Approve a prequalified list of vendors for future daily routine purchases of food, snacks, rides, inflatables and other necessary program expenses, which cannot be competitively procured, from local vendors for all City of Miami Beach Parks and Recreation Departments’ After-School programs, summer camps, special events and other programmed activities, and authorizing the City Manager to add vendors to the list as deemed necessary and appropriate.

The Parks and Recreation Department (the “Department”) holds various programs and events throughout the year that require the purchase of food, snacks, rides, inflatables and other necessary program expenses. The funds for these items are allocated annually through the department’s approved budget.

Snacks and Food/Program Expenses

As part of the After-School Program, No School Days and Summer Camp curriculum, the Department provides free snacks to all participants (estimated average daily attendance of 1,000 children). These snacks are purchased on a bi-weekly to a monthly basis by the park staff at local grocery or wholesale stores. Aside from the daily programming, food and miscellaneous program expenses are regularly purchased for athletics, seniors, teens and toddler programs and activities such as Thanksgiving, Holidays, Valentine’s Day, New Years and the end of season parties. Additionally, the Department also provides food to the special populations programs.

Rides and Inflatables

The  Department holds multiple events for thousands of residents throughout the year that require the rental of rides and inflatables such as:

·       Toddler Events

·       Parents Night Out

·       Pictures with Santa

·       Jingle Jog

·       Movies in the Park

·       Chess Tournaments

·       Parks and Recreation Monthly Events

·       Jose Marti Celebration

·       Teen Events

·       Black History

·       Pride Events

·       Family Night

·       Kid Zones

·       Senior Events

·       Playground Revue

·       Misc. Cultural Events

In the past, staff has found it very difficult to acquire identical quotes from inflatable and ride vendors as not all companies have the same products to offer. The Department also runs into a similar issue when purchasing food and snacks for programs and events, since these items are mostly purchased at local supermarkets and restaurants, which is very difficult to competitively bid. These special events and programs are a very important staple in the City and the Department would like to continue contracting/purchasing these goods and services through the vendors outlined in Exhibit A.

At the April 17, 2013 City Commission meeting, Resolution No. 2013-28180 (Exhibit B) was passed approving the waiver, by a 5/7^th vote, the formal competitive bidding requirements, finding such waiver to be in the City’s best interest, and authorizing the purchase of food and snacks from Publix, Costco, Gordon Foods, and BJ’s Wholesale to be consumed by: a) the City’s Parks and Recreation Department’s participants in their After-School program, summer camps, special events and other programmed activities, and b) other departments and offices citywide, as approved in their respective annual budgets for a period of three (3) years.

At the May 11, 2016 City Commission meeting, Resolution No. 2016-29388 (Exhibit C) was adopted approving the waiver, by a 5/7^th vote, of the formal competitive bidding requirements, finding such waiver to be in the City’s best interest, and authorizing the purchase of food and snacks, rides, inflatables and program expenses from certain specified vendors, to be used and consumed by participants of the City’s Parks and Recreation Department’s after-school programs, summer camps, special events and other programmed activities; and providing for said waiver for a period of three (3) years, on a year-to-year basis, in an annual amount not-to-exceed $270,000, contingent upon City Commission’s approval of the Department’s related budget allocation(s) during the adoption of the City’s annual budget.

During the September 13, 2017 City Commission meeting, Resolution No. 2017-29976 (Exhibit D) was passed amending Resolution 2016-29388 increasing the annual not-to-exceed amount for program expenses from $270,000 to $435,000.

At the October 14, 2020 City Commission meeting, Resolution No. 2020-31441 (Exhibit E) was passed accepting the written recommendation of the City Manager (as set forth in the City Commission Memorandum accompanying this Resolution) and waive, by a 5/7^th vote, the formal competitive bidding requirement, finding such waiver to be in the City's best interest; and approve and authorize the City's Parks and Recreation Department to use the vendors listed in Exhibit D, attached to this Resolution, for the purchase of food and snacks, rides and inflatables and other program expenses for the participants in the Department's programs; said waiver shall be authorized for a period of three (3) years, on a year-to-year basis, contingent upon City Commission approval of the Department's related budget allocation(s) during the adoption of the City's annual budget, in an annual amount not to exceed $450,000.

Moving froward, the Department has compiled a list of pre-qualified vendors for the sole purpose of granting the Department authority to purchase daily routine items, such as snacks, food, rides, inflatables and other program expenses, that are unable to be competitively procured. These items are often purchased from local vendors such as Publix, Costco, The Dollar Tree, etc. or they are items which cannot being compared by obtaining quotes from different vendors such as arts and crafts for theme days, costumes for events, etc. The resolution provides the Department with an avenue to purchase these needs quickly, while ensuring the cost is in the best interest of the City. Staff are constantly sale shopping and comparing prices before purchasing goods. The City Manager will have the ability to add additional vendors to the pre-qualified vendor list as deemed necessary and appropriate.