HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrder No. 20-018 - Enter into Contract Negotiations with the Top Ranked Firm as Ranked by the Selection Committee for RFP No. 20-010 for Public Transit Operations (04-16-20)ORDER NO. 20-018
AN ORDER OF THE ST. LUCIE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AUTHORIZING COUNTY STAFF
TO ENTER INTO CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE TOP RANKED FIRM AS RANKED
BY THE SELECTION COMMITTEE FOR RFP NO. 20-010 FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION OPERATIONS
WHEREAS, the St. Lucie County Administrator has made the following determinations:
1. Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 ("COVID-19") is a severe acute respiratory illness that
can spread among humans and presents with symptoms similar to those of influenza; and
In late 2019, a new and significant outbreak of COVID-19 emerged in China; and
3. The World Health Organization previously declared COVID-19 a Public Health Emergency
of International Concern; and
4. In response to the recent COVID-19 outbreak in China, Iran, Italy, Japan and South Korea,
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ("CDC') has deemed it necessary to prohibit or restrict
non -essential travel to or from those countries; and
5. On March 1, 2020, the Governor of the State of Florida issued Executive Order Number
20-51 directing the Florida Department of Health to issue a Public Health Emergency; and
6. On March 1, 2020, the State Surgeon General and State Health Officer declared a Public
Health Emergency exists in the State of Florida as a result of COVID-19; and
7. On March 7, 2020, the Governor of the State of Florida directed the Director of the
Division of Emergency Management to activate the State of Emergency Operations Center to Level 2 to
provide coordination and response to the COVID-19 emergency; and
8. On March 9, 2020, the Governor of the State of Florida issued Executive Order Number
20-52 declaring that a state of emergency exists in the State of Florida as a result of the spread of the
COVID-19 virus and imminent threat to the health and welfare of the citizens of Florida; and
9. The CDC currently recommends community preparedness and that everyday prevention
measures should be taken by all individuals and families in the United States, including voluntary home
isolation when individuals are sick with respiratory symptoms, covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue
and disposal of the tissue immediately thereafter, washing hands often with soap and water for at least
20 seconds, using alcohol -based hand sanitizers with 60%-95% alcohol if soap and water are not readily
available and routinely cleaning frequently touched surfaces and objects to increase community resilience
and readiness for responding to an outbreak; and
10. The CDC currently recommends mitigation measures for communities experiencing an
outbreak including staying at home when sick, keeping away from others who are sick, limiting face-to-
face contact with others as much as possible, consulting with your healthcare provider if individuals or
members of a household are at high risk for COVID-19 complications, wearing a facemask if advised to do
so by a healthcare provider or by a public health official, staying home when a household member is sick
with respiratory disease symptoms if instructed to do so by public health officials or a health care provider;
and JOSEPH E. SMITH, CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT
SAINT LUCIE COUNTY
FILE # 4699123 04/16/2020 04:04:33 PM
1 OR BOOK 4409 PAGE 1328 - 1332 Doc Type: ORD
RECORDING: $44.00
11. On March 13, 2020, the President of the United States issued a proclamation of a
declaration of national emergency; and
12. On March 13, 2020, the Coordinating Officer for the State of Florida Division of Emergency
Management issued Emergency Order No. 20-004, authorizing the Department of Education to delay
school assessments and to adjust school calendars including rescheduling, extending or cancelling spring
breaks; and
13. On March 16, 2020, President Donald J. Trump and the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention ('CDC") issued the "15 Days to Slow the Spread" guidance advising individuals to adopt far-
reaching social distancing measures, such as avoiding gatherings of more than 10 people, and in states
with evidence of community spread, recommending restrictions to certain establishments conducive to
mass gatherings and congregations; and
14. On March 29, 2020, the President extended such guidance to be in effect until April 30,
2020; and
15. On March 17, 2020, the St. Lucie County Public Safety Director declared a State of Local
Emergency COVID-19 Public Health Emergency ("St. Lucie County Declaration of Emergency"); and
16. On March 24, 2020, the Governor of the State of Florida issued Executive Order No. 20-
83 directing the State Surgeon General and State Health Officer to issue a public health advisory to all
persons over 65 years of age and persons that have serious underlying medical conditions that place them
at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 urging them to stay home and to take such other measures as
necessary to limit their risk of exposure to COVID-19; and
17. Pursuant to Executive Order No. 20-83, the Governor of the State of Florida further
directed the State Surgeon General and the State Health Officer to issue a public health advisory providing
that individuals should cease all social or recreational gatherings of 10 or more people; and
18. On March 25, 2020, the State Surgeon General issued a Public Health Advisory consistent
with Executive Order 20-83; and
19. On March 25, 2020, the President of the United States declared that a major disaster
exists in the State of Florida as a result of COVID-19; and
20. The State of Florida and St. Lucie County are continuing to experience reports of illnesses
and persons testing positive for the virus; and
21. There has been no indication that the spread of COVID-19 is slowing in the State of Florida
and St. Lucie County; and
22. St. Lucie County must continue to take emergency action to lessen the spread of COVID-
19; and
23. There is reason to believe that COVID-19 is spread amongst the population by various
means of exposure, including the propensity to spread person to person and the propensity to attach to
surfaces for prolonged periods of time thereby creating a dangerous physical condition spreading from
surface to person and causing increased infections to persons, and also creating property or business
2
income loss and damage in certain circumstances; and
24. On November 10, 2019, the County issued Request for Proposals No. 20-010 for Public
Transportation Operations ("RFP") to select a master transit provider for the County's fixed route and
demand response transit services which are funded by federal and state grants and the County's Transit
Municipal Services Taxing Unit and provide a vital service to County residents; and,
25. On April 7, 2020, the Board of County Commissioners cancelled its April 21, 2020 and May
5, 2020 meetings. Accordingly, the Board will not meet again until May 19, 2020; and,
26. One of the items originally scheduled for the April 21, 2020 meeting was a
recommendation to authorize County staff to enter into contract negotiations with the top ranked firm
as ranked by the Selection Committee in response to the RFP. If the parties are unable to reach contract,
County staff would then be authorized to enter into contract negotiations with the second ranked
proposer; and,
27. The County received two responses to the RFP which were opened on December 19,
2019. The responses were submitted by the Council on Aging of St. Lucie, Inc., the current provider, and
MV Transportation, Inc.; and,
28. On January 14, 2020, the selection committee composed of representative(s) from the
Economic Development Council, City of Fort Pierce, City of Port St. Lucie, Indian River County and County
staff, met to evaluate and rank the proposals. The Committee shortlisted the firms in the following order:
