Substance Abuse and Crime

What's Missing in Education Reform

Detroit Tax Base Enhancement  & Local Employment Opportunity

Whereas on Tuesday, March 2, 2010 Detroit’ s Emergency Financial Manager committed to the maximization of Detroit resident, business and minority participation in the Detroit taxpayer approved 2009 bond financed Detroit Public School Building Renovation and Construction Program before community and business leaders at the Detroit Branch of the NAACP; and

Whereas those in attendance articulated orally and through formal written request their desire to collaborate with the Project Management Team and the Office of the Emergency Financial Manager to support the programs success and the greatest business and employment return on investment to the City of Detroit and its taxpayers, and

Whereas the Emergency Financial Manager referenced his reverence for the philosophy and actions of the Honorable Maynard Jackson as it relates to advancement of public procurement opportunities for African Americans; and

Whereas the former Atlanta Mayor raised the level of minority business participation from 1% to 35%  during his administration and notably delayed the five hundred and fifty million dollar Hartsfield International Airport expansion for 2 years until there was agreement with the Georgia legislature to support significant African American contract and employment participation; and

Whereas it is empirically understood that Mayor Jackson’s position established a trajectory for minority business participation in municipal contracts that created 30 African American millionaires and served as a substantial vessel for population attraction and tax base enhancement to the City of Atlanta; and

Whereas, the Detroit Public School District Emergency Financial Manager has likened his responsibility to providing and opportunity to Detroit residents and minorities to that of Mayor Jackson, and

Whereas, Detroit taxpayers have accepted the mantel of self help via indebtedness by electoral adoption of a school infrastructure bond proposal in at a time of historically monumental local economic distress and unemployment; and

Whereas there are no legal constraints on the execution of Project Labor Agreements which enhance the local tax base through the preferential hiring of local residents; and

Whereas a six month residency requirement for employment preference on the Detroit taxpayer financed Detroit Public School Renovation and Construction Program would assure 100% of all currently unemployed Detroit residents with a building and construction trade craft could become gainfully employed; and

Whereas, requiring non-Detroit resident craftsman to make Detroit their primary residence for six months in order to obtain a skilled trade assignment on Detroit Public School renovation and construction sites would significantly enhance the local tax base, and

Whereas, a thirty day residency requirement effectively eliminates the potential of Detroit residents who are disenfranchised craftsmen or unemployed skilled trades members of unions other than those associated with the building and construction trades to be part of the anticipated labor pool of 11,000 employed; and      

Whereas, a seventy percent local resident apprentice participation and sixty percent local journeyman participation requirement in a Project Labor Agreement means nothing to the development of the local tax base and employment rate if non-residents can qualify for employment within thirty days via temporary residency;

Therefore be it resolved that the undersigned request the Governor and legislature use all tools available to maximize Detroit resident employment and Detroit headquartered business participation in the Detroit taxpayer financed Detroit Public School Renovation and Construction program;

Be it further resolved that a goal of 51% Detroit headquartered minority lead participation be pursued by the Project Management Team within the legal limits of current statute utilizing weighted evaluation criteria incentives.

Be it further resolved that all responses to proposal requests made by the Project Management Team that do not have a Detroit headquartered business or Detroit resident participation component be rejected; and

Be it further resolved that firms interested in responding to Project Management Team requests for proposals be provided with access to lists of certified Detroit headquartered and minority owned firms, and

Be it further resolved that the Project Management Team will restrict the ability of General Contractors to prohibit certified Detroit headquartered or minority businesses from participating in more than one request for proposal response or contract; and

Be it further resolved that the Project Management Team while not requiring, incentivize General Contractors to carry the surety for Detroit headquartered sub-contractors to maximize local contract participation; and

Be it further resolved that the Project Management Team require all responsive bids to include the names of Detroit headquartered and minority firms in their project participation and also the anticipated spend to assure that both high participation levels and expenditure levels can be monitored and achieved; and

Be it further resolved that the Project Management Team provide an “on-demand” technical assistance process to assure prompt payment of contractors.

Be it further resolved that the low-skill craft jobs inclusive of, but not limited to asbestos abatement which is estimated to provide 400 immediate jobs,  be specifically targeted for unemployed Detroit residents given the certification in such crafts can be acquired in significantly less time than other building and construction trades.

ow therefore It Be Resolved that the 14th Congressional District request the Emergency Financial Manager consider and respond in the spirit of taxpayer fairness and tax base enhancement to this body, and that the legislature and Governor use all tools available to implement these objectives; with copies of this resolution being provided to the Governor, Leaders of the Michigan House and Senate, Mayor of the City of Detroit, State Superintendant of Public Instruction, and the Emergency Financial Manager.

Adopted in Full Session
By Unanimous Membership Vote
Saturday, April 10, 2010

Substance Abuse and Crime

What's Missing in Education Reform