Through his oversight of PDOT and BES, Sam is committed to increasing opportunities for firms owned by minorities and women and emerging small businesses (M/W/ESB).
Sam also is committed to ensuring that contract work performed for the city is done in a cost effective and responsible manner, that the money is spent locally when possible, and that the City support minority and woman owned businesses
For fiscal year 2005 to 2006, which ended in June 2006, the dollar value of City subcontracts awarded by PDOT to minority-owned businesses increased 13.68% -- an increase of over $3,250,000.
Also, women owned businesses subcontracting with PDOT both saw an increase in the number of subcontracts awarded as well as the dollars earned.
BES increased number of contracts -- a total of $1,580,441 -- in awards to minority-owned businesses and $1,727,615 awarded to women owned businesses.
During the same period, BES significantly increased the number of subcontracts signed with the M/W/ESB contractors.
"This is a good start," said Sam recently, "But we have a a lot more work to do to help build Portland's historically underutlized businesses of color and women."