The city is about to spend $48 million to improve its water treatment plant, but Tuesday, it ignored the Black community’s pleas to help black contractors get a piece of the pie.
In a 3-2, vote the council gave the authorization to advertise for bids to build the project. Two of its Black councilmen, Juanita Woods and Carday Marshall, voted against the plan. The other black council member Kema Dawson-Robinson voted with white members.
Councilwoman Juanita Woods asked the council to delay the project until the city included measures in the proposal requiring contractors to use some local minority contractors.
The city will ask prospective bidders to have a goal of using up to 16 percent minority subcontractors.
Woods thinks minority involvement should be higher and wants…
