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Home My WebLink AboutIPC Board Meeting Minutes 4.15.25Inclusive Procurement and Contracting Board Meeting Minutes Date: May 20, 2025 | Time: 5:3 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 is now called to order on April 15, 2025 at 5:35 p.m. • BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Murray Miller, Reasha Donaldson, Kimberly Hurt, Wilbur Boggs, Breanna Allen • BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT VIRTUALLY: Michael Morris, Rachel Tomas-Morgan • DIVERSITY & INCLUSION: Bianca Jones, Michael Szymanski • PURCHASING: • LEGAL: Michael Schmidt • INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY: • BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: Jeff Rea, Rosa Tomas, Kara Boyles  Approval of Minutes: April meeting minutes– Boggs motions for approval – Hurt seconded. All Ayes no Nays Notes: Bianca introduced new board member Reasha Donaldson and discussed the election of new officers for 2025. Murray Miller was elected as the new President, and Brianna Allen was re- elected as Secretary. Vice President remained with Jeff Rea. I. Procurement – Jones Bianca reported a total spend of $38,793,001 from January to March 2025. Out of the total spend, $1,496,375 was spent with minority and women- owned businesses, representing 3.9% of the total spend. $509,136 on MBE $100,916 on WBE $27,278 on MBE and WBE $859,045 Self-reported The certified spend was 1.6% of the total spend. In public works spending, $8,196,892 was spent of that total spend $1,093,422 was spent with MBE/WBE resulting in a 13.3% utilization rate. $926,843 on MBE $101,979 on WBE $64,600 on MWBE Regional Spend: The report highlighted that 51.4% of the total eligible spending was regional, while 48.6% was outside the region. This was an improvement compared to the previous year. II. DPW: Michael provided an update on the Department of Public Works report, including awarded contracts, closed-out projects, and participation goals for minority and women-owned businesses. Awarded Contracts: Bianca reported the awarding of the Potawatomi Park Improvements Pool House demolition contract to Green Demolition for $210,900, with MBE participation at 1.26% and WBE at 4.56%. Closed-Out Projects: Two projects were closed out: the Wayfinding Signage Program Phase Three and the 2023 Curb and Sidewalk Project, with final contract amounts of $187,234 and $956,974, respectively. Participation Goals: The Wayfinding project was below both MBE and WBE goals, while the Curb and Sidewalk project was just below the MBE goal by 0.01% but exceeded the WBE goal by 1.26%. Dream Center Project: Michael Symanski provided an update on the Dream Center project is a little north of 22 million, including minority and women-owned business participation and the challenges of tracking spend due to the CMC structure. Minority Business Participation: Michael Schmidt reported that minority business participation in the Dream Center project amounted to $2,404,756, representing approximately 10% of the contract. Women-Owned Business Participation: Women-owned business participation was reported at $1,192,406.67. Challenges in Tracking Spend: Michael explained the challenges in tracking spend due to the Construction Manager at Risk (CMC) structure, which complicates the reporting of subcontractor payments. Efforts to Improve Reporting: Efforts are being made to improve reporting accuracy for CMC projects, including obtaining detailed breakdowns from project engineers. III. Office of Diversity and Inclusion: Jones touched on the 2024 annual report. Stating that the numbers provided to the board last meeting had been agreed upon my ODI, Innovation and Technology, Procurement team and the Mayor used these numbers in the State of the City. She stated that she wanted to be clear that we could disseminate the report Cynthia created before she sent it to the board. Section 6 Program Plan Review: Jones discussed the need to review Section 6 of the program plan to identify small set-aside projects for local emerging businesses. She emphasized the importance of workshops and outreach to engage more businesses. There was a discussion on the lack of awareness among subcontractors about city contracting opportunities and the need for better communication and outreach. Jones explained at the Community Conversation event that the attendees stated that Marketing was the biggest need for small businesses. Miller inquired about the bidding workshop Gary Gilot used to host. Schmidt stated this may have been about 10 years ago and stated that he can assist in hosting an event like this. Jones touched on the disconnect when it comes to reaching the community and those we are seeking. ODI has held Prime and Sub connect and the attendance was not what they expected it to be. Donaldson stated that we should consider incentivizing potential businesses to help with turnout. Boggs stated that because they are a business the incentive is being able to network with those who they could potentially work on projects with. Conversation continued regarding training programs to educate subcontractors on city contracting processes, including workshops on bidding and quoting, were discussed as essential for improving engagement. Allen inquired about the role of the ODI Officer position and the timeline for a replacement. Schmidt responded and stated that the mayor remains committed to the mission of this office but has not identified any candidates. IV. New Business: • Jones stated that she has reserved our table for the fair housing luncheon. V. Old Business VI. Announcements VII. Floor Open to the Public - Paula Sours – Asked about a Mentor Protégé program that would allow a prime contractor to help subcontractors understand scopes of work and build relationships. Boggs responded and stated that the prime contractors know who they want, and they use them over and over. The problem ODI is having is the prime contractors extend themselves past who they are comfortable with and add in new sub-contractors to help build relationships. Sours inquired if Jones has ever received a list from the subcontractors in the area from the different program. Jones stated that ODI has not received a list, and she has sent notifications to partners on upcoming outreach and initiatives. Sours stated that there are a couple of subcontractors who are trying to get their foot in the door and are being shut out. Schmidt asked Sours to present some names of these businesses, and we can assist. Morris inquired if the Mentor Protégé program was still on ODI’s radar. Jones stated yes, it is. Adjournment : Boggs motion for adjournment Allen seconded