A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ACCEPTING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE CITY MANAGER, PURSUANT TO REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) NO. 2022-015-WG INVESTIGATION, BACKGROUND, ADJUSTING AND SURVEILLANCE OF SELECTED TORT LIABILITY CLAIMS, WORKERS' COMPENSATION CLAIMS, AND OTHER EMPLOYMENT RELATED MATTERS; AUTHORIZING THE ADMINISTRATION TO ENTER NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE FOLLOWING FIRMS TO ESTABLISH A POOL OF FIRMS UNDER THE RFQ: S.K.1., INC., AS THE FIRST RANKED PROPOSER; INFOQUEST INFORMATION SERVICES, LTD, LLC, AS THE SECOND RANKED PROPOSER; AND CROSSROAD SDI DBA CROSSROADS INVESTIGATIONS AND DIGISTREAM SOUTH FLORIDA, INC. AS THE THIRD-RANKED PROPOSERS (TIED); AND FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER AND CITY CLERK TO EXECUTE AGREEMENTS WITH EACH OF THE FOREGOING PROPOSERS UPON CONCLUSION OF SUCCESSFUL NEGOTIATIONS BY THE ADMINISTRATION. 

It is recommended that the Mayor and City Commission approve the Resolution authorizing the Administration to enter into negotiations with the following firms to establish a pool of firms able to assist the City with future needs regarding investigating claims, backgrounds, adjusting, and surveillance of selected tort liability claims workers’ compensation claims in other employment-related matters:

·       S.K.I., Inc., as the first-ranked proposer;

·       Infoquest Information Services, LTD. LLC, as the second-ranked proposer; and

·       Crossroads SDI DBA Crossroads Investigations and Digistream South Florida, Inc., as the third-ranked proposers (tied).

The Resolution also authorizes the City Manager and City Clerk to execute Agreements upon conclusion of successful negotiations by the Administration and City Attorney’s Office.

On May 11, 2016, the Mayor and City Commission awarded RFQ No. 2016-057-WG for investigating claims, backgrounds, adjusting, and surveillance of selected tort liability claims workers’ compensation claims in other employment-related matters. The contract was issued to three vendors for two years with three one-year renewal options that the City exercised. The Agreements expired on January 19, 2022.

To establish a replacement agreement for the required services, the City issued the RFQ to receive and evaluate qualifications from licensed, experienced investigative firms for the services. 

Proposers must comply with requirements of Chapter 493, Section 6201, Florida Statute, Classes of License, Private Investigative, Private Security, and Repossession Services.

On October 13, 2021, the Mayor and City Commission approved the issuance of RFQ 2022-015-WG for Investigation, Background, Adjusting, and Surveillance of Selected Tort Liability Claims, Workers’ Compensation Claims, and Other Employment Related Matters. RFQ responses were due and received on November 29, 2021. The City received proposals from the following five firms: Crossroads SDI, Inc. DBA Crossroads Investigations, Digistream South Florida, Inc., Infoquest Information Services, LTD. LLC, Jurney & Associates, Inc., and S.K.I., Inc.

On December 20, 2021, the City Manager appointed Evaluation Committee to consider proposals received. The Committee was comprised of Robert Aragon, Claims Coordinator, Human Resources Department; Manny Marquez, Assistant Director, Finance Department; Elizabeth Miro, Assistant Director, Facilities/Fleet Maintenance Department; Steven Rothstein, Deputy City Attorney, City Attorney’s Office; and Maria Toca, Employee Relations Manager, Human Resources Department. However, Steven Rothstein and Maria Toca were unable to participate in the Evaluation Committee.

The Committee was provided an overview of the project information relative to the City’s Cone of Silence Ordinance and the Government Sunshine Law. The Committee was also provided with general information on the scope of services and a copy of each proposal. The Committee was instructed to score and rank each proposal pursuant to the evaluation criteria established in the RFQ.

The evaluation process resulted in the proposers being ranked by the Evaluation Committee in the following order (See Attachment A):

1st       S.K.I., Inc.

2nd      Infoquest Information Services, LTD. LLC

3rd       Crossroads SDI, Inc. DBA Crossroads Investigations (tied)

3rd       Digistream South Florida, Inc. (tied)

5th       Jurney & Associates Inc., and

The following is a summary of the four top-ranked firms.

