[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6155118,"mediaKeyId","5481106-c3d9fbb4e87d2f9e3aa535b6d2cb7510","parentId",5481106,"title","Two‑bid civilian flagger RFP drew criticism; First Armor and community leaders press city for transparency","audioSeconds",257,"startMs",4261000,"endMs",4518000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5481106-c3d9fbb4e87d2f9e3aa535b6d2cb7510&start=4261&end=4518","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5481106-c3d9fbb4e87d2f9e3aa535b6d2cb7510/thumbnail_4261000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6155118/Boston-City/Suffolk-County/Massachusetts/Twobid-civilian-flagger-RFP-drew-criticism-First-Armor-and-community-leaders-press-city-for-transparency","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6155118-3ca427a9299e788b4ff393af9b78d79e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174999&Signature=Q61Aum2G~uO5SlC2RXj-RnLHFv5erY94aCyt7kMzj1rLAUasrGs~9BSOipBAiKQuDALbarBDZFcL5cdpmdDX61sNrzFawsGaby7FyIrwf7gkL3anu7rn3U8OkDCv~hsHyCvigYxXBxMFW3nURmhGHFB6LVnBkpTlK5Eao5jfVewN5XM~iCbNwdz1sm-Bxgx81cBumsSeT19F0ThkpyMGVFPQUfA2CY-RiGmLAfuSLI6cG3Fds2EO-lYCfs~11z6UJhjVVBz-klVFsvH6vTNzmg4DGKXLKpa6PMY5qilL3Jt8oDtx1leezh-TOTQzAgiQJCxoFG0AtR-D5Emq8QqbmQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Boston City, MA","date","2025-07-26T05:53:15.947Z","article","The Boston City Council committee hearing on July 24 examined the city’s civilian flagger procurement after community groups and a competing vendor questioned how the award was made. Casey, procurement staff supporting the presentation, told the committee that the RFP for third‑party management of civilian flagger personnel was posted on Jan. 2, 2025, with proposals due Feb. 14. \"Two vendors submitted proposals. First Armor Protection Services submitted a proposal and, and Davis Company submitted a proposal as well,\" procurement staff said during the hearing.

Procurement staff described the evaluation criteria used by the review panel: proposal clarity; vendor qualifications and experience; hiring, recruitment and demonstrated ability to recruit employees representative of the civilian population; training and management; and detail assignment logistics. Staff also noted contract terms shaped by a collective‑bargaining agreement, including that the vendor must hire employees (not independent contractors) and demonstrate a training track record. The procurement presentation said the evaluation panel rated Ed Davis Company as \"the most advantageous\" on the combined qualitative and price factors.

The losing bidder, Ayesha Miller (owner of First Armor), testified to the committee that she had difficulty locating the RFP and that the request for proposals appeared written to favor a specific firm. \"It was extremely hard to even find the RFP,\" Miller said in public testimony, adding that she received no feedback after submitting a proposal. She told the committee her firm is a female‑ and Black‑owned business with 12 years of operating experience and said the process did not provide an opportunity for oral interviews or clarifying presentations that vendors often use to supplement written proposals.

Other public commentators raised concerns about possible conflicts of interest, noting relationships between the successful bidder and individuals involved in prior selection and oversight. Procurement leaders said they would take committee questions back to the Boston Police Department and other implementing agencies for clarification and that, at a high level, the city does have mechanisms to amend or terminate contracts if needed.

Committee members asked administration staff to provide: a timeline of the RFP process; documentation of vendor outreach and advertising steps; the evaluation committee membership and scoring; and whether the city could provide more detailed, vendor‑specific feedback after evaluations. No formal council vote or rescission was taken at the hearing; witnesses agreed to follow up with requested documentation and to consider whether future procurements could further increase discoverability and local participation.

