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OGDEN — As diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives have come under increasing fire by some, Ogden Mayor Ben Nadolski defended efforts in the city to promote community engagement and inclusiveness and rebuked increasing divisiveness he sees in the political sphere.
His comments came as city leaders changed the name of the Ogden Diversity Commission to the Ogden Community Engagement and Opportunity Commission and approved other tweaks to comply with HB261, the new state law aimed at dismantling initiatives by public entities to promote diversity. The commission has been an advisory body to the mayor and City Council on cultural matters and also served as a link between the city bureaucracy and people of color and traditionally marginalized communities in Ogden.
"Our nation and our world right now have become too focused on one another, me against you, us against them, left versus right," Nadolski said. He lamented the seeming overabundance of "ill intentions in politics, especially partisan politics" and while recognizing the multitude of "really, really good people" in public service, warned of increasing divisiveness if the political tenor he senses continues.
The impassioned speech at Tuesday's Ogden City Council meeting and remarks by city officials defending the intent of what's now the Ogden Community Engagement and Opportunity Commission preceded approval of the changes to meet the parameters of HB261. Besides the new name, the changes remove language in the ordinance that created the commission calling for consideration of race, gender, ethnicity and other personal identifiers in picking commission members. The purpose statement was also changed to state that the commission aims to promote community collaboration to meet the needs of "our diverse community," singular, instead of "our diverse communities," which could encompass subgroups of people in Ogden.
City Councilwoman Marcia White said news of HB261, approved by Utah lawmakers earlier this year, troubled her. Utah lawmakers passed HB261 stemming from worries that diversity programming, by focusing on aiding people of color and those from other traditionally marginalized groups, leaves out others who could also benefit from assistance. The measure impacts diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at Utah's public universities, as well as diversity programs at other public entities, including the city of Ogden.
"When I first understood what was coming down from the Legislature and the House bill, it really bothered me," White said. The potential impact in Ogden had prompted consternation among other city officials as well, but White said the changes wrought by HB261 may allow the city "to be even more diverse and inclusive in what we're doing."
Linda Lartigue, the city staffer who oversees commission operations, sees the limited changes required to comply with HB261 as an indicator of the broad-based work the body has been doing.
"I think that speaks volumes to the DE and I work that we were doing here in our city," she said, using the acronym for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. "The bulk of my work and the bulk of the work of the commission, it truly has just been community-centered from the beginning. I think that's why you see very little changing right now. ... Everything that we've been doing really truly has been for the greater good of our community and not so much those divisive areas."
It was Nadolski, though, who spoke most extensively on the topic. The debate over diversity initiatives in Utah and other U.S. states has been heated, and in Utah it created a deep rift between the Republican majority in the Legislature, which favored HB261, and the Democratic minority, which opposed it.
Nadolski advocated for a focus on the needs of the public by lawmakers, regardless of constituents' political leaning, religious affiliation and other identifiers. The current political climate, though, has made that difficult to do.
"We can put whatever letter on it we want. We can assign blame to whoever we feel we wish. We can demonize the other side. But all that does is it makes us further apart," he said. "There are families and children in this city falling through the cracks right now because we are fighting over politics."
He also defended the charter of the newly dubbed Ogden Community Engagement and Opportunity Commission, which required minor changes to comply with HB261. "These are not political values. These are human values. If anybody who reads this charter doesn't agree with it, they don't need to be at the table because they're in the way. They're adding to the divisiveness," he said.
The charter states an aim of increasing civic engagement and economic mobility in Ogden.
"In this endeavor, we intend a living framework to help us build an ever more inclusive, engaged community where each new generation builds on lessons from our past," it reads, in part. It goes on: "We envision an Ogden that is inclusive and welcoming — thriving on the trust, dignity and interdependency of our diverse community."
After the City Council approved the changes, city leaders and community members signed an oversized version of the charter as a means of expressing support for the document.
