Walnut Creek Set to Approve $195k DEI Contract, Talk Pool Designs

On Tuesday, the City of Walnut Creek is set to award a contract for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging services. In another item, staff will present the second in a series of updates on the new Aquatic and Community Center at Heather Farm Park

The contract is with ReadySet for not to exceed amount of $196,356 and the item dates back to February 28, 2023 as part of a city council strategic priority for 2023-2024.

The goal includes:  Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Keep building on the progress made to further establish Walnut Creek as an inclusive community that welcomes diversity. Implement top DEI priorities through policies and practices, representation on City committees and commissions, training, events, outreach to under-represented communities, and partnerships with not-for-profit organizations. Monitor internal and external progress against clear, measurable goals.

The City of Walnut Creek says work on the DEI priority has already been underway, and a summary of work to date was included in the Council Priorities Update at the February 20, 2024 City Council Meeting.

According to the City:

In alignment with the City Council’s priority of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), external support is requested to conduct an updated evaluation of staff culture, draft a comprehensive DEI program and welcoming ordinance, bridge previous work with ongoing and future work, train new and current staff, and carry DEI initiatives forward in a sustainable way. A request for proposals was issued; thirty-three (33) proposals were received. After a careful evaluation of all proposals received, staff is recommending approval of the proposal submitted by ReadySet to provide the services listed.

ReadySet is a certified small (SB), minority-owned (MBE), women-owned (WBE), and Small Business for Purpose of Public Works (SB-PW) business enterprise and a high-touch boutique consulting firm dedicated to creating more human-centric, inclusive work environments.

According to the city, their proposal (Attachment 1) was clear, inclusive, and comprehensive and includes the following services:

• Drafting of a comprehensive DEIB Program (including creation of a formal Welcoming Ordinance);
• Bridging previous work with ongoing and future program goals;
• Ongoing staff training (which would include City Councilmembers and Commissioners), and
• Recommendations for sustainability of internal DEI efforts.

The ReadySet team is diverse in background, identity, and education, and their experience is broad and directly relevant to the work required of the City of Walnut Creek. The proposed Supervising Consultant on the ReadySet team, Rachel Marcuse, COO and Managing Partner, is a Walnut Creek resident. The proposed Project Lead, Dr. Char Brown-Griffin, most recently led successful assessments and strategic planning engagements with the Towns of Tiburon and San Anselmo and the City of Thousand Oaks to aid them with their DEI efforts. In learning more about ReadySet, City staff has found them to not only be well-positioned in expertise and experience, but also they are organized project managers, creative collaborators, and sensitive communicators.

Assuming a contract is executed in March 2024, staff will present to Council comprehensive updates on this DEI initiative’s progress by September 2024, then by January 2025, and again upon completion of the scope of these services. Updates will include findings of survey results, updates to training progress, the status of comprehensive program creation, and an outline of plans established for a long-term, sustainable staff DEIB program. The full scope of these services are planned to be completed within 18 months of the execution of the agreement.

Council Documents:

• Agenda Report
• Attachment 1 ReadySet Proposal
• Attachment 2 Walnut Creek RFP DEIB Program

Conceptual Site Plan at the on the new Aquatic and Community Center at Heather Farm Park

NEW AQUATIC AND COMMUNITY CENTER AT HEATHER FARM PARK: SCHEMATIC DESIGN PACKAGE WITH A FOCUS ON AQUATICS

Staff will present the second in a series of updates on the new Aquatic and Community Center at Heather Farm Park. This report will focus on the schematic design and configuration of the aquatic components, including two pools and pool deck space to provide instructional, recreational, and competitive programming while supporting events and activities for local and regional users. The replacement of the existing aquatic and community centers at Heather Farm Park with a new combined aquatic center and community center facility is one of the City Council’s 2023-2024 priorities. Staff is seeking direction from the City Council on the aquatic schematic design presentation package before moving forward with the design development phase. Staff Contacts: Heather Ballenger, Public Works Director (925)256-3593, Kevin Safine, Arts + Recreation Director (925)943-5848, Steve Waymire Assistant Public Works Director (925)256-3597.

Documents:

• Agenda Report
• Attachment 1 Executed MOU with WCAF
• Attachment 2 Conceptual Site Plan
• Attachment 3 Project Assumptions and Principles
• Attachment 4 Summary of Community Feedback
• Attachment 5 Site Plans
• Attachment 6 WCAF Letter dated February 27, 2024
• Attachment 7 2023 Annual Aquatics Report
• Attachment 8 Public Comments from PROS and City Council
• Attachment 9 Public Comments for item 5a

Walnut Creek Aquatic Foundation issues statement for Wednesdays meeting:

Staff will be presenting a proposed two pool design of one recreational pool with 6 lap lanes attached + one multi-use 50 meter pool that reduces the pool space and functionality of the swim center to less than what we have now, much less than what we had when this facility was built in 1970, and less than what our community wants and needs for the future. Further, the three swim teams who pay $350,000 in rent to swim there year round would be negatively impacted and do not support the proposed design.

The Walnut Creek Aquatic Foundation is a community-based non-profit organization that was created to support aquatics for people of all ages and abilities. In May 2022, in an effort to save a 50-meter competition pool and ensure the new swim center would serve generations to come, we agreed to raise $3 million as part of a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Walnut Creek. The Walnut Creek Aquatic Foundation is urging the City to:

1.     Deepen the proposed 50-meter pool throughout and add an L entry so that the pool can be used for lap swim, fitness, team training, and competition. This can be achieved by lengthening the 50-meter pool by two meters, adding a bulkhead and an L entry or if there is insufficient space or funding for this alternative by simply deepening the 50-meter pool throughout and adding the L entry.

2.     Add four lanes to the recreation pool, bringing it to 10 total lanes.The proposed design takes away the lessons pool and has added significant recreational seasonal play features which are a great addition, but four more lanes are needed to ensure ample space for year-round lessons, fitness, lap swim, and teams.

3.     Increase spectator and in-venue team areas around the 50-meter pool. This is needed to support All City/championship meets/polo, and to allow staging and spectator areas for the Aquanuts’ shows which will be in the 50-meter pool.

4.     The Aquanuts have requested that the added four lanes to the recreation pool be seven feet deep. This is not in lieu of improvements 1-3, or an all deep 50-meter pool. This deep water could be used by the Aquanuts for practice and by lap swimmers, scuba, and other teams.

5.     Add a permanent scoreboard for meets and special events. This could be used for meets, Aquanuts shows, advertising and could be a naming-rights fundraising item.

WE NEED YOU!

Make your voice heard by attending the March 5th City Council Meeting. Let Council know you are a member of the community, that you support the WCAF proposal and why.  We need a large showing to demonstrate the community supports the WCAF proposal! The agendas for public meetings are posted the Friday before the scheduled meeting. If you can’t make a public comment in person, please submit your comment to [email protected]preferably by the afternoon of the meeting so it will be part of the official record. Please tell your friends and family to do the same! Click here to learn more about submitting or making a public comment.

SAMPLE TOPICS TO INCLUDE IN YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT

• Your name.
• Your connection to Walnut Creek.
• Your connection to the swim center or the reason you are making a public comment.
• That you support the WCAF proposal.
• Why it is important to you that the City make the changes the WCAF is recommending.

In partnership,
The Walnut Creek Aquatic Foundation Board

More information: www.wcaquatics.org

Walnut Creek City Council Meeting
March 5 at 6:00 pm
1666 N Main St, Walnut Creek CA
Full Agenda – Click Here

Related

July 7, 2023 – Walnut Creek to Discuss Community Engagement for Heather Farm Project