NEWS
RELEASE
MDC REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO CREATING OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE CLEAN WATER PROJECT
HARTFORD -- William A. DiBella, chairman of the Metropolitan District Board of Commissioners said: “The MDC fully recognizes that the Clean Water Project presents economic opportunities for local businesses of all sizes and for individual residents. Over the past several years, the MDC has intensified its search for contractors that are especially sensitive and aware of accessing the full resources in the region. And, the MDC is committed to hiring as many local workers as possible in the Clean Water Project,” he said.
“The Metropolitan District shares the goal of creating opportunities for all segments of the community. The MDC, its Commissioners, staff and Strategic Advisory Committee appreciate and understand the concerns expressed today. We will continue to keep our doors open and will continue the dialogue as we work to make this project a national model for success,” said Mr. DiBella.
The Clean Water Project is the largest project in the MDC’s history. In order to successfully complete it, the MDC will need the help of all capable individuals, suppliers, vendors and contractors.
Recent statements by some Hartford citizens have created the impression that the MDC is opposed to SB 1250. In fact, the MDC drafted the initial language to SB 1250 to allow for an equitable distribution of the costs of the Clean Water Project. In addition, the MDC proposed to change its historic procurement processes to allow for increased utilization of minority and women’s businesses.
“The District Board has developed an initiative to adopt Minority/Women Business Enterprise participation goals, which will be based upon assessments of available capacity and local demographics,” Mr. DiBella said. “We share a common interest with the community. However, we may differ on the means to get there,” he said.
“The MDC is fully committed to the concept and practice of equal employment opportunity and affirmative action. In fulfillment of these goals, the MDC supports requirements that are based on empirical data and legal precedent and that would not subject the MDC to future legal challenges affecting its ability to efficiently execute the project. Also, it is imperative that any requirements be attainable,” said Charles P. Sheehan, MDC Chief Executive Officer.
If the MDC fails to achieve the set-aside requirements specified in SB 1250 as amended, the MDC will not have the authority to apply a Clean Water Surcharge on customers’ water bills. The result would be that the ad valorem tax paid by each of the eight MDC member towns would increase by 16% more than general operations budgets in 2008, and more than double the ad valorem charge to each town by 2016.
Since 2001, the District has addressed under-representation of minority and women in its workforce and contractors. This initiative has intensified as planning for the Clean Water Project gets under way. The MDC is developing an aggressive program create minority and woman's business opportunities during the 15-year term of the project:
1. The MDC has established a focused Diversity Office to develop the necessary workforce and create specific project opportunities for area businesses. The Diversity Office will also ensure contract compliance and oversight.
2. In 2006, the MDC pre-qualified 31 certified minority firms for tasks in a wide range of services. Continued enrollment will begin with an informational workshop in May. In 2006, minority and women business enterprises accounted for more than 40% of the MDC’s capital contracts.
3. In early 2007, the MDC Board’s Diversity Committee formed a Strategic Advisory Committee (SAC) to develop a programmatic approach to increase the available minority workforce. The SAC has recommended that a component of this program include the development for the enhancement of the business capacity for area minority and women business enterprises that desire to work on MDC capital projects.
The SAC includes representatives from the State Department of Administrative Services, African-American Alliance, Spanish-American Merchants Association, neighborhood groups and the construction industry.
The MDC anticipates that 180 jobs will be sustained through the 15 years of the project. Of these, approximately 10% will be in the unskilled worker category. This is in addition to professional engineering and professional service contracts. The MDC is poised to implement the necessary training to develop the skill, expertise and licensing required for individual workers.
The MDC has compiled a list of the number and types of jobs that will be needed for each of the 400 separate projects that comprise the Clean Water Project. In addition, the MDC has compiled a comprehensive list of local educational institutions that offer relevant training and educational courses and programs. This list will be distributed, free of charge, throughout the community.
The Clean Water Project includes reduction of combined sewer overflows with the Hartford Central Sewer System, and elimination of sanitary sewer overflows in the sanitary sewers of Wethersfield, West Hartford, Windsor, Rocky Hill and Newington.
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Contact:
Matt Nozzolio
(860) 278-7850, ext. 3209
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