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SO WELCOME. WE'RE GOING TO GET THIS WORKSHOP.

[CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:03]

WE'RE GOING TO CALL THE WORKSHOP TO ORDER.

BEFORE WE DO, WE'RE GOING TO HONOR OUR UNITED STATES FLAG.

SO AS COUNCILMAN FOSTER STANDING COUNCILMAN FORCE TO LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, PLEASE AND FACE THE FLAG.

PLEASE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, TO THE REPUBLIC OF WHICH HE STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

SO, MADAM TERESA.

ROLL CALL, PRESIDENT JOHNSON.

HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE.

SO, MADAM SMITH, ITEM NUMBER, OR I SHOULD SAY MADAM SHERMAN.

ITEM NUMBER ONE ON UNDER BUSINESS.

[1. Discussion of local preference for procurement]

YES, SIR. THANK YOU.

SO WE ARE HERE TONIGHT.

COUNCILMAN FILIBERTO HAD ASKED US TO BRING SOME INFORMATION FORWARD TO DISCUSS LOCAL PREFERENCE WITH COUNCIL AND THOSE OF THE PUBLIC WHO ARE LISTENING.

SO WE'RE GOING TO I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO HAVE JULIETTE MOSCONI DO THE PRESENTATION.

WE'RE GOING TO TAKE YOU ON A LITTLE JOURNEY THROUGH THE PAST THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE BEFORE, AS WELL AS INFORMATION ON WHAT OTHER CITIES AND AREAS DO WHEN IT COMES TO LOCAL PREFERENCE AND PROCUREMENT.

AND THEN WE'LL TALK THROUGH OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEN BE HAPPY TO DISCUSS WHATEVER COUNCIL'S DIRECTION IS WITH YOU ALL.

SO. JULIETTE, I'LL TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO YOU.

THANK YOU, MA'AM. THANK YOU.

GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

I'M JULIETTE MOSCONI. I'M YOUR CHIEF PROCUREMENT OFFICER.

AND TONIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT LOCAL PREFERENCE.

HERE'S A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF OUR AGENDA.

AND SINCE I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION AND SINCE THIS IS A PUBLIC MEETING, I'M ALSO GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT PROCUREMENT IS AND HOW WE IMPACT THE CITY.

WE'LL TALK ABOUT OUR PREVIOUS LOCAL PREFERENCE POLICY, LOCAL PREFERENCE IN GENERAL, INCLUDING THE CHALLENGES, AND THEN WE'LL CLOSE OUT WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS.

SO OUR MISSION STATEMENT IS THERE ON THE SCREEN.

I'M NOT GOING TO READ IT TO YOU, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT PROCUREMENT OVERSEES EVERYTHING THAT THE CITY BUYS.

BUT WE'RE MORE THAN JUST BUYERS.

WE MAKE SURE THAT OUR DEPARTMENTS HAVE THE GOODS AND SERVICES THEY NEED SO THEY CAN DELIVER THE SERVICES TO OUR RESIDENTS.

AND WE MAKE SURE WE DO THAT FAIRLY TRANSPARENTLY AND MAXIMIZING TAXPAYER DOLLARS.

OUR VISION STATEMENT IS TO SERVE AND CONNECT ALL CUSTOMERS.

AND WE HAVE THREE CUSTOMER BASES.

WE SERVE OUR CITIZENS BY PROTECTING THEIR VESTED INTERESTS AND MAXIMIZING THEIR DOLLARS.

AND WE SERVE OUR DEPARTMENTS BY HELPING THEM DELIVER THEIR PUBLIC SERVICES.

AND WE SERVE OUR VENDORS BY FORMULATING PARTNERSHIPS FOR PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERY.

WE CAN'T DO OUR JOBS WITHOUT OUR VENDOR COMMUNITY.

WE DO ALL THIS WITH THE MINDSET OF VALUE ADDED GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR ALL OF OUR CUSTOMER BASES.

WE'RE OFTEN THE FIRST FACE THAT YOUR BUSINESSES SEE.

NONE OF THAT MEANS ANYTHING WITHOUT OUR VALUES.

THESE ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF WHAT OUR DEPARTMENT DOES.