S.K.I., Inc.

S.K.I., Inc., was founded in 2000 and is headquartered locally in Miami, Florida. The firm has vast municipal experience performing investigative services for agencies such as Miami Dade County, Miami Dade School Board, and the City of Fort Lauderdale.

The staff at S.K.I., Inc., are highly skilled at conducting all types of investigations, ranging from surveillance to recorded statements and data-based information gathering. S.K.I., Inc., is considered a progressive agency with employees from various backgrounds, including law enforcement, national investigative companies, national insurance companies, and major law firms.

Infoquest Information Services, LTD. LLC

Infoquest, established in 1994, is a workers’ compensation and insurance defense investigative firm. The firm offers an array of traditional investigative services, including manned and unmanned surveillance, activity checks, interviews, comprehensive criminal and civil litigation background investigations, medical canvass, social media, and deep Internet mining. It has a substantial staff of experienced, licensed, professional investigators to handle all assignments promptly and thoroughly.

Infoquest has over 1000 clients nationwide, including large insurers such as Nationwide Insurance, third-party administrators such as Sedgwick Claims Management, self-insured employers such as The Cleveland Clinic, General Motors, United Parcel Service, and many other private and public clients.

Crossroads SDI, Inc. d/b/a Crossroads Investigations

Named the top investigation firm in South Florida by the Daily Business Review for the last seven years, Crossroads SDI, Inc. d/b/a Crossroads Investigations, is a full-service national private investigation agency with global capacities operated by a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer. Crossroads offer specialized private investigation services, including research and background investigations, adjusting and surveillance of selected tort liability claims, workers compensation claims, and other employment matters.

Crossroads SDI, Inc. d/b/a Crossroads Investigations has provided the City of Miami Beach with these services since 2016.

Digistream South Florida, Inc.

Digistream Investigations has been an employee-owned, privately held company since its founding in 2001. Digistream has 18 offices nationwide with over 300 full-time, W2 licensed investigators, all of whom complete initial and ongoing training. 

Digistream has provided the City of Miami Beach with these services since 2016. Its unique approach to investigations combined with a full array of innovative surveillance solutions has provided the City with comprehensive results.

Fees will be established through the negotiation process. Funding for the services is subject to the approval of funds through the City's budgeting process. The average annual expenditures for these services total $128,937.79. Grant funding will not be utilized for this project.

After reviewing all of the submissions and the Evaluation Committee process, I concur with the Evaluation Committee and find S.K.I., Inc. and Infoquest Information Services, LTD. LLC, to be the best qualified firms. S.K.I., Inc. presently conducts business with the largest number of local municipalities and provides real-time investigation reporting updates.  Infoquest Information Services, LTD. LLC, has an impressive list of municipal experience and can provide investigation services with a fast turn-around time for projects that require expediting. As such, S.K.I., Inc. and Infoquest Information Services, LTD. LLC should be considered for award.

Further, the City’s current pool of firms available to provide the required services includes three firms. The Risk Management Division of the Human Resources Department would like to continue to have a pool of at least three firms that can be utilized to address future needs in the defined area of services on an as-needed basis. In that regard, I find that the third-ranked firms (tied), Crossroads SDI DBA Crossroads Investigations and Digistream South Florida, Inc., which are included in the City’s current pool of firms, are well qualified and have performed well when staff has requested services. As such, Crossroads SDI DBA Crossroads Investigations and Digistream South Florida, Inc. should also be considered for award.

Each of the four firms offer varying degrees of expertise in the areas of service required by the City. This is especially true when one considers the expertise of the firm personnel available to be assigned to any City engagement when the need for services arises. A pool of the four firms will allow staff to select the firm that can assign the most qualified personnel to meet the City’s needs and best interests.

For the reasons stated herein, I recommend that the Mayor and City Commission approve the Resolution authorizing the Administration to enter into negotiations with the following firms to establish a pool of firms able to assist the City with future needs regarding the required services: S.K.I., Inc., as the first-ranked proposer; Infoquest Information Services, LTD. LLC, as the second-ranked proposer; and, Crossroads SDI DBA Crossroads Investigations and Digistream South Florida, Inc., as the third-ranked proposers (tied). The Resolution also authorizes the City Manager and City Clerk to execute Agreements upon conclusion of successful negotiations by the Administration and City Attorney’s Office.