PORT OF SEATTLE 
MEMORANDUM 
COMMISSION AGENDA 
STAFF BRIEFING                           May 7, 2015 
Date of Meeting 
Audit Committee 
DATE:    April 30, 2015 
TO:     Port of Seattle Commission Audit Committee 
FROM:    Mian Rice, Small Business Program Manager 
Deanna Zachrisson, Business Leader, Airport Dining and Retail 

SUBJECT:  Results of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Compliance Audits of
the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Airport Concessions
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise programs (ACDBE) 
SYNOPSIS 
The FAA conducted compliance audits of both the DBE and ACDBE programs in March
2015. The FAA expressed appreciation for the transparency of the Port programs and the
assistance provided to the three auditors tasked with reviewing these programs for
compliance with Federal regulations. 
BACKGROUND 
In February 2015, representatives from the FAA Regional Civil Rights Office notified the
Port that it intended to conduct compliance audits of the Port's DBE and ACDBE
programs. Staff in the Office of Social Responsibility and the Airport Dining and Retail
program act as Liaison Officers with the FAA and were asked to provide documentation
to the FAA in advance of their onsite audit visit. The types of documents reviewed
included  lease  agreements,  correspondence,  sales  reporting  and  compliance
documentation. 
An audit team devoted one week to onsite interviews, site visits and documentation
reviews. The auditors also interviewed groups of both non-ACDBE and ACDBE airport
tenants. Port staff also accompanied the auditors on their visit to the Washington State
Office of Women and Minority Owned Businesses, the certifying entity for DBEs and
ACDBEs, for a review of their practices and training of certification staff in Olympia.
For both the DBE and ACDBE programs, the FAA requested that the Port's new CEO,
Ted Fick, sign the program documents as a result of the transition in leadership. Former
CEO Tay Yoshitani was signatory to the program documents which act as the Port's
commitments to the FAA in the implementation of both programs. 
ACDBE PROGRAM 

Template revised May 30, 2013.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
April 30, 2015 
Page 2 of 2 

The only other noted items for the ACDBE program were as follows: 
- Waiver Documentation: The Airport has two contracts which the FAA considers
to be exclusive agreements without ACDBE participation, the Airport advertising
agreement and luggage cart agreement. Both agreements are nearly universa lly
exclusives at U.S. airports, however, a formal waiver should be documented. 
- Lack of Car Rental Participation:  The Airport has no ACDBE participation
among car rental companies. However, there are no certified ACDBEs in the state
of Washington that could provide products or services to the rental car companies.
This is also commonplace at other U.S. airports.

DBE PROGRAM 

ATTACHMENTS TO THIS BRIEFING 
Final DBE/ACDBE Compliance Audit Report 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS