HomeMy WebLinkAboutIPC Board Meeting Minutes 12.5.23Inclusive Procurement and Contracting Board
Meeting Minutes
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Date: December 5th, 2023 | Time: 5:30 pm | Location: Microsoft Teams (Virtual) &
TRC 1165 Franklin Street, Suite 100, South Bend, IN 46601
Link: https://tinyurl.com/ipcboardmeeting
❖ Call to Order- The IPC Board Committee is now called to order on December
5th, 2023, @ 5:30 p.m.
• COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT: Wilbur Boggs, Rachel Tomas-Morgan,
Michael Schmidt, Kara Boyles, Keana Baylis
• COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT VIRTUALLY:
•
• DIVERSITY & INCLUSION: Cynthia Simmons, Darius Lipsey, Bianca Jones
• PURCHASING:
• LEGAL: Michael Schmidt
• PUBLIC WORKS: Kara Boyles
• COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT: Michael Morris, Jeff Rae, Breanna Allen,
Antonios Northern
❖ Approval of Minutes: October 3rd, 2023, Minutes were approved.
Notes & Action Items
I. Diversity and Inclusion:
Cynthia Simmons-Taylor – ODI will be doing outreach and accompanying HRC whenever
they go out. She stated that she met with Kay Farlow and was enlightened on what they have
done in the B Suite. Cynthia requested an audit of participants of the B Suite to ensure that they
are moving through the process.
Simmons-Taylor- Stated IPC Board Member will be receiving a notification from ODI with their
end of service dates. She stated that ODI is continuing in efforts to attract minority and women
owned businesses to increase capacity. She has a goal of getting 10 people certified in 2024. She
invited the Board members to reach out with any suggestions that may assist in this efforts.
Simmons-Taylor continues- The spend has increased tremendously with minority business
enterprises and has went down for the minority business enterprises. We are up 139% on the
minority business spend.
Keana Baylis- Asked if ODI is collaborating with the B Suite to start it over?
Simmons-Taylor- There was no leadership in ODI so it transitioned over to Community
Investments. So it continued to operate.
Baylis- Asked who is over it in Community investments. Antonios?
Simmons-Taylor- Yes, but it is informal, because the way the ordinances is written it belongs in
ODI and she has met with Caleb who it the executive director about B Suite.
Baylis- She questioned if the minimum of 10 people certified is all b suite individuals.
Simmons-Taylor- No its not just bsuite.
Boggs- Are there any businesses that ODI is targeting?
Simmons-Taylor- We are really targeting businesses that make sense for public works projects.
Boggs- What about outside of PW
Simmons-Taylor- We are looking outside of PW as well. We will be reaching out to the Director
of VPA as well as going from department to department.
Boggs- Stated they will need to be certified.
Simmons-Taylor – No we have a lot of non-certified spend. The certified spend helps ODI but
we will still include non-certified.
Baylis- I thought we weren’t going to stick with PW because there are other businesses that we
can pull from.
Simmons- Taylor- Reiterated that we started with PW but will be moving into other departments.
We are taking a close look at the non-certified spend to see where additional organizations can
be included.
Darius Lipsey- He stated a lot of businesses have been reaching out trying to figure out to get
certified. Next steps we are taking is to actively figure out the mechanism to help keep track of
the certified spend with the rest of the city. We will be sitting down with Mickey and figure out
how we can get to the directors of department to assist with facilitating people with getting
involved with the city spend.
II. Public Works/ Procurement:
Simmons-Taylor – The quantity of MBE utilizing this is from January through November 2022
and January through November 2023. The quality or the number of MBE's utilized this year was
nine. Last year it was eleven, so that was reduced by two and one of our endeavors is also to go
after those individuals who were certified and are no longer certified to see if we can find out
why and convince them to become certified again. The quantity of WBE utilized was 15 this
year and 14 last year, so we gained one there. The quantity of primes utilized was the same 16.
Again, the MBE S were paid 139% more in 2023 than they were in 2022, and that is through the
end of November. So we still have December to add once we get through the month with regard
to the WBE, they weren't paid 5% less and the primes were paid 21% more. In 2023, then there
were in 2022 and the total payments was 22% more in 2023 than it was in 2022 and these are
these are of the certified spins. Certified so #5 I would just draw your attention to that challenges
which I have stated relative capacity of the certified contractors and certified Subs reporting
being used by the primes just to win the city. Projects on the horizon.
