RESOLUTION NO. 260723
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Sponsor: Councilmember Crispin Rea
RESOLUTION - Directing the City Manager to conduct a public engagement campaign following the adoption of this Resolution and the passage of Ordinance No. 260690 to solicit community input on the development of a new business enterprise program to replace the City’s Minority and Women’s Business Enterprise program; to establish an advisory group of relevant stakeholders to provide support and expertise for the development of said new business enterprise program; to develop a plan for the continuous and routine collection and reporting of data regarding city contracting and spending; and directing the City Manager to prepare and present to the City Council in thirty (30) days a report on the recommendations of both the community and advisory group, how those recommendations were incorporated into the proposed new business enterprise program, and a plan for the continuous and routine data collection and reporting on city contracting and spending.
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WHEREAS, the City of Kansas City has operated its Minority and Women Business Enterprise Program since 1981; and
WHEREAS, the Supreme Court of the United States, in City of Richmond v. J.A. Croson Co., 488 U.S. 469 (1989) (“Croson”), requires local governments to make an empirical assessment to determine whether past discriminatory practices have contributed to the underutilization of M/WBEs in the provision of goods and services; and
WHEREAS, since the Croson decision, the City has worked with consultants to undertake disparity studies at various times to assess the utilization of M/WBEs on City contracts and subcontracts as well as the M/WBE Program’s compliance with the constitutional standards established by Croson and subsequent caselaw; and
WHEREAS, in September 2024 the City contracted with Griffin & Strong, PC (“Griffin & Strong”) to conduct a Disparity Study on behalf of the City to determine whether M/WBEs are utilized on the City’s prime contracts and subcontracts at the level they are available in the Kansas City MO-KS Metropolitan Statistical Area (“KC MSA”); and
WHEREAS, Griffin & Strong completed the disparity study in early May 2026, and the findings were presented to City Council in May 2026; and
WHEREAS, Griffin & Strong recommended that the City transition to a race- and gender-neutral small business program; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:
Section 1. That the City Manager is hereby directed to conduct a public engagement campaign following the adoption of this Resolution and the passage of Ordinance No. 260690 to solicit community input on the development of a new business enterprise program to replace the City’s Minority and Women Business Enterprise (“M/WBE”) program.
Section 2. That the City Manager is hereby directed to establish an advisory group of relevant stakeholders to provide support and expertise for the development of the recommended business enterprise program.
Section 3. That the City Manager is hereby directed to develop a plan for the continuous and routine collection and reporting of data regarding city contracting and spending.
Section 4. That the City Manager is hereby directed to prepare and present to the City Council in thirty (30) days a report on the recommendations of both the community and advisory group, how those recommendations were incorporated into the proposed new business enterprise program, and a plan for the continuous and routine collection and reporting of data on city contracting and spending.
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