2023-06-05-LHRC-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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ensure they were involved in all aspects of the Town since the expectations are that DEI efforts be infused in all aspects of Town work.It would also enable the CEO to carry out their duties and recommendations to staff from a leadership position rather than potentially as a subordinate.It was also noted that the previous Chief Equity Officer initially reported directly to the Town Manager before the role was reassigned to report to the Deputy Town Manager.The committee agreed to initiate a conversation with the Town Manager to better understand the current structuring approach for the Chief Equity Officer and ways to bring this position to the leadership team level going forward.Additionally,a recommendation to protect the role of the CEO from taking on additional responsibilities or covering additional roles if openings in staffing occur. B.Budget funding for the LHRC -we discussed putting a budget proposal in place to request monies for the 2024-25 fiscal budget. This request should be ready to submit in Sept/Oct 2023.In the meantime, funding for the upcoming year can be accessed through other avenues.CD will find out what the budget is for other towns (Andover,Arlington)that have a similar type of Human Rights Committee. C.Understanding the Town’s communication approach to raising awareness on the Participatory Budget.Sean Dugan shared a long list of the process he uses for reaching out to the community and raising awareness of this Town project.A member acknowledged that the town had made good faith efforts to create translated materials,but also pointed out that the existing communication approach still was unable to penetrate the community. A.Feedback for future Town Surveys to avoid listing DEI efforts as a ‘choice’in priorities of the Town whereas,this work should be infused in all aspects of Town work,policies and decision making.Equity is a fundamental element of decision making for all aspects of the Town.Equity should not be listed as an item to prioritize,rather it should be embedded in all that we do. 5.Resolution Framework presentation by Hemali Shah A.The committee appreciated the presentation and provided some feedback. B.The external audit will conduct their assessment of human resources,the culture of the departments in Town,ways to support employees and reduce inequities.The initial audit will focus internally on the Town organization as opposed to the services and interface with the Town.A member recommended having a mechanism to share the audit results with the community. C.EJ recommended developing a report similar to the school district’s Report on Reducing Systemic Barriers and presenting to the Select Board annually to 1625 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE •LEXINGTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02420