additional data it needs to collect - date
and time attributes, for example – based on the questions the city wants to address in the future.
We provide the additional recommendations to assist the city:
• In order to look forward, the city may benefit from also examining its history and the current
conditions that evolved from typical patterns of growth.
• As a reference for understanding the forces leading to modern inequities in the City of Yakima, it
may be useful to place Yakima in the larger context of other cities across America that are facing
similar situations.
• Many cities, large and small, have developed criteria for making decisions that include equity,
typically called an Equity Lens. An Equity Lens is a practical tool to help insure that planning,
decision making and resource allocation lead to policies and programs that help to achieve
equity across the community, racially, socially and economically
• To evaluate progress toward equity, each city determines what it should measure. Hence, the
value of a reliable system of collecting and managing data, which this study concluded the city
possesses, becomes critically important.
• A cornerstone of equitable decision making is authentic community and stakeholder
engagement. It, too, is a process that requires care and commitment to insure that engagement
sparks lively civil discourse without resulting in acrimony and deep divisions.
19
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
7
November 2017
Scope of Work
The Metro Center’s Scope of Work consisted of the two tasks listed below, as specified by the City
Council. The findings of this report are organized by these tasks. The complete project proposal is found
in Appendix D – Project Proposal.
Task 1: Validate Equity Study data
Methods
Confirm with City Council up to 6 data sets identified in Task 2 B, excluding US Census Bureau data, to
assess the validity of those data. For each data set selected we will conduct, as appropriate:
A. A process audit by interviewing City staff and reviewing documents associated with how these
data were collected, compiled, summarized, and made accessible to the public.
B. An accuracy audit of the data by randomly selecting a representative sample of data points, and
independently determining the accuracy through direct observations.
Task 2: Analyze existing Equity Study data to assess the geographic distribution of public
resources and funds (e.g. city, State, or Federal)
Methods
A. Assess the quality of the data to understand any qualitative concerns and limitations that would
impact data analysis or interpretation (i.e. period of time collected, geographically resolution of
the data, etc.).
B. Confirm the input and output variables for the analysis, and the geographical dividing line. Initial
request included the following 6 data sets, upon which this estimate is based:
• Input variable:
o Demographics, to include income, race, education level, marital status, home
owner or renter, property value and age
• Output variables:
o Public safety calls for service (location, response time)
o Streetlights
o Code compliance requests
o Parks (exempt parks that are privately funded or charge for use)
o Transit ridership, shelters, benches
• Geographical dividing line
o 16th Avenue
C. Perform the appropriate statistical analyses to assess any relationships amongst the input and
output (i.e. response) variables.
20
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
8
November 2017
16th Avenue – demographics over time
The City of Yakima has undergone many changes since it was incorporated in 1883. Economic and
demographic transitions, as well as geographic changes have been ongoing for the City as it adapts to
regional, and national influences. In the past thirty-five years, Yakima’s population has become more
diverse, more educated, and median family incomes have risen (Appendix C – Demographic Variables
Over Time). However, although social conditions in Yakima improved overall, they have not been shared
by all residents as demonstrated by the ethnic segregation marked by 16th Avenue. The following four
sets of graphs in particular show the different trends that residents in eastern versus western Yakima
have experienced between 1980 and 2015. These figures show the significance of the dividing line of
16th Avenue, which was identified by the City Council as a demarcation line for this project.
Figure 1 shows that the proportion of residents who are of Hispanic origin has increased at a greater
rate on the east side; Figure 2 shows that median family incomes have increased at a greater rate on the
west side, and Figure 3 shows increasing college graduation rates on the west side and decreasing rates
on the east side. Figure 4 shows dramatic changes in age profiles; the proportion of youth has increased
over time on the east side, particularly from 2000 onward. Whereas the number of seniors has steadily
decreased on the east side and steadily increased on the west side over the same period.
Figure 1: Percent Hispanic, east and west of 16th Avenue
21
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
9
November 2017
Figure 2: Median family income, east and west of 16th Avenue
Figure 3: Percent of residents who are college graduates, east and west of 16th Avenue
22
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
10
November 2017
Figure 4: Percent of residents by age (< 18, left; ≥, right), east and west of 16th Avenue
23
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
11
November 2017
Task 1, Part A: Summary of the City of Yakima’s Data Collection Methods
This section provides an overview of the methods used by City of Yakima employees to collect, store and
share data for five city-provided data sets: public safety calls for service, streetlights, code compliance
requests, parks, and transit (ridership, benches, and shelters).
Terminology
Throughout this report the following terms: equity, equality and bias will be used. As it relates to the
scope of work of this project, the following definitions will be used.
• Equality – an equal service level regardless of need.
• Equity – a service level appropriate to need, regardless of the absolute amount of service.
• Bias – intentional or unintentional (systematic) treatment or distortion of either equity or
equality in favor of or against one group as compared with another
Methods
After receiving portions of the data and conducting an initial review, the Metro Center team met by
phone with City Manager Cliff Moore, Community Development Director Joan Davenport, and city staff
to clarify the intent of some portions of Task 1 of the Scope of Work, and to make sure there was an
understanding of the city’s interest in positive strategies for the future. Through this discussion we came
to understand that the language of the scope required clarification. Task 1 “Validate Equity Study data”
means something different in the academic realm and the applied real-world one. A technical data
validation process would be overly statistical, particularly with a “representative sample of data points”
across the various datasets, and would be both prohibitively expensive and, most important, would not
achieve the city’s objectives. Instead, we decided that we needed to know if the city’s data are being
collected and recorded in appropriate ways (Task 1, part A), and whether it is useful to the current
analysis (Task 1, part B). Then, as appropriate, we would check for accuracy of the acceptable data by
ground-truthing through site visits (Task 1, part B) to complete Task 1.
For our process audit we reached out to city staff in multiple departments to learn about the internal
processes used to gather, compile, and store data for the Yakima Equity Study. Staff were uniformly
open and helpful in sharing with us their processes for data collection and handling, as well as the data
itself.
The Metro Center team contacted the City of Yakima’s Supervising Senior Analyst, Tom Sellsted, to
obtain the five datasets of interest. After reviewing the data available, a Metro Center team member
spoke with Tom Sellsted and Jill Ballard to discuss the methods used to collect and display datasets in
the Equity Study’s ArcMap Online Story Maps
(https://yakima.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=edb33521fed7400e839ae1b1e7a
d3fcc). Mr. Sellsted also provided the Metro Center team with contact information for the city data
steward(s) of each of the five datasets, and the team scheduled one-hour phone calls with each data
steward. During these calls we asked questions to identify and clarify our understanding of the methods
used to collect the data used in the Equity Study. We took detailed notes during the call and, in some
cases, followed up with additional emails or calls for clarification.
Findings
Public Safety Calls for Service
Public safety calls for Yakima Fire and Police services are recorded by the 9-1-1 dispatch center operated
by Yakima County’s Suncomm, which operates county-wide. When a call is received by Suncomm, the
call taker confirms the physical address and inputs it into a database shared with city staff. As call takers
24
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
12
November 2017
continue gathering more information from callers, a dispatcher simultaneously contacts the appropriate
agency to provide services to the caller. The location, type of response, services provided, and
department providing the services are all recorded in real time. Because this information is being input
directly into a database shared with the City of Yakima, current data on public safety calls for service are
continuously being recorded. This is the method used to record all calls received by Suncomm, from all
City of Yakima locations, and for all types of service needs. Data for the Fire Department and Police
Department calls for service are both recorded in the same way.
The data displayed in the story maps of the City of Yakima’s Equity Study is populated by the data in the
database shared by Suncomm and the City of Yakima. A programming code (using Python, the same
coding language used by ArcMap, a geographic information system software) collects the real-time data
being input into the database by Suncomm call takers, and displays it on the Equity Study story map.
Although the story maps only display the most recent month of data, Suncomm has been recording data
for Public Safety Calls for Service in a way that can be displayed on GIS maps since 2012. Calls that are
made directly to the Yakima Police Department are manually added to the database shared by the City
of Yakima and Suncomm. This is also the case for service requests from walk-in visitors to the Police
Department offices.
Streetlights
Digital maps of streetlight locations were developed over 15 years ago, and display the current locations
of streetlights throughout the City of Yakima. At that time satellite photography was analyzed to identify
and geolocate streetlights within the city. Since then, the digital maps have been updated as needed to
show the addition of new streetlights, or the acquisition of streetlights formerly owned by Pacific Power.
The Public Works Department identifies damaged or non-functioning streetlights in two ways. The first
way from phone calls and submissions on Yak Back (the city’s web application to report potholes,
graffiti, etc.) from residents who observe a streetlight that needs repair. There is no documentation of
how many residents call rather than use the Yak Back application. The second way that staff identify
streetlights that need maintenance is by driving along portions of the City of Yakima street grid after
dark between November and March. Starting with main arterials, and streets around schools, and
working their way along the grid to residential streets, Public Works staff identify whether the
streetlights are functioning. In this way, all streetlights are assessed for maintenance by City staff
annually. In 2017 the Public Works Department is overseeing the installation of LED light bulbs in all of
the City’s streetlights. During this upgrade process the GIS locational data is being updated and revised.
Residents can request a new streetlight be added to their street by contacting the City. Those requests
are prioritized by the City’s transportation engineers, who review crime statistic data, the cost of
installation, and the length of time a request has been on the list. The target for the spacing of
streetlights is between 200 and 250 feet, but can be as far as 400 feet apart, depending on the
dispersion of the light by a given streetlight.
