It is recommended that the Mayor and City Commission approve the award of a contract to Gulfstream Petroleum Services Inc., the lowest, responsive, responsible bidder to Invitation to Bid (ITB) No. 2022-341-AY, for inspection, re-certification, and repairs of fuel storage tank systems.

This solicitation is currently under the cone of silence.

The City of Miami Beach owns and operates twenty-nine fuel storage tanks for the purposes of either fueling vehicles and equipment or supplying fuel to generator facilities. In order to comply with applicable regulations and assure safe and efficient operations, the fuel storage tanks must be inspected, certified, and maintained or repaired as applicable on a regular basis.

Current expenditures for the services average approximately $70,000 annually. The City is currently acquiring the necessary services through open market quotes. However, staff has determined that it is in the City's best interest to proactively establish a contract for the services to ensure a quick turnaround time and maintain equipment efficiencies.

Accordingly, the purpose of the solicitation is to establish a contract, by means of sealed bids, with a qualified contractor(s) for the inspection, re-certification, and maintenance of fuel storage tank systems throughout the City.

On March 10, 2022, Invitation to Bid (ITB) 2022-341-AY for inspection, re-certification, and repairs of fuel storage tank systems was issued. The Procurement Department issued bid notices to approximately 3,819 companies utilizing the City's e-procurement system, with 28 prospective bidders accessing the solicitation. A pre-bid conference to provide information to proposers submitting a response was held on March 18, 2022. Two (2) addenda were issued. ITB responses were due and received on April 19, 2022. The City received bids from the following four (4) contractors: Florida Metro Construction Company, Inc., Gulfstream Petroleum Services, Inc., Slater Corporation, and Veterans Fuel Management, LLC.

However, two bids were deemed non-responsive for failure to comply with the requirements of the ITB and could not be further considered. The bid submitted by Slater Corporation failed to include the inspection portion of the services. The bid submitted by Veterans Fuel Management, LLC failed to provide proof that the bidder is a Certified Pollutant Storage System Contractor by the State of Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations.

The tabulation for the two responsive bids is included in Attachment A.

The ITB stated that the lowest responsive, responsible bidder meeting all terms, conditions, and specifications of the ITB would be recommended for award. The Procurement and Public Works departments verified that the lowest responsive bid submitted by Gulfstream Petroleum Services, Inc. met the requirements of the ITB, including:

1. The bidder is a Certified Pollutant Storage System Contractor by the State of Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations as required.

2. The bidder has complied with the previous experience requirements of the ITB. The firm has not previously completed work for the City but has performed work for Miami-Dade County. All references provided positive feedback.

Accordingly, Gulfstream Petroleum Services, Inc. has been deemed the lowest, responsive, and responsible bidder meeting all terms, conditions, and specifications of the ITB.

Gulfstream Petroleum Services, Inc.

Gulfstream Petroleum Services is a full-service, licensed, and insured petroleum contracting firm serving Government Agencies, Condominiums, Hospitals, and Private Sector clients in the South Florida area.  They have more than 85 combined years of industry experience and make safety and customer satisfaction their top priority.

Some of their current customers include the South Florida Water Management District, Miami Dade County, Broward Health, United States Coast Guard, Broward County Sheriff’s Office, and the City of Coconut Creek.

Gulfstream Petroleum Services, Inc. offered an average charge of $93.00 per site for the monthly inspection, annual re-certification, and regulatory agency compliance inspections, a savings of approximately $500.00 compared to the current service provider. Funding for the inspection, re-certification, and repairs of fuel storage tank systems is subject to the approval of funds through the City's budgeting process. The City of Miami Beach estimates the annual budget for this project to be $70,000.00. The estimated expenditure for the contract's initial term (three years) is $210,000. It is not anticipated that grant funding will be utilized for this project.

Based on the foregoing, I recommend that the Mayor and City Commission of the City of Miami Beach, Florida, approve the award of a contract to Gulfstream Petroleum Services, Inc., the lowest, responsive, responsible bidder to Invitation to Bid (ITB) No. 2022-341-AY for inspection, re-certification, and repairs of fuel storage tank systems.