The killing of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, sparked nationwide protests and raised questions about policing policies and procedures. During this time, many residents reached out to both Mayor Williams and Police Chief Rodney Seurer asking what Savage is doing to ensure this doesn’t happen here in our community. To address these issues, the City hosted a virtual town hall on July 22 where Police Chief Seurer gave an overview of our local policing policies and procedures and the ongoing training our police officers are required to have on implicit bias, recognizing and valuing community diversity and cultural differences, mental health, crisis intervention and response, conflict management, mediation, and mental illness crisis training. Mayor Janet Williams, City Administrator Brad Larson, and Fire Chief Andrew Slama provided an overview of efforts the City is taking to cultivate racial equity and inclusion within the City organization. One example is in 2019, all city employees were required to attend training on implicit and explicit bias, and ongoing, annual training is planned. If you were not able to participate in the town hall, it is available to watch at cityofsavage.com.

Also over the last year, the Savage Police Department and City have hosted a series of three Community Conversations on Race. Here, Savage Police, city officials, representatives from the schools, community members, and local businesses have come together for ongoing discussions to learn and share experiences on how race plays out in our community and to generate ideas for steps we can take as individuals, in groups, and as a whole community to face the challenge of race-related issues. Each of these community outreach events was well attended with 100+ participants at each.

We acknowledge that these efforts are just a start. The City of Savage will continue working on being a leader in racial equity and inclusion to create a community where all residents feel welcome, safe, and connected. For more opportunities to be a part of the discussion, stay tuned to the City Connection newsletter, cityofsavage.com and, our social media @cityofsavage.

 

REDI Task Force 

In July, 2021, the Savage City Council approved a resolution to charter a special task force to assist the City in developing an action plan to address race, equity, diversity, and inclusion. This Race, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) Task Force will meet monthly with a consultant to identify race equity recommendations and do public engagement activities involved with that process. The key objectives of the REDI Task Force are:

• Gain an understanding of community views and expectations on race equity using the input from participants who attended the previous community conversations on race events.
• Share and explore existing DEI efforts and activities already occurring in Savage.
• Review best practices in other communities.
• Identify short and long-term goals and potential community partners.
• Develop an action plan that includes outcomes and actions that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely.
• Provide opportunities for public review and input on the action plan.
• Present the race equity action plan and recommendations to the City Council. 

REDI Task Force Members

Mr. Sheriff Ahmed – Resident for 35+ years, retired engineer, first-generation immigrant
Ms. Kate Payton – Pastor at Glendale Methodist Church, whose youth have asked her to preach on and the church respond to, the racism they have experienced
Ms. Hamde Daoud – ISD 191 Community Connections Coordinator for the Somali community
Ms. Eddieca Ontiveros – ISD 191 Community Connections Coordinator for the Latina community
Mr. Keontay Jackson – Resident, Sr. Divisional Planning at Target Corp.; involved with DEI work at Target
Ms. Gail Lewis-Miller – Resident, retired school principal; DEI consultant
Mr. Cyril Mukalel Thomas – Resident, author; writing focuses on promoting understanding between cultures and facilitate friendship among diverse groups.
Mr. Sam Ouk – ISD 719 Director of Equity and Inclusion; new position to help eliminate barriers for students
Ms. Patsy Reed Zweber – Resident, works for Optum Health, is a Licensed Counselor/mental health professional; sees how racism threatens the health and well-being of the BIPOC community
Mr. Pat Stieg – Resident, works for Carver County Public Health and has participated in several DEI initiatives
Dr. Amenah Agunwamba – Resident, Social Epidemiologist and Health Services Researcher; focus on minority health disparities
Ms. Victoria Ombuna Schultz – Resident, nurse, mom of 4; lived experience includes a racial hate crime here in Savage
Ms. Corrina Lyons – ISD719; American Indian Education

Council and staff representatives are: 

Christine Kelly, Councilmember 
Brad Larson, City Administrator 
Rodney Seurer, Police Chief 
Emily Gunderson, Communications Manager and REDI Task Force liaison 

The REDI Task Force's work is facilitated by The Word Applied. Ms. Linda Garrett-Johnson the the CEO/Principal Consultant for The Word Applied is leading the facilitation. The Word Applied has experience in leading community task forces and action plans in local government such as Stearns County, Dakota County, Apple Valley, Brooklyn Center, Bloomington, and St. Paul.