THEIR ETHICS, ACCOUNTABILITY, SERVICE, IMPARTIALITY, PROFESSIONALISM AND TRANSPARENCY.

WE ARE EDUCATED AND CERTIFIED IN OUR FIELD.

I'M VERY PROUD TO SAY THAT OF MY FOUR PROFESSIONAL STAFF, WE HOLD SIX CERTIFICATIONS BETWEEN THE FOUR OF US.

AND LASTLY, GOOD PROCUREMENT PROFESSIONALS ARE ETHICAL BEACONS.

PROCUREMENT IS A HIGH FRAUD RISK, SO YOU WANT THE STRONGEST ETHICAL INDIVIDUALS IN THOSE ROLES WHO TAKE THOSE VALUES SERIOUSLY.

I WON'T READ OUR RANGE OF FUNCTIONS TO YOU, BUT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW RELATED TO LOCAL PREFERENCE.

OBVIOUSLY, VENDOR OUTREACH AND TRAINING IS A HUGE PART OF WHAT WE DO, SO MUCH.

SO I ACTUALLY REQUEST ONE OF THE POSITIONS IN MY OFFICE THIS YEAR.

WE NOW HAVE A SUPPORT SERVICES COORDINATOR AND ONE OF HER PRIMARY FUNCTIONS IS TO HELP ME WITH VENDOR OUTREACH.

WE ALSO DO STAFF TRAINING.

THE IDEA BEHIND THAT IS DELEGATING DOWN OUR PROCUREMENT AUTHORITY TO STAFF LEVEL SO THEY CAN ENGAGE DIRECTLY WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES AS WELL.

AND THIS DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH LOCAL PREFERENCE.

BUT I LOVE TALKING ABOUT SURPLUS LAST YEAR.

I JUST WANT TO MENTION WE HIT A NEW RECORD $515,000 WORTH OF REVENUE GENERATED FROM SURPLUS SALES, WHICH IS MORE THAN TWO THIRDS OF MY BUDGET.

SO ONE OF OUR PRIMARY FOCUSES, AS I MENTIONED, IS ENCOURAGING LOCAL AND SMALL BUSINESSES, AND WE DO THAT SEVERAL WAYS.

WE HAVE EFFICIENCIES LIKE ACCEPTING QUOTES UNDER 100,000 VIA EMAIL.

WE OFFER VIRTUAL OPTIONS FOR ALL OF OUR MEETINGS.

WE HOST OVER 50 PUBLIC MEETINGS A YEAR, SO THAT'S A LOT OF VIRTUAL OPTIONS.

WE'VE ALSO POSTED ALL OF OUR CONTRACTS ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE, WHICH IS A PROCUREMENT BEST PRACTICE.

WE'VE IMPROVED OUR DOCUMENTS AND PROCESSES, ORDINANCES AND CODES.

WE'VE MADE OUR DOCUMENTS ADA COMPLIANT WITH ITS ASSISTANCE, AND WE'VE DONE WHAT I CALL SIMPLIFYING THE SUBMITTAL.

WE'VE GOTTEN RID OF ARCHAIC FORMS THAT WERE ALWAYS THERE AND GOTTEN AWAY FROM NOTARIZED SIGNATURES, UNLESS THEY'RE ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, MAKES IT EASIER TO SUBMIT.

OF COURSE, WE'VE REVAMPED OUR WEBSITE.

[00:05:01]

I'M VERY PROUD OF THE FIVE PART DOING BUSINESS WITH THE CITY VIDEO SERIES THAT WE HAVE ON THERE THAT ALLOWS BUSINESSES TO LEARN ABOUT DOING BUSINESS WITH THE CITY ON DEMAND ON THEIR OWN TIME. YOU'VE HEARD ME TALK ABOUT OUR DOING BUSINESS WEBINARS BETWEEN THE TWO THAT WE'VE HOSTED.

WE'VE HAD OVER 500 PARTICIPANTS, SO WE'VE HAD A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT THERE.

WE GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND DO GUEST SPEAKING.

WE PARTICIPATE IN WHAT'S CALLED A REVERSE TRADE SHOW WHERE THE AGENCIES ARE THE ONES AT THE TABLES AND THE VENDORS ARE GOING AROUND.

