Rolling Ahead

County Councilman Rodney Streeter Helps Residents Spring Forward Toward A Post-COVID Summer, A Safer County and Opportunities For Small And Minority Businesses

Neither heat, nor COVID-19, nor cicadas could keep the work from getting done in District 7 led by councilmember Rodney Streeter June 5.

For the second time this year, the Councilman and his staff led a community shred event participated in by so many County residents the lines of vehicles often wound throughout the parking lot and beyond its border.

Councilmember Streeter (right) speaks with the coordinator of the community shred event. PHOTO:RAOUL DENNIS // PRINCE GEORGE’S SUITE MAGAZINE & MEDIA

Streeter says that shredding events remain increasingly popular among residents. He and his staff hosted three such events in 2019 in varying sections of his district----all of them well attended to the point of overflow.

But old document shredding isn’t the only issue Streeter is attending.  He’s pleased with the issues that the new budget addresses.

The council member excitedly discussed the Council’s legislation on procurement law. “We made it much easier for small businesses to get involved in the procurement process,” he says. “As a matter of fact some of the procurement contract opportunities are set aside for locals, they won’t even have to bid on them. We also established a mentor-protégé program. It requires that the bigger, established mentor and leverage the resources of the smaller companies to bring them up so that they can become prime contractors.”

The line to the community shred stretched across the parking lot. PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF COUNCIL MEMBER RODNEY STREETER PATRICE MURRAY

He references the council’s study on procurement which revealed that only 5% of procurement contracts will going to local businesses in the county. “What that did for us was give us the data support we needed to be more aggressive about creating legislation to address it. Before the study, we knew [that there was an imbalance] but now we had it in writing to back up the claims that most of us always sensed.”

Streeter wants to remind residents that the virus is still among us and that they need to get vaccinated and remain cautious. “People need to remember that the threat still exists regarding the virus,” he says.

The District 7 leader is excited that the partnerships formed between government and small businesses and local churches to help residents survive through the pandemic may become lasting ties after the pandemic is over.

“I’m excited because many of our nonprofit, small businesses, churches and government worked together and now that things are opening up, I’m looking forward to new projects and developments.”