October 17, 2023 — Human Relations Commission Regular Meeting

Transcript

Manually captioned by City of Boulder staff. All segments attributed to uploader — not individual speaker labels. [MM:SS] timestamps correspond to the YouTube recording.

[0:05] Wonderful. Thank you so much for your patience. We use October 7, and we will go ahead and review the rules of this meeting as a reminder. This is an interpretive meeting. meaning that we will ask of attendees to choose the language in which you choose to keep. Listen to those meetings. So in the there is an icon. Can you still hear me? Someone give me a thumbs up? Yes, thank you. Thank you. Vicar. Just

[1:01] please make sure you select the language of your charts by clicking in the interpretation. Love icon in your screen. I will also ask you to please, speak slowly, and pronounce your words, and breathe between sentences also to not interrupt the speaker, and if you have your own headset with a microphone. Please use it. That avoids hearing echoes, and also it helps with clarity. Once you select your channel. make sure you're muted or muted whenever you wish to speak that would limit the background noise. I'll remind you to please avoid using any idioms for the clarity of these messages. The rules for pull. The participation at city meetings include that we have a set of roles and guidelines to support a productive meeting where conversations are inclusive and productive.

[2:06] This vision supports the physical, emotional safety of community members, staff and definition members as well as the democracy for people of all ages, identities and political perspectives for more information about the vision and the community engagement process. You can receive the link in the screen. and you can do so. We have it in English in Spanish. The following are some of the examples of the rules and guidelines that we have for the current found under in the boulder revised code. In other guidelines that support this vision. So one of them is that all remarks and testimony she'll be limited to remarks or matters related to city business. No, for research plan should make any threats, or use any other forms of intimidation against any person.

[3:04] obscenity and racial epithets and other speech and behavior that disrupts. or indeed it's the ability to conduct the meeting are prohibited. and participants are required to sign up to speak, using their name, and individuals will display the whole name before allowing to speak online. Currently, only audio testing money is permitted online. With that I'll stop sharing and pass the word to our Commissioner and Chair Day, H. Welcome to the agency meeting. This meeting is live and recorded. My name is Gage. and I'm the chair of the Commission. I think we have made zephyr learning else.

[4:01] And okay. Well, is Kristen here? No. today is October seventeenth. It is 6 17 PM. We officially start this meeting. present today we have me. Dave. Hello. preference! And figured here. Since you already go over to those rules. Is that you will go over. And again, Chris, you know. Okay. so because

[5:03] since Ingrid already went to the whose are in the logistic of this recording meeting, I think we could just put into the agenda for the adjustment. And thank you. It's starting to approve the last meeting to PIN our packets. We had last month minutes. Commissioners, do you have any? Suggested fixed touch? Sorry if you guys have any adjustment, I think you can feel free while these guys are working as a technology part. Okay. if you guys have any adjustment for the last minutes whatever you guys have wanna act. That's the time to do that.

[6:21] Oops. Great should be fine. But we're ready to let you select a mission the just the very strange it's like showing on the screen oops. Hmm!

[7:17] It's a good. I haven't. Sorry. More technology. Yeah. He were they any agenda adjustments? No, I don't think so. No Yup. so we can move on and make a motion of the 1720 23 meeting minutes. Who would like to make a motion? I make the motion to approve the meeting from the

[8:04] October 17, meeting the minutes. Right? Yeah. Minutes. We'll second the motion. Get the message. picker. We can hear you. Oh, you can. Can you hear me? No, it's better. Thank you. Okay, I said. I second the motion. All in favor. Say, Hi. aye. we always are, answers. are you. Yeah. moving on to uploading our meet previous meeting minutes.

[9:00] Every meeting our secretary takes notes. Those notes are called minutes every month. Minutes are included in our packet. We view them and approve them the following month, and that is always part of the agenda. Any adjustment to the minutes? Can I get a motion to approve the minutes. I motion to the approval of the minutes for the meeting of a September. I'm sorry if I get the date September 1919 19.

[10:00] All in favor. Hi. always your hair on the tone. So so that brings us up to item 4, which is the community by participations on the or community participation. Members of the public join our meetings and contribute. Today. They can do it online. Each participant has 3 min to share and Staff has time to respond. Community members can sign up in advance ingrid. as everyone signed up to speak. No, okay. These entering present would like to participate. There's only one person in the audience in the virtual audience. I don't see their hand raised.

[11:00] so you can move on. Okay. Now we can move into agenda 6, which is discussion of infuriators. Now, we're at that part of the meetings where we have discussions and informational items as a reminder. We do not need to vote, but I invite commissioners to participate open. Yeah, we don't. We don't have any action items in your attendance for tonight. and now adjustments were made to the agenda. So we can move into the discussion and informational items which were just in time. Okay, now we are moving on the stop until the staff update

[12:01] our posse. So to Elizabeth and ingrid Great. thank you for thinking any question on offer application needed some commissioners out to us. doing very much. So I did this one, yeah, okay. great. So Hi, everybody. This is Elizabeth Crow. With housing and human Services deputy director, and very glad to share a little bit of information with the hrc. Tonight about the elevate boulder program. It's our direct cash assistance program for financial stability. We have been planning this project for a couple of years and we're almost ready to launch the application process. We've shared information previously with Hrc. Members about this. But I'll just quick reminder. Guaranteed income or direct cash assistance are terms that describe

[13:08] when we will give unrestricted, unconditional financial support to selected low income community members. And it's to help people be able to decrease their debt, to increase their savings if they want to help take care of the basic needs of their family. What makes it different from other benefits? Programs like food assistance or rental assistance is that once people receive these funds. They choose what they want to do with them. There are no restrictions on how how they spend that we are one of about 30 or 40 cities in the country that either already have done a pilot project like this, or are have currently have a pilot project,

[14:05] happening or taking place. and the results are very good, that when you give people cash assistance or guaranteed income for a period of time. and let them make decisions on how they want to use that to take care of themselves or their family. They do better, and I think that's not surprising to any one of you. This is how This is how life works for many people. They they are not lacking in character, they're lacking in enough cash to be able to afford to live well. So with this project we are hoping that community members who will be selected to receive the funds are able to really improve their financial stability, improve their food security. They'd be able to afford to buy what they need to to eat better.

[15:04] to get the health care. They need to experience less stress and anxiety that can come with experiencing low income. And we hope many, many other good outcomes, positive outcomes for people. So we're going to be launching the application process late this month. and community members will have several weeks to fill out applications. They have to be eligible, and there are 4 levels of eligibility. One is they have to live in the city of Boulder. The second is that they have to be at 18 years old or older. The third is that they have to be between 30 and 60% of the area Median income for the city of Boulder, and for one person I should have the information right in front of me here. But I don't

[16:04] for one person that can be. I think it's less than $27,000, and you know, up to a certain amount. But it's in that specific income range. And then, fourth, they have to have experienced Covid hardship. and that can be anything from having It's gotten sick, or have to take care of somebody in their family or your household who lives had Covid or was ill. You may have had reduced work hours, or lost job. Have had a challenge receiving or getting childcare. or pretty much any other problem that any of us experienced for Covid. The reason that we're asking that question in this application is because the funds that we're using for this project are part of the city's COVID-19 relief funds from Federal government. and we have to report out on how we spend all of that. So we're gonna ask just to make sure we're in good.

