Casey Woods, Business and Economic Development Manager, and members of the Equity and Contracting Advisory Committee briefed the Economic Development Committee on Sept. 30 about the committee’s recent work and next steps.

Established by City Council resolution 40944 in April 2022, the advisory committee monitors compliance with the city’s Equity in Contracting (EIC) program, provides recommendations on contracting matters and helps the city remove barriers faced by small, minority and women‑owned businesses. The committee comprises 15 seats designed to represent certified businesses, the five council districts and the Tacoma Public Utility Board; presenters said 12 of the 15 seats are currently filled and that vacancies remain for Council Districts 1 and 4 and an open‑shop firm seat.

Casey Woods said the EIC committee and its two active subcommittees — the Internal Process Committee and the Workforce Committee — have focused on prompt-payment practices, outreach and workforce-development issues. Linda Serna, outreach specialist, said the committee has hosted eight workshops and community events in 2025 that reached more than 120 attendees and established nine active partnerships with local technical‑assistance providers to improve access to capital, language access and training.

Scott Lund, chair of the advisory committee, described prompt payment as a critical issue for smaller contractors: "Getting paid on a job can be a line in the sand for a smaller business or minority‑owned business," he said. Lund said the committee’s work on internal process improvements and stronger procurement staff engagement will help remove barriers and translate disparity‑study recommendations into actionable policy changes.

Looking ahead, the committee said it will support development of an equity and contracting performance dashboard, advise on the content of the 2025 annual report, and deepen engagement with procurement staff to ensure the program’s metrics reflect meaningful outcomes for disadvantaged businesses. The committee said its next recruitment cycle is scheduled for August 2026.