A meeting of the City of Orlando Certification Board was held on Wedne - PDF document

A meeting of the City of Orlando Certifi
A meeting of the City of Orlando Certification Board was held on Wednesday, August 31, 2016 at City Hall, 400 S. Orange Avenue, 2nd Floor Agenda Conference Room, Orlando, Florida 32802. The Board convened at 8:30 a.m. to review case files. Board Members Present: Annas Kabbaj [1-0] Brikena Tomasic, Chairperson [9-2] Bruno Portigliatti, Vice Chairperson [9-2] Khalid Muneer [9-2] Board Members Absent: Maria Turk [8-3] Mi Hoshino [8-3] Staff Members Present: Kevin Walsh, MBE Official Gina E. Bernard, Certification Officer III Dafina Doctor, Recording Secretary Brikena Tomasic, Chairperson, called the Certification Board meeting to order at 9:15 a.m. The minutes from the July 27, 2016 meeting were approved, subject to ratification pending a quorum. MWBE RULINGS Bruno Portigliatti entered the meeting at 9:19am. Walker Miller Equipment Co., Inc. – Connie Miller, President appeared before the Board. Discussion ensued. It was moved by Khalid Muneer, seconded by Annas Kabbaj and vote carried unanimously to recertify Walker Miller Equipment Co., Inc. as a WBE in Rental, Sales and Service-Construction Equipment, Hand and Power Tools and Parts. AllStar Property Services, Inc. – Michele Daniele, President appeared before the Board. Discussion ensued. It was moved by Bruno Portigliatti, seconded by Khalid Muneer and vote carried unanimously to recertify AllStar Property Services, Inc. as a WBE Full Service Maintenance Company; Services Include Pressure Cleaning, Window Cleaning, Power Sweeping and Porter Service. Ruye H. Hawkins, P.A. – Ruye H. Hawkins, President appeared before the Board. Discussion ensued. It was moved by Bruno Portigliatti, seconded by Annas Kabbaj and vote carried unanimously to recertify Ruye H. Hawkins, P.A. as an MBE in Legal Services. Esterino Coffee Company – Jose Esterino, Owner appeared before the Board. Discussion ensued. It was moved by Brikena Tomasic, seconded by Bruno Portigliatti and vote carried unanimously to certify Esterino Coffee Company as an MBE Full Service Coffee and Tea Company. LWJ Framing and Drywall, LLC – Lionel Wilkerson, President appeared before the Board. Discussion ensued. It was moved by Bruno Portigliatt

i, seconded by Annas Kabbaj and vote c
i, seconded by Annas Kabbaj and vote carried unanimously to recertify LWJ Framing and Drywall, LLC as an MBE in Metal Framing, Drywall Hanging, Drywall Finishing, and Drywall Texture. Certification Board Meeting Minutes August 31, 2016 - Page 2 Tierra, Inc. – Luis Mahiquez, President appeared before the Board. Discussion ensued. It was moved by Bruno Portigliatti, seconded by Khalid Muneer and vote carried unanimously to recertify Tierra, Inc. as an MBE in Engineering Consulting-Geotechnical, Environmental and Material Testing & Inspection. KBI Staffing Solutions Limited Liability Company – Kenneth Hughes, President appeared before the Board. Discussion ensued. It was moved by Bruno Portigliatti, seconded by Khalid Muneer and vote carried unanimously to certify KBI Staffing Solutions Limited Liability Company as an MWBE Temporary Staffing Agency. System Soft Technologies, Inc – The applicant did not appear before the Board. Discussion ensued. It was moved by Brikena Tomasic, seconded by Annas Kabbaj and vote carried unanimously to certify System Soft Technologies, Inc as an MBE in Information Technology Services; Information Technology Consulting and Staff Augmentation. ADE Engineered Solutions of Florida – The applicant did not appear before the Board. Discussion ensued. It was moved by Khalid Muneer, seconded by Annas Kabbaj and vote carried unanimously to deny WBE status to ADE Engineered Solutions of Florida based on: 1. The business concern must be at least 51% owned by minority group members or at least 51% owned by women group members, as characterized by: a) Independent contribution of capital by the minority or the women group members commensurate with percent of ownership claimed. Ownership gifted to minority or women owners, equipment or other assets gifted, and/or funds gifted to purchase ownership or to establish a new business will not be considered independent contributions of capital. Inherited capital or assets will not be considered as gifted for purposes of these rules. 2. The minority or the women owner(s) must possess independent power to direct or cause direction of management and policies of the firm for which minority and/or women-owned business status is requested, as characterized by: a) Not controlled by Board of Dir

