Title
Resolution to Approve a Professional Services Agreement with Obsidian Research Insights LLC for Consultative Services for Harms Report (NTE $200,000.00)
Memorandum
This resolution is requesting approval to advance a research project that will result in the issuance of a Harms Report.
City Council approved Resolution R-24-259, “Resolution to Study a Reparations Program in Ann Arbor to Remediate Historical Injustices and Discrimination Against its Black Residents” on June 18, 2024. This resolution directed the City Administrator to conduct a study of feasibility, process, and structure of a potential Municipal Reparations program. Municipal reparations refer to actions taken by a city government to formally acknowledge, address, and remediate historical injustices and discrimination through direct financial restitution, policy reforms, community investments, and public acknowledgments.
This report should include a “Harms Report” (also known as an impact report) regarding the harms to be addressed by the potential Municipal Reparations Program. This report will include a review of the past policies, laws, practices, regulations and impacts on the Black community in the areas of housing and policing.
The City Administrator conducted RFP 26-09 for consultative services for a Harms Report for potential reparations program. The emergent firm is Obsidian Research Insights LLC (ORI) based in Washington, DC. ORI will be collaborating with Blue Marble Analytics to perform this research project. The latter being a firm that is based in Indianapolis, Indiana. ORI will serve as project management, develop the innovative research plan, and lead all data collection and analysis. Overall, ORI will serve as the City’s main point of contact and drive the project forward efficiently and effectively.
The work will be performed by a team lead by Dr. Rashawn Ray, who is a graduate of the University of Memphis, and has two degrees from Indiana University. Dr. Ray is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Maryland, and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. He is the author of three books and has been featured as a commentator on C-SPAN, BBC, CBS, MSNBD, and NPR.
The day-to-day project manager will be Dr. Rebecca Shankman, who holds degrees from the University of Marlyand and Ohio State University. Her specialties include qualitive and quantitative research, geospatial mapping, historical data review, and landscape analysis.
The Data Analyst for the project will be Mr. Maurice Simpson of Blue Marble Analytics. He holds degrees and certificates from Georgia Institute of Technology, Purdue University, and Harvard.
Rounding out the core team is Cedric Fillmore, VP of Analytics and Partner for Blue Marble. He holds degrees from Indiana University, Georgia Institute of Technology, and the Indiana Institute of Technology.
This project will take approximately twelve months to complete and will be managed by the City Administrator’s Office.
ORI is compliant with the City’s living wage, non-discrimination, and conflict of interest policies and is prepared to immediately begin work upon contract execution.
Budget/Fiscal Impact: Funds for this project are budgeted in approved FY26 City Administrator General Fund Operations and Maintenance Budget.
Staff
Prepared by: Milton Dohoney Jr., City Administrator
Reviewed by: Marti Praschan, Financial & Administrative Service Area Administrator & CFO
Approved by: Milton Dohoney Jr., City Administrator
Body
Whereas, The City wishes to conduct research into the impacts that past policies, laws, practices, and regulations have had on the Black community in the City of Ann Arbor as they relate to housing and policing;
Whereas, The City expects to receive from ORI an impact report known as a “Harms Report” at the culmination of the research project;
Whereas, ORI is compliant with the City’s living wage, non-discrimination, and conflict of interest policies and is prepared to immediately begin work upon contract execution;
Whereas, The City has not debated or taken any action previously on a Municipal Reparations Program;
Whereas, The Harms Report findings would at a minimum enable the City to consider findings that are not merely anecdotal;
Whereas, The City will receive the Harms Report after the conclusion of an approximate 12-month study period;
Whereas, The Harms Report will consist of three components: a Context Report, a Community Impact Report, and an Initiative Impact Dashboard;
Whereas, ORI will be engaging the City Administrator’s Office each month during the research timeline; and
Whereas, The research process will require engagement with several service area staff members, and current and former Ann Arbor residents;
RESOLVED, That City Council approves the Professional Services Agreement between Obsidian Research Insights LLC (ORI) and the City of Ann Arbor for Consultative Services for Harms Report for Potential Reparations Program (“Agreement”), in an amount not to exceed $200,000.00, for the purposes of researching the impacts of past policies, laws, practices, and regulations related to housing and policing on the Black community in the City of Ann Arbor;
RESOLVED, That any funding in the FY26 expenditure budget related to this Professional Services Agreement be carried forward without regard to fiscal year;
RESOLVED, That the Harms Report will consist of three components: a Context Report, a Community Impact Report, and an Initiative Impact Dashboard;
RESOLVED, That the Mayor and City Clerk be authorized and directed to execute the Agreement after approval by the City Administrator and the City Attorney; and
RESOLVED, That the City Administrator be authorized to take all necessary actions to implement this resolution, including execution of related additional agreements necessary to effectuate the terms of this Agreement; execution of authorized renewals and amendments not exceeding the approved expenditure amount; and termination of this Agreement as needed.