(A) The Procurement Manager and his or her staff play a paramount role in making this program/policy work. All purchasing and procurement activity must be performed in a manner consistent with this program/policy. The commitment to this program/policy must extend to every member of the purchasing (procurement) staff. Purchasing shall provide timely and complete information to the DBE office on all RFPs, RFQs and bid solicitations along with proposed vendors’ listings prior to the mailing of these documents in order to ensure that minority- and female-owned firms are included in the bid solicitation process.
(B) Additionally, on a bi-monthly basis, procurement shall provide the DBE office with copies of the requisition logs which indicate pending solicitations. This log will be used by the MBE office to locate possible additional vendors for goods or services to be requisitioned.
(C) On the first workday following the end of each month, the Procurement Manager shall forward to the DBE office the completed log sheets detailing all purchases made in the month ended and DBE contact reports. These sheets are used to measure DBE goal attainment and are used to provide required reports to the Board of Directors and to UMTA.
(D) Purchasing (procurement) shall act affirmatively to ensure that minority and female owned entrepreneurs are solicited and given equal consideration in bid, quote and proposal offerings.
(E) The Department Head of Planning and Development shall keep the DBE office advised of proposed activities involving possible opportunities for minority and female entrepreneurs resulting from planning proposals.
(F) The CRD Treasurer shall ensure that equitable banking relationships are established and maintained with minority and female controlled financial institutions.
(G) The Manager of Insurance Department and staff shall follow the public bidding procedures in quest of carriers and carrier agents to contract for insurance coverage. This includes providing the DBE office with specifications and the proposed lists of bidders prior to solicitations. The DBE office will, where appropriate, add additional firms to be solicited.
(H) The Division of Grant Development shall provide the DBE office with pertinent and timely information regarding CRD’s requests for DOT project funding, and the receipt of such funds.
(I) He or she shall ensure that specifications are received by the Procurement Department prior to bid solicitation, in time to be included in the information submitted to the DBE office for adding appropriate DBE firms to the solicitation list. The Division shall ensure that specifications are written in terms that are not restrictive vis-a-vis brand name or limiting to one manufacturer or firm.
(J) He or she shall provide timely notice to the DBE Director of all pre-bid/pre-proposal and pre-award conferences to ensure that all compliance requirements are made known to contractors.
(K) Subcontractors and joint venture partners proposed by prime contractors will require the written approval of the DBE Director and the Manager of Technical Services, or his or her designate. Substitutions of subs or joint ventures shall also require the same concurrences.
(L) The DBE Director shall copy the Manager of Technical Services on all correspondence to prime contractors relating to compliance problems. Upon such notification, the Program Development Director may contact the prime contractor and advise him or her of the necessity to correct the problem(s) in order to avoid such sanctions as may be imposed under law, regulation or contract
(M) The Information Systems Division shall provide timely data to the DBE office in order to ensure accurate reporting to required agencies.
(N) The Law Department shall provide such counsel as may be needed to ensure compliance with relevant statutes, laws, ordinances, court decisions and presidential orders.
(O) The foregoing delineates the minimal responsibilities of the personnel specifically cited in contributing to the success of this program. The DBE office should be advised in a timely manner of all actions taken by Managers and other staff with respect to DBE activities. This is a requisite for the fulfillment of the reporting obligations of the DBE office.
(P) Commuter Rail Division personnel at every level who are empowered to commit funds, expend, deposit or do any act of commerce on behalf of the CRD shall affirmatively direct their activities in accord with this Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program/policy. Personnel with major responsibilities for ensuring the success of this program will be evaluated on their performance in this area.
(Ord. CRB 84-42, passed 9-14-1984)