Washington State Department of Transportation Upcoming Virtual Meetings

Washington State Department of Transportation – NEWS

Headquarters – 310 Maple Park Avenue SE – Olympia, WA 98504-7314 – 360 705-7000

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July, 2023

 

Contact: Nina Jones, Office of Equal Opportunity, 360-947-6788

Proposed interim overall triennium goal methodology for under-represented firms

WSDOT to host virtual public meetings and teleconferences July 25 and August 1

 

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Transportation is proposing an interim overall triennium goal methodology, for disadvantaged business participation, on all federally funded projects and is accepting written comments on the proposals through Tuesday, August 15.

The proposed interim goal methodologies are available at:

Please note that the overall triennium goal set forth in this methodology, which remains 19%, will continue until the completion of our current disparity study estimated to be completed in Fall of 2023. The goal is for Federal Fiscal Years 2024-2026.

A new methodology will be drafted, vetted and WSDOT will revise the current triennium goal and once again allow opportunity for public comment.

The purpose of the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program is to create a level playing field for firms owned and operated by disadvantaged individuals wanting to participate in federally assisted highway, transit, and aviation programs. To qualify as a DBE, a firm must be a for-profit business that is at least 51 percent owned by an individual or individuals who are women, part of a federally recognized racial minority group, or otherwise socially and economically disadvantaged. Qualifying firms must be certified by the Office of Minority & Women’s Business Enterprises to participate in the DBE program.

WSDOT is inviting contractors, labor and trade organizations, small and disadvantaged businesses, and others interested in working with the agency to attend one of its upcoming informational meetings regarding the proposed goal methodology.

WSDOT has scheduled two public meetings to take comments, both from 2 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 25 and Tuesday, August 1. These meetings will be held in person and via teleconference. Individuals interested in attending need to register in advance by emailing Nina Jones at jonesni@wsdot.wa.gov.

Details about how to participate will be provided upon registering.

Comments on the proposed interim methodology will be accepted until 5 p.m. Tuesday, August 15, and can be mailed to:

 

Nina Jones

Business Diversity and Inclusion Manager

WSDOT, Office of Equity and Civil Rights

P.O. Box 47314

Olympia, WA 98504-7314

Or submitted via email to:  jonesni@wsdot.wa.gov.

 

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WSDOT keeps people, businesses and the economy moving by operating and improving the state’s transportation systems. To learn more about what we’re doing, go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/news for pictures, videos, news, and blogs. Real time traffic information is available at www.wsdot.com/traffic/ or by dialing 511.

 

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Information

Accommodation requests for people with disabilities can be made by contacting the WSDOT Diversity/ADA Affairs team at wsdotada@wsdot.wa.gov or by calling toll-free, 855-362-4ADA (4232). Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may make a request by calling the Washington State Relay at 711.

 

Title VI Statement to Public: It is WSDOT’s policy to assure that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, national origin, or sex, as provided by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise discriminated against under any of its federally funded programs and activities. Any person who believes his or her Title VI protection has been violated may file a complaint with WSDOT’s Office of Equal Opportunity. For additional information regarding Title VI complaint procedures and/or information regarding our non-discrimination obligations, please contact OEO’s Title VI Coordinator at 360-705-7090.

 

 

Aprende y Avanza Education Program

This program was developed under the supervision of the Department of Labor and Industry and the course can be taken in English or Spanish, which is a first in Washington State. We encourage all Members, MBEs and business contacts to take this course so they can avoid penalties involving compliance with Washington State labor laws.
After you register upon taking the first course, individuals will receive a $25 digital gift card from DoorDash so they can enjoy some good food as they are learning. (There a limited number of electronic DoorDash gift cards, so please take advantage of this promotion as soon as possible!)
This is a program offered by The Northwest Mountain MSDC in partnership with the Seattle Latino Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. We also invite you to register yourself and your staff so you can take advantage of this learning material as well as enjoy a nice meal courtesy of Door Dash.

For more information and enrollment click here. 

Request for Services for West Point Treatment Plant

King County’s new E-Procurement Supplier Portal is now live! Register today to for a chance to support the upcoming West Point Treatment Plant project.

KC000800 RFI-GC/CM SERVICES FOR WEST POINT TREATMENT PLANT

PURPOSE: King County Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) held an Open House on 1/31/23, requesting industry comments on its upcoming GC/CM Services for WPTP Project, located in Seattle, WA. King County anticipates utilizing the General Contractor/Construction Manager (GCCM) delivery method and is seeking Project Review Committee Approval on 3/23/2023.

King County is providing prospective Proposers an opportunity to provide feedback, particularly on the items within the formal Request for Information (RFI) questionnaire. Responses to the RFI will assist in formulation of the PRC application.

PROJECT BACKGROUND: The West Point Treatment Plant (WPTP) provides secondary treatment for approximately 700,000 residents and businesses in Seattle and northern King County. With many mechanical, electrical, and support systems at the WPTP reaching the end of useful life, King County will invest more than $800 million over the next 10 years to upgrade the WPTP. This project will deliver a portion of that work, including mechanical, electrical, and seismic upgrades and will coordinate with other active construction contracts at the Plant.  Constraints includes performing work on an operating wastewater treatment facility which requires carefully planned and executed outages, close coordination with Operations and Maintenance staff, and sequencing of projects to minimize Plant disruption.  In addition, space is limited for contractor staging and parking which may require off-site lay down and parking.

