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Grand Rapids briefed Wyoming on a local-business preference program; council agrees to explore partnership
Summary
Patty Pottle and Ahmad of Grand Rapids briefed Wyoming council members on the city’s Equal Business Opportunity and MLBE certification program, which gives certified local businesses scoring/discount points on nonfederal municipal bids—typically up to 5% and in some pathways up to 10%—and offers bonding and technical-assistance supports.
Patty Pottle, retired diversity and inclusion manager for the City of Grand Rapids, told Wyoming council members the city’s Equal Business Opportunity program began in 1976 and has evolved into a race- and gender-neutral certification to expand opportunities for small local suppliers.
"Our program is designed to provide our local small businesses an opportunity or more opportunity to do business with the city," Pottle said, explaining the program’s history and why Grand Rapids moved from race- and gender-based set-asides to a neutral, point-based system after the Croson decision and local disparity studies.
Ahmad from Grand Rapids’ Office of Equity and Engagement described how the point system works on nonfederally funded engineering bids: firms that hire city residents, hire students from local training programs, or partner with certified micro-local business enterprises (MLBEs) receive bid discount…
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