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The Oregon Department of Transportation released its last week. People interested in submitting feedback have until April 30.

The study is intended to help ODOT run its federal Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program. One resulting recommendation of the study performed by Keen Independent Research is to include all certified DBE businesses in the group eligible to work on federal construction contracts. Currently, only specific ones may work on such projects.

O’Neill Electric’s Maurice Rahming, an advocate for minority participation in public contracting, has looked at the study and plans to submit comments to ODOT, as he has done previously for similar studies. He said it’s concerning that this one shows gradually declining utilization of minorities in DBE awards from 2011 to 2015, from 15 percent to 6 percent.

鈥淚t shows we’re going in the wrong direction,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e’re actually going backwards and getting worse.鈥�

Rahming added that it’s concerning that phone bank surveys were used by Keen Independent Research to compile work availability data. One flaw with that method is that personnel at large firms can be spooked by the use of an out-of-state phone number

Upcoming public meetings will take place in La Grande, Bend, Medford and Eugene. Portland’s meeting will be held April 11 from 3 to 5 p.m. at Oregon Association of Minority Entrepreneurs’ office, at 731 N. Hayden Drive.

Comments will also be received online at ODOTDBEstudy.org, via emails to [email protected] or by phone at 503-660-8865.