Broward County Commission Regular Meeting
Director's Name: Mandy Wells (Acting Director)
Department: Human Services Division: Administration
Information
Requested Action
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MOTION TO AUTHORIZE County Administrator to execute an Agreement between Broward County and Racial Equity Institute, LLC (subject to review for legal sufficiency by the Office of the County Attorney), upon date of execution through September 30, 2020, with up to four one-year renewal terms, in an amount not to exceed $200,000 annually, for racial equity workshops, data presentations, and technical assistance; authorize the County Administrator to execute amendments to the Agreement (subject to review for legal sufficiency by the Office of the County Attorney) so long as the total annual amount of the Agreement does not exceed $700,000; and authorize the County Administrator to take all necessary administrative and budgetary actions to implement the Agreement.
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Why Action is Necessary
Board of County Commissioners of Broward County ("Commission") approval is required for agreements with external agencies.
What Action Accomplishes
Approval allows the Human Services Department (HSD) to utilize Fiscal Year 2020 dedicated funding for its Dismantling Racism Initiative’s racial equity workshops, data presentations, and technical assistance.
Is this Action Goal Related
Yes
Previous Action Taken
None.
Summary Explanation/Background
THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND THE OFFICE OF EQUITY AND COMMUNITY INVESTMENT RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE ABOVE MOTION.
This action supports the Commission value of “approaching human services collaboratively and compassionately with special emphasis on the most vulnerable,” and the goal to “collaborate with public and private partners to find creative, equitable, and responsible solutions to systemic community problems.” Approval of this item ensures continuity of Broward County’s Dismantling Racism Initiative’s (“DRI”) racial equity education, in partnership with community stakeholders such as Children’s Services, Council, Department of Health in Broward County, and BSO.
HSD serves as the community's social safety net; dedicated to serving all of Broward's residents. HSD is committed to educating 100% of its staff about the origins of disproportionalities in systems and the resulting disparate outcomes. It is through this commitment to education and shared analysis of systemic and institutional racism that HSD will best serve all residents. With this expansion in services, REI will provide workshops, by invitations, facilitated by HSD’s DRI, to county staff, stakeholders, and community members. The DRI is, at its core, a multi-system, multi-agency collaboration working creatively via education, relationship building, and silo-breaking to identify and address the most fundamental inequities in our systems and institutions. It is imperative that we use a shared racial equity lens to address community needs.
A collaborative arrangement is being developed with the Broward Sherriff’s Office to fund an expansion of the DRI initiative to law enforcement, with an investment of $500,000 annually. The resulting agreement will be presented to the Commission for approval once completed.
A Reasonable Source Request was approved by Purchasing on July 29, 2019.
Source of Additional Information
Suzanne Bundy, Administrator, Office of Equity & Community Investment, (954) 357-8213
Fiscal Impact
Fiscal Impact/Cost Summary
Funding is allocated in the Office of Equity and Community Investment’s Fiscal Year 2020 Adopted Budget.