001Council will come to order. All rise and salute the flag for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which we stand nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Please remain standing for a moment of silence and honor our veterans, service members, and those who have given the ultimate sacrifice. The clerk will call the role. Council Clone Hayes here. Council Crow here. Council Lahan here. Council McDonald here. Council Sega here. Council Simonelli here. Council Spataphora here. Council Taylor here. Council Winslow here. Council President Doali here. And council Condan is not with us this evening. Uh under the provisions of the open meeting law for those of you in attendance please be informed that UMA Urban Media Arts will be
002recording this evening's meeting. So just be aware audio and video recordings of this meeting will be occurred be occurring. First order of business is our consent agenda. Uh this consent agenda consists of two petitions to be referred to license one paper to be referred to a joint session of rules and ordinance with finance. Does any council have a desire to remove anything from the consent agenda? Seeing and hearing none, is there a motion to approve the consent agenda on councelor Simonelli's motion to approve? Seconded by councelor clone Hayes. All those in favor, please say I. Any opposed? The consent agenda is approved. The next order of business. Kasha Holling, DEI coordinator for the city of Malden, will present an overview of the city's first racial equity audit. The presentation will highlight key findings, priority areas,
003and opportunities for citywide action to advance equity and inclusion. Welcome. Welcome, Miss Ar. Hello everyone. Um, so bear with me. I'm going to try to to take this racial equity audit that lasted a whole year and try to fit into like 15 minutes for you all. Um, so, uh, here I go. Um, so first, good evening to everyone. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to discuss this audit and the work that we're doing for the city. Um I want to begin by sincere sincerely recognizing and thanking the members of the racial equity commission. Um their service, commitment, leadership helped to shape and guide our equity work across the city. Um so I'd like to acknowledge them. Just I'm just going to read their names. Uh excuse me, a little nervous. Uh Nate Bay Coupel,
004Buan Guan, Cassandra Davis, Abraham Nwani, Ralph Long, Jane Shahan, Mecklit, Ael, and James Song. Um, and I also want to extend a deep thanks to councelor Carrie McDonald whose guidance and support were integral in the commission success. So along with city staff and HCH Enterprises, the commission helped to lay the foundation for Maldin's 2024 racial equity audit. The audit examined hiring practices, communication strategies, community engagement, and service delivery. And it offered a clear and practical recommendations, which of many we have already begun to start working on. Um so tonight I'm just going to kind of briefly walk you through um and here we go. Progress so far. So this is basically from 2023ish to now. Um even with limited capacity, we've made consistent meaningful progress by building strong internal partnerships and staying focused on equity.
005So in terms of city operations and staff support, um we distributed 400 over 400 wellness kits have been distributed to city staff. So things that kind of just get you through the day, squeeze balls and that type of thing. Um, I've served on the hiring panels and city boards to help embed inclusive practices citywide. Um, the first statewide or staffwide DEI survey helped to shape our training plans and identify key areas for cultural improvement. Um, we launched the wellness communications and are preparing to introduce the employee resource groups that will support connection and retention here. Um, I've completed the Commonwealth Seminars DEI leadership training for municipal leaders, which is a great help. Um, for Malden, we have participated in the MAPC's reach um, racial equity cohort, which is racial equity advancement collaborative hub. Um, and
006we did that um, with a cross departmental team of 10 from our staff. Um, we are also updating the employee handbook to include inclusive language and to provide clear expectations for community engagement. Um, so far we've hosted two citywide DI town halls and that was with interpretation, open discussion, Q&A. Um, we held identity and justice focused movie nights. We did RBG Ruth Bader Ginsburg and we did the six triple 8 and had discussions about them. Um, in May we launched the Bright Minds quiet spaces. Um, super proud of this. It was our first sensory friendly celebration that was designed for our neurodeiverse community members and it went off really well. Um, for this fall, we're planning the Malden's first joint indigenous people's day and community connection day. We did it last year. Um, that was
007our first one. It went so well, we're going to do it again. Um, we're also going to be organizing just some events. So, a Diwali celebration. We want to have an Italian heritage opera night. Um a Hispanic movie night. So just some little things for uh the community. And I would like to collaborate with the Malden public schools to launch I'm calling it next up Malden youth voices and bright futures. So just a comm a youth engagement initiative sometime in 2026 I'd like to work on. Um, all right. So, internal structure and policy. With the conclusion of the racial equity commission's work, I've taken on the responsibility to kind of continue the work that the audit um uncovered. Um, we've lost the police community advisory council um which improves transparency and connection between the residents
