ERIE REGIONAL AIRPORTY AUTHORITY
                    Runway 6-24 Improvement Program 
               Plan for Disadvantage Business Enterprises (DBE)

The Erie Regional Airport Authority (ERAA), formerly, Erie Municipal Airport Authority (EMAA), at Erie International Airport, Tom Ridge Field is a recipient of federal funds and has signed grant assurances that it will comply with the Department of Transportation Title 49 CFR Part 26 of the United States Code in accordance with the development of this Implementation Plan for Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE).

This DBE Plan meets the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements and incorporates Erie Regional Airport Authority’s commitment to diversity and strives to increase DBE participation in bidding and contracting opportunities provided during the Runway 6-24 Improvement Program at Erie International Airport, Tom Ridge Field. Comprehensive actions toward this goal include but are not limited to:

1) An Aggressive Recruiting Campaign
2) More access to large contracts by unbinding them
3) Technical assistance with overcoming limitations
4) Assistance with the certification process
5) Supportive Services

Business Development Strategy
To ensure greater participation and to optimize our ability to reach our goal, this Plan includes a Business Development strategy designed to increase the efficiency of collaboration between DBEs, Prime Consultants and Contractors while taking into account both race neutral and good faith efforts.

The Business Development component of the Plan is unique because it goes one step farther than the traditional Disadvantaged Business effort to implement strategies that emphasizes Mentor/Protégé relationships. A Mentor/protégé relationship is a proven strategy within successful business practice and is essential because of the guidance mentors are able to provide based on experience, thus decreasing learning time and improving the curve for success.

Race neutral and Race Conscious Efforts
While race neutral efforts will be made to increase diversity in DBE participation within the Runway 6-24 Airport Improvement Program, historically these efforts have produced minimal results within the Erie Region. In order to reverse that trend, the plan incorporates some race conscious measures to better appeal to under-utilized DBE firms.

Race conscious efforts allow for a collaborative approach with organizations representing underprivileged individuals and emerging businesses to meet the maximum feasible portion of the overall DBE goal. Race conscious efforts concentrate on support services and the long term business management for potential DBE’s.

Good Faith Efforts
Typically, the US DOT allows that a Sponsor/and its consultants and contractors demonstrate a good faith effort toward the utilization of a DBE. This demonstration is generally accepted as the maximum standard practice.

With regard to the ERAA Runway 6-24 Program, the Good Faith Effort requirement will be factored in as a minimum standard as the ERAA Runway 6-24 Program has set a 16% overall goal for DBE participation. Additionally, the DBE implementation plan strongly encourages contractors to match the overall goal of 16% DBE participation with a 16% target for minority employment in relation to the ERAA Runway 6-24 Program. This could be accomplished with the development and implementation of a Work Force Initiative Plan and a Project Labor Agreement.

Overall Goal
An objective of this DBE Implementation Plan is to ensure that the economic impact of this project benefits a diverse segment of the qualified consultant and contractor community. Accordingly, the ERAA, using a federally established formula under CFR Part 26.55 ERAA has established an overall goal of 16% DBE participation for the design, land acquisition and construction phases of the project.

The Runway 6-24 Improvement Program’s preliminary design began in 2006 and the entire program has an estimated 2013 completion schedule. Land acquisition activity began in 2007 and, demolition began in 2008. The first construction contracts (and the 16% programmatic goal increase over the standard 10%) are scheduled to begin in 2009.

The program is the largest capital improvement program in the history of the ERAA and has an estimated inflated cost of 80.3 million. It is currently the largest improvement program in the entire region. Beginning with demolition activity in 2008, at a 16% participation level, the estimated DBE participation amount could approximate 9.0 million.

Summarily, the overall significance of this capital improvement program to the safety and growth of Erie International Airport, Tom Ridge Field should not be underestimated; therefore the implementation of this DBE Plan is critical to its successful completion.