[00:00:01]
HAVE TO FOLLOW THIS IDEA AND LEARN NOT TO FOLLOW THIS IDEAS RIGHT NOW.I WANNA, YOU, UH, I TRY TO LOOK BACK AT, UH, UH, THE PEOPLE THAT, UH, THAT YOU VIOLATED.
THEY SAID THEY DID LIVE MEETINGS FOR GARFIELD.
I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING RECENT AND ALL THE OTHER MEETINGS WERE YOU PICK THE CAMERA.
WE CAN DO THAT IF YOU NOT GOING DO SO, LIKE A RESOLUTION.
OH, WE GOT CHANGE THE CASH ON THE WEBSITE.
UM, TODAY WE CAN'T UNLESS WE HAVE THAT ABILITY.
BUT I DO THAT WE'RE GONNA TO CALL SHOULD BE DIRECTOR.
THAT'S SSTS THE QUICKEST WAY TO GET THAT DONE.
UH, THE PRESIDENT AND THE COUNSEL HERE NOT HOLD ANYBODY WHO'S GONNA PARTICIPATE.
YOU'RE NOT IN SOME ORDER'S IS IT'S, HOW ARE YOU? I'M OKAY.
HOW ARE YOU? IT WAS THANKSGIVING.
YOU'D RATHER BE QUIET MOST OF THE TIME.
LET CHANGE THIS CHAIR OVER HERE.
I MEAN, WE REALLY, SOME S'S GIVEN, GIVEN THAT THESE CHAIRS ARE OLDER THAN MINE.
WE'RE START AT FOUR OF I, SO, OKAY.
[00:09:11]
I MEAN, I'M A CAR IS HEY.HOW YOU DOING? THIS IS, UM, I, OH, I DON'T THINK
[00:10:14]
GIVES.YOU KNOW WHO? NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.
UM, SOMETIMES ON THE WHY YOU WALK OVER HERE.
HOW FEELING BROTHER? I'M ALL RIGHT.
HOW ABOUT SOMETHING, KNOW YOU.
WHAT YOU, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A, UH, SUGGESTION NOW, NICOLE, SHE'S REALLY RELIGIOUS TO HAVE A PRAY.
LISTEN, THIS, IT'S MARK WAS WHAT KIND OF IS.
SO WE ONCE READY? SO
I I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU'RE HERE.
OKAY, ARE ZACH, HOW ARE YOU? HOW ARE YOU? GOOD.
I'M DOING, AND I MAN, GOOD TO AT LEAST
[00:15:01]
WE PRESENT LY THATSO, MR. PRESIDENT, IT'S ON YOU WHEN YOU'RE READY TO, SO RIGHT, IT'S THERE.
ANYTHING WHAT ABOUT WHAT'S SEVEN 10? YEAH, HE'S DOING CARD TAPE.
I'LL BELIEVE IF HE'S ON HIS MICHAEL'S DOWN HALL.
SO
WHO, WHAT'S THE SCORE? IT'S OVER.
IT'S MY, I HAVEN'T HEARD THAT IN A WHILE.
DID I HEAR MY, LET'S GET THING STARTED.
THAT WAY YOU GUYS CAN GET BACK TO YOUR SOCCER IS, I KNOW.
I WAS PRINTING A A BOOK RIGHT NOW FOR EVERYONE.
SO WE'RE A COUPLE OF MINUTES BEHIND, RIGHT? THAT ALL.
ONE MEAN I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T START BY ADDRESSING THE QUESTIONS IN THE, UH, AND THEN WILL BACK UP.
I HAVE FOR CERTIFICATION, THE PUBLIC UP THE MEETING IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH OPEN MEETING.
THERE'S MEETING ON THE, ON THE ROLL.
OR COMMISSIONER GILL AS COMMISSIONER COOPER.
ACCESS COMMISSIONER FROM HERE.
TOMORROW'S ACCESS COMMISSIONER.
SO SOMEBODY WANT TO INTRODUCE THE ADMINISTRATION HERE? MR. VA? MR. JEFF.
UM, WE'RE HERE TO, UH, PRESENT SOME FINDINGS AND SOME RESULTS FROM OUR, UH, WORK ON GETTING OUR, UH, INVOLVEMENT A BUSINESSES INVOLVED IN THE COUNTY.
UM, UH, WORKING VERY HARD IN THAT AND HELPING
[00:20:01]
US GET THERE.JUST GIVE, UM, FIRST OFF START QUESTIONS THAT FOR ANSWER, AND THEN GOING TO REPORTING ON OUR RESULTS FOR THIS YEAR.
AND THEN ALSO LOOKING AT THE, UH, DISPARITY OF WHERE WE ARE IN DISPARITY.
UM, PLEASE SPEAK INTO THE MIC.
TIM WALKER, DIRECTLY OF SMALL BUSINESS AND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION OF COUNTY ETHICS.
WE WANTED TO FIRST BEGIN BY ADDRESSING, UH, THE QUESTIONS FROM PRESIDENT RICHARDSON.
UH, IN LAST MONTH'S EMAIL, UH, BEGINNING WITH INITIAL QUESTION WAS, HOW MANY NEW WOMEN AND MINORITY VENDORS HAVE WE SIGNED UP UNDER THE SMALL BUSINESS OFFICE THIS CALENDAR YEAR? THAT NUMBER IS 442.
UH, WE HAVE THE BREAKOUT COMING TO YOU.
UH, THAT NUMBER IS GOING TO INCREASE BY SEVERAL HUNDRED IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, UH, DUE TO THE WORK WE'VE DONE WITH, UH, THE PORT AUTHORITY OF NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY AND SEVERAL OTHER, UM, ORGANIZATIONS, SMALL BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS, AFRICAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, PLACES LIKE THAT.
