CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Mayor Vi Lyles said the city of Charlotte will learn from a "mistake" that allowed an uncertified talent coach to secure $417,000 in pandemic-era work without other qualified small business owners getting an equal chance.
WFAE's Mike Collins grilled the mayor about WCNC Charlotte's recent investigation during Charlotte Talks Wednesday.
"We need to get the work done in the appropriate way and I believe we missed this one," Lyles said. "I believe in this case we followed something that's legal ... but from my view, the staff did not follow the intent of our policy. Our intent is to always make sure that our procurement is available to qualified folks ... In this case, I believe we did not meet our mark."
Lyles has asked the city manager to investigate the process the city used to repeatedly hire talent coach Tori Stevens. Stevens, the owner of Evolyoution, is close friends with one of the city's assistant economic development directors and Stevens has tapped her as a bridesmaid in her upcoming wedding.
The city previously told WCNC Charlotte the executive was not involved in the initial hiring of Stevens. The mayor said excluding the assistant director from Stevens' hiring was probably not sufficient. She added the city is also not supposed to bundle smaller contracts.
WCNC Charlotte's investigation revealed the city only received a proposal from one other uncertified small business before deciding to hire Stevens. The city has encouraged small business owners to go through the work of certifying as Minority, Women and Small Business Enterprises. MWSBEs didn't even know about the work until WCNC Charlotte told them.
"I would describe it as we made a mistake," Lyles said. "We have to provide everyone this opportunity. Where we missed this is that we did not create the opportunity and the equity in the process, so yes, I can't say it any more clearly, we missed the mark on this one."
Among the jobs the city's economic development department hired Stevens to fulfill in smaller increments was as consultant for the Corridors of Opportunity Project, which is part of the Mayor's Racial Equity Initiative.
"I do not know what the intent was in people's thinking," the mayor said. "I expect that, no matter what the intent was, when it got to a certain amount, there should have been a bell that would go off that says, 'Hey. No. This isn't consistent with our policy.'"
The mayor suggested the city's review could eventually rise to the level of an audit.
"I can't say whether or not the leadership made this decision intentionally or unintentionally, but we will try to determine how to not do it again," the mayor added.
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