Summary of 2020 RSJI Accomplishments

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is committed to dismantling institutional racism by building trusting relationships, prioritizing equity and inclusion in decision-making, and creating opportunities for all.

2020 faced new challenges like the transition to telework, and familiar ones, such as how to cultivate ownership of RSJI among all SPU employees to scale our efforts. We faced these challenges with creative, innovative, and tailored approaches that allowed us to continue to advance our work in unfamiliar circumstances. For example, SPU's Environmental Justice and Service Equity (EJSE) Division pivoted to virtual workspaces to host RSJ training sessions for hundreds of employees and an online WMBE consulting event for more than 300 participants.

The spirit of RSJI showed up consistently throughout the utility in 2020, in formal and informal ways. In response to the killing of George Floyd and the continued protests against racial injustice, employees came together albeit virtually to support one another, express fears and frustrations, listen, and work together to identify opportunities for hope, healing, and progress. Examples include EJSE and SPU's Branch Equity Teams partnering to hold racial caucusing and healing sessions for more than 350 employees; robust discussions (held during online "Coffee sessions" to which all-staff are invited) on RSJI priorities and empowering customer, community, and employees; and creating opportunities to show support and appreciation for frontline staff.

The following is an overview of SPU's RSJ accomplishments in 2020 by work area:

Duwamish Resilience District

Along with OSE and OPCD, SPU began developing of the Duwamish Resilience District with a collaborative approach centered on the participation and decision-making of Duwamish Valley residents and businesses to address climate change, racial inequities, and health disparities.

Customer Financial Assistance Programs

The utility increased financial assistance to low income customers through various efforts including: a moratorium on late fees, interest payments, and shutoffs; increasing SPU emergency assistance program relief; marketing more flexible bill payment plans; and a self-certification pilot program providing a 50% bill discount for qualifying customers.

Unsheltered Service Programs

To meet the needs of unsheltered populations during the COVID period, SPU expanded services for unsheltered people including standing up and operating two hygiene shower trailers with toilets and hand sinks; installing hand sinks and numerous port-a-potties at key locations; expanding a pilot program of RV pump outs; and providing increased garbage pickup, sharps collection, and litter cleanup.

Equity Bridge

In 2020 SPU launched The Equity Bridge to bring together all of SPU's RSJ teams/work groups to collectively address RSJ issues and advance utility-wide actions to support an equitable workplace. Equity Bridge is a framework to strengthen relationships to cultivate an inclusive workforce, and collectively ensure SPU's policies, procedures, and practices result in a fair, equitable, and a just workplace for all staff - particularly for those who have been historically harmed by institutional racism. Equity Bridge held its first meeting in May of 2021.

Environmental Justice and Service Equity Team

With support from our SOCR liaison, and in partnership with SPU Branch Equity Teams, EJSE facilitated 10 racial caucusing and healing sessions to over 350 utility employees and 10 RSJ training sessions (e.g., Cracking the Codes) to over 400 employees.

In addition, the team brought SPU's annual WMBE consultant event online, hosting a successful virtual outreach event in the fall with over 300 participants. As a result, SPU was able to realize 23% of WMBE utilization in purchasing and 22% in consultant contracting, exceeding 2020 goals.

Branch Equity Teams

Drainage and Wastewater (DWW) Line of Business BET

Supported frontline staff through a gift card fundraiser that raised $2,725 raised in donations from SPU employees.

Submitted recommendations to SPU leadership on using a racial equity lens to make COVID-19 return-to-work decisions.

Organized a series of in-person racial healing caucuses for frontline staff.

Improved opportunities for WMBE firms by purchasing online gift cards from WMBEs and engaged division directors in identifying 1 near-term WMBE process improvement in 2021.

Organized a DWW Racial Equity Toolkit (RET) database to the new BET SharePoint site and compiled 2018-2020 toolkits for tracking, updating, and applying lessons learned.

Completed RETs for the utility's Rain City Partnership, Landscape Asset Management Plan, and RainWise programs.

Planned an Anti-Displacement Community of Practice to grapple with the role of the utility in displacement; partnered with OPCD's EDI program to facilitate an initial anti-displacement roundtable discussion; and began the process of compiling anti-displacement resources.