Code Compliance Requests
Data used in the Equity Study to show the locations and type of code compliance request are recorded
by the Yak Back web application. Only complaints made by the Yak Back web application are displayed
on the Equity Study story maps; those data do not reflect the code compliance requests made by phone,
or those initiated by Yakima Code Compliance Officers or other City staff.
25
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
13
November 2017
When Code Compliance Officers receive code compliance requests, from either the Yak Back
application, phone calls, or from other city departments, that information is entered into the
SMARTGOV database used by the Code Administration Division. Because the code compliance cases
managed in SMARTGOV do not have a method for tagging whether a case was submitted by Yak Back or
other means, it is not clear how many cases are initiated by phone versus Yak Back. However, city staff
report that requests submitted via Yak Back make up the majority of requests. Yak Back provides an
anonymous means of contacting the City and can be used by anyone with internet access. However, Yak
Back is only available in English, and no other languages spoken by City residents. Both of these
characteristics are potential limitations to this type of request system.
After a code compliance request is made and a case is opened by Code Compliance Officers in
SMARTGOV, the officers update the information related to the case on a daily basis until the case has
been resolved. When resolved, cases are marked as “closed” in the SMARTGOV database, and no longer
receive updates unless re-opened. In this way, up-to-date information on the progress of code
compliance requests is available to city staff, and can be used to develop GIS maps as needed. The code
compliance data used for this analysis is a complete dataset from the year 2015.
Code Compliance Officers prioritize their responses to code compliance requests based on the degree to
which the case threatens public safety. There is no formal criteria to prioritization decisions made by the
officers, this is left to their judgment.
Parks
The Yakima parks inventory is updated in every Comprehensive Plan cycle. During Comprehensive Plan
updates, the Yakima Parks and Recreation department (YPR) surveys the parks and their amenities,
takes note of needed improvements, and assesses current conditions. The updated inventory of parks
and their amenities is then compiled by YPR into a report, which is shared with the data analysts who
created the online Equity Study maps. The data analysts translate the parks data into GIS format, and
develop ArcGIS maps with attribute tables that describe information about each park, such as Capital
Improvement Plan spending, types of amenities, and completed projects. However, details about the
condition of the amenities are not recorded.
Transit (Ridership, and shelters/benches)
Transit ridership in the City of Yakima is recorded by the bus drivers themselves by entering rider
information into an application on an iPad. Drivers enter rider information including the method of
payment and the number of passengers entering. The iPads on city buses run a JavaScript application
that submits data to a database shared by Yakima Transit and the city GIS analysts. These data were
used to populate Equity Study maps with ridership information as soon as it is recorded. There is no
alteration or editing of the data between when they are taken from the recordings of the bus drivers
and uploaded onto the Equity Study maps.
In the event of failure of an iPad or the network, manual devices for counting ridership are also available
to bus drivers. These manually recorded data are later entered into the database by Transit staff to
maintain accurate ridership data.
The transit benches and shelter location data are the product of annual inventory surveys that Yakima
Transit conduct. The GIS data are also updated to reflect the removal or addition of benches and
shelters between annual surveys. The condition of benches and shelters is informally observed both by
riders and bus drivers, who typically notify Yakima Transit maintenance crews if a bench or shelter is
26
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
14
November 2017
damaged or needs maintenance. By creating a formal system of reporting, the possibility of bias would
be diminished.
Residents or Yakima Transit employees can suggest the placement of a bench or shelter. The criteria for
approving the addition of a bench or shelter focus primarily on the availability of space in the public
right of way and condition of the sidewalk, as well as the volume of riders who use that bus stop.
Conclusion
Our analysis suggests the City of Yakima has a professional and appropriate process for collecting,
storing, and analyzing data, and a staff knowledgeable in the data infrastructure. We found no major
sources of explicit bias in the collection, handling or storing of data. Additionally, most of the data is
recorded and handled in a reasonable and professional manner for its original intent: to support the
city's geospatial data and land use planning. We note that the city’s GIS architecture has been developed
over more than 30 years, a positive quality which means that the city has a mature system in place.
Task 1 Part B: Process and Accuracy Audit Site Visit
To complete the accuracy audit described in Task 1, part B, the Metro Center team reviewed the Yakima
Parks and Recreation (YPR) parks data. This data set was selected in part because of its general
applicability to the City’s Equity Study, specifically the ability to track parks over time. The accuracy audit
was conducted to verify by ground truthing the parks data provided by YPR, and to further assess
differences in parks on either side of 16th Avenue that may not be recorded, or obvious, in the data. It
should be noted that privately funded parks were included in this process and accuracy audit as a
possible point of comparison and provide a more comprehensive assessment however, per the scope of
work, privately funded parks are not included in the statistical analysis.
On September 12th, two members of the Metro Center team visited the City of Yakima. During this visit,
the team members were accompanied by Yakima Parks and Recreation staff, who provided information
and support. The objective of the visit was to review a sample of ten parks within the City to assess the
accuracy of the parks data provided to the Yakima City Council for use in the Equity Study. This section
details our methods and findings.
Methods
The WSU team developed a set of criteria for selecting which parks to visit and perform direct
observations. The purpose of these direct observations was the confirmation of the amenities that are
listed in the parks data, and to compare the accuracy of the data on either side of 16th Avenue. The
following criteria were used to select ten parks for onsite observation:
• Geographic Location: Select parks that are entirely located on either the west or east side of
16th Avenue, and do not span across that dividing line.
○ For eight parks: select only parks that have not received funding from private donations
○ For contrast, select two additional parks, one on each side of 16th, that were built using
private donations
• Data Enumeration or Completeness: select parks for which data was not richly recorded and
amenities enumerated, to possibly provide the Yakima Parks Department with a more complete
inventory. This would include for example:
○ Counts of amenities rather than binary observation of presence vs. absence of an
amenity
27
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
15
November 2017
○ Presence of parking lots
○ ADA parking compliance
• Variability: Select parks with different types of amenities (fields, usage type, bathrooms, courts,
etc.) as well as variations in size and age of park.
• Amenities: Parks in our sample were selected in pairs, one on the east side of 16th and one on
the west side that have the same type of amenity, and could have their condition and quality
assessed and directly compared.
Ken Wilkinson, Yakima Parks and Recreation Manager, and Jenise Sanders, Parks and Recreation
Administrative Assistant, showed the Metro Center team each park and answered questions pertaining
to the current information for parks, and the history of park development. During the visits to each park
the Metro Center team members walked through the park, and recording notes on data collection
sheets. The team members paid specific attention to the amenity that was selected for comparison (e.g.,
horseshoe pits at both Milroy Park and West Valley Community Park). Additionally, the Metro Center
team members took photographs of the parks and the built environment of the surrounding
neighborhood. Table 1 shows the complete list of the parks visited. Appendix E – Summary of Accuracy
Audit Findings shows a summary of findings at each park.
Table 1: Summary of parks visited, and the amenities of interest
Side of
16th
Council
District
Park Name Amenity Comparison
E 1 McGuinness Picnic Shelters
W 3 Emil Kissel Picnic shelters
E 2 South 2nd St Open space
W 6 Gilbert Park Open Space
E 1 Milroy Park Horseshoe pits
W 7 West Valley Community park Horseshoe pits
E 2 Yakima Arboretum Arboretum (landscape,
maintenance)
W 3 Fisher golf course Golf course (landscape,
maintenance)
E 2 Kiwanis park (private funding) Recreation facilities - baseball fields
W 4 Franklin Park (private
funding) Recreation facilities - Pool
Findings
The direct observations of the selected parks confirmed the accuracy of the documentation of the
amenities, approximate size, and location of the parks. Appendix B provides a summary of the audit
findings. While these data might be used for the Equity Study, there are observable differences in the
age and size of amenities between parks that are not described by the data. For example, while both
McGuinness Park and Emil Kissel Park each have one picnic shelter, the available data does not describe
28
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
16
November 2017
the size, age, or condition of each picnic shelter. By adding qualitative data to supplement the
quantitative, primarily binary data, the Equity Study can be better informed about the conditions that
residents in Yakima experience.
It is clear from the YPR parks data and conversations with staff that a portion of the improvements to
Yakima’s parks have been made possible by contributions from several non-profit and service
organizations. Those improvements also do not appear to have been made with any intentional
geographic bias, and the city benefits from the generosity of those organizations. However, those
contributions have been accepted by City of Yakima without prioritization for which projects are to be
completed.
This means that improvements to parks by donation throughout the City have been made based on the
interest of the group providing the donations, and has not been intentionally directed to provide
improvements based on some equity criteria. Importantly, this finding provides an excellent opportunity
to move forward with future allocation decisions that increase the equitable distribution of parks
amenities. One essential component to realizing this opportunity is the development of prioritization
criteria for determining the order in which parks receive funding for improvements (from both public,
and private sources). Including meaningful considerations of equity in these prioritization criteria
provides the YPR with a valuable tool for guiding the donations and volunteer efforts of Yakima’s highly
engaged service organizations.
Conclusion
Given that the parks data can be analyzed to show its relationship between demographic “input”
variables over time, it is likely the only directly applicable dataset of the five “output” variables provided
to the Metro Center team. This was an important factor in choosing parks as the dataset for which to
conduct an accuracy audit. By making direct observations at ten parks with the assistance of Yakima
Parks and Recreation staff, the Metro Center team has been able to confirm the accuracy of the parks
data provided for the Equity Study. Using the parks data as an indicator of overall quality, and in
combination with the assessment of data collection methods in the previous section, we can infer the
general reliability of the City of Yakima’s data.
