Tuesday, January 18, 2000
Minority contract goal missed
Some dispute county's stadium count
BY DAN KLEPAL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
For some, the numbers are not black and white.
Hamilton County officials say 11 percent of the $285 million in contracts handed out to build Paul Brown Stadium have gone to companies owned by minorities or women.
With nearly all the contracts handed out, that falls short of the county's 15-percent goal and is unlikely to change significantly.
About 17 percent of the work force on the stadium site is made up of minorities, according to county statistics. That exceeds the county's goal of 12 percent participation.
Some doubt the accuracy of those numbers, and say they are not good enough even if they are right.
Jim Clingman, president of the Cincinnati African-American Chamber of Commerce, said the $31 million in contracts awarded to minority- and women-owned businesses also falls short of what the community should expect, especially in a city in which 41 percent of the population is African- American.
“First, they set a goal of 15 percent, then they included white females in the count,” said Mr. Clingman. “I don't think that's reasonable.
“No one can tell me white females should be in a minority category. To lump all groups under the same category does not serve the black population.”
Hamilton County Administrator David Krings said the county will hire an auditing firm to check the participation numbers and review its procedures for recruitment and classifica tion of businesses.
That sounds like a good idea to Johnathan Holifield, vice president of the Cincinnati chapter of the NAACP.
Mr. Holifield said the county has been doing a good job of recruiting minority-owned businesses, and the experience will help it get to the 15 percent goal on the Reds ballpark.
“I think today we have a much better idea of the complexion of the marketplace, and I'm not sure the county had that information four years ago,” Mr. Holifield said.
“They didn't hit the mark with Paul Brown Stadium, but there's still the Reds,” Mr. Holifield said. “And I think the experience in working with minority businesses will make it easier to hit their target next time.”
Mr. Krings said he thinks the participation rate is “reasonably” good, but he thinks it will be higher on the Reds stadium.
“That goal was set in a different environment,” Mr. Krings said. “It's important to have something to aim for that will make you stretch for it.
“It's a matter of fine-tuning, and I think there's a good chance of achieving the goal for the Reds stadium.”
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