Gadsden Council approves inclusion program

Council President Deverick Williams

The Gadsden City Council approved an inclusion program Tuesday aimed at increasing the number of minority- and female-owned firms doing business with the city.

The resolution, promoted by Council President Deverick Williams, recommends the city “adopt practices to actively source for minority- and women-owned business enterprises in order to participate in the city’s competitive bidding process and vendor purchasing.”

Williams said, it’s not designed to create set-asides or quotas, but to “level the playing field” regarding competitive bids.

Finance Director Lisa Rosser, when the program was being discussed, said the city doesn’t have any way of knowing if a vendor or businesses is minority or female owned because it does not ask for that information.

City officials obtained a list of certified minority- and female-owned businesses from the state and will add those to the bid list.

The resolution requires the mayor to report annually to the council on the city’s efforts and progress toward inclusion.