MACC ESTIMATE: $150,000,000 – $200,000,000

KING COUNTY’S E-PROCUREMENT SUPPLIER PORTAL

The official advertisement for this RFI has been published through King County’s E-Procurement system. To receive future notifications, please be sure your firm is registered in King County’s E-Procurement Supplier Portal. For registration information, please visit:

Click here to register.

Year End Meeting Recap

Thank you to those of you who participated in the Northwest Mountain MSDC 2022 Year End Meeting! The Council appreciates everyone’s efforts in making this a memorable event.

The opportunity to gather with individuals, MBEs and Corporate/Public Agencies highlighted discussions around parity for MBEs, equity in minority communities and a year in review for the Council. Lead by Fernando Martinez, guests enjoyed a presentation about this years accomplishments and an outlook on the milestones set for 2023. The presentation also included anecdotal data on the return on investment for MBEs and Corporate/Public agencies through sponsorship, as well as financial goals met for the year.

Special thanks to our title sponsor T-Mobile USA Inc. and our Year End Meeting sponsor JP Morgan Chase & Co. for their contributions to the event as well as the rest of our Annual Sponsors for another year of support.

Click here to view the full 2022 Year End Meeting presentation.

Credits to Mike Nakamura Photography LLC for capturing the memorable moments from this event!

Port of Seattle Business Accelerator Program Update

Congratulations to the Port of Seattle Business Accelerator Cohort for making it halfway through this year’s program.  The Council looks forward to seeing the cohort continue to develop and grow through the remaining learning sessions, best practice sharing, and mentorship.

Weeks one through five included in-depth engagement sessions and workshops highlighting topics such as, financial health, strategic communications and even a Regional Contracting Forum where participants got to engage with Corporate and Public Agencies. Other sessions included a business plan builder and infrastructure design panels covering accounting, legal and banking relationships. After the first 5 weeks of programming, the majority of the cohort associates have reported the beneficial growth of their organization in some form. Some of the cohort associates have reported winning new contracts, building new relationships, and exploring partnerships with their cohort peers.

“My experience with the Port of Seattle Business Accelerator Program to date has been great, affording the opportunity to learn from others as well as make meaningful networking connections. We are already partnering with one of my fellow cohort members!”

-Edward Buyers, Partner and Lead Consulting, ONIT Management Consulting

“The Business Accelerator has been a wealth of information and incredible networking opportunity– I look forward to improving our sales/ marketing approach to scale our material/ equipment procurement logistics services.” 

 -David Molina, Founder & CEO at Molinas Construction Company

During the remaining weeks the associates can expect more learning opportunities and engaging sessions such as, the general contracting panel, marketing collateral design workshop and additional learning sessions. These challenging sessions are bolstered with the help and leadership of mentors plus the willingness of cohort associates to accept feedback. The Council in collaboration with the Port of Seattle thank the 50+ individuals and companies that have contributed to the success of the 2022 Port of Seattle Business Accelerator Program.

Join us on Wednesday, November 16th for the Business Accelerator Graduation Ceremony as the Council and Port of Seattle celebrate the completion of the 2022 Programming!

 

26th Annual Scholarship Fundraiser & Silent Auction Recap

On September 1st, 2022 The Northwest Mountain Minority Supplier Development Council celebrated the 26th Annual Scholarship Fundraiser & Silent Auction at the Washington National Golf Club, with all proceeds benefitting the MBE Scholarship fund. In efforts to support our MBEs through their continuing education and minority business advancement we raised $15,738.19, which exceeded the amount of proceeds made from last year by more than $2,000!

Congratulations to this years tournament, contest, raffle and silent auction winners:

1st Place: Greater Pacific Industries Team: Ben Zhang, Alex Cormier, Travis Pozega, and Dawa Sangpo

2nd Place: The Boeing Company Team: Matt Blondin and Vivian Wisdom hosting Ron Benman from Hovair Systems Mfg., Inc. and Mike Byron from Vital Mechanical Service

3rd Place: PromoShop Team: Mathew Mason and Memo Khan hosting Joel Gillespie from The Microsoft Corporation and Eric Shimizu from DKS Associates

Congratulations to our Straight Drive, Closest to the Pin, Long Drive, Mega Putt, and raffle winners:
Mike Byron, Erik Lee, Chris Goodman, Jeff Blackham, Shanell Powell and Vivian Wisdom.

Thank you to our annual sponsors, guest and auction contributors for making this a great event for everyone involved. Enjoy a gallery of photos from the event, captured by Mike Nakamura Photography.

Seeking Growth For Your Business? Apply to the PortGen Accelerator Today

The Northwest Mountain MSDC in collaboration with the Port of Seattle has officially opened applications for the PortGen Accelerator, an extensive two-month business development program for minority-owned small businesses in Seattle!
The program launches September 7th and will seek businesses with 2+ years of experience in the construction, A&E, electrical, specialty services and general goods and services industries (Or demonstrate C level experience in similar business). The PortGen accelerator will aim to support businesses in Seattle, South King County, and surrounding areas.

Turner Construction Launches TCSM Program

Turner School of Construction Management Program

The Turner Construction Company is excited to launch the Turner School of Construction Management Program! The 5 week, 9-course program is set to begin September 6th, where attendees will meet every Tuesday and Thursday.

Click here, to view the full program details and see how you can apply today!