Equity Actions Taken to Date

City Council adopted equity, inclusion, and justice as a goal in August 2020 in response to the national reckoning around race and policing and reaffirmed this commitment in April 2023.

Since 2020, the city has taken several steps to advance equity in city operations and within our community.

Click the sections below to learn more about work completed in each year:

2020 Equity Actions

The city held several listening sessions with community (notes are available below).
The city created an equity and inclusion coordinator position within the city manager’s office.
The city began holding equity trainings for staff on topics including cultural competence, implicit bias, and othering.

Category: Equity

2021 Equity Actions

Council established the Equity Steering Committee (ESC) of community volunteers and appointed the first round of ESC members.
The Milwaukie Police Department, in partnership with community members who identify as Black, Indigenous or people of color (BIPOC), undertook a comprehensive review of its law enforcement policies and practices and implemented modified policies through the police contract.
The city updated its language access policies around translation and interpretation.
City Manager Ann Ober joins other leaders to create a new non-profit, the Oregon Latinos in Local Government network.
The city supported community organizers in throwing Milwaukie’s first Juneteenth celebration.

Category: Equity

2022 Equity Actions

The ESC advised staff on updates to its city procurement practices to make them fairer.
The city began publishing issues of the Milwaukie Pilot in Spanish.
The Milwaukie Police Department held a community conversation on bias at Clackamas Community College.
The city contracted with Keen Independent Research to conduct a comprehensive equity assessment of the city.
The city again supported the Milwaukie Juneteenth celebration, as well as a community Pride Month event.
The city reviewed and revised its human resources policies and procedures to promote equity and access for all.
The city established Employee Resources Groups (ERGs) for staff who identify as BIPOC or LGBTQIA+.

Category: Equity