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Council hears options on minority/female/disabled/veteran outreach, disparity studies and local preference in procurement
Summary
Procurement staff briefed the Rockville City Council on the city’s informal MFDV outreach, the legal and resource implications of a formal disparity study and subcontracting goals, and trade-offs around local vendor preference and environmental/social procurement criteria.
The Rockville City Council received a comprehensive work-session briefing on April 28, 2025, about the city’s current outreach to minority-, female-, disabled- and veteran-owned (MFDV) businesses, the option of conducting a formal disparity study, and potential changes to local preference and environmental/social procurement practices.
Jessica Lewis, the city’s Director of Procurement, described the existing informal outreach program that the procurement office operates through annual outreach events, quarter‑by‑quarter “how to do business” sessions with partner organizations, one-on-one vendor assistance and solicitation language that encourages subcontracting with MFDV firms. Lewis said staff recently expanded tracking from mayor-and-council awards to all awards and are offering debriefs to unsuccessful bidders.
Lewis briefly summarized the legal backdrop for formal programs: jurisdictions that seek a court‑defensible minority/women‑owned enterprise program typically…
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