SO WE THINK, UM, BY FIRST QUARTER 2023, OUR TOTAL NUMBER WILL JUMP UP.
UH, CURRENT 1,212 IN OUR VENDOR DATABASE, WE THINK WILL BE CLOSER TO 15, 1600.
WANT TO RECOGNIZE, UH, COMMISSIONER LOOK, YOU KNOW.
UM, THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, COMMISS? ANY QUESTION I, I HAVE? SURE.
SO OUT OF THIS 442 NEW, UH, VENDORS, HOW MANY OF 'EM HAVE GOTTEN CONTRACTS AND WHAT ARE THE CONTRACT NUMBERS? SURE.
UM, THE AGGREGATED NUMBER OR, OR DOLLAR VALUE IS JUST UNDER $2 MILLION.
UM, THE LARGEST CONTRACT IN THAT WAS A $1.85 MILLION CONTRACTED WENT TO PROCOP SECURITY OVER 3 21, 3 23 21 UNIVERSITY AVENUE.
UH, THERE WAS ALSO A ENGINEERING CONTRACT THAT WAS RIGHT AROUND, UH, 160,000 THAT WENT TO WHO, UH, OPS ENGINEERING AND, UM, DURING MINORITY FIRM.
UH, SEM ENGINEERING WAS NOT IN ESSEX COUNTY.
UH, ONE, I BELIEVE IT WAS FROM SAY, COUNTY.
UM, ONCE WE GET THE BREAKOUT AS IT'LL LIST THE DURATION OF THE AWARD, THE EXACT DOLLAR AMOUNT, AND WHERE THEY'RE FROM.
SO OUT OF 442 NEW VENDORS AND OVER 1200 MINORITY VENDORS.
AND SO MINORITY, MINORITY ONLY ONLY CONTRACTS THIS, THIS CALENDAR HERE? NO, NO.
ONLY TWO OF THE NEW, OH TWO OF THE NEW 442 23 CONTRACTS WERE AWARDED IN TOTAL.
AND WHAT WAS THE TOTAL AMOUNT? TOTAL TOTAL AMOUNT? 23.
UH, AND SO ONLY OUT 4 42, ONLY TWO CONTRACT, 2 MILLION OUT.
WHAT IS A TOTAL AMOUNT OF CONTRACT THAT T THE COUNTY THIS CALENDAR YEAR? WHAT DID THAT TWO SURE.
THOSE PERCENTAGES REPRESENT? OF THOSE TWO IN THAT 2 MILLION, UH, OUT THE TOTAL CONTRACT WAS 97 MILLION.
SO THAT'S TWO AND A HALF PERCENT.
BUT THE 23 CONTRACTS AND TO JUST UNDER 24 MILLION BRINGS OUR TOTAL LOT TO 24.7%.
AND SO OUT OF THAT 24.7%, HOW MANY OF THOSE BUSINESSES ARE LOCATED IN ESSEX COUNTY? HOW MANY ESSEX COUNTY RESIDENTS HAVE BENEFITED FROM A PAYCHECK FROM OUT OF THIS 24 MILLION? SO THE 23 8 OF THE AWARDS WERE ESSEX COUNTY.
[00:25:01]
WE WERE ABLE TO GET BREAKOUT FROM FIVE OF THE, UM, FIRMS. THAT'S ALL COMING UPSTAIRS.SO ONE OF THE FIRMS AA FIRM HAD A TOTAL OF 19 ESSEX COUNTY EMPLOYEES.
OUT OF THEIR 24 IRIS COMMUNICATIONS HAD A TOTAL OF THREE OUT OF THEIR FIVE EMPLOYEES WHERE ESSEX COUNTY EMPLOYEES CHA PROPERTIES UNDER THE TOTAL OF HUNDRED AND EIGHT EMPLOYEES, 78 WESTEX COUNTY EMPLOYEES, RESIDENTS, VIP SPECIAL, ALL FIVE OF THEIR FIVE RASIC COUNTY EMPLOYEES, RESIDENTS, I, I'M SORRY.
AND THEN THE OTHER THREE WAS STILL WAITING IRIS COMMUNICATION, STILL WAITING FOR THEM TO RESPOND.
THEY DID NOT COMPLETE THE FORM SHOWING THE NUMBER OF ESSEX COUNTY.
SO THEY, THEY COMPLETED WHICH FORM? UH, THE ASPIRATIONAL GOAL AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM.
AND THEN THE BACKUP FORM IS THE ONE THAT SHOWS THE EMPLOYEES.
AND THEN HOW MANY OF THE EMPLOYEES WERE AS, SO THIS ASPIRATIONAL.
SO THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ASPIRATIONAL GOAL FOR THAT MEMBERS WHO FILL IT OUT ARE SUPPOSED TO REPORT ON IT THE END OF THE YEAR TO GET THAT INFORMATION.
TRYING TO GET THAT INFORMATION FROM THE VENDORS.
THEY DON'T SEEM COOPERATE, EVEN THOUGH HE'S BEEN EMAIL YEAR THAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO, SAYS SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE BEEN, THEY HAVEN'T EVEN GOTTEN BACK TO.
UH, ARE ANY OF THE VENDORS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, MATT, IS THERE ANY OF THE VENDORS ON THAT LIST AS WELL? UH, I DO BELIEVE SO, YES.
SO, SO, SO FOR ME, WHAT I WANT TO KNOW, THE VENDORS WOULD'VE NOT GOTTEN BACK TO YOU.
