Council adopts and defers inclusive procurement amendment, directs yearlong data pilot

The Spokane City Council adopted an amendment to Resolution 20250051 relating to an inclusive procurement process, approved an automatic one-week deferral, and directed the administration to collect data and report back under a one-year pilot. Council President Wilkerson introduced the item and said the amendment was timely but raised a question under Rule 4.2 about whether adoption would automatically defer the measure for one week.

Council member Zappone moved to approve and automatically defer the amendment one week as a single motion; the motion was seconded and approved. During discussion Mr. Wright and council members said the amendment directs the Department of Purchasing and Contracts to use assembled data to "enhance access to contracting with the city for small businesses, especially minority, veteran and women owned businesses." Council members emphasized that the amendment is intended to capture information and direct the administration to report findings before procedural or policy changes are implemented.

Mr. Wright told the council this would operate as a one-year pilot with reporting and reevaluation afterward; the administration indicated it was agreeable to the approach. Council members asked for follow-up reporting if the administrative processes change as a result of the pilot; the transcript records council members pressing for clarity that changes would not be implemented before council review.

The agenda-review session recorded adoption of the amendment and its deferral; the transcript does not include the pilot’s final reporting schedule or the specific data fields to be captured by Purchasing and Contracts.