The City of Phoenix's Public Transit Department is reaching out to the local business community with an invitation to join an upcoming meeting to discuss an Availability and Disparity study. The study will examine how Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) fare in the field of transportation contracting. Small business owners, especially those who are disadvantaged, women, or minorities, are encouraged to attend to learn about the study and explore opportunities for doing business with the city. Officials reported the news on August 12th, detailing the focus of the study and the involvement of Mason Tillman Associates.
According to the announcement, participants will not only learn about the study but will also be able to provide feedback and ask questions about future public contracting opportunities. Mason Tillman Associates, the firm hired for the study, will delve into the DBE program's contracting practices to determine the level playing field – or lack thereof – that small, women-owned, and minority local businesses currently experience. Crucially, the feedback from these community meetings will help shape the future of the DBE program in Phoenix.
There's a clear goal set by the Public Transit Department: to use the results of the study and the experiences shared by local businesses to boost their participation in the DBE program. Not only is this an opportunity for local business owners to get involved with city projects, but it also serves as a platform to voice concerns and possible improvements directly to the city's contracting system.
For those interested in taking part, two virtual meetings are scheduled for September 24, according to Mason Tillman Associates. Both meetings will cover identical material, offering flexible participation options — one at 9 a.m. and another at 1 p.m. Attendees need simply to join virtually via Webex to engage, as detailed in the city announcement. This setup is designed to ensure convenience and to foster as much attendance and input as possible from the business community.
Register and find more details on the September 24th meetings, including accommodations for those who require them, by contacting Lars Jacoby at 602-534-6192 or TTY/7-1-1. Joining instructions, meeting numbers, and passwords are available on the original announcement page. For those with immediate questions or concerns about the study or meetings, Mason-Tillman Associates can be directly contacted at (602) 613-0644. On social media, discussions and updates can be followed using the hashtags #DBE and #PhoenixPublicTransit.