Ending

The committee requested additional documentation from procurement and implementing departments and signaled it may revisit the procurement if the follow‑up raises procedural concerns.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Post-Audit: Government Accountability, Transparency and Accessibility on July 24, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Boston City Council committee hearing on July 24 examined the city’s civilian flagger procurement after community groups and a competing vendor questioned how the award was made.","taxTitle","Boston City, Suffolk County, Massachusetts","taxId",3381,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6155123,"Boston council hearing presses administration to review White Stadium procurement after single-bid concerns",9773,812000,10585000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5481106-c3d9fbb4e87d2f9e3aa535b6d2cb7510&start=812&end=10585","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5481106-c3d9fbb4e87d2f9e3aa535b6d2cb7510/thumbnail_812000.jpg","/articles/6155123/Boston-City/Suffolk-County/Massachusetts/Boston-council-hearing-presses-administration-to-review-White-Stadium-procurement-after-single-bid-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6155123-d79ce337fa2f380c13a4d3adfce2af15/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174999&Signature=WWAHt7dmaH1qqkI-EWdDXcOiUqhtb6hWceVPAazDo5VJ0okFDCJmqxxbkydx~6vf648gpCEjxvPsBWWWD33ZfJk-VyQsUem71qKlwWjYnAIZpUtHy~M1lKtoWP6NfBFrQOhGfz8-ys-4elNd8jw~nqQHilYQF6xJpsh-RYN4UGc-5iulpsMHx9mL1Vsh7Xn9qK8LvVxumlNVs9PUoLIs5~-JrngzjMcKHm6QqLZX6d8wA8tFX-BGu4J97zx2LpNktSD1eeRPXuy~nsVxUr0QwXCAcg7QWBqj5k2TdRqXaOIiR2GbVTrvN1S6tjnEUupkMJQDSUjOp48eeBzKlW~X9w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Councilor Julia Mejia, chair of the Boston City Council Committee on Post Audit, Government Accountability, Transparency, and Accessibility, opened a July 24 hearing on the city’s procurement processes by listing three focal matters: the White Stadium project, the civilian flagger contract and travel and tourism funding. \"Each of these cases have raised concerns about rush timelines, selective public notice, limited access for small and BIPOC owned businesses,\" Mejia said.

Community representatives, including Ed Burley of the NAACP Boston chapter and other neighborhood advocates, urged the city to pause or re-evaluate the White Stadium procurement and to compare the awarded bid with a community-backed, lower-cost alternative. \"I think you'd like to have more than one bid because what having more than one bid does is it gives the city leverage to advocate for the public interest,\" Ed Burley told the committee.

City procurement and supplier-diversity staff described steps taken to broaden participation in large projects. Chief Shivan Itau (Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion) and procurement staff noted new tools and outreach: a vendor support team, project‑level supplier‑diversity tracking for White Stadium and a public dashboard. Chief Itau cited milestones—\"for the fiscal year 2024 ... we spent more than $100,000,000 with businesses owned by people of color\"—as evidence of progress on inclusion while acknowledging community concerns about specific procurement processes.

Committee members and speakers pressed for answers on three recurring issues: whether community engagement occurred before the White Stadium RFP was drafted, why few bidders responded to the RFP, and whether the city had fully analyzed lower-cost alternatives put forward by community groups. Administration staff said they could not confirm the timing of all community meetings prior to the RFP’s issuance and acknowledged that some projects historically have limited competition because of capacity constraints among local firms. Procurement staff said departments now notify procurement earlier on large contracts and must route contracts above certain dollar thresholds through centralized procurement teams, which has increased opportunities for targeted outreach.

Several public commenters and council members argued the project remains unsettled on two technical points: the traffic mitigation plan and the overall cost estimate. Community leaders warned the traffic plan had not yet been resolved and said that uncertainty increases the need for a transparent comparison between the awarded proposal and smaller, public-only alternatives. Administration officials said some pre‑award costs have been spent: roughly $7.5 million on White Stadium to date, with about $3.7 million going to women‑ and minority‑owned firms, and that additional contracts remain to be awarded for later phases.

No formal council action or vote on White Stadium procurement was taken at the hearing. Councilors and community leaders asked the administration to report back with clarifications — including precise timelines of community engagement, an accounting of contract awards and a description of remaining decision points — and several speakers sought a formal reevaluation or a pause while alternatives are examined.

The hearing record shows continuing tension between the city's supplier‑diversity aims and community expectations about public process and cost oversight. Administration witnesses said they would follow up with additional detail; councilors and community groups signaled they will press for further review and for options that maximize local, minority and women‑owned business participation.

