§ 17-320. Minority/women business enterprise participation goals; transition to race-, ethnic-, and gender-neutral practices in certain procurement matters.

(a)

The goals for participation by minority/women business enterprises in county procurement contracts and subcontracts for construction, professional services, other services, and goods are established by this division. From time to time the board of county commissioners may revise or alter the goals based on such evidence as may come before the board with respect to the legal and public-policy grounds on which this division and its goals are based.

(b)

The board of county commissioners acknowledges the need for or usefulness of transitioning to policies and practices governing the county's procurement of goods, construction subcontracting, and professional-services subconsulting that are neutral with respect to race, ethnicity, and gender. Therefore, the board expressly declares that this division is intended to provide (i) incentives, opportunities, and goals for participation by minority-owned and women-owned business enterprises in county procurement matters where, in the county's procurement results, there exist material disparities between the availability and the use of minority/women business enterprises and (ii) a transition to race-, ethnic-, and gender-neutral policies and practices in those county procurement matters where no such disparities exist. To that end, this division is intended to establish policies and practices and to delegate authority as is necessary or useful to accomplish such a transition.

(Ord. No. 94-02, § 4, 1-11-94; Ord. No. 2002-01, § 4, 1-08-02; Ord. No. 2009-21 , § 3, 8-25-09)