By: Sarah Chase Shaw

Kirkland finds innovative ways to give residents a voice in charting a DEIB roadmap.

In 2022, Money magazine ranked Kirkland as the third best place to live in the U.S., behind Atlanta, Georgia, and Tempe, Arizona. Certainly, its location and charming environmental and cultural amenities helped boost its position, but its community pride and welcoming and inclusive nature were equally noteworthy.

Although Kirkland’s median per capita household income ($122,000) ranks it among the nation’s wealthiest cities, at the other end of the economic spectrum, nearly 7.8 percent of the population lives in poverty. The city is also is diversifying: although Kirkland’s population more than doubled from 2000 to 2020—from 45,054 to 92,166—the percentage of White residents dropped from 85 percent to 71 percent. To make sure all residents have a voice in local government as the city’s demographics shift, Kirkland’s recently adopted DEIB Five Year Roadmap, complete with 69 objectives, is bolstered by an extensive equity assessment that is flexible, inclusive, creative, and future-focused.

“One of the core themes in the work we’re doing is about connection and relationships,” says Deputy City Manager for External Affairs James Lopez (he/him). “We want people to know that we’re willing to think differently. Part of the leadership ethos and strong support we’re getting as leaders is to ensure that Erika Mascorro (DEIB manager) and her team have the support to implement the DEIB Roadmap.”

One of the Roadmap’s objectives centers on facilitating access to democracy via unique engagement processes that encourage residents to become active community members. Called the Kirkland Initiative, the eight-week program is built around enhancing civic engagement and helping residents find their voice. A key point of the program, says Lopez, is to “find diverse new voices who are not in the normal channels of city communication.”

Doing this is harder than it sounds, as anyone experienced with local government community outreach can attest. “One of the [goals]” he continues, “is to go to the places where people aren’t as involved and build relationships. When that trust and those relationships evolve, it’s our hope that someone might feel like they want to be part of city leadership.”

Recruiting diverse voices means accommodating diverse needs, and Kirkland is considering everything from direct compensation for attendance to free childcare. Compensation is still a work in progress, but childcare is now being provided for participants in the Kirkland Initiative. “Offering childcare really opens the opportunities for people who might not otherwise have the resources to participate,” says Mascorro (she/her).

Other accommodations include different meeting locations, altering the time of day when meetings occur to make them accessible to a wider variety of participants, and more opportunities for virtual participation.

The cherry on top, and the part of the program about which Lopez is most proud, is the city’s annual Community Appreciation Night, a specially choreographed event at the Kirkland Performance Center that honors community volunteers and leaders. “We make it like the Academy Awards,” he says. “We write the music, we dance, and we made a big deal out of celebrating our community. The whole point is to show our love and affection for those people who have shown love and affection for us.”

Any conflicts that have arisen during the rollout of the initiative are related to what some may misunderstand as applying government resources to one group of people. The key to moving a project forward is an ability to understand historical precedence and the harm inflicted on certain peoples, explains Lopez. “When you internalize and understand those concepts, then you’re ready for change. You can’t skip that step.”

Kirkland’s council and city staff perform at the 2023 Community Appreciation Night.
Credit: Courtesy City of Kirkland

Cities need to think creatively about helping residents learn to engage and be heard, along with other members of their community. That commitment, Lopez says, is key to enabling governance and the power of conflict resolution. So much about leadership is mending tensions and competing interests, he continues.

“When community members understand the connection between action and positive change in the community, they are well on their way to understanding democracy.”

Kirkland Mayor Penny Sweet (foreground) with City Manager Kurt Triplett, Director of Eastrail Partners Bill Finkbeiner, and Councilmembers Toby Nixon, Kelli Curtis, Amy Falcone, Jay Arnold, and Neal Black at the city’s 2023 Community Appreciation Night.
Credit: Courtesy City of Kirkland