St. Louis contractors hoping for legislation that would set minority-owned and women-owned business (MBE and WBE) participation goals on St. Louis County contracts may have to wait for the political dust to settle.
The County Council is entertaining multiple versions of this goal setting legislation, one from Councilwoman Hazel Erby and another from Councilman Mike O'Mara. While very similar, the most notable and contentious difference between the two plans has been at what value level a county contract should amount to before a contractor must undergo federally-approved apprenticeship training.
Those supporting Erby have argued for a high value, arguing that apprenticeship training is too expensive for some MBEs and WBEs. O'Mara's camp believes a lower value should be applied as they believe this training will ensure a job well done. It was also reported that Erby favors a more robust set of investigatory powers for the Diversity Director, who would oversee compliance with the legislation once it is passed.
The issue has become tense as the County Council, in its June 25 meeting, rejected Erby's version without yet implementing O'Mara's plan. In response, St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley, an ally of Erby, signed an executive order that same day making the changes to County policy in line with Erby's vision for MBE and WBE utilization goals.
This policy may not stand for long, as Councilman Steve Stenger, an ally of O'Mara, has indicated the Council will likely vote in O'Mara's version next week. If O'Mara's legislation passes, it would supersede Dooley's executive order. In either case, interested parties should have a clear view of St Louis's policy on setting utilization goals for MBES and WBEs by next week.
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