(Tualatin, OR) – The Tualatin City Council seeks community members to volunteer for the Tualatin Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (I.D.E.A.) Advisory Committee. Applications are due by July 17, 2023. 

This new advisory committee will assist with achieving the City Council’s 2030 Vision for Tualatin to be an inclusive community that promotes equity, diversity, and access in creating a meaningful quality of life for everyone and to be a connected, informed, and civically engaged community that embraces Tualatin’s diversity. 

Committee members will be empowered to advocate for underserved populations, provide advice to City Council towards achieving greater inclusion, diversity, equity, access, and belonging within Tualatin, and suggest ways to encourage people to connect with City elected and appointed officials, to make it easier for public participation in City government. 

“The primary objectives behind creating what is now known as the I.D.E.A. Committee are to build and strengthen relationships with the community as well as lowering barriers to public participation in City government,” said Councilor Christen Sacco. “There is a substantial amount of learning to be done by the City from the people in our community who don’t currently have a voice. The I.D.E.A. Committee provides an opportunity for representation and allows those individuals to advise the Council on issues that impact their unique experiences in Tualatin.” 

The committee will be composed of nine to 13 members appointed by the Council, including one voting high-school aged youth member and up to two members who reside outside city limits. The Council is committed to appointing members from diverse backgrounds and experiences to ensure that as many viewpoints as possible are represented on the committee. 

Applications to serve on the advisory committee can be submitted in a variety of ways. It is expected that the group will meet once per month starting this fall, however a meeting date and location have not yet been set. 

Tualatin City Council passed an ordinance to create the committee in April 2023, after receiving recommendations from an Equity Committee Planning Group, comprised of 15 individuals who met during 2022. 

Underrepresented community members and those with passion for equity are encouraged to apply. Applications are due July 17, 2023. 

For more information or to apply, visit www.tualatinoregon.gov/idea. 

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