ARE THEY THE SAME ONES THAT HAVE GOT NOT GOTTEN BACK TO YOU? ARE ANY OF THE ONE WHO HAVE GOTTEN BACK TO YOU AFTERWARDS TO FORM AND THE REPORT? HAVE THEY, UH, HAVE YOU GOTTEN THAT INFORMATION? SO I DID PROVIDE MR. WALKER MADE FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE.
JULIA, OFFICE OF THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, MR. PRESIDENT FOR YOU TODAY.
I DID PROVIDE MR. WALKER WITH, UH, EXISTING ASPIRATIONAL GOAL FORMS AND LATER DISCLOSURE FORMS THAT WERE FILLED OUT AT THE TIME, VENDORS FILLED OUT THE PAPERWORK IN THE CONTRACT.
SO THEY WEREN'T, WE, WE ALREADY HAD THAT INFORMATION WHETHER THEY SUBMITTED IT INITIALLY.
SINCE YOURE UP THERE, WHERE ARE WE AT WITH THOSE? I THINK IT WAS EIGHT VENDORS THAT YOU SENT.
SO HOW, HOW MUCH INFORMATION HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO GET? ANY OTHER INFORMATION? WELL, THE VENDORS ARE WORKING ON IT.
THEY CALLED ME AND THEY SAID THEY WON'T BE SENDING IT.
I, WE SENT EMAILS ABOUT THREE TO THREE TIMES TO WEEKS.
THAT'S WELL OVER A HUNDRED MINUTES.
SO WITH SAYING TO ME THAT THIS ASPIRATIONAL GOAL FOR FORM IS REALLY A JOKE.
I'M NOT, THIS IS, THIS IS NO, NOT NOT FROM THE ADMINISTRATION AND NONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO, UH, ARE FILL IT OUT TAKING THIS SERIOUS.
SO HERE'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO GET.
SO I, I'D LIKE TO GET A LIST OF THOSE HUNDRED VENDORS THAT YOU SEND THE EMAILS TO WHO HAVE NOT GOTTEN BACK TO.
THAT'S WHY KEEP A RUNNING LIST.
AND ONCE WHEN THEY COME BACK HERE FOR ANOTHER CONTRACT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A REAL CONVERSATION, UH, AT OUR MEETINGS ABOUT.
AND THIS IS THE PEOPLE I GONNA LIKE WHAT I HAVE TO SAY AND WHAT I DO AT THE MEETINGS TO THESE EVENTS.
SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME SERIOUS PROBLEMS. THEY DON'T FILL IT OUT OR THEY DON'T DO THE REPORTS THAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO, HAVE FILLED THEM, THE ADMINISTRATION ALL KNOW.
SO MR. WALKER, WHAT'S THAT? THANK YOU.
[00:30:02]
THE NEXT QUESTION WAS, UH, WE JUST ANSWERED THAT, THE ONE ABOUT HOW MANY WERE BASED IN THIS COUNTY, HOW MANY CONTRACTORS AND EMPLOYEES DESIGNED ESSEX COUNTY.AND THEN WHERE ARE WE WITH THE DISPARITY STUDY? SO BEFORE WE JUMP TO THE DISPARITY STUDY, DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UM, IN FRONT OF YOU AS OUR DETAILED REPORT FOR 2022? WELL, WE HAVEN'T SEEN IT BEFORE.
SO THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF SPEND FOR THE COUNTY FROM JANUARY 1ST THROUGH SEPTEMBER 22ND WHEN WE, UH, DID OUR REPORT, UH, WAS 90 MILLION 7 0 4 0 7 7.
AND YOU BREAK THAT OUT TO THE VARIOUS FOUR CATEGORIES UNDER CONSTRUCTION, THE COUNTY SPENT $45,000,526, $526,371.
UM, 2.6 MILLION OF THAT, OR 5.8% WENT TO MBS.
9.7, ALMOST 9.8 MILLION WENT TOBES.
UH, IN TOTAL, THE AGGREGATE GOAL, OR THE AGGREGATE NUMBER FOR M WBE IN CONSTRUCTION IS 12 MILLION 4 31 9 OH, OR 27.3% THAT THE COUNTY SPENT
AND TAB ONE SHOWS YOU THE BREAKOUT OF THESE NUMBERS.
IF WE TURN TO TAB ONE, YOU'LL SEE WE BREAK OUT IN YELLOW IS THE TOTAL, THE 90 MILLION CONSTRUCTION SPEND WAS 45 MILLION.
UH, A COLUMN THAT REFERENCES UNCLASSIFIED, THAT IS ALL NON W N B UM, CONTRACT.
AND THEN WHEN YOU BREAK OUT MINORITY, THERE'S THE NUMBER WE JUST SAID WOMEN, THE NUMBER WE JUST SAID VETERANS, WE GET ZERO.
THE TOTAL IS 12 MILLION, 12.4 AND THE TOTAL IS 27.3.
SO LEMME JUST, AND THEN TAB TWO DOES THE BREAKDOWN OF INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTS.
SO BUSINESS SERVICES WAS 30 MINUTES.
THAT'S JUST, YEAH, WE WERE 19.7.
SO YEAH, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT GOODS AND SERVICE IS 30 MILLION, OUR TOTAL ALL SPEND WAS 5.963 19.7%.
AND OUT OF THE 19.7%, HOW MANY OF THOSE CONTRACTORS ARE ESSEX COUNTY? HOW MANY RESIDENTS DID THEY HIRE THAT WE DID NOT? YEAH, WE GATHER THAT FOR YOU.
I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO GO BACK TO ALL OF THE MINORITY SURE.
CONTRACTORS, W N B, WHATEVER THEY ARE.