AND LASTLY, WE POST EVERYTHING THAT WE DO FORMALLY, SO OVER 25,000 ON VENDOR LINK.

SO VENDOR LINK, AS YOU KNOW, IS OUR SOFTWARE PARTNER THAT WE USE TO BROADCAST OUR SOLICITATIONS OUT TO THE PUBLIC.

IT IS COMPLETELY FREE FOR THEM TO USE AND IT ALSO CONNECTS YOU WITH A LOT OF OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES.

YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT LIST OF OTHER AGENCIES IN BREVARD HAS REALLY GROWN.

BASICALLY, IF YOU WANT TO DO BUSINESS IN BREVARD COUNTY WITH GOVERNMENT, YOU SHOULD REALLY BE ON VENDOR LINK.

AND I ACTUALLY HAVE ONE OF OUR FIVE PART VIDEO SERIES IS A STEP BY STEP GUIDE ON HOW TO REGISTER.

I'M A VERY GOAL ORIENTED PERSON, SO I WANTED TO SHOW YOU SOME OF OUR PERFORMANCE METRICS FROM 2022 AND WHAT OUR GOALS ARE FOR 2023.

WE HOSTED FOR AND HOSTED OR PARTICIPATED IN FOUR VENDOR ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS AND WE TAUGHT 23 INTERNAL TRAINING SESSIONS.

WE JUST YESTERDAY SECURED THE DATE FOR OUR IN-PERSON VENDOR EVENT.

IT'S GOING TO BE JANUARY 19TH AT THE TONI ROSA COMMUNITY CENTER.

SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT AND OUR TEAM IS ALREADY WORKING ON ROLLING OUT E-PROCUREMENT, WHICH IS WHERE THE SUBMITTALS GET SUBMITTED COMPLETELY ELECTRONICALLY, WHERE THEY'RE SEALED IN A DIGITAL DROPBOX.

IT MAKES IT VENDORS EASIER FOR VENDORS TO SUBMIT.

THEY DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT AND GETTING HERE ON TIME.

SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

THAT'S ALREADY BUILT INTO VENDOR LINK AND THERE'S NO COST TO THE CITY TO ROLL THAT OUT.

SO BEFORE I KIND OF LAUNCH INTO THE DATA, I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE AGAIN, FOR THE MEMBERS OF OUR PUBLIC THAT MAY BE WATCHING THAT WE ARE OPEN FOR ANY BUSINESS THAT'S INTERESTED IN DOING BUSINESS WITH THE CITY.

WE ARE AVAILABLE VIA PHONE, EMAIL THE CONTACT US BUTTON ON OUR WEBSITE, AND IF THERE'S ANY BUSINESS ORGANIZATION THAT WOULD LIKE A GUEST SPEAKER ON HOW TO DO BUSINESS WITH THE CITY, I'M ALWAYS OPEN TO THOSE OPPORTUNITIES, SO PLEASE REACH OUT TO ME.

AS I SAID, THESE VENDORS ARE OUR PARTNERS, SO WE REALLY TRY TO FORGE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM.

SO I'VE LEARNED FROM THE BEST.

ANGELICA COLLINS ON DATA.

DATA. DATA DATA ARE BUDGET GURU, SO I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU A LOT OF DATA THIS EVENING.

THIS IS THE RESEARCH THAT WE DID.

WE PALM BAY IS RANKED NUMBER 16 OUT OF 412 CITIES BY POPULATION, ACCORDING TO THE FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES.

SO I LOOKED AT SIX CITIES THAT ARE SMALLER, SIX CITIES THAT ARE LARGER.

I LOOKED AT ALL THE CITIES IN BREVARD COUNTY.

I LOOKED AT THE CITY OF SEBASTIAN AND I ALSO LOOKED AT BREVARD COUNTY AND THEIR SCHOOL BOARD, AND I REVIEWED ALL OF THEIR POLICIES.

SO WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW, EVERYTHING THAT'S IN THAT KIND OF LIGHT ORANGE HAS LOCAL PREFERENCE, AND EVERYTHING THAT'S GREEN DOESN'T HAVE LOCAL PREFERENCE.

