Item 34 - Disparity Study Direction

[Alison Alter]

Colleagues,

I would like to offer the following direction as we adopt item 34 which is the 2022 Disparity Study.

To further Council’s ongoing commitment to support the City’s Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprise Procurement Program, the City Manager is directed to explore the development of additional, complimentary, procurement programs that will promote further contracting opportunities for small businesses, including but not limited to minority and women owned businesses. Such programs should consider a local preference feature and be presented to council for action before August 31, 2023, so that Council can align their adoption with the implementation of future updates to the disparity study goals for MWBE.

As part of the envisioned stakeholder process for developing updated MWBE goals and the above complimentary procurement programs, the City Manager is directed to work with the local chambers of commerce to review the 2022 Disparity Study and to identify ways that the City can further support small, local businesses in accordance with race and gender-neutral guidelines offered by past legal assessments.

Regards,
Alison Alter