Environment department reports progress on Racial Equity Action Plan; staff positions and training highlighted

At the May 23 meeting the Department of the Environment reported progress on its Racial Equity Action Plan, describing actions taken to diversify hiring, strengthen retention and advance internal training.

Anya Deepak, senior racial equity coordinator, said the department expanded recruitment channels to include BIPOC networks, HBCUs and the city's Racial Equity Leaders Network; analysis showed an increase in Latino and Black applicants for recent recruitments. The department also cited conversion of six exempt positions to permanent civil-service (PCS) roles where stable funding allowed, and said the remaining conversions remain contingent on budget availability.

Deepak described mandatory racial-equity scans that staff and managers will complete by June 2023 and a plan to repeat staff surveys in the fall to measure changes in perceptions and career mobility. The department plans to maintain an intranet vacancy page and rotate acting roles to create promotion pathways.

Commissioners asked about budgeting for continued equity work; staff said add-back dollars funded some positions and training for the current year and that additional budget requests are pending the mayor's budget decision. The commission welcomed the data-driven presentation and asked staff to return with follow-up results from the next staff survey.

Next steps: staff will present updated survey results after the fall staff survey, continue to build baseline metrics for equity measures, and report budget outcomes as mayoral and budget-office decisions are finalized.