LOOKING AT THAT A DIFFERENT WAY, THIS IS OUTSIDE OF BREVARD COUNTY.

60% OF AGENCIES, CITIES, I SHOULD SAY, HAVE LOCAL PREFERENCE AND 40% DO NOT.

AND THAT'S OUTSIDE OF BREVARD COUNTY.

IN BREVARD COUNTY, THE PICTURE SHIFTS A LITTLE BIT.

THE MAJORITY OF AGENCIES WITHIN BREVARD COUNTY CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE A LOCAL PREFERENCE.

THE AGENCIES THAT DO HAVE LOCAL PREFERENCE, WITH THE EXCEPTION, I WOULD SAY, OF ONE, HAVE A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT COMMERCIAL BASE.

SO THAT'S PART OF THE DIFFERENCE THAT I THINK THAT YOU SEE THERE.

SO THIS IS THE PREVIOUS VERSION OF OUR LOCAL PREFERENCE POLICY.

IT WAS RESCINDED IN NOVEMBER OF 2020.

IT WAS A MATHEMATICAL CALCULATION AND IT WAS BASED ON BIDS BETWEEN 100,000 AND CAPPED AT $1,000,000.

THERE WAS REALLY THREE CLASSES OF BUSINESSES BECAUSE CLASS D WAS NO PREFERENCE.

AND THEN THERE WAS TWO TIERS OF THOSE PREFERENCE.

THERE WAS A 500 TO I'M SORRY, 100,000, 500,000 TIER AND THEN A 500000 TO $1 MILLION TIER.

AND THEN SEPARATELY THERE WAS AN RFP PREFERENCE WHICH ADDED A PERCENTAGE OF POINTS FOR RFP EVALUATION REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS, WHICH IS AN EVALUATION TECHNIQUE WHERE COST IS NOT THE ONLY CONSIDERATION.

THAT WAS ONLY IN THE MANUAL.

IT WASN'T CODIFIED IN THE ORDINANCE.

SO WHEN I FIRST CAME INTO THIS ROLE IN 2019, WE WERE STARTING TO GET THE JALEN AUDIT FINDINGS.

AND THIS WAS A QUESTION WHY IS YOUR RFP PREFERENCE IN YOUR MANUAL AND NOT IN YOUR CODE? SO IN SEPTEMBER OF 2020, I DID A WORKSHOP VERY SIMILAR TO THIS TO ADDRESS ALL THE GARLOCK FINDINGS AND LOCAL PREFERENCES.

[00:10:05]

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT AT THAT WORKSHOP, MY RECOMMENDATION WAS TO ELIMINATE LOCAL PREFERENCE FOR BIDS, BUT TO KEEP IT FOR RFPS, MOVE IT INTO THE CODE, MAKE IT A COUNCIL DETERMINATION, AND TO ADD IT FOR REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS OR RFQ.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S HIGHLY GOVERNED BY FLORIDA STATUTE.

IT'S FOR SELECTING ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERING.

AND YOU CAN'T CONSIDER COST AT ALL.

PREVIOUSLY, WE HAD NO PREFERENCE FOR THAT.

SO THAT WAS MY RECOMMENDATION.

IT WAS NOT FAVORABLE WITH CITY COUNCIL AT THE TIME.

AND IN NOVEMBER 2020, COUNCIL VOTED TO RESCIND THE LOCAL PREFERENCE ORDINANCE.

SO KIND OF GOING BACK IN TIME.

THIS IS A LITTLE BIT HOW OUR PREVIOUS ORDINANCE WORKED.

THE FIRST EXAMPLE, THE LOW BID IS AN OUT OF COUNTY VENDOR IN YELLOW AT 475,000.

BUT APPLYING THE PREFERENCE, THE CLASS B VENDOR, WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN ANY CITY THAT HAD 50% OF ITS EMPLOYEES AS PALM BAY RESIDENTS OR A PALM BAY BUSINESS WOULD GET A PREFERENCE.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD USE WHEN COMPARING THE BIDS.

BUT ULTIMATELY WE WOULD STILL PAY THE 488,000.

IN THE NEXT EXAMPLE.

SO THAT'S THE NEXT TIER.

THE LOW BID IN YELLOW WAS 907 967,000.