Although intention bias was not observable, we identified the opportunity to provide park
improvements with an increased emphasis on equitable distribution of parks and amenities by providing
guidance or suggestions regarding donations and efforts of service groups. This would likely entail
developing a set of criteria for prioritizing parks investments that includes indicators of equity (such as
income, educational achievement, property value, race, and distance to parks). This could be in addition
to the YPR’s current method of sharing comprehensive planning documents with service organizations
to inform them of all planned capital improvements to parks.
Task 2 Part A: Data Quality and Limitations
The city is to be commended for its long commitment to a citywide Geographic Information
System. However, it is important that staff and council recognize the limitations of that data to answer
questions for which it was not originally designed. Because the datasets were collected and developed
for purposes other than to assess equity, they are insufficient to do so because they lack necessary
elements including but not limited to: an accurate recording of the date of resource development (e.g.
the date a streetlight was installed), qualitative characteristics of variables, or the method that data are
collected by the city (e.g. Yak Back).
29
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
17
November 2017
In Appendix B, we provide a summary table of the data sets and the possible usage of each. We hope
this will help council understand possible approaches they might take, and what analyses are not
supported by the data as composed.
Task 2 Part B: Confirm the input and output variables for the analysis
Methods
Because the data provided were rather limited with regard to being able to answer questions of equity,
the Metro Center team developed additional datasets. We compiled Census data from the decennial
and American Community Survey (ACS) data sets for each of the demographic “input” variables: income,
race, education level, marital status, and homeowner or renter. These data sets were collected for years
1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2015. It should be noted that the 1970 Census data contained no values for
Yakima County, so analyses for 1970 were not possible. Census data came from three distinct sources:
• 1970, 1980, 1990-time series data: NHGIS (https://www.nhgis.org/)
• 2000 Decennial data, US Census: Summary File 3, 2000
(https://www.census.gov/mp/www/cat/decennial_census_2000/summary_file_3.html)
• 2010, 2015 American Community Survey data: censusreporter.org
(http://censusreporter.tumblr.com/post/73727555158/easier-access-to-acs-data)
The Census data collected included:
• Total population
• Persons by sex
• Persons by age, with specific classes <18 and ≥65
• Persons by race (white, nonwhite)
• Persons of Hispanic origin
• Total households
• Total families
• Persons by nativity
• Persons 25 years and over by educational attainment
• Household income in previous year
• Family income in previous year
• Occupied housing units by tenure
• Marital status
• Poverty (percent of population below poverty level)
These data sets were used as input variables to perform statistical analysis of output variables (Task 2,
part B), as well as to tell the demographic story of Yakima over time (Appendix D). Data for property
value and age was also obtained from city GIS staff. Since these data include time stamps (i.e. a specific
date and / or time associated with the variable), they allowed for a longitudinal analysis of age and value
through the years of census data available.
Data obtained from city GIS staff were converted to a PostgreSQL/PostGIS database, used to run
tabulations, and then used to determine any correlations. For each data set and each field of interest,
tabulations of values were generated. These tabulations should prove useful as guidance for City of
Yakima staff in forming particular questions about data sets.
30
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
18
November 2017
Overlay analyses were performed (e.g., point-in-polygon) to generate summaries by administrative unit.
Administrative units were represented by sociodemographic variables, and bivariate scatter plots were
generated for each pair of variables of interest.
Task 2 Part C: Statistical Analysis
Results are presented in two sections, one for data that were encoded with temporal data (i.e., date of
infrastructure installation), and one for current data that did not have attributes representing date of
installation. In order to perform longitudinal analysis of infrastructure data stored in the GIS, it is
necessary to have GIS data sets that include variables that represent when a feature of infrastructure
was created or installed (e.g., installation date for a streetlight or patch of sidewalk).
Throughout this report, graphs were selected that best illustrate the findings. All of the graphs for parks
created for this study can be found in the online Appendix A at
http://gist.gis.washington.edu/yakima_equity. It should be noted that the data and analysis in Appendix
A will be transferred to the city in the near future, and this URL will no longer be active. The city will
determine how to make this information available.
Scatter plot graphs illustrate results of the statistical analysis. Scatter plot graphs present
demographic variables of interest on the X-axis (horizontal) and compared to quantities, such as per-
capita area of parks on the Y-axis (vertical), time-matched by year. The dots indicate individual census
tracts (or tracts that were bisected by 16th Avenue), with census tracts east of 16th represented by
orange dots, and west of 16th indicated by blue dots. In cases where a census tract crosses 16th Avenue,
some pairs of points represent the same tract ID, but the E and W portions, respectively.
Methods
In the first set of analyses, historical boundaries (i.e. annexations) of City of Yakima were overlain with
contemporaneous Census data to provide estimates of the demographic conditions of Yakima as a
whole, and also stratified by the 16th Avenue geographical dividing line. In the GIS overlay process,
census tracts that are straddled by the city limits are “clipped.” The ratio of clipped area to original area
gives a value that can be multiplied by the original census values to produce an estimate of the
enumeration within the clipped area (assuming a uniform distribution across the census tract). For
example, if a census tract had 4000 persons, and 75% of the tract was within the city limits, the estimate
of the number of persons in the portion of that tract within the city limits would be 3000
(4000∗0.75=3000). For enumerated variables (i.e., counts of persons), the sum of these area-weighted
estimates was generated.
Results: Analysis of Historical Data - Parks
Parks were the only data encoded for historical analysis, with an attribute storing the year of
establishment. For these analyses, the park data were selected to match the year of the census data,
such that the GIS data selection represented those infrastructure features that existed at the time of the
census. The park polygon data were then overlain on the census polygon data to generate tables that
were then graphed, allowing comparison of potential park accessibility and demographic patterns.
31
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
19
November 2017
Parks
Historical analysis of parks was done using two separate methods. For both methods, per the scope of
work, parks which received private funding in the past were excluded from the analysis. The following
parks were not included in the analysis:
• Chesterly Park
• Franklin Park & Pool
• Harman Center at Galleon Park
• Kiwanis Park & Gateway Sports Complex
• Larson Park
• Miller Park
• North 44th Ave. Park
• Randall Park
• Rosalma Garden Club Park
• Southeast Community Park
The parks within Yakima City limits are shown in Figure 5. It should be noted that some of the parks did
not have a value for the “year created” field and were not included in this analysis; results would differ
with the use of a fully attributed data set. Note that there are generally larger and fewer parks in west
side tracts, and smaller, but more dispersed parks on the east side. This is consistent with parks
distribution in other cities where more space and larger parcels of land are available in the newer,
expanding, portions of the city, compared to smaller parcels in the older, original portions.
Figure 5: Parks in Yakima with 2015 city limits
32
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
20
November 2017
For parks and census data sets, years were matched (e.g., for the 1980 census, only those parks that
existed in 1980 were selected). A GIS intersection was performed to tabulate the total area of parks
within each census tract. Demographic characteristics of the tract and the area of parks within the tract
graphed as XY scatter plots. Also, because many tracts had no parks overlapping their boundaries, the
number of available points is small, therefore no formal statistical tests were performed.
The area of park per capita across 1980-2015, stratified by the 16th Avenue divide, is shown in Figure 6.
Overall, there was more park area per capita on the west side versus the east side. The other trend
seems to be that the amount of park area per capita was greater for western Yakima in 1980, but as the
City grew over subsequent years, the area of park per capita became more uniform across the 16th
Avenue dividing line. It should be noted that the calculation of per-capita area of park is dependent on
both the total area of park as well as the number of residents. Additionally, the area of park does not
necessarily reflect actual accessibility, and cannot reflect quality or amenities.
Figure 6: Area of park per capita, 1980-2015
Figure 7 and Figure 8 show park data from 1980, plotting per-capita park area on the Y-axis (vertical)
against the percent of residents on the X-axis (horizontal) who were Hispanic and median family income,
respectively (including all data (left panel) and with a large “outlier” removed (right panel)). The obvious
stratification in the X-axis (percent Hispanic and median family income) reflect the general segregation
of ethnicity and income across the 16th Avenue divide.
Overall, the amount of park per capita is uniform across census tracts (meaning that the data values
(dots) are distributed vertically similar regardless of their location along the horizontal axis). Yet, there is
an overall greater variation on the west side, and with a single west side tract having a relatively large
area of park within the tract. This is tract 1100, at the southern end of the City, intersecting Fairbrook
Islands, Kissel Park, and Tahoma Cemetery, and with an estimated population of 2,244 persons. The
three tracts with the greatest per-capita area of park are on the west side which also have a relatively
33
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
21
November 2017
low Hispanic population, although one tract on the west side with the lowest Hispanic population also
has the lowest per-capita park area. Figure 8 should be interpreted with caution since per-capita values
are highly dependent on the denominator (i.e., tract population); two tracts with the same park area but
different populations will have different per-capita area—which is not necessarily a good proxy for
accessibility.
Figure 7: Park area per capita by percent Hispanic, 1980. All data (left); outlier removed (right)
Figure 8 is more or less a mirror of Figure 7, since median family income and percent of residents with
Hispanic origin are strongly correlated.
Figure 8: Park area per capita by median family income, 1980. All data (left); outlier removed (right)
The same data are shown for 2015 in Figure 9, and Figure 10. There are more data values, reflecting
both the geographical growth of the city as well as some census tracts being subdivided, this is indicated
by the larger number of both orange and green dots.
