Council asks for more detail and coordination before approving $33,000 regional DEI/community‑visioning contract

Clearlake — Council members on March 3 asked staff and county organizers for more information before approving a proposed $33,000 cost‑share agreement to fund community visioning forums and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training.

County staff and the city’s mayor described a plan to hire a facilitator, Nicole McAllister Anderson & Associates, for three public visioning forums (one in Clearlake), train‑the‑trainer sessions and an initial analysis and recommendations. "Our hope is that the understanding gained through this process will inform future work," a county representative said.

Council questions focused on scope, redundancy and outcomes. Several members and members of the public pointed out that county agencies and some local organizations already offer equity training and asked how the proposed public forums would differ. Council members also asked whether forums and outreach would include Spanish‑language facilitation and whether the cost covers simultaneous interpretation or language‑specific sessions; county staff said language access planning and translated outreach are being considered and that the train‑the‑trainer component is included in the agreement.

"I don't want to duplicate services," Councilwoman Overton said. After discussion the council did not authorize the cost share and instead asked staff to return with additional information about coordination with existing programs, expected deliverables and participation metrics.