AND THEN THE CLASS A VENDOR THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A BUSINESS THAT WAS LOCATED IN PALM BAY AND 50% OF THEIR EMPLOYEES WERE RESIDENTS OF PALM BAY, THEY WOULD GET A PREFERENCE. SO WE WOULD ULTIMATELY PAY 995,000 BUT AWARD TO THEM.

SO THESE ARE EXAMPLES ONLY.

NOW THIS ONE IS AN ACTUAL RFP WHERE LOCAL PREFERENCE MADE A CHANGE.

I'M GOING TO USE THIS TOOL IN THIS EXAMPLE.

THE VENDOR THAT WAS HAD THE MOST POINTS FOR QUALIFICATIONS AND TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE AND ALSO HAD THE MOST POINTS FOR COST, MEANING THEY WERE THE LOWEST COST WAS JPMORGAN AND THEY HAD 89 POINTS.

BUT RAYMOND JAMES HAD AN OFFICE IN MELBOURNE AND COULD FINISH FURNISH A MELBOURNE BUSINESS TAX RECEIPT.

SO THEY GOT LOCAL PREFERENCE AND THAT ACTUALLY MADE THEM THE HIGHER RANKED VENDOR.

THIS IS FOR UNDERWRITING SERVICES, WHICH IRONICALLY WILL BE COMING BACK TO YOU IN THE NEXT MONTH.

WE JUST GOT NINE SUBMITTALS IN, SO IN THIS CASE THE HIGHEST RANKED VENDOR WAS GOING TO GET THE FIRST SHOT AT BOND ISSUANCE AND I BELIEVE THAT WAS THE FIRST ROUND OF THE GO ROAD BOND FUNDING.

SO RAYMOND JAMES, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE A LOCAL CORPORATION, HAD A MELBOURNE OFFICE, SO THEY RECEIVED A LOCAL PREFERENCE AND THEN WE, AS I MENTIONED, DID NOT HAVE A PREFERENCE FOR RFK'S REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING.

BUT THIS IS THE SLIDE THAT I HAD IN THE 2020 PRESENTATION AND WHAT I WOULD HAVE PROPOSED, WHICH IS HAVING A PREFERENCE FOR PALM BAY BUSINESS AND BREVARD BUSINESSES. ONE IMPORTANT THING TO NOTE ABOUT RFK'S IS, ACCORDING TO FLORIDA STATUTE TO 87.055, YOU MUST HAVE A TWO STEP PROCESS WHERE YOU BRING IN YOUR SHORTLISTED FIRMS FOR INTERVIEWS, ALMOST LIKE JOB INTERVIEWS.

SO MY PROPOSAL THEN WAS ONLY TO APPLY THE PREFERENCE AT THAT INITIAL PHASE RATHER THAN APPLYING IT TWICE, WHICH IS GENERALLY WHAT YOU SEE FROM OTHER AGENCIES.

SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE CHALLENGES WITH LOCAL PREFERENCE TO BE TRANSPARENT.

IT CANNOT BE USED WITH ANY FEDERAL FUNDING THAT'S AGAINST THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS.

IT CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY STATE FUNDING OF 1 MILLION IF THE PROJECT IS $1 MILLION OR MORE.

BUT EVEN $1 OF STATE FUNDING, IT CANNOT BE USED.

THAT'S ACTUALLY MORE STRINGENT THAN IT USED TO BE.

IT WAS CHANGED WITH HOUSE BILL 53 AND 2021.

USED TO BE IF 50% OF YOUR PROJECT OR MORE WAS STATE FUNDED, THEN YOU COULDN'T USE LOCAL PREFERENCE.

NOW THEY'VE CHANGED IT TO $1 OF STATE FUNDING AND THE PROJECTS $1 MILLION OR MORE.

YOU CAN'T USE LOCAL PREFERENCE.

AND IGP IS THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT.

THAT'S OUR HIGHEST LEVEL PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION.

THEY HAVE A POSITION PAPER THAT LOCAL PREFERENCE SHOULD ONLY BE USED FOR BEST VALUE PROCUREMENTS.

