[The Following Is An Excerpt From The Executive Order (Jmr 2009-1) Issued By Mayor Jacques Roy, Alexandria, Louisiana, That Put Into Motion The Diversity In Action Initiative. Only The Sections Of The Order Pertinent To The Afeat Program Are Printed Below.]

Whereas, On November 6, 2007, The Legislation This Administration Drafted And Placed For Final Adoption Known As The Alexandria “Small And Emerging Business Development Program” Was Enacted, Consisting Of Three Distinct Parts: (I) The “Alexandria Fairness, Equality, Accessibility And Teamwork” Program

(A.F.E.A.T.), (Ii) The “Alexandria Bonding Assistance” Program (A.B.A.), And

(Iii) The “Alexandria Financial Intermediary Initiative” Program (A.F.I.I.); And

Whereas, In Addition And In Keeping With The Campaign Goals Of This Administration, The Administration Has Developed An Ambitious “Diversity In Action” Plan, Composed Of The “Small And Emerging Business Development Program” For The City Of Alexandria And The “Close The Gap” Mentoring Programs; And

Whereas, Accurate Information Must Be Gleaned As A Starting Or Baseline Point For   Goal-Making, Which Calls For Proper Certification Techniques; And

 Whereas, Outreach Programming Is Paramount To Gain Involvement From Those Business Concerns Who/Which May Be Ready, Willing, And Able To Do Business, But, As A Result Of A Number Of Factors, May Not Have Had Full Opportunity To Participate In The Full Panoply Of Opportunities The City Of Alexandria Offers, Including But Not Limited To Promoting: The Competitive Viability Of Small Business, Minority, And Women Business Enterprise By Providing Contract, Technical, Educational, And Management Assistance; Business Ownership By Small Business Persons, Minority Persons, And Women (Including Professional Service Opportunities); And The Procurement By The City Of Professional Services, Articles, Equipment, Supplies, And Materials From Business Concerns Owned By Small Business Concerns, Minority Persons, And Women….

It Is Ordered:

As Of Monday, February 2, 2009, At 8:00 A.M. (The Effectuating Date), The City Of Alexandria Finance Division, In Conjunction With The Office Of Policy And Planning, And Its Official Designee For Workforce Development And Business Retention, Shall Implement The City’s Small And Emerging Business Components In Their Entirety.

As Of The Effectuating Date, The Performance Of Those Personnel Charged With Implementing The Program Will Be Monitored Monthly And In More Detail Quarterly.

As Of The Effectuating Date, Failure To Implement The Programs In An Orderly And Immediate Fashion Will Result In Personnel Action, Including Any Such Responsible Position And Effectuation Of The Program By Third Party Contractor.

To Ensure Procedures Are In Place For Equal Opportunity For Competition And To Facilitate Participation By Small, Disadvantaged, Minority-, And Women-Owned Business Enterprises, In The Procurement Of Goods And Services, The Finance Division Must Show Proof It Has:

· Established And Maintains A Directory To Facilitate The Identification Of Small Businesses, Minority And Women Owned Businesses According To Their Capabilities;

· Arranged Solicitations Within The Law To Better Facilitate The Participation Of Small Business, Minority And Women Business Enterprise;

· Implemented Informational Programs On Opportunities And Procedures;

· Scheduled Future Pre-Bid/Pre-Proposal Conferences To Explain The Procedure And Forms To Be Used To Encourage Small Business, Minority And Women Owned Business Enterprise;

· Provided Information And Communications On Contracting Procedures, Specifications And Requests For Proposals To Small Businesses, Minority And Women Owned Businesses In A Timely Manner….

