MIAMI — On Feb. 7, Miami-Dade Commissioners passed an ordinance sponsored by Commissioner Barbara J. Jordan requiring construction companies building on county owned land to adhere to the county’s Community Small Business Enterprise and Community Business Enterprise Program.

This program offers technical assistance to small businesses, which can provide them with an opportunity to gain experience, knowledge and resources needed to strengthen and enhance their ability to compete both in the government construction contracting arena, as well as in the private construction contracting arena.

The item was co-sponsored by Commissioners Audrey M. Edmonson, Jean Monestime, and Dennis C. Moss.

Any private sector developer doing construction on county-owned  land will be required to meet a specific goal for the amount of work that will be made available for businesses in the county’s small business programs.

The county’s Small Business Development Division is to certify firms based on program requirements and monitor the projects for compliance with the approved measures.

“As we move towards more public/private partnerships, it only makes sense that developers that build on our land be required to adhere to our programs,” said Commissioner Jordan. “There is a wealth of qualified firms available to do the job in this program and this legislation provides another opportunity for them to continue to build capacity.”

The only exemption is for privately financed projects under $200,000 on county-owned land, in order to expedite some of those smaller projects.