The Contracting Equity officer shall, in coordination with the Board, perform the following duties:
(a) Supervise the implementation of the program and report to the Chief Procurement Officer, the Mayor and to the Board on a quarterly basis the extent of achievement of the goal stated in Section 2-92-430 of this chapter, along with any recommendations for modification of the goal or of the measures contained herein;
(b) Establish or adopt substantially consistent standards and procedures for certification of applying businesses by the Contracting Equity officer or a certifying agency as a C.E.B. Such standards and procedures shall, in the Contracting Equity officer's judgment, fairly and effectively determine eligibility for inclusion as a C.E.B. without placing an undue burden on the C.E.B.s. Each application for certification shall be in writing, and executed by an officer or owner of the applicant, and shall contain such information as may assist the Contracting Equity officer or applicable certifying agency in determining the status of the applicant. When all or a substantial portion of the application for certification is processed by the Contracting Equity officer, each such application submitted to the Contracting Equity officer shall be accompanied by a non-refundable $250.00 fee, in the form of a certified check, cashier's check, money order or such other payment method as may be acceptable to the Contracting Equity officer. If certification or recertification of a business entity has been denied three or more times in a five-year period, then the Contracting Equity officer may not consider an application from such business entity or its successors for a period of four years from the date of the most recent denial;
(c) Recruit businesses to apply for certification as C.E.B.s. Recruitment may be done through contact with other governments, governmental agencies, community organizations or business associations, advertising or any other suitable means;
(d) Maintain an electronic directory of certified C.E.B.s and participating established businesses, describing them by name, business address, classification, type of business, and whether the business is located in a qualified investment area, as defined in Section 16-14-020 of the Code. Additionally, in the case of M.B.E.s, such directory shall also include the minority group or minority groups of which the person or persons who own or control the business is a member, or, in the case of a publicly held corporation, the minority group or minority groups of which the person or persons who own at least 51% of the corporation's stock is a member. This directory shall be made available to any interested person. A local business which meets all the requirements to be certified as a C.E.B. under this chapter except for the fact that it has become a non-participating established business since its initial certification may request to be listed in the directory, although it will remain ineligible for participation in the certification program;
(e) Direct certified C.E.B.s to notify the Contracting Equity officer of any change in ownership, officers or management within ten days after such change occurs;
(f) Establish or adopt substantially consistent procedures for reviewing or auditing any decision of any certifying agency conducting certifications pursuant to an agreement with the Contracting Equity officer, regarding the certification, recertification or decertification of any C.E.B.;
(g) Establish or adopt substantially consistent procedures, for the decertification of C.E.B.s which have been improperly certified or no longer qualify for certification, and for appeal from decertification. Such procedures shall be consistent with the principles of due process of law;
(h) Notify the Chief Procurement Officer and all City agencies and departments which request information on certified C.E.B.s of any decertification made in accordance with subsection (g) of this section. If certification or recertification of a business entity has been denied by the Contracting Equity officer, then the Contracting Equity officer shall inform other Chicago area governmental agencies with affirmative action plans containing similar certification criteria of such denial if such agencies have agreed to provide similar information to the Contracting Equity officer; and
(i) Publicize the certification program through appropriate means, in order to attract qualified certified C.E.B.s.
(j) Periodically review the standards and procedures for certification of C.E.B.s to reduce unnecessary impediments to obtaining certification.
(Prior code § 26-108; Added Coun. J. 7-31-90, p. 19319; Amend Coun. J. 7-19-00, p. 38206, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 12-15-04, p. 39840, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 7-9-08, p. 32427, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 12-2-09, p. 78837, Art. 4, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-16-11, p. 13798, Art. IV, § 3; Amend Coun. J. 3-14-12, p. 22581, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 7-22-20, p. 18865, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 10-27-21, p. 39543, Art. III, § 2)