TESTIMONY
Testimony: Small Black-Owned, Woman-Owned Business on Blacklist Impact on Small MWBEs and Legislative Proposals
3:29:19
·
178 sec
A speaker representing a small, black, and woman-owned business highlights the negative impact of being blacklisted from city projects despite existing contracts, emphasizing the need for improved diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. To combat discriminatory practices affecting subcontractors, the speaker proposes legislative changes mandating written approvals or denials for contract work, ensuring transparency and accountability within the procurement process.
Speaker 21
3:29:19
I'm with a small black owned, woman owned business.
3:29:22
And for 3 years, we were doing work on city projects.
3:29:27
And as of lately, we've been blacklisted from doing work on city projects despite having contracts to perform the work.
3:29:36
So much for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
3:29:40
I have some legislative proposals that I need to introduce because the current policies and practices are hurting small black owned businesses.
3:29:49
They hurt black businesses.
3:29:50
They hurt businesses in small businesses in general.
3:29:54
But as you know, whatever affects the general affects blacks more severely, being the most disenfranchised, dislike in disrespected group in society.
3:30:10
So I would like to I would like to submit my legislative proposals.
3:30:15
Thank you.
Speaker 1
3:30:19
Thank you for that testimony.
3:30:21
Can you give some more, I guess, clarity in terms of what some of the legislation you would like to see that would be beneficial to particularly black businesses.
Speaker 21
3:30:35
One of the things that could help is that when a subcontractor has a contract with the general contractor, The city should not go into that general contract and tell them they can't use the subcontractor that they already have a contract with between the sub and the general contractor being that the city doesn't recognize subcontractors as vendors anyway.
3:31:04
The contract that the city has is with the prime contractor and not the subcontractor.
3:31:10
And we've been denied the opportunity to work on 2 projects that we've had contracts to perform the work on.
Speaker 1
3:31:18
And have explanations been given at any time as to why?
Speaker 21
3:31:23
There are no explanations that are given to us.
3:31:27
The the the agency the agency people they called the general contractor Mhmm.
3:31:33
Went in the chief contracting officer told the general contractor over the phone that he couldn't use us for a situation that he knew didn't exist.
3:31:43
He doesn't do anything in writing.
3:31:45
Another another proposal that I have is that if a if a contract is denied or approved that this be placed in writing.
3:31:57
Because right now, they do it over the phone, and when you raise it.
3:32:02
They say there's no proof that you were even denied.
Speaker 1
3:32:16
Thank you, Pat.