ETF Meeting Minutes Summer 2021

Posted on Thursday September 23, 2021 by Corinne W.
Part of the Emerging Mobility Action Plan Effort

May 11, 2021 – 4:00pm to 5:30pm

1. Community Building Activity

2. ETF Meetings Reflection Discussion

The ETF established five qualities of what a successful space, meeting, and process is: productive, energized, empowered, closeness, and a sense of camaraderie. To ensure this project process works for the ETF and aligns with the five qualities, we had a discussion to understand what is working for the ETF and what needs to be improved.

3. Group Discussion

The ETF had a discussion around best practices and potential approaches on how to engage marginalized communities that have historically been left out of the decision-making process. This discussion topic will occur throughout the project process to help develop recommendations around best engagement practices that bring disenfranchised communities to the decision-making table.

Discussion themes

• The City of San Jose needs to host pop-ups at public and community events (i.e. farmers markets, community centers, etc.) and inform the community about the different projects, plans, and programs happening in the City. This will help develop trust between the community and the City.
• Training and information on different City processes needs to be made available and accessible.
• A portion of the City’s budget should be allocated to equity-driven community engagement and outreach.

May 18, 2021 – 4:00pm to 5:30pm

1. Community Building Activity

2. Equity Capacity Building Kick-off Meeting

The Equity Task Force will help inform the new initiative, Equity Capacity Building, which aims to identify:

1. Transportation-related strategies that would reduce climate-changing air pollution and advance racial and social equity;
2. Policy, programmatic, and/or organizational changes the City could make to improve the quality of and centering of racial and social equity in its community engagement, including how it works with its community-based organizations.

The ETF will work on this new initiative in parallel to the Emerging Mobility Action Plan. In this Equity Capacity Building kick-off meeting, we reviewed the initiative’s purpose and timeline, and discussed potential topics and speakers to explore.

Discussion themes

• Youth safety in public spaces and experiences related to transportation and enforcement
• How to integrate the experiences and perspectives of the unhoused, elderly, and disabilities’ community in this initiative
• Explore the impacts of displacement and transit development on climate change

May 25, 2021 – 4:00pm to 5:30pm

1. Community Building Activity

2. Breakout Group Discussion

The purpose of the discussion was to help the ETF think through developing their own recommendations (policies, practices, programs, and pilots) for the Emerging Mobility Action Plan (EMAP). Therefore, the focus of the breakout group was to answer the ETF’s questions, concerns, and guide the ETF to develop recommendations that would benefit the community.

3. Equity Capacity Building – Topic Discussion

This was a group discussion focused on the new initiative, Equity Capacity Building. The ETF was provided time to review, brainstorm, and select topics and speakers to explore for this initiative. The feedback will help steer the direction of the draft timeline for this initiative.

June 8, 2021 – 4:00pm to 5:30pm

1. Community Building Activity

2. Breakout Group Discussion

The Emerging Mobility Action Plan is near the halfway point in the project. As the plan progresses into the second half of the project, the team had a check-in with the ETF to review the remaining project and meeting timeline. This discussion will help us ensure we have identified the appropriate tasks to engage the ETF and to understand how to best engage the group.

3. Equity Capacity Building Initiative

The ETF was provided time to review and confirm topics and speakers selected for the Equity Capacity Building’s draft project timeline. Once the speakers and topics are confirmed, the team will begin scheduling and organizing meetings and engagement activities for the initiative.

June 15, 2021 – 4:00pm to 5:30pm

1. Community Building Activity

Community building activities will be postponed for about 4 to 6 weeks, as the ETF begins to focus on leading the Emerging Mobility Action Plan and Equity Capacity Building Initiative.

2. Emerging Mobility Action Plan – Breakout Group Discussion

The ETF will review the Technical Advisory Committee and Policy Advisory Committee’s input on the draft recommendations created by the ETF. This review process will occur over the next 4 to 6 weeks. During this review, the ETF will identify and/or provide input on the potential actions the City may consider to make a recommendation implementable.

