Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Procurement Equity topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
NTTA previews shift from DMWBE to small‑business program; some directors question DBE inclusion
Summary
NTTA staff outlined plans to transition the board’s business diversity program into a broader small‑business (SBE) program that will include DBE certification for heavy‑highway suppliers; board members asked about certification, outreach and whether DBE inclusion expands program scope.
NTTA staff briefed the board on Sept. 10 about a planned transition of the authority’s business diversity program to a small‑business program that staff says will expand the pool of potential vendors and emphasize capacity building.
Moses Seito, the staff presenter, described a transition plan running through the end of the first quarter of 2026 to give firms time to obtain SBE certification. Seito said the program will retain a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise component (DBE) because many heavy‑highway suppliers that NTTA relies on are DBE‑certified through state processes. Staff plans to rename the department “Business Development and Opportunities,” revise solicitation language and expand outreach, including updated website and email domains.
Directors asked procedural and practical questions about certification routes. Seito said DBE certification is administered through TxDOT, while SBE certification is done through certification agencies approved by the Small Business Administration and that size standards depend on discipline and are generally revenue‑based over a three‑year period.
Some board members expressed reservations about including a DBE component in the new program. Director Wann said, “I don’t buy into the DBE thing,” arguing that DBE requirements could re‑introduce race‑based considerations that he believes do not align with NTTA’s recent discussions about focusing on small business opportunity. Moses Seito and other staff said the DBE inclusion is intended to preserve access to the heavy‑highway contractor pool used on projects because many of those firms hold DBE status.
Seito said staff expects the overall vendor pool available to NTTA to increase because non‑minority firms that previously were not SBE‑certified will be eligible after certification and because outreach will target firms that have not previously done business with NTTA.
The item was presented as a briefing and required no board action; staff said they will return with implementation details and revised solicitation language.
