Title
Approving the execution of the CERT Joint Powers Agreement.
Body
WHEREAS, The CERT Program is a Collaborative body comprised of the Hennepin County, Ramsey County, and the City of Saint Paul Governments; and
WHEREAS, The CERT Program is a small business certification program that currently certifies small business enterprises (SBEs), including minority-owned business enterprises (MBEs) and woman-owned business enterprises (WBEs) that qualify as SBEs; and
WHEREAS, The City of Saint Paul is the Lead Agency for the CERT Program; and
WHEREAS, The City of Minneapolis wants to join the CERT Program as a formal Collaborative member; and
WHEREAS, Each member of the Collaborative operates its own Business Assistance Program serving small business enterprises (“SBEs”), including, but not limited to, small minority-owned businesses (“MBEs”), and/or small women-owned businesses (“WBEs”); and
WHEREAS, Each member of the Collaborative may want to utilize the CERT program to serve disadvantaged businesses such as Veteran-Owned Businesses, businesses owned by persons with disabilities, or other small businesses that experience barriers to participation in the local marketplace; and
WHEREAS, This Joint Powers Agreement will allow the CERT Board to update its small business programming to include service to other disadvantaged business enterprises; and
WHEREAS, The Founding Members of the Collaborative have jointly operated a central certification program as a component of their Business Assistance Programs since November 1998; and
WHEREAS, The CERT Joint Powers Agreement has automatically renewed for a twelve-month term on an annual basis since 2011; and
WHEREAS, The Collaborative wants to enter into this new agreement through December 31, 2020, after which the agreement will renew automatically for twelve-month terms on January 1, of every year; and
WHEREAS, The Collaborative would like to end the existing Joint Powers Agreement and enact a new Joint Powers Agreement governing the activities of the CERT board; and
WHEREAS, This new Joint Powers Agreement will clarify points of authority, responsibility, policy, and Collaborative organizational structure; and
WHEREAS, The City of Saint Paul requires approval from the City Council to execute the Joint Powers Agreement; now therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the City Council approves execution of the CERT JPA through December 31, 2020, with subsequent automatic annual renewal terms of twelve months beginning on January 1, 2021.