Meeting Information

The REDI Task Force will meet monthly on the 2nd Tuesday of every month from 5 - 7 p.m. Agendas and minutes are available online.

• All meetings will be in person 
• Meeting location is the McColl Pond ELC, 13550 Dakota Ave. 
• Current COVID-19 safety protocols will be observe
• Task force meetings are open to the public 
• Questions regarding the REDI Task Force can be directed to Emily Gunderson at 952-882-2655 or egunderson@cityofsavage.com.

One of the recommendations in the REDI Report is to create an ongoing commission to elevate diverse voices in our community, advise on equity and inclusion strategies, review city policies and practices, provide oversight to the plan, and ensure that our equity work moves forward. The Community Equity Commission consists of seven members and two alternates or student commissioners. Meetings are the second Thursday of the months at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 6000 McColl Drive, Savage.  For more information or to apply go to Commissions 

Upon recommendation of the Community Equity Commission (CEC), the Mayor recognized our Indigenous Dakota Communities with a Land Acknowledgment proclamation at the November 6, 2023, City Council meeting. Acknowledging the history and connection of Indigenous peoples to this land is crucial to show respect for their presence. This supports the mission of the City of Savage to foster an inclusive community that is fair and respectful to everyone and that values people of all cultures and traditions.   

 

City of Savage Land Acknowledgement Statement:

We, the City of Savage, acknowledge and honor the historical connection to the Indigenous Dakota Communities that were stewards of the land now known as Savage. By acknowledging the Dakota Nation of the Mdewakanton, Wahpekute, and Sisseton, we are respecting and valuing their culture and contributions to this land. We recognize the history and are dedicated to strengthening relationships with our Indigenous communities, thereby fostering a diverse and inclusive community-wide environment of mutual respect, understanding, and appreciation. 

The City of Savage has joined the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) coalition, a national network of local governments that are working to achieve racial equity and opportunities for all. GARE will help the City of Savage staff:

• Make a commitment to achieving racial equity. Develop a “pathway for entry” into racial equity work. Many jurisdictions lack the leadership and/or infrastructure to address issues of racial inequity. GARE helps with the upfront work.
• Build local and regional collaborations that are broadly inclusive and focused on achieving racial equity. To eliminate racial inequities in our communities, developing a “collective impact” approach firmly grounded in inclusion and equity is necessary. Government can play a key role in collaborations for achieving racial equity, centering community and leveraging institutional partnerships.
• Use the Racial Equity Toolkit to operationalize racial equity. The GARE Racial Equity Toolkit is a methodology to support staff in making decisions that will lead to equitable policies, practices, and programs by centering the communities most impacted, and assessing benefits, burdens, and unintended consequences. Using the Toolkit is one way to ensure proactive decision-making to advance racial equity.
• Develop and implement a Racial Equity Action Plan. Put a theory of change into action, build staff capacity, and realize a collective vision and implementation plan for racial equity. The Results Based Accountability framework within the process is a disciplined methodology for developing concrete actions, accountability mechanisms, and engagement processes, and measuring progress in eliminating racial inequities. Embarking on a Racial Equity Action Plan process ensures that our city prioritizes its work and shifts long-standing systems, creating shared practices and strong partnerships across our city and community.

• The Savage Police Department meets regularly with local faith leaders and communities of color to gain a better understanding of all voices in Savage, and to learn where we need to step up and enact change.

• Each officer is required to participate in regular, extensive training to ensure an innovative and compassionate approach to law enforcement. Learn more about the department's policies and training.

Moving forward, to foster a more inclusive and welcoming community, the Savage Police Department plans to: 

• Start a Police Explorer program in 2021
• Expand community engagement opportunities
• Include community members in the police interviewing process

Beginning in 2019,  the City required all city employees to attend training on implicit and explicit bias, and ongoing training is planned to educate staff around diversity and inclusion issues, upholding a welcoming work environment, and removing obstacles to city employment.

Community members who prefer to communicate in a language other than English can request city services or ask questions in their native tongue. 

When calling City Hall  or the Savage Police Department, staff has the option of locating an interpreter through Language Line Solutions and connecting them to the phone call. This program allows staff to speak with the caller through an interpreter in many different languages. For more information, or to use the service, call the City of Savage at 952-882-2660.