HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025.06.05 SERJAC minutes A r"'ol ,HLAND SOCIAL EQUITY AND RACIAL JUSTICE, ADVISORY COMMITTEE
REGULAR MEETING
MINUTES
June 5, 2025
Siskiyou Room-5,1 Winburn Way-4:30-6:00PM
1. Call to Order and Welcornie
The im ting was called to order at 4:36M
Members present:John Tyler, Cassie Preskenis, Emily Simon,Victoria Sage, Catherine Greenspan(via,Zoom)
Guest:Sean Smith
Ais 1present:Council Liaisons Gina DuQue inn e and Jeff Dahl e(via,Zoom); Staff Liaison Il rrick Gooden
1. Land Acknowledgment-Weackniowledge and honor the aborigin,dl peopleon whiose
ancestral homelands we work,-the lkirakutsurn Band Diu Shasta Nation, as el pus the
diverse and vibrant Native communities,whio, make their hiome he rug hod ay.Wedenouncetflu
egregious acts of the colonizers and gove rumen twind irecognizu hie hiorrific,i"mpacts,that,still
existtoday. We honor thefirst stewards,in the Riogue Valley and the lands we loveand
depend on: Tribes with ancestral lands,in and surro,uni iin i,tlh,e,gi,eo,grapIcy of t1he Ashland
Watershed include the original past, presentand future ind'ii'igenous,inhabitants of tbe ShastaT
Takelma and Atha,baska n people. We also reGOgnizeand acknowle hasta dge the S villageof
K T wak hak,hia -"Wherethie Crow, Lights"-that, is iniowthie Ashland City, �Plaza
Smi-th read the Land Acknowledgment
2. Labor Acknowledgment-We also,pause to reGOgnizeand acknowledge the labor uiplon which
our couintry, state,, and in slit uitions are built. We remem bur thiat our country is built oni the labor
ofenslaved people who were kidnapped and brought tothie 'U.S.from the African continent
and recognizethie continuied contribuition f their suirvivors., We also, acknowledge all
immigrant labor, including voluntaryl involuintary,,trafficked,,forced, and undocumented
peoples who GOntributedtothie building of the couintryand GGntinue to, serve withi[n our labor
force. We acknowl edigeall unpaid care-giving labor,. To t1he people who contributed t1his
immeasuirable work and t1heir descendants, we acknowledgeth,eir indelible markon the space
in� wbidh wegathier tioday. It is our collective responsibility,to critically examine these histories,
to repair harmT and 'to honor, protect, and suistain their contributilon to- it siodiety
Pr lke n iii itead the laboracknowledgment
11. Approval oil Mnutes froirn 5.1.2111021115, Meeting
1. Approval of minutesfrom the 5.1.2025 SERJAC meeting
Tyler motiloned to approve the minutes. 'Tlhie motilon was seconded by,Preskenis. The irlr moti,an was approved
unanimously.
III., Pub1ic Forurn
I'V. Announcements and Events
1. Monday, Juine ,16,1 2025 City,Council Study Session -City Council is scfteduledto receive an
update from HR director regarding impleme ntation of DEI assessment recornmendations.
*Update-other C'ouncil Said Session needs irnay push,t1his item �-C,ity Manager will provide a,
memo regarding this change.,
Gooden updated thecommittee that this item was indeed plushed perotheir Study Session ineeds.The committee
discussed t1hat it does snot need a memo from the City Managerand appreciated the update-the committee wants to
show support t1hrough attendance whein t1his item comes before Council.
2. Playwrights walk plaque uinveiling honoring Lorraine Hansberry and Black Lives "ii"n partnersh'ii'p
with, Public Arts Advisory C,ommitteeat Railroad Parkonwine 22, 2,025,at 2pm
Simonand Preskenis updated the committee regarding this event planned for June 22,2025 Simon suggested
members could bring cookies to the eventand spoke that flyers plublishing the event will be Ipuf u1p around town,.
Gooden spoke that t1hie event was added to the GRY 1M �n �gier's Rep,art for June,and that the Communications Officer
will push to the City' ts call endarand social imedia pages,. 1Mentionledasa,futlureagenda,item for discussion:
Ancestors Call -Crystallizing our Future as a permanent representation for the Say Their Nam it emorial.
3. Next SERJAC,meeting will be Thursday Jul y ,10,, 2025 from 4:310-6:00 PM intlhe Otte-
Peterson Conference room at t1he Grove (1195, East Main St.)
Committee discussed this one-time meeting change due t taffi n ineeds.
4. June is Pride Month,
DuQuenne updated that SO Pride will Ibe pushing events in unie through itswebsite anid social media Goodein
updated that the Ci-ty' Pride flags as,sch,edded to,fly from Jun,e'9-16 in Ihonor of Pride Month.
5. Junete,enth,2025- BASE (Black Alliance Social Events)is hostinga "Celebrate Freedom"
event,Saturday June 21,, 20251 1am-8prn [n Pear Rlos,som Parkat 312 E.4th Stre,et in
Medford (See agenda packet)
Simonspoke t"hat the plaque unveiling was s,cheduled for the day after Junete,enth so as t: snot get in the way.
Gooden updated that the City s Junieteenth flags aresch,edded to fly from June 1 �-2 liiin honor of June teem h
V. Liaiis,o,n� Upd,seta s anA Report�s
1. Current liaison�assignments:
,Greenspan— Planning Commis,sion
Tyler—Climate and Energy, Policy Advisory,Commifte,e
Sage—Historic Preservation Advisory Cornmifte,e
Preskenis—'Transportation Advisory Cornmifte,e
Simon— Public Arts,Advisory Commifte,e
Mend&l—Housing and Hurnan� Services Advisory Commiftee
I uii u e n n i 1plans to attend the regular Commi-tte,e Chair meeting t: itemind comm i-tte,e chairs why SERJAC is coming
to their committees.
Greenspan spoke of having attended Planning Commission meetings-the most applicable issue to,SERJAC Ihas
been affordable housing
Tyler spoke of Ihavingattended Climateanid Energy Policy Advisory meetings and fel-t welcome.The committee has
seemed sensitive to social justice issues andse,ems opein to,input if nieeded.
,Sagle reported that tlh,e Historic Preservation committe,e Ihasin't had aquorum recently, but she hasattended three
ni�e,etiiiinigis,a,ind,w,olull,d like to provide broader engagement aiind suppoirt.,
Preskenis spoke of atteniding Transpo rtafion Advisory Commi'ttee(TAC)meetings whir e she has Ib,eein asked for Ihier
inpu-t on several topics and feels no hesi'tation to-offer inpu't. 'TAC Ihas identified SERJAC as a Ikey informant forthe
upcoming Trainsportafion System IPllan update.
Simonspoke of'supporting the Publi,c Arts Advisory Committed's playwrights plaque Iproject to be discussed earlier.
The committee discussed generally how to,siuppo irk:and provide input tocomm i-tteesand Council.
2. Brief update on� DEI Climate Survey
Simon relayed that Mende! had a positive me,efing with Graham itegarding this
VI. New Busiiness
1. Round table by members,for iiiis or issuies,,in the community
VII 1. AIDJ 0 II RN M EN'T"
Me,etinigi adjourn,ed at 5:57pm