Comparing 1980 data with those for 2015 show similar patterns, but now with a single east side tract
having a relatively large per-capita area in park land. This represents tract 1602 at the far eastern side of
the City, containing the large areas of Sarg Hubbard Park and the Yakima Area Arboretum, but with an
estimated population of only 791 persons. Therefore, while this city has grown geographically and in
the number of residents, the general uniform distribution of park area per capita relative to percent
Hispanic and median family income has not changed overtime.
34
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
22
November 2017
Figure 9: Park area per capita by percent Hispanic, 2015. All data (left); outlier removed (right)
Figure 10: Park area per capita by median family income, 2015. All data (left); outlier removed
(right)
One method to assess accessibility and equitable distribution or access is look at how close individuals
live to a park. Therefore, Buffers of 1/4-mile, as a proxy for locations within reasonable walking
distance, were generated for the parks polygons; these buffers were then overlain on the census tracts
to obtain estimated demographic counts (converted to percentages using total tract population as the
denominator) within and outside the buffers. This is similar to the approach used to assign absolute
population numbers to census tracts that crossed the 16th Avenue dividing line in the above analyses.
The relative proportion of persons in each demographic category was tabulated using the same year-to-
year matching. Total area of parks per capita was tabulated for each year with stratification by 16th
Avenue.
35
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
23
November 2017
Figure 11 presents demographic characteristics of the population residing within 1/4 mile of any park.
For example, about 45% of Yakima residents have their home within the ¼ mile buffer (upper left corner
graph), and between 40% and 45% of residents whose homes are within the buffer are of Hispanic origin
(upper right graph). While many demographic variables showed little change over the years, it appears
that within the ¼-mile area around parks, there were lowering proportions of persons of Hispanic origin,
younger and older persons, married persons, and home owners.
Figure 11: Demographic characteristics of the area within 1/4 mile of parks, 1980-2015
When stratified by 16th Avenue, it appears that far more persons on the east side reside within ¼-mile
of parks than on the west side (Figure 12). This appears to be due to larger parks on the west side that
are not uniformly distributed; whereas on the east side there are more parks that are both smaller and
more uniformly distributed over space (see Figure 5). Trends generally follow overall demographic
patterns with respect to the east and west sides. Some notable trends are the decrease in the number of
persons residing within 1/4 mile of a park on the east side, and an increase on the west side (top of
graphs); a drop in younger persons within buffers on the east side; and changes in the proportion of
Hispanics that seem to mirror general demographic shifts over time.
36
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
24
November 2017
Figure 12: Demographic characteristics of the area within 1/4 mile of parks, stratified by 16th Avenue
1980-2015
37
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
25
November 2017
Results summary - parks
The results presented above should be interpreted with some caution for several reasons, a few of
which are enumerated as follows. First, the use of census areas in a GIS overlay analysis assumes that
there is a uniform distribution of persons across the census unit, which is generally not true. Second, not
all parks are equal in terms of the amenities they provide as attractors of activity. For example, use of a
cemetery is likely to be very different from use of a sports complex. Third, simple overlay ignores actual
location; having a park overlapping a census unit at one side of the unit does not provide equal
accessibility to all persons residing in the unit. Fourth, residents of a census unit that has no overlap with
a park may actually reside close to a park that lies in an adjacent census unit; in fact, some of these
persons may reside closer to a park than some of the residents in the adjacent unit but whose homes
are relatively far from the park.
In addition, these data need to be considered in historical terms; the east side was developed earlier,
following typical pre-WWII patterns (smaller parcels on regular street-blocks), whereas the west side
was more recently developed, with more suburban forms (larger parcels, some irregular street
patterns). More recent developments often include parks as formal design elements, whereas older
developments frequently did not include similar land set aside for parks.
Results: Analysis of Current Data
Most of the GIS data sets were not encoded for longitudinal analysis (that is, the features in the GIS do
not contain attributes representing the time at which the real-world features were
created/installed/developed). Therefore, analyses for specific data sets were restricted to examination
of current features and data sets with respect to current demographic data. These included public safety
calls for service, streetlights, code compliance requests, and transit (ridership, benches, and shelters).
These data set therefore represent a benchmark more than allowing for analysis.
The scatter plots presented on the following pages are the result of performing the GIS and statistical
analyses per Task 2, Part C. These plots also include the stratification by the 16th Avenue geographical
dividing line. The scatter plots here are a representative sampling of the demographic variables. The
complete set of graphs for each selected GIS data layer and demographic variable are provided in
Appendix A. Maps showing changes in demographic variables over time are presented in Appendix D.
A general trend to be noted in these graphs is the obvious stratification between west and east sides of
Yakima in the X-axis (horizontal axis). This is a reflection of the city’s underlying sociodemographic
stratification. While segregation itself is of concern, these graphs would indicate inequity in city-
provided service only if there appears to be increasing or decreasing trends (i.e., a visible slope in the
point pattern); if the point pattern appears to be uniform (equally distributed across the horizontal axis)
or random, that would not indicate inequity in services. It should also be noted that no regression trend
lines were added to these graphs, and no formal statistical tests were performed; due to the small
sample size, trend lines are easily leveraged by outlier points, and correlation coefficients and p-values
are unstable.
Police Department calls for service
Police Department calls for service per capita are graphed in Figure 13, Figure 14, and Figure 15 (median
family income, percent Hispanic, and percent housing renter occupied respectively). The tracts with the
greatest number of per-capita calls were on the east side, but there appeared to be no association
between demographic characteristics and counts of calls per capita. There is no consistent trend of
more calls coming from tracts with lower or higher incomes, percent of Hispanic residents, or renters –
38
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
26
November 2017
other than the four tracts with high values, the other tracts are uniformly distributed in terms of the
count of calls per capita (y-axis) and the demographic variable (x-axis).
Figure 13: Police Department calls for service by median family income
Figure 14: Police Department calls for service by percent of residents who are of Hispanic origin
39
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
27
November 2017
Figure 15: Police Department calls for service by percent of residents who are renters
40
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
28
November 2017
Fire Department calls for service
Similar to Police Department calls for service, there appeared to be no association between
demographic characteristics and count of Fire Department calls for service (Figure 16, Figure 17, and
Figure 18). It should be noted that there is one tract on the east side that had a relatively high number
of calls per capita. Other than this one “outlier,” there is no consistent trend of more calls coming from
tracts with differential income, percent of residents of Hispanic origin, or renters.
Figure 16 Count of Fire Department calls for service per capita by median family income
41
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
29
November 2017
Figure 17 Count of Fire Department calls for service per capita by percent of residents who are of
Hispanic origin
Figure 18 Count of Fire Department calls for service per capita by percent of residents who are renters
42
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
30
November 2017
Streetlights
There appears to be a greater number of streetlights per square mile in tracts on the east side (Figure
19, Figure 20, and Figure 21). Streetlight density was greater in tracts with lower college graduation
levels, which is also mirrored in ethnic composition and median family income. These differences are
likely due to the greater street density in the older part of Yakima that was developed previous to the
newer areas on the east side. There appears to be no general association between streetlight density
and demographic variables that cannot be explained by basic principles of urban form and historical
development. It should be noted that this analysis did not include any consideration of streetlight type
or condition (type and condition were not available consistently for all streetlight records).
Figure 19: Streetlight density by percent of residents who are college graduates
43
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
31
November 2017
Figure 20: Streetlight density by percent of residents who of Hispanic origin
Figure 21: Streetlight density by median family income
44
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
32
November 2017
Code compliance requests
Code compliance requests per capita appear to occur in greater numbers on the east side, which is also
mirrored by east side tracts having lower median family income, with higher proportion of residents of
Hispanic origin, and who are renters (Figure 22, Figure 23, Figure 24). Code compliance requests
originate from residents; however, the data do not indicate whether the resident who submitted the
code compliance request is a neighbor, landlord, or someone who is just driving b. Therefore, the origin
of the request cannot be directly ascribed to any difference in services provided. Additionally, as the
data were delivered without any consistent record-level information on either status or date of
resolution, it is not possible in this analysis to make any conclusions on questions of equity related to
how the City responds to such requests.
Figure 22: Code compliance requests by median family income
45
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
33
November 2017
Figure 23: Code compliance requests by percent of residents who are of Hispanic origin
Figure 24: Code compliance requests by percent of residents who are renters
46
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
34
November 2017
Transit ridership
Patterns in transit ridership (Figure 25, Figure 26, Figure 27, Figure 28, and Figure 29) are similar to
those of streetlights, and are likely due to similar underlying urban characteristics. Transit is
economically feasible only in areas of relatively high residential density, which usually includes older
developments. Newer, lower density, and more car-dependent communities are generally not served by
transit. These types of newer developments also tend to have demographic characteristics that are
different from areas that are well-served by transit. For this probable reason, there is generally higher
ridership in tracts with lower median family income, lower rates of college graduation, and greater
rental rates. There is also slightly higher ridership in tracts containing lower proportions of persons
under 18 years of age, pointing to a potential mismatch between level of service and need, since
younger persons tend not to have access to cars and rely more heavily on public transportation. It
should be noted that the transit data did not include school buses, which may confound interpretation
of bus service to youths.
Figure 25: Transit ridership by median family income
47
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
35
November 2017
Figure 26: Transit ridership by percent of residents who are college graduates
Figure 27: Transit ridership by percent of residents who are renters
48
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
36
November 2017
Figure 28: Transit ridership by age (< 18 y) under 18 years of age
Figure 29: Transit ridership by age (≥ 65 y) 65 and older
49
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
37
November 2017
Bus stop benches
Not surprisingly, the patterns of bus stop bench density (Figure 30, Figure 31, Figure 33, and Figure 32)
are similar to those of transit ridership, likely indicating that benches and shelters are placed in locations
with greater ridership.
