Amount of Goal
The City of Wichita Falls one-year goal for Fiscal Year 2024 (October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024) is 8.2% of the Federal financial assistance we will expend in DOT-assisted contracts with DBE contractors. The City of Wichita Falls has no projects identified for a three-year scope of work beyond 2024, and the FY 24 year is dedicated to a Master Plan update. As a result, the DBE goal is for the Master Plan update. The scope of this work will fall under a single FAA Entitlement grant.
The City of Wichita Falls is requesting approximately $675,000 in FAA Entitlement funds for a Master Plan update at its Wichita Falls Regional Airport facility. The FAA assisted contract amount is as follows:
Fiscal Year 2024: $675,000
Based on the proposed DBE one-year goal of 8.2%, the City of Wichita Falls has set a goal of expending a combined $55,350 in Federal funds with DBEs for the Master Plan update for the 2024 fiscal year period. The City of Wichita Falls estimates that it will obtain 8.18% from race-conscious measures and 0.02% from race-neutral measures.
Method
The City of Wichita Falls anticipates the award of one contract that will utilize federal funds during the period covered by the overall goal. The following is a summary of the method used to calculate this goal.
Market Area
The data used to calculate the DBE base figure was derived using information collected from the United States Census concerning State of Texas Business Patterns (NAICS) and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) DBE Category Listings. The method used to establish the base figure is determined by dividing the total DBE firms in the local market area by the total of all firms (both compiled according to the relevant NAICS project codes), and then weighting those percentages to reflect the funds spent. The weighted percentage figures were calculated by our airport managers. These numbers reflect the portion of the funds that are estimated to be spent on that project. Because Wichita Falls has limited construction capabilities and many of the previous subcontractors have come from other areas within the State of Texas, the local market is defined as the State of Texas. During the course of the last eight years, over 90% of the total contractors, including DBE contractors, were located in the State of Texas.
Step 1: Analysis
Fiscal Year 2024 – the City of Wichita Falls anticipates the following award:
Project | Trade | NAICS | NAICS | Trade | DBE | DBE | ||
Name | Description | Description | Code | Amount | Census | Directory | (%) | Amount |
Project #1
2024 Wichita Falls Regional Airport Master Plan Update |
Engineering Consulting | 541330 | $459,566 | 5,569 | 343 | 6.16% | $28,309 | |
Architectural | 541310 | $93,189 | 1,505 | 49 | 3.26% | $3,038 | ||
Environmental | 541620 | $53,504 | 671 | 16 | 2.38% | $1,273 | ||
Financial | 541219 | $63,780 | 3,731 | 22 | 0.56% | $357 | ||
Aeronautical
Surveying |
541370 | $4,961 | 718 | 52 | 7.24% | $359 | ||
$675,000 | 4.94% | $33,336 |
Projects:
Project #1 is an update of the Wichita Falls Regional Airport Master Plan. This will identify future project moving forward. Currently, there are no capital projects formally identified beyond 2024.
Past History Participation
Fiscal | Total | DBE Goals | Accomplishments | Type of Work | |||||||
Year | Grant | RC | RN | Total | RC | RN | Total | ||||
2013 | $5,441,561 | 11.3% | 11.3% | 38.93% | 50.23% | Phase I –Terminal Area Project – Entry Road Parking Lot | |||||
2014 | $17,816,341 | 11.3% | -4.22% | -3.54% | 7.76% | Phase II – Terminal Area Project – Terminal Building Construction | |||||
2015 | $3,799,208 | 11.3% | 11.44% | .015% | 11.45% | Phase 3 – Terminal Area Project – Construction of Commercial Apron |
There have been no major projects since the completion of the terminal area project. Previous year entitlements have been used to reimburse the City for debt service obligations.
Adjustment Based on Past Participation
The historical overall DBE goals accomplished for the City of Wichita Falls Airport projects in recent years were examined relative to the above consideration. Specifically, the annual “Reports of DBE Goal Accomplishments” are summarized as follows: FY 2013 – 50.23%, FY 2014 – 7.76% and FY 2015 – 11.45%. The historical median percentage for DBE accomplishments for similar projects over this three-year period is 11.45%.
Subsequently, the proposed overall DBE Goals are as follows:
Fiscal Year 2024: (4.94%+11.45%)/2= 8.2%
The proposed overall goal for the 2024 period is 8.2%. To arrive at an overall goal, the City of Wichita Falls by dividing the total percent of DBEs by the historical median of 11.45% dividing by two to reach 8.2%. City of Wichita Falls goal figure will accurately reflect DBE participation that can be achieved for the type of airport project work being awarded during this three-year period.
Disparity Studies
Furthermore, there are no applicable disparity studies for the local market area or recent legal case information from the relevant jurisdictions to show evidence of barriers to entry or competitiveness of DBEs in the market area that are sufficient to warrant making an adjustment to the base goal.
