NWS Wheel
A town hall meeting to address way to expand contracts for minority and women entrepreneurs will be held Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the St. George Library. Sponsored by Councilwoman Debi Rose (D-North Shore) and Black Institute President Bertha Lewis, the meeting will address the challenges facing minority and women owned businesses.
(Hilton Flores)
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A town hall meeting to address ways to expand contracts for minority and women entrepreneurs will be held Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the St. George Library.
Sponsored by Councilwoman Debi Rose (D-North Shore) and Black Institute President Bertha Lewis, the meeting will address the challenges facing minority- and women-owned businesses.
There will be one town hall meeting in each borough to raise awareness about legislation designed to expand access to city contracts for minority and women entrepreneurs.
Lewis released a report titled "Not Good Enough" earlier this year criticizing the low rate at which minority and women entrepreneurs have received contracts under the current administration.
Among other things, the report called for the proportion of work granted to female and minority enterprises to increase to 35 percent, and for the city to appoint a chief business diversity officer to ensure that minority and women entrepreneurs get their fair share of city contracts.
According to Rose's office, only 4 percent of the city's $17.7 billion budget for independent contractors go to minority and women owned businesses. The City Council's Women's Caucus is leading the fight to pass Fair Share Amendments to Local Law 1.
"The series will allow minority and women entrepreneurs to meet, coordinate and share their experiences, as well as organize to create political pressure behind the Fair Share Amendments," said Rose.
"It is my hope that these meetings will help identify groups, individuals, companies and organizations that will join the fight to ensure that minority and women entrepreneurs get a fair share of the city's business, especially as economic development takes off on the North Shore. I invite all interested constituents to join us, particularly businesses that are certified minority and women entrepreneurs and those interested in learning more about the process," she added.
The gathering is part of a series of town hall meetings led by Lewis, other civil rights and organizations, minority and women entrepreneurs and the New York City Council's Women's Caucus.
FOLLOW Tracey Porpora on