Figure 30: Bus stop bench density by percent of residents who are of Hispanic origin
50
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
38
November 2017
Figure 31: Bus stop bench density by median family income
Bus stop bench density appears to be higher in tracts with lower proportions of persons 65 years or
older on the east side with one exception (Figure 32). If a large number of riders are older, this could
point to an opportunity for providing better service for these age groups. However, the proportion of
elderly is also greater on the west side, where transit usage is lower, and where higher socioeconomic
levels point to potentially less need for transit (if the elderly have access to cars). In order to come to
any conclusions on whether the elderly are underserved in terms of bus stop benches, more data would
be needed on the characteristics of individual transit riders. Likewise, the number of youths is greater on
the east side.
51
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
39
November 2017
Figure 32: Bus stop bench density by percent of residents who are 65 years or older
Figure 33: Bus stop bench density by percent of residents who are less than 18 years old
52
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
40
November 2017
Bus stop shelters
Bus stop shelters have patterns very similar to bus stop benches: they tended to have greater density in
tracts with lower median family income (Figure 34), and higher proportion of youths (Figure 35, with
one outlier having very high ridership but about 23% of younger residents). Shelter densities were
slightly greater in areas with lower proportions of seniors (Figure 36). There were also more shelters in
tracts with a higher proportion of persons of Hispanic origin (Figure 37).
Figure 34: Bus stop shelter density by median family income
53
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
41
November 2017
Figure 35: Bus stop shelter density by age (< 18 years)
Figure 36: Bus stop shelter density by age (>= 65 years)
54
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
42
November 2017
Figure 37: Bus stop shelter density by percent Hispanic
Conclusion and Recommendations
Over the course of this project the Metro Center found that the city is doing professional work in the
development and management of the various data sets under their purview, gathered for specific
purposes related to city and department management. The data sets are useful for their original
purpose but, as this analysis has shown, the data sets within the scope of this study cannot adequately
provide an assessment of whether or not city resources have been equitably distributed. While this
determination cannot be made, we believe that information in this analysis, and the act of engaging in
this analysis, can prove valuable to the city.
City Council approved this analysis of the Equity Study data with the intention of using it as a tool to
move forward, and to inform data driven decisions to benefit the city. Data driven decisions cannot be
made without reliable data and proper systems for handling them. Our study concluded that Yakima has
both the staff and the systems to support the use of data as a powerful tool for decision making, and
data that can be used as an initial conditions statement and a base upon which to build. This is a
tremendous asset for the city. The city can now determine what additional data it needs to collect - date
and time attributes, for example – based on the questions the city wants to address in the future. As an
example, we suggest the following improvements may provide the city with both additional data and
benefits.
• The Yak Back application is an excellent tool for getting information from residents. However, it
is only provided in English. Consider developing the app in at least Spanish to meet the needs of
both a significant number (and percentage) of the population and the east side of the city more
generally.
55
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
43
November 2017
• Develop an anonymous way to find out the status of Yak Back complaints. Perhaps this is a case
number that someone could enter into the app to track it and see whether and how the case
had been resolved. This will provide closure and increase the perception of responsiveness by
the city. It may also reduce the number of duplicate or follow-up complaints.
In order to look forward, the city may benefit from also examining its history and the current conditions
that evolved from typical patterns of growth. The legacy of annexation and other development patterns
is both a benefit and a challenge to overcome. For example, parks are larger on the west side, likely
because of the later annexation of larger, county, parcels. It is unlikely though not impossible, that the
city would be able to agglomerate significant park acreage in the east side to match the west if residents
prefer fewer, larger parks relative to more numerous, smaller parks, and there may be better strategies
identified by council to address this disparity in more strategic ways. Understanding the existence and
some of the likely reasons for current conditions, without the major expenditure required for historical
analysis, can help productively move to a different state.
The challenges of growth and equity facing Yakima are shared by many cities and echo national trends
described in a report issued by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, Planning for Social Equity (2017)
authored by Kathleen McCormick (http://www.lincolninst.edu/publications/articles/planning-social-
equity). In this report, it is noted that inequality is now at levels the U.S. has not seen since the 1920s. As
a reference for understanding the forces leading to modern inequities in the City of Yakima, it may be
useful to place Yakima in the larger context of other cities across America that are facing similar
situations.
Many cities, large and small, have developed criteria for making decisions that include equity, typically
called an Equity Lens. An Equity Lens is a practical tool to help insure that planning, decision making and
resource allocation lead to policies and programs that help to achieve equity across the community,
racially, socially and economically. The foundation of an Equity Lens is a set of values or principles. Each
new policy or program is evaluated to see whether it upholds those values or principles using a set of
questions or procedures that include equity. For example: “What is the impact of the policy or program
on diverse groups?” While the questions may seem simple, the process of preparing for, and developing
and Equity Lens takes time and commitment.
To evaluate progress toward equity, each city determines what it should measure. Hence, the value of a
reliable system of collecting and managing data, which this study concluded the city possesses, becomes
critically important.
Although each city must develop its own Equity Lens, the examples below provide some insight into the
process.
• City of Seattle Racial Equity Toolkit -“lays out a process and a set of questions to guide the
development, implementation and evaluation of policies, initiatives, programs and budget
issues to address the impacts on racial equity.”
http://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/RSJI/RacialEquityToolkit_FINAL_August2012.
pdf
• City of Portland – Racial Equity Toolkit https://www.portlandoregon.gov/oehr/71685
• All-In Cities Policy Toolkit - Building an Equitable Economy from the Ground Up, an initiative of
PolicyLink http://allincities.org/toolkit
To explore a practical example of how an Equity Lens could influence policy decisions in Yakima, we turn
to parks. The city has long benefitted from private funding for parks and other amenities. As part of an
56
The WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension
City of Yakima Equity Study Analysis – Final Report revised 11.9.17
44
November 2017
Equity Lens, the city could develop a set of criteria for parks around equity and inclusion. This criteria
would rank possible investment opportunities for philanthropy, and provide this rank ordered list or
some part of it to community partners. The city could also develop a policy that dictates that for any
donation to a specific project the city takes a percentage for the general funding of that project amenity
across the city. For example, if the city took ten percent of such park donations for general use for parks
across the city, a $10,000 gift towards a particular project would lead to $9,000 for that project and
$1,000 for the parks general fund.
A cornerstone of equitable decision making is authentic community and stakeholder engagement. It,
too, is a process that requires care and commitment to ensure that engagement sparks lively civil
discourse without resulting in acrimony and deep divisions. The Metro Center provides tools that
promote understanding and assist communities in making choices about difficult decisions.
• The Poverty Immersion, facilitated by the Metro Center, is an interactive workshop that changes
attitudes and challenges stereotypes about the working poor. Through this experience,
participants develop a better understanding of community needs, ultimately improving policy
and program development and decision making.
• The Metro Center is part of a nationwide project with the Kettering Foundation to frame
complex issues for public discussion. Using structured deliberative dialogue, the Metro Center
facilitates productive community conversations aimed at understanding residents’ perspective
on their community and the issues that are of greatest importance to them.
Throughout the course of this project, the Metro Center team has engaged with Yakima City Council
members, city staff, and concerned residents. To a person they have shown a strong commitment to
their work, and a deep affection for the city. Addressing equity is difficult under the best of conditions,
and we commend the city for the progress you have made, and welcome the opportunity to support
your efforts in the future.
57
3
COMMUNITY INTEGRATION
EXPLORATORY COMMITTEE
CIEC)
FINAL REPORT
October 2017
Arthur Alcazar, Brandy Schwartz, Anita Quintana, Tiffany Pitra,
Rachel Lierman, & Laura Armstrong
58
4
Goute ltS
Introduction 2
CLEC Mission Statement 2
Key Objectives 2
I. Integration Lens on Policy Making 2
II. Sense of Belonging and Civic Pride 3
III. Community Outreach and Education 4
IV. Best Practices of Community Integration 4
Kennewick, Washington 4
Spokane, Washington 5
V. Yakima's Statistics 5
Age 5
Education 6
Income 6
Housing 6
Extracurricular 7
Community Survey 7
VI. Benefits of Integration 10
Mutual Trust in Communities 10
Economic Benefits 10
Relevance to Yakima 11
Is "Community Integration" in the purview of the City? 11
VII. Permanent Committee Roadmap 12
Recommended Committee Structure 12
Transitionary Team 12
Projected Resources 12
VIII. Final Recommendation 13
IX. References 14
X. Appendices 16
A. CLEC Quarter 1 Report 16
B. CLEC Quarter 2 Report 16
C. CLEC Quarter 3 Report (PowerPoint) 16
D. CLEC Community Pilot Survey (English) 16
E. CLEC Community Pilot Survey (Spanish) 16
F. CLEC Community Pilot Survey Data Entry 16
G. City of Yakima Community Integration Committee Application (English and Spanish) 16
Page 1
59
5
Introduction
Community Integration, while diversely defined, is a term encompassing the full participation of all
people in community life. Because the City Council cares about all residents of Yakima, they solicited
insight from community members to identify barriers associated with community integration and ways
to encourage residents to participate and be involved in the City of Yakima. The Community Integration
Exploratory Committee (CIEC) commenced on Thursday, December 8th 2016, and has worked
diligently since that time to determine if a permanent committee is warranted to promote community
engagement and inclusiveness within the City of Yakima. It is through extensive research, community
input, and evaluation that the Committee has identified opportunities which would improve community
integration in the City of Yakima. The CIEC recommends that the city council make a permanent
Community Integration Committee to continue this work.
