Priority Area G: Equity, Access, Belonging and Opportunity for All
Create equitable outcomes and address systemic conditions of injustice.
Core Services
Offer interpretation services in public meetings and communications
Provide Spanish language access services at City meetings and facilitate the translation of citywide communications to Spanish.
Partner with community groups to amplify voices of historically underserved residents
Engage with community members and organizations to gather input to incorporate into City plans, programs and policies to increase resident engagement in local governance.
Advance equity through implementation of City plans
Implement the General Plan’s 2040 Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Element and the Housing Element to enhance socioeconomic prosperity and housing security for underserved communities.
Recruit a diverse workforce and maintain an inclusive work environment
Recruit, hire, and retain a diverse workforce, and support equity and inclusion efforts through internal trainings.
Develop accessibility standards across all City operations to enhance digital, physical, and programmatic access for community members of all abilities and identities. - G.1
G.1.1 Evaluate and revise the Americans with Disabilities Act program and policies as necessary.
Increase the involvement of the community in local governance and policymaking by fostering inclusive engagement, removing barriers to participation, building capacity, and amplifying diverse voices. - G.2
G.2.1 Develop an inclusive, resident led community engagement program to bring all members of the community into the decision-making process for policies, programs, major projects and initiatives.
G.2.2 Establish a citywide stipend policy to ensure that all community members can participate in civic life and are compensated for providing their expertise, lived experience, and valuable feedback to the City.
G.2.3 Develop and implement the City’s Language Resource Access Plan to improve multilingual engagement practices.
G.2.4 Evaluate new programs which comprehensively address the needs of San Rafael’s vulnerable populations (i.e., immigrant, disabled, unhoused, older adults, etc.) through collaboration with community-based partners and other government agencies.
Ensure that all planning efforts and public investments are inclusive, community-informed, and designed to expand access to opportunity and address past and present disparities. - G.3
G.3.1 Develop and implement a strategic roadmap to guide the City’s work to achieve equitable outcomes for all community members.
G.3.2 Develop and implement a policy that ensure equitable distribution of public resources and infrastructure improvements across all areas of San Rafael.
G.3.3 Expand on the City’s strategic approach to ensure diversity of candidate pools when recruiting candidates for boards, commissions, and committees.
G.3.4 Expand employee, appointed, and elected officials training related to policies that ensure equitable outcomes for the community.
G.3.5 Develop guidance and train staff in methods for incorporating equity and climate justice lens into the development of programs, policies, and projects to ensure no unintended harm occurs and to ensure historical injustices are reversed, and not repeated.
Streamline and modernize the City’s land use regulatory framework to facilitate development and growth. - A.4
A.4.1 Update the City’s Objective Design Standards.
A.4.2 Update the Citywide Zoning Ordinance to align with the General Plan 2040.
Calendar Year 2024 by the Numbers
38%
Of regular employees identify as people of color
90%+
Staff have received inclusive and equitable policy and practices training