[17:08] so we're really excited about this project. And if any Hrc members would like, we can share some information with you when it's available next week, as we're going to be kind of announcing more publicly when the application period will launch. and I'm happy to share some other informational materials with you. If you wanted to circulate that share that through the community also on this slide is just a link when you receive the Powerpoint for a documentary about a documentary event that we held last week. time flies. It's already been a week since we did that. It was a is a documentary that focuses on the guaranteed income programs and how they have benefited people who have

[18:06] than participants in other cities. One of our older community members was a panelist. Afterward, along with 2 other participants from other parts of the country. and we had a wonderful dance performance. From a local break dance group which was really great, had people on their feet and clapping. So it was a really lovely event. We recorded it, and hopefully we'll be able to share it after the program launches when we have time to do so with other community members who were made not able to go that evening. And then the link here on the slide is for the web page for the pilot project. We will continue to update that web page when more information is available. Right now the application process has not yet begun as of October 17

[19:04] and our staff do not have the capacity to kind of answer phone calls or emails about it yet, but once the application process opens we will have full time staff member throughout the application process. who is English and Spanish bilingual will have 5 actually, 6 organizations, nonprofit organizations helping people who need it, who want to apply and need some assistance. And I'm providing lots more information. Online. So people can find out whether they're eligible to apply, and then how the selection process and payment process will continue. So again, we're very excited about this. There's a lot to do the rest of this month. So our team is very busy and happy to answer any questions you have.

[20:02] I may have a few questions. If that's okay, where are you from? Can you explain to me a little better the part where you said 30 and 60% very immediate income? So it is a little bit tricky. It's just a word that and it's a different number depending on where you live in the country. Because the average income is different where you live. So so this is 30 to 60% area. Median income means, whatever the average income is for boulder, it's people who are kind of 30 or 60% of that of that amount. So what I can do is when we've kind of after I maybe share on the next slide and Ingrid is presenting. I can bring up the chart on the website and and show you it's it's easier to explain that. But it also the number.

[21:02] The income number or range also depends on how many people are in your household. So if you're kind of one person, your household right? Is one number. If you have 2 or 3, or 4 or 5 up to 8, you know people in your household. it's a different number. So everyone who's interested in applying will have to look at that chart and determine where your household income is, and then determine whether or not you're eligible, and we have some information that help people understand what? That I don't know, that I'm explaining it very well, if I may interject here. It's also a guideline that is used for benefits. Yes, so usually it depends on your income and the number of family members that you may be eligible for other benefits that are available in the community.

[22:01] So let's say, for low income housing, they may refer to some of their programs by saying, do have to be between 0 and 30% to be able to be eligible for these subsidized housing program or there are other programs that have a different requirement. But it's based on this table. So it will be great when Elisa chairs the screen. II mean the table, because it's a lot easier, she said, to understand it? What's the other question that you have? The other question is, just say the the money is from Covid correct. Are you guys decided to relocate it in something like that, like. what I'm trying to say is, hope it makes sense like, let's say in the last meeting, I think,

[23:03] And Stan was in the meeting. I feel like, yes, you guys are. Still, I'm not saying the phone is misused. That's how I'm saying what I'm trying to explain is, why do you choose a specific program? While, for example. that's I just made the calculation. It's gonna be all like 2.5 million close. What like? Since we're funds are going? So we actually did have several 1 million dollars that are allocated from Arpa funds or American Rescue Plan Act specifically for homeless programs that serve homeless community members. Happy to share information about those. A lot more funds that are going out for financial assistance, rental assistance.

[24:11] A second mortgage program. For community members living in ponderosa that will help low-income people own homes. We're currently in manufactured housing. A lot of our programs. Behavioral health is another category. Child care is another category. And then, besides, for all of that other funds that are going for utility, assistance, business, support, etc. So be happy to share kind of with you the dashboard online. That shows where all of the Arpa funds go. What we want. What made us excited about this project is that it can be a good use of one time funds, which is what Arpa is. You can only use them once. And it enables a

[25:03] us to have a project like this that focuses on our low income community members as a pilot. It can be very transformative. It's one of the kind of criteria that we have as a city that we want these funds to be able not only to be used for kind of basic needs, things that we need all the time and things that could make a big kind of system wide change in our community. And this is one of those ways. That cities all over the country are finding is really a unique opportunity to help community members on top of what we already provide. So, in short, I mean, we had a I could go into detail about like how we decided to use all of the Arba funds. But if you wanted just to know about like this project, is just really been transformative in other communities, wanted to be able to try it. Here

[26:07] we have a if we put it as a like number one to 10. Let's put it that way. Okay. someone who loses boulder. That leaves a low income housing already at 4. And if you look at homeless, since I see one. So why don't we bring bring the 0 to 3 instead of keep going up? Because I'm not saying it's wrong to help people. That's not what I'm saying. I feel like, why do we neglect the most vulnerable people, for example. and keep. you know? I wonder if, like I'm trying to explain. I don't know what the whiteboard to use. Is it like, did was that decision from you guys stuff, or is it history you did? Or is it something you look to older cities? Or is it like something you guys look in the city or boulder to feel like, okay, that will be more impact.

[27:03] Cause, you know, on the community, it's gonna get cold. Let's put it that way. those homeless women, and they doubt having 10 or 20 of them died. And if we could use part of that phone all like, since it's already there, it's a project you guys work on hard. But could we have done it different. That's what I'm saying, like. what could have done if someone have done better to make that phone use like, it's a one time like you said, you know this way, or probably gonna be hard. Instead of having people slipping on the street, we could have house hunting. and it's a one time. That's gonna be a one time use, no matter how you see you see it all, instead of having a certain fund for emergency. I think that could have been good. Good. But, Mike, again let me go back to my basic question to say, How did you guys determine that would be more valuable to the community instead of versus like this. I would say, you know this

[28:01] on this issue that's hurting everyone here. We have a huge plant behind it. You know we called a sheriff on a time back at the end of the day they keep coming back. So so I think what I would say is that we we have a lot of funding, including our funds, but millions every year that we are allocating for housing services for assistance to community members who are homeless for shelter for basic needs. One of the Arpa projects we're supporting is support for people who recently transition from homelessness to housing, so they can stay in their housing and not experiencing challenges that might result them losing their homes. So we have millions and millions every year that we are spending to help community members who are homeless.

[29:08] I don't think it's either this or that. I think we decided to do this because it's also needed. But again, happy to share. you know, at a future meeting, or we can send some information out about kind of where all the funds that are going. If it's helpful for homeless services, Arepa. And then, just in any given year, for the city services. The last part. I'm not sure why, just that. I'd be happy to share if it would be helpful to see kind of where city funds are going. Currently, to support almost community members. Yeah, thank you. Sure, cool. What kind of pro exist for published people? Yeah, let's go.

[30:02] Sure. No problem. Okay, I have another question about that. Elizabeth. If I'm not thinking too much time, guys. Oh, that's not in this. You say the someone has to be 18. Okay? And what was I want? Live in the city. So let's put it. do you guys ever target on how many people. If it's why do you like choose 200? Is it just like, do you guys ever target? Because since, like, if you look at the city really like the city's limit. I feel like to be clear. 60% of the people who live here have enough. How do you guys determine? 200 like, is it like a studio date, or is it just a random number?

[31:03] No, it's not random. So and actually, I should say the the photo on this slide. Besides, for people like Ingrid and me and a couple of other staff members, is our 9 person community task force that we're our community members, who applied for. And then we're chosen to be on an advisory committee. So we work together with them to help kind of make decisions on kind of the basic elements of this project, including how much money? How often they people would receive it! How long? And we did. All of the things that you suggested. We spent a lot of time looking at what other cities have done, and what kind of difference it made for people who would receive funds for one year as opposed to 18 months or 2 years, and also how much money makes a difference?

