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Relating to the F1oridAffmity contract, on September 6, 1994, the Board authorized FloridAffinity to subcontract pre-acquisition services on an as -need basis, contingent upon the county administrator's approval. Those pre-acquisition services include land surveys; title reports; appraisals; and environmental audits, funded by environmental land acquisition bond referendum monies. Now that the County has acquired a number of properties under the environmental lands program, there is a need for the County to obtain services from various companies for initial management tasks, in accordance with Board approved management plans and inter -agency agreements. This memorandum is to request that the Board outhorke county staff to obtain services for initial management tasks, as identified in Board approved management plans or inter -agency agreements, on an os -need basis contingent upon county administrator approval ALTERNATIVES & ANALYSIS The County's bond counsel has indicated that initial management costs associated with acquired environmental properties can be funded with environmental land bond referendum monies. Examples of such tasks include nuisance exotic plant removal, habitat restoration, archaeological surveys, and security fencing. The cost for each of the initial management tasks vary anywhere from ±$1,000 to +$25,000, depending on site specific factors. The primary advantage of authorizing county staff to obtain services for initial management tasks is expediency. ffthe Board elects not to authorize staff to obtain services for initial management tasks on an as -need basis as requested, procedural requirements would entail staff issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) each time that a particular service is needed. More than one RFP would need to be issued for any particular acquisition project site, because different services require different companies (e.g., archaeological surveys, security fencing, nuisance exotic plants removal). As proposed, staff would only be obtaining services for management tasks pre -approved by the Board as components of Board approved management plans or inter -agency agreements. An example is that the County's lease agreement with the State for management of the Cairns Tract provides that the county must identify by survey any archaeological sites that may be on the property. Within the next few weeks, publicly owned property along Jungle Trail will be surveyed by an archaeologist, as part of the Jungle Trail Enhancement ISTEA ( Inter -modal Surface Transportation Enhancement Act) grant project. However, relating to the Cairns Tract, only the west portion along Jungle Trail will be surveyed. By authorizing county staff to obtain services for initial management tasks, staff can expeditiously coordinate with the ISTEA funded archaeologist to expand his survey of the Cairns Tract to include the entire property, whereby the extended area survey would be paid for with environmental land bond funds. If the Board approves staff s request, staff s procedure will be to secure at least three bids in writing from different contractors for each task, and will make a selection based on such factors as: cost; consideration of each bidder's "track record" relating to quality of work; review of each bidder's ability to meet deadlines, and consideration of each bidder's locality as it affects the particular task. An exception to this process would be if a contractor is already under contract for other work (e.g., the ISTEA funded archaeologist), such that costs can be reduced, in the public's interest, by going with that contractor without need for other bids. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the Board of County Commissioners authorize county staff to obtain services for initial management tasks relating to acquired environmental lands, as identified in Board approved management plans or inter -agency agreements, on an as -need basis contingent upon county administrator approval. 11 SEPTEMBER 23, 1997