Members of the GAP Strategy Team had a productive and informative meeting Thursday, February 27th with Sala Menaya-Merritt, the Director of Equity and Inclusion for the City of Asheville. Here is a summary of what we discussed:

• We wondered how she and her department were navigating the shifted political environment, in the aftermath of the storm and the new presidential administration. Director Menaya-Merritt told us that a lot of folks have been asking her that question. She assured us that she remains as committed as ever to doing the important work of promoting equity and inclusion. She is prepared to shift the language used by her department and make adjustments to the ways the work is presented if circumstances require that, but is confident that the work itself will continue as is needed.
• We also asked her about her role in and thoughts on the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) plan development process, which is currently underway: how can we ensure that the recovery plan is pursued with an equity lens? Director Menaya-Merritt is part of the City’s economic recovery working group, and is planning to meet with both Community Development Division Manager James Shelton and Communication & Public Engagement Director Dawa Hitch in the near future. We brainstormed with her some ways that the City could go further in collecting more diverse input and feedback for the CDBG-DR plan to ensure equity in implementation.
• Finally, we asked her what was happening with the Reparations process. She reminded us that a six-month extension was given to the Community Reparations Commission (CRC) in August, but that because of the storm, that timetable has been pushed back. The extension won’t go into effect until April, when she’s hoping to convene (alongside CRC chairperson Dewana Little and co-chair Bobette May) monthly meetings for the ensuing six months. There will also be a retreat for the CRC sometime in March, and the hope is to have the final written report drafted by June.