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AGC Efforts with Tacoma's HUB Program

AGC members have experienced problems with the City’s Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Program over the years. As a result AGC members and staff have turned-up the temperature on our oversight of the program and are meeting with the City’s new HUB Manager.

Some notes from these meetings:

• The new HUB Manager plans to rename HUB to the Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Program but the City Council needs to approve it.

• SBE is going to the Economic Development Department but the City Council needs to approve it.

• The new manager will ship AGC official changes or presentations he’ll give to the City Council once he gets them in writing. Changes in enrollment forms will go to AGC.

• The new manager will create a SBE Advisory Committee (with AGC and others participating) to meet regularly starting in March.

• The new manager plans to visit all SBE contractor offices physically to make sure they indeed have offices.

• The new manager plans to visit SBE contractor construction sites to review abilities.

• The new manager wants to fully review each SBE company and start a “progress report/better monitoring program” with the thought that his assessments can get them help if they need it and better training.

• The new manager is in the process of identifying training programs for SBE contractors. Has partnered with the Small Business Incubator for training.

• The new manager may tell some SBE contractors that the program is not for them if they prove to be deficient.

• The new manager supports the concept of taking “steps” to get into the program and taking “steps” to kick people out of the program.

• The new manager is consulting the State programs in this area.

• The new manager wants AGC support for changes that he makes down the road.

For more information contact AGC Southern District Manager Tim Attebery 253-896-0033.