Mayor-Commission Work Session | October 5, 2026

The Mayor-Commission work session, televised by WPB-TV on October 5, 2026, covered implementation of recommendations from the city’s small-business disparity study. Staff described continuing contract-by-contract market analysis and utilization tracking, an overall small-business participation goal of about 20%, and a bid preference that may allow a qualifying small-business bid within 15% of a competing bid to be considered. Other measures include reviewing good-faith-effort waivers and noncompliance penalties with legal staff, monitoring single- and sole-source contracting, assessing prompt payment, and considering ways to reduce bonding and insurance barriers. The study was conducted by Griffin & Strong; the city also uses Prism supplier-diversity software. Commissioners raised possible mentor-protégé opportunities and concerns about employee poaching between city contractors; staff said they would explore these issues. No new contract award or procurement vote was recorded.

The commission also received an update on the Evergreen Cemetery Improvement Project, including community engagement, documentation of nearly 2,000 cemetery resources, and plans for a public digital cemetery-information hub. Staff presented budgeted priorities including roadway repairs, signage and wayfinding, historical kiosks, mapping, maintenance-building improvements, and grave-marker repairs. The presenter thanked the mayor and commission for approving the budget, but no project costs or new procurement awards were stated. The digital hub remains in development, and the city plans to digitize its existing cemetery records as the project proceeds.