CLAYTON 鈥 More than two dozen St. 亚洲无码 County projects are on hold because the County Council hasn鈥檛 approved a change to how the county certifies minority contractors, according to a county official.
The projects include new playgrounds in Castle Point and Queeny Park, supplies for the county animal shelter and upgrading fire sprinklers at the jail, according to a letter dated Friday from county administration director Rodney Gee to council members. The the county has paused 鈥渂ecause of the council鈥檚 inaction,鈥 Gee wrote.
Earlier this year, the county was forced to change how it certifies Minority and Women Owned Businesses, or MWBEs, a government-defined term. The county requires a percentage of its contractors to qualify as MWBEs in an effort to provide opportunities to diverse companies.
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The county previously worked with St. 亚洲无码 Lambert International Airport to certify those businesses. But the county decided to end that longtime arrangement earlier this year, as did St. 亚洲无码 officials.
County Executive Sam Page鈥檚 administration asked the council in late July to approve an arrangement where regional agency the St. 亚洲无码 Economic Development Partnership would take over certifications. If the council approves the plan, the partnership would work with the city鈥檚 economic development branch, the St. 亚洲无码 Development Corp. Collectively, they鈥檇 be called the MWBE Program Office.
Council Chair Shalonda Webb to make the change, but the council hasn鈥檛 acted on it since then. Webb couldn鈥檛 immediately be reached for comment Monday afternoon.
鈥淔ailure to amend the legislation inhibits our ability to implement the MWBE program across all of St. 亚洲无码 County and minimizes the flow of dollars into our local economy,鈥 Gee wrote.
Aside from the playgrounds, animal shelter supplies and jail sprinklers, the projects and services include:
- A new sidewalk, trail, restroom and fence in Queeny Park.
- A new chain-link fence in Tilles Park.
- Renovations in Kinloch Park.
- Fireworks for the county Fourth of July celebration at Jefferson Barracks Park.
- Pool chemicals.
- Guns for the police department.
- Emergency communication supplies.
- Medical billing and coding services for public health.
- A new health records system and lab services.
- Body removal and transportation at the morgue.
- Mosquito control.
- Electronic recycling services.
- Consulting for the county鈥檚 effort to seek federal funding in the health department.
- Clinical and specialty care in the health department.
- Physical therapy at health department clinics.
- Mass mailing services for the revenue and assessor.
- Pavement work at Spirit Airport.
- Work on the Clayton courts building.
- Information technology upgrades at police headquarters.
- Heating and cooling repairs at the county domestic violence shelter.
- Relocation of municipal courts from Clayton to the county鈥檚 Northwest Crossing satellite office.
- County courts food concession services.
- Repair services for the public works department.
- Corrosive storage tank replacement.
- Supplies for public works.
- Tree removal.
The council meets at 3 p.m. Tuesday.