Browse Working Group Recommendations

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 Below each working group recommendation is an initial list of County & City departments that have committed to implementation efforts. Quarterly progress updates for listed recommendations will be posted within thirty (30) days of the prior quarter’s end (Q3= July 1 – September 30, Q4= October 1 – December 31). This list will be revised and more information will be added in the future as we engage further with the County, City, and other community organizations.

BDK1R2
Working Group: Business Development
Key Issue: ACCESS TO CAPITAL
Recommendation: In partnership with local financial institutions, local government can create a guided pathway for MWBE borrowers, which connects them first to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and then moves them to traditional financial institutions, as appropriate.
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Owner Organization / Department Timeframe
City Finance / Purchasing 1-3 years
BDK2R2
Working Group: Business Development
Key Issue: OPERATIONS & MENTORSHIP
Recommendation: Provide culturally competent mentorship and support that is proactive at reaching MWBE businesses and entrepreneurs where they currently are:
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Owner Organization / Department Timeframe
City Finance / Purchasing 3+ years
BDK4R1
Working Group: Business Development
Key Issue: COMMUNICATIONS/OUTREACH
Recommendation: Host an annual joint City/County MWBE Business Development Fair, which can:
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Owner Organization / Department Timeframe
City Finance / Purchasing < 1 year
SSK4R8
Working Group: Human/Social Services
Key Issue: CULTURAL COMPETENCE
Recommendation: Evaluate contractors’ ability to provide culturally competent services when selecting contract providers (Contractors performing the work should be directly tied to the community. Articulate any cultural and language competence conditions in contracts with providers. Support contractors to meet these standards)
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Owner Organization / Department Timeframe
City Finance / Purchasing 1-3 years
SSPLR3
Working Group: Human/Social Services
Key Issue: Parking Lot
Recommendation: Poverty - the disproportionately high rates of poverty among older Black Americans and other adults of color, and their greater need for services, is primarily caused by a lifetime of higher instances of occupational discrimination, underemployment, and lower rates of intergenerational wealth, due in part to redlining and discrimination. There are no quick fixes for the massive income and wealth disparities in our society that are engineered into the fabric of structural racism and the exploitation of labor. The only way to reduce these inequities in the next generation is to correct the current compensation structure of the workforce, while noting that many older adults are currently working in low wage jobs at well beyond “normal” retirement age. Nothing 159 short of “making work pay” will solve the moral injustice of increasing poverty and disparities in the older adult population of Monroe County, a condition largely attributable to declining wages and benefits. Therefore, both county and city governments should join and lead in all efforts to bring every job in Monroe County to a level of self-sufficient wages, comprehensive medical benefits, and retirement savings paid by the employer. One such effort is RMAPI’s employer pledge. Others include the “Fight for $15” and the drive for a voluntary living wage paid by all employers.
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Owner Organization / Department Timeframe
City Finance / Purchasing < 1 year

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