BREVARD COUNTY DID HAVE A LOCAL PREFERENCE AND THEY UNANIMOUSLY RESCINDED THEIRS IN 2018.

THERE WAS A LAWSUIT IN THE CITY OF TUCSON.

THEY WERE SUED AND THEY LOST OVER THEIR LOCAL PREFERENCE IN 2014.

NOW, FULL DISCLOSURE, THERE IS OTHER LITIGATION RELATED TO LOCAL PREFERENCE WHERE THE LOCAL PREFERENCE POLICY HAS PREVAILED.

THIS IS THE MOST PROMINENT ONE IN MY INDUSTRY CIRCLE, PARTIALLY BECAUSE THE CITY OF TUCSON IS ONE OF THE LARGEST CITIES IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.

SO IT WAS A VERY TALKED ABOUT CASE.

OF COURSE, THERE'S THE POTENTIAL FOR INCREASED COSTS IF YOU DON'T DO A MATCH OPTION, WHICH WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT LATER.

[00:15:07]

ULTIMATELY, I FEEL THAT LOCAL PREFERENCE IS VERY SUCCESSFUL IN COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE A LARGE COMMERCIAL BASE WHERE YOU HAVE MULTIPLE COMPETING FIRMS. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR LIMITING COMPETITION, WHICH COULD BE A CHALLENGE RIGHT NOW.

AND WE'RE ALREADY FACING INFLATION AND MATERIAL SHORTAGES, LABOR SHORTAGES THAT ALREADY MAKE SECURING BIDS SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT.

IT MAY BE PERCEIVED AS CONTRARY TO THE VALUES OF COMPETITION AND TRANSPARENCY.

AND THEN THERE'S THE APPLICATION CHALLENGE.

IF WE GO DOWN THE LOCAL PREFERENCE RABBIT HOLE, I WILL STRONGLY ADVOCATE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A PREFERENCE FOR PALM BAY RESIDENTS AS EMPLOYEES.

THAT IS INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO VERIFY.

WHAT WE WERE DOING WAS ASKING FOR A LIST OF THEIR EMPLOYEES AND DRIVER'S LICENSES.

THERE WAS NO WAY TO VERIFY THAT THEY WERE ACTUALLY ON THE PAYROLL OR THAT THEY STAYED ON THE PAYROLL FOR THE LIFE OF THE CONTRACT.

ANOTHER CONCERN IS REGIONAL OFFICE VERSUS HEADQUARTERS VERSUS BRANCH.

YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE SAW IN THAT PREVIOUS EXAMPLE.

LENGTH OF TIME LOCATED IN THE CITY, PREVIOUS PREFERENCE REQUIRED ONE YEAR IN BUSINESS IN THE CITY OF PALM BAY BEFORE YOU COULD APPLY FOR PREFERENCE AND THEN A HOME BASED BUSINESS VERSUS A COMMERCIAL DISTRICT.

THE PREVIOUS POLICY, EVEN IF YOU HAD A BUSINESS TAX RECEIPT FOR YOUR HOME, YOU COULD NOT GET LOCAL PREFERENCE.

THAT WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR OUR STAFF TO VERIFY BECAUSE YOU CAN BE A HOME BASED BUSINESS AND HAVE A BUSINESS TAX RECEIPT.

SO OFTEN WE WERE LOOKING ON GOOGLE MAPS TO SEE WHERE THEY WERE LOCATED.

BID PROCESSING TIME AND STAFF TIME BURDEN.

IF WE WANT TO GO DOWN THE PATH OF MATCHING, WE'RE ESSENTIALLY THE LOCAL BIDDER WITHIN A CERTAIN THRESHOLD HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO MATCH THE LOW BIDDER.

WE HAVE TO GIVE THEM TIME TO CONSIDER THAT OPTION.

THEY HAVE TO GO BACK TO THEIR SUBS, DO THEIR MATH AGAIN, SO THERE'S TIME ADDED TO THE PROCESS.

AND THEN THE OTHER THING TO CONSIDER IS WHAT'S A VENDOR IN GOOD STANDING IF WE'RE GOING TO OFFER PREFERENCE? BUSINESS TAX RECEIPTS ARE EASY TO VERIFY.

