City Adopts 2024-2030 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Strategic Plan

Following an extensive, three-year process, which included significant community input and the dedicated efforts of our Commission on Equity, the City Council approved Resolution 1157, adopting the 2024-2030 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Strategic Plan during their September 17 meeting.

A heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to this Plan and helped make it a reality.

For more information, visit: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

The Lacey City Council adopted the City’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Strategic Plan (Plan) in September 2024. The purpose of this Plan is to create a strategic guide for the City to advance and support equity efforts in the greater Lacey community from 2024-2030. The six-year Plan identifies ways the City can serve as the lead, a partner, and as an advocate as it works with community partners to build a more equitable and welcoming place where diversity is celebrated, opportunities are equitable, and barriers to participation are eliminated so all voices are included and belong. The Plan includes a vision and mission, values, and four goals with multiple strategies and action items identified under each goal area. The goal areas are:

1. Workforce and Work Environment: The City strives to be a culturally competent organization that implements diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging practices.
2. Community Access and Engagement: The City endeavors to provide accessible communications, meaningful and responsive participation, and improve community connectivity for all.
3. Policies, Programs, and Services: The City works to integrate diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging into all City policies, projects, programs, and services.
4. Livibility: The City aims to provide and assist with advancing equitable economic opportunities, a diversity of housing and human services, and a healthy environment for all

From the Plan, the Lacey City Council message includes:

Our diversity is what makes us stronger.

Lacey is a vibrant, resilient, and thriving community because of the different backgrounds, experiences, cultures, talents, and perspectives of our 60,000+ community members.

In adopting and implementing the 2024-2030 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Strategic Plan, we want the community to know that in Lacey:

People are the priority. City government exists to provide services to help and benefit the community. Our goal is to provide services that meet the evolving needs of the community in a safe, equitable, effective, culturally relevant, and human-centered way.

You belong. Through this Plan and other actions, we are working to create a community where all individuals feel valued, welcomed, respected, safe, and free to be who they are.

Your voice is important. We are seven people representing many voices. Public engagement and participation are key to helping create and carry out responsive, equitable, and effective policies and programs.
This Plan encourages an active and healthy relationship with the community where all voices are heard, included, and valued.

We act with purpose. With this Plan we are being intentional and accountable in this work. The Plan outlines where we are now and where we want to be in the future. It also includes specific benchmarks to assess progress and it creates an annual report for the community to review.