WHEREAS, On a letter dated November 1, 2016 to all members of City Council, Iola Harper, Deputy Commerce Director in charge of the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) indicated that the Annual Participation Report would not be completed on or before the deadline of November 1st as required by Executive Order 3-2; and
WHEREAS, The letter further indicated that because of Harper’s recent hire a month earlier as Director of OEO and anticipated departures in the coming weeks of three staff members responsible for the production of this report, that said report would not be ready until the end of January, 2017, approximately ninety days past the deadline; and
WHEREAS, City Council was only notified of OEO’s failure to timely complete the report on the actual final date the report was due; and
WHEREAS, Lack of timely production of this report makes it extremely difficult for City Council to exercise its oversight functions with respect to assuring meaningful and legal participation levels for Women, Minority and Disabled owned businesses in City contracts; and
WHEREAS, The data contained in the Annual Participation Report is particularly critical this year as the City embarks on its largest public works initiative ever, to rebuild parks, recreation centers and libraries; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby strongly urges the Department of Commerce’s Office of Economic Opportunity to significantly hasten its production of the Annual Participation Report which is required to be provided to City Council and the Mayor on or before November 1st each year.
End