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The San Antonio Independent School District
BACKGROUND
On November 2, 2010, SAISD voters approved a $515 million bond to make much-needed renovations and upgrades to schools across the District. Over the next few months, SAISD will assemble a team of architects, engineers and consultants to design and oversee the construction program – as well as bring in a program administrator team to manage major activities. Upcoming projects include:
● Safety & Security Upgrades
● Technology Upgrades
● Playgrounds
● Athletic Track Resurfacing & Lighting
● Renovations
● Career Exploration Labs in Middle Schools
● Alamo Stadium & Convocation Center
● Transportation Efficiency
CERTIFICATIONS
The San Antonio Independent School District recognizes the certifications awarded by the South Central Texas Regional Certification Agency. These certifications include the SBE (Small Business Enterprise), MBE (Minority Business Enterprise), and the WBE (Women Business Enterprise). To apply for these certifications, visit the South Central Texas Regional Certification Agency's website at: http://www.sctrca.org.
Do's and Don'ts of Contractors
In order to mitigate your risk as a contractor to ensure the successful and timely completion of a project, we are providing some basic guidelines annotating the do’s and don’ts related to the construction industry.
Do’s
1. Know everything you can about the Owner/Prime Contractor. If possible, perform a Duns and Bradstreet report on both. This information will assist you in knowing the credit worthiness of both, along with their available financial resources to pay you as a subcontractor.
2. Review the plans and specifications thoroughly and concisely. If you have any questions whatsoever, please ask for clarification, and by all means do not assume anything before entering into any agreement.
3. Obtain the services of an Attorney at Law (if possible) to review the Contract or Sub-Contract Agreement prior to endorsing the agreement. We highly recommend that you know what you are signing before you provide signature.
OSHA Recordkeeping
OSHA 300 Reporting - IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN!
Beginning February 1 of each year, covered employers with 10 or more employees must post the OSHA-required Form 300A, which summarizes an employer’s reportable injuries and illnesses from February1st through April 30th of the previous year. The OSHA Form 300-A must be posted even if the employer had no reportable juries/illnesses in the prior year. See the complete “OSHA Recordkeeping Handbook” here: http://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/handbook/index.html
Being Passionate About What You Do
Serving as a small business development counselor for veterans has provided me with a wonderful opportunity to assist veteran entrepreneurs in various ways. One of my favorite aspects of this position is being able to teach the different workshops and trainings that we offer. During one of the free training presentations that I conduct titled "Veterans Boot Camp," there is a brief section in which I discuss the keys to establishing a successful small business.
In my opinion, the most important element needed to start a small business is not education, not experience, nor is it management or leadership skills. While all these attributes are great, I believe that none of these elements is the most critical component to success. To me, being passionate and enthusiastic about what you do is the number one contributing factor to the success of small business.
Are You Ready to Go Green?
A few months ago I wrote about two local federal construction projects that were incorporating sustainability standards into their construction specifications. These projects were to be built or remodeled in accordance with the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED standards.
Now, according to GreenBiz.com, the City of Cleveland just passed a law giving companies certified in its local sustainable business program a four (4) percent bid discount for city contracts. That is, a small business certified in Cleveland as “green” will have its proposal for service contract discounted by 4% for evaluation purposes. The business therefore will have a 4% price advantage as far as pricing goes compared to their non-certified competitors. If a green certified business is selected to provide goods or services to the city, that business will receive the full amount of their contract price. According to the Institute for Sustainable Development, this law is the first of its kind to give preference to a green business.
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