This Washington
Urban League Has Major WSDOT Contract
Given that the spotlight in the Seattle Public Schools scandal has turned to the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle (the Urban league is accused of getting $600,000 for questionable contracts), PubliCola checked in to see what other major contracts the league has.
It turns out the Urban League has a major contract with the Washington State Department of Transportation—worth $520,000 over the last two years—that is similar conceptually to the iffy one at the schools district; a contract, this one through the Urban League's Pathways project, to help small, minority-owned contractors get into the WSDOT contract loop.
Asked if the Urban League had delivered, Brenda Nnambi, Director of WSDOT's Office of Equal Opportunity, told PubliCola: "Yes, the program has provided assistance to a number of businesses that have gotten WSDOT contracts."
PubliCola is filing a public disclosure request with WSDOT to see proof and documentation of the program's success. The damning audit of the Seattle School's now-controversial small business development program found that the Urban League contract was of questionable value. Additionally, the Seattle Times reported this morning that the city canceled a $500,000 contract with the league after receiving "vague and inaccurate" invoices for their work on an anti-youth violence project.
While they did not ask the Urban League about the WSDOT contract, the PI.com talked to the Urban League today about their role in the Seattle Schools contracting scandal.
We have a call in to the League to ask them about the WSDOT contract.
It turns out the Urban League has a major contract with the Washington State Department of Transportation—worth $520,000 over the last two years—that is similar conceptually to the iffy one at the schools district; a contract, this one through the Urban League's Pathways project, to help small, minority-owned contractors get into the WSDOT contract loop.
Asked if the Urban League had delivered, Brenda Nnambi, Director of WSDOT's Office of Equal Opportunity, told PubliCola: "Yes, the program has provided assistance to a number of businesses that have gotten WSDOT contracts."
PubliCola is filing a public disclosure request with WSDOT to see proof and documentation of the program's success. The damning audit of the Seattle School's now-controversial small business development program found that the Urban League contract was of questionable value. Additionally, the Seattle Times reported this morning that the city canceled a $500,000 contract with the league after receiving "vague and inaccurate" invoices for their work on an anti-youth violence project.
While they did not ask the Urban League about the WSDOT contract, the PI.com talked to the Urban League today about their role in the Seattle Schools contracting scandal.
We have a call in to the League to ask them about the WSDOT contract.