1. MV Transportation, Inc.
2. Council on Aging of St. Lucie County, Inc.
29. On January 28, 2020, the Board of County Commissioners approved the short-listed
firms and authorized the Committee to receive oral presentations from the short-listed firms; and,
30. On January 29, 2020, the short-listed firms were notified of the date, time and location
of the oral presentations; and,
31. On February 13, 2020, oral presentations were held, both short-listed firms were given
15 minutes for their presentation, followed by 25 minutes of questions and answers with the selection
committee and five minutes for their closing. After presentations were concluded, the selection
committee opened in a public meeting for final deliberation which representatives from both short-listed
firms attended. Following discussion, the Committee members scored the presentations. The scores
from the presentations were added to the scores from the written evaluation. The Committee's final
ranking for the RFP is as follows:
1. MV Transportation, Inc. - 1080.5 points
2. Council on Aging of St. Lucie County — 879 points
32. The County's current contract for public transportation operations, as extended, will
expire on July 1, 2020. In the event County staff is able to negotiate a contract with the Selection
Committee's top ranked firm, it is anticipated that the transition to a new operator will require
approximately six weeks. This coincides with the time between the Board's May 19, 2020 meeting and
the expiration of the current contract; and,
c3
33. In the event the Board determines at its May 19, 2020 meeting to reject the contract
negotiated between County staff and MV Transportation, Inc., and directs staff to enter into negotiations
with the Council on Aging of St. Lucie, Inc., it is anticipated there would be sufficient time to complete
such negotiations and present the resulting contract to the Board prior to the expiration of the existing
contract.
34. As St. Lucie County Administrator, I have determined that an Order directing County staff
to enter into negotiations with the Selection Committee's top ranked firm, MV Transportation, Inc., and
present the resulting contract to the Board of County Commissioners at its May 19, 2020 meeting is a
reasonable and prudent action to take in order to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the residents
of St. Lucie County; and
35. Paragraph 2 of the St. Lucie County Declaration of Emergency provides that the County
Administrator may take all actions necessary and appropriate to protect human life and prosperity, to the
extent necessary to accommodate the emergency; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDERED AS FOLLOWS:
The determinations, orders, and declarations identified above are incorporated herein.
2. A RFP 20-010 Contract Negotiations Order is hereby established effective as of 'I, ff
am (pm) on A(2r�1 I- 2020. A RFP 20-010 Contract
Negotiations means County staff is hereby authorized to enter into contract negotiations
with the Selection Committee's top ranked firm, MV Transportation, Inc., and present the
resulting contract to the Board of County Commissioners for its consideration at the
Board's May 19, 2020 meeting.
Severability.
Any provision(s) within this Order that conflict(s) with any State or Federal law or constitutional provision,
or conflict(s) with or are superseded by a current or subsequently -issued Executive Order of the Governor
or the President of the United States, shall be deemed inapplicable and deemed to be severed from this
Order, with the remainder of the Order remaining intact and in full force and effect. To the extent
application of some or all of the provisions of this Order is prohibited on the sovereign land of a federally
or state recognized sovereign Indian tribe, such application is expressly excluded from this Order.
Effective Date; Duration.
This Order is effective twenty-four hours after adoption as of 9: ��m /p.m. on /7 f'` day of
r A 2020. This Order will expire upon the expiration of the existing State of Local
Emergency, as same may be extended by subsequent order or declaration, unless earlier terminated by
subsequent Order.
Prior resolutions and emergency orders remain in force and effect unless modified or superseded.
This Order shall be presented to the Board of County Commissioners for ratification at its May 19, 2020
meeting.
4
This Order shall be filed in the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court.
Signed this Ito t'' day of Aer 'A , 2020 at q -0 _-((am) (pm).
Howardipton foil,
County Rdministrator
S/Atty/State of Emerge ncy/Order-RFP 20-010 Contract Negotiations