Port of Harlingen Social Equity and Inclusion Policy

1. PURPOSE

This Policy prioritizes the Port of Harlingen Authority’s commitment to social equity, using a racial equity focus, and to leverage the Port’s strengths to create a more prosperous, equitable and livable region. This Policy confirms and reinforces The Port’s commitment to diversity through creating and maintainingan inclusive and collaborative workplace culture. It recognizes the rewards of embedding such culture. Consistent with our values, we are a workplace that recognizes and values diversity.

2. POLICY PARTICIPANTS

All Port employees and contingent workers, Port business, Board of Commission, and stakeholder partners.

3. POLICY STATEMENT

It is the Policy of the Port of Harlingen Authority to promote social equity with the purpose of advancing fair and equitable inclusion and creating the conditions in which all people can participate, prosper, andachieve equitable outcomes with respect tothe Port’s employment, business, and services. Port staff are directed to establish a framework to integrate social equity considerations and goals intodecision making processes within the Port consistent with this Policy.

• Because historically inequitable policies and practices in our community may have resulted in manysocial inequities that persist to this day;

• Because it is the Port’s focus to enhance regional prosperity and we seek to do so with a social equity“lens”;

• Because by addressing the barriers experienced by minorities, we hope to also identify solutions andremove barriers for other historically underserved population groups;

• Because we have a responsibility as neighbors in our community to understand the impacts of ourdecisions and our operations; and

• Because we believe more diverse voices lead to better business decisions.

4. DEFINITIONS

4.1 Contingent WorkerWorkers used to temporarily fill in for FTE (Full Time Employee) vacancies or to perform project–basedservices that are discrete in nature and that cannot be performed by an existing Port employee because of workload, specialized nature of work to be performed, etc. (i.e., contract services).

4.2 Social Equity Fair and equitable inclusion and creating the conditions in which all people can participate, prosper, andachieve equitable outcomes with respect to the Port’s employment, business, and services.

4.3 Racial EquityThe condition that would be achieved if one’s racial identity no longer predicted, in a statistical sense, one’s access to opportunity. Racial equity can be advanced by ensuring that all races have access toopportunity, and that access may need to be tailored to meet an individual’s or group’s specific needs.

4.4 Historically UnderservedHistorically underserved communities are those groups that either face barriers to participate indecision–making processes and/or have documented low levels of access to employment, service, andbusiness opportunities.

Environmental Policy:

The Port of Harlingen Authority will work towardmissionfurthering its environmental stewardship and the implementation of proactive environmental programs.

The Port will integrate environmental considerations into all aspects of its strategic planning and business decision–making.The Port will actively seek resolutions to environmental issues by endeavoring to achieve the following goals:

•Compliance: Comply fully with all applicable environmental laws, regulations, and Port policies.

•Planning: Integrate environmental impacts and public concerns into operating decisionsand facility development planning processes.

•Natural Resources: Minimize impacts and seek opportunities to help enhance naturalresources while carrying out Port projects.

•Pollution Prevention: Minimize pollution and waste.

•Government Relations: Develop cooperative working relationships with agencies andpromote development of sound environmental regulation.

•Community Relations: Provide community outreach and leadership on environmentalissues and respond in a timely fashion to inquiries or expressions of concern regarding environmental issues related to Port activities.

•Continuous Improvement: Continuously improve the effectiveness of the Port’senvironmental stewardship and this policy. Implementation of this policy is the responsibility of all employees.

Port of Harlingen Social Equity Action Plan

Goals:

1. Increase minority/diversity supportive and small business participation
2. Create an equitable, inclusive, and welcoming workplace
3. Community engagement
4. Update this Plan periodically to adjust to changing conditions; reinforcing successful Action Items, cancelling, or revising ineffective Action Items; and introducing new Goals and Action Items as appropriate.

Action Items

1. Increase minority/diversity supportive business participation

a. Identify existing rates of minority/diversity participation, and determine specific target rates to be achieved by Port and associated parties.

b. Include diversity/minority employment/ownership inclusion for preferential consideration for contract services.

i. Include in the bid tally matrix if a possible contractor has a minority/diversity pledge, or can verify the percentage of minorities that are employed or contracted with their business with scoring and weight system to be determined.

ii. All contract service employees working on the Port will sign a document acknowledging and agreeing to The Port of Harlingen’s Social Equity Plan.c. Create small business workspace.

i. Provide meeting space and office/workspace areas for tenants who do not have facilities for office work or meeting room (i.e., internet access, fax and copy services, etc).

c. Create small business workspace.

i. Provide meeting space and office/workspace areas for tenants who do not have facilities for office work or meeting room (i.e., internet access, fax and copy services, etc).

d. Provide business connection services.

i. Act as a facilitator to connect all current or possible tenants with local resources for business development services (e.g., Harlingen Greater Chamber of Commerce, Harlingen Economic Development Council).

ii. Pro-actively partner with the Rio Grande Valley Hispanic Chamber and other minority organizations to promote contracts/requests for proposals for Port projects.

iii. Coordinate with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Advancement (SARA) and the National Latino Farmers & Ranchers Trade Association (NLFRTA) to reach out to minority-owned farmers to ensure they can benefit from improved transportation services and COB opportunities that will result from dock upgrades.

