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major repair in at least two de
cades. Over-crowded conditions
eventually led to students being
housed in temporary trailers.
Although a subsequent local-op
tion, one-cent tax was passed to
speed-up the bond paying process,
some school board members have
remained skeptical regarding ef
forts to utilize minority contrac
tors.
Ken Echols is one who still has
doubts.
“That’s an issue the board had
initially pondered,” said Echols, the
District 7boardrepresentative. “T've
also got some concerns about the
amount of local people that are
being used,” he said, inferring that
not enough area workers are being
utilized in renovating school facili
ties. Thus far, new construction
projects and renovation efforts are
on time and under budget by at
least $500,000, according to pub
lished reports.
Meanwhile, when two other
school board members were asked
about minority-owned contractors
and theirrolein contributingtothe
county’s new construction effort,
they both responded with a certain
reserve and concern.
“That’s a good question. It’s not
thatmany,” said Andrew Jefferson,
the board’s District 4 representa
tive, adding that he expected more
minority participation.
“As elected officials, our hands
aretied,” he said. Ifanything more
than a suggestionisrendered by he
or his board peers in the selection
process, their input could be mis
construed as an impropriety. “We
can't make anyone do anything.
We can only suggest,” said
Jefferson.
District 9board member Kingsley
Riley, said she’s always been con
cerned about the number of minor
ity vendors who are on contract
with the school board. “I've been
trying to find out that answer by
raising that question,” she said.
Thus far, responses received have
not been satisfactory, she added.
The project initially targets a
Phase I list of 47 schools in critical
need of repair, or for new construc
tion. sites like Cross Creek High
School ($lB million cost) and the $6
million Lake Forest Hills Elemen
tary School which will consolidate
students formerly attending Lake
Forest Elementaryand Forest Hills
Elementary schools. A second phase
could include the construction of
four new elementary schools by
December 2000. Both project
phases could reportedly cost about
$240 million. Richmond County
currentlyhas 59 schools, morethan
36,000 students pre-K through 12,
of which 65 percent are black.
Dr. Charles Larke is the first
black superintendent for Richmond
County schools. He’s adamant in
hisbeliefthat Hanscomb/GMKand
theboard havemade unprecedented
strides to strongly consider black
general contractors, subcontractors
and workers for the project.
“There’s a good mix of black and
white. And the community should
be proud,”said Dr. Larke. Sullivan
reflects his boss’ stance, adding
that preparatory meetings and
workshops were accessible to the
public, and specifically targeted to
minority contractors and the black
business community. Sullivaneven
said he feels the fact that Larke is
black, is instrumental in
Hanscomb/GMK going “above and
beyondthecall,”in their attemptto
achieve fairness alongracial lines.
While both Jefferson and Riley
are concerned about minority con
tractors, they also admit the
projects, thus far, have been a suc
cess for their constituents and tax
payers throughout the county.
‘Buton anotherlevel, someboard
members, school officials and even
Business League
workshops offer
finance tips
The CSRA Business League, Inc.
is sponsoring several business
development workshops.
The Legal Structures of Busi
ness-Tuesday, August 10, 1999;
Banking Relations & The Do's
and Don’ts of Financing Part I-
Tuesday, August 24, 1999; Bank
ingßelations & The Do’sand Don’ts
of Financing Part 11-Tuesday,
wt 31, 1999. All workshops
ill be held from 10:00a.m. -12:00
noon at the CSRA Business
Le:i:::, Inc. at 1208 Laney
w Blvd., Augusta, Georgia
30901. Call 706-722-0994 for more
information.
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PRIDE AT WORK: CCI Construction workers at the Tubman
Middle School site. Pictured from left are: Alton Durham,
Raymond Franklin, Gary “G-Money” Wilson, Tony Singleton
(foreman), Melvin Pounds, Mario Coleman and Deric Mitchell.
On previous job sites, Singleton said nearly half the workers
with CCI were black. Photo by Timothy Cox
Baker, agree that too often, minor
ity contractors come up short when
it comes to the issue of financial
solvency and bonding protection.
“You have some people (contrac
tors) who say they can do the job,
but when it comes to the magni
tude of a job like this, they can’t
fulfill the need,” said Jefferson.
“This is not like adding on to a
church or to a daycare center.
“We’re not getting the (minority)
participation we would like to see.
But we’rebeing watched closely by
the public,” said Jefferson — care
fully guarding the word “quota”
while revisiting adverse judicial
changes based on Supreme Court
rulings from earlier this decade.
Many of those sweeping decisions,
said Jefferson, were swayed by
Supreme Court Justice and Savan
nah native Clarence Thomas’ vote
— helping to eradicate past laws
that set aside certain percentages
of contract work for minority-owned
firms.
Jefferson also agrees with Riley
that smaller contractors are typi
cally unable to provide necessary
bonding assurances to protect
against unexpected contingencies
like cost overruns.
Larger companies are usually
bonded for substantial amounts of
capital toguard against over-spend
ing, or should a firm fail to com
plete ajob in the projected amount
of time and run out of funds.
Unnamed sources state that
while set-asides and quotas may be
inappropriate in today’s system,
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especially for a public, tax-based
projects — legal methods of shop
ping work out to minority subcon
tractors do exist.
Gallop agrees and describesit as
“creative” methods of targeting
minorities for such work.
Inrevealingheinitiallymet with
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Baker when the project was in
discussion stages, Gallop confirms
that Hanscomb/GMK made efforts
to encourage minority participa
tion. However, he adds that Baker
would have benefitted by having a
directliaison, like himself, to serve
in a capacity of working with pro
spective ‘minority companies —
tutoringthemonthedo’sand don’ts
of the business.
Upon request, Hanscomb/GMK
faxed a listing of minority subcon
tractors currently working on, or
havingworked on the project. They
include Charles Green Concrete,
Broadwater Concrete, Tucker’s
Masonry, Inc.; Cowboy Concrete,
Inc.; Central Georgia Masonry, Inc.
(Milledgeville and McDonough);
Lonzo Davis Masonry and F&S
Masonry.
Another section identified J&B
Construction (Grovetown) and
Ball’s Enterprises (Augusta) as
minority general contractors who
submitted bids, but were rejected
because they weren’t the lowest
bidders. The fax failed to identify
locations for the other contractors.
Atlanta-based, black-owned ar
chitectural firm Eugene Hentley &
Associates, hasalsodonesomework
on some projects, Dr. Larke said.
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