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Commissioners approve Muskegon County DBE program update after discussion of federal certification and local vendor availability
Summary
After a staff briefing on 49 CFR part 26 and how DBE goals are set, commissioners approved an update to the county Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program; a commissioner criticized the federal list of presumed disadvantaged groups as sounding "a little sexist and racist."
The Muskegon County Board of Commissioners approved a county Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program update after staff explained federal certification procedures and local limitations in certified vendors.
Staff (Jim Jones and Jim Kim) told the board that DBE certification is performed by a small number of agencies in Michigan — the Michigan Department of Transportation, Wayne County Airport, and the Detroit Department of Transportation — and that the county does not itself certify firms. "We do not, in Muskegon, do any certification of those businesses. We take part in a statewide certification group," staff said.
Officials explained how DBE goals are set: agencies analyze marketplace availability over a three‑year period and set percentage goals for participation. Transit staff said their three‑year analysis produced an approximately 1–1.6% spending goal for transit operations and that only one certified vendor was currently listed in Muskegon County for transit‑related services.
One commissioner raised a concern about federal guidance listing presumed disadvantaged groups under 49 CFR part 26, saying, "It almost sounds a little sexist and racist to me." Staff responded by outlining the certification process and the agencies that administer it in Michigan. The discussion emphasized that certification requires submission of financial documentation and that firms must meet size thresholds.
The board moved and approved the DBE program update by voice vote; the transcript records at least one recorded 'nay' during the call for opposition but does not attribute roll‑call votes to specific commissioners. The approved update is intended to keep the county compliant with federal DBE regulations tied to transportation funding; staff noted there are few certified vendors locally and that the county relies on external certifying agencies.