2. Create an equitable, inclusive, and welcoming workplace.

a. Provide diversity and inclusion training for all employees.

i. Research companies that provide training services on diversity and inclusion.

b. Encourage employee-centered growth and advancement.

i. Provide more funding of opportunities for employees to attend conferences and workshops to grow and strengthen knowledge and skill set.

ii. Increase employee engagement through employee development days.

iii. Encourage and foster communications within all levels of the organization.

c. Promote employee wellness

i. Provide walking trails and de-stress/break areas outdoors for employees to take a break from their workspaces.

3. Community Engagement

a. Increase community outreach/sponsorships

i. Create sponsorship criteria and areas of focus to increase community outreach.

ii. Have a webpage and contact space for local organizations to solicit sponsorship funds for Port focus areas.

iii. Increase available funding for sponsorships and community support.

iv. Partner with local groups, organizations, and school districts to provide tours of the Port and educational opportunities.

1. Create a webpage/contact space for outside organizations to facilitate scheduling a tour.

v. Construct an observation deck on the east side of the Sugar Mill Warehouse parking lot for tours, birders, and visitors.

vi. Increase bilingual content and announcements.

4. Update this Plan periodically to adjust to changing conditions; reinforcing successful Action Items, cancelling, or revising ineffective Action Items; and introducing new Goals and Action Items as appropriate.

a. Review annually, or as needed, for updates and review of projects and action items.

The Port of Harlingen Environmental and Climate Action Plan

Goals:

1. Create an environmentally equitable and friendly work environment to enhance resiliency and mitigate climate change impacts

2. Community engagement to build relationships to promote and encourage environmental stewardship and accountability

3. Increase reduce, reuse and recycle efforts when applicable

4. Update this Plan periodically to adjust to changing conditions; reinforcing successful Action Items, cancelling, or revising ineffective Action Items; and introducing new Goals and Action Items as appropriate.

Action Items:

1. Create an environmentally equitable and friendly work environment to enhance resiliency and mitigate climate change impacts.

a. Showcase and increase participation in environmental programs that promote and benefit the Arroyo Colorado.

b. Create a monarch butterfly sanctuary/garden to increase their natural habitat and shelter.

c. Increase our native plants to help protect, preserve and enhance our biodiversity and local ecosystem, including a living shoreline to dissipate wave action.

d. Create a No-Idle Zone within the Port to decrease air and noise pollution to mitigate further climate change.

e. Further research options and opportunities under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification program when renovating or constructing new buildings.

2. Increase reduce, reuse and recycle efforts when applicable.

a. Use construction material made from recycled products.

1. Replace timber piles and fenders with composite timber.

b. Increase efforts to reuse and recycle material from old projects to new projects.

i. Reuse material in new Dock rehabilitation project.

1. Stockpile demolished concrete for recycle and reuse for backfill behind bulkhead.

2. Repair and recoat steel bulkhead rather than replace steel sheetpile.

3. Replace damaged portion of tieback rather than full replacement.

4. Patch the concrete sheetpile cap rather than replace.

5. Repair 25 of 31 mooring structures.

3. Community Engagement to promote and encourage environmental stewardship and accountability

a. Increase community outreach/sponsorships for environmental-focused projects and organizations.

i. Create sponsorship criteria and areas of focus in environmental stewardship and accountability to increase community outreach.

ii. Have a webpage and contact space for local organizations to solicit sponsorship funds for Port environmental focus areas.

iii. Increase available funding for sponsorships and community support for environmental focus areas.

1. Determine a percentage of sponsorship that must be used for environmental projects annually.

iv. Partner with local groups, organizations, and school districts for Arroyo Colorado clean up and preservation opportunities.

4. Update this Plan periodically to adjust to changing conditions; reinforcing successful Action Items, cancelling, or revising ineffective Action Items; and introducing new Goals and Action Items as appropriate.

a. Review annually, or as needed, for updates and review of projects and action items.