Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Procurement And Equity topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioners warn against vendor lock-in and urge equity for urban-core nonprofits
Summary
Several commissioners cautioned that contracting with a single vendor or certifying nonprofits via one evaluator could disadvantage smaller urban-core organizations and urged a public RFP, broader vetting and coordination with administration allocations before any contract.
Commissioners raised equity and process concerns about adopting a single vendor model or creating a certification process that could de facto exclude smaller, lower-capacity urban-core nonprofits. One commissioner said the Slingshot approach "seems to favor Slingshot" and urged a fair, public procurement process before awarding any contract.
Members suggested that the committees recommendations should include consultation with IT, purchasing and finance, and that the administrations nonprofit allocations be considered to get a countywide view of how taxpayer funds are distributed. Several members recommended issuing an RFP to allow competitive bids rather than advancing a sole-vendor agreement on the subcommittees authority alone.
The committee discussed a potential waiver or contractual language to reduce conflicts of interest, and asked legal staff to draft appropriate procurement and waiver language if the committee moves forward with vendor contracting.
