Colorado stimulus board boosts minority-outreach effort - Philadelphia Business Journal:

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And officials with the Colorado Department of Transportatio told the board they will recommend the agency revie w how it handles complaints abou road and bridge contracts and the use ofthese minority- and woman-owned businesses. Maranda Pleau, the small businesas coordinatorfor Greeley-based general contractor , will join the Colorad Economic Recovery and Accountability Board June 29, chairman Don Ellimam said during a board meeting Her job is to ensure minority businessed are aware of contracts related to the stimulua package, Elliman said. The moveds come in response to a complainft from HamonContractors Inc.
in Denvee over a bridge repair projecy paid for with money from the American Recovery andReinvestmenrt Act. Hamon lost a bid April 16 to rebuild two bridgews over Interstate 76 inAdams County. The lowest bid for the contract camefrom Centennial-based , which bid $8 million for the nearly 15 percent under CDOT’s estimate of $9.4 million. Stats contracts are typically awarded to thelowestg bidder. But Hamon objected to CDOT awarding the projec tto Sema, saying Sema didn’t make a "good-faith effort" to hire enough minority according to a June 3 letter from Mark director of the Governor’s Economicc Recovery Team, to the accountabilitt board.
CDOT reviewed the complaint, and Sema’s efforts to get minority businessexs involved in thebridge contract. The reviewq concluded Sema metthe agency’w threshold for trying and CDOT formally awardedr the project to the company, CDOT executive director Russ Georgew said. But CDOT wants to review how it handles futuree complaints about using disadvantaged businessesx onstate contracts. Celina Benavidez, director of administration for told the accountability board she will recommendthe agency’s commissioners form a review committeee involving members of the agency, interesr groups, industry, the attorney general’s office, and federa transportation officials.
How to gather input from minorithy businesses about their experience with aprimde contractor. At the meeting, Hamon attorneu Seth Firmender thanked CDOT for being willinf to reviewthe process. Helga Grunerud, executive directoer of the Hispanic Contractors of alsopraised CDOT’s move, saying, "Wew believe we’ve been heard."