REPORT OF THE
COMMITTEE ON CONTRACT COMPLIANCE
The Honorable,
The Board of Commissioners of
ATTENDANCE
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Present: |
Chairman Maldonado, Vice Chairman Silvestri, Commissioners
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Absent: |
Commissioners Goslin, |
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Also
Present: |
Colette Holt – Attorney at Law and MBE/WBE Consultant; Betty
Hancock Perry –
Contract Compliance Administrator, Office of Contract Compliance |
Ladies and
Gentlemen:
Your Committee on Contract Compliance
of the Board of Commissioners of Cook County met pursuant to notice on
Your Committee has considered the
following item and, upon adoption of this report, the recommendation is as
follows:
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296495 |
RESOLUTION REGARDING THE MEETING OF THE CONTRACT
COMPLIANCE COMMITTEE FOR THE STATUS OF A THE DISPARITY STUDY PRIOR TO THE
EXPIRATION OF THE INTERIM ORDINANCE (PROPOSED RESOLUTION). Submitting a Proposed Resolution sponsored
by Roberto Maldonado, County Commissioner. PROPOSED RESOLUTION WHEREAS, in 2000, the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the Seventh Circuit struck down the County’s Minority and Women’s
Business Enterprise (MBE/WBE) Ordinance as applied to construction contracts
because it was unconstitutional; and WHEREAS, in the absence of this ordinance,
minority (African American, Hispanic, and Asian) and women owned firms each
received only 1 percent of Cook County construction contracts compared to 44
percent prior to the ruling; and WHEREAS, in 2006, the Board of
Commissioners implemented an “Interim MBE/WBE Construction Contract Program
Ordinance” to ensure fair representation for minority contractors who have
suffered discrimination in County construction projects; and WHEREAS, since adoption of the Interim
Ordinance, attorney Colette Holt, a nationally renowned expert who
specializes in the field of minority contract participation and who drafted
the County’s Interim Ordinance, has been working on a Disparity Study that
substantiates the need for the Interim Ordinance; and WHEREAS, the Interim Ordinance sunsets on NOW, THEREFORE, BE
IT RESOLVED, that
the Contract Compliance Committee of the Cook County Board will convene for
the purpose of holding an informational meeting to hear a presentation from
Colette Holt on the status of the Disparity Study prior to the expiration of
the Interim Ordinance. |
Chairman Maldonado introduced Colette Holt, Attorney at Law
and MBE/WBE Consultant. Ms. Holt
presented an overview of the Cook County Availability Study currently underway
and stated that after the original construction piece of the Cook County
MBE/WBE Ordinance was struck down as unconstitutional, MBE/WBE participation
dropped from 40% to 4%. Citing numerous
difficulties in obtaining accurate data from the County due to its
over-reliance on an outdated paper system, Ms. Holt stated she will not be able
to complete the Availability Study by the
Commissioner Sims,
seconded by Commissioner Peraica, moved the approval of Communication Number
296495. The motion carried.
Commissioner Sims
moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Commissioner Peraica. The motion carried and the meeting was
adjourned.
YOUR COMMITTEE
RECOMMENDS THE FOLLOWING ACTION
WITH REGARD TO THE
MATTER NAMED HEREIN:
Communication Number 296495 Approved
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Respectfully
submitted, Committee
on Contract Compliance XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Roberto
Maldonado, Chairman |
Attest:
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Matthew B.
DeLeon, Secretary
The audio recording for this meeting is available from the
Office of the Secretary to the Board,