MnDOT DBE lawsuit meeting

Springboard Economic Development Corp., a nonprofit community group dedicated to engaging, developing, monitoring and promoting capacity building for business, is inviting interested public review meeting about its lawsuit with the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

Contractors and community stakeholders are invited to participate in an overview of the pending lawsuit against the MnDOT Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program. The suit challenges the constitutionality of MnDOTs application of the DBE Program regulations.

The meeting is free and open to the public, hosted by Springboard Economic Development Corp. on Saturday, June 11, 2011 from 9:30 a.m. until noon at 4801 – 4th Ave S., Minneapolis, MN  55419.

The lawsuit follows several protests over the past few years regarding MnDOT’s problems with the implementation of its DBE program in Minnesota. According to the Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs)

The DBE program was authorized by Congress as a tool to prevent discrimination against contractors of color and women. MnDOT’s goals include a distribution more representative of the population base with minority and women participants engaged in highway construction industry as prime contractors and/or subcontractors.

The analysis claims that most DBEs do not report business with MNDOT despite completing the certification process. The suit was motivated in part by the discovery that 99 percent or more of all federals transportation stimulus and other dollars awarded through MnDOT went to white firms owned and operated by men or women.

For more information, contact Lennie Chism at 612-861-6662, or [email protected]

Find out more about Springboard’s work to develop blighted areas, maintain business relations in the community; attract new industries to these areas and increase economic independence and progress for the residents and businesses in the engagement area online at www.sb501c3.org.