Purchasing policy still in flux

Shelby County’s new procurement procedures remain incomplete more than two years after process began

Briggette Green with Top Cat Masonry Contractors sat in the Shelby County Commission Chambers in April 2015 as about 50 business owners shared their frustrations in trying to do business with the county.

Eighteen months after that meeting, well over two years after the commission began evaluating purchasing procedures and with $390,000 spent on a disparity study and consulting work, the new protocols still have not been released.

Commission Chairman Melvin Burgess believes more work is needed and is re-seating an ad hoc committee now charged with creating an oversight committee that will give “teeth” to the new policies.

“I’m meeting with business owners to make sure our oversight recommendations are legitimate as well as making sure we have some procedures that move the needle to where we want to go,” Burgess said.

The details of the oversight committee, like who is appointed and how often they meet, will be worked out by the ad hoc committee, he said.

“There really shouldn’t be policy changes until I look at the final draft of the oversight procedures,” Burgess said, which might result in changes to the final draft of the revised procurement policy.

This extensive examination of the county’s purchasing policies began in 2014, if not earlier, as commissioners lamented the shortage of African-American vendors contracting with the county. Then-commission chairman James Harvey seated an ad hoc committee. It recommended the engagement of a consulting firm to conduct a disparity study before any changes could be made.

The $310,000 study done by Mason Tillman Associates analyzed purchasing data from Jan. 1, 2012 to Dec. 31, 2014, and found that 88 percent of county contracts were awarded to businesses owned by white males, with 55 percent of the contracts going to firms outside of the county.

Mason Tillman, based in Oakland, Calif., was paid an additional $80,000 for guidance in rewriting the procurement procedures, which will include minorityand women-owned business contracting requirements.

Burgess is working with Mason Tillman head Eleanor Mason Ramsey to fine-tune the policy changes. Ramsey is expected to be in Memphis early next month.

“She is helping us with her recommendations to form that into an oversight committee and to put some teeth into the committee with some checks and balances so everything will be in compliance so we can insure that we’re moving the needle as it pertains to ‘are

we meeting these goals, are we meeting these numbers,’ ” Burgess said.

Another committee sounds like more bureaucracy to Green.

“Personally, I don’t think that we need another committee,” she said. “I think we need to make the purchasing agents that are responsible for spending the money wisely, to insure that they are meeting the requirements based on the results from the study.”

Those county employees could easily report to a county director or to the commission, Green said.

Commissioner Reginald Milton understands Green’s frustration. A few months ago, he wanted to hold up finalizing some county contracts until the new policies were enacted.

Milton now says it’s best to slow down the rollout so that the process is fair and will stand up to challenges or protest.

“This is going to work. It’s going to be impressive. We’ve spent a lot of time working on this and I’ve put a lot of hours behind it and once we release it it’s going to work,” Milton said.

The goal is to create an environment were business owners of all races have an opportunity to share the pie, he said.

“Everyone gets a piece. No one loses,” Milton said. “We create a much more effective process, and we have growth in this county and in the business community.”

“Personally, I don’t think that we need another committee.” BRIGGETTE GREEN TOP CAT MASONRY CONTRACTORS