[32:04] For some communities they're giving less money, but a longer period of time. Some cities are giving more money per month for a shorter period of time, so there's all different kinds of. you know, scenarios and what we came down to with our city staff and our task force members was also looking at how much money we had in total within your rights. 3 million for the project, 2.4 million will go directly to community members to try to also have a number that was large enough so that when we're done with the pilot we have some good data, right? So if you're a researcher, and we had a pilot project that only had 10 people in it would say, like, Well, that doesn't really tell us anything. But when it's a larger number. You can see more about kind of trends. And how people did you know what if somebody did really

[33:02] well or experienced? You know a lot of benefit from participating in this project. If it was one person that tells you, well, that's good. But if it's a lot more people, or we see differences in how people experienced participating in this program like where and how it benefited them. It's a large enough number that will say, Well, that tells us something about how this might affect our community if we were to continue doing it beyond that. So when you kind of take how many people. You really need to have a a good number for a pilot project like this. So we can, you know, learn the most from it. and the kind of dollar amount per month. That shows that makes kind of has the most benefit and the length of time. Some evidence shows that the longer the period of time the better you do. If you know you're getting a certain amount of money for one year.

[34:00] That's great. But if you know, it's 2 years that enables you to plan and to try different things out, that you know you're having this money. So that's kind of. In short, how we landed on that number. It was through a lot of research, and experiences from other cities that have already done the pilots and then getting the input from our task force members. Who are older community members who all identify as low income and experiencing and or experiencing disabilities. It's great question. Thank you. I have a question, a couple of questions who is going to do this selection of the people? And how is going to be the selection? Sure, because I start in a in another meeting that sometimes is there people selected that doesn't need this

[35:03] good question. So what will happen is when people apply after the application process is done, deadline is passed. Then we have a one of the consultant groups that's working with us called Omni Institute. They will run a random lottery process. So it's like a lot of other processes in the city, if you, you know, applied to receive a voucher for an electronic bike, or you know anything like that, you apply. And then you're randomly selected. So they will select people who who have applied, who are, who are eligible and we won't necessarily know who they are. Like city staff or non. Nobody looks at a list and says we want you want, you know you, they're just randomly selected. And then if there's someone who is selected, and it turns out they're not eligible.

[36:03] or they weren't able. They weren't able to provide, you know, kind of proof or verification that they live in the city or 18. You know that this is their income, etc. Then they will be. They could be replaced with somebody else. Who is also selected. So that's how we get to that point. There are other programs where organizations will screen, you know, people for eligibility and recommend them for programs. This isn't that. It's totally random selection based on replies. okay. nothing against trying to understand. let's say, somebody losing low income house an example they already receive. who's like? Second example. I feel like

[37:00] these people are eligible on that. Or should we choose people who who have not like to live in low income housing, but doesn't get that second benefits for food or robin people who just get that benefits. But then, like, get the housing is there is way to select that, or it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter for the sake of the the application or the selection. So when people apply where part of the application will ask us, are you receiving any benefits? But that's really just so we can understand because what we know. so that we can understand through this process. How many people we know it's already is a lot who are house who already receive some kind of support, like food benefits. health, care, and are still really struggling.

[38:01] So one of the conversations that and kind of information we have about our community is that it takes about for a parent and 2 children around $99,000 in income to be able to afford to meet their basic needs. And so that is through the Colorado Center for law and policy. There. Self sufficiency, standard is for Boulder County is 99,000 for a parent and 2 children to be able to to afford your basic needs. And we know that there are a lot of people who are living way under that amount. And this kind of income range includes people who are considered to be very low income, and people are considered to be low income. They're working or have some form of income. But it is not enough, and they're at risk of losing They're at risk of

[39:01] experiencing housing and security, food, insecurity and all those things. So these are things we we do know. We know about our community right? And so it doesn't matter for the application. If people are receiving those benefits or not. Part of why this kind of project is really exciting is because it acknowledges that those those benefits are often not enough. They're helpful. We hope people get them. This isn't replacing that. It's showing like this is what it really takes to enable someone to to have their basic needs better in Boulder. Is there a remarks? Question is the application going to be easy to feel, or people is going to need help to do it both? So we're in ingrid can chime in here, too, if you want cause. She's been part of our city team working on this. We have worked to design the application. So that is very simple.

[40:03] And we've had a lot of members of the task force. Have been testing the application and giving comments about like. Here's what worked well here, this part wasn't clear. Can you make this easier? Can you make this better, easier to understand? Can you change? Can you change this, and the consultants have done that. And so we believe that we have an application that it will be very easy for someone to fill out themselves. It does need to be online but if you have that Internet connection or know somebody who does can be a phone or a tablet like you have. they should be able to do it. And we have people available to help. There will be an email address, a phone number that people can use any time of day to send a note or leave a message, and somebody will call them back and help them one on one and we'll also have some places and times where people can go in person say if somebody really wants to apply, but they don't have a computer. or, you know, need some help

[41:09] kind of attaching documents. They're not sure about that part. They will be able to get help in person as well. it's also going to be. Everything is going to be in English and Spanish and Nepalese, which are kind of our 3 main languages in boulder, so that should help to. I think, the best way to stay tuned, and again being for you can reach out to us at any time, of course, but in the webpage you can see which I have linked to your spreadsheet. And add it. There. You can see the of those upcoming events that are gonna happen at different locations for people to, and different schedules, too, for people to stop by and receive help. But those are not the only channels I'm I'm asking this because I have people that when one of what this that they need to apply comes to me. And as me tell me to field application, or because I don't have computer or anything.

[42:15] Yeah, we'll be able to help with that. And we are working with 5 organizations who are also gonna have staff members available to help family learning centre. I have a dream. I'll send through my sad out Boulder County, and am I speaking on music. Thank you. Center for people with disabilities. And a lot of these organ, a lot of people in the community. They're already know those groups. And so if they don't want to kind of come to the city government for help, they can do that. They're bolding, both their housing partner staff who will be trained to be able to help people? So we should have a lot of people available to provide that help.

[43:00] And you're more than welcome to as well, girl. I have to say that it's been remarkable to work with this task force. Conversations have been channeled challenging in a good way where? That we could all aspire to do what's impossible. Fix and and grant money to whoever is in need. And yet is. it's a pilot program, right? So, I'm really looking forward. This is an I'm very excited project for me. Personally. for many reasons. But especially, I'm really looking forward to hear what impacts it has in our community. And hear the stories of people who will be participating in this project.

[44:00] Yeah, perfect. We do have Brenda Britain hour in the room, and she will be she's next in line we're a couple of minutes behind the agenda. So I just wanna be aware of time. And if he's okay with you all, we can invite her to cover our next discussion item. So we haven't yet. if somebody is, you know, like is not a paper is. and reach out to me anytime. Send me an email. If you have any other questions lift up. Yeah, like, if somebody doesn't have a green card or just wanna make sure. Thank you. Hi, ingrid. I can't start my video. It says host has stopped it. So I think maybe you just need to find me on the participant list and give me permission.

[45:00] I will let me make you a call host. Okay? Perfect cause I'll need to share, too. So that'll work out perfect. Yeah. Doesn't let people add, maybe. Well, Hello, Hi! I am am happy to join you. I'm sorry I'm not joining you in person. Tuesdays can be complicated for me, so I'm grateful for the opportunity to get to join from my upstairs office my house. and I am Brenda Ritnauer from our communication and engagement team. I know that I have joined you in this room before, I believe, last month, just to help Ingrid, but also in other ways. And I am talking way too fast. So I'm sorry, Mira and Elena. I will be better behaved. I have come tonight to share with you. I should ask Ingrid if she wanted to frame this in any way. First, I just launched in.

