by Richard Prior
Staff Writer
Small businesses owned by minorities and women should be able to get bigger slices of the City’s economic pie as the result of a new, two-pronged ordinance.
A “race neutral” program allows people in a certain defined group to take part without considering race or gender, said Cindy Laquidara, chief deputy general counsel in the General Counsel’s Office.
“For example, if you live in the seven-county area and have a small business, then you
can participate in this program,” she said.
“When the City awards contracts, we might have set-asides, and they will be assigned based on whether you live in this area and you have a [small] business.
“It’s based on the size of your business, regardless of who the owner is. Your race will not matter.”
With the “race conscious” program, the City is determined to make a direct effort to reach women and people of certain races.
Both components are included in the Equal Business Opportunity Program, said Laquidara, who presented the information to the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission during its regular meeting earlier this month.
“The JEDC already has a program,” she said. “They’re not awarding contracts; they bring companies, maybe a $40 million company, to town.
“When those companies come here, they want to use local guys. We give them the whole spread, which opens up opportunities for subcontractors.”
When the City puts out requests for bids on its projects, it is requiring general contractors to make an effort to hire minority and female subcontractors.
“The City requires them to ask; it doesn’t require the general contractor to use them,” said Laquidara. “If they are competitive, they will be used.
“Part of the problem has been a general contractor doesn’t know the minority contractors. If they seek a bid from them, that minority contractor may have the best one. It breaks the routine of going to your friends.”
The ordinance went into effect July 13 and will expire in one year if the City passes a replacement.
The goal is to have at least 19 percent minority and female participation on City projects. If the general contractor’s numbers are below that, Laquidara said, “They need to show why. Maybe the answer will be they met with them, they got the information, but they were so busy they couldn’t bid. Or maybe the bid was 20 percent higher.
“But you have to ask. You have to give them a genuine opportunity to get the subcontract.”
At the same time the concept benefits certain groups, the City as as whole will reap the rewards, said Laquidara.
“This is something that really can provide opportunities to people,” she said. “Because of where people live and the patterns we have with others, a number of majority contractors just may not know the local contractors.
“The City hopes that will change. The most competition the City can get gives us the best prices. That’s why they’re trying to take down barriers to competition.”