The premise of this presentation is to collectively explore the Council’s desire to determine if there exists fair opportunities for any company that has an interest in doing business with the City.  In doing so, this effort would require that the City contract with a professional firm to establish systems that will allow for the eventual conduct of a comprehensive Disparity Study. 

As such, at its meeting held on June 3, 2020, the Council directed staff to work in concert with Attorney Franklin Lee, a leading expert in the field of Disparity Studies, to make a formal presentation centered on developing an appropriate methodology to potentially move forward.  The respective conversation is not only to discuss the possibility of a conducting a formal Disparity Study, but also the establishment of other interim activities that would serve to assist the City in areas akin to (a) reviewing and assessing policies and practices, (b) designing and implementing race and gender-neutral equitable programs, (c) technical assistance support during the development of solicitations for products and services as well as (d) guidance and supervision to sufficiently and adequately set forth data collection and compilation efforts.

Further, attached to this memorandum are Attorney Lee’s Curriculum Vitae as well as a proposal that outlines a menu of available services that can be realized through the contract of Mr. Lee’s professional services.  All efforts sought, would serve to ultimately achieve goals that demonstrated that the City in its procurement of goods and services, assured that its administration of public monies, did not deny any business the ability to fairly and equitably compete for economic sustenance and progress.