Estacada Council City takes controversial move to dissolve DEI Committee

Published 11:42 am Tuesday, March 4, 2025

Following impassioned public testimony both in favor and against Estacada’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, a divided City Council voted to disband the group. The council made its decision during the Monday, Feb. 24, meeting.

Councilor Jonathan Metcalf made the motion for ending the DEI committee, and council voted 5-2 in favor of that motion. Councilors voting yes were Matthew Blevens, Jon Dolezal, Mike McElroy, Jonathan Metcalf and Mayor Sean Drinkwine. Those voting to retain the committee were councilors Jerry Tenbush and Heidi Prokop.

Before the deciding vote was cast, Councilor Prokop summed up her view by saying “I keep hearing these arguments against the DEI committee, but nobody’s bringing up examples of the actual harm the committee is doing to our residents. I’m hearing bizarre, off-the-wall reasoning to get rid of it. Everyone is bringing up national issues that don’t have anything to do with the committee’s work and its actual purpose.”

Councilor Metcalf, however, sided with disbanding the committee, saying “I think that there’s a place for you on any committee that you want to volunteer on, but I do not see the need for DEIC in this community. I’m not saying that I don’t think that you have a right to your feelings or a right to assemble, quite frankly, and to have a public group and to do the very same things and advise us on these very same issues. You’ll never hear me tell you don’t or you shouldn’t. I think that’s your free right to choose so that’s where I stand on this.”

Council will take up further discussion at an upcoming council meeting on the possible formation of an ad hoc committee that might be convened to address individual issues of inclusion and equity as they arise.

Before council voted on the motion, members heard public testimony — often emotional — that shed light on the divide in the community on the subject. What follows are some of those statement, but not all for the sake of brevity.

Shirley Barton

A longtime Estacada resident recounted instances of bullying she had witnessed in local schools.

“We had two African American kids in school in ’68. I sat there and watched these kids being bullied,” she said. “Don’t tell me there’s no bullying in the school system. I think this (DEIC) group has done a lot, even though they don’t come out and brag about it.”

Barton expressed her strong support for DEI, and disappointment with Estacada.

“This is not Estacada. This is not Portland, and this sure in the hell ain’t Washington, D.C.”

Tami Beaty

Tami Beaty, chair of the DEI committee, provided the Estacada City Council with examples of the benefits of the DEI committee, such as free dental and vision clinics. But she also offered the council food for thought, urging them to reformulate the committee for another purpose, rather than simply dissolving the group of citizen volunteers.

“Why are you wanting to shut down our committee?” she asked the council. “Why can we not keep the committee as it is now with a new name?”

Robert Morales

Recognizable as the man who led a flag-waving campaign outside Estacada City Hall, Morales proposed to the City Council a shift from DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) to EFM (equality, fairness and meritocracy.)

In addition, Morales alleged bias in the selection process for the Estacada’s DEIC, saying he was denied a position due to his “social media presence and beliefs.”

Vicky Bellacosa

Vicky Bellacosa, is legally deaf and a resident of Estacada. She credits DEI efforts for accessibility improvements at council meetings, including mics and a sound system that amplifies the voices of council members and those testifying before the council. She also mentioned the video recordings and online posting of council meetings, as methods of reaching people who are physically unable to attend council meetings.

“It’s because of things like DEI that you guys have those microphones now. If you guys do get rid of (the DEI committee), I think that means you’re going to have to get rid of these microphones, because they were probably brought in by DEI,” she said.

Julie Battle

Battle has been a participant in Estacada’s Civics Academy Civics, spending time on one occasion touring the city’s collection of murals.

“I had a real come-to-Jesus moment when we went for a walk … to look at the murals. I saw African-American people being portrayed on some. I saw Asian people being portrayed. Native American people. I saw Celtic. And I just had this come-to-Jesus moment is this who we are? Or are we this (referencing those testifying against DEI). If we put (these murals) up for everybody to see, but we don’t uphold it, then all we are is perfume on a pig.”

Vincent Bellomo

Bellomo was an unsuccessful candidate in the November 2024 election for Estacada City Council.

He testified that dissolving Estacada’s DEI committee would “only be hurting your own constituents and further erode public trust with this council.” He went on to say the national division over DEI is not a fight between conservatives and liberals.

“I don’t think ‘conversative’ is an apt description of the government right now,” Bellomo said. “A better description would be ‘arsonists.’ These are people who don’t know how to build anything. They only know how to set our government and institutions ablaze. And they will not stop until every social safety net and every government guard rail is but ashes in their wake.”

Directly addressing Estacada Mayor Sean Drinkwine, Bellomo said “you pretend to have family values, but really, you’re a developer schill. You pretend to care about every Estacadian, but really you only care about keeping your title as mayor instead of actually standing up and protecting the city and the people you purport to care about.”

Dan Tooze

Tooze is vice chair of the Clackamas County Republicans, a political organization, testifying in opposition to DEI.

“I’m just here tonight representing my son and daughter and granddaughter to speak out against DEI, asking you please not to go backward in time,” he said. “DEI is being eliminated all across the country. We don’t need to hire helicopter pilots by their diversity, their color or sexual preference. Please just hire people on their merit and their abilities.”

Tooze was likely refer encing comments by President Trump who in the aftermath of the Washington, D.C., midair collision of an American Airlines jet and a military helicopter, said DEI hiring policies and decisions may have played a role.

His own vice president J.D. Vance walked those statement back, saying none of the air traffic controllers had been identified by name and adding that no one at the controls could conclusively be identified as a DEI hire.

Jason Roeder

Jason Roeder of Estacada Community Fellowship urged city leaders and residents to prioritize unity and moral clarity over division.

“Our city, like our nation, stands at a crossroads,” Roeder said. “The diversity, equity and inclusion movement, though well-intentioned, has often resulted in more division than unity.”

He emphasized the importance of serving one another “humbly in love” and ensuring all community members—regardless of background—are treated with dignity and respect.

Roeder warned against erasing what he described as “foundational truths” regarding gender identity, saying “When we blur these clear distinctions, we do not create inclusion; we create confusion,” he said.

He also called for respectful dialogue, with an emphasis on ending the demonization of those who think, live and vote differently.