TESTIMONY
Videos from MWBEs on Challenges Getting Contracts
2:59:26
·
3 min
This segment features video presentations from Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs) across various boroughs, reflecting on their experiences, hurdles, and suggestions for the city's MWBE program. The speakers share firsthand accounts of navigating procurement processes, seeking more targeted assistance and greater involvement in the bidding process.
Speaker 17
2:59:26
Every year, the controller's office puts out this annual report on MWD procurement.
Speaker 7
2:59:41
Just 7 years in and and getting past all of that, it's been a journey.
2:59:46
It's been a lot of hard work.
2:59:47
And, you know, thankfully, we were able to still be around and still getting contracts.
2:59:52
But just a lot A lot more help is needed for businesses that's coming into this arena.
Speaker 18
3:00:00
Before the experience has been a vision, like, utilizing the MWD portals has definitely been a very convoluted experience here.
3:00:09
Just a lot of things that I need
Speaker 1
3:00:11
to learn.
3:00:12
The most confusing is that I don't understand how my industry can get more involved in the bidding process.
3:00:18
And when
Speaker 18
3:00:19
I get an email, I almost always admit can see it.
3:00:21
So definitely having a lot of correspondence outside of just postings on the website.
3:00:27
Because typically that's what happened.
3:00:28
There have them.
3:00:29
They're gonna they're gonna give it awarded to.
3:00:31
They're gonna throw it out there to make us feel like, okay.
3:00:34
We open it up.
Speaker 1
3:00:39
In contracts, the contracts that could buy my leg for the most part, outside of
Speaker 14
3:00:49
I'm Nina Flores.
3:00:50
I'm the executive director at Staten Island.
3:00:52
It's a salvage sensor.
3:00:53
I'm having issues for them.
3:00:54
Sometimes it's delaying processing and ended up trying to get work on Staten Island because it's very hard for
Speaker 19
3:01:00
the city agencies.
3:01:01
It does nothing on Staten Island and that is available for them.
3:01:04
Bobby, where can we meet Laura's literally from the beginning.
3:01:08
She worked with me.
3:01:09
She basically helped my hands in the whole process.
3:01:12
She helped to make sure that we were ready to to call the appropriate agencies and their vocabulary progress.
3:01:18
The best thing about these programs is when you have to own accept the phone.
3:01:23
I think that's most important.
3:01:24
As far as getting the contracts, they can talk more challenging.
3:01:28
I think if they were more collective, we could talk about are experienced, I think that would be benefits.
Speaker 10
3:01:34
We have got little of no work at all or no contracts at all from the city.
3:01:39
Over many, many years.
3:01:41
The emphasis now be on providing access to contracts, to plan businesses.
3:01:48
And that tells you of their resilience.
3:01:52
They just cannot break so give those meaningful contracts.
Speaker 17
3:01:57
We made a lot of good recommendations for how it could be better.
Speaker 10
3:02:02
I'm glad that the controller came out tonight.
3:02:05
And I'm hoping that some meaningful results will come out of this.
Speaker 6
3:02:14
Thank you.
Speaker 1
3:02:15
That was my constituent that closed it out.
3:02:21
Just a few questions.
3:02:22
First of all, thank you for coming and providing testimony.
3:02:28
Thank you for the report that you voluntarily do, and it's important to acknowledge and recognize the work of your office.
3:02:35
Around that, it especially because it gives greater visibility in terms of how effective the MWE program is and where some of the challenges may be so that as legislators we can move forward legislation that could address some of those issues.
3:02:58
So I just had a few quick questions, if that's okay.