SOCIAL EQUITY COUNCIL | Policy Committee
Special Meeting of the Policy Committee of the Social Equity Council, September 30, 2021, 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
AGENDA
- Call to order
- Discussion of Equity (Diversity) Plans
- Standard Policy Committee monthly meetings
- Adjournment
Chair: Edwin Shirley
Members: Subira Gordon, Michael Jefferson, Ojala Naeem, Ed Shirley, Joe Williams
MINUTES
1. Call to Order and Welcome:
Edwin Shirley, chair of the committee called the meeting to order.
Committee members:
Ojala Naeem
Ed Shirley
Joe Williams
Subira Gordon (absent)
Michael Jefferson (absent)
Staff/others present: Ginne-Rae Clay, Executive Director and SEC chair Andréa Comer.
2. Discussion of Equity (Diversity) Plans
Committee Chair Shirley asked for initial comments. Ojala Naeem asked about the legislation requirements and SEC Chair Andréa Comer noted that Sec. 22 of the legislation requires an equity plan for any licensed marijuana establishment. The document reviewed was presented for the committee to provide ideas for items this group would want to include in the guidance document for applicants. Joe Williams spoke of the Massachusetts guidance regarding supplier diversity and set asides.
The committee considered splitting diversity and social equity into separate items. With diversity covering the specific list: people of color, women, veterans, people with disabilities and LGBTQ people. Ojala Naeem made the distinction between the workforce development plan and the diversity plans. She noted how in the draft document, the two issues are intermixed, and that our document would benefit from being split up into two separate plans. Joe Williams noted the crossover between the workforce plans and diversity plans. Andréa Comer suggested coordination between the workforce committee and the policy committee on these plans. Ginne-Rae Clay offered to break out the documents, noting items related to workforce vs. diversity, and crossover items. Joe Williams asked if the two documents need to be separate, by the legislation. Andréa Comer noted that a legal review might be needed, but that it looks like the legislation requires two separate plans. Ginne-Rae Clay asked if we want a document that offers guidance or gives requirements for what needs to be in the applicant plans. A discussion ensued. A joint special meeting of the workforce and policy committee will be planned for the end of October, with a plan to ask for action on these at the December meeting.
3. Standard Policy Committee Monthly Meetings
The standing committee meeting was set for the third Thursday of each month, at 10am. The next meeting will be 10am on 10/21.
4. Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 9:53 am.
Minutes are a draft until approved at a subsequent meeting.