AND THE ESSEX COUNTY VENDOR AND HOW MANY ESSEX COUNTY RESIDENTS.
NO, UH, MOVING DOWN NON-PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, THE CAMERA SPENT EIGHT, NO, OVER 8 MILLION OF THAT, OUR AGGREGATE WAS 828,000 OR 10.3.
AND THEN UNDER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, AGGREGATE SPEND WAS 6.8 MILLION.
AND THE AMOUNT IN OF THE AGGREGATE WBE WAS 879,811 OR 4.8%.
[00:35:01]
AS THE SHEET DOES UNDER TAB ONE.SO THE NUMBER FOR THE YEAR, PARDON ME, IS 22.2%.
I KNOW IT'S A LOT TO THROW ONCE, BUT DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT IT? NO.
TAG TWO WALKS YOU THROUGH ALL THE CONTRACTS FOR CONSTRUCTION AND THE AMOUNTS FOR MBA AND WBE AND GIVES YOU ALL THE DETAIL ABOUT THEM.
GO THROUGH THAT TOO, LIKE YOU JUST DID.
SO UNDER TAB TWO, MB UH, AA BERM HAD A TOTAL OF SPEND OF $327,806.
UH, ASCO BROTHERS HAD 1.568 MILLION JC CONTRACTING AT 37,000 I 52.
AND SMITH ASPHALT HAD 700,000 TOTALING THE 2.6 MILLION.
AND THEN THE WBS, UM, YOU HAD APPLIED LANDSCAPE APS CONTRACTING, UH, ATHLETIC FIELDS OF AMERICA, OH, WAIT A MINUTE, I'M SORRY.
THIS IS THE SCENE WOLF BE UNDER REPORT AGAIN THAT THIS IS WHAT WAS TO SAY THIS CALENDAR YEAR.
AND PEOPLE WAS AWARDED IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR, BUT SPENT IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR, UH, GOING DOWN DEEP DMD CONTRACTING.
UH, THE BIGGER ONE OF THE MALL HERE WAS BREAKFAST PAINTING WITH 3.1 MILLION GST PROPERTIES.
A MILLION OH TWO THREE SHOWER PROPER, 1,000,001 OH FIVE.
TAB THREE BRINGS OUT OF GOODS AND SERVICES CONTRACTS FOR THE YEAR, AGAIN, IS PAID OUT.
UH, THE, OVERWHELMINGLY THE BIGGEST ON THE MPE SIDE WAS THE I INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION CONTRACT IS 4 MILLION.
UM, THAT WAS A IT CONTRACT FOR OUR IT DEPARTMENT.
WEREN'T THEY TERMINATED LAST YEAR? THE CONTRACT WAS TERMINATED WHEN THIS IS JUST THE MONEY.
I REMEMBER WHAT YOU SAID AND THANK YOU FOR THAT.
BUT IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, BRADLEY BROTHERS WERE TERMINATED LAST YEAR OR THE YEAR BEFORE.
SO THIS IS JUST, THEY'RE JUST GETTING PAID THIS S**T.
BUT THEY DIDN'T DO DO ANY WORK THIS YEAR.
HOW MANY OTHER VENDORS, UH, UH, DOES THIS APPLY TO THAT MAYBE NO LONGER HAVE THESE CONTRACTS, BUT THEY'RE JUST GETTING PAID THIS YEAR.
SO THESE NUMBERS MAY BE A LITTLE SKEWED.
UH, MS PER DEPUTY, THE ADMINISTRATOR CAN ANSWER THE QUESTION.
MR. PRESIDENT JUS CULTURE PURCHASING AGENT.
WHAT HAPPENED WITH, UH, BRANTLEY IS HE MAY NOT HAVE A SPECIFIC CONTRACT, BUT HE IS ALSO A STATE CONTRACTOR.
SO AN EXAMPLE IS INCLUDING MY OFFICE.
WE USE HIM FOR, UH, TAKING FILES FROM THIS BUILDING TO BE THIS YEAR.
SO A LOT OF THE OFFICES ARE USING THEM NOT ON THE, AN AWARDED CONTRACT, BUT THROUGH THE OMNIBUS WITH THE STATE CONTRACT.
AND I PRESIDENT OF WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO IS HIS WORK WITH THE ELECTIONS.
THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE ONLY PORTION THAT WAS NOT HIS OTHER WORK CONTINUES WITH US.
WE USE THEM QUITE OFTEN, MR. OKAY.
BUT YEAH, NOT A LOT OF THOSE IN THESE ARE ACTIVELY BEING PAID, ACTIVELY WORKING.
UM, LOOKING AT THE WB, THE LARGEST ONES, UM, YOU HAD A FOUR 48,000
[00:40:02]
PAYOUT PKA TECHNOLOGIES.IT, BUT IN TOTAL IT WAS 1.6 0.6 MILLION OUT.
GOING BACK TO THE ORIGINAL SHEET OF TAB ONE, OUR AGGREGATE SPEND, THOSE WAS THE 45 MILLION OR NO GOODS AND SERVICES? OUR AGGREGATE SPENDS 30 MILLION.
WE HAD 5.9 MILLION AGGREGATE GLOBAL.
IF YOU WANTED TO GO TO FOUR, THAT IS OUR NONPROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
AGAIN, I'LL JUST HIGHLIGHT ONES.
UM, YOU HAD A $342,000 SPAN WITH LIFE MANAGEMENT.
UM, IN THE WBE SIDE YOU HAD A $29,000 SPAN WITH PREFERRED OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE.
BUT OVERALL THE TOTAL IS OH 8 28 2 21.
