Kansas City officials present 2026 disparity study, outline three paths for contracting program
June 29, 2026 | Kansas City, Wyandotte County, Kansas
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Kansas City officials on June 10 presented the completed 2026 disparity study and asked the public for feedback on how to revise the city’s certification and contracting program.
"This is your opportunity to provide feedback," said Haimey Guan, director of the city’s Civil Rights & Equal Opportunity Department, introducing the session. The study, prepared by consultants Griffin and Strong, is posted at kcmo.gov/creo and includes a nearly 400-page full report and an executive summary, staff said.
In the presentation, Alvaro Anttoveros, business certification division manager, said staff will prioritize several reforms recommended by the consultants, including unbundling large contracts to create opportunities for smaller firms, streamlining certification by recognizing state-certified firms, reducing repetitive paperwork, forecasting upcoming bid opportunities to strengthen competition, and requiring prime contractors to list certified subcontractors they solicited and explain why those firms were not awarded work.
The department presented three broad pathways for the program’s future: keeping the current, race- and gender-conscious M/WBE structure (which staff said carries the greatest legal risk given the study’s findings); narrowing the program so goals apply only where data still show disparities (which would likely exclude many construction contracts); or expanding to a race- and gender-neutral small/local business enterprise (SLBE) approach that would apply contract-by-contract goals across industry categories and broaden the pool of eligible firms.
"If we keep the program the way it is and not include the data support from the disparity study, we are jeopardizing the entire program," Anttoveros said, explaining that the city must meet the Supreme Court standard established in City of Richmond v. J.A. Croson Co. (1989) for narrowly tailored, data-supported remedies.
Attendees pressed staff on methodology and coverage. A commenter, Teresa, warned that excluding unsolicited subcontractor bids from the analysis could miss critical market entry barriers. Staff responded that they would revise priority recommendations to better examine unsolicited bids and solicitation practices. "That could be exactly where the problems lie," Teresa said.
Caitlyn Feifer and others asked how consultants developed the data. Staff said Griffin and Strong analyzed solicitation lists, bidder lists and contracting records for the study period, and held interviews and engagement sessions; staff directed attendees to the consultant presentation and a recorded council business session for more detail.
Staff confirmed the study period covered fiscal year 2015–2022 (May 1, 2015 to April 30, 2022). Projects started after April 30, 2022 were not included in this analysis and would be covered in future studies, staff said.
On public engagement, Anttoveros said the SpeakEasy portal had an initial planned comment close date of June 29, but the web form and the dedicated email (disparitystudy@kcmo.org) will remain available through the ordinance drafting process; staff said the formal comment period effectively ends once an ordinance is adopted by City Council. Presenters said an ordinance language package could be introduced to council in late summer, followed by council review, likely edits, and training for staff and contractors before implementation.
The department asked stakeholders to submit written feedback via SpeakEasy, the QR-code form provided in the webinar, or by email, and said it will post slides and a video of the consultants’ presentation on the department landing page. Rio Cervantes Reed, who opened the webinar, offered to forward technical data questions to the consultants and to post consultant responses on the site.
Next steps: staff will collect public comments, draft ordinance language reflecting the chosen path, present it to City Council for consideration and possible revision, and then develop training and implementation protocols if the council adopts changes. The department encouraged affected contractors and community members to submit comments to ensure the ordinance and implementation plan reflect on-the-ground realities.
"This is your opportunity to provide feedback," said Haimey Guan, director of the city’s Civil Rights & Equal Opportunity Department, introducing the session. The study, prepared by consultants Griffin and Strong, is posted at kcmo.gov/creo and includes a nearly 400-page full report and an executive summary, staff said.
In the presentation, Alvaro Anttoveros, business certification division manager, said staff will prioritize several reforms recommended by the consultants, including unbundling large contracts to create opportunities for smaller firms, streamlining certification by recognizing state-certified firms, reducing repetitive paperwork, forecasting upcoming bid opportunities to strengthen competition, and requiring prime contractors to list certified subcontractors they solicited and explain why those firms were not awarded work.
The department presented three broad pathways for the program’s future: keeping the current, race- and gender-conscious M/WBE structure (which staff said carries the greatest legal risk given the study’s findings); narrowing the program so goals apply only where data still show disparities (which would likely exclude many construction contracts); or expanding to a race- and gender-neutral small/local business enterprise (SLBE) approach that would apply contract-by-contract goals across industry categories and broaden the pool of eligible firms.
"If we keep the program the way it is and not include the data support from the disparity study, we are jeopardizing the entire program," Anttoveros said, explaining that the city must meet the Supreme Court standard established in City of Richmond v. J.A. Croson Co. (1989) for narrowly tailored, data-supported remedies.
Attendees pressed staff on methodology and coverage. A commenter, Teresa, warned that excluding unsolicited subcontractor bids from the analysis could miss critical market entry barriers. Staff responded that they would revise priority recommendations to better examine unsolicited bids and solicitation practices. "That could be exactly where the problems lie," Teresa said.
Caitlyn Feifer and others asked how consultants developed the data. Staff said Griffin and Strong analyzed solicitation lists, bidder lists and contracting records for the study period, and held interviews and engagement sessions; staff directed attendees to the consultant presentation and a recorded council business session for more detail.
Staff confirmed the study period covered fiscal year 2015–2022 (May 1, 2015 to April 30, 2022). Projects started after April 30, 2022 were not included in this analysis and would be covered in future studies, staff said.
On public engagement, Anttoveros said the SpeakEasy portal had an initial planned comment close date of June 29, but the web form and the dedicated email (disparitystudy@kcmo.org) will remain available through the ordinance drafting process; staff said the formal comment period effectively ends once an ordinance is adopted by City Council. Presenters said an ordinance language package could be introduced to council in late summer, followed by council review, likely edits, and training for staff and contractors before implementation.
The department asked stakeholders to submit written feedback via SpeakEasy, the QR-code form provided in the webinar, or by email, and said it will post slides and a video of the consultants’ presentation on the department landing page. Rio Cervantes Reed, who opened the webinar, offered to forward technical data questions to the consultants and to post consultant responses on the site.
Next steps: staff will collect public comments, draft ordinance language reflecting the chosen path, present it to City Council for consideration and possible revision, and then develop training and implementation protocols if the council adopts changes. The department encouraged affected contractors and community members to submit comments to ensure the ordinance and implementation plan reflect on-the-ground realities.
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