008and the Maldon Police Department. We are working to restructure the human rights commission to better support equity goals. And we are going to be putting together a DEI funding request form that's both to support the city departments and community partners in to so that everyone can kind of be equal in terms of funding that comes from the DEI um bucket. Um for partnerships and rec recognition, MALDDEN will be featured in the upcoming MALDEN DEI coalition's municipal integration guide. So they had one last year. Um I'm on the committee and part of the the co coalition this year. So, we're going to be I actually got to write part of the guide and our audit will be kind of referenced in there as well. Um, let's see. I I've continued to represent Malden regionally through the
009roles of the Mystic River Waterfront Council, the Pipe Steering Committee, NAACP. Um, I also had a chance to speak or was asked to speak at the Addison Middle School civics day about racial justice and public leadership was really good. So, I'm hoping to do more of that. uh grant funding and long-term support. We are awarded a $50,000 community compact grant to fund DEI training inclusive community events, cross departmental capacity building, and that's through 2026. So, I'm still working on that and we're still kind of rolling that out. Um and while the work is still being led by me, one full-time person, um we've been able to make some really good progress in just kind of internally collaborating to kind of get these things going. Um, but to truly sustain this, we're going to need like
010ongoing support and eventually hoping to extend like staffing capacity to kind of meet the growing demand. Um, all right. So, we're kind of wrapping upish a little bit. Uh, what's next for 202526? So based off the report, looking ahead, our next priorities include launching the employee resource groups for staff with connection and morale, deepening youth engagement in partnership with the schools and the community leaders, rolling out um the HGH enterprises group. They have an inclusive excellence scorecard that is part of the report that you'll see. Um so it's just to kind of roll that out and actually actively work with the departments using that. Um expanding access to city services through improved language, disability, and technology access. So um working closely with language access, supporting community workshops on financial literacy, home ownership and economic access.
011Um and lastly in that category was again to launch that funding request form so that we can have equal access to the support. Um last thing in terms of recommendations from the HCH group to support this work they have offered the following recommendations. support implementation of the inclusive excellence scorecard and integrate it into planning and budgeting. Approve the internal DEI funding request process for departments and community partners. Continue supporting inclusive public events and staff training opportunities. Approve the launch of employee resource groups. Support the restructuring of the human rights commission to focus more directly on equity. And lastly, consider expanding the DEI's roles the DEI roles influence and capacity across the departments. So in closing, Malden's DI progress is a result of our shared commitment even when resources have been limited. The equity audit provided
012us with a wealth of information, a strong foundation, and a clear tempate for the work ahead. As the sole DI staff member supporting both Malden public schools and city departments, I know that this work can't and shouldn't be done alone. Um, so collaboration is super essential. So the audit doesn't mark the end of the journey but rather gives us a roadmap for to guide like meaningful action. Um so to build on what we started we'll need to do continued partnership from this council from the mayor department leaders and the people of Malden. We'll all have to work together so together we can continue shaping a city that is more inclusive more equitable and more responsive to the people who live and work here. So again thank you again for letting me speak. Thank you to
013the racial equity commission and I'm done. [Applause] Thank you so much for that and for all the great work and I think it's it's great that you really started it or ended on that you can't be done alone and and I really appreciate you highlighting that. And with that I think we have a lot of people volunteering with their lights on. So councelor Lahan thank you thank you Mr. President Kashana. Thank you so much for that. That was fantastic. Um, you've certainly done, as you said, done a lot with the resources that you have and you're just one person. Um, it's fantastic to hear about everything that's gone on and what you have planned ahead and I'm sure you're aware of the turnover that's happened in other communities with DEI roles. So, I really want
014to applaud you. I don't know if the community is aware of how many of the folks in your position have not stayed right for longer than a year, two years. It's a high turnover position in most communities. And so I'm so thankful that you're still here. Um, and I just want to say for myself and I'm sure for so many of my colleagues, we want to do what we can to support you. Um, I also just want to say I think it's really cool that you did the Commonwealth seminar. I also graduated in 2009. My old boss is actually a co-founder. I love that it's still going strong as a program. Um, so that was just really cool to hear. Um, do you have a sense of what you might need from us beyond what
