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Q&A
Potential for using local vendors like Rethink Food for shelter meals
1:38:03
ยท
118 sec
Council Member Brewer expresses strong support for Rethink Food and inquires about the possibility of using local vendors for shelter meals. Kate MacKenzie from the Mayor's Office of Food Policy responds to these suggestions.
- Brewer advocates for writing RFPs that prioritize local vendors and restaurants.
- MacKenzie mentions a new project to build a pipeline of new vendors, with Rethink Food involved in sharing their experience.
- The discussion touches on Rethink's current role as a subcontractor and the potential for similar organizations to become prime contractors in the future.
Gale A. Brewer
1:38:03
Okay.
1:38:03
My understanding is people don't feel this enough.
1:38:05
Now the second issue is more complicated.
1:38:07
I must admit, just like, the chair, I am a huge supporter of Rethink.
1:38:12
Huge.
1:38:13
I do not I would love to write a contract that says only Rethink can get any of these contracts.
1:38:18
That's how I would do it.
1:38:18
Now I know that's not legal, but you can write RFPs that say you need local vendors, you need local restaurants, you need to support our folks who are in the neighborhoods, etcetera.
1:38:31
Any thought of doing that?
1:38:36
Oops.
1:38:37
I would just get rid of all those vendors and go to rethink.
Kate MacKenzie
1:38:41
Council member, what I will share is that rethink earlier, I spoke about a new project that the DHS team with Ray is leading, which is to build a pipeline of of new vendors and rethink will be tapped to be able to talk about how they did what they did Okay.
1:39:01
Which is a change in their business model
Gale A. Brewer
1:39:04
They'll do and
Kate MacKenzie
1:39:05
all the things necessary to make sure that you're successful.
Gale A. Brewer
1:39:08
Okay.
1:39:09
My question then is, right now, tell me if I'm wrong, I think they have subs.
1:39:13
They have h and h where they will be phased out like everybody else.
1:39:18
So are are people who are working at H and H, it may just be Rethink, I don't know.
1:39:24
Are they moving over to DHS?
1:39:27
I know what you're talking about is a good idea, but it's gonna take time.
1:39:31
Yeah.
1:39:31
How would a vendor like Rethink, if there is one like them, be a prime and not a sub?
1:39:40
How could that work at DHS?
1:39:43
In other words, you've got your nonprofit.
1:39:45
I got that.
1:39:46
But how could literally something like a rethink model, rethink quality, be the sub or whatever the term is as opposed to some of the ones that you're talking about?
1:39:59
When are all these contracts up?
1:40:00
Is that something that's happening soon at DHS?