Delray Beach to present disparity-study findings March 11; city, CRA and consultant outline next steps for vendor outreach

Delray Beach officials and the consultant conducting the city’s disparity study told a public forum that a draft final report will be presented to the City Commission on March 11 and outlined how the study could lead to focused procurement changes.

Jeff Horace, assistant city manager for the City of Delray Beach, opened the session and said, “This meeting is not to talk about the results. This meeting is to make sure everybody's clear on what a disparity study is, and what the outcome of it can be.” Horace and other city officials emphasized the study addresses ownership and dollars going to minority- and woman-owned businesses, not the racial composition of a company’s workforce.

Keen Independent Research consultant Joseph (Joe) Broad explained the legal and technical framework that guides how public bodies use disparity studies. Broad said federal case law requires two elements before a race- or gender-conscious contracting program can be legally adopted: a “compelling governmental interest” supported by evidence of a substantial disparity, and a program that is “narrowly tailored” to that evidence. Broad described Keen’s methodology: analyzing city and CRA contract records, surveying thousands of Southeast Florida businesses about the work they can perform, and comparing dollars awarded to minority- and woman-owned…