Community
OP-ED: BART Hires Georgia Firm for Disparity Study, Ignores Qualified Cheaper Local Bidder
By Barbara J. Thomson
Despite BART board policy to contract with small local businesses, the Board of Directors at their April 9 meeting voted unanimously to award a contract to study discrimination in contracting to a Georgia firm – Miller3 – with limited experience in the field.
The lowest bidder—a nationally recognized Oakland firm located in BART’s service area for more than 30 years—was passed over for the contract to conduct the study to investigate BART’s contracting practices.
Local business leaders are questioning how the contractor selection to conduct a disparity study that produced such unfair results could have been impartial. They are calling for transparency and disclosure of the selection process.
Business leaders want an explanation of how the proposals were evaluated and how BART’s Office of Civil Rights could rank the Georgia firm number one, and an international firm that has never performed a disparity study was ranked number two.
The Oakland firm— Mason Tillman Associates, Ltd.– which has completed more than 130 legally unchallenged studies, including the current unchallenged BART study—was only ranked number three.
The BART Office of Civil Rights’ report to the board stated, “[A]t the conclusion of the evaluation process, staff conducted a best value analysis and determined that Miller3 represented the best value to the district.”
The Georgia firm’s proposed bid was over $100,000 more than the Oakland firm—a California certified business that has performed more than 100 disparity studies for large clients such New York City, New York State, Texas, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, and the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
BART’s 2007 Disparity Study was performed by Mason Tillman. Leaders note that it is difficult to understand how BART officials could recommend and directors vote to approve a contract that will cost the public an extra $100,000.
They also question how this decision can be justified as “the best value” for Bay Area residents and riders.
Wayne T. Wong, Department Manager for BART’s Office of Civil Rights testified that the staff’s recommendation was proper because BART had budgeted an estimated cost of over $1 million for the project, and the Georgia firm’s bid came in at $668,050.
Staff analyses show that the cost to taxpayers and riders could have been reduced by almost $100,000 had BART selected a local small business with a national reputation that hires local residents and pays local taxes.
BART’s willingness to pay the additional amount is noteworthy at a time when every penny should be scrutinized because BART intends to go again to the voters for a bond measure this time to subsidize a $9.6 billion shortfall found by the State Auditor.
In these economic times, socially responsible agencies are mindful that local hiring is important to all district residents.
The bid proposal also required the contractor to “[M]aintain, or be able to maintain, an office location in California within 100 miles of the District’s Headquarters” in downtown Oakland.
According to the Office of Civil Rights Manager Wong, the Georgia firm plans to “rent or lease space from one of its sub-consultants in Vallejo or Novato. Neither city is in a county with BART district tax rates.”
The nationally respected Oakland disparity study consultant that BART did not select is headquartered across the street from BART headquarters, where it employs 20 staff.
The firm hires locally and for 30 years has supported the local economy, and pays payroll, sales, and BART district taxes.
The Oakland business is not only a local company, but it is a good corporate citizen that hires Oakland minority high school student interns, mentors young professionals, and supports Oakland nonprofit organizations.
In passing over the Oakland firm, BART failed to comply with its own policy, and the Office of Civil Rights has failed to comport with its mission to ensure an equitable contracting process for local, small, and minority/woman-owned businesses.
In voting to select the Georgia firm for this contract, BART Directors raise suspicion about their fiduciary responsibility.
For more information, watch BART’s April 9 board meeting, Item III.B, at www.bart.gov/about/bod/multimedia.
Activism
An Inside Look into How San Francisco Analyzes Homeless Encampments
Dozens of unhoused people are camped at Sixth and Jesse streets in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood. Tents made of tarps and blankets, piles of debris, and people lounging alongside the allies and walls of businesses are seen from all angles. These are some of the city’s hotspots. City crews have cleared encampments there over 30 times in the past year, but unhoused people always return.
By Magaly Muñoz
Dozens of unhoused people are camped at Sixth and Jesse streets in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood. Tents made of tarps and blankets, piles of debris, and people lounging alongside the allies and walls of businesses are seen from all angles.
These are some of the city’s hotspots. City crews have cleared encampments there over 30 times in the past year, but unhoused people always return.
But it’s normal to have tents set up again within less than 24 hours after an encampment sweep, David Nakanishi, Healthy Streets Operation Center Manager at the Department of Emergency Management, says. Sometimes there’s less people than before but often there is also no change.
“Most of the people that were in the encampments that want to go inside, we’ve gotten the majority of those [into shelter],” Nakanishi says. “Many of the people we encounter now, are those who have various reasons to not accept shelter, and some are already in shelter/housing”.
Since the ruling of Grants Pass by the US Supreme Court earlier this summer, which allows cities the authority to ban people from camping or sleeping on the streets, San Francisco has been at the head of the conversation to crack down on encampments.
Where neighboring cities in the Bay Area are clearing encampments a few days a week, San Francisco is sweeping 10 times a week, two per weekday.
Considering the controversy that plagues the city around its harsh policies, the Post decided to tag along on a ride with Nakanishi to show us how he decides what encampments make it on the city’s sweep list.
Nakanishi, having over 20 years of experience in homelessness management, drives around the busiest parts of the city almost daily. He’s tasked with arranging a weekly sweeping operation schedule for city teams to engage with unhoused folks to help get them off the streets.
So what exactly is he looking out for when deciding what encampments get swept?
It depends, he says.
