Travis County Commissioners Court
May 19, 2009,
Item 5
5.
approve proclamation declaring may 19, 2009 as "historically underutilized business program (hub) 15-year anniversary celebration day" in Austin/Travis County.
should I read it?
it reads whereas the Travis County Commissioners court has a vested interest in the progress and development of the business community and in the women and minority business community in particular, whereas Travis County has through its commitment to the historically underutilized business community demonstrated a unique understanding of the contributions to healthy and prosperous businesses that make -- that can make to the community as a whole, whereas the Travis County historically underutilized business program known as the h.u.b.
program has demonstrated its effectiveness in contributing to the growth of small businesses through its innovation and extending opportunities to small minority and women-owned businesses, whereas Travis County desires to celebrate the 15th year anniversary of Travis County's h.u.b.
program and whereas the Travis County Commissioners court commemorates this business development program, now therefore be it proclaimed that the Travis County Commissioners court does hereby declare may 19th, that's today, 2009, as historically underutilized business day in the county of travis, state of Texas and encourages all citizens to come play a part in this worthwhile effort.
i move approval.
>> second.
>> good morning.
>> thank you, judge, Commissioners.
cyd grimes, Travis County purchasing agent.
today is a very exciting day for us.
it's sort of a sad day looking back 15 years have gone by and when we look at the video some of you will be sad with me.
>> [laughter] but this is a -- this is a really special day for us, with me at the table is jerome guerrero, betty chapa, sylvia lopez, our h.u.b.
staff that work specifically on the h.u.b.
program.
they have carried us several levels from where we started 15 years ago.
judge Biscoe wanted us to mark things with a pencil next to the phone and we told the judge that's just not going to get us there.
through the years, y'all have supported us for new technology.
we now have an automated tracking system where we can actually track the dollars that we are spending with our h.u.b.
firms and subh.u.b.
firms.
over this 15 years we have spent almost $150 million with our hub firms.
we have averaged about 11%, which is a good -- a very good average.
as we have talked about through the years, we did not do disparity study, which was very expensive, but we feel like that through or coordination with the state, city, capital metro, all of our other partners in the communities, we have been able to meet goals without having to do disparity study.
we have a great community, very diverse community, to all of our benefits.
the celebration is actually tomorrow and we've passed out invitations to all of you.
we have a brief video that media, our other partner that we would like to play.
i just need to thank so many people.
i'm going to miss -- of course the Commissioners court has supported us from day one, judge Biscoe really pushed, Margaret was here at that time, really pushed us to get this program going.
Commissioner Davis came and we wanted to push us hard earn, we have done that.
all of the people in my office contribute to this process making sure h.u.b.s are notified when we have opportunities.
our policies and procedures reflect that.
we have even been able to get legislation more and more legislation dawnna dukes, senator west, some of those folks at the capitol have been a big help.
we have purchasing liaisons in each office in the county.
they help us carry out the mission along with all of the elected and appointed officials.
and so I would like to just turn it over to -- to sylvia to say a few words and betty and jerome if they would like to say anything and then we want to show you the video.
>> cyd, you stole my thunder.
>> okay.
>> I just wanted to make a side note that dusty mccormick was the second h.u.b.
coordinator.
i don't know judge if you noticed that.
the first one is marvin brice, I feel like we have a reunion going on as well as an anniversary.
again I'm sylvia lopez, the h.u.b.
coordinator.
the event will be tomorrow at the workforce center that is located at 6505 airport boulevard.
i want to thank our partners, community mentor protege initiative, also workforce solution center and the asian chamber.
we will be feeding you tomorrow as well as provide some awards to three well, you know, deserved awards to the city of Austin, txdot and who is the third one?
>> [laughter]
>> the state of Texas.
they have been great partners to us.
i know again Commissioner Gomez that you have been here -- I've been here 11 of the 15 years, I know you've been here 15 of the 15 years.
it was a good idea then to adopt the program and it is a good idea today.
the 15 years has meant for us, over $150 million awarded in the 15 years to minority businesses, h.u.b.s and h.u.b.
subcontractors.
we have assisted over 2500 businesses, we've had partnerships with u.t., txdot, killeen, business resource center, the city of Austin, bexar county, tarrant county.
as well as we have our program evaluated twice by an expert colette holt in 2003 and 2006 and we did get our report card from her and she gave us a b plus.
so --
>>
>> [indiscernible]
>> and we don't know I guess like -- we don't know what the next 15 years is going to bring for us, but I would love for us to stop and celebrate what the last 15 years has meant to us.
again media in partnership with them we created a video, an 8 minute presentation.
i don't know if we are going to show the whole eight minutes for the sake of time.
but again I hope this video helps us celebrate and remember.
>> thank you.
>> thank you.
>> betty chapa h.u.d.
program specialist.
as of today we had 63
>> [multiple voices]
>> [talking over video.
>> okay.
betty chapa, h.u.d.
program specialist.
as of today 53
>> [indiscernible] county staff and the business community.
rsv p's.
