City Council adopted a resolution in January creating the commission to assess the current state of diversity and inclusion in Lee’s Summit and draft an action plan to improve the quality of life for all citizens.
The commission consists of 15 members - seven male and eight female - with various backgrounds. All four City Council districts are represented on the commission. Each member will bring their unique perspective and life experience to the conversation to develop a plan to improve upon the state of diversity and inclusion in Lee’s Summit.
Role
The commission will engage with citizens, businesses and school representatives to assess the needs of the community and identify biases or barriers to success in Lee’s Summit. It will present those findings to City Council within 12 months after the first meeting. The commission will then draft a vision statement and action plan to present to City Council, which will consist of goals and objectives that may be achieved within five years. Along with goals and objectives, the action plan will have performance measures to track the success of the efforts.
The Commission for Diversity and Inclusion will be in effect for 18 months.
The vision statement and action plan shall include:
- A guiding statement that reflects the vision of diversity and inclusion the City of Lee’sSummit will seek to uphold and promote.
- Goals and objectives consistent with the vision statement and action plan that may be achieved within five (5) years.
- Specific actions that may be taken to implement the vision statement.
- Where appropriate, annual performance measures for actions including the mechanisms for measurement and tracking success.
- Recommendations as to the necessary resources that may be committed by the City for the success of the vision statement and action plan.
Resolution No. 21-01
Commission Mission Statement
"Lee’s Summit embraces the differences in our community. We value each individual’s culture, background, and identity; and strive to promote mutual respect and understanding and representation to all. We are committed to eliminating barriers, improving access to resources and creating growth opportunities throughout the community."