Falk: ‘Best-Value’ proposal good for jobs, economy

August 17, 2007
Joanne Haas, Office of County Executive, (608) 267-8823
County Executive

Bipartisan proposal pending before County Board Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk says the pending Best-Value Contracting ordinance will help sustain the region’s crucial construction industry by growing the local skilled labor pool through apprenticeship programs and similar opportunities. “This ordinance proposal, backed by conservative and progressive members of our County Board, provides a smart workforce option for the industry,” Falk said of the ordinance proposal introduced by Supervisors Jeff Kostelic of Sun Prairie and Dennis O’Loughlin of DeForest. Board Chairman Scott McDonell also has endorsed the ordinance proposal, which is nearly identical to the version approved by the Madison Common Council earlier this year. Kostelic called the ordinance proposal good news for the Dane County taxpayer. “This initiative takes a proactive approach to ensuring that those who the County contracts will provide a quality work product for the taxpayers while improving workforce development throughout Dane County,” Kostelic said. “Adopting these standards will help both the public and private sectors ensure a quality pool of contractors exists for major construction and infrastructure projects.” O’Loughlin said the top reason he is sponsoring the proposal is its drug-testing requirement for businesses seeking to do work with Dane County, followed by its support of apprenticeship programs to slow the loss of skilled workers to other states. “Any prominent business that wants to do business with the county should have that provision (drug testing) in their contract with the county,” O’Loughlin said, adding the testing requirement coupled with apprenticeship programs is a winning combination. “Having a clean, young, hard-working workforce that wants to be in our community is something that I would support 100 percent.” The ordinance proposal seeks to create enforceable qualifications based upon accountability, performance, workforce development and oversight of publicly funded projects. The proposal also requires contractors seeking work with Dane County to: -- Participate in a Department of Labor Class A Training and Apprenticeship Program; -- Provide past performance histories; -- And, to provide an affirmative action plan. # # #