"The fifth bill before me today is Introductory Number 888, sponsored by Council Members White, Reyna, Dickens, Comrie, Fidler, Koppell, James, Liu, Mark-Viverito, Palma, Seabrook, Sears, Vann, Weprin and Jackson.  Introductory Number 888 amends the Industrial and Commercial Abatement Program (ICAP) to encourage the utilization of New York City-certified Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises (M/WBE's) on projects that receive ICAP benefits. 

"Introductory Number 888 requires the City provide all ICAP applicants with information on how to access the Department of Small Business Service's (SBS's) online directory of certified M/WBE companies.  All ICAP applicants will be required to review SBS's directory for qualified contractors and sub-contractors.  For ICAP applications between $750,000 and $1.5 million, applicants will have to certify that they accessed SBS's directory and report whether efforts were made by the applicant to include M/WBE's.  For ICAP applications exceeding $1.5 million, applicants will be required to solicit bids from at least three M/WBE's on SBS's directory and certify whether any of those MWBE's were awarded contracts.  ICAP applicants will be required to maintain records of these outreach efforts, which SBS will be empowered to audit.  Failure to comply with these requirements will jeopardize an applicant's ICAP benefits.

"I want to thank Finance Commissioner Martha Stark, Small Business Services Commissioner Rob Walsh, Seth Pinsky, President of the Economic Development Corporation, and all their staff for their work on this bill.  I would also like to thank the Law Department's Division of Legal Counsel, led by Steve Louis for their hard work.  Finally I would also like to thank the Council for approving this legislation.