[46:06] Now you can go ahead. I think we in past meetings. You all express interesting learning more about the emergency response connectors program, the connector residence program. And there's other programs in the city that inform well, we know what and also what kind of initiatives are out there that go beyond. These 2 specific groups in connecting and getting input from the community. There's no one else that does that work better than our communications and engagement team. So Brandon is here tonight. Thank you so much for being with us. And please go ahead and take the floor. Great! Can you see my screen that I'm sharing?

[47:03] Yes, okay, great and my other monitor is over here which helps it be large enough for me to actually see what's on the screen. So if I'm looking that way, that's why so yes, I am happy to come tonight to join you to share about communication and engagement in general at the city of Boulder. and then to dive a little deeper into the connector program. So on this green on my screen. You'll see. The presentation that was given earlier this year. So your newest member of the Commission may have seen this information already as part of orientation. Others who have joined in the last couple of years may have seen it in the past. So I will go through it fairly quickly, but wanted to make sure that I was hitting all of the important information that we really feel is relevant to boards and commissions.

[48:04] and I'll also be sure to talk slower and to hold for questions every so often. Please feel free to interrupt me. You're very small on my screen those of you who are in the room, so I won't necessarily see you trying to get my attention. So please interrupt out loud if you wish so there's a lot of words on these slides. so I'm not going to read them all, and you don't need to worry about many of them. But it helps guide sort of where I'm going with my story for you today. So the communication and engagement department is a centralized department at the city of Boulder. which was not always true. And I'll show you that timeline in a moment. And we feel it's most important to talk with boards and commissions about engagement, because that's often what you're most curious about, and where we intersect with your work most often

[49:01] I will say that housing and human services has a communication professional that is embedded in their department. Her name is Lindsay Morse Castillas. I'm not saying her last name right? And she's amazing. and she is works alongside the staff in housing and human services. and is employed in the communication and engagement department. So she plays sort of has 2 homes at the city. so she's fully supported by all of the professionals on our team in the department, and then she works to really help get information out and navigate various communication channels for housing and human services. Specifically. So that's how communication often works across the city. Engagement. We're a little bit different. We are here all

[50:00] continue on a little we are a mostly centralized team. So there's now 9 of us in different roles. We've grown from 3 to 9 people. 2 of those people are embedded in specific departments, one in our planning department and one in climate initiatives. That's true, because those 2 departments have identified a great need for regular strategic engagement planning. And so they have invested in professionals to help them do that work on an ongoing basis. Most departments do engagement project by project. So something comes up where we really want the community's voice as part of the decision and resources, and a team from the department, sometimes from my team, come around that to make that happen

[51:00] that makes me realize I should back up a moment to this slide, where it says engagement, which is an active relationship between the city and the community that includes and encourages levels of 2 way dialogue in decision making processes. So a lot of times we talk about how communication goes one way from the city. It's we have something to tell you we're going to tell you in lots of different ways, so that you have that information. Engagements is where we jump into a dialogue with community members in many different ways around. Perhaps a specific topic, a specific decision of a specific topic that city council is making or that city staff are making. And we want to know what the community believes will be the positive or negative impacts of those decisions.

[52:03] so that we can be fully informed as we make them that is something that our team is deeply committed to. We find it incredibly important to lift the voices of our community and strengthen the democracy that exists in our government in all ways. And in boulder. We take very seriously the fact that many of our community members have been historically excluded from that conversation. And so some of the methods I'll talk with you about today are extremely intentional to build trust in communities where trusting the government is not easy. Is lifting voices and listening to voices and making change based on those voices. That have not been included in the conversation in the past. That is

[53:05] how we centre our work in our department. It's how we have centered our work from the beginning. So I'm excited to get to share what some of that looks like with you today. That's sort of what this slide says. It's not really important. This sort of is how our engagement team developed. There was a community group. Because we love a task force at the city of Boulder. It's one of the things that makes us strong. And that community group was called the Public Participation Working Group and they came together for 18 months and they met 30 times, and they really wrestled with where the public was able to be involved in decisions in Boulder. There was a sense at the beginning of that, that it wasn't going well, that people were not included, that voices were not heard, that city staff was making decisions and only pretending to hear the community about them, and they weren't wrong.

[54:08] We had. Yep. Sorry. Was that just feedback? Okay? Sorry. I thought someone was jumping in. We had a bad habit of sort of going out into the community and saying, Hey, community, here's a thing. What do you think? But not providing enough information about that thing and not saying. here's what we already know. And here's the question that we're asking you. And here's how we're going to use that information that was not happening. And so, as a result, people were feeling unheard because they would say, Here's how I feel about that thing that you asked me about. And here's all the ideas I have about that thing you asked me about. because they hadn't been given the information that we already knew what was feasible and what wasn't.

[55:01] And we really only had certain areas that were opportunities to impact that decision. So that's what we work toward now doing that better. So this group met. They identified a lot of those problems for us. And then in summer, 2017, exactly a month after I started working at the city of boulder. They presented their report. and I was not hired as part of the engagement team fun fact when I started but this report was released. And in fall of 2,017 a strategic framework had been created. and it was very clear that my role dovetailed directly into that framework, and I should be a part of that team. My original role was neighborhood liaison. where it was my job to really connect with people who lived in boulder and listen to them. and make sure that other people at the city listen to them

[56:09] and helped address what they needed. So that Job was engagement. And so here I am in the department. We have 3 of us at the beginning, trying to shift a culture. We did that in a few ways that you'll see coming up next. And then in 2020, our engagement manager was asked to be the Director of Communication. and she said, I will do that if I can take engagement with me. So let me talk to my team and see if they want to come with me. So she talked to us, and we said, Yes, of course, communication is part of engagement, and engagement is part of communication. We should be together, so here we are in a much larger and better resource department.

[57:00] So that is the last slide. So I've talked a little bit about the change of culture that we are working on. Transparency is a big part of that culture change, and, as I'm sure you all are well aware, often the hardest part of that culture change? It is hard to make sure everyone is aware of every step along the way in a decision. And so that's something that we work at and know that there is room for improvement at but that's one of our real goals. We want to help our colleagues across the system. Be open in those conversations? Make sure that they are identifying well. what decisions we should be talking with the community about what decisions maybe we can make as a staff, because they're more technical and there is less opportunity to actually impact the decision because of technical issues.

[58:07] and in that way we can best and strategically use our resources across the sometimes hundreds of decisions that are made throughout a year. We really try to focus on impact of decisions on who is being impact. and how we listen to those people who are being impact as well as others who might be secondary impact or a third impact or fourth impact. so and then. So there were a lot of of recommendations that they made that culture piece where we're more strategic about it. That we needed to show up differently with the community, and that we also need to resource the community to show up differently. So that we can all stay part of the conversation.

[59:04] Public discourse can get heated and hard and emotional. and we welcome all of that. and we want to not be verbally abusing each other in a room right? So before your meetings. Ingrid shows some slides that talk about our guidelines for the meeting. and that's part of the work, that where those came from is inviting everyone to be in community together. so that we can be productive together so that we can welcome the emotion so that we can hear, lived experience, and use that information instead of just feeling beaten up by it. Right? And that goes both ways and 3 ways, right? Sometimes it's commission members, staff members and community members. And everyone is responsible in that triangle for building that productive atmosphere. That's a lot of the work that I do directly

[60:06] with my colleagues and with the community. and then being clear and transparent, which I talked about was of recommendation and then resourcing the work. So that's why we have a staff, and that's why, as the need for engagement and the ways we engage, and the appetite for engagement grows throughout the city. Our staff has also been able to grow because resourcing the work has identified as an important part of what we do. These are 3 sort of primary words. And now we've added equity, which you don't see on this bubble, but meaningful, inclusive. equitable, transparent. Those are the words that we live by in the engagement team and encourage across the organization.

