Title
Vote on a request to approve competitive bid exemption and sole source for Webb Squared
Abstract
Introduction & Background: A 2022 report commissioned by the County, "Minority Entrepreneur and Small Business Needs Assessment," found that while the current explosion of business development, and spillover service needs, will create a robust economy in Chatham County that is ripe for entrepreneurial growth, entrepreneurs of color are not positioned for success. This finding reflects an entrenched income, wealth, and opportunity disparity in Chatham County. There is much evidence that entrepreneurship is a proven path out of poverty and low-income employment and one of the surest ways to amass wealth. Yet today, only 8.9% of the county's business owners are Hispanic, and 7.3% are Black. Together, they generate only 4% of total sales. Mainstream narratives often frame the origins of the racial wealth divide as a result of individual behaviors. However, national research and programs demonstrate that this inequity is rooted in hundreds of years of discriminatory laws, policies, and institutional protocols that have resulted in investment in some communities and disinvestment in others.
With this understanding in mind, the report concludes that:
1. An inclusive and equitable entrepreneurial and small business ecosystem" is "desperately needed."
2. Officials "must - consciously and intentionally - address the race/ethnic divide within Chatham.
In creating a path forward for entrepreneurs of color, the report identifies three key racialized "Foundations of Distrust" that must be addressed:
* The County's history of lethal racial violence
* More recent incidents of race- and ethnicity-based disparate treatment
* A geographically stark pattern of racial and economic segregation within the County
As such, the report recommends the County foster partnerships with a "trusted messenger organization to expand its economic development efforts in communities of color.
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