The city of Durango plans to spend at least $30,700 in 2021 on new diversity-focused projects in response to calls for social reform during protests this summer.
After Minnesota police killed George Floyd in May, nationwide calls for racial justice and police reform reached Durango in the form of months of protests and vigils. In response, city officials supported ramping up the city’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. City staff members delegated a team to focus on DEI efforts.
“These task forces are popping up throughout municipalities nationwide,” said Tom Sluis, city spokesman. “The efforts follow the death of George Floyd and the rise of Black Lives Matter movement, which have spurred greater calls for equality overall.”
Durango City Council listed creating inclusive policies and services as one of its top five goals for 2021. That means identifying root causes of inequities, both among staff members and in the community, and finding solutions.
The 2021 budget includes about $1 million for improving ramps and sidewalks to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The city is required to upgrade ramps and sidewalks for many street improvement projects.
As it has in the past, the city budgeted $3,000 for the Community Relations Commission, an advisory board that acts as a liaison between City Council and community members.
In 2020, the city started spending $1,000 on a membership to the Government Alliance on Race and Equity, a national network that provides services and training for governments. GARE will perform an employee equity assessment for the city in 2021.
The city plans to spend at least $30,700 on new efforts, such as translation services, an affirmative action program and specialized staff positions. The 2021 budget will be approved Dec. 15.
Departments and advisory boards citywide are working on their own diversity plans. Soft costs, such as staff time and materials, for those efforts are not included in the $30,700.
Durango plans to spend $8,000 on an affirmative action plan.
It analyzes promotions, hires and terminations to find any potential discrimination. It also looks at city staff, community demographics and tries to identify underrepresented community groups.
The program will never require quotas, said Erin Hyder, human resources director. But it would fill in gaps in representation over time through changes in recruitment practices.
The Human Resources Department will also spend about $15,200 to create a designated position for diversity, equity and inclusion.
The city plans to spend $7,500 in 2021 on translation services for boards and commissions.
City staff members are looking into ways to translate city meetings, public and emergency announcements, emergency services, and/or other city communications with the public.
The price tag for translation services could be more expensive. City staff estimated that Aurora spent about $500,000 for translation services. The League of Women Voters locally spent $245 to translate a 1-hour meeting.
“Let’s get started. Let’s use (the $7,500) when it’s appropriate in a prioritized manner. If it comes out that it’s not sufficient, then we bring it up the chain and bring it to the council,” said Councilor Barbara Noseworthy during a Community Relations Commission meeting Dec. 2.
Other departments already spend about $5,000 on translation services. Durango also added Google Translate to its website to make content more accessible.
Some protesters over the summer called for defunding police departments or reallocating police funds.
The Durango Police Department’s budget decreased primarily because the city reallocated money to more appropriate accounts. For example, the animal control contract, about $230,300, shifted into community support funding.
In 2021, the police department will have costs associated with implementing inclusion-focused recruitment practices, creating a chief advisory panel and participating in a U.S. Department of Justice transgender leadership program.
Noseworthy saw the new initiatives as a starting point.
“We’re just in the early stages of working on the diversity, equity and inclusiveness initiative,” Noseworthy said. “It may not be enough, but it’s a great first start.”
smullane@durangoherald.com
