REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Report from the Mayor and Police Chief on "Commit to Action" Initiative Efforts and Action on Establishing a Community-based Task Force on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Council Appointment of Task Force Members [Not to be Heard Prior to 6:00 PM]
Report
BACKGROUND
At the July 14, 2020 City Council (Council) meeting, the Council delegated authority to Mayor Gillmor and Police Chief Nikolai to establish an Ad Hoc Committee in support of former President Obama's "Commit to Action" Initiative (Initiative). With an understanding of this historic window and sense of urgency for meaningful change, the Council expressed support for engaging in a local community dialogue on a Santa Clara Plan to address the four components of the Initiative (Attachment 1) and identify key issues facing the City of Santa Clara (City) involving historically disenfranchised individuals or communities. Establishing a community-based task force will enable the City to engage the local community in an open dialogue and will help the City take actions to achieve racial equity by working to ensure that all Santa Clarans have access to an equal quality of life and equal access to opportunity.
DISCUSSION
Mayor Gillmor and Police Chief Nikolai met regularly over the last 10 weeks and engaged help and assistance from the following individuals who expressed a strong interest in the Initiative work effort: Andrew Knaack, FY2019/20 Chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission; Darius Brown, Member of the Housing Rehabilitation Loan Committee (HRLC); and Neil Datar, Former Chair of Santa Clara University's Student Senate for Associated Student Government and recent graduate of Duke University School of Law. Councilmember Kathy Watanabe and Councilmember Teresa O'Neill participated in the meetings as well, and provided guidance, leadership, and research findings.
We are also fortunate to have established a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Santa Clara Unive...
Click here for full text