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Councilor Ortiz offered a couple of ways to raise issues – Payday Loans example: group <br />got together wanting laws, contacted Mayor, Mayor asked Andrea and Chris Pryor to <br />investigate and bring before Council, needed 4 votes to discuss issue and did, Jason <br />Heuser worked with them to get ordinance passed – environmental example: organized <br />groups come to Council open forum for 3 minutes, many testify many times, scripted <br />sometimes, gets attention to issue. <br /> <br />Another asked if we could have time once a month committed to just Communities of <br />Color <br /> <br />Another said it may be construed as preferential treatment <br /> <br />Another responded where then, how? – no forum for Communities of Color <br /> <br />Councilor Ortiz responded that people could write to Councilors – 3 minute forum is <br />public record – folks watch and listen – effective to be organized and have a plan <br /> <br />Another suggested City hiring process include ‘culturally competent’ component – how <br />about other state agencies <br /> <br />Another suggested agencies should/could share expertise like arborists did (example of <br />recent inter-agency seminar on trees) <br /> <br />Another said need more people of color in management – can City be model for others <br /> <br />Another said there had been no diversity training for 4 ½ years where she works <br /> <br />The facilitator asked the group to brainstorm next steps <br /> <br />- have Diversity Committees report to Community at Large – do they <br /> <br />- gave all groups coming together not just group specific – not individual groups – need <br />to create a forum – Andrea and Bobby can’t carry the racial load <br /> <br />- agree and disagree – people of color in management or elected can make a change – <br />responsibility of power to take a stand <br /> <br />- <br /> they’re just 2 people – not race experts – neither are we – feel individuals can’t speak <br />for collective – don’t put too much expectation on individuals – don’t put all burdens on <br />them – need to elect more Bobby’s and Andrea’s <br /> <br />- <br />members of Commission and Council – can’t speak for whole Commission or Council <br /> <br />- we need advocates – asking them to help – to educate – don’t need them to take every <br />case but take a stance on important issues – folks disheartened with same thing – what <br />can we do differently <br /> <br />- need more people involved <br />Communities of Color 34 July 12, 2006 <br />