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ATLANTIC CITY — The city is doing a good job contracting with local businesses, according to an analysis by At-Large Councilman Bruce Weekes.
Weeks gave his report on contracting from January to October this year at Tuesday’s council meeting.
“Since January, … we have voted on $25 million in contracts,” Weekes said.
Of the $25 million, $21 million (85%) went to New Jersey companies and $4.5 million (18%) went to Atlantic City companies, Weekes said.
The 86 companies that won contracts were from 55 municipalities in New Jersey and seven states, he said.
“There is a general perception that the lion share of city government contracting is not kept within the local economy,” Weekes said. “My analysis dispels many myths.”
Only Lawrence Township had a higher percentage of contracting dollars than Atlantic City, Weekes said, and that was because of a single $5.8 million contract to Benecard Services, which is a prescription benefit administrator.
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In general, Weekes said, “the companies we do business with for larger amounts are closer to home.”
Minority owned businesses, which include women-owned businesses, got 10.2% of contracts worth $2.5 million, Weekes said.
“That’s better than what I expected,” he said.
Of the minority owned businesses getting contracts 66% were based in Atlantic City, he said.
Toys for Kids
Sgt. Greg DiPiano of the Atlantic City Police Department is president of Atlantic County’s Toys for Kids program, which he has worked with for decades.
He was honored by Atlantic City City Council on Tuesday.
“You are a long time hero to this community,” said Councilwoman LaToya Dunston. “For my 15 plus years with the drill team (A.C. X-Clusive Drill Team) you always reached out and made sure kids always had toys. Not just for the drill team, but for the while community.”
DiPiano said he will probably retire from heading the organization in three years, when he will have been president for 41 years.
To donate toys to the program, see the list of drop box locations around the county at: toysforkidsprogram.org/drop-box-locations/
Uptown pump
Council President Aaron “Sporty” Randolph reported Tuesday that the pump to remove flood waters from the Baltic Avenue Canal is final working again.
Randolph said City Engineer Uzo Ahiarakwe and the Public Works Department headed by Crystal Lewis have been working on it.
The pump in Fisherman’s Park in the Inlet, was introduced to the city to great acclaim in 2019, but has repeatedly failed and required more work.
“We will continue to have meetings so the pump will continue to work,” Randolph said.
African American Chamber of Commerce
The African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey has an office in the old Carnegie Library in Atlantic City, where it is providing services locally, said Gene Bouie, executive director of the chamber’s Training and Development Institute.
The chamber was established on Juneteenth in 2007, Bouie said, and of 7,000 COC’s across the nation is the only African American chamber to be accredited by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
“We’re like best in class,” Bouie said, thanking Mayor Marty Small Sr. for giving the chamber city space at the library on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard from which to operate.
“Two weeks ago nine Atlantic City residents completed our security officer training and are now licensed by the state to be security officers,” Bouie said. “That’s a pretty good start.”
For more information on job training and other services, email tdi@aaccnj.com or visit the web site at aaccnj.com/.