015you've shared or things that we should keep in mind? Things that maybe we can, you know, think about resources that we can bring to what you have um, as goals or just really anything else that you didn't share that we could do to support you thinking ahead. I guess like you said, you're one person. I didn't even realize that you're doing this the schools and the city. That's that's a lot. That sounds really overwhelming. Um, what else can we do to have your back? Um, I mean, I think so. First, thank you for that. Um, I mean, I think just the support that I have is actually really great. Um, and in terms of just the things that to get the word out is really, um, important. I feel like we have a lot of
016great programs and things throughout the city, things that I'm doing and other people are doing. Um, and I'm not sure how much the word gets out into all the different wards. So maybe the counselors maybe I could start sending some things to you and then you can distribute however you do um within the wards or whatever because I think that we have a lot of great stuff and we just need to find a way to get it to the people so that they know that it's here and it's safe and fun to do. So yeah, I will say I think counselors that's one thing that we do pretty well is the engagement and being linked to the people that we have connections to. So I will speak for myself and say I'm happy to do
017that. Um the only other question I had is can you talk a little bit more about what the staff um resource or affinity groups are? I'm really interested in how you envision that process rolling out. Sure. So um in the racial um no sorry in the DEI coalition it's a it's a basically a bi-weekly group of DEI coordinators that meet together. Um we have all been trying to kind of roll that out. And in the guide the person that was in my group actually wrote a whole section on ERGS employee resource groups. So, um, and she has a whole template of like how to start them up, how to have them be supported, how to have them, how to have the people be comfortable in these groups. So, I have a meeting with her actually
018next week to kind of just sit down and say, "Tell me how you did it in I believe she's in Salem." Um, so I would like to kind of roll it out. I think they have like an LGBTQ one. I was thinking for here, um, we have a lot of people that have great ideas for different events for both staff and and outward. So maybe like some kind of event planning type group to start with, but just something small where we can I can find out what are people what appeals to people and what'll kind of get them engaged. So I'm really open to anything, but I think that ERG's would be just a really good thing to start. So yeah, sounds great. Congrats again and thanks for letting us know about all the great
019work. Thanks, Councelor Simelli. Thank you, Mr. President. Well, Shauna, I um I think you know you do a fantastic job. I've I've been up in your office. you've like kind of morphed into several roles since we've met. I'm not just saying it's because you're from M 7 even though we don't get to see each other down in the neighborhood because we're always kind of shaking and moving and trying to get things done. But you know, you would think that you had an army of like 10 people up there for all the work that you do and you always have a smile on your face and I I you I've never heard a complaint come out of your mouth. So I just want to say that the city of Ward 7 lucky to have you and
020you really are appreciated. Uh, I know sometimes we don't do it. We don't say it as much as we'd like to except when we come up on we come up here. But believe me, when we're up here, I don't tell people they're fantastic all the time. But I just want to let you know I just want, you know, I I do I want to let you know that you you um it's a hard job. It's a hard job because it's woven into the fabric of society uh so much and uh people are constantly calling you on the phone for different things and you have to change gears sometimes whether it be hiring or interviewing 500 kids. I don't even know how you did that but 500 kids and all of a sudden you got to
021start doing that to do something else and you just I don't know you just a pleasure to be around you know and uh you make our job easier and I just really appreciate it. I I just wanted you to know that you need me, you know where to find me. So, I appreciate everything you're doing. Thank you. Thank you, Councelor Colon. Thank you, Council President. Um, hi, Kashana. You did a great job. Thank you so much. Um, you know, it's it's always good to just keep going even though people have said the same thing that you do a great job. I I love working with you. We've worked on a couple of um projects and you're right, he she does come with a smile and just a calm um facade. Whether or not you're feeling
022that inside, it definitely comes out like that. Um and I'm sad a little that that went so fast. Um I think that the job that you do deserves a longer presentation. Um I I'm sure we probably gave you the 15 minutes. Uh but I would love to sit down and talk more about it because there is so much more involved than what you even said. And um a question I did have was about like so when you're saying that an audit so when I think of audit I think data um results and then how you're going to use that data to work on you know making things better. Um is that somewhere that we're not seeing tonight? Um yes. So the actual um audit um I submitted I don't I didn't make copies for Oh