The Finance Division Shall Work With The Workforce Development Officer To Implement Coordination Of All City Departments. All City Departments Shall Appoint A Representative To Serve As A Small Business Coordinator, Which Persons Shall Be Supervised On This Program By The Workforce Development And Small Business Retention Officer Within The Mayor’s Office, Or Other Mayoral Designee Or Assistant. Administration Of The Program Shall Be Centralized To The Director Of Finance Office And Will Be Assisted And Monitored At The Division Director’s Level. All Department Heads Shall Be Responsible For Assisting In Developing, Managing, And Implementing The Program As Well As Reporting To Their Division Director On At Least A Quarterly Basis On The Efforts At Achieving The Goals Of This Program. All Such Reporting Shall Require Monthly Reports To The Workforce Development And Small Business Retention Officer Within The Mayor’s Office, Or Other Mayoral Designee Or Assistant, To Include Obstacles And Impediments To Implementation And Facility As Well As Socio-Cultural Or Other Problems.

The Division Heads Shall Also Separately Report On A Quarterly Basis Those

Professional Service Agreements Awarded Or In Place, And Shall Endeavor To Reflect Demographics Within The City Of Alexandria. The Division Heads Will Individually Recommend To The Administration An Achievable, Realistic, And Reflective Goal For Professional Service Agreements In Order To Start This Separate Aspect Of The Program.

In Order To Demonstrate Publicly The Commitment Of The Administration, Precise Demographics And Statistics Shall Be Maintained By Division Heads Regarding Available Professional Service Providers In Each Division.

At Minimum And To Be Instituted Forthwith And No Later Than The Effectuation Date, All Procurement And Service Requests Shall Address The Following:

Provision Of A Notice Of Requirements Under City Of Alexandria’s Afeat Program On All Such Requests, Whether By Bid Or Request For Proposal Or Otherwise.

The Notice Shall Include In Conspicuous Fashion A Concise Statement Of The City Of Alexandria’s Guidelines For The Afeat Program, The Goals For Minority And Female Owned Business Subcontracting For Work Performed Under Prime Contracts And Other Such Information Deemed Necessary, At Minimum For Prime Contractors To Include

Goal For Minority Owned Business Participation: 15%

Goal For Female Owned Business Participation: 7%

The Prime Contractor Shall Take Specific Action To Ensure That A Bona Fide Effort Is Made To Achieve Maximum Results Towards Meeting The Established Goal Percentages. The Contractor Shall Document Efforts And Shall Implement Steps At Least As Extensive As The Following In A Good Faith Effort To Reach Or Exceed The Established Goals:

A.  Establish And Maintain A Current List Of Minority And Female Owned Businesses In Alexandria, In Rapides Parish, And In The State Of Louisiana.

B. Document And Maintain A Record Of All Solicitations Of Offers For Subcontracts From Minority Or Female Contractors And Suppliers In Alexandria, In Rapides Parish, And In The State Of Louisiana.

C. Secure Listing Of Minority And Women Owned Businesses From The City Of Alexandria Purchasing Department, The Central Louisiana Business Incubator, And The State Of Louisiana Department Of Minority Affairs.

D. Participate In Associations That Assist In Promoting Minority And Women Owned Businesses Such As The Central Louisiana Business League, The Central Louisiana Business Incubator, And The Entrepreneurial League System.

E. Designate A Responsible Official To Monitor All Activity Made In The Effort To Achieve Or Exceed The Established Goals; Record Contacts Made, Subcontracts Entered Into With Dollar Amounts, And Other Relevant Information.

The Finance Division Shall Implement The Affidavit Program By Preparing Forthwith A Certification Affidavit Requiring Attestation By The Applicant Of Certain Information, Including But Not Limited To (I) Having Read All Requirements Of The Program; (Ii) Providing Any Additional Information Requested By The City To Document Program Qualifications; (Iii) Providing Immediate Information About Certain Changes To The Business Structure Or Its Location, Ownership, Or Control; (Iv) The Truth Of All Information In The Application And That Any Misrepresentation May Result In Disqualification; And (V) The Legal Right Of The City To Request And Obtain Any And All Tax Returns For Up To Three Years In The Event Of Decertification Appeals Processes….

In Witness Whereof, I Have Set My Hand Officially And Caused To Be Affixed The Seal Of The City Of Alexandria, At Alexandria, Louisiana, On This____________________

_________ Day Of _______________________,                20___

Mayor, City Of Alexandria _________________________________

Witnessed By The City Attorney Or Clerk Of The City Of Alexandria