AND THAT 8 28 COMPARED TO THE TOTAL AMOUNT, IT GIVES US A 10.3% UTILIZATION.
UH, IF YOU WANTED TO D TURN THE TAB FIVE, IT'S THE SAME THING THIS TIME FROM PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
UM, THAT'S WHERE, UM, WE MADE SOME PROGRESS THIS YEAR WITH NBE UTILIZATION ON ENGINEERING FIRMS, UH, KS ENGINEERS, LS ENGINEERING, SOME OF THE ONE WE JUST SPOKE ABOUT.
UH, BUT IN TOTAL, THE AGGREGATE SPEND FOR MWB WAS 879,811, WHICH MADE UP 12.8% OF THE SPEND.
AND SO, SO IF YOU HAD TO ATTRIBUTE SUCH A LOW AMOUNT, CAUSE THEY PRETTY MUCH ALL HAVE THE SAME SKILL SET, THE VARIOUS, UH, ENGINEERING FIRMS. WHY DID MINORITY ENGINEERING FROM GETTING SO REMOVE OF THE, THE CONTRACTS? MR. COL, YOU JUMP MR. PRESIDENT.
THANK, UM, I LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENS IS WE'LL GO FOR DESIGN AND ENGINEER DESIGN FOR A SPECIFIC THING.
UH, SOME ENGINEERING FIRMS, LET'S SAY GEAR MORE TOWARDS CONSTRUCTION PARTS.
OTHER ONES CAN GEAR MORE INTO CONSTRUCTION ON BUILDINGS.
SO EACH ONE HAS A LITTLE BIT OF, OF NICHE.
UH, SOME DO, UH, VARIOUS PARTS PROGRAMS. UM, I AGREE WHEN IT GOES WITH ENGINEERING, THEY'RE SCORING THEM WHAT THEY SEE AS HISTORICAL DATA.
YOU KNOW, DO YOU HAVE THE, IT DO YOU HAVE THE STAFFING, THE HISTORICAL DATA? MEANING HAVE YOU WORKED FOR THE COUNTY PREVIOUSLY OR DO YOU HAVE COUNTY EXPERIENCE? WHAT KIND OF HISTORICAL DATA? WHEN YOU SAY HISTORICAL DATA, WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU REFERRING TO? WELL, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR PROFESSIONALISM.
THEY'RE LOOKING FOR, SO YOU SAY THE MINORITY ENGINEERING FIRM, THE NONPROFESSIONAL? NO, I'M NOT SAYING THAT.
MR. PRESIDENT, WHAT ARE YOU SAYING? I AM SAYING YOU LOOK AT KS, I THINK, UH, THEY'VE BEEN IN FRONT OF THE BOARD QUITE OFTEN AND, AND APPARENTLY IN THEIR DITCH THEY DO A VERY GOOD JOB.
BUT I SO YOU'RE SAYING MINORITY ENGINEERING FIRMS DON'T HAVE A BIG ENOUGH NICHE? I CAN'T SAY EITHER WAY, BUT CAUSE I DON'T AGREE THAT, AND I'M AN ENGINEER.
SO WHO SCORES THE ENGINEERS? THE, UH, PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
THAT'S HIS, HIM AND HIS SEEMED LIKE HE SHOULD BE LEFT THEM OUT.
MR. JACKSON, YOU PART OF THE THE ISSUE IS THE NATURE OF THE WORK THAT WE DO.
UM, WE, WE DON'T DO A LOT OF, UM, ROAD
[00:45:01]
WORK AS A TOTAL, YOU KNOW, THE BUILDINGS, THE PARKS, THE, SO THAT IF YOU LOOK AT THE, THE, THE PERCENTAGE THAT MINORITIES HAVE OF THE, OF THE ROAD WORK THAT WE DO, WHICH IS, WHICH IS THE STRAIN OF THE MINORITY, THE MINORITY ENGINEERING COMMUNITY.IT'S JUST, JUST THE WAY IT IS RIGHT NOW.
THEY HAVE, I WOULD SAY K KS, I'VE FORGOT THE NAME OF THE, THE FIRM DO PROBABLY 75, 80% OF THAT OF THAT WORK.
UM, BECAUSE THAT'S THE, YOU KNOW, THEIR SKILL SET.
UM, THE PARK STUFF IS LESS, THERE'S LESS, UM, AVAILABILITY OR LESS, UM, PRESENCE IN THOSE AREAS.
BUT PART OF IT IS JUST THAT WE DO SO MUCH MORE OF THE LOOK AT A PERCENTAGE OF THE ENGINEERING THAT WE DO.
THE PERCENT OF IT THAT IS REAL WORK IS LESS THAN OTHER AREAS.
SO WE HAVE TO WORK ON, WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB IN AREAS WHERE THERE'S A STRAIN, UH, AND OUR COMMUNITY, WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB OF BUILDING THAT UP AND THE OTHER AREAS THAT WE DO.
SO IT'S NOT, IT'S A WORK IN PROGRESS.
I, I REMEMBER WHEN I FIRST STARTED, WHEN FIRST GOT KMS, UH, PROBABLY ABOUT FIVE OR SIX YEARS AGO AND FIRST JOB, AND NOW THEY'RE PROBABLY DO THEY DO EVERYTHING.
SO IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A WORK IN PROGRESS.
YOU'RE HAVE TO DO, WE'LL DO WORK.
LOOKING AT YOUR NAME FOR A REGULAR GO AHEAD COMMISSION
UM, A COUPLE DIFFERENT THINGS.
