The Pensacola City Council will get a glimpse at a long-awaited disparity study today during its Committee of the Whole meeting. The group will also be discussing the hiring of a council executive.
In June 2011, the city contracted with Tallahassee firm MGT to conduct a disparity study. The study is meant to analyze the procurement history of the city to determine if there has been a disparity in the way city dollars have been spent between minority and non-minority businesses. The firm will be presenting its findings today.
For more than a year, the city council has been searching for someone to serve as its executive. While the job has been offered repeatedly, applicants continue to turn it down. Most recently, the discussion has turned to hiring an executive from an employee agency. That discussion will continue today.
The city council will also be asked to adopt a Complete Streets Resolution. The resolution would establish a policy that integrates bicycling, walking and public transit into street design. The council has previously (2010) adopted complete streets policies into the city’s comprehensive plan.
Recently, the opening of East Government Street onto Ninth Avenue was proposed to the city council. In response to public critique, the city gathered input through a series of workshops, which wrapped the East Government project in with the overall concept of complete streets. The resolution being proposed today makes no mention of that specific project.
The Pensacola City Council meets today at 3:15 p.m. at Pensacola City Hall.