HIGHLIGHTS
ARLINGTON INCREASES GOALS FOR MWBE PARTICIPATION IN CONTRACTS
The City of Arlington continues striving to increase opportunities for minority , and women-owned business enterprises , known collectively as MWBE , to be awarded contracts for goods , services , construction , and professional services .
On March 2 , 2021 , the Arlington City Council voted to revise the Local and Minority Women-Owned Business Enterprise Policy and increase the aspirational goal for local and minority participation in all City contracts to be increased from 25 % to 30 %. The policy , adopted in 2013 , originally set a 20 percent aspirational goal for all City procurement contracts to be awarded to MWBE businesses .
The increased aspirational goal is among recommendations from the most recent Availability and Disparity Study , presented to City Council in September 2020 . The study analyzed the City ’ s historical utilization of MWBEs when competing for City contracts and associated subcontracts and also gathered qualitative data on the experiences of MWBEs in seeking work with the City and other governments and the private sector . The report found that qualified and capable firms encountered systemic and serious barriers on the basis of race and gender . Based on these findings , the study made recommendations to the City about possible strategies to increase opportunities for MWBEs and steps to create a formal MWBE Program .
The new aspirational goal shall be based on the total dollars spent annually on all citywide contracts and the availability of MWBEs to perform as primes and subcontractors . The City is also continuing its work to adopt a formal MWBE Program in an effort to improve participation and make progress toward greater equity
CANE ROSSO OPENS IN DOWNTOWN ’ S URBAN UNION
Delicious , wood-fired eats have arrived Downtown . In the latest episode of Arlington Eats , host Andrew Tanielian provided an inside look into the new Cane Rosso .
Owner Jay Jerrier felt the excitement building in Downtown Arlington ’ s Urban Union and wanted to be part of it . And that decision is already paying off . “ Seeing people that have been in several times a week already ... we ’ re already building some really cool regulars ,” Jerrier said .
The menu includes pasta , woodfired pizza , desserts and more . There are also dishes unique to the Arlington location , including the Beat Writer pizza , named to honor a reporter covering the Texas Rangers , the Willie Calzone , named to honor Rangers star Willie Calhoun and a pizza featuring barbecue from neighboring restaurant Hurtado Barbecue . The pizzas and other dishes are cooked in a special oven , imported from Italy . It ’ s maintained at 900 degrees and cooks a pizza in just 90 seconds .
The restaurant is located inside a former fuel station and maintains some of the building ’ s original , industrial features . “ It was one of those things where all of a sudden it just clicked . Like , okay , this place is cool ,” Jerrier said . The restaurant also includes a large patio for diners looking to eat outdoors .