TITLE
Recommendation to receive and file a status update on the implementation of the Language Access Policy; and adopt resolution amending and restating the Language Access Policy. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
The Language Access Policy (LAP) was adopted by City Council on August 13, 2013, and on September 2, 2014, City Council allocated $250,000 toward implementation of the LAP. On March 3, 2015, Development Services staff provided an update to City Council and, as a follow-up, on June 1, 2015, sent a memo to the City Council on the implementation of the key elements of the LAP which included: (1) analytics on language line; (2) Google translation on the City website; (3) recorded telephonic messages; and (4) public notices, and amendment to the LAP with reference to the use of minors as interpreters.
Following the June 1 update, a number of initiatives have occurred to further the implementation of the LAP. A directory of staff receiving bilingual skill pay in LAP Languages was completed and uploaded to the City’s intranet for citywide accessibility. This directory will be maintained and updated every six months. City employees have been notified about the directory with utilization instructions.
Development Services has selected vendors to provide court-certified translation and interpretation services to implement the LAP. Development Services staff has requested 177 documents from City Departments to comply with document translation as part of the LAP. The Language Access Coalition and Centro CHA identified these documents as priority documents to translate. We received 165 documents from City Departments, and they have been translated into the LAP Languages (Exhibit A). The remaining documents were deemed as no longer in use by the departments. Twenty additional documents, not on the initial list, were translated using LAP funds due to requests by the general public.
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