Locations like schools, recreational centers, senior centers, or businesses are places he tends to want to address quickly, especially schools. These are the places where the complaints are highest and access to facilities is important for residents.
He says he also takes into account 311 calls and reports made to him by city staff. On the date of publication, over 100 calls and reports were made about encampments around the city, according to San Francisco data.
Nakanishi made a few 311 reports himself on the ride along, pulling over to take photos and describe the encampments into his 311 app. He says it helps him remember where to possibly sweep next or allows smaller teams in the city to engage quicker with individuals on the streets.
Nakanishi also looks at the state of the encampments. Are there a lot of bulky items, such as furniture, or makeshift structures built out of tarps and plywood, blocking areas of traffic? Is trash beginning to pile up and spill into the streets or sidewalks? Sites that meet this criteria tend to be contenders for encampment sweeps, Nakanishi says.
Street by street, he points out individuals he’s interacted with, describing their conditions, habits, and reasons for denying assistance from the city.
One man on 2nd St and Mission, who rolls around a blue recycling bin and often yells at passing pedestrians, has refused shelter several times, Nakanishi says.
People deny shelter for all kinds of reasons, he says. There’s too many rules to follow, people feel unsafe in congregate or shared shelters, or their behavioral and mental health problems make it hard to get them into proper services.
Nakanishi references another man on South Van Ness under the freeway, who city outreach have attempted to get into shelter, but his screaming outbursts make it difficult to place him without disturbing other people in the same space. Nakanishi says it might be an issue of the man needing resources like medication to alleviate his distress that causes the screaming, but the city behavioral team is in the process of outreaching him to figure that out.
In October, city outreach teams engaged with 495 unhoused people. 377 of those engaged refused shelter and only 118 accepted placements, according to city data. That number of monthly referrals is consistent throughout the entirety of 2024 so far.
Nakanishi has long advocated for the well-being of unhoused people, he explains. In 2004, he was working with the Department of Public Health and told then-Mayor Gavin Newsom that there needed to be more housing for families. Nakinishi was told it was easier to deal with individuals first and the city “will get there eventually.” 20 years later, family housing is still not as extensive as it could be, and the waiting list to get placements for families is a mile long with over 500 names.
In 2020, he was a Senior Behavioral Health Clinician at a hotel in the city during the pandemic. He says in 2021 he collaborated with DPH to provide vaccines to those staying in the makeshift hotel shelters once those became available.
Despite the constant media attention that city outreach is inhumanely treating homeless people, so much so that it has led to lawsuits against San Francisco from advocates, Nakanishi says not a lot of people are seeing the true conditions of some encampments.
He describes soiled clothing and tents, drenched in urine, and oftentimes rodents or bug infestations in places where people are sleeping. He’s asked homeless advocates- often those who are the most critical about the city’s work- who have shown up to observe the sweeps if those are conditions the city should allow people to be subjected to, but not many have answers for him, Nakanishi says.
The city’s “bag and tag” policy allows city workers to throw away items that are “soiled by infectious materials” such as bodily fluids and waste.
Sweep operations are conducted at 8am and 1pm Monday through Friday. People at the encampments are given 72 hour notice to vacate, but some don’t leave the area until the day of the sweep.
City outreach workers come out the day before and day of to offer resources and shelter to those interested. The Department of Public Works discards any trash that is left over from the sweep and washes down the area.
Nakanishi told the Post that the only time the city takes tents or personal possessions from residents is when folks become physically violent towards workers and police take the items as evidence. Other items taken are bagged and tagged in accordance with city policy.
Stories from local newspapers such as the San Francisco Standard and the Chronicle show instances of SFPD handcuffing residents while their items are thrown in the trash or disposing of personal possessions without reason.
Advocates have long been pushing for a more competent and compassionate process if the city is going to choose to continue sweeping unhouse people.
No matter the lawsuits and constant criticisms from allies, the encampment sweeps are not slowing down, even with the cold weather quickly approaching the coastal city.
Nakanishi says there aren’t a lot of large encampments left in San Francisco so now they do runs of streets in order to stretch out the sweeps as much as possible.
It’s calculated strategies and years of first hand knowledge that make this job work, “It takes dedication to the work, caring for the people and the community, and persistence, patience and sometimes good luck to make the positive changes for the people on the street,” Nakanishi says.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of November 13 – 19, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 13 – 19, 2024
To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
Activism
LIVE! — TOWN HALL ON RACISM AND ITS IMPACT — THURS. 11.14.24 5PM PST
Join us for a LIVE Virtual Town Hall on the Impact of Racism hosted by Post News Group Journalist Carla Thomas and featuring Oakland, CA NAACP President Cynthia Adams & other Special Guests.
Thursday, November 14, 2024, 5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. PST
Join us for a LIVE Virtual Town Hall on the Impact of Racism hosted by Post News Group Journalist Carla Thomas and featuring Oakland, CA NAACP President Cynthia Adams & other Special Guests.
Thursday, November 14, 2024
5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. PST
Discussion Topics:
• Since the pandemic, what battles have the NAACP fought nationally, and how have they impacted us locally?
• What trends are you seeing concerning Racism? Is it more covert or overt?
• What are the top 5 issues resulting from racism in our communities?
• How do racial and other types of discrimination impact local communities?
• What are the most effective ways our community can combat racism and hate?
Your questions and comments will be shared LIVE with the moderators and viewers during the broadcast.
STREAMED LIVE!
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/PostNewsGroup
YOUTUBE: youtube.com/blackpressusatv
X: twitter.com/blackpressusa
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