Finance and Risk Services (FARS) Branch BET

The FARS BET began in 2020 with an entirely new team, onboarding 18 members, establishing four subcommittees, and developing a workplan. The team also launched the FARS BET SharePoint and MS Teams sites, to encourage and support branch-wide and team communication and sharing. Learning and development were the focus for the team. Additionally, the team held its first branch-wide equity event, which included over a hundred, led by EJSE and BET member facilitators, focused on race and relationships.

Project Delivery and Engineering (PDEB) BET

Approached 2020 as a 'Learning and Connection' year due to new membership, with monthly large group sessions and small team environments to build a baseline level of understanding and encourage connection and time for reflection. Topics included Targets and Agents, Introduction to Racial Caucusing, Cycle of Socialization, Racism & Relationships, Raise your Race Consciousness, Intent vs. Impact, and Microaggressions.

Collaborated with EJSE and SOCR to offer a Racial Grief and Healing Space to branch employees.

Prepared a workplan for 2021 and established small groups to focus on Tribal Relations and Responsibilities; Resources for Leaders; How we Show up in Communities; Branch Learning and Connection to RSJ.

Solid Waste (SW) Line of Business BET

Expanded to include new frontline staff and continued to expand membership in 2021.

Engaged with all SW LOB staff through Deputy Director updates and through direct email LOB-wide updates and biweekly LOB leadership meetings.

The SW BET Learning and Training group held racial justice conversations in June and July; a racial caucusing session in August; and a new, ongoing lunchtime equity conversation that started in October.

The SW BET Racial Equity Toolkit (RET) & WMBE Committee focused on identifying service and program equity challenges and tracking RET and WMBE activity and opportunities such as investigating and tracking billing and service equity impacts; supporting WMBE 101 training; and exceeding WMBE service and purchasing targets.

Water Line of Business and Shared Services BET

Grew from 10 members in 2019, to 36 members in 2020. The increase brought new energy and perspective, expanded to seven subcommittees, and added goals to the team's workplan.

Created a BIPOC caucus for frontline staff to candidly discuss real-time race-based inequities occurring in the workplace and to support each other in a safe space.

Created a branch-wide Hiring Checklist as a step to ensure hiring processes are equitable and inclusive.

Partnered with EJSE to organize required "Cracking the Codes" training for all frontline staff.

Also in 2020, the Water LOB and Shared Services Branch hired its most racially diverse Water Apprenticeship cohort in history and embedded RSJI Framework onboarding & training throughout the Water Apprenticeship training program.

SPU RSJI Change Team

In 2020 SPU's Change Team recruited, interviewed, and welcomed 14 new members; created a new internal SPU Change Team site launched in Q2 2021; participated on SPU's Policy Review Board; and collaborated with SPU Human Resources change job postings to be more inclusive.

SPU Seattle Silence Breakers

The SPU Silence Breakers in 2020 (SSB) updated and adopted the SSB work plan and contributed to: new policy workplace expectations; Striving for a Better Day memo; 2020 APEX/SAM Performance Expectations; Equity Bridge Initiative; SPU HR data sampling; HR's Workforce Development Plan report to the Customer Review Panel; Personnel Rule update and definition of Misconduct. The team also presented "Stop the Pain and Thrive" to the labor unions.

Shaping the Future Workshop and Department-wide Discussions

As part of a series of Shaping the Future workshops to help move the goals of SPU's Strategic Business Plan forward, the utility held a workshop focused on Empowering our Customers, Community, and Employees, in which we explored our RSJ work and how it might be applied to remove barriers, address inequities, and create opportunities for employees and the communities we serve.

SPU also held a series of department-wide discussions on equity themes, featuring a panel of subject matter experts and an opportunity for a broader discussion on issues related to SPU's RSJ work.

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* Food Packaging Enforcement Racial Equity Toolkit Summary

* RainWise Racial Equity Toolkit Summary (rain garden and cistern rebate program)

* Side Sewer Program Racial Equity Toolkit Summary

* Sewer Pipe Rehabilitation Plan Racial Equity Toolkit Summary