by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
A bill that would make it easier for ex-offenders to land work with City-approved contractors is one vote away from passing. Monday, the City Council Finance Committee unanimously OK’d the bill that’s sponsored by former Council President Kevin Hyde.
The amended bill asks that contractors give “full and fair consideration” to hiring those with a criminal history. During the March 24 full Council meeting, several members had questions concerning the bill. Monday, through revisions to the bill, Hyde addressed those issues, apparently to the satisfaction of the Finance Committee.
Hyde also asked Operation New Hope President Kevin Gay to attend the meeting. Gay’s company specializes in taking ex-offenders and helping them find gainful employment and a stable living arrangement. Gay asked Tampa contractor Michael Copeland to explain the potential benefits of a contractor hiring an ex-offender. Copeland said the original legislation caused him “heartburn” because it put the burden of hiring an ex-offender on the primary contractor. That burden, originally, was a relatively complicated process of interviewing, hiring and then providing proof of the hiring of an ex-offender. Proving compliance, if the bill passes full Council next Tuesday, now consists of a one-page form.
“That is not overly burdensome,” said Copeland, who owns WRS Compass. “It’s not abnormal in the construction industry to hire ex-offenders. We have several on the payroll. You need skilled and unskilled labor, which lends itself to an ex-offender program being beneficial.”
The amended bill does not require contractors to hire ex-offenders and only applies to contracts worth $200,000 or more. Subcontractors are not included in the current legislation and primary contractors do not have to have an ex-offender on the payroll during the bidding process. There are six ways the contractor can comply with Hyde’s ordinance:
• notify a rehabilitation or program provider that the contractor will interview ex-offenders for employment;
• maintain an employment policy that ex-offenders will be given full and fair consideration in employment;
• indicate on recruitment literature that ex-offenders will be given full and fair consideration;
• interview ex-offenders for employment;
• hire ex-offenders; and
• indicate that there was no hiring during the reporting period.
According to the legislation, the ombudsman of the City’s Central Operations Department will determine whether a contractor has complied or not.
In other news from the Finance meeting:
• Legislation was approved that will see electricity and water installed at Metropolitan Park Marina. Through two grants, the City will spend a little over $1.2 million on upgrades that Jody McDaniel of the Planning Department said boaters have been requesting for years.
• The City will amend the lease with Jacksonville Marine Charities — which runs the annual kingfish tournament — for space at Sisters Creek Park. Kelly Boree of the
Parks Department said the organization used to lease the space for 35 days during the tournament. However, this year they are only requesting two weeks and a reduction in rent.
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