CIEC Mission Statement
The Community Integration Exploratory Committee seeks to advise the Yakima City Council on ways
to improve community engagement, diversify the city government and workforce and give a voice to all
Yakima residents. They accomplish these goals by investigating issues in all seven Yakima districts,
researching successful programs in other cities and providing thoughtful strategy recommendations to
Yakima leaders through December 31, 2017.
Key Objectives
Over the past year, the CIEC members have been extensively collecting and analyzing data pertinent to
community integration within the City of Yakima as well as other comparable communities. Three key
objectives identified as the strongest approaches to further integrate the Yakima community are: 1.)
Integration Lens on Policy Making, 2.) Sense of Belonging/Civic Pride, and 3.) Community Outreach
and Education.
L 'Integration Lens on Policy Pvlakillg
The CIEC reviewed numerous studies, examples from other cities, the City of Yakima's Equity Study,
and the 2016 Yakima County Indicators Report. The impact of city policies on community integration,
equity, and access continuously surfaces as a high priority.
The permanent committee would not create, suggest, or draft policies, resolutions, or ordinances for the
City of Yakima. Rather, a sub -group of the permanent committee would apply an integration lens to
evaluate policies, resolutions and ordinances for their potential impact (both positive and negative) on
community integration prior to passage. A sub -grouping of the permanent committee would serve as the
reviewers to review potential policies, then provide feedback for the City Council's review as part of the
Council's decision-making process.
Ibis "Integration Lens" evaluation of potential policy impact would focus in two areas: 1) Equity -
Recognizing that there are disparities within Yakima's diverse communities, does the policy include
forward thinking that focuses on outcome equality? 2) Access- Who does the proposed policy impact
and how are those communities' access to resources, opportunities, programs, and services affected
positively and negatively, short term and long term)? In order to best answer these questions, the sub-
group, the entire permanent committee and the City Council is recommended to take a cultural
competency training from a local or regional organization. The permanent committee would be tasked
with finding recommended and affordable cultural competency programs and then the City Council and
City stalk would participate.
Page 2
60
6
Recommended strategies to be completed in the first year of the permanent committee are:
1. By the end of the first six months of the permanent committee's existence, a "sub -group" of 3
members from the pemianent committee is fomied to review policies, ordinances and resolutions
for their impact on city integration (as defined above) prior to their approval by City Council.
2. City Council, City staff, and permanent committee complete cultural and linguistic competency
training by the end of the first-year of the permanent committee's existence.
The CIEC believes an "Integration Lens" incorporated into the policy making process will enhance the
City by building equity and access to opportunities, programs and services.
II. Sense of Belonging and Civic Pride
The CIEC recommends the permanent committee work to elevate the sense of belonging and civic pride
among Yakima residents through increased engagement and investment. The CIEC evaluated other
comparable cities that implemented specific integration and engagement strategies in their communities;
all of them revealed a plethora of positive outcomes (reviewed under "Best Practices of Community
Integration"). Furthermore, it is recommended that strategies aim to heighten a sense of belonging and
civic pride in both Yakima's neighborhoods and the City of Yakima as a whole.
Recommended strategies to be completed in the first year of the permanent committee:
1. Research and report on city-wide events:
a. Maintain a record of all city-wide events for one year. This record can be reviewed to
identify the types of events taking place in Yakima (family -friendly, festivals,
free/low-cost, privately -funded, 21+, seasonal, city park usage, cultural connection,
primary language of event, etc.) and highlight any gaps in service.
b. The permanent committee will leam about events through different sources: park
permits, city permits, newspaper, local calendars, social media, etc.
c. This is a valuable component of community engagement that could be included in the
Equity Study.
2. Formulate "Neighborhood Pride Day":
a. Coordinate a Neighborhood Pride Day when residents can focus on improving their
neighborhood. Activities can include collecting litter, cleaning yards/lots and parks,
painting graffiti, etc.
b. Work with City Council members to organize activities in each district.
c. Partner with local organizations, businesses and individuals to donate materials and
supplies.
3. Permanent Committee Promotion and Awareness:
a. Update mission statement from the exploratory status to the permanent status of the
committee.
b. Publicize, through various communication methods, the formalization of the
Community Integration Committee for resident awareness.
c. Actively invite individuals to attend the committee meetings to encourage their input
and sense of belonging.
Page 3
61
Community Outreach and Education
Outreach and education are important to create engagement so community members can know about and
give input on local needs and issues and build trust, accountability, and support throughout Yakima.
After thorough research and community input, it is recommended that the City engage in outreach and
education that empowers Yakima residents to be actively engaged in the community and their
neighborhoods.
The CIEC recommends the City of Yakima broaden and diversify such outreach and education efforts to
ensure maximum participation and awareness. A key component is ensuring that multiple
communication methods are utilized to ensure all residents, regardless of primary language spoken,
literacy level, socioeconomic status, or internet access are adequately aware of City opportunities and
resources, proposed changes, or local events. A multi -pronged approach is critical to best suit the needs
and wants of Yakima's diverse community.
Recommended strategies to be completed in the first year of the permanent committee:
1. Collaborate with each district Council member to help facilitate Neighborhood Community
Forums for each district to gauge residents' awareness and gather input for controversial and
impactful topics (Councilwoman Dulce Gutierrez has notable success in this area by doorbelling;
this is recognized by CIEC committee as a best practice).
2. Elevate the social media presence and following on Facebook. As of October 1, 2017 the City of
Yakima had 2,392 followers (i.e. friends) on Facebook. Assuming most of the followers are
residents of Yakima, this attributes to a very small percentage, 2.5%, of the city's population.
3. Coordinate "community pulse" survey annually to gauge resident awareness and solicit input
Face-to-face communication preferred i.e. door to door, community events). See appendix for
2017 CIEC Pilot Survey.
IV. Best Practices of CorntnuIntegration
Innovative city leaders with notable success in transforming their communities understand the mutual
benefits of implementing community integration strategies. City models may differ slightly in their
design, but these best practices share a common integration focus: connecting people, building inclusive
methods and approaches, and changing systems and cultures.
The CIEC researched numerous examples, and chose two Washington State cities to highlight their
community integration best practices:
Kennewick. Washington
Kennewick declared its commitment to engage participation and provide effective means for promoting
diversity, equality, and inclusiveness as they work together to make their city the place of choice to live,
work, play and do business. According to the 2016 Community Well -Being Report, Kennewick rated
65 out of the top 189 best communities to live in based on their well-being index score (indicators
include: purpose, social, financial, community, and physical rank). Recently, the Diversity Commission
launched a city-wide diversity survey to engage community members and receive feedback.
Consolidated feedback will be recommended to the Kennewick City Council later this year
https:' i+c+w.go2kennes\ick.cotn )
Page 4
62
8
Spokane, Washington
In 2014, the city of Spokane launched Vision2020: "The City of Choice: safer, stronger, smarter" — a
plan that emphasizes the value of cultivating a community that encourages collaboration, enhances
community awareness and creates effective meaningful experiences for community engagement
https://my.spokanecity.org/ ).
As a result of these intentional efforts, these "best practices" cities cited numerous positive
improvements including: increased program participation, more efficient use of public resources,
improved relations with sectors in the community, increased community contributions to shared
outcomes and better information for program planning. Community integration and engagement has
moved from being a "nice thing to do" to an essential way of more effectively aligning resources with
community needs and opportunities. The CIEC highlights the value of these integration efforts in other
cities, and recognizes the potential benefits for such intentional integration within the Yakima
community.
V. Yakima's Statistics
According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, people's basic needs (including physiological, safety,
belongingness and love, esteem, cognitive, aesthetic, self -actualization, and transcendence) must be met
for a person to become self -actualized, feel valued and respected; making sure everyone has the same
access to the resources that meet these needs in Yakima is important. The committee can implement this
by evaluating potential policies in the areas such as education, housing and extracurricular activities
sponsored by the city.
Age
Compared to Washington State, Yakima County has a younger resident population with a median age of
32.4 years compared to 37.4 years in Washington. Yakima County has higher proportions of children
under 18 years of age and fewer adults age 25 to 64, compared to Washington. Ensuring our youth have
their needs met would lead to their good health, success, self -actualization, and ultimately a thriving
Yakima community.
YAKIMA COUNTY 2014 POPULATION PYRAMID
80-84
70-74
60-64 aillr 7
L, 50-54 --_
40-44 -
11111
30-34 -
1111
20-24 -
10-14
0-4 111
7% 5% 3% 1% 1% 3% 5%
PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION
Hispanic Non•Hnpanic
Page 5
63
9
Education
According to Maslow's hierarchy theory, a student's physiological needs (air, food, drink, shelter, sleep,
etc.) must be met before they can fulfill their cognitive needs of knowledge and understanding.
Comparing education data from Washington State to Yakima School District (YSD), including
Eisenhower High School, Davis High School, and Stanton Academy, YSD shows an increase in the
Latina/o population as well as a higher rate of free and reduced lunch compared to the state.
Eir
TABLE 1 IKE Davis Stanton
Latina/o
White
Fee / Reduced Lunch
4 Yr Graduation Rate
22.4% 77.1% 65.9% 82.9% 75.4%
56.1% 18.2% 28% 11.4% 17.2%
44% 713% 58.2% 64% 81.3%
78.1% 65.3% 83.6% 76.2% 19.4%
Income
Communities with greater income inequality can experience loss of social support and sense of
community for all residents."1 The graph below demonstrates the vast income inequality among races
and ethnicities within Yakima County.
