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HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 10230 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 10229 January 29, 2019 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council Page 3 of 3 SUBJECT: 2018 NEIGHBORHOOD AWARDS The Fort Worth Neighbor of the Year Award - Cheryl Mix, Darien George, Carol and Ray Feyan and Tabitha Williams All award finalists will be publicly recognized and winners for each category given an awards plaque during the 2018 Neighborhood Awards ceremony and luncheon. Two representatives from the neighborhood chosen as The Neighborhood of the Year will be invited to attend the Neighborhoods, USA (NUSA) Conference in Palm Springs, CA this May to compete in the NUSA Neighborhood of the Year national competition and represent neighborhoods across Fort Worth. Partnerships This annual event is organized and hosted by the Community Engagement Office in collaboration with over fifty area agencies, nonprofit organizations and city departments. Registration Advance registration is required to attend this free event and may be completed online at: FortworthTexas.gov/engagement. For more information about this event or to register by phone, please contact the Community Engagement Office at: 817-392-6201 or via email at: engagement@fortworthtexas.gov. David Cooke City Manager ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 10230 January 29, 2019 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council Page 1 of 2 SUBJECT: MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE MBE CAPACITY BUILDING In an effort to be more inclusive in utilizing Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) and to address the recurring challenge of MBE capacity rocess, the Office of Business Diversity (OBD) has been instrumental in increasing its coordination efforts with City departments, expanding its outreach efforts with other Tarrant County agencies, and forming non-traditional partnerships with outside entities that focus on MBE Capacity Building and Development. These efforts include: 1. Beck School of Construction The City has established a three-year partnership with the Beck Group Fort Worth for MBEs who have been in business at least one year and have gross annual revenues of $100,000 or greater. Approximately thirty eligible MBEs will be selected to attend the first cohort of the School and will graduate after taking eight classes in eight months. The goal of the program is to provide training to help MBEs within six county marketplace to increase their knowledge of the construction industry and to help them be competitive in bidding on projects with the City of Fort Worth, the Beck Group and other Public/Private organizations. 2. Informal Partnerships for Professional Services -Monthly Vendor Informational Forums Baldwin-Cox-Allen specializes in Insurance and Construction Bonding, with a high focus on working with M/WBEs. V & D Financial LLC specialty is Credit Counseling, Investing Services, and Business Consulting. V&D Financial has a network of lenders, prime and subprime, to meet the lending needs of their clients. They educate their clients on all aspects of the loan process credit worthiness. 3. Mentor/Protégé Program (MPP) The Office of Business Diversity (OBD) will launch a formal program by the end of June 2019 for certified MBEs in construction or construction- related services. They will be paired with larger Prime Contractors who have been in business at least seven years and have worked or bid on City projects. The Mentor will assess the needs of the Protégé and partner with their Protégé on projects to get on-the- job-training. The City has several criteria that a Protégé must meet to successfully graduate from the program such as increasing revenues, hiring additional employees, receiving an increase in bonding capacity, receiving bid awards on projects, and graduating from the Beck Construction School Fort Worth. 4. Partnership with the Dallas/Fort Worth Minority Supplier Development Council The goal is to increase bid opportunities. ction Hard Hat event assisted the City in the addition of fourteen new MBEs who bid on projects for the first time and were awarded contracts valued at more than $6.0 million. 5. Partnership with the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Tarrant County, Fort Worth ISD and the City of Arlington The agencies participate in bi-monthly Informational Vendor Business Assistance Center (BAC). They share upcoming bid requests and answer questions or concerns from the M/WBEs. ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 10230 January 29, 2019 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council Page 2 of 2 SUBJECT: MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE MBE CAPACITY BUILDING 6. Coordination Among City Departments - The OBD is working with departments to be more inclusive of MBEs in the procurement process. The OBD attends bi-monthly Contractor Table Talk meetings hosted by the Transportation and Public Works (TPW) Department. The City and the Contractors share best practices, changes in City policies and procedures, and information related to utilization of MBEs on City projects. The OBD plans to extend these efforts across all departments. 7. Online Training on City Procurement Requirements - The OBD is currently working s for all employees who bid contracts and purchase goods and services. City employees will be trained on the City-approved BDE Ordinance guidelines as they relate to compliance and inclusivity of M/WBEs. 8. Advocacy Events - The OBD participated in more than sixty advocacy events in 2018 and more than seventy-five advocacy events in 2017 to promote the development and utilization of M/WBEs. The City will continue to host bi-monthly Informational Vendor Forums, quarterly Certification and quarterly RFP, RFQ, ITB and Best Value Solicitation workshops for M/WBEs. Representatives from the Office of Business Diversity, TPW, Water, and Purchasing Departments provide instructions to the attendees on City processes and procedures applicable to their area of expertise. Staff will continually assess the effectiveness of these strategies and adjust as appropriate to ensure the goal of bu questions, please contact Robert Sturns, Director of Economic Development at (817) 392-2663. David Cooke City Manager ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS