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PURPOSE The purpose of the Public Hearing is to comply with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements as outlined in 49 CFR Part 26.47(5)(g)(1). The Greater Hartford Transit District (GHTD) is currently revising its Fiscal Year 2007 DBE utilization goal and is soliciting input from concerned parties regarding the program with a public hearing. BACKGROUND The hearing was held on Tuesday, June 12, 2007, beginning at 10:00 AM in the Multipurpose Room at the offices of the Greater Hartford Transit District, One Union Place, Hartford, Connecticut. Small, Minority and Women-Owned Business Community Groups and Representatives were represented by Alvin Bingham, State of Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities. Dr. Fred McKinney, President of the Connecticut Minority Supplier Development Council was consulted via telephone conference on June 11, 2007, as he was unable to attend the Public Hearing. A number of other parties that would have information concerning the availability of disadvantaged businesses, the effects of discrimination on opportunities for dbe firms, and the agency's efforts to establish a level playing field for the participation of dbe firms had been invited and were not represented, including:
DISCUSSION TOPICS The following responses were obtained as a result of the discussion of the above items. 1) If there is a reasonable basis to conclude the Greater Hartford Transit District could achieve its goal of DBE participation using race-neutral means; Answer: Yes. Race neutral means such as the use of procurement forecasts and outreach efforts should be sufficient to allow the GHTD to reach its DBE goals. The Connecticut Minority Supplier Development Council (CMSDC) noted major corporations seeking diversity suppliers in Connecticut do not use race-based programs. However, they do perform aggressive vendor outreach programs and also work to carefully match diversity suppliers with the right contract. 2) Conditions in our jurisdiction are appropriate for implementing the proposal Answer: Yes. A survey of current and potential DBE suppliers revealed 67 individual companies in Connecticut that were represented in the 18 NAICS codes relating to the DOT grants. The pool of current and potential DBEs was even larger when you take into account the neighboring states of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. There remains the issue of persuading potential DBEs to initiate the certification process through the State of Connecticut Department of Transportation Unified Certification Program. 3) The proposed goal is consistent with applicable law and program requirements of the Federal Transit Administration's financial assistance program. Answer: Yes 4) Expanding the State of Connecticut Department of Transportation DBE Directory through expanded outreach to minority- and women-owned business groups in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Answer: Yes. The GHTD has hired a consultant, Daniel Penn Associates, who has compiled a DBE Directory. This directory lists all current and potential DBE suppliers within the 18 applicable NAICS codes relating to the 2007 DOT grants. The directory provides profile information of DBE firms in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Again, the issue of potential firms becoming certified through the UCP was discussed. It was also suggested that the State of Connecticut Department of Administrative Services and the Department of Transportation Contract Compliance Office work together to encourage certification under both programs by its vendors. There is also the fact that at the present time, the State of Connecticut Department of Transportation Unified Certification Program has not secured a reciprocity agreement with any other certifying entity, which limits the agency's pool of fully certified firms. 5) Discuss any experiences you have encountered with discrimination with DOT-related contracts and/or subcontracts. The CMSDC did not provide any specific cases of discrimination. However, they shared a concern that combining minority- and women-owned businesses together into a DBE classification tended to “crowd out” the MBE firms. DBE Program Challenges and experiences that may be preventing more DBE participation are:
6) Your recommendations on how to improve the overall effectiveness of the District's DBE program. Answer. The following are recommended improvements to the GHTD DBE program
SUMMARY Meeting the DBE goals is a process. The GHTD has taken the following positive steps to meet the DOT-required goals:
Overall, there as a concern the DOT-recommended 10 percent goal may not be realistic for the GHTD, particularly based on the number of dbe firms certified through the UCP program. The agency will obtain additional information to determine an appropriate goal for Fiscal Year 2008. Attachment: List of Participants Kimberly A. Dunham Vicki L. Shotland DJ Gonzalez Dr. Fred McKinney Alvin K. Bingham Ken Golden Richard Hernandez |
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