Other Factors
Jennifer Babineaux, the Purchasing Agent for the City of Wichita Falls, reported that she maintains a list of DBE businesses in the local area. Mrs. Babineaux stated that in many cases, she consciously seeks to do business with DBEs on a wide variety of projects. Mrs. Babineaux is the party responsible for collecting bids on all of the City of Wichita Falls projects, including those that involve FAA grants. Through the City of Wichita Falls’ website, Mrs. Babineaux has been able to notify all businesses, including DBEs, of upcoming bid packages that will be submitted by the Purchasing Division. As a result, DBEs will have access to all projects, services, and supplies purchased by the City of Wichita Falls, regardless of the need for federal requirements.
Breakout of Estimated Race-Neutral and Race-Conscious Participation
In order to achieve the 8.2% DBE goal for the three-year period, the City of Wichita Falls estimates that it will obtain 8.18% from race-conscious measures and 0.02% from race-neutral measures. The race-neutral figure of 3.1% was obtained by using the median DBE percentage that exceeded our overall goal: (38.9%, -3.5% and 0.02%) = 0.02%. The City of Wichita Falls will adjust the estimated breakdown of race-neutral and race conscious participation as needed to reflect actual DBE participation and will track and report race-neutral and race-conscious participation as necessary. For reporting purposes, race-neutral DBE participation includes, but is not necessarily limited to, the following: DBE participation through a prime contract obtained through customary competitive procurement procedures; DBE participation through a subcontract on a prime contract that does not carry a DBE goal; DBE participation on a prime contract exceeding a contract goal; and DBE participation through a subcontract from a prime contractor that did not consider a firm’s DBE status in making the award.
The City of Wichita Falls will meet the maximum feasible portion of its overall goal by using race-neutral means of facilitating DBE participation. The City of Wichita Falls also remains committed to the race-neutral measures identified in our DBE program, including the following:
- Arranging solicitations, times for the presentation of bids, quantities, specifications, and delivery schedules in ways that facilitates DBE and other small business participation;
- Providing technical assistance and other services;
- Carrying out information and communication programs on contracting procedures and specific contract opportunities
- Providing services to help DBEs and other small businesses increase opportunities to participate in a variety of work;
- Ensuring distribution of DBE candidates, through print and electronic means, to the widest feasible universe of potential prime contractors;
- Assist DBEs and other small businesses to conduct business through electronic media.
In addition, the City of Wichita Falls will continue working with the local TxDOT District to register DBEs to perform work not only in Wichita Falls, but also the entire State. The City of Wichita Falls will also coordinate with Midwestern State University’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to help give current and future DBEs the tools to succeed in the business environment.
Contract Goals
The City of Wichita Falls will use contract goals to meet any portion of the overall goal that the City does not project being able to meet using race-neutral means. Contract goals are established so that, over the period to which the overall goal applies, they will cumulatively result in meeting any portion of our overall goal that is not projected to be met through the use of race-neutral means.
The City will establish contract goals only on those DOT-assisted contracts that have subcontracting possibilities. Under the regulations of 49 CFR Part 26, the City need not establish a contract goal on every contract, and the size of the contract goals will be adapted to the circumstances of each such contract (e.g., type and location of work, availability of DBEs to perform the particular work). The City will express its contract goals as a percentage of Federal share of a DOT-assisted contract.
Public Participation
Consultation
City of Wichita Falls Airport staff has an on-going process of contacting various DBEs in the proposed scope of work categories. Staff will communicate these upcoming projects, as well as discuss issues involving barriers to DBE participation. Staff will accept comment on any improvements that the City of Wichita Falls can make to eliminate any barriers. We will also communicate any assistance that we can provide to DBEs in increasing their participation. The City of Wichita Falls will also obtain information concerning the availability of disadvantage and non-disadvantage businesses, as well as efforts to establish an equal playing field for the participation of DBE’s. The City of Wichita Falls submits its overall DBE three goal of 8.4% on August 1st as required.
Public Notice
The City of Wichita Falls has published the following notice of the proposed overall goal on the City of Wichita Falls Web Site (www.wichitafallstx.gov) and on the City of Wichita Falls owned Public Information Channel (Spectrum), informing the public that the proposed goal and its rationale are available for inspection during normal business hours at our principal office for 30 days following the date of the notice. In addition, the public is also advised that the City of Wichita Falls and FAA will accept comments on the goals for 45 days from the date of the notice.
The goal will be submitted to the FAA without these comments, but we will add any comments that we received after 45 days. Our final goal submission to the FAA will include a summary of information and comments received during the public participation process and our responses, if any.
Notice
The City of Wichita Falls hereby announces its Fiscal Year 2024 goal of 8.2% for Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) eligible airport planning projects at Wichita Falls Regional Airport. The proposed goal and rationale are available for inspection between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, at Wichita Falls Regional Airport, 4000 Armstrong Dr., Suite #8, Wichita Falls, Texas 76305 for 30 days from the date of this publication.
Comments on the DBE goal will be accepted for 45 days from the date of this publication and can be sent to the following:
Andrew Holley
Wichita Falls Regional Airport
4000 Armstrong Dr., Suite #8
Wichita Falls, Texas 76305