3. Equity Capacity Building Initiative – Opportunity Housing

Equity Task Force member, Kiyomi Yamamoto, gave a presentation on Opportunity Housing, a policy that would enable multi-unit housing in San Jose, particularly in single-family neighborhoods. This is one of the strategies considered by the City to solve the housing crisis in San José.

Learn more about Opportunity Housing and get involved

• Website: https://sjneighborhoodsforall.com/
• Facebook: SJNeighborhoodsForAll
• Twitter: SJNeighbors4All
• Instagram: sj_neighborhoods_for_all
• YouTube: Opportunity Housing Explained

June 22, 2021 – 4:00pm to 5:30pm

1. Emerging Mobility Action Plan – Breakout Group Discussion

The ETF continued to review the Technical Advisory Committee and Policy Advisory Committee’s input on the draft recommendations created by the ETF. As previously stated, this review process will occur until the mid or end of July. During this review, the ETF will identify and/or provide input on the potential actions the City may consider to make a recommendation implementable.

2. Equity Capacity Building Initiative – PATH

The ETF invited PATH’s Regional Director for Silicon Valley, Megan Colvard, to come speak about the needs of San José residents who are unhoused. PATH is the largest nonprofit organization in California focused on serving and ending homelessness for individuals, families, and communities.

Discussion themes

• There was concern that development of supportive and affordable housing reinforcing redlining neighborhoods.
• A City policy that requires each district to have a percentage of housing be dedicated to development of supportive and affordable housing to discourage development in low-income, BIPOC communities.

Learn more about PATH and get involved

• Website: https://epath.org/
• Facebook: path.LA
• Twitter: Pathpartners
• Instagram: Pathpartners
• YouTube: PATHPartners

June 29, 2021 – 4:00pm to 5:30pm

1. Emerging Mobility Action Plan – Breakout Group Discussion

The ETF continued to review the Technical Advisory Committee and Policy Advisory Committee’s input on the draft recommendations created by the ETF. As previously stated, this review process will occur until the mid or end of July. During this review, the ETF will identify and/or provide input on the potential actions the City may consider to make a recommendation implementable.

2. Equity Capacity Building Initiative – San Jose Community Engagement Work Group

The ETF invited Sabrina Parra-Garcia, Executive Analyst on the Immigrant Affairs team in the City’s Office of Racial Equity, to come speak about the work she’s leading on the San Jose Community Engagement Work Group.

Discussion themes

Current gaps/barriers and potential solutions to the City’s current community engagement practices:

• The City’s departments tend to work in silos due to its large size as an institution
• Lack of an existing community feedback loop

Learn more about the City’s Office of Racial Equity and Immigrant Affairs

• San José Office of Racial Equity
• San José Racial Equity Resources
• San José Immigrant Affairs Info and Resources

July 6, 2021 – 4:00pm to 5:30pm

1. Emerging Mobility Action Plan – Breakout Group Discussion

The ETF continued to review the Technical Advisory Committee and Policy Advisory Committee’s input on the draft recommendations created by the ETF. As previously stated, this review process will occur until the mid or end of July. During this review, the ETF will identify and/or provide input on the potential actions the City may consider to make a recommendation implementable.

2. Equity Capacity Building Initiative – Issues related to Policing & Enforcement

Equity Task Force members, Latoya Fernandez and Peter Ortiz, explored ideas around public safety, allocation of police funding, and re-imaging policies and practices around policing. Both ETF members touched on the current work happening around police reform in San José, particularly with their efforts on the San José Re-Imagining Public Safety Community Advisory Committee.

July 13, 2021 – 4:00pm to 5:30pm

1. Emerging Mobility Action Plan – Breakout Group Discussion

Due to a packed meeting agenda, the ETF was not able to review the Technical Advisory Committee and Policy Advisory Committee’s input on the draft recommendations this week. This review process will continue and be completed in next week’s meeting.