ONE, UH, STEP ONE FOR US THIS YEAR WAS ADDING TO OUR VENDOR BASE, RIGHT? AND TRYING TO GET MORE OF PEOPLE WHO SPECIALIZE ON THE THINGS WE SPEND MONEY, RIGHT? SO WE DID A GREAT JOB OF ADDING MORE VENDORS.
NOW IT'S GETTING THOSE SAME VENDORS TO ACTUALLY BID, RIGHT? SOME, A LOT OF OUR VENDORS IN OUR VENDOR DATABASE HAVE NOT BEEN ON COUNTY WORKING.
UH, AND THIS A COUPLE WHO HAVE, WERE SUCCESSFUL AND THERE WERE SOME WHO WEREN'T SUCCESSFUL.
AND IT'S CONTINUING TO GET THEM TO BID MORE AND MORE.
UH, BUT THE MORE WE ADD TO OUR VENDOR LIST AND THE MORE WE CAN INTRODUCE THEM TO DIRECTORS, LIKE WE MEET WITH THE DIRECTORS OF ALL THE DEPARTMENTS, WE TALK ABOUT THEIR UPCOMING WORK, WE SUGGEST SOME FIRMS THAT WE JUST BROUGHT ON, THAT MIGHT BE A CONSIDERATION.
SO I THINK IT'S JUST INTRODUCING PEOPLE TO MORE OF THESE.
CAUSE THE 4 42 NUMBER, I, THAT'S AN INCREASE, I THINK PREVIOUS QUESTION.
SO I, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD THING.
SO HOW DO WE GET TRANSLATE THAT TO ACTUAL CONTRACT? YEAH, SO THERE'S A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT FIRST CATEGORY OF CONSTRUCTION, RIGHT? A LOT OF THE VENDORS WE HAD BROUGHT ON FOR CONSTRUCTION WEREN'T BONDED.
AND THAT'S ALMOST AN IMMEDIATE FATAL FLAW ON ANY BIT.
SO IT IS WORKING TO GET THEM BOND IT, WORKING TO GET THEM, A LOT OF 'EM HAVE A LOT OF THEIR CERTIFICATION TO EXPIRE.
SO NOW WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER CERTIFICATION WORKSHOPS.
WE'LL BE DOING ONE MONTHLY, UH, NEXT YEAR.
MATTER OF FACT, THE FIRST ONE IS NEXT WEEK WHERE WE BRING IN 25 TO 30 PEOPLE, SET 'EM UP THE LAPTOPS, GET 'EM REGISTERED, GET 'EM CERTIFIED, MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE, UH, CERTIFICATION IS UPDATED.
AND IT'S, IT'S JUST CONSTANTLY DRIVING THAT PROCESS.
GET, I'M SORRY, GET HIM CERTIFIED FOR WHAT? UH, WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS? IS IT WHEN A NEW TIME PERSON HAS NOT BEEN CERTIFIED, LET'S CALL AN ITMB OR WB, THEY GIVE 'EM A ONE YEAR CERTIFICATION AND THEN THEY HAVE TO DO IT AGAIN AFTER THAT NEXT YEAR.
A LOT OF THEM DON'T RE-UP IT AGAIN THAT NEXT YEAR.
SO IS FOR WB OR STATE CERTIFICATION? YES, IT'S STATE CERTIFICATION NEW JERSEY.
SO IT'S GETTING THEM TO BE A VIABLE PART OF ANY BIDDING OPPORTUNITY.
WE ALSO, NOT ONLY DOES THE PORTAL, PURCHASING PORTAL AUTOMATICALLY SEND THINGS OUT ONCE THE PEOPLE ARE REGISTERED, WE ALSO HAVE BEGUN TARGETING.
SO IF WE HAVE ROAD WORK COMING UP AND WE HAVE 15 VENDORS THAT CAN DO THAT WORK, WE WILL SEND THAT BID OUT TO THEM.
SO IT'S, IT'S TRYING TO TARGET EACH OPPORTUNITY WHILE ALSO WORKING
[00:50:01]
WITH THE DIRECTORS TO, TO SEE WHAT NEW UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES YOU HAVE.ON THE MINORITY BUSINESS, DO YOU BREAK IT DOWN, UM, AFRICAN AMERICAN OR HISPANIC? IS THERE A BREAKDOWN AS TO WHAT MINORITY, WHAT YOU DEFINE AS MINORITY? NO.
WE, WE DON'T TRACK IT THAT WAY.
UH, WE TRACK IT AS MINORITY, WE TRACK IT AS WOMEN, WE TRACK IT.
THAT'S PRETTY MUCH, I THINK OUR COUNT.
SO THERE'S NO DATA THAT I ASKED IS HOW MANY IS LATINO? UH, BUSINESSES, SMALL BUSINESSES.
I, I WILL SAY THIS AS PART OF THE NEXT DISCUSSION, AS PART OF THE DISPARITY STUDY.
WE'VE GONE BACK SINCE 2017 THROUGH 2021.
AND PART OF THAT EXERCISE IS ACTUALLY ASSIGNING AN ETHNICITY TO EACH CONTRACT.
SO WE WILL BE ABLE TO ADD THAT AT THE CONCLUSION OF, I KNOW MR. PAUL.
MR. PER, UM, MR. UM, MR. WALKER, A LOT OF REFERENCES BEEN MADE TO THE VENDOR LIST AND ADDING 400 SOME ODD NAMES TO THAT.
I THINK I ALREADY ANSWERED, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S DISCUSS.
WHAT IS THE BENEFIT TO A VENDOR TO BEING ON THAT LIST ONCE YOU ON THAT? SURE.
SO IT'S KIND DIFFERENT THINGS.
