TESTIMONY
Testimony: Jessica Walker from Manhattan Chamber of Commerce on Supporting Intro 23 and Identifying Gaps in MWBE Professional Services Contracts
3:38:47
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3 min
Jessica Walker, President of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, testifies in support of Intro 23, highlighting structural barriers faced by Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs). Walker emphasizes the transformative potential of the bill to improve MWBE access to city and state government contracts. She urges a focus on auditing agency activities and identifying gaps, particularly in professional services where MWBEs are underrepresented, advocating for continued funding of vital programs aiding MWBE certification and project success.
Speaker 24
3:38:47
Hi.
3:38:48
I'm Jessica Walker.
3:38:49
I'm the president of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce.
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We represent the more than a 125,000 businesses across Manhattan, both large and small.
3:38:57
I wanted to weigh in today in support of intro 23.
3:39:01
Because we all know the facts too well.
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MWBs, face unique hurdles, such as less access to business education resources, financing, business networks, just so many disparities that we've all talked about today.
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Programs designed to help MWE tap into the tremendous buying power of city and state government are improving, but structural barriers remain.
3:39:24
Moving the needle on this issue would be truly transformational for many MWA's in New York.
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We are at a pivotal moment where so many good things are coming together.
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As you discussed today, mayor Adams has made advancements by appointing the 1st chief diversity officer who's doing a lot of great smart things already.
3:39:43
At the state level, they just increased the city's limit on discretionary contracts to 1,500,000, which is higher than it's ever been.
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So we have an immense opportunity.
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But we have to keep agencies focused on the goal and that this bill does that.
3:39:57
Formerly, auditing the MWD activities, each agency, sorry, of each agency not only holds their feet to the fire, it also provides an opportunity for learning moments.
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The auditors can help identify specific contracts that would that could have been handled differently so that they can change their processes going forward.
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And that's more than what the comptroller's current annual evaluation is capable of doing.
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So we do support the legislation finally, I also wanna urge the city council to continue funding vital programs like chamber on the go and the Five borough Chamber alliance, which allows nonprofit organizations.
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To provide the outreach needed to do MWD certification and and also provide the funding or at least put put organizations and businesses in touch with funding that they need to successfully complete projects.
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So thank you so much for sponsoring this bill, Cheerbooks Powers, and for those who already support it, I stay and ready to assist you.
3:40:58
Thank you.
Speaker 1
3:41:00
Thank you for that testimony.
3:41:01
I I'm especially interested in knowing, like, if there are any components in terms of a formal audit that from your perspective should be included in such a law.
Speaker 24
3:41:15
Yeah.
3:41:16
So I I do think that, obviously, right now, we already see the information through the the comptroller's report in terms of, you know, who's doing what.
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What I thought was really interesting was that the a lot of the a very small percentage contracts are going to professional services, which I felt was really interesting.
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So I wanna delve more into those types of contracts and really break that out.
3:41:42
And really find out where the gaps are because it seems like we're a lot stronger on things like construction where I think, you know, there's there's a lot of outreach work matchmaking happening.
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But on on different industries like professional services, there's a lot less of So I I wanna see more specifics on that.
Speaker 1
3:42:01
Thank you so much.
Speaker 3
3:42:05
If we had inadvertently missed anyone that is registered testified today and has yet to have been called, please use the zoom hand function if you are testifying remotely, and you will be called in an order that your hand has been raised.