[61:04] We do a lot of different things. There's a strategic framework. I know that we are short on time. And want to be sure I get to everything, so I encourage you to read this document. I will send it to Ingrid if I don't have time to put it in the chat before the end of this meeting. But that is our guiding document that was developed in 2017. We've learned a lot in the years since 2017. Much of it still holds true. And we're working on our next version of this document right now to include some of the things we've learned, particularly through Covid, which I'll get to in a bit. These are our strategies for success. These are sort of the way we initially started to learn to think about our work that now we feel is hopefully embedded in what we do so I'm just going to read them out loud, and if any of them are confusing, please stop me, and we'll dive into them.

[62:08] Learn together. which means, as I said. don't just ask the community about a thing. Let's talk about what the thing is. Let's learn together the different aspects of the thing and then have dialogue. Excuse me. help people know what to expect. so help people follow all of those steps of a decision and understand where their moment for impacting that decision is. and then how they see the results of the dialogue that they offered cultivate respectful and inclusive relationships. This is my favorite part of what we do cause I get to connect with all of the really really cool people that live in Boulder and, as I've said often the people who have not been included in these types of processes in the past

[63:05] be transparent. I've already talked quite a bit about use. The right tools is that strategic piece I mentioned, where we're not doing full community engagement on every single question, especially if it only involves one neighborhood. But we're weighing who's impacted? What voices do we need? What information will will really make a difference on this decision? And how do we get that? And then evaluate and evolve. How are we doing? What are we doing? Should we be doing it differently? What tools do we need today as opposed to in 2017? Alright. What else do we do? We do a lot of internal work, the rooms getting tired. Okay. Sorry. No, from Elizabeth. I'm talking too much. Let me check in with you all.

[64:01] Ask what you are thinking about. what I'm saying, and what would be of most interest to you with our time together today I will get to connectors next. Maybe that's the hot topic of the day. Jage, what do you think? Sure, okay, cool. I'll know. you know, that's a it's beautiful. The work, and one thing I would say is, I feel like. is that good work? But I think it's centered and probably limited amount of people. Once they have power, it changes. And I'm gonna give you And I'm speaking with my heart here. Okay, I'm gonna give you my full understanding about it.

[65:06] The perfect taking some note while you're talking. You say it's a 2 ways, 9, 11, and for the community, and I don't think hmm the outside seizes it that way, because my experience here with a lot is. if it doesn't work. there would be a loopholes all away to make it not work. And one of the thing I'm gonna point out to to you is it's one thing that I read this week. It's an article world by somebody about the Bouver police oversight. That's the best I'll take for you if you look at it. I think one of the best line I've seen there is.

[66:00] It's not fine. Is that just bringing about like the phone turn off. It's it's about the a city is pretty much taking power away from the people. And that's what's one of the best line. And I do understand. Your work is amazing. I'm not printing out to you. Your work is is good. But I think how do we make that a reality. I feel like right now. So how do, how do? How do you make that real? Because if you I think this article was allowed to say it was an article in Boulder reporting land. and it was welcomed about. Yes, you talk about inclusive. inclusive, and being transparent. One thing that's a lot as a minority member of the community.

[67:04] And being here, is that right now you can be a super racist and be part of the boulder police over site. And there's a me as someone who is in minority here. I've been here only for 16 years, Max. I'm gonna give you a quick example to pull the police and 3 occasions harassment, but I couldn't find justice. Imagine you are somebody. Erasis in the bullet oversight. the police over side power so like, I said. You know the talk is beautiful. How do we make that real? Because so like in 15 years. officer. you know. He died in the King super thing for no reason, anything we did never happen. The second wrong was one. I think his name was smiling. That

[68:07] how do you say? Claim that I stole my car. Hmm! I tried everything. and side of them. They have a way. They manipulate the evidence. They take time. They make it a thing that should take 2 weeks. They go 8 months in February. Same thing account through a government business almost arrested me. Say that I put out a bank where there are plenty of cameras. Evidence claim that I stole, not stole. I deposited a 70 70,000 check. I don't think Boulder has the people power. I think they are taking power away from. And I think the work you are doing is good. My thing is is like, how do you make that real. Yeah. And thank you for bringing up police oversight. That is one of the

[69:03] one of the results of engagement with the community. That was a long process that led to the standing up of that team. And and we're still working out how best to resource that team and how best to have that team be in relationship with the city and with the Independent Police Monitor, and and have their voices heard in the best ways. It's it's always a growing process when you start something new. And I'm so glad that you brought that team up, and and I am so sorry that those incidents have happened to you over the years. And hopefully. this team, being in place, gives a place for complaints to land and complaints to be taken seriously, and complaints to be investigated the way they should be.

[70:00] I don't know that it has grown into that quite yet, but I think that is very much the intention of that team. and and you're right. I mean, it's a long. hard journey, and that's not a satisfying answer to your question or your comment. but we've been at it for 6 years now, and we are just starting to learn some of the things we don't know and we are champions for being better every day. And and we're not. It's not enough yet, and we know that. And I always appreciate when someone is, is willing to say that out loud because it's true. and particularly with our African American community. I think it's true. I think we've we've done a lot in our Latino population, and I think Carlos can speak to a lot of that but we have done less for our African American population. And and so we're we know that, and we're working. But we're not there.

[71:09] I do agree. But like, let me put one thing out like like I said in an article one line that I really like. It's I gotta go to City Council. His name is Leonard. he said, like grabbing power away from the community. Is it viable or ethical answer to the challenges? You just talk about something that was super amazing? Oh, okay. You see something that's super amazing, which I feel you say that in the beginning I took a picture of it. You said it was the dialogue and transparency. One thing I've seen in this community is is The word dialogue means we have to be on the same team. If we are not. we are 2 parallel lines, but that will never meet.

[72:00] And you know, like you said, well, if we come and we want transparency. if we are building something real like Pop, okay, we can keep somebody out for being bad, and we get the worsen. So I think that's why. And I don't see any transparency there. And to finish. My comment is that again? Your work is good. I feel blessed to be here. I feel blessed that I can speak. I feel blessed that I've been older. I'm raising to continue. But one of my biggest worry is is that I can tell you, 99% of immigrants don't have the a not encourage me. How do you call right to speak right, to speak like I do, or understand the community like I do. They don't, because they they're afraid their abuse, yeah.

[73:04] And the other part of it is is the lack of having someone they can talk to what's going on. It's a it's it's hard to to to do that, but my hope is your work can link to the community. But so far I don't know. I've been here for 16 years, like I said, I'm seeing it's not there. It's just a virtual thing to me. And if it's I'm happy to do anything to make it real if I can. As well. So thank you that yeah, I mean, that's that's real. I'm gonna jump into the connector piece to show you some of the things that we are doing, and I'm hearing that you are not seeing them in the community. So

[74:05] that that's real. We're just not. It's not enough yet. and so I'm going to share this with you. But I don't want you to think I'm negating what you just said by sharing this next piece. I I hear it, and I get it. and we know that we have come, that we are on a long journey, and we've come this far, long journey, and want you to know what that work is, so that you're aware of it. And can keep telling us what you're seeing and what you're not seeing. Cause that's important. That's part of how we know. So thank you for watching me change screen so I could get to this presentation, you might recognize the gentleman in the bottom right corner of this picture. These are our community connectors. This is a picture from 2 years ago. Now. this is a program that started in 2,018 as a pilot, as does everything in the city of Boulder.

