It is recommended that the Mayor and City Commission approve the award of a contract, pursuant to Invitation to Bid (ITB) No. 2023-003-DF for citywide fountains maintenance, to Beach Resort Services Inc. d/b/a BRS Pool Spa and Fountain, the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, as the primary vendor, and National Interior Solutions, LLC, the second-lowest responsive and responsible bidder, as the secondary vendor, and Santos & Padron Group, LLC d/b/a Pond and Gardening, the third-lowest responsive and responsible bidder, as tertiary vendor.

This solicitation is currently under the cone of silence.

The Facilities and Fleet Management Department (the "Department") is responsible for ongoing cleaning, maintenance, and repairs of recirculating fountains within the City. On November 14, 2018, the Mayor and City Commission approved the award of contract ITB 2018-094-WG for Cleaning, Maintaining, and Repairing of Recirculating Fountains Citywide. The term of the contract was for three (3) years with the City option to renew for two (2) additional one (1) year periods, currently scheduled to expire January 8, 2024.

To consider a replacement contract, ITB 2023-003-DF was developed to establish a contract, by means of sealed bids with a qualified firm(s) to provide all labor, equipment, supplies, chemicals, and materials necessary to perform ongoing cleaning, maintenance, and repairs of fountains citywide in accordance with the prescribed specifications and requirements.

On July 18, 2023, the ITB was issued. Bid notices were issued to approximately 12,000 companies utilizing the City's e-procurement system, with 38 prospective bidders accessing the solicitation. A pre-bid conference to provide information to proposers submitting a response was held on July 28, 2023. Three (3) addenda were issued. Responses were due and received on September 8, 2023. The City received three (3) responses from Beach Resort Services, Inc. d/b/a BRS Pool Spa and Fountain, National Interior Solutions, LLC, and Santos & Padron, LLC d/b/a Pond and Gardening. See Attachment A for a tabulation of bids.

The solicitation stated that the lowest responsive, responsible bidder(s) meeting all terms, conditions, and specifications would be recommended for award. Staff verified that the three bidders have complied with all terms, conditions, specifications, and requirements of the ITB, and may be deemed responsive and responsible. To ensure that services are available when needed, staff recommends that contracts be awarded to the responsive and responsible bidders in the following order: Beach Resort Services, Inc. d/b/a BRS Pool Spa and Fountain, the lowest responsive, responsible bidders, as primary vendor; National Interior Solutions, LLC, the second-lowest responsive and responsible bidder, as secondary vendor; and, Santos & Padron Group, LLC d/b/a Pond and Gardening, the third-lowest responsive and responsible bidder, as tertiary vendor.

Below are brief bios of the responsive and responsible bidders based on information provided by each firm.

Beach Resort Services, Inc. d/b/a BRS Pool Spa and Fountain

Beach Resort Services, Inc. ("BRS Pool Spa and Fountain") prioritizes the safety and well-being of its clients and adheres to all state and federal codes and safety requirements. BRS Pool Spa and Fountain's compliance extends to Florida Health Department Code 64E-9, CDC Model Aquatic Health Code, VGB Anti-entrapment Act, and Federal ADA Swimming Pool compliance laws. In addition to working with the City of Miami Beach, BRS Pool Spa and Fountain provided references for Four Seasons Hotel Miami, 1 Hotel South Beach, and the Setai Hotel.

National Interior Solutions, LLC

National Inteior Solutions, LLC ("NIS") has been in business for six (6) years. NIS currently provides services in Miami-Dade County, Florida,  Broward County, Florida, Brevard County, Florida, Hillsborough County, Florida, Greater Boston Area, Massachusetts, Charleston, South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, and across the Hawaii islands. Its clients include Westin Hotel & Resorts, Loews Hotels, Fenway Park, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Hilton Hotels, and 1 Hotel South Beach. NIS has provided references for Miami-Dade County, Hilton Bentley Hotel, and Westin Hotel Boston.

Santos & Padron Group, LLC d/b/a Pond and Gardening

Santos & Padron Group, LLC ("Pond and Gardening") has been in business since 2016 and is a pond service and maintenance company located in Miami, Florida. Pond and Gardening has provided services locally to Isaac Farms, the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens, Living Sculpture Sanctuary, and Baptist Health South Florida. Pond and Gardening provided references for Baptist Health South Florida, Miami Beach Botanical Gardens, and Living Sculpture Sanctuary.

According to the 2022 Community Satisfaction Survey conducted by ETC Institute (the "Survey"), 79% satisfaction was given to the "Appearance and maintenance of the City's public buildings" among resident survey respondents. The services of this contract aim to provide necessary upkeep to the citywide fountains for the enjoyment of residents, businesses, and visitors alike.  

Staff performed a cost analysis to determine whether the fiscal impact was in the City's best interest. Where the ITB contained a majority of the same line items as the previous ITB, the City compared the line items from the previous contract with the new bids and observed an increase of 25%. The CPI-U for the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach region observed an increase of 23.6%, year over year, from August 2020 through August 2023. However, due to the challenges of inflation and supply chain constraints, the Administration believes it is in the City's best interest to award a contract to address fountain maintenance.

The lowest responsive and responsible bidder for all groups is Beach Resort Services, Inc. d/b/a BRS Pool Spa and Fountain, with a total cost of $189,324.68.

Future purchases pursuant to the award of the ITB shall be subject to funds availability approved through the City's budgeting process.  

Based on the foregoing, it is recommended that the Mayor and City Commission of the City of Miami Beach, Florida, approve the award of a contract pursuant to Invitation to Bid (ITB) No. 2023-003-DF for citywide fountains maintenance to Beach Resort Services Inc. d/b/a BRS Pool Spa and Fountain, the lowest responsive and responsible, as the primary vendor, National Interior Solutions, LLC, the second-lowest responsive and responsible bidder, as the secondary vendor, and Santos & Padron Group, LLC d/b/a Pond and Gardening, the third-lowest responsive and responsible bidder, as tertiary vendor.