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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-10-09If this information is required in an alternate format, please contact the Accessibility Coordinator at 905-623-3379 ext. 2131 Clarington Diversity Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes October 9, 2025, 7:00pm Online via MS Teams CDAC Members: Bev Neblett (Vice Chair) Danae Watt - Bethesda House Shanelle Paguirigan Belinda Gruber – Lakeridge Health (from 7:32pm) Lauren Reyes-Grange (from 7:42pm) Pranay Gunti Ron Hooper Vincent Wong Starlee DeGrace Koren Kassirer Ann Michelle Tesluk Regrets: Tenzin Shomar (Chair) Councillor Anderson Also Present: Nirosha Balakumar – Supervisor, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Donnalee Smith – CMLA Maddie Nelles – Digital Media Specialist, Communications Division Leanne Walker – Marketing and Engagement Supervisor, Communications Division The Meeting was called to order at 7:00pm 1. Land Acknowledgement: N. Balakumar shared a land acknowledgment statement. 2. Declaration of interest No declaration of interest by members. 3. Review and Approval of agenda B. Neblett added an update on the upcoming Together Against Hate Durham Conference under “Other Business.” Moved by K. Kassirer; seconded by D. Watt, That the agenda be approved as presented. Carried 4. Review and approval of September 11, 2025 meeting minutes Moved by P. Gunti; seconded by R. Hooper, That the minutes from September 11, 2025, for the CDAC meeting, be approved as presented. Carried 5. New Member Introductions Members and guests introduced themselves, including new member A. Tesluk and staff liaison N. Balakumar. Guests included D. Smith (Clarington Library), L. Walker and M. Nelles (Communications Division). 6. Communications Update – Social Media Audit Survey M. Nelles and L. Walker presented on the upcoming social media audit survey. Overview: The Municipality of Clarington’s Communications Division is conducting a social media audit in partnership with a consultant. The goal is to assess current performance, identify gaps, and develop a more inclusive and accessible social media strategy. They would like to gather feedback from advisory committees (Diversity Advisory Committee, Anti-Black Advisory Committee and the Accessibility Advisory Committee) on how municipal social media can better reflect the diversity of the community. Survey Details: • Will be distributed later in October via the staff liaison. • Completion time: 5 minutes • Format: Online, anonymous, administered by the consultant • Includes multiple-choice questions and open-ended comment boxes for detailed feedback. Questions and Answers: Q: V. Wong asked if the consultant be involved in developing the strategy after audit. A: No, the strategy will be developed internally by the municipality after receiving the audit report. Q: B. Neblett asked what the timeline for the strategy rollout was? A: The strategy development will occur in Q1 2026, with implementation starting in Q2 2026. Q: R. Hooper asked if the audit will capture feedback from older generations and diverse populations? A: The audit is primarily technical (metrics, tone, consistency), but committee feedback will provide insights into inclusivity and representation. The goal is to ensure diverse voices are reflected and no groups are unintentionally excluded. Next Steps: N. Balakumar or J. Whynott will share the survey with the committee in the coming month. 7. DEI Updates N. Balakumar shared the following upcoming regional and local community events: • Durham Region Disability Employment Conference – Oct. 31, Ajax Convention Centre • Durham Region Hates Reporting Survey – open for community input • Walk to End Intimate Partner Violence – Nov. 1, Regional HQ, Whitby • Community Conversation on Intimate Partner Violence – Dec. 10, Garnet B. Rickard Complex, Bowmanville • Durham Afri-Carols Event – Dec. 19, Garnet B. Rickard Complex, Bowmanville 8. Other Business Together Against Hate Durham Conference B. Neblett shared information on the Together Against Hate Durham Conference on Nov. 7, 2025 at the Ajax Community Centre. There will be a keynote, panel discussion, and breakout sessions on policy and community capacity building. Next Steps: B. Neblett to share a registration link with committee members. Indigenous Veterans Day S. DeGrace initiated a discussion around Indigenous Veterans Day. The committee agreed it was too late to plan for 2025 and would like to work on planning an event for 2026. L. Reyes-Grange and K. Kassirer will lead the planning for 2026, with support from S. DeGrace for initial outreach and community connections. S. DeGrace also expressed an interest in wanting to see a communication from the Mayor in recognition of Indigenous Veterans Day and offered their support. Next Steps: N. Balakumar to share feedback with Mayor’s Office. Pride Pole Wraps B. Neblett asked for an update on the Pride pole wraps that were discussed at the previous meeting. N. Balakumar re-shared the background on installing Pride pole wraps across municipal facilities instead of an additional rainbow crosswalk due to increased cost and vandalism concerns. The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office, consulted with 2SLGBTQIA+ and Pride community members, businesses and organizations and received support for the proposal. There were suggestions to further expand the pole wraps to the downtown commercial core areas. N. Balakumar shared that at the previous meeting, DAC endorsed the proposal and that the report is expected to go to Council in November D. Smith inquired about the material of the pole wraps and emphasized the importance of them being weather-proof. Committee Action Items B. Neblett shared that a volunteer is needed for the November Land Acknowledgement. P. Gunti requested an excel tracker to track different initiative ideas and the working groups for the committee. He also requested an updated member list to be circulated. 9. Adjournment Moved by P. Gunti, seconded by K. Kassirer. That the meeting be adjourned. Carried. Next Meeting: Thursday November 13, 2025 7:00pm, via Teams.