THURSDAY JANUARY 27, 2022 It was overdue for some, but Whitby council has endorsed a wide-ranging Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity and Anti-Racism (IDEA) plan of action for the town. The key element in the extensive report provided by consultants is the hiring of two IDEA specialists at a cost of $343,500 in this year's budget. That will boost the budget increase from a target of two per cent to about 2.3 to 2.4 per cent, according to finance commissioner Fuwing Wong. It was believed it was essential to go ahead and hire the corporate IDEA specialist, who will work to put the report's recommendations into place within the town's corporate structure and the community IDEA specialist, whose job will be to reach out to the wider Whitby community to apply the report's recommendations. While chief administrative officer Matt Gaskell and Reg. Coun. Steve Yamada had some reservations, citing difficult financial TOWN HIRES TWO IDEA OFFICERS AT COST OF $343,500 See BIG, page 8 TIM KELLY tkelly@durhamregion.com Angela Todd Anderson, president of the Congress of Black Women of Canada's Oshawa-Whitby chapter, urged Whitby to hire two IDEA officers. Jason Liebregts/Metroland