023it's probably up there somewhere. Yeah. So it's about 36 pages. So Okay. So the HH uh crew came they met with the racial equity commission. We did they did interviews with the community um with the staff um some community organizations and then I did our first um the DEI survey that was for all staff. So then they took that information and they kind of looked at everything and then they looked at the past, what we did back then and what we're doing now and and then they made the recommendations from there. So that's all in the the report. Okay, perfect. Um what would you say is something that stands out at you that um we need to either work on or that we're doing really well? Um something just to leave us with here? Yeah,
024so I think that um we have a lot of amazing initiatives in Malden. Um, and I think the biggest thing to help get them all through is to do some collaboration. Um, I've just noticed from my first events where I have kind of been solo doing them. You know, obviously smaller amount of people, people don't know me that well, but when you start reaching out and collaborating and have groups that is like or committees or whatever doing the events, it's just so much easier to get that information out to people that might not be comfortable coming directly to city hall or whatever. So, um, yeah, I think what stands out for me is collaboration is super important. Um, and I think we do a lot of it, but I think we could do a lot
025more. Um, and I definitely have kind of learned that I need to reach out for my future endeavors to work with people. So, yeah, I agree. Uh, collaboration is definitely where it's at. And it also makes your work easier so you're not burnt out because like what councelor Lenan was saying, that is an issue um in DEI positions, especially now in this climate. So, I really thank you for standing up and um doing this work um especially now. And um last question would be feedback from staff. Is that in there too? Like did they do you find like they enjoyed having these um did you call them like uh trainings? I'm not sure for the staff what you would um you if they had about trainings past trainings or No, maybe it's past trainings. you
026mentioned um something about internal staff. I think you said trainings maybe. Yeah. So the the audit that I did was just for the city staff. Um and so I did the questions I I pulled from different surveys and things. So it was um how do you feel about general work culture here? How do you feel about um human resources? How do you feel about DEI? Do you want DEI? Do you need DEI? Do you feel safe at work? do you feel safe speaking out or speaking up if there's an issue? So, it was maybe 30 questions I think. Um like the kind of range questions. Um it it was very initial to start with. We hadn't had like we didn't have one before. So, right. Um and yeah, and it was kind of hard to
027as well because just doing that type of thing and and having people being willing to kind of share without penalty type things. So, um but yeah, it was it was pretty successful. Okay, good. Is that in there, too? Yes, it's up there. Awesome. Okay. Well, thank you so much for all the hard work and keep going and you know, you could reach out if you ever need any help and um I know we'll be seeing you. We collaborate on a lot of things. Um and hopefully more. Thank you so much. Thank you, Councelor Clone Hayes. Councelor McDonald. Yeah, thank you, Council President. Um, I just wanted to add a little more context from the uh from the process with the racial equity commission and um I do have I also have a copy of the
028audit report from HCH which I can make sure gets do you have it? Okay, great. It'll be attached to the meeting minutes. I do think there's some really good pieces in there and they talk in detail and and their approach to the audit was really to kind of compare what we're doing against best practices and make recommendations about that. And so Kashana named a bunch of those pieces. They also call out the need to continue and enhance language access support. Um yeah, a lot about the need for better communication and marketing like how people actually learn about the stuff we're doing. And and I think that's actually more of a strategic question um that's worth some good conversation and um supporting um minority owned businesses and you know young people who are entrepreneurs and and
029then I think bigger strategic questions about how we monitor this work over time. Um, obviously, you know, Kashana, I I completely echo my colleagues, like the amount of things that you've managed to put in place is is really impressive and and a true credit to the city. And I think you you and the team we have will have your hands full just trying to sustain that level of work over time. Um, and so I I am glad to see that there are people who who were excited to be members of the racial equity commission. Malden really is where it is because it has the opportunity to not start the conversation at a at a baseline but actually build on good work that has happened in the past and there's lots of people in this room
030who have been involved in that in lots of ways and actually the audit report goes through some of the existing even reports that that's contributed to like um the use of force policy report or the affordable housing trust fund report um as building blocks for all this. So I think of this as another building block in that. Um, and I think that the there is more and more buyin from the city staff, which I got to observe uh as a part of the reach program and see that there were actually representatives from a bunch of different offices across the city who really um understood the need and the urgency including our own Caroline the city arrow um and and learned a lot of skills and analysis through that that hopefully will will help grow that.