100,000 —
580,000 —
60,000 —
S40,000 —
20,000 —
So
Median Family Income by Race/Ethnicity of Householder' 1 Yaumatounty • waANQa,Sta. • tlna.dSta s
68,472
84,360
83,820
65,475
77,890
73,974
21,250
49,976
42,711
Non•Hispank/ Black
Whhe
Aslan
NA
40,216 $57,423
45,575 $57,342
42,948
111 1
American Indian/ Native Hawaiian/
Alaska Native Pacific Islander
35,549
38,410
40,639
Other Race
Housing
The City of Yakima's Equity Study demonstrates that people with lower
income can only afford to buy houses in districts with lower property
values. This perpetuates a housing and neighborhood inequality cycle.
To the right, is the 2016 Total Property Value by District from the
Yakima Equity Study. "Families who pay more than they can afford for
housing have too little left over for other necessities such as food,
clothing and healthcare."2 Therefore, families are unable to fulfill other
needs and those unfulfilled needs prevent success and civic engagement
of Yakima's families. Even though the correlation between crime and
property values is ambiguous, qualitative quotes from survey
respondents during a survey collected at La Casa Hogar in 2016 show
1 Community Health Needs Assessment, Virginia Mason Memorial Hospital, 2016
2 Ibid.
40,274
59,496
55,545
Multiple Race
33,803
42,699
44,013
HIspankjletino
2016 Total Property Value
by District (in Millions)
District 1 416.30
District 2 546.60
District 3 962.00
District 4 1,028.10
District 5 1,121.10
District 6 1,212.90
District? 1,165.30
Page 6
64
10
the impacts of living in East Yakima (districts with the lowest property values): `Ifeel like I don't
matter. I already have stress living in this neighborhood which is dangerous, I don't need extra stress"
Extracurricular
Extracurricular activities are a good opportunity
for interaction among different populations
within a community, however, the majority of
special events in Yakima do not provide that
opportunity. In the City of Yakima's 2017
Summer Program Guide special events section,
two types of concert series are promoted: 1) the
Summer Sunset Concert Series at Franklin Park
featuring rock and indie bands; and 2) the
Concert Series at Miller Park featuring
America's Latino music culture". These two
types of concert series and their respective
locations make it very difficult to create
community integration opportunities, especially
through music which is a natural mediator between cultures.
Special Events Summer 2017
Franklin Park
Summer Sunset Concert Series
FRIDAY EVENINGS • 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Bring your picnic dinner and a blanket or lawn chair.
Relax and listen to great music in a beautiful park.
July 14 Adrian Xavier
Reggae
July 21 Pastel Motel
lndie Rock
Cooperatively
brought to you by
KXDD 104.1,
SWI% e4
aerjett;
COnCert Series at Miller Park
SUNDAY EVENINGS • 5-7:00 p.m.
From July 16 through August 20 and a special concert
on September 10. you can enjoy 7 lun•alled. Tree
family -friendly concerts to help quench the thirst for
musk with some of the Valley's best sound
representation of Amenca's Latino muuc allure.
July 16 Sinceridad de La Sierra
July 23 Los Nuevos Coyotes
July 30 Rafaga de Tierra Caliente
The CIEC's community survey found that 11 out of the 12 surveys conducted at Viva la Musica were in
Spanish, while all surveys conducted at Downtown Summer Nights were in English. This data shows
there may be a lack of integration at these events, rooting from where they take place and to the
audience which they are promoted among.
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
No. Surveys Collected per Event in
English & Spanish
Downtown Summer Nights Viva la Musica
IN English • Spanish
Community Survey
During the third quarter, the CIEC created and executed a pilot survey in English and Spanish in an
effort to gather direct input from local residents. While the CIEC concluded the pilot survey lacked
statistical power due to the number of surveys collected compared to the population of Yakima, the
CIEC members did take time to speak with residents about a variety of integration -related topics and
gather information.
Page 7
65
11
In addition to the findings listed below, the CIEC discovered that among survey participants, 46% did
not know who to turn to with ideas or concerns regarding the City of Yakima, which may demonstrate a
case for increased education and outreach efforts. It should be noted that no surveys were collected from
residents of District 2. A few notable survey results are included below as a reference.
Demographic Breakdown of Survey Participants:
The four tables below demonstrate the diversity of people who participated in the pilot survey. It is
imperative, then, that the City of Yakima is responsive to the cultural, linguistic, and economic (in all
definitions of the words) trends to meet the needs of all residents and therefore, leverage a healthier and
more successful Yakima community.
No. of surveys conducted by event
34
12
6
Downtown Summer Nights Viva la Musics Friends & Family
No. of survey participants by
ethnicity
No answer
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
Asian
American Indian/Alaska Native
Hispanic/Latino
Black/African American
White
IN 7
1
0
0
5
20
24
Blank
N/A
District 7
District 6
District 5
District 4
District 3
District 2
District 1
No. of survey participants by district
3
0
4
5
5
6
8
9
12
Blank: Did not know district number; N/A: Not a Yakima City resident
No. of survey participants by age
3
5
8
7
20
Survey participants were asked if he/she believed his/her voice was heard in the community. Of those
participants, 40% responded "No." This response was not isolated to one ethnicity, age or gender. The
graphs below reflect the total number of responses collected by ethnicity and district of residence.
Q: Yakima is an inclusive communityand my voice is valued in the
information -gathering and decision-making processes. I have input.
No. responses by enthnic identity)
White
Hispanic/Latino
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
Black/African American
0 5 10 15
Blank
No
Yes
Q: Yakima is an inclusive communityand my voice is valued in the
information -gathering and decision-making processes. I have input.
No. responses by district of residence)
District 7 _
District 6 _
District 5 _
District4 -
District 3
District 2
District 1
0 2 4 6 8 10
Blank
No
Yes
Page 8
66
12
Survey participants were asked if he or she believed Yakima is integrated. Of those asked, 52%
responded "No." This response was not clearly isolated to one ethnicity, age, gender or district. It should
be noted that many participants did not know how to readily define the term integration, a question
posed later in the survey). The graphs below reflect the total number of responses collected by ethnicity
and district of residence.
Q: Do you think the City of Yakima is integrated?
No. responses by ethnic identity)
White
Hispanic/Latino
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
Black/African American
0 5 10 15 20
I dont know
No
Yes
District 7
District 6
District 5
District 4
District 3
District 2
District 1
Q: Do you think the City of Yakima is integrated?
No. responses by district of residence)
0 2 4 6 8 10
I dont know
No
Yes
The pilot survey process offered the CIEC critical information about how to apply principles of equity,
integration and linguistic competence to a larger survey effort. The CIEC recommends creating an
additional survey to further gage information from residents. The most effective strategies and largest
obstacles are listed in the table below:
Key Strategies for Future
Survey:
Survey tools must be
bilingual in English and
Spanish
Completing surveys in-
person eliminated data -
management issues for the
City; paper surveys with
results and input were given
to the City which complied
with the Public Records Act
Attending events for both
English and Spanish
speakers is a necessity
Key Obstacles to Consider in Future Survey:
Education level/literacy level the survey tool assumed was too high;
topics of "integration" were not well -understood
Questions were too personal without any relational rapport. For
example, the questions about having food access is too personal of a
question for someone to feel comfortable answering honestly if they
do not have enough food
The Exploratory Committee only had two Spanish -speakers on the
team; this was not enough to gather enough responses from Spanish-
speaking participants
Surveys would be best executed by promotoras, or community
members that best represent those they are seeking input from. A
local partner that could offer insight into how to do this is a survey
executed by: Virginia Mason Memorial + Signal Health + La Casa
Hogar gathering data on Emergency Department usage
Doorbelling would have been a better method with two people in a
pair to ensure both English and Spanish capabilities
Online surveys are not recommended because not everyone has
internet access, and it increases cost to ensure the City has all access
to the source data
One resource for surveys may also be using partner organizations,
businesses and nonprofits to ask their clients and staff to complete
the survey
An official survey should be put through the Institutional Review
Board (IRB), for example, the one at PNWU, to ensure questions are
unbiased and non -harmful to survey respondents.
Page 9
67
13
VI. Benefits of integration
Equitable communities, defined as communities with "just and fair opporhmities for all"3, grow strong
economies and vibrant and resilient communities. Integrated communities in which people have equal
capacity to participate and benefit from opportunities (including political, social and economic),
regardless of race, religion, language, ethnicity, gender or other attributes, enjoy higher community trust,
social capital, and result in higher economic benefits.
Mutual Trust in Communities
When communities actively integrate across cultures ("culture" as broadly defined) including race,
religion, income, gender, or any other social bather, and embrace diversity, benefits are seen
community -wide. In 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) Community Relations Services
department created a toolkit with methods to increase mutual trust between communities and police.
Often, the creation of mutual trust begins with increasing understanding across diversity and differences
within a community's residents. The DOJ research highlights the value of tactics, such as increasing
cultural competency education, to he ahle to "communicate effectively with, and understand the cultural
norms of, these different groups."4 As increased trust yields from integration, higher productivity and
economic benefits soon follow.
I think most people on the east side are more scared of the cops than the gangs."' Monica Jenkins,
east side resident, Yakima Herald Republic article
Economic Benefits
Economic research demonstrates a positive correlation between increased trust and economic benefits.