ONE, ONCE THEY'RE ON OUR LIST AND THEY REGISTER WITH, WITH THE PURCHASING PORTAL, THEY'RE AUTOMATICALLY SENT NEW BIDS THAT FIT THEIR SKILL SET RIGHT.
AS WELL AS RECEIVE IT FROM US.
THE CERTIFICATION, IT ALLOWS US IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, IF YOU'RE CERTIFIED, IF WE CAN FIND A CONTRACT THAT WE CAN SET ASIDE, YOU NEED TWO CERTIFIED VENDORS TO TRY TO DO A SET ASIDE CONTRACT FOR NEW JERSEY PUBLIC PROCUREMENT LAW.
SO GETTING THEM CERTIFIED DOES THAT, BUT IT ALSO OPENS THEM UP.
UH, WE HAVE MONTHLY CALLS WITH OTHER ACCOUNTANTS AND OFTENTIMES THEY'LL ASK ME, HEY, YOU HAVE A GUY WHO DOES WINDOWS, YOU HAVE A GUY THAT CLEANS STATUES.
SO WE SHARE THIS BACK AND FORTH.
SO IT GETS THEM OPEN FOR THE COUNTY WORK, GETS THEM OPEN FOR THE STATEMENT.
SO IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, WE HAVE SOMEWHAT OF A SET ASIDE PROGRAM HERE, RIGHT? HAS IT EVER BEEN USED? IT HAS.
AND HOW OFTEN AND FOR WHAT DOLLAR AMOUNT AND WHEN? UM, TO MY KNOWLEDGE IT'S BEEN USED THREE TIMES SINCE I'VE BEEN AWARE OF IT.
UM, THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS, UH, I BELIEVE ONE WAS 300 SOMETHING THOUSAND THOUSAND.
I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND GET THEM ALL.
UH, WE DID NOT GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO A SATISFIED ISSUE.
I, I'D LIKE TO SEE, IT WAS A GREAT QUESTION.
UH, COMMISSION AL UH, TO SEE THAT ETHNICITY, ETHNICITY BREAKDOWN.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? PLEASE CONTINUE, SIR.
I KNOW WHAT IT WAS, SO I GOTTA PUSH BACK A LITTLE BIT.
MR. JACKSON, BEING THE PLANNING BOARD CHAIRMAN FOR THE CITY OF NEWARK, THERE ARE TONS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN ENGINEERS WHO DO BUILDINGS AND DESIGN, DO ALL KINDS OF DESIGN ENGINEERING AND NOT JUST ROLE WORK.
AND SO MAYBE WE NEED TO GET, UM, BIDDINGS, I KNOW SEVERAL OF 'EM, LIKE OB AND SOME OTHERS MAYBE GRANT ASSOCIATES WHO HAVE BEEN ON QUITE A FEW WORK, BUT THEY'VE NEVER GOTTEN NOT ONE SINGLE CONTRACT AS FAR AS I KNOW.
SO MAYBE WE DO NEED A, DO A BETTER JOB.
AND THERE'S A LIST THAT I CAN PROVIDE YOU.
BLACK ENGINEERS, BLACK ARCHITECTS, ARCHITECTS, AND THEY'RE DOING HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF BUSINESS IN THE CITY OF NEWARK.
THE NEWARK IS BORN RIGHT NOW MM-HMM.
AND THEY COME IN FRONT OF ME ALL THE TIME.
SO WHY THEY NOT COMING HERE? I CAN SPECULATE, BUT I WON'T, I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT.
IF YOU COULD SEND THEM TO US, DONE.
I, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS, UM, MR. JACKSON WAS ALSO SAYING IS WE DO A LOT OF SPECIALIZED WORK, PLAYGROUND WORK, ATHLETIC FIELD WORK.
THERE'S NOT A LOT OF, I, I CAN GET YOU, I CAN GET YOU THERE, BUT WE DO A LOT OF BUILDING AS ABSOLUTELY.
AND SO THE SPECIALIZED PIECE, I GET IT, EVEN CONTRACTORS, YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF CONTRACTORS WHO BUILD OUT ATHLETIC FIELDS.
THAT'S, THAT'S A SPECIALIZED SKILL.
THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
[00:55:01]
I'M MORE THAN TO PLEASE CONTINUE, SIR.YOUR NEXT QUESTION WAS THE DISPARITY STUDY WHERE WE STAND THERE.
UM, SO WE ARE, WE HAVE AN ONGOING, UH, WEEKLY MEETING WITH THE DISPARITY STUDY CONSULTANT N JT CONSULTING.
THEY'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM AND COMPILING ALL THE DATA THE PAST FIVE YEARS, CATEGORIZING THAT DATA, WORKING WITH ALL THE AWARDS THE PAST FIVE YEARS, GETTING THE FIELDS IN AND THE CONTRACT FOR ALL THAT.
SO JUST, WE JUST PUT TOGETHER A QUICK POWER FORM SHOWING YOU, UH, WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT.
ESSENTIALLY WHAT THE DISPARITY STUDY IS GONNA DO, UH, IT'S GOING TO LOOK AT THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, BREAKING DOWN THE SPAN OF THE TOWN BY ETHNICITY, BY NATO, BY CATEGORY.
UH, IT'S ALSO GOING TO TAKE OUR SPEND AND COMPARE IT TO THE MARKET AVAILABILITY WITHIN OUR SPEND REGION.
SO HOW, EXPLAIN THIS, UM, ESSENTIALLY WHAT THEY DO IS LOOK AT YOUR SPAN.
THEY DETERMINE 70% OF YOUR SPEND IN A GEOGRAPHIC REGION.
AND THEN THEY GO OUT TO FIND MARKET AVAILABILITY FOR PREVENTAGE IN THAT REGION.
