RESOLUTION NO. 260403
title
Sponsor(s): Councilmembers Darrell Curls, Melissa Robinson, and Melissa Patterson Hazley
Directing the City Manager to engage with the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, other relevant incentive agencies, as well as City staff in the Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity Department to develop standard operating procedures to be used consistently across all said agencies for the process of waiving Minority and Women Business Enterprise (M/WBE) participation goals pursuant to Sec. 3-437(b) as amended by Committee Substitute for Ordinance No. 260286; and to report back to City Council within thirty (30) days with their findings and a proposed codified version of said standard operating procedures for City Council’s consideration.
body
WHEREAS, the City of Kanas City, Missouri (the “City”), seeks to foster a robust and equitable economy through the strategic deployment of development incentives, infrastructure investment, and business attraction efforts; and
WHEREAS, the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City (the “EDC”) serves as the primary portal for business recruitment and retention, providing a centralized point of entry for developers and businesses seeking to grow within the municipal boundaries; and
WHEREAS, a lack of coordination between separate development agencies can lead to inconsistent application of workforce standards, such as minority-owned and women-owned business enterprise (M/WBE) participation goals, thereby creating uncertainty in the marketplace; and
WHEREAS, the alignment of the EDC and Port KC ensures that public incentives are used complementarily rather than competitively, preventing “agency shopping” by developers and ensuring the highest return on investment for Kansas City taxpayers; and
WHEREAS, City staff in the Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity (“CREO”) Department play a vital role in the operation of the City’s Minority and Women Business Enterprise program; and
WHEREAS, on April 21, 2026 the Finance, Governance and Public Safety Committee reported out with a recommendation of “do pass” Committee Substitute for Ordinance No. 260286, which, in part, amended Chapter 3, Code of Ordinances by repealing Section 3-437, Waiver of MBE/WBE goals, for the purpose of greater alignment and efficiency among City incentive agencies; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:
Section 1. That the City Manager is hereby directed to engage with the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, other relevant incentive agencies, as well as City staff in the CREO Department to develop standard operating procedures to be used consistently across all said agencies for the process of waiving minority and women business enterprise (M/WBE) participation goals pursuant to Section 3-437(b) as amended by Committee Substitute for Ordinance No. 260286. In addition to creating a uniform process, the City Manager’s engagement with the agencies should seek to identify why the waivers are being granted and how to prevent waivers from being necessary. The City Manager is directed to report back to the City Council within thirty (30) days with their findings and a proposed codified version of said standard operating procedures for the City Council’s consideration.
end
______________________________________________________