Good day, Chairman Brown, members of the Committee and staff. My name is Anthony Young, Interim Deputy Director for Administration, of the DC Department of Mental Health (DMH). I am testifying today on behalf of the DMH Acting Director, Stephen T. Baron, who asked me to express his regret at not being able to attend this roundtable.

The LSDBE allocation for DMH for FY 2006 is $2,767,552.00. This figure represents one-half of the agency’s expendable budget of $5,535,103. The expendable budget is derived by deducting our operating budget ($126,855,531.00) and other adjustments ($47,376,542, primarily Community Contract Services) from the agency’s FY 2006 local budget allocation of $179,767,176.

We are on track to meet our FY 2006 goal of spending $2,767,552 with businesses certified as Local, Small, Disadvantaged Business Enterprises. Thus far, we have awarded $1,768,740 this year, leaving $998,812 to be awarded by September 30.

I would like to acknowledge missing the deadline to submit our FY 2006 allocation letter at the beginning of the fiscal year. However, all quarterly reports have been submitted timely and the remaining FY 2006 quarterly reports will be submitted timely.

We take our commitment to BUY DC very seriously. To date, we have spent $1,355,444, an amount almost equal to our LSDBE goal, using discretionary capital and federal funds with small and local businesses.

I also would like to update the committee about a major contract award using capital funds to be made this summer. That is the contract to construct the new St. Elizabeths Hospital building, which requires a minimum 35 percent participation by small and local businesses, and will result in a potential LSDBE award of $40+ million. The pre-bid conference was last week. The deadline to submit bids is July 25 and we will open the bids July 27. The expected award date is mid August 2006.

A second construction project using capital funds is the renovation of two existing buildings on the St. Elizabeths campus, which will house patients should the census exceed that of the new building. We expect to publish the Invitation for Bids within 90 days. This includes an LSDBE set-aside valued at $9-11 million.

Thank you for this opportunity to share our progress with the Council. I would be happy to answer your questions.