Darius Lipsey 15 minutes 38 seconds
Umm, the Board of Public Works meeting on November 14th. The Bercliff Estates sewer
separation another project is the 2023 guard rail installation and replacement. And then the city
of South Bend, wayfinding signage program phase three.The Board of Public Works meeting on
November 28th.There wasn't anything that was no RTA or anything on that meeting. No RTA's
at that time, but there's a breakdown for you on the for the credit contract awards, my
Department type category gold type, vendor type, ethnicity and gender from January through
November 30th of 2023. MBE award was 1,485,663 and then WBE award was one million,
901,793.
Rachel Tomas-Morgan- Under challenges – certified Subs reporting being used by primes, quote
unquote, just to Win City bids. Does that the same as a negative?
Lipsey- A contractor reached out and they had mentioned that they used to get more work from.
from a prime outside of outside of just city work. And so, from their perspective and their scope
of work that they're doing is with that particular prime is less and primes are only reaching out to
them to them to win the city bids. And they feel like this was hindering their relationship because
they used to do more work on private jobs and things outside of outside of bids, with the city of
South Bend. It has also been brought up with subs stating I don't want somebody to just work
with me because of my skin color, I want them to work with me because I do get work and
things like that. So those have been statements that that I've come across from different stubs and
potential Subs.
Baylis- That is what our aim is because we want more minorities, and we are not just calling
because you are a minority, but you are part of the overall picture. I think the challenge is
changing the perception.
Kara Boyles- My own quick observation, you look at Page Six of eight, I don't know who you're
talking about, but when I look at year to year comparison of first class logistics for instance, last
year they paid $200,000 and this year they made 537,000 And then if you look at Kennedy,
Thresh line this year, looks like they were paid 40,000 last year, they were good 87,000 similar
for being our trucking, they've paid 44,000 this year and last year they were paid 188,000.
Simmons-Taylor- I'm sure we probably they probably would be happy to show us that, but the
whole intent of this program for my perspective is to build relationship and for the primes to
utilize the Subs because they know who they are and they know that the type of work that they
do and we would hate to see it, that crimes would only utilize the Subs when it's on a city
contract when before that they were utilizing them for other contracts outside the city.
Murray Miller- So one factor would be price could be gives you a better price and nothing those
close that and are they increasing on the state side of things and maybe decreasing on the City
side that that could be that could be a thing I think over.
Lipsey- Said we, we are going to I and or we are tossing out you know ideas of of survey
questions that we can get out to the business, so we can get some more tangible data to figure out
what's the cause of why, you know, like as care appointed some businesses like first class, they
doubled their business and others are so active in the program but aren't doing but aren't doing as
much business.
Miller- Well, and it's quite possible that could be making more money on the state side of things.
and you understanding is on state projects as they are in cities, South Bend, which was
something that I had talked about when these old things started. At some point, they're going to
be city and state is going to be competing against each other for the trucking side business. So
there could be an increase, maybe an increase in the city and maybe increase in stateside,
pending along with their ability or trucks.
III. Purchasing:
Baylis- We want a representative to report the city spend for the January meeting.
IV. Old Business
V. New Business
o Vote for January 2nd meeting to be rescheduled to January 9th.
o Summers off July and August
o Move April Meetings
o PW tab to be added back to the agenda
o Request to present all PW projects
o Miller- Questioned what the MLK Project was not addressed in this
meeting.
o Simmons-Taylor – Carry over agenda items from missed meetings.
o Michael Schmidt- MLK had 21 bid packages and was assigned to
Garmong as construction Management Company. Goals were 7% M,
5%W, 3% V. total amount of 2.2 million $436,994.00 went to minority
First tier, where subcontractors one million $271,867.50 a point to women
owned first year or subcontractors that broke down to 14.55% for Ms 7.6%
for W. No veteran owned business engagement.
o
VI. Announcements
o None
VII. Floor Open to the Public
o None
VIII. Adjournment- Vote
Notes & Action Items