[75:05] The pilot with a project where we really were trying intentionally to reach out to people who were lower income people who had less access to various city resources, people who had not been invited into processes in the past. And so we said, how do we know what people need, or the best way to engage with them. And we realized we should probably ask them. Because that's how you find out things you don't know you ask. So we had some relationships. We'd worked on with some folks in manufactured housing communities, and we turned to some of those folks and said, Will you help us with this project and in that way we tried our community connector program, which we feel has been really effective in the communities where they're centered.

[76:01] And they're not in every or enough communities. But that work looks several different ways at its heart. That work is hiring. People who are of a community to help us be in relationship with that community to help advise us for what that community needs help, design processes with us that will work well in that community for having dialogue and lending us some of the trust that they have, you know, paving that pathway? So that we, as the Government who are not trusted by many communities in our in our city. For lots of really good reasons. can walk into spaces where we might normally be viewed with distrust and suspicion. But our connectors help walk us into those spaces and say no, listen, listen to what they have to say. You don't have to trust yet. But let's listen right?

[77:08] and so we do that with different programs. we have some commitments that we believe are important to that program. They help us center equity. These programs are about meeting people where they are not trying to pull them toward us. They're about building trust and power. They're about ongoing to a dialogue. They're about a commitment to adapting based on what we're hearing. So we're not just walking in and listening. We're walking and listening and then walking away and doing something about it. It's about investing in people. And it's about co-designing with community members. We have different programs of the connector program. One is long term. We've only done this a few times, but people are part of a working group where they are in dialogue on a project all the way along. For 2 years of a project. We've you see, the beautiful women in this picture have been part of the east boulder working group. The sub community plan that was created in East Boulder.

[78:19] And then we have a long-term. That's that's more than information than you need. Today, we have our short term connector program. That is on a project that maybe lasts 6 months, maybe 4 months. We're going to counsel with this decision. We want to be sure that we have heard the voices of the community members who will be impacted right now. They're planning a park adjacent to Boulder Meadows, mobile home community. and they have hired 2 people that live in that community as well as someone who lives in Ponderosa. Oh, she. They're not. Ponderosa isn't sorry Angela is not doing that work anymore. And they're talking with folks who live in Ponderosa, though we don't have a connector on that project at Ponderosa. But those are our closest manufactured home communities to

[79:17] that proposed new site for that park. And so they wanted to make sure those people's wishes and dreams and hopes for a park are really heard as part of that process. So that is our project connectors. And then Carlos is part of a team that we call our emergency response connectors. These folks were stood up specifically during covid at first with department money and then subsequently with American Rescue Plan Act funding and they met with us every week for about 2 and a half years, and now we meet twice a month. Starting April third, 2020.

[80:02] They said. Yes, we will be part of this team. We have one or 2 connectors in every manufactured housing community. We have one for a long time who is in a Php. Community. One woman who has lived at San Juan del Centro, and is still part of the team and helps us connect with that community. And then we had volunteers from all over the city who were in whatever neighborhood. They were in. But we're not paid a stipend, so our connectors are paid a stipend for their work. They're paid a monthly stipend based on a number of hours. And so the folks who manufactured housing and subsidized rental communities are paid that stipend they meet. They met with us every week. They told us what people were scared about, what people were confused about what people needed. And then I turned around to Elizabeth Crow. As a matter of fact and the team that she led of staff members and said, Here's what people need.

[81:05] What do we do about it? And she said. I am brilliant, and I can help solve all these problems because she's Elizabeth Crowe. And and we got a lot done. We put thousands of masks out into the community for free. We once we start getting home tests. We've put hundreds of home tests in the community. and Carlos and his team told us where to host, vaccination clinics, what time to host them, what day to host them, and how to get people there? And we vaccinated hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people. As a result of that work. That team still meets because we are all still figuring out the impacts of Covid right? And so they're still talking to us. We've focused on resource, navigation and resilience building over the last year. We just had a retreat a couple of weeks ago to think about 2024 were funded through 2025.

[82:06] So we're figuring out what the team evolves into and how to fund it after that. But I have seen the value of being in weekly dialogue with this group. And so we're working hard to make sure that can still happen in some way. It might be twice a month instead of weekly. But we'll see. So that's our connector, our emergency response connectors. And then we have our community connectors in residence. I don't get to work directly with this team so much anymore, but they also are a product of Covid. We had another team during Covid called our recovery equity connectors who really focused on policy decision making. So emergency response connectors are out in neighborhoods. navigating resources giving us direct front lines, information.

[83:01] The other team was looking at policy decisions that were being made by the city and projects that were being stood up and other things like that and helping to look at whether it was a good or bad idea at the time. Essentially, one example is, they wanted to close Nineteenth Street to make a outdoor place for people to be and socialize and have fun during Covid and the community Boulder Meadows right next door, said. That's we all use that road a million times a day. And if the bus isn't there, how am I gonna get my kids to where my kids need to be right. And so they didn't close 19. They came up with other strategies instead. So things like that. that team evolved into a permanent team that was just funded forever with well, hopefully, we'll be funded forever if this next budget passes

[84:00] to look at policy decision making staff go to that team and say. we've been working on our racial equity instruments. And we have these questions for you. And can you give us feedback on these parts of our project. And so they are really helping voices be heard. There are immigrants on this team. They are an intentionally demographic team. So emergency response connectors are geographic. It depends on where they live is where they represent. This group is intentionally. demographically diverse. So we'll see Selassi, who is from Africa. He's an immigrant from Africa. Jamal, who's African-american small business owner. We have Adriana, who is a small business owner. an activist, and the one of the wisest women I've ever met in my life. ava is a native American brings that perspective to the team. Lenora represents older adults with disabilities, so they're really

[85:07] a mix of demographic voices in that room that we engage with regularly. So that that's the connector program. there's a lot there. So I'm happy to answer questions hopefully. You're seeing how we are starting to try and do some of that work and make those things real. I think Covid had a big silver lining of letting us invest in and try some of these deeper relationships with members of the community who then turn around and engage with us on and for us on our behalf. And really bring in more voices of their community members. I'm going to stop talking because I talk a lot. Thank you, Brenda.

[86:01] Any questions, clarifications. comments, figure down so I can see a little better. Oh. Brenda, I feel like in the beginning of your fuck. It was about engagement, and second a few of the things that I think in the end, like while you're talking now, it switches to a specific like. What I mean by is is that it's it's an exception to me. Covid was an exception to me, instead of instead of the whole, like, you know, package. I feel like you switch there. Yes, I do understand. That's the beginning. I I'm really to show people, you know.

[87:01] but in the end I don't think we should leave by the exception we should leave. By what's the rule should be. I'll give you. well, I can take many example. but I will give you equipment to understand. for example, for me, in the city as an African American. and I'm a just African American, because I have friends that are from the Middle East experience the same kind of thing. And the problem with it is, it's because they can't. They don't know what to eat like you say, engage with the system to make it work. So I think why I'm trying to explain to you is, is that me? Okay, I own a business.