Ending

Councilor Mejia closed the session by saying the committee would expect follow‑up information and that the hearing had surfaced questions the city should answer to restore public confidence in selection and outreach for high-profile, publicly funded projects.","Councilor Julia Mejia, chair of the Boston City Council Committee on Post Audit, Government Accountability, Transparency, and Accessibility, opened a July 24 hearing on the city’s procurement processes by listing three focal matters: the White Stadium project, the civilian flagger contract and travel and tourism funding.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6155112,"Boston highlights equitable‑procurement tools — dashboard, IQC, training and SCALE grants — amid calls for greater transparency",900,1235000,2135000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5481106-c3d9fbb4e87d2f9e3aa535b6d2cb7510&start=1235&end=2135","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5481106-c3d9fbb4e87d2f9e3aa535b6d2cb7510/thumbnail_1235000.jpg","/articles/6155112/Boston-City/Suffolk-County/Massachusetts/Boston-highlights-equitableprocurement-tools-dashboard-IQC-training-and-SCALE-grants-amid-calls-for-greater-transparency","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6155112-dd370b05a5923049cb9ac35c03a8d7f1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174999&Signature=NP7DzbIFjDvlcRa3NVfF9sdgnJPYSMc7asyFh9Cp-gXkwOKco-N7LES-bWMo0E6MX7A-J8Lwer0~~yMj6laitrWndaOEDDY2ysbNraNBVebSfl-gZthZfZ4~pT3TtR2vlVnZTpzHsGfMNgEQvO4A6KP86lHu2GccD8P4yGvvG1qSROP6HTM97k7fU-tXGu0-vzmny~e3IffCnf~wIPoxBE1pSx-Xm6RuJmXQOOU39IALrA08xCqcfGzb~OdZPi2ud018JMQyaBue4vHav8zECx-~0Kz5ekDHrIge64f5zdOSkwwzc0iJKd5I-0Ni6NtwXdnEQtqTlT-C8EgF8Csq0w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a July 24 Boston City Council committee hearing, procurement, supplier diversity and auditing staff presented an overview of citywide tools and steps meant to expand vendor participation by local, women‑owned and BIPOC‑owned businesses.

Procurement staff said the department expanded vendor support after the FY24 budget increased staffing. The vendor support team fields roughly \"1,300 requests a month for support from vendors,\" procurement staff told the committee, and the department added analysts who specialize in services contracts and provide training to city staff. Staff also described a new procurement training program that has already trained more than 100 city employees in eight‑hour sessions to improve procurement and payment practices.

The administration described technical and reporting advances it says make the process more transparent. Procurement and supplier‑diversity staff jointly launched a public Citi contracting dashboard (boston.gov/equitable-procurement) and post raw contracting data on the city’s Analyze Boston open data portal; the dashboard is updated quarterly. Staff also highlighted the Inclusive Quote Contract (IQC) process, authorized by a 2022 home‑rule petition and implemented in 2023, allowing departments to solicit quotes from certified firms for purchases up to $250,000; procurement reported 285 IQC awards totaling about $3.7 million in 2025.

To strengthen vendor capacity, the administration described the ARPA‑funded SCALE program — grants of up to $200,000 awarded to 27 businesses designed to increase capacity so firms can compete for larger city contracts — and a project‑level supplier‑diversity advisory group and community contract opportunity fairs held in Roxbury and Dorchester.

City auditing staff described the payment and warrant process: the auditor’s office processes roughly 3,300 payments per week totaling about $46 million. Officials said delays most commonly result from incomplete department paperwork, and they emphasized training and documentation as fixes. Procurement said it now must approve major contracts and receives advance notice of large opportunities, which permits more targeted outreach to certified vendors.

Several councilors and community witnesses welcomed the tools but urged additional improvements: earlier notice of opportunities; clearer, less legalistic RFP language; routine inclusion of scoring criteria that rewards subcontracting with certified MWBEs; and department‑wide standardization of procurement practices. Colette Phillips, a community leader whose written remarks were submitted to the record, recommended consistent procurement rules across departments, stronger oversight of organizations receiving public funds, and targets that increase participation by BIPOC‑owned firms.

Ending

Procurement leaders invited feedback on the dashboard and said they would follow up on committee requests. Councilors asked for additional documentation and signaled interest in partnering with procurement to refine RFP language, outreach and scoring criteria to increase certified business participation.","At a July 24 City Council committee hearing, procurement, supplier‑diversity and auditing staff presented new and expanded tools intended to increase participation by local and minority‑owned firms.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Two‑bid civilian flagger RFP drew criticism; First Armor and community leaders press city for transparency

Boston council hearing presses administration to review White Stadium procurement after single-bid concerns

Boston highlights equitable‑procurement tools — dashboard, IQC, training and SCALE grants — amid calls for greater transparency