HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/17/2016 06 Audience ParticipationDistributed at they
Meeting
With the approach of Armed Forces Day as well as
Memorial Day, it is befitting that we consider the humble
public invitation of 9 -11 Work Trade Center Survivor
Earl C. Johnson on:
May 25, 2016 - 6:00 pm
Eisenhower High School Auditorium
611S44 th Street -Yakima, WA
Mr. Johnson will be sharing his dire yet hopeful memories
of that day with students, as well as expressing his
gratitude to current /past Military, Police, Fire and EMS.
Local Medial is expected. Attendance is free.
On behalf of Mr. Johnson, I can offer assistance with
further inquiries at:
John Harpe, Ret. Firefighter /Paramedic
(360) 643 -1720 (text preferred) or h32guy @yahoo.com
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OneAmerica
1225 S Weller St
Suite 430
Seattle, WA 98144
Yakima City Council
129 N 2nd St
Yakima, WA 98901
May 17, 2016
Dear Members of the Yakima City Council,
OneAmerica, Washington's largest statewide immigrant advocacy organization, was pleased to see your
unanimous vote to conduct an assessment of Yakima neighborhoods' infrastructure and civil service
needs There is significant evidence, some of which developed as part of the federal voting rights lawsuit
against the City of Yakima, that the City's eastside neighborhoods are underserved The Council's
commitment to an equity assessment is a critical step toward a more equitable and prosperous city
We understand that conducting such an assessment can be complex, and that selecting indicators by
which to evaluate equity in infrastructure can be as onerous as the analysis itself Therefore, we
respectfully suggest the following recommendations, in an effort to maximize transparency,
accountability and clarity, and to ensure the assessment effectively responds to concerns raised by your
constituents
• Outsource the study to an external partner- Solicit the neutral perspective of outside experts or
consultants Enlisting help from the Municipal Research and Services Center, or
from the University of Washington or another institution of higher education could be a cost -
effective and timely way to conduct the study
• Establish an oversight committee Solicit nominations to the committee of residents from each
neighborhood to ensure equitable representation from across the City The committee must
also reflect the ethnic and gender diversity of the City itself The committee must not have a
citizenship or legal residence requirement for membership, and all committee meetings and
materials must be translated as appropriate The committee will make recommendations to
those conducting the study on the data to be assessed, the analytical methods used to assess
the data, and would be charged with reviewing the methodology used The committee would
meet throughout the assessment process and receive updates from City staff and partners
conducting the assessment.
• Use metrics that illustrate need the City ought to first conduct a city -wide assessment and then
study each neighborhood individually using the same criteria With input from the oversight
committee, the City should calculate neighborhood scores on each criterion and weigh them
against the city -wide average, thereby identifying and illustrating disparities between
neighborhoods and the City as a whole
• Make a clear commitment to act use this study as a guide to not just expose, but eliminate
disparities exposed by the assessment Residents of Yakima deserve a guarantee that the results
of this study will guide the allocation of City funding, and that the City will prioritize projects that
address the disparities identified through this process
• Adopt a long -term approach this assessment ought to be a living resource for the City of
Yakima, and one that will require updates every 5 -10 years. Commit to revisiting the assessment
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every few years to track the City's progress on its equitable investments and re- prioritize ublic
spending accordingly
We encourage you to continue to work with OneAmerica's Yakima -based organizers, as well as our
policy staff in Seattle We believe this is a historic moment for the City of Yakima, and we look forward
to continuing to build our relationships with each of you as we collectively strive for a more equitable
city Please contact us with any questions or for opportunities to engage more in this process
Sincerely,
Rich Stolz
Executive Director, OneAmerica