Sacramento committee hears SCORE work plan update; community review set for Feb. 24

The Sacramento Racial Equity Committee on Tuesday received an update on the SCORE (Sacramento Center on Racial Equity) work plan, a tactical road map city staff and community partners say will guide development of the citywide racial equity action plan called for in the committee’s Dec. 3, 2024 resolution.

Amiza Ansale Barnes, diversity and equity manager in the Office of Diversity and Equity, described SCORE as a project-management tool that documents strategies, timelines and accountability measures intended to produce the broader citywide racial equity action plan. Barnes said SCORE grew from intensive “trio” consultations with the Racial Equity Alliance and city staff in 2025 and is being refined following meetings in November and December 2025.

Barnes told the committee the Office of Diversity and Equity and the Racial Equity Alliance plan a community leader review session on Feb. 24 and aim to present a reconciled work plan or an update to the committee on March 3. She said the collaboration has reframed the original timeline: phase 1 (foundational partnerships and draft citywide plan work) is now targeted for 2026–2027, phase 2 will focus on institutionalization and linking department equity plans, and phase 3 looks toward sustainability in 2029 and beyond.

Nia, a representative of the Sacramento Racial Equity Alliance, emphasized community leadership, noting the Alliance had submitted edits on Oct. 9, 2025, and has worked with ODE to strengthen clarity, transparency and accountability in the plan. “Our goal is that by March 3, 2026, the city has a solid shared SCORE work plan with clear goals, defined action items, and a road map for implementation and accountability,” Nia said.

Committee members pressed staff to clarify the difference between SCORE and the citywide racial equity action plan. Barnes answered that SCORE is a tactical, evolving document used to operationalize the resolution and to track monitoring and reporting; the citywide plan is the broader, final policy product the resolution envisions.

Members raised capacity concerns and asked for clearer public-facing documentation. Assistant City Manager Lainie said the Feb. 24 community review will occur as planned and recommended the March 3 meeting receive an update even if a final work plan is not ready. Several council members and staff asked that the work plan and the staff report include dates of prior “trio” consultations, the outcomes from those meetings, and a public timeline so community members can follow progress and hold the city accountable.

A public commenter, identified as Lambert, criticized the pace of DEI efforts at City Hall, alleged institutional resistance, and cited a term sheet for the new city manager that he characterized as unusually protective (he described language he said read as “0 cause for termination”). Lambert’s allegations were recorded in public comment and were not substantively answered during the meeting.

The committee also discussed whether support for implementation should require an ordinance and how the bridal (racial) equity study should fit the timeline; Barnes said those are among the outstanding partnership questions to resolve. Staff and alliance members flagged the risk of burnout among community leaders and said they will continue building capacity so the engagement and implementation work can proceed without overtaxing partners.

The Office of Diversity and Equity agreed to post the SCORE work plan, meeting dates and a summarized staff report on its web pages so the public can track progress. The committee scheduled follow-up steps that include the Feb. 24 community leader review and a March 3 committee meeting to review outcomes and next steps.

Votes at a glance: the meeting approved a consent item and approved appointing Vice Mayor Talamantes as vice chair by voice vote; individual roll-call votes for the vice chair appointment were not recorded in the transcript. Earlier in the meeting, the consent item motion had been moved by Vice Mayor Talamantes and seconded by Council member Jennings; the clerk recorded affirmative responses from Vice Mayor Talamantes, Council member Jenney (recorded as “Yes”), and Chair Vang and declared the motion passed.

The committee adjourned after a closing reflection from Chair Vang, who invoked the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and reaffirmed the committee’s commitment to protect residents amid federal policy shifts.