ODOT News
Sept. 6
For more information: Shelley M. Snow, ODOT Public Affairs, (503) 986-3438
SALEM – The Oregon Department of Transportation will be able to set goals for hiring specific minority-owned businesses on select projects in the federal fiscal years 2013 – 2015, after receiving approval for its Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program waiver request. The modified waiver, granted by the U.S. Department of Transportation, allows ODOT to set contract goals for groups that have experienced disparities, as found in studies conducted in 2007 and 2011.
Specifically, the modified waiver applies to those groups for whom statistically significant disparities were found in awarding work. The waiver permits African American-owned and Subcontinent Asian-owned DBEs to be counted toward contract goals on federally assisted construction contracts. It also permits all DBEs (except DBEs owned by Asian Pacific Americans – for whom significant disparities were not found in the 2011 disparity study) to be counted toward goals for federally assisted Architectural and Engineering (A&E) contracts.
For federally assisted construction projects, the modified waiver will apply to projects advertised on or after October 1, 2012. For federally assisted A&E contracts, the modified waiver will apply once ODOT recommences setting DBE contract goals. The timeframe for setting A&E contract goals will be announced on ODOT’s Office of Civil Rights website.
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