This Washington
WSDOT Not Obligated to Continue Urban League Contract
The Washington State Department of Transportation said this afternoon that it is not obligated to continue its contract with the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, saying there's no longer a contractual requirement for WSDOT to spend the remaining $250,000 allocation on contract work with the League. The civil rights group's contract work has come under the spotlight in the wake of a state auditor's investigation
into Seattle Public Schools that found the League's contract with SPS was "questionable."
PubliCola first reported the news that the League had a contract with WSDOT on Wednesday. At that time WSDOT told us they were happy with the Urban League contract and had paid the league $520,000 for work done in 2009 and 2010—with another year on the contract to go. The Urban League was contracted to help WSDOT reach out to minority, woman-owned, and small businesses, so those types of firms could get contracts with WSDOT.
According to WSDOT spokesman Steve Pierce, a rumor that WSDOT had canceled the contract this morning might have to do with the fact that no new "tasks" have been assigned to the Urban League yet—and don't have to be. WSDOT does have a "task order"—a potential contract—with the League and the Seattle Business Assistance Center , and could still send the $250,000 the League's way.
Given the headline news about the Urban League's questionable contracting with the Seattle Public Schools (to do the same sort of outreach it has been doing for WSDOT for two years) and the Seattle Times scoop that the city had not renewed its contract with the Urban League's youth violence prevention program after "vague and inaccurate" billing, PubliCola submitted a public records request to WSDOT on Wednesday asking for evaluations of the League's work for the state agency and proof that firms had benefited.
We tried to leave a message with Urban League interim director Tony Benjamin, but his voice mail was full.
Brenda Nnambi, Director of WSDOT’s Office of Equal Opportunity, who we spoke to on Wendesday about the Urban League contract (and who told us WSDOT was happy with the contract), referred us to WSDOT's media team.
PubliCola first reported the news that the League had a contract with WSDOT on Wednesday. At that time WSDOT told us they were happy with the Urban League contract and had paid the league $520,000 for work done in 2009 and 2010—with another year on the contract to go. The Urban League was contracted to help WSDOT reach out to minority, woman-owned, and small businesses, so those types of firms could get contracts with WSDOT.
According to WSDOT spokesman Steve Pierce, a rumor that WSDOT had canceled the contract this morning might have to do with the fact that no new "tasks" have been assigned to the Urban League yet—and don't have to be. WSDOT does have a "task order"—a potential contract—with the League and the Seattle Business Assistance Center , and could still send the $250,000 the League's way.
Given the headline news about the Urban League's questionable contracting with the Seattle Public Schools (to do the same sort of outreach it has been doing for WSDOT for two years) and the Seattle Times scoop that the city had not renewed its contract with the Urban League's youth violence prevention program after "vague and inaccurate" billing, PubliCola submitted a public records request to WSDOT on Wednesday asking for evaluations of the League's work for the state agency and proof that firms had benefited.
We tried to leave a message with Urban League interim director Tony Benjamin, but his voice mail was full.
Brenda Nnambi, Director of WSDOT’s Office of Equal Opportunity, who we spoke to on Wendesday about the Urban League contract (and who told us WSDOT was happy with the contract), referred us to WSDOT's media team.
