Restler says SBS support is not enough and calls for proactive pipeline strategy

So, look, I appreciate both of your answers, but...

I don't think it's enough.

Not to be so blunt, but I think access to capital is really important, and I'm glad that you both mentioned that and you're focused on it and trying to help in that regard.

But I actually think as a city, we need a much more proactive approach where we're identifying MWB vendors that are doing a really excellent job with smaller contracts

and providing technical assistance and professional development to support them on how they can grow and thinking about where are their pipelines for them to do more and do better with larger city contracts.

And that should be our base that we're looking to support because they're already working with the city.

They know all of the ways in which the city is a pain in the butt, and they're working with us anyway, and they want to do more.

Let's help them.

And I just feel like we need a proactive, deliberate strategy to engaging those vendors.

That's how we're going to change 65% of contracts but only 8% of spend, right?

That doesn't– that's not a pretty picture, right?

I mean, it's–

It's an improvement from where we were, and I realize that.

But we were.

should be doing so much better in that regard.

So I have, as you can imagine, a bunch more, but I've really appreciated the direct responses.

Let me pass it to Councilmember Stevens and then Councilmember Farias.