The United States Department of Transportation’s (DOT) objectives for the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program (49 CFR Part 26) is to ensure there is no discrimination in the award and administration of DOT-assisted contracts, create a level playing field, remove barriers to participation in DOT contracts, and promote the use of DBEs in federally-assisted contracts & procurement activities.
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) requires Yakima Transit to have a DBE program because Yakima Transit spends more than $250,000 on planning, capital, or operating activities. Because Yakima Transit crosses the federal spending threshold, Yakima Transit is required to set a DBE goal every three years and provide outreach to women and minority owned businesses meeting the minimum qualifications (must be a small business owned by a woman or minority, owner must have a personal net worth of less than $1.32M). The program requires an in depth accounting of the individual’s assets and income, to ensure that the individual is in fact economically disadvantaged.
The DBE goal is based on Yakima Transit’s anticipated federal contracting opportunities with available DBEs. Following public outreach efforts, Yakima Transit still does not have any anticipated contracting opportunities during the three-year period with registered DBEs; as a result, Yakima Transit’s DBE goal remains at zero. Furthermore, Yakima Transit cannot contract with DBE contractors, unless they are the most qualified bidder.
Enclosed is a City memo from the City Purchasing Manager to the FTA Regional Civil Rights Officer for Region 10 outlining Yakima Transit’s DBE Program Outreach and Goal Setting. There are six registered disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE) organizations in the Yakima Region. Yakima Transit’s planning projects will not be able to utilize any of the DBEs over the next three years because we do not have any projects specific to the services they offer. As a result, Yakima Transit’s DBE goal remains at zero. |