Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson reluctantly supported the Zero-Waste Franchise for waste hauling in the City of Los Angeles. However, he expressed serious concern about the lack of minority, veteran, and women-owned business participation.
“Cities across the nation are looking at us,” said Councilmember Harris-Dawson. “They are looking to see if we can achieve our environmental goals, which we have done, to see if we can get the accomplishments with labor, which we have done, but they are also looking at the minority and women-owned business participation. We need to provide leadership on that front. We’re in Los Angeles, one of the most dynamic and diverse cities anywhere world. If we can’t get it done here, there’s no hope for anywhere else.”
The Zero Waste Franchise Ordinance created 11 trash hauling zones throughout the city of Los Angeles for commercial and multifamily residential units and awarded exclusive franchise contracts to provide services to that zone. The projected cost of the project is estimated to cost over $3 billion for the first ten years. The ordinance will divert close to 2 million tons of waste from landfills, improve working conditions for over 6,000 workers, and reduce pollution by mandating clean fuel vehicles.
Despite the projects large benefits, the levels of minority and women-owned subcontractors are dismal. Projected participation based on City estimates include:
Minority Business Enterprise Participation
1.94%
$72 M
Women Business Enterprise Participation
.84%
$31 M
Small Business Enterprise Participation
.73%
$27M
Emerging Business Enterprise Participation
.65%
$24M
Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Participation
0%
$0
Other Business Enterprise Participation
8.06%
$300M