When community trust rises by 10%, there is a correlated 0.8% increase in GDP per capita. An increase
in trust by 7% is correlated with a 1% increase in community investment. These findings are from
numerous studies that explore the links of trust to economic growth (Putnam 1993). Furthermore,
economic research finds a strong and significant relationship between trust and output per worker. "In
every instance, higher levels of trust and civic norms are correlated with higher economic growth, on a
macro level, and significantly higher levels of output per worker, on a micro level."6
Nationwide, embracing diversity and integration catalyzes: a) increased economic growth, h) a strong,
prepared workforce, and c) increasing businesses' bottom lines. Policies- national, state and local- that
explicitly expand stable employment opportunities to historically marginalized or minority populations
increase economic growth at every level. From 1960 to 2008, up to 20% of the nation's economic
growth can be attributed to the entry of women, and populations of color into higher-level occupations
from which they were previously excluded.? By integrating these sectors of employees, the economy is
ahle to combat the annual cost of replacing workers due to turnover as a result of workers feeling
s Marguerite Casey Foundation — Policy Link. "Just and Fair Employment for All: Good for Families, Community and the Economy." 24 March
2015. <http iuww.poliah ark orp, sites defanit'files, Y:rnploYrnent-for.l F 1NAL-03-11-16.pdf>. (14 May 2017).
Importance of Police -Community Relationships and Resources for Further Reading." Community Relations Services Toolkit -Department
of Justice. 2015 <https 'rcww iusticcgoti crs:file 836186)down)oaci> (2 June 2017)
6 Yakima Herald -Republic. 15 May 2017 <hU ... cw w w yakimalicr el d.corrinew s local/casdon-t-
trunlarticle 5h82fa12-39f9 1 tel -9928 3115a656c1e87.htnd >.(2 June 2017)
6 Valenti, Michael A. and Olivier G. Giovannoni. "The Economics of Inclusion: Building an Argument for a Shared Society." The Levy
Economics Institute of Bard College. February 2013. <hitt} /iu wrc levvinstthitd ors1pul scwp 755.pdf>. (15 May 2017).
Ibid.
Page 10
68
14
excluded;" nation-wide that cost is a staggering $64 billion.$ Thus, as more workers feel "included"
and stay at their workplaces, unemployment rates decrease. An unemployment rate of 4% across all
racial, ethnic and gender groups, when combined with an increase in "labor force participation- would
add $1.3 trillion per year to the U.S. GDP."9
Relevance to Yakima
Yakima's unemployment rate hovers at 9.9% and there is little data around diversity in our workforces.
In December 2016, Yakima's unemployment rate was 99°010. While the U.S. Bureau demonstrates that
unemployment rates are higher nation-wide among Black or Afi&ican-American and Latina/o
populations;'' the Committee did not Lind unemployment data found based on race for Yakima County.
The data section of this report demonstrates the population growth trends among Latina/o and non-
Latina/o people. Considering these local trends, and based on the aforementioned henefits of diverse
workforces, it is and will continue to be increasingly critical for Yakima to ensure a diverse workforce at
all levels and across all sectors of Yakima's economy to support economic vitality, sustainability, and
growth for the City of Yakima.
Yakima's neighborhoods do not receive the benefits of integration. The City of Yakima's Equity Study
reveals that the neighborhoods on the east side of 16th Avenue are predominantly Hispanic/Latina/o with
many neighborhoods at over 70% Hispanic/Latina/o. Meanwhile, neighborhoods on the west side of 16th
Avenue serve as home to less than 4% Hispanic/Latina/o residents. Unfortunately, this means that
Yakima's neighborhoods do not receive the benefits of integration including: "greater tolerance, fair-
mindedness, and openness to diverse networks and settings."12 Research shows that "exposure to
diversity helps broaden people's social networks by creating meaningful opportunities for interaction
across racial and ethnic lines."13 "Racial diversity leads to more complex thinking among college
students (Antonio et al. 2003). And informal interactions between people of different racial groups
improve college students' academic outcomes and social growth (Gurin et al. 2002)."14 Based on the
equity study and the racial divisions, Yakima's neighborhoods reap few of these integration benefits.
Is Community Integration- in the purview of the City?
When the CIEC began its work, the local government 101 educational session explained that the "City
Council establishes policy, and the City Manager implements that policy." "Yakima Residents" were
defined as the "shareholders" or "Board of Directors" over the Mayor and over the City Council as a
8 Marguerite Casey Foundation — Policy Link. "Just and Fair Employment for All: Good for Families, Community and the Economy." 24
March 2015. <h vwuu Pohcviink (,IR/siNs dafa tit tiler'Emplovr t -for 411 FINAL 03 i1-1o.pdf>. (14 May 2017).
Yakima Herald -Republic. 15 May 2017. <http /wnt a v aknnaherald co n/news h wl/cas-yakmha residents at forum -say ihev-don-t-
hustarticle h82ia42-39191 lel9928335a656e4e87.hhn1>. (2 June 2017).
s Ibid.
10 Mesiek, Donald W. "Yakima County Economy- 2016 in Review." WA State Employment Security Department. Report provided to the Yakima
Chamber of Commerce on March 13, 2017. <http://w ww.yakima orgjihng/pdf"1477.pdf>. (15 May 2017).
n "Unemployment Rate and Employment -Population Ratio vary by Race and Ethnicity." Bureau of Labor Statistics- The Economics Daily. 13
January 2017 hit m r/rvww bh ori /o_mbriedf2O17/unchn zlovment rate and-em;r1.o mini hahulahon-ralio-tan 1w -race -and a7hmertv.htrn. (2 June
2017).
12 Turner, Margery Austin and Lynette Rawlings. "Promoting Neighborhood Diversity -Benefits, Barriers and Strategies." August 2009. The Urban
Institute.
fat: ;www.urban.or r 30(,3 1/4 1 1955 -Prom ti Neiuhborho
P.4. (2 June 2017).
13 Ibid.
14lbid.
Page 11
69
15
whole. After reviewing the topic of "integration" within the City of Yakima, the CIEC found that many
of Yakima's residents need three key things in order to better execute their role as engaged
shareholders": 1) outreach and education from the City of Yakima regarding the City's actions and
considerations; 2) an increased sense of pride and civic engagement in Yakima; and 3) a chance to
review policy impact on issues of access and equity prior to policy or ordinance implementation. The
proposed permanent committee would pursue these three goals.
As with any organization or business, it is the entity's responsibility to ensure that its "Board of
Directors" or "shareholders" are informed of decisions to be made, changes, issues, and actions within
the entity. This responsibility then resides with the City of Yakima to ensure that its "shareholders",
those Yakima residents and business owners who are impacted by the Council's decisions, are also
equipped with the tools they need to fully participate: outreach, education, pride, desire to engage, and
considerations of equity and access as the City moves towards decisions.
As is evident in all the months of brainstorming, review and research, the CIEC evaluated what entities
already exist in Yakima to address some of the "integration" topics that were discovered. And despite
those existing groups and events, there still remains a gap as is also demonstrated in Yakima's Equity
Study. The CIEC has found that it is in the purview of the City of Yakima to house a specific committee
to address this topic. The benefits outweigh the costs, the costs are very low, and the future payoff is
high. There is no other equivalent entity that can pursue city integration without a bias or agenda. The
CIEC believes a permanent committee would save money and offer the City an opportunity to more
fully pursue its responsibilities to its "shareholders."
VII. Permanent Committee Roadmap
The CIEC selected three main objectives of which they propose the permanent committee focus their
efforts on; as mentioned above, they are: 1) Integration Lens on Policy Making, 2) Sense of Belonging
and Civic Pride, 3) Community Outreach and Education. Recommended strategies are outlined in those
three respective areas within this Final Report.
Recommended Committee Structure
It is recommended that the permanent committee orient its structure and application process to embody
the very integration it will pursue. This means the committee shall be diverse (ethnically, racially,
linguistically and socioeconomically). Bilingual applicants shall he encouraged to apply. The permanent
committee is recommended to consist of 7 adult members and 2 youth members (total of 9 members).
Committee members shall serve 2 year tcnns that stagger in start/end terms.
Trausitiouary fenrn
If a permanent committee is approved, the CIEC members are committed to a successful transition,
beginning with a review of the application and interview procedure. The CIEC members will present the
final report in full detail to the permanent committee, followed by Q&A session. During the transition,
CIEC members will also plan to meet with any new members as often or as necessary. Lastly, several
CIEC members plan on applying for the permanent committee, which would ultimately increase the
success of such transition.
Projected Resources
The permanent committee will require minimal operational expenses. Anticipated expenses include
printed materials, City staffing and use of City advertisement resources. The largest projected expense is
Page 12
70
16
formal cultural competency training for members of City Council, City staff and the permanent
committee. This expense is projected as $4,500-$8,000 depending on number of participants and the
service provider.
Community Integration Committee Projected Resource Table:
Resource Project Description Estimated Expense
City staffing Conunittx operations Standard
Printing Committee operations Standard
City staffing Policy Review Subcommittee Standard
Training Cultural competency training for City Council
and Community Integration Committee
4,500-$8,000
City staffing Neighborhood Pride Day Standard
Advertisement Neighborhood Pride Day Standard
Printing Marketing Community Integration Committee 50
Printing Community Survey 200
VIII. Final Rccotntnendation
Community integration and engagement have moved from being a "nice thing to do" to an essential way
of more effectively aligning resources with community needs and opportunities. The CIEC's research
concludes that communities that embrace integration and diversity are strong communities where
residents can more effectively and holistically take part in economic, civic and social life. Integrated
communities benefit from higher community trust, higher economic benefits and social capital.
It is unanimously recommended by the Community Integration Exploratory Committee that the City
Council vote in support of a permanent Counmmnity Integration Committee so that dedicated efforts
continue.
Page 13
71
72
73
74
75
76
77