Vermont League of Cities and Towns
Equity Committee Meeting
December 20, 2021
Via Zoom and in VLCT Offices
Minutes
Members Present: (attended remotely) Co-Chair Elaine Wang, VLCT Board member Co-Chair Lucrecia Wonsor, Brian Carroll, Joy Dubin Grossman, Marguerite Ladd, Amanda Smith, Phoebe Townsend, Al Voegele, and Deborah Wright.
Others Present: VLCT staff (attended remotely unless otherwise noted) Executive Director Ted Brady (in person), Municipal Assistance Center Director Abigail Friedman, Public Policy and Advocacy Director Karen Horn, Human Resources Director Jessica Hill, Executive Administrative Assistant Linda Mahns. Equity Consultants Dr. Wanda Heading-Grant and Nikki Fuller.
Agenda Item #1: Call to order by the Chair. Elaine Wang called the meeting to order at 1:04 p.m.
Agenda Item #2: Additions and deletions to the Agenda. No additions or deletions were made to the agenda. Amanda Smith asked that the committee consider alternating meeting days and times to facilitate equitable access to the meeting. The item will be added to a future agenda.
Agenda Item #3: Approval of the November 15, 2021 Minutes. Elaine Wang asked for a motion to approve November’s minutes. Brian Carroll motioned to approve the as is and Al Voegele seconded. Minutes were approved unanimously.
Agenda Item #4: Adopt a new Co-Chair. Elaine Wang asked for nominations for co-charing this committee. Lucrecia Wonsor made a motion to nominate Elaine Wang to a year-term as Co-Chair. Al Voegele seconded. The motion was approved unanimously.
Agenda Item #5 Vision for Equity: Nikki Fuller asked if this agenda item can be tabled until next month to give time to all committee members to have more time to collect images, quotes, writing for this exercise.
Action item: Please bring an image, quote, some writing to the meeting that represents the diversity, equity, and inclusion work we are doing to the January 18, 2022 Equity Committee meeting.
Agenda Item #6: Review Draft Statement of Equity and Racial Justice. Elaine Wang asked committee members for input and revisions on this draft statement. There was enough discussion and input that it was decided to share this doc to all members for joint collaboration. These documents will all be a part of an Equity Tool Kit for other municipalities to use as references and/or templates for their own equity committees.
Action item: Wanda Heading-Grant and Nikki Fuller will send the original Word docs to Linda Mahns to update with changes made during this meeting and share to the committee to receive their comments and revisions in preparation for review at the January 18th meeting.
Agenda Item #7: VLCT Equity and Inclusion Strategic Plan Framework. Wanda Heading-Grant and Nikki Fuller described the framework plan as the foundational pillars that will be used to help develop an action plan for the Equity work in VLCT’s 5-year Strategic Plan. These documents will all be a part of an Equity Tool Kit for other municipalities to use as references and/or templates for their own equity committees.
The committee members were asked for input and revisions on this framework document. There was enough discussion and input that it was decided to share this doc to all members for joint collaboration.
Action item: Wanda Heading-Grant and Nikki Fuller will send the original Word docs to Linda Mahns to update with changes made during this meeting and share to the committee to receive their comments and revisions in preparation for review at the January 18th meeting.
Agenda Item #8: Other Business. Items to add to future agendas:
- Vision for Equity homework for 1/18/22
- Draft Statement for Equity and Racial Justice for 1/18/22
- VLCT Equity and Inclusion Framework for 1/18/22
- DOI Statement review and potential adoption for 1/18/22 or future
- Recruitment of members - future
- Equity Action Plan - future
- Equity Tool Kit – future
- Reconsider meeting schedule - future
The committee will meet next on Tuesday, January 18, 2022 from 1-2:30 p.m.
Ted Brady thanked everyone for their great work in this committee during these past 9 months including Wanda Heading-Grant and Nikki Fuller and wished everyone a safe and pleasant holiday. Elaine Wang also wished everyone happy holidays and asked for a motion to adjourn. Deborah Wright made the motion to adjourn, and Al Voegele seconded. The meeting adjourned at 2:35 p.m. without objection.
Respectfully submitted,
Linda Mahns
Executive Administrative Assistant