Grand Rapids briefed Wyoming on a local-business preference program; council agrees to explore partnership

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 points. "On any engineering bid that isn't a federally funded project, you can get up to a maximum of 5% off that bid," Ahmad said, adding that certain uses of certified MLBEs or mentor–protégé arrangements can raise that to 10% (capped by Grand Rapids at a $200,000 maximum in the example provided).

Ahmad said certification requires a business be based in Kent County generally, have operated at least one year, meet SBA small-business thresholds (a percentage standard by industry), be a vendor with Grand Rapids and meet a personal net-worth test that has been updated over time (from $242,000 at program start to roughly $390,000 accounting for inflation). He said the current MLBE roster contains about 113 certified businesses, including 14 firms listed as from the City of Wyoming.

The presenters also described supportive services Grand Rapids offers to MLBEs, including a bonding-assistance and technical-assistance program and subsidized back-office accounting and legal help: contracted CPA and legal firms charge $150 per hour; the city covers roughly $100 of that hourly cost in pilot work so far.

Council members asked operational questions about how Wyoming would participate. Council member questions focused on whether Wyoming would need to repeat Grand Rapids’ vetting or simply accept that list; city staff explained an option to treat Grand Rapids’ roster as a vetted source and add a line in Wyoming bid documents recognizing that certification. "If you're on this MLBE list from the City of Grand Rapids, you would be eligible for an X percent discount," a presenter confirmed in response to a council example.

Members raised concerns about costs and local revenue impacts. Staff pointed out Grand Rapids views the discount as an investment in local businesses that can yield increased local tax and economic activity; Wyoming council members noted Wyoming does not levy a local income tax and asked staff to consider fiscal implications for this city specifically.

Council members signaled interest in pursuing the idea. Multiple members said they would like staff to "explore it" and to check whether Wyoming businesses already appear on Wyoming's procurement lists. Presenters offered to include Wyoming in the Monday group of primes and subs and to meet separately with Wyoming purchasing staff to review options.

Because no formal motion was made and no vote was recorded, the discussion concluded as direction to staff and further exploration rather than an implemented policy.

What happens next: Council asked staff to research whether the 14 Wyoming firms on Grand Rapids’ roster are already on Wyoming’s vendor lists and to return with options for how Wyoming might adopt a similar bid-preference language or limited partnership.