Budget Message / Highlights - Metropolitan Water Reclamation ...

METROPOLITAN WATER RECLAMATION DISTRICT OF GREATER CHICAGO
2009 BUDGET
GENERAL ADMINISTRATION
2009 BUDGET NARRATIVE (continued)
compliance requirements and penalties for noncompliance were strengthened; bids that exceed the allowable supplier exception
amount will be deemed non-responsive; and additional race and gender neutral measures were included.
The Ordinance includes certain standards enunciated in the Supreme Court decision in City of Richmond v. Croson. The
District was the first major Cook County government to adopt an affirmative action ordinance following the ruling. In 1998,
the United States Environmental Protection Agency recognized the District’s affirmative action annual study to compile and
analyze data for PCE goal availability, which is a fundamental standard for establishing affirmative action goals. The goals set
for general contracting are 20 percent for minority, 10 percent for women, and 10 percent for small business participation. In
accordance with the Affirmative Action Ordinance, when minority or women owned businesses meet the criteria for small
business enterprises, their respective awards may be counted towards the attainment of goals established for Small Business
Enterprises. The charts illustrate the success of the affirmative action program through the third quarter of 2008. The third
quarter numbers represent an estimate based upon first and second quarter actuals.
A comprehensive reorganization of the PCE vendor list was conducted in 1998. The purpose of this effort was to develop a list
that designates only businesses that are in fact PCEs. The District lists as a PCE only those companies that have provided a
copy of a City of Chicago certification letter issued within the prior year, and/or those firms which have been reviewed and
approved by the District as a PCE in the prior two years. Non-certified PCEs currently on the District’s vendor list are being
encouraged to obtain a City of Chicago certification.
Construction & Consulting Contracts 2004 2005 2006 2007 3rd Qtr. 2008
Minority Business Enterprises $22,176,011 $30,170,332 $48,498,346 $15,455,427 $41,124,176
Women Business Enterprises $11,295,165 $11,013,594 $25,293,947 $7,794,445 $18,649,399
Small Business Enterprises $29,830,996 $38,817,093 $40,548,450 $16,370,952 $61,077,244
Total Contract Bid Amounts $136,202,409 $135,279,827 $272,871,958 $70,670,640 $226,971,470
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