Puyallup begins search for diversity consultant after calls for action against racism
Puyallup is seeking to hire a consultant to assess matters of diversity, equity and inclusion in the city.
The move comes after months of pushing from a local community nonprofit that has demanded city leaders address racism in the city.
Mayor Julie Door said she is glad the public is advocating for change.
“The public is asking for something, and they have very valid concerns. We as a city need to find the best approach forward for the community,” Door said in an interview April 16. “That’s what we are here for: to represent and to listen. Everyone on this council wants a welcoming city.”
A contract proposal or “request for proposal” opened April 2 for a diversity, equity and inclusion consultant. The consultant is expected to develop a training program for staff, develop and review policies and practices, and perform community outreach.
The city also wants the consultant to provide a final report and “include recommendations on steps needed to ensure the program is a part of the city culture for the long term,” according to the contract proposal.
Davida Sharpe-Haygood is the founder of the Two-Way Racial Healing Project, an organization that pursues equity and racial inclusion in Puyallup. One of the group’s objectives is to create of a community racial diversity and equity commission.
Sharpe-Haygood said she feels divided about the news.
“Part of me is like, ‘Yay this could be a good start to have someone, an outsider, come in and give a perspective and give consultation that is dearly needed in our city government,’” she said. “The hesitation I have is that, in my experience, oftentimes institutions and organizations choose consultants who tend to sugarcoat things.”
Door said the city wants a consultant who will tell the truth about diversity, equity and inclusion needs.
“We recognize that this will be a process that will be uncomfortable for everybody, and I believe we will choose a consultant who will not be sugar coating,” the mayor said. “We need real assessment and real information that will back up the proclamation we made.”
The City Council passed a proclamation in November that rejects racial or cultural harassment, discrimination or intolerance.
“We believe our strength as a community depends on the nature of our relationships with one another and our ability to listen to and seek understanding from one another,” the proclamation said.
Deputy Mayor John Palmer said hiring the consultant is a process that will be transparent and done in public meetings.
Council member Ned Witting encouraged the city to take the calls for action seriously.
Within the last year, there has been a greater awareness of inequities, Witting said, and people shouldn’t need to be afraid.
“I believe in my heart of hearts that most people, most police officers don’t want to be that kind of person, but if there is even one that’s too many,” Witting said. “I think most of us are in a place where we are not aware of it like we should be. If we aren’t aware of it, we don’t address it and if we don’t address it, it persists.”
Sharpe-Haygood said the contract is a result of her group’s work for the six months, but they don’t intend to stop speaking at City Council meetings or holding meetings to have an open dialogue about race in the city and push for change.
“We will continue to fight because we still don’t have a commission and the consultant is there to come in and do a job and leave,” she said. “(The commission members) are not a stand-alone entity — they are part of the city that grows with the city as it should.”
Door said she understands the frustration with the speed of the progress.
“We are trying to make sure we have a thoughtful and well-researched process moving forward,” she told The Puyallup Herald. “I don’t want to put something together that isn’t successful. We want something that has the authority and the support to move forward. We can’t just put together a committee for the sake of putting together a committee.”
The mayor said it’s too early to tell how long the work will take or how much it will cost. The city manager has a budgetary spending limit of $65,000, and anything costing more would need to be approved by the City Council.
“It’s not about finding the cheapest. It’s about finding the most effective consultant,” Door said.
The deadline for proposals is May 3.