[88:01] I'm gonna give you a quick example. So you understand, when somebody walk in. I don't do it anymore, because I build that that that strength people understand. You know I don't have to. If you look after you can see it on my face. I don't care where you work. Get out, that's it. But my thing is, it's like, I think a lot of people see the city of Boulder government that way. And in a way, we're The CD protects the wealthy's. And and I'm gonna give you a quick example. When I was married 92 pretty much my x 5, I would remember to meetings. We started in organization and bullet called it homeless Overflow. Okay? And today older. From there it went to many different steps. because the city keeps pushing more and more to keep these people away

[89:03] and the human shelter. We have only one shelter. Now there is no our support for this people. Yes, I understand we are not a city to give, but at the same time, if the community we have huge amount of people that we're pushing away, we're employing a lot of things back to. I don't think it's good, because I do remember meetings with CD. If you see members, I think they will now give tickets. Teach the homeless that were here to go to Denver on a bus. which was 3 times the amount of money they would have spent if they they they support, I think, the last shelter they close on 30 or straight. So I don't see the engagement. That's the first thing. Second is, is that like there are a lot of people here that would love to

[90:04] to participate, though I understand you have salesy you have. Jamaal, there's a thing I want to do. Understand it. So let's see. Married a white woman. and I'm not saying that in a way that's 5. But one of the thing here is she. Understand the community. She connects us when you have someone like my neighbor, who is from Iran. Yeah, you run. Yeah, you're you're right. Yeah. Anyway, I won't appreciate it in English. Who Ham and his wife and 2 kids come here. he would not have the privilege Celesi have. Celesia is an exception. The wolf. I don't know if that makes sense to you. Yeah, yeah. engagement for me. It will be to meet the real community.

[91:00] like if you if you so, I'll give you a clear example. There are more programs we have used unless he will know about because his wife will be read mobile. It's an example and understand the CD and know where to look. But if you look at a community like let's say the one and the what do you call that street? There. let's say, okay, I'm gonna take a quick one for you like 1 30 F, okay. across from the world Registration building. I have a lot of friends that lives there, and some of them, you know, American. They're not only, but if you look at them they don't know if somebody doesn't come in during the time of campaign like it's going on right now to talk to them about resources and stuff nobody else. So I think yes, your work is fabulous. It's amazing. It's a beginning. But at the same time I don't want us to think. Yeah, we meet the exception and make it.

[92:07] No, I hear what you're saying, and and know that. when I talk about Covid and and the gift that Kovac gave to us, it's because we see how that's a beginning, how how, what we were in the position to be able to stand up and learn how to do during Covid, and the ways that we learned how to ask and how to listen that were new to us. Give us a place to start building. and that's that's why I attribute the silver lining of Covid to that. It doesn't mean that that we're stopping. It means that we are taking what we learned from from having a different focus and a different priority. And saying, but but how do we take what's best of that, and keep doing it in ways that help us hear people? One of the team's things that that community connectors and residence team does is they created a training

[93:10] that is, for community members that they deliver. That is about how county government works and how city government works and the different resources that are available, but also the different ways that people can engage and get involved in the system. and they facilitate that training, and they facilitate it in their own communities and in the languages of their communities. Which is a really amazing thing, you know, we sort of had a few bones of that that we gave them, and they created what they felt like people need to know. in order to get through some of those barriers of not being invited into a process. Being in a new country, having dealt with governments that were out to actually harm them in the past, or sometimes in the present right?

[94:06] a. And and give them those resources so that they know and can start to make some of those choices about where to get involved. It's called building power raising voices, and it's pretty cool training. So if one wanted to host it at one's place of business. we would be happy to come there and do it. So that your neighbors and your community members could have that information, too. I wanna make a little space for Carlos just because he is in this program to make sure I haven't missed anything he wants to make sure you all know about the program you said the name is building power and raises Voices Bill building power raising voices. Yup. cardos, anything. No, I've been last time unless meeting we talk about that, too. They want to know more about the program.

[95:06] That's why you are here today. Usually I let Carlos talk more sorry. Yeah, I think the community connectors is such a good idea. Smaller groups. I feel like allow people to be more open and get to honestly connect with people. I I'm sorry if you've already covered this. But, how do? How does someone find a community connector? If they were new to the community. That's a great question, and and something that we are working on, you know, we started particularly with the emergency response connectors. We asked them to bring their own networks into the conversation. Right? So they still receive a weekly email that's full of information and community events and resources. And they each have a network of houses, households that they reach with that email. Sometimes it's not email, sometimes it's text, sometimes it's Whatsapp. Sometimes it's phone calls many of them have made in the past to people they know need it.

[96:18] And we estimated at 1 point we reach about a thousand households with that. But again, those are neighborhood focused. So if you're in those neighborhoods where they live, you are likely to know about your connector and be able to find them. Otherwise, the community connector and residents team. I don't know that we, because they're private community members. I don't know that we post like contact information for them anywhere. So that's a really good question. How could a community member reach out to someone on that team if they wanted to. I don't think I have a great answer. So right now I'm going to say me reach out to me, and I can connect you with connectors, and and I will trust them to sort of know who's the right voice to connect you with

[97:05] that N. Not a great answer for the community, but I offer that answer to you and recognize it would be great to have an answer for that for the community. Yeah, thank you. E. Thank you, Brett have taken all the time. So you tell me what happens next? My understanding of connectors is that it? I'm not sure if he said it or not. So tell me if this is that if this is accurate and Carlos people who are connectors are. they? Are there to serve as liaisons provide that a guidance provide that input and not necessarily. They're thinking that they're representing an entire

[98:06] population which I think isn't. It can be an important distinction, right? Like, if somebody's they're representing a a particular organization, or group or community. but people are. Can you say a little bit more about that Carlos jump in as you wish, community connectors and residents. They're consulted by staff on a weekly basis on any number of projects. And yes, they bring their own perspective to those conversations. They're also asked to engage with their community members and come back and bring that feedback depending on the project. So most recently.

[99:02] it was on this the budget, the proposed 2,024 budget each of the members of that community connectors and residents team went and did engagement conversations with members of their community. Some of them held meetings where people were invited. Some of them had one. On one conversations with a number of people. But they really tried to gather input on some of those budget choices and bring that back to the the team as a whole, and then the budget finance team and they also went to city council and shared that information in a very part as part of the agenda presentation to City Council on the budget. So that is so. It's sort of both of those things that you, said Elizabeth. So they both bring their own perspective to conversations, and they go and gather up voices in their communities and then represent those voices in those conversations. Emergency response connectors, I would say, are similar. They bring their own knowledge and lived experience and perspective to our conversations. And I mentioned the weekly email that they send out every week.

[100:20] So they're sharing information that way. And then sometimes we say, Hey, go ask your community members if they need tests, or they need that specific to covid right? That has changed and evolved over the 3 years we've been together, and we've started to ask them to go ask their community members about other things, too. So they also work in that way on a less formal basis. Does that feel right, Carlos? Yep. yeah. if I may. Brenda. This is ingrid. I also would like to recognize and acknowledge that ever since.

[101:03] And I'm using the same example of Covid, because I think the overall community started organizing differently than prior to Covid. I have seen through social media and different groups that there is a more reiteration of what the work that the community is doing and repetition. So it's not uncommon to see a flyer here, then, see the same fire here. Including events that are hosted by the city like the foothills fair that we had in summer, where community members were invited to come and connect with different departments of the city. And this is an annual event that hasn't happened. Because of Covid. And this year happened and and there's other opportunities that I think community members have, in addition to community connectors and all of the connectors programs to bring their perspectives and speak up, including

[102:12] open comment here. See? And many of the other boards and commissions and other task force, too, that we lean on community members to learn from them, and being able to bring their input and their experiences into the work that we do. So II know this is kind of the tip of at least a specific work that the communications and engagement team does. But I want you to also be aware that there's so many other channels and opportunities to engage, including being part of task force and boards and commissions. Do you know how many community connectors you are with all?

[103:04] I think active right now. We have about 22 in those different program levels that we talked about. And then we have a list of about 10 or 12 who have been in those roles in the past who are no longer in those roles. And we're starting to build a list of people who are interested to learn about when we have opportunities. So I would say, there's probably about 35 people in the overall conversation, rough, estimate breath. I know we're 5 min to 8. I know I was, do we have any time? Me, I'm okay. It's not to decide is on that commission.

