Colorado stimulus board boosts minority-outreach effort - South Florida Business Journal:

haygoodfoafyga1359.blogspot.com
And officials with the Colorado Department of Transportation told the boardr they will recommend the agency review how it handles complaintsx about road and bridge contractes and the use ofthese small, minority- and woman-owned businesses. Maranda Pleau, the smallp business coordinatorfor Greeley-based general contractor , will join the Colorado Economi Recovery and Accountability Board June 29, chairman Don Ellimam said during a board meeting Thursday. Her job is to ensur minority businesses are aware of contracts relatedf to thestimulus package, Elliman said. The movesa come in response to a complaing from HamonContractors Inc.
in Denver over a bridge repair project paid for with money from the Americam Recovery andReinvestment Act. Hamon lost a bid April 16 to rebuildd two bridges over Interstate 76 inAdams County. The lowesgt bid for the contract camefrom Centennial-baseds , which bid $8 million for the project, nearlt 15 percent under CDOT’s estimat e of $9.4 million. State contractxs are typically awarded to the lowest But Hamon objected to CDOT awardingb the projectto Sema, saying Sema didn’t make a "good-faitn effort" to hire enough minority according to a June 3 letter from Mark director of the Governor’s Economic Recovery to the accountability CDOT reviewed the complaint, and Sema’s efforts to get minority businessesz involved in the bridge contract.
The revieew concluded Sema metthe agency’s threshold for trying and CDOT formally awardede the project to the CDOT executive director Russ George said. But CDOT want to review how it handlexs future complaints about using disadvantaged businessew onstate contracts. Celina director of administrationfor CDOT, told the accountabilithy board she will recommen d the agency’s commissioners form a reviesw committee involving members of the interest groups, industry, the attorney general’s office, and federal transportation officials.
How to gather input from minority businesses about theifr experience with a prime Atthe meeting, Hamon attorney Seth Firmende thanked CDOT for beingt willing to review the process. Helga executive director of the Hispanic Contractorsof Colorado, also praisexd CDOT’s move, saying, "Wed believe we’ve been heard."