Compliance News Blog

The California Department of General Services “Small Business and DVBE Collaboration Conference” was held at Los Angeles’ Westin Bonaventure Hotel on Thursday the 26th of October, 2006.

The Governor’s Secretary of Consumer Services, Rosario Marin was our keynote speaker and mused, “Our Governor’s goal is to have at least 25 per cent of all procurement services devoted to our SB’s and DVBE’s.” Which paraphrasing her a bit, potentially translates into having a significant slice of the $9 billion procurement pie.

Of special note was that we were finally privileged to have actual buyers and/or directors of procurement there from several campuses of the CSU, LA Unified School District, Alameda Corridor East Construction Authority, LA Community College District and numerous other agencies to brief us at the breakout seminars regarding how to actually bid on state-sponsored construction projects armed with the know-how to successfully jump over all potential pitfalls.

Of special note was the excellent interface given by Mark Hovatter, director of facilities contracts with LAUSD.

Hovatter stated that his district is the largest in the US with 727,000 students encompassing 850 campuses all within 700 square miles and earmarks spending $19.3 billion in school construction and renovation in the near term. 150 new schools are in the works which will cost-out at almost $12 billion. Twenty-nine major projects are in the bidding stages within one calendar year of today’s date amounting to practically $1 billion.

Repair and modernization projects can be expected to run up to another $8 billion so one could say that now is probably the best opportunity to sign up for their seminars… the first of which will begin on the sixth of November, 2006. The subject being the “New Inspection Issue Resolution Process and Change Order” methodologies. These seminars will be available once per month for five months and are vital if one wants to partake of doing biz with an outstanding agency.

And as we mentioned in an earlier article, LAUSD is offering at no-cost an eight-week boot camp for small contractors which will potentially enable a firm to gain access to performance bonding, estimating and how to bid amongst other relevant issues. Hovatter additionally alludes that… “We’ve awarded over $23 million to these graduates.” Wow…. What are you waiting for?

LAUSD’s “Small Business Enterprise Program” goal is 25 per cent on all contracts with 60 per cent SBE participation.

LAUSD’s Director of Facilities Contracts, Mark Hovatter may be reached at (213) 241-5128.

Here’s another golden opportunity brought to you by the State of California Governor’s Office… please avail yourselves of it, if need be as space is limited.

However, it is up to you if one wishes seek some rich rewards, guys and gals….