[104:00] We have other items to cover. It's a How are you doing. please? I'm okay. thicker. Do you want to do a quick like estimate of time? So yeah, where are you? Gonna stop? we have chronic news. Conversation that Brenda was gonna share it with us. And oh, thank you, Elisabeth. I also, we also have updates on the human relations, phone, racial equity work immigrant.

[105:01] We can. Yeah, we can kind of go ahead. And these are smaller items. I have to say, Oh, okay. yeah. I can be quick if you still want me. If not, I understand you guys. For me it's fine and figure gave the thumbs up. I'm gonna feel the sugar. Brenda. I won't even use the slide show, because that'll just slow me down. We and I will try to talk at a reasonable pace. So we are. One of the things I do in my role is I help guide these community conversations with folks we want to hear from on various decisions. Right?

[106:03] One of the decisions that we are working on right now that we will bring to city council is an update of what is called the chronic nuisance ordinance. It's part of a larger strategy to sort of help. People live well with each other. It's we recently passed a refresh noise ordinance that address, daytime noise, from amplified music around people's homes. We also passed a refresh of weeds and trash, which changed the process that that was enforced for homes that are neglecting their weeds and trash in ways that cause public safety issues and then this piece is chronic nuisance which enforces patterns of violations at a property.

[107:02] Property is an interesting word, because a condo complex is one property. A manufactured home community is one property. an apartment building is one property and a single family. Home is one property right? So a property is many things, and this ordinance addresses things that are happening at a property. It really is designed to help the city be in better conversation about compliance with property owners and managers. It's not focused on tenants. If people are renting those properties, it's really focused on what is happening at a property that is making it unsafe or having an impact on the neighborhood. So right now, what that looks like is.

[108:00] if you have 2 violations in a period of time that I don't remember. You can be cited for chronic nuisance. As you can imagine. everybody gets some violations on their property sometimes, and 2 is not very many. and so it's not a usable law. because we would be using it all the time. And that's not really what it's intended for. It's intended for people who are not taking care of business at their property. And so things are repeatedly putting people who live there in danger or putting the neighborhood in danger or causing life. Liveability issues in the neighborhood. Right? It can be noise, it can be trash and weeds, but it can also be electricity issues not up to code. It can be fire doors that are blocked all the time. So people can't get out. It can also be levels of crime that are happening on a community's prop on a property.

[109:06] So all of those different things, when done repeatedly can activate this law. So we're working on reform for it. We're working right now on what the number of violations is and what the time period are. And we're working on sort of what an investigation process looks like. So that once it's been described, it's been identified that this property has a pattern of violations. How do we understand what that pattern is? Why it's happening what the true needs are on that property. Before we can go into a chronic nuisance enforcement level. It might be that there are steps along the way that a landlord or property owner can take before it escalates to a violation. So I said a lot of things. But we are really trying to talk with

[110:02] people who we think will be impacted in one way or another by this new version of this law. So I have been to visit students who live potentially on the hill or in other places in the city. We have talked with boulder Area Rental Housing Association. The people who own buildings that many people across the city live in or or manage those buildings. We're in conversation with boulder housing partners. We've been to see the tenant advisory committee. I've done some interviews with folks I know who are tenants of buildings, and we are also planning on going to do some interviews with some folks who live in subsidized rental. That's not boulder housing partners where we know there's a pattern of issues on their property. and we have been trying to think where else we've been. We've talked with administration at, see you that works with off campus housing as well, including their team of lawyers.

[111:05] So we're really trying to understand the perspective of anyone. This might impact. And it really is a small percentage of properties across the city. It's folks who definitely see either building code violations or police violations happen at their properties. We have gathered a bunch of data to figure out who's the sort of top end of that list, and that's who we've reached out to. So I wanted to say all that to you all, because I know that you are. Our person centered most focused on impact team hit the city. And and so I just wanted to see here what red flags you see. Hear what we need to be taking into account, and also hear what you think might be helpful about this law. and please ask all the questions, cause. I don't know if anything I've said makes sense. I'm way, too, inside it to know if I've communicated it. Well.

[112:32] I do have a slide show that has questions. Let me ask those questions. Let me put those up. Maybe that Brenda. Could you hear? No. was someone speaking? And I've lost picture in the room. You, too, Brenda. let me also message them. Oh.

[113:00] there we go now, we can hear, I think. or maybe we heard through Elizabeth. Computers frozen. We have? Echo. Oh, I'm sorry. Okay, no, no. Oh. see, I'm Co. Host. I'm gonna mute and unmute Ingrid's computer and see if that does anything. It did nothing. Yeah, it's frozen. check the chat. Yeah. I see a question in the chat that I'll answer if you all can hear me.

[114:01] And maybe Elizabeth can just do that that way quickly. Noise. Violations are enforced, enforced by the police by the sort of regular police as opposed to weeds and trash, which is the police code enforcement team? So there's 3 Enforcement folks involved here. The first. Oh, Elena's audio also has a lot of echo so interpretation might be tricky at the moment. Elena, thank you. Just do your best. And Mayra, we appreciate it. so there's 3 enforcement agencies in this conversation. The first is just regular police officers who enforce the law in many ways. The second is the police code enforcement team, who enforce things like weeds and trash and

[115:04] bear trash, and many other things that, Jen II should have a list of what Jen's team does, but I don't and then there's our planning and development code enforcement team and they enforce building safety. So they're the people that do an inspect a inspection before you can get a rental license. They also enforce construction, violations and other things related to the building itself. Speaker, any questions? I am not hearing anything more? Question. Yeah. Oh, do you have a question click here? Oh, no other questions. Okay. alright. So maybe I will send. Oh, I changed this

[116:04] thing. I'm showing you off the questions to see if I could message Elizabeth. so here is some questions that if you have answers to now. great except that we can't hear you. But you could ask someone to put them in the chat, or I can send these questions out to you, and if you have any feedback? You can provide it to me that way, or you, you and I can have coffee. Anyone who might want to talk further about this. and we can have more discussions. So I think we'll leave that there while you all figure out your technical needs. Thank you. Thank you, Brenda Brendan. Thank you. I'm oh.

[117:03] and might need a shutdown and restart by someone's computer on that end. Yeah. You see, Tiffany's came online. It does not. Oh. we just half full contact failures. Ingrid's trying. Why is that? I wonder if the meeting. I wonder if the hybrid meeting on the machine in the room ended at 8. I set it up. Darna was hoping I had a magic answer. Oops, that is a good idea. Thank you.

[118:01] No other questions here right now. Okay, so I will plan to send you this information. and we can you can provide me with feedback through the email. Or if you want to sit down and have a conversation, I will include my contact information. and you can reach out to me, and we can set up a conversation together. Okay, thank you so much for listening. I appreciate it, and I'm sorry that we can't have more dialogue around this. At this time. I will exit and let you all yeah, get through what you can get through for the rest of your meeting. Brenda. It looks like we're actually still viewing your screen. Are you still sharing her? That's better. Thank you. Thank you, Brenda.

[119:11] Speaker, bear with us. Okay.

[120:52] Can you see the chat? Yes.

[121:02] so we're proposing a journey here and finishing the updates on email instead. Okay, yeah, that makes sense. Thank you. Apologies to anybody who's watching. They just have had quite a tech failure this evening. Thank you, Elizabeth. Have a good night, everyone. I motion to adjourn the meeting. The Hrc. Meeting held October 1720, 23.