A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ACCEPTING THE WRITTEN RECOMMENDATION OF THE CITY MANAGER AND WAIVE, BY 5/7TH VOTE, THE FORMAL COMPETITIVE BIDDING REQUIREMENTS, FINDING SUCH WAIVER TO BE IN THE CITY'S BEST INTEREST, AND AUTHORIZING THE PURCHASE OF ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS RESEARCH INSTITUTE (ESRI) SOFTWARE, MAINTENANCE, AND SERVICES, WHICH SOFTWARE WOULD STANDARDIZE THE CITY'S GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS) SOFTWARE FOR ALL DEPARTMENTS.

The City’s Geographic information System (GIS) is a critical element in various departments throughout the City. Many programs rely on GIS including Cityworks Asset Management System, New World Computer Aided Dispatch system, Energov Permitting System, Munis Financial System, Geocortex Mapping System, and more. In addition, GIS provides mapping, analysis and reporting solutions for all City departments including:

• The Police Department’s Crime Analysis Division’s ArcGIS Online Portal.
• Automated processes for updating Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser parcel data.
• Support services for the City’s Emergency Operations Center.

• Mapping support services for the Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Panel on Sea Level Rise.
• Provides consultants and contractors working outside the City’s computer network access to view live storm water and sanitary GIS data in AutoCAD.

In 2007, the Mayor and City Commission adopted Resolution No. 2007-26486, which approved the purchase of a "site" software license for GIS services from Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), which GIS software supports multiple applications for the Administration.

The GIS Division of the Public Works Department currently operates and maintains seven (7) servers running ESRI GIS software. These GIS servers currently support twenty (20) departments and two hundred (200) users throughout the City, with more departments and users forecast to come online in the coming months.

The ESRI brand is the global market leader in GIS with over a million users in 200 countries and provides support, expertise, and the highest quality products available in GIS.  Similarly, the ESRI brand has an understanding of the industry, long term experience, strong technical competencies, and continuous innovation which allows them to provide outstanding service and support. Throughout the industry the ESRI brand of GIS is considered the leader in GIS and is used by many different municipalities in and including Miami-Dade County.

Maintaining the ESRI software and standardizing the GIS services would eliminate the hardships of switching providers which would require staff training of different software and integration in the various other software programs utilized by the City.

As a result of the aforementioned, the Administration recommends that the City standardize on ESRI GIS Software.

The purpose of this item is to waive the competitive bidding requirements of the City and establish a standard for ESRI GIS brand software so that future GIS software, maintenance, services and related items can be sourced from the one standard brand as applicable to the intended use.