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Pierce County Equity Review Committee
In addition to the Council-appointed voting members, seven non-voting members were appointed as follows:
- The County Executive appointed three members representing the Human Resources Department, the Finance Department, and Department of Assigned Counsel.
- The Prosecuting Attorney appointed one member.
- The Sheriff appointed one member.
- Superior Court appointed one member.
- District Court appointed one member.
Submit Public Comment
Written public comments will be accepted by the committee. Email comments to:
Note: All comments received are part of the public record and subject to the Public Records Act. They will also be posted publicly to this webpage.
Public Comment
The below comments were sent to the committee from members of the public.
March 2022
April 2022
June 2022
August 2022
September 2022
Pierce County Council action around Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
In June 2020, the Pierce County Council adopted Resolution No. R2020-43, which recognized the diverse communities of Pierce County, the factors leading to systemic racism, and the principle that the rights of every citizen are diminished when the rights of one citizen is threatened. The Council also requested several executive departments and the judicial branch to review current policies, procedures, and best practices considering the County’s commitment to community inclusivity, and to submit those reviews to Council.
In response to Resolution No. R2020-43, the Pierce County Executive formed the Criminal Justice Workgroup to analyze the county's criminal justice data. Workgroup members represent the Office of the Executive, Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, Department of Assigned Counsel, Pierce County Sheriff, Pierce County Corrections, and the Clerk of Superior Court.
Following the passage of Resolution No. R2020-43, the Council created a 14-member Public Review Committee to review the requested submissions and provide recommendations to the Council (Resolution No. R2020-76). Facilitated by Retired Pierce County Superior Court Judge Frank Cuthbertson, the Public Review Committee met seven times from Sept. 23 to Nov. 4, 2020, and presented its final report to Council on Nov. 18, 2020.
Included were three principal recommendations: Continue the Public Review Committee as is or in some form; Conduct further analysis of criminal justice data; and Adopt countywide Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Equity Review Committee formation
On Aug. 3, 2021, Council adopted two resolutions (R2021-108s and R2021-109), creating the Equity Review Committee and requesting the Executive develop and recommend the following DEI initiatives:
- A countywide equity index (R2021-108s).
- An analytical framework (called an “equity note”) that uses the index to evaluate legislation and actions proposed by the Executive (R2021-108s).
- A DEI policy to guide all Executive department and Council decision making (R2021-109).
- Assessment tools for promoting cultural competency in county operations (R2021-109).
Council requested the Executive deliver his recommendations to the Equity Review Committee by Aug. 15, 2022 for committee review. The Committee must also do the following:
- Monitor and review the continuing data analysis conducted by the Executive's Criminal Justice Workgroup.
- Provide its own recommendations on moving the County to a more culturally competent organization.
The Equity Review Committee sunset on October 3, 2022. A final report was submitted to the Council on October 20, 2022.
Committee members
Voting members |
---|
District 1: Tiffany Robson, Scott Harrison |
District 2: Jmarie Johnson-Kola, Paul Herrera |
District 3: Harvey Gilchrist, Russell Alfaro |
District 4: Andre Jimenez, Dr. Latoya Brackett |
District 5: Fahren Johnson, Dr. Angie Hambrick |
District 6: Jim Cook, Darwin Peters |
District 7: RoxAnne Simon, Priya D. Saxena |
Tribal representative: Tim Reynon |
Non-voting members |
---|
Finance Department: Gary Robinson |
Human Resources: Judy Archer |
Assigned Counsel: Michael Kawamura |
Prosecuting Attorney's Office: Nina Caldwell |
Pierce County Superior Court: Hon. Clarence Henderson |
Pierce County District Court: Hon. Karl Williams |
Pierce County Sheriff's Department: Laruen Wallin |
Facilitator:
Retired Pierce County Superior Court Judge Frank Cuthbertson
Staff liaison:
William Bridges, Principal Policy Analyst
Meeting timeline
The committee held its first meeting Dec. 8, 2021 virtually with Zoom. The committee will continue to meet via Zoom, and holds its meetings the second Thursday of every month from 2 to 4 p.m. Find meeting materials at the table below.
How to attend a meeting
The Equity Review Committee meets virtually through Zoom. The public is invited to attend committee meetings with this link or the Zoom application with webinar ID 937 9003 4675. Video recordings of meetings are available upon request by emailing [email protected].
Meeting date | Meeting materials | Meeting summary |
---|---|---|
Dec. 8, 2021 | Agenda | Dec. 8, 2021 summary |
Jan. 13, 2022 | Meeting packet | Jan. 13, 2022 summary |
Feb. 10, 2022 | Meeting packet | Feb. 10, 2022 summary |
March 10, 2022 | Meeting packet | Mar. 10, 2022 summary |
April 14, 2022 | Meeting packet | Apr. 14, 2022 summary |
May 12, 2022 | Meeting packet | May 12, 2022 summary |
June 9, 2022 | Meeting packet | June 9, 2022 summary |
July 14, 2022 | Meeting packet | July 14, 2022 summary |
Aug. 11, 2022 | Meeting packet | Aug. 11, 2022 summary |
Sept. 8, 2022 | Meeting packet | Sept. 8, 2022 summary |
Associated legislation
Resolution R2021-108s, creating the Equity Review Committee and requesting the Executive develop and recommend certain Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Resolution R2021-109, requesting the creation of countywide DEI policy to guide all Executive and Council decision making and assessment tools to promote cultural competency in county operations.
Resolution R2021-192, appointing members to the Equity Review Committee.
Resolution R2021-218, making the tribal representative a voting member of the committee.
Resolution R2020-43, directing the Executive and requesting the Judicial Branch and Prosecuting Attorney to conduct reviews of policies and procedures.
Resolution R2020-75, changed the date for when the reports requested under R2020-43 were presented to Council and moved the presentation from the Public Safety Committee to a Committee of the Whole meeting.
Resolution R2020-76, establishing the public review committee on law and justice.