ectors or other management entities comp
ectors or other management entities comprised of an equal or greater number of non-minority or of non-women group members. 3. The firm must not be affiliated or associated with another non-minority or non-women owned firm to a degree which could prevent or inhibit an independent status, as characterized by: a) Relationship between owners, directors, officers, or key employees or their relatives and non-minority/non-women owned firms in a similar line of business. b) Financial or bonding support provided by a non-minority non-women owned firms in a similar line of business, without adequate compensation 4. A company must provide a commercially useful function within the normal industry practices. Suppliers/Distributors must demonstrate that it is a "regular dealer" of the commodities for which M/WBE status is requested, as characterized by: Certification Board Meeting Minutes August 31, 2016 - Page 3 a) While not required that all sales be made from stock, the Company must maintain a stock of goods of the general character as those identified on the M/WBE Application, and as a regular course of business dealings, makes sales from such stock. 5. The Company is not considered an independent women-owned business enterprise because the husband and/or other male principal: a) Contributes to the capitalization of the firm. Ownership gifted to women owners, equipment or other assets gifted to women owners, and/or funds gifted to purchase ownership or to establish a new business will be considered contributing to the capitalization of the firm. Inherited capital or assets will not be considered as gifted for purposes of these rules. b) Transferred ownership to the woman-owner for less than fair market value. (Not an arm’s length transaction). Ownership gifted to women owners will not be considered an arm’s length transaction. Inherited ownership will not be considered as gifted for purposes of these rules. 6. When the husband or other male family members contribute to the above characteristics, the firm may be considered a family-owned firm rather than a Women-Owned Business Enterprise, as defined in Rule 111.1 and WBE status may be denied. LHServices of Orlando LLC – The applicant did not appear before the Board. Discussion ensued. I

t was moved by Khalid Muneer, seconded b
t was moved by Khalid Muneer, seconded by Annas Kabbaj and vote carried unanimously to deny MBE status to LHServices of Orlando LLC based on: 1. Refusal to comply with a reasonable City request for information, data, or access to records pertinent to the application for certification or recognition within the time period specified by either the Certification board or City MBE staff. Re-Certifications The applicants did not appear before the Board. Discussion ensued. It was moved by Bruno Portigliatti, seconded by Annas Kabbaj and vote carried unanimously to recertify the following companies: Allen Masonry & General Contractor, Inc.; Alpha Office Supplies, Inc.; B & L Construction; Computer Merchandise Corporation; Covington + Associates CPA, Inc.; Georgiana K. Tynes Consulting Services LLC; International Trade Bridge, Inc.; Joseph Smith PLLC; Manzi Metals Inc; Metzger & Willard, Inc.; P.A. Wallace & Associates Inc; Paradise Island Café, Inc.; Pro Med Services Group; Quantum Mechanical, LLC; Siles and Sons, Inc; Technical Services of Orlando Inc; and Tropical Ford, Inc. Terminations/ Non-Responsive The applicants did not appear before the Board. Discussion ensued. It was moved by Khalid Muneer, seconded by Annas Kabbaj and vote carried unanimously to terminate the following Certification Board Meeting Minutes August 31, 2016 - Page 4 companies for non-responsiveness: A.I.W., Inc.; Baran Engineering Corporation; Celectys, Inc.; ComSketch, LLC; Faith Amon; French Designs; Geraldine Williamson, Inc.; German Delaware Inc.; Hymon’s Property Maintenance, Inc.; JWP Iron and Fence LLC; Mars Contractors, Inc.; Mike’s Iron Works and Industrial Services, Inc.; Research Inc.; W.P. Underground Utilities L.L.C.; and Y.A.L.C. Painting, LLC. Having a quorum present, the minutes from the July 27, 2016 meeting were approved as written. New Business Board Members were informed of the upcoming Annual Board Member Training entitled “Conversations in Inclusiveness”, to be held on September 27, 2016 and October 5, 2016. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 9:50 a.m. The next regularly scheduled meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 28, 2016. Dafina Doctor ___________________________________ Dafina Doctor, Recording Secreta