031Um so that you know again as even though you are leading Kashana it is it cannot all be on your shoulders. Um so the the question that I had was actually um also you know th this this council started the racial equity commission in December of 2021 by appointing them. This report and the audit I think constitutes the recommendations and the conclusion of that council's work. Um I do have for if any members of the racial equity council are watching, we do have um commendations and appreciations for you that you'll be available in the city council office. Um and uh and so the I think the question that I I don't think there's an answer to right now, but it's just how we as a as a council want to then think through and process
032some of this um these recommendations and what we can do to support this longer term strategic work. I'm eager to hear more about the Human Rights Commission thinking because they have, you know, so many things on their plate right now. Um, so Kashana, I don't know if you have any thoughts about what the longer term strategic partnership could look like in terms of figuring out, you know, how we stay on the path. Um, but I'd love to hear anything you have to offer um with just generally or Yeah, I think with our DEI initiatives and keeping track over time. I mean, I don't know if I have necessarily a a official plan. I'm just going to keep working, coming up with ideas, and then being annoying and bothering people to ask to help me with
033them. Um, so I'm just gonna I mean, this was a very good kind of blueprint on this is where you are and this is kind of the things that you should be looking at to work on and then from there kind of saying, okay, well, how can I improve work culture? How can we do the language access? So, um, I'm going to kind of keep this audit and and really kind of follow along and and see where we can go from there. That's great. Thank you. Um, and there are so many pieces. I mean, I don't know if folks even are aware, but we used ARPA funds to support the Malden Chambers outreach just to um, immigrant and um, you know, businesses owned by black, indigenous, and people of color. So there there's really a
034lot of incredible work happening in our community um and just a lot of appreciation and and a commitment to continue um doing this. We still say DEI in Malden even if it is um not said everywhere, but I think the support of our residents shows that you know we're going to continue to do so. So thank you so much Kashana. Thank you councelor McDonald. Councelor Taylor, Anna, I I just really quickly want to thank you for all the work that you've done. Um, and you know, the times we've partnered together. I really enjoyed and I hope I can help in any way and support the DEI efforts of the city and you and I look forward to us working together again in the future. But thank you so much for all you do. Thank you.
035And councelor Winsow. Yeah, I know. Um I you know see everything that my fellow counselors has been agreeing totally. I mean I the one thing I also want to thank you is for your patience. I know we were trying to get you on the agenda for so long and so it took a while but I didn't mind but no but no it's good. It's good. This is actually a good night. I think it's a it's a a night we have some time to talk and focus. So I think it was good that we waited rather than even being more rushed. It's it's uh it's amazing what you've been been doing and uh and and and credit to the racial equity commission to to help and support all this. and uh you know so I think
036that the nice thing coming out of this is that um you know it's often you you do kind of these audits and and and do these assessments and you don't actually have a focus but I really it's really great to see these things about scorecards and the employee resource groups and other things that really can be things the city can focus on and keep track of over time. That's great. And I I do think I mean I always say and I mean that in Malden diversity, equity, inclusion is it's a challenge. Um you know some people in this world and country don't want to accept that challenge. But here it's it's a challenge, but I also see it as a hope because we have to we are a community that is diverse and uh and
037we want to strive for equity and inclusion and um that that gives me hope because we are through things like this we are showing other people in Malden and and across uh across the country or whatever that there is a different way and that that these efforts um are fruitful and make a better quality community. So thank you for your efforts in doing that. Thank you and and everybody on the committee. Thank you again so much. I really appreciate it. And please a round of applause again for that. Does anyone have personal privilege? Seeing none on councelor McDonald's motion to adjurnn. Seconded by councelor Crowe. All those in favor please say I. Any oppose?