No Greensboro City Council meeting is complete without Councilmember Sharon Hightower complaining about the Minority/Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) program.
Hightower has repeatedly stated that the MWBE goals should be treated as quotas, despite the fact that having quotas is a violation of federal law. She also generally complains that the goals are too low, and even when contractors exceed the goals Hightower states they should use more minority subcontractors.
But at the meeting on Tuesday, March 21, Hightower brought up an entirely new complaint about the MWBE program.
Hightower expressed concern about change order of $3.2 million for a contract with Cajenn Construction and Rehabilitation Services Inc. for sanitary sewer and water line rehabilitation.
According to the agenda, 20 percent of the change order was to cover the cost of “unforeseen conditions,” which included rock and unsuitable soil discovered while rehabilitating the water system along Sunset Drive. And 50 percent was to cover the cost of altering the method used to replace the line. The remaining 30 percent was for sewer rehabilitation work in the Pisgah Church Road area.
Hightower said she was concerned about the contingency money in the contract and said, “there are no goals put on that money.”
Water Resources Director Mike Borchers explained that the contingency money would remain in contingency and that the additional funding being requested was to pay the costs associated with the change order.
Hightower said, “So when you look at goal setting, contingency has no goals.”
Borchers agreed that the money set aside for contingencies did not have any goals and explained to Hightower that if the contingency money was not spent it went back into the water resources enterprise fund.
Hightower did not explain how she expected goals to be set for a contingency fund when neither the contractor nor the city has any idea how that money will be spent when the project is bid. MWBE goals that are set for each contract are based on a number of factors including the availability of MWBE contractors to perform a particular job.
There were goals on the original contract However , two minority contractors
contract was breached by twenty-five per cent . That act is in violation of State reconstruction law.
OMG! Greensboro’s biggest bigot is at it again. She must lay in bed at night and seeth about every dollar the city spends on WHITE FOLK projects.
Perhaps someone ( preferably African American) could draw her a picture and explain what a contingency is. Then again, it would probably appear as similar to the planning review process.
Is this a joke or is it typical council lost in the pixie dust?
This is what happens when elected officials aren’t educated in the subject areas they must deal in during their tenure. If they don’t have knowledge about the topics they are being asked to make decisions they have no frame of reference so make comments that make them sound uninformed. She doesn’t realize how ignorant she comes across with her question as all she cares about is making one point for her constituents so she can be re-elected. It’s sad, but with voters not understanding, it works.
O.F.F.S…. can’t the blacks just let it go?
If I were an American black man I would thank God every day that I had not been born in that pit of endemic poverty, disease, corruption, crime, rape, violence and debasement that is Africa.
I’d be grateful to be here, not an assh*le.
Racist Hightower questions why the city isn’t more racist? I’ve heard it all…
Your being salacious she said nothing about the MWBE program
Yes, she did, when she mentions “goals” she’s referring to the MWBE program goals for the ”contingency money”, which can’t be set as there is no way to know what projects that money may be used for if in fact it is even used at all.
You are a moron. What the he$$ do you think she’s talking about. You need to stay in sedalia with all the other morons
What other goals could councilmember Hightower then possibly referring to? Never heard her mention cost saving goals for the taxpayer.
Her reference to “goals” is clearly about whether MWBE participation requirements were met. But these “contingency funds” are common and are usually added to the previously awarded contract of the trades who did/or will do contingency work. Ms. Hightower’s desire to see that MWBE contractors get a fair shake with the city is and should be part of her and all the other council member’s jobs. Ms. Hightower means well and I am sure her heart is in the right place, but her effectiveness, however, is diminished by her lack of understanding of the construction bidding process, construction contracts, general contracting vs subcontracting, and employee vs independent contractor. It is almost painful to watch at times. Perhaps the city should hold a work session and make sure they are all better educated on this as well.
Billy Yow should send her a Yo Yow T-Shirt.
Has anyone seen he movie, or read the book, of “The Ugly American”?
She costing the city so much money. It will backfire on her when her base finds out they will not get the handouts they want, because all the money is gone.