Committee on Racial Equity, Accessibility, Diversity, and Inclusion (READI)

The Select Board believes that the goals of the Town of Williamstown should include the promotion of inclusiveness, diversity, and equity and that there should be continuous improvement towards achievement of these goals. Therefore, the Select Board establishes an advisory committee to address these topics through the development of forums for open and safe discussion of these issues, and for the development of actionable recommendations to improve the attainment of these goals in Williamstown for all residents. This effort is designed to help make sure that Williamstown is a safe and inclusive community.

Structure

The committee membership shall initially consist of up to nine residents of Williamstown, though the Select Board may from time to time change this number. One of the members shall be a member of the Select Board, but that member cannot serve as chairman. The Select Board will strive to ensure that the membership is diverse and composed of representatives of different elements of the Williamstown community. The committee shall ensure that participation in its activities is broad and inclusive of all communities in Williamstown. The establishment of this committee has attracted interest from more people than would fit on the committee itself, so we encourage the committee to utilize this public interest through the use of working groups to expand participation.

Actions

The committee has discretion in its choice of activities relevant to the above goals, but should include forums for active listening to the concerns of a broad segment of the public and for the development of specific, actionable recommendations for improvements. The recommendations should include actions proposed for implementation by the Town of Williamstown, but the committee is encouraged to include recommendations of actions to be undertaken by other entities or groups. Recommendations can and should be forwarded to the Select Board as the committee deems them ready. If any recommendations are the subject of differences of opinion, the committee shall make provision for those other views to be submitted along with the recommendation.