>> jerome guerrero.
i joined the staff about four years ago.
part of my expertise has been I was a h.u.b.
and have -- and a business person, Commissioner Gomez knows my family, knows that we have a long history here in Austin.
so -- so what sold me and them on me was that I know both sides of the fence.
also did some time at the state.
i would like to say it that way
>> [laughter] I did my time at the state.
with the experience of working in the family business, Commissioner Gomez remembers my family, also working at the state I have seen both sides of it, what the h.u.b.
states and what they need.
sometimes they just want the check, they don't care where it comes from.
what we are concerned about is where those checks are going, where the money is going and that's part of what I do with some of the new software.
we are seeing with those subcontracting opportunities coming from.
also one of the other things that we want to look forward to is that -- is that I get a lot of calls from h.u.b.'s and right now it's not overwhelming, but it's going to get overwhelming because obviously a lot of people want help.
they want to be held by the hand.
one of our new ideas and I'm going to take an initiative to do is do some online videos, how to's.
that way the -- the vendors can come on, go on to our website and then how do I start a business?
how do I do this?
how do I file?
so just one of the things that we're doing over there.
we are always looking for new ideas, new things to do to service the h.u.b.s.
that's one of the things that has been fostered here in this environment.
so again I want to thank cyd for giving me the opportunity to work here with sylvia and betty and then for you all for allowing us the freedom to -- to do things to bring some innovative ideas and not just rehash the same old program that we have seen around.
>> thank you.
>> let's watch the video.
it's really -- really interesting.
>> okay.
>> know your market, know your competition, know the dollars out there for the market.
after you do all of that, then you have got to write that business plan.
>> running a small business is tough.
traditionally, it's been tough especially for minorities and women-owned businesses.
this is why state and local governments began to see the need for programs to try to level the playing field.
diversity, it's what makes a community great.
engaging small businesses in competitive bidding makes the economic sense, good business, and often provides the best value for the taxpayer.
for 15 years the Travis County h.u.d.
program has strived to benefit the Austin Travis County community by promoting diversity.
>> [ _ music playing __ ]
>> item no.
5 is to consider a proposal to substantially increase participation underutilized businesses in Travis County procurement and construction contract opportunities
>> [indiscernible]
>> in may, 1994, Travis County adopt the historically underutilized business or h.u.b.
program.
having a historically underutilized business is an important goal for the Travis County Commissioners court and the Texas legislature have long been committed to.
>> it's an environment, an economy where small businesses employ more individuals than all of the major corporations to grow our state we needed to have equal opportunity.
and the only way that I felt that we could get that and we did get that, was by putting into statute that the -- that it would be opened up to everyone who had the skills, capabilities, ready, willing and able to participate in the program.
>> the community came to Travis County and asked how much business are you doing with minority and women-owned businesses?
and because of that, because we have an active business community, out of that came in 1994 the adoption of the h.u.b.
program, which made Travis County the first county to officially adopt a program.
>> what is a certified h.u.b.?
a certified h.u.b.
is a business with its principal location in Texas and at least 51% owned by an asian pacific american, african-american, hispanic-american, native american, or american woman.
owners in any of these categories must reside in Texas and have a proportionate interest and demonstrable active participation in the control, operations and management of the entity's affairs.
>> [ _ music playing __ ]
>> as any minority or woman-owned business, you can receive invitations to bids that aren't put out there to the general public because the smaller jobs don't have to be put out to the general public.
as a certified business, both state and local agencies will go to a database and choose your company to get them like if they only have to get three bids, then I can often be one of the three, whereas because it was a small project I can bid on the job.
>> it offers them an opportunity to perform service or provide products, many time it's an economic engine for them, especially if you are small because it gets your business going and you start making some contacts, you start getting some experience, something you can put as a reference.
>> I have met such wonderful people.
that I've been able to get to know and form friendships with over the years as well.
it's been a great benefit to my company.
>> we're a very diverse community.
everyone should have an opportunity to be able to work in their own community, to put -- to provide back to the economy they live in.
so it's critical that we have a diverse group of people providing services to its citizenry.
it's vitally important for h.u.b.'s to become certified, helps identify them on our list, know who is there, what work you do so we can contact you.
the more businesses that you have competing for business, the better it is for the taxpayers in the long run.
you get lower pricing, you keep the jobs local, which the money is put back into our economy.
so it's -- it's important to become certified.
>> since 1994, Travis County has awarded approximately $130 million to certified h.u.b.s, including 40 million in construction and construction related professional services.
additionally, over 300 certified h.u.b.s have done business with the county.
over 50% of these h.u.b.s have been Travis County businesses.
>> item no.
6 is to recognize Travis County for receiving the top innovation by a county government award.
>> over the past decade and a half, Travis County h.u.b.
program has been recognized for embracing diversity and adopting a voluntary approach for the inclusion of minority and women-owned businesses in the county's contracting activities.
on the 10th anniversary of the program, h.u.b.
staff accepted a plaque from the office of governor rick perry.
>> [ _ music playing __ ]
>> for the next 15 years, I think that what I would like to see the county do is to offer small business coaching classes such as how to do business with Travis County, more one on one sessions.
also, how to find other opportunities with other organizations.
secondly, I would like to continue to use technology to pay vendors, to receive bids.
electronically, but my number one goal is to continue to be a mentor to other organization, 254 counties out there, to have a program, I hope that we could reach the other 250 and show them that it's important to include minority businesses.
>> [ _ music playing __ ]
>> you and i, judge, haven't aged much.
>> [laughter] you lost your hair a bit.
>> [laughter] it's been a great 15 years, I can't thank everybody enough and we really hope that folks will come out tomorrow night and help celebrate with us.
we've invited a lot of folks.
the Travis County delegation, all of the elected and appointed officials and everyone that we could think of.
as betty said we have about 70 people coming and casa chipala will be serving food, also.
we will be giving out some awards.
so thank you very much.
it's been a great 15 years.
i don't know if I can make another 15 years, but --
>> sure you can.
>> sylvia can.
she's got lots of energy.
>> I just wanted to thank some of the folks behind us that came from purchasing.
>> why doesn't everybody stand up from purchasing.
>> it's just a voiceover.
can you tell?
>> [ applause ] thank you very much.
>> all in favor?
keep up the great work.
that passes by unanimous vote.
>> thank you.
item no.
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Last Modified:
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 2:00 PM