Fiscal Note
$500 for the 2010 membership fee is available from the appropriation provided in the 2010 Adopted City Operating Budget under "Miscellaneous Appropriations: City Memberships." Future years' membership fees are estimated at $1,000 annually and will need to be included in future operating budgets.
Title
Authorizing City officials to apply for initial and continuing annual membership with the Sweatfree Purchasing Consortium, comprised of government agencies committed to a policy of responsible, fair and humane procurement of apparel.
Body
This resolution authorizes application by the City of Madison for membership in Sweatfree Purchasing Consortium, and directs the proper City officials to apply for the City's membership in this group.
WHEREAS, Madison General Ordinances Sec. 4.25(1) states that the City will procure items from responsible contractors and vendors who provide a fair, humane, safe, non-discriminatory work environment, and compensate their employees with non-poverty wages; and
WHEREAS, SweatFree Communities, a 501c3 organization, is a U.S. national network of anti-sweatshop organizations that recognize the potential in humane government purchasing for building a system of fair trade and creating positive alternatives to global sweatshops; and
WHEREAS, SweatFree Communities has a subcommittee known as the Sweatfree Purchasing Consortium whose task is to assist public entities in achieving their sweatfree procurement goals and enforcing their sweatfree policies; and
WHEREAS, over 180 concerned cities, counties, local government agencies and school districts have committed to sweatfree procurement; and
WHEREAS, the Cities of Ashland, Austin, Milwaukee, Portland and San Francisco, and the States of Maine, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin are current members of the Sweatfree Purchasing Consortium; and
WHEREAS, the Cities of Portland, San Francisco and Berkeley have made grants in the range of $20,000 each to develop the Sweatfree Communities Consortium; and
WHEREAS, the steering committee of the consortium consists of the States of Maine, New York and Pennsylvania, and the Cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco; and
WHEREAS, members of the consortium will benefit from the coordinated monitoring of vendors, use of a joint database and development of pre-approved vendors; and
WHEREAS, membership in the Sweatfree Purchasing Consortium shall be complementary to the City's efforts in meeting its goals for responsible, sweatshop-free purchasing, enforcing ordinance provisions provided under MGO Sec. 4.25 and shall not infringe upon its procurement authority specified in this section;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the proper City officials are directed to apply for the City's membership in the Sweatfree Purchasing Consortium, and an initial amount of $500 for membership shall be appropriated from the Mayor's membership account.