2. Equity Capacity Building Initiative – Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)

Anup Tapase, an Associate Planner, and Kara Oberg, an Active Transportation Planner, from MTC came to present to the ETF about: 1) MTC; 2) Plan Bay Area – its importance, and how it will drive future decisions at a regional and local level; 3) Active Transportation Plan – its importance and the equity components and considerations of the plan. This was also an opportunity for MTC and the ETF to meet and develop an ongoing relationship.

Discussion themes

• Different strategies for MTC to improve their engagement practices
• How community members and organizations may participate in current and future planning processes and/or projects

3. Mid-point Check-in Discussion

The purpose of this discussion was to gauge the ETF’s interest in a mid-point check-in discussion and what format/structure this discussion should take.

The goal of the mid-point check-in is to: 1) evaluate how this process has been working for the ETF; 2) begin to discuss, identify, and repair any harms that may have been caused during this planning process with the ETF.

The group felt that it is important to make time for this discussion, so we can prevent further harm and begin healing where it is needed within this process, and to inform future engagement processes for new projects to not recreate any harms or frustrations with the community and community partners.

July 20, 2021 – 4:00pm to 5:30pm

1. Community Building Activity

2. Emerging Mobility Action Plan – Breakout Group Discussion

This week’s meeting was focused on the ETF reviewing and providing input on the final set of draft recommendations with the Technical Advisory Committee and Policy Advisory Committee’s feedback and comments.

July 27, 2021 – 4:00pm to 5:30pm

1. Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Listening Session

VTA saw this as an opportunity for the planning team to build a long-term relationship with the ETF members. The structure of the meeting was a listening session, which included a round of introductions, an overview of VTA’s role and responsibilities, and actively listening to deeply understand issues and concerns the ETF and their communities care about.

VTA’s approach for the listening session

• To be curious and actively listen to understand the interests and concerns of the ETF, especially regarding VTA’s role in the community
• Uncover what is valued and important to the ETF members and approach to equity
• VTA be able to ask clarifying questions to confirm mutual understanding of values and topics/ideas discussed
• VTA may be able to provide some responses depending on the depth of the question, but we will not necessarily be prepared to go deeply into a topic and hopes to have time to reflect and respond to questions
• Based on the above, VTA and ETF work together to identify the topics which will allow for a deeper dive and follow-up conversations for mid-to-late August

August 3, 2021 – 4:00pm to 5:30pm

1. Mid-point Check-in – Listening Tour Report

August 10, 2021 – 4:00pm to 5:30pm

1. Community Building Activity + General Updates

2. Debrief + next steps on last week’s meeting

In this portion of the meeting we provided additional space for the ETF to share additional thoughts, reflections, and/or feedback on last week’s mid-point check-in meeting.

3. Project Timeline and Process

After last week’s meeting, the City and team understand the need and importance of reviewing the project timeline and process with the ETF. We spent time reviewing the broad project timeline, what has been accomplished, and the remaining project timeline with everyone. This was also an opportunity for the ETF to ask any clarifying questions.

4. Review Community Engagement Material for the Resource Fair

With the community resource fair 2 weeks away, the City’s team will work with the ETF to create, translate, and finalize the engagement material to ensure that we are asking the right questions and that the content will resonate with the community.

August 17, 2021 – 4:00pm to 5:30pm

1. Community Building Activity + General Updates

2. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Discussion

KPIs are a quantifiable measure of performance over time for a specific objective. This will ensure the City is constantly working towards achieving the equity goals set in this plan and to adjust actions/resources as necessary to achieve the goals. This discussion focused on working with the ETF to identify:

• The different metrics and ways to measure progress towards achieving each goal in the Emerging Mobility Action Plan.
• Different resources and methods to capture the information/data needed to measure the progress for each goal.