City approves new Affirmative Action Plan

(MINNEAPOLIS) The Minneapolis City Council approved a new Affirmative Action plan for Minneapolis City government. The plan will direct the City’s efforts to develop and maintain a diverse, result-driven organization that reflects the communities it serves.

"We needed this new affirmative action plan and I'm pleased that it's now in place," said Mayor R.T. Rybak. "In the days of old, affirmative action plans were mostly about compliance, but here at the City of Minneapolis, we can do better than just comply, and that's why this plan is designed to help make the City of Minneapolis better reflect the demographics of the diverse communities it serves."

“The City of Minneapolis is an employer that strives to hire, develop and retain an excellent workforce,” said City Council Member Paul Ostrow, chair of the Ways and Means committee. “We do that by having an environment that welcomes a diverse group of employees and city departments that are accountable to their management and hiring practices.”

To date, the City of Minneapolis has built diversity measurements into its business planning process and Results Minneapolis discussions. Cultural competence is now part of the City’s leadership selection process and performance reviews and elements of diversity have been integrated into all trainings offered by the Human Resources Department.

The City’s Human Resources department led the effort to revise the existing Affirmative Action plan and worked with elected officials, department leaders and community groups over several years to ensure that a broad range of voices were included in the plan’s development.

In 1983, the Minneapolis City Council passed into the Minneapolis Code of Ordinances Title 7 (Civil Rights), Chapter 139.70, which establishes the requirement that “all city departments, boards, commissioners, or agencies shall develop affirmative action plans, including goals and timetables for the hiring, promoting, and retention of minorities, women, and persons who are handicapped, and for the purchases of goods and services from women and minorities.”

The entire Affirmative Action Report is available on the City’s Web site at www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/council/2009-meetings/20091016/docs/AffirmativeActionPlan_PLAN.pdf