City of Pensacola study to analyze minority contracts

http://www.pnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011106110312

From the Pensacola News Journal, June 10
Written by Jamie Page

Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward is calling for a full-scale disparity study to ensure minority-owned businesses are included fairly when the city awards contracts.

Hayward said his proposal is fulfilling a campaign promise, and he'll make a proposal to the City Council later this month to conduct a study.

"I'm proud to sponsor this initiative so we as a community can get some real data on where our tax dollars are being spent, and to develop some solutions to make sure that all of our vendors and contractors have an opportunity to build their business and expand their ability to create jobs," Hayward said.

A disparity study will review the past purchasing and contracting history of the city, evaluate past minority-business inclusion efforts, and assess local and regional business demographics. The cost of the study is estimated to be about $250,000.

Based on these results, the study will recommend a legal set of purchasing and procurement reforms to remedy any disparities.

In 2007, the City of Pensacola had a "pre-disparity study" done, finding that the participation of minority businesses, especially black-owned businesses, was almost nonexistent.

That study, and the citizen panel that reviewed it, recommended some minor contracting reforms to give minority businesses more access to city contracts. The citizen panel also recommended the city undertake a full disparity study.

The full disparity study will allow the city to take more aggressive action to assist minority businesses in getting city contracts.

"I view this as a prime example of how we can improve our local economy, by helping our local businesses win contracts and by ensuring that we as a city and a community are creating a playing field that gives everyone a chance to succeed," Hayward said.

"The reality is that the more jobs we can help small businesses create, that puts more money in people's pockets and more money gets turned around in our local economy. So while this initiative is geared toward helping minority businesses, those business owners and their employees spend their money with other businesses across the community, so we all benefit."

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Below are pages presented as part of the June 20, 2011, Pensacola Committee of the Whole agenda. Occasionally, the pages did not insert in numerical order, but they are numbered and should all be here.