RTD directors voted Tuesday evening to give a company led by community activist Alvertis Simmons a $185,000, no-bid contract to monitor maintenance work on area bus shelters and park-n-Rides.
As part of the contract, Simmons’ five- person company also will provide luggage-handling services for RTD buses serving DIA during busy holiday travel periods.
Directors who supported the one-year “demonstration” contract said it shows RTD is putting “its money where its mouth is” when it comes to supporting the development of small, minority-owned businesses.
In the past year and a half, the Regional Transportation District signed pacts with black and Hispanic community leaders to promote minority business opportunities at the agency, especially as RTD embarks on its $4.7 billion FasTracks transit expansion. Simmons is African- American.
RTD has an obligation to help “incubate” minority-owned businesses, said RTD director Bill McMullen during the debate over whether to approve the contract.
David Ruchman, another director, said the transit agency should not be promoting minority business opportunities with no- bid contracts but rather by aggressively recruiting disadvantaged firms to bid competitively for agency work.
“I find this really offensive, and I would not vote for this in a million years,” he said.
In the past, Simmons has criticized the lack of adequate minority participation in many public ventures.
“I’m thankful and I’m excited to be given that opportunity,” he said, after directors voted 12-2 to award Simmons and Associates Consulting the contract.
In August, Simmons was indicted on charges of forging a document that allowed another business venture he operates to provide security during the NBA All-Star Weekend in Denver last February. Denver’s code requires security companies to be licensed by the city. Officials said Simmons’ company was unlicensed and not properly insured.
Simmons said Tuesday that RTD was aware of the issue. Referring to his upcoming trial, he added, “I’ll prove my innocence.”
Staff writer Jeffrey Leib can be reached at 303-820-1645 or jleib@denverpost.com.