AND THEY COMPARE THAT AVAILABILITY TO WHAT YOU SPEND.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE DISPARITY POPULATION, UH, IN THE, IN THE MEANTIME, THEY'VE INTERVIEWED ALL OF THE DIRECTORS DEPARTMENTS TO TALK ABOUT HOW THEY PROCURE BUSINESS, WHAT THE WAYS THEY PROCURE BUSINESS, THE TALKS THAT GO INTO SCORING CRITERIA AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UH, THEY'VE ALSO CONDUCTED A COMPREHENSIVE LEGAL REVIEW OF PUBLIC PROCUREMENT LAW IN NEW JERSEY AND ALSO TOOK A LOOK AT OUR SET ASIDE ORDINANCE OF BE MAKING COMMENTS ON THAT.
UM, SO LEMME JUST STOP YOU RIGHT THERE.
JUST HOLD, HOLD, HOLD, HOLD THAT THOUGHT.
SO THIS SET ASIDE, UH, PROCUREMENT THAT WE DO, AND IT'S BEEN IN EFFECT FOR HOW LONG THE ORDINANCE ITSELF WAS IT? WHEN WAS THAT? 2015.
SO WAS IT 2017? ONLY USED MAYBE THREE TIMES THE ORDINANCE.
MORE TO TALK ABOUT THIS SET ASIDE ABOUT OVERALL, BUT YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT THE SET ASIDE.
THE SET ASIDE THAT YOU SAID, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE SET ASIDE ITSELF MM-HMM.
YOU DIDN'T REFERENCE INCLUSION.
I'M ONLY GOING BY WHAT YOU SAID.
THE ENTIRE ORDINANCE, THE ENTIRE ORDINANCE IS KNOWN AS THE SET ASIDE ORDINANCE.
I I CAN GET YOU THE EXACT DOLLAR FIGURES AND WHICH, WHICH ALL THAT ALL UNCOM SURE.
UH, GOING BACK TO THE DISPARITY STUDY, UH, THEY'RE GONNA LOOK AT A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS AND THEY COMMENTS ON IT.
WHAT IMPACT DID THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC HAVE ON OUR PURCHASING AND OUR PROCUREMENT AND NUMBERS IN SPENDING? WHAT IMPACT DID IT HAVE ON THE MINORITY WOMEN AND VETERAN BUSINESS COMMUNITY? UH, THEY'RE GOING TO SUGGEST GOALS BASED ON THEIR FINDING SURE.
TO WHAT THE APPROPRIATE GOALS WOULD BE.
AND THEN THEY'LL BE DOING A DRAFT AND A FINAL REPORT.
UH, AS PER OUR MEETING WE JUST HAD WITH HIM ON MONDAY, UH, WE ARE LOOKING AT APRIL, 2023 IS THE INITIAL DRAFT AND FINAL REPORT.
[01:00:02]
OKAY.ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSION, MR. COLT? YOU ALWAYS LIKE TO JUMP IN.
YOU WANT TO JUMP IN AND SAY SOMETHING? NOT AT, UH, NO MORE QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
THANK YOU, UH, MR. WALKER PUTTING THIS INFORMATION TOGETHER.
AND I WANT THANK THE ADMINISTRATION FOR SENDING HIS BEST AND BRIGHTEST TO THIS MEETING.
YOU MEAN THAT? AND WELL, NO, APPRECIATE THE UPDATE AND, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO THIS DISPAR STUDY BEING COMPLETED AND GIVEN, UM, MORE MINORITY OF GREATER SLIGHT OF THE PIE.
BUT RIGHT NOW, I THINK IT IS WOEFULLY INADEQUATE.
MR. MR. JACKSON? UH, THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.
I, I, I WANT, UM, AGREE WITH YOU.
I, I PROBABLY PUT IT A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY THAT WE, WE HAVE A LOT, WE HAVE HOMEWORK TO DO AND WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THIS EAGER TO DO IT.
UM, I DO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD LOOK AT OUR LITTLE, YOU KNOW, REMEMBER OUR HISTORY IN THESE MEETINGS.
I REMEMBER, UM, UH, SITTING HERE AND, AND EXPLAINING, YOU KNOW, WHEN OUR NUMBER WAS LIKE THREE 4% AND THAT'S THAT WAY.
WE'RE NOT WORTH PERCENT AND CERTAIN, YOU KNOW, SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS I THINK WE ARE, UM, AND, AND, AND I, I GIVE YOU CREDIT FOR THIS PRESIDENT, FOR YOUR, UM, PUSHING ON THIS ISSUE AND YOUR PERSISTENCE.
AND THAT'S HELPED US TO GET, GET BETTER.
UM, BUT I DO THINK, UH, THANKS TO YOUR EFFORTS AND MR. WALKER, I MEAN, I THINK WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS AND AGREED.
THINK WE GOTTA KEEP, YOU KNOW, KEEP PUSHING ON IT.
THE ENGINEERING NAMES THAT YOU REFER TO AND THINGS LIKE THAT ARE VALUABLE TO US.
UM, AND WE'RE COMMITTED TO MAKING IT.
AND, UM, I, YOU KNOW, FROM MOST OF OUR HEARTS IN THE RIGHT PLACE, WE JUST GOTTA TO IMPLEMENT AND GET IT DONE.
AND WE THANK THE BOARD AND WE THANK YOU PRESENT FOR IT'S MATTER AND WE'LL KEEP PUSHING, GET IT.
UH, THERE'S USUALLY, UH, TIME FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS, BUT THERE'S NO ONE HERE FROM THE PUBLIC TO MOTION TO ADJOURN.