BUT ARE WE GOING TO LOOK AND SEE IF THEY HAVE CODE VIOLATIONS? ARE WE GOING TO LOOK AND SEE IF THEY HAVE UTILITY LIENS? OR ANY OTHER CONCERNS THAT THE CITY MAY HAVE THAT THEY WANT TO CONSIDER NOT OFFERING PREFERENCE BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT IN GOOD STANDING.

SO THERE'S RESEARCH INVOLVED FOR MY STAFF AND POTENTIALLY OTHER DEPARTMENTS AS WELL.

AND THEN ULTIMATELY THE PREVIOUS POLICY WAS NOT EFFECTIVE IN 2020.

I LOOKED AT THE PREVIOUS TWO YEARS AND IT HAD NOT IMPACTED A BID OUTCOME AND THE PRIOR TWO YEARS DID IMPACT AN RFP OUTCOME.

AND THAT WAS THE EXAMPLE THAT I SHOWED YOU.

SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO KIND OF DIG INTO HOW MUCH DO WE ACTUALLY SPEND LOCALLY RIGHT NOW ANYWAY.

NOW, THIS IS A BIG PICTURE.

50,000 FEET.

THIS IS ACTUALLY ALL THE SPEND IN THE CITY PURCHASE ORDERS AND PET CARDS.

SO THIS IS GOING TO INCLUDE THINGS THAT DON'T COME THROUGH PROCUREMENT LIKE FPL OR ANYTHING THAT'S EXEMPT FROM PROCUREMENT, LIKE LEGAL FEES OR ANYTHING WHERE THE DEPARTMENT'S GOT THE QUOTES.

ANYTHING WE PIGGYBACK, ANY TYPE OF COOPERATIVE PURCHASE.

SO OVERALL, IN 2021, WHICH IS THE CHART ON THE RIGHT, 18% OF OUR SPEND WAS IN PALM BAY OVERALL.

AND THEN THE CHART ON THE LEFT IS 2022.

THAT PERCENTAGE RIGHT NOW IS 30%.

AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT THIS CHART IS NOT COMPLETE BECAUSE THE FISCAL YEAR CLOSED ONLY ONE MONTH AGO.

SO INVOICES ARE STILL ROLLING IN.

WE'RE STILL MAKING PAYMENTS.

NOW WE'RE GOING TO DIVE A LITTLE DEEPER.

THIS IS HOW MANY SOLICITATIONS WE ACTUALLY AWARDED.

SO THIS IS WHAT PROCUREMENT CAN IMPACT AND THIS IS WHAT LOCAL PREFERENCE WOULD IMPACT YOU.

YES. YOU'RE ON A ROLL.

I'M SORRY. YES, MAYOR, YOU'RE DOING WELL.

BUT I WANT TO JUST TOUCH A LITTLE BIT ON THAT 30% AND THAT INCREASE OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR OF WHAT WAS THAT, 18%? YES. SO THESE ARE LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT WE ARE.

ACTUALLY MAKING PURCHASES FROM.

CORRECT. JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT'S 30%.

THAT'S AN INCREASE OF 12% AND IT'S STILL ROLLING IN.

IN OTHER WORDS, WE STILL DON'T WE HAVE A MONTH YET TO FIGURE OUT HOW THAT INCREASE IS GOING TO REALLY BE DEFINED.

WHAT'S YOUR ESTIMATE ON WOULD IT BE 32%, 31%? WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT? I'M GOING TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.

AND I THINK THAT PERCENTAGE IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE VERY MUCH.

PROBABLY THE MAJORITY OF THE INVOICES THAT WERE WAITING ON OR OUT OF STATE VENDORS.

COPY THAT. THOSE ARE THE HARDEST ONES TO GET A HOLD OF.

AND ALSO LOCAL BUSINESSES, THEY'RE GOOD AT INVOICING BECAUSE THEY NEED THAT MONEY, THEY NEED THAT CASH FLOW, AND WE SUPPORT THEM BY EXPEDITING THOSE PAYMENTS.

SO I DON'T THINK THAT PERCENTAGE WILL CHANGE.

THANK YOU, MA'AM. I APPRECIATE THAT.

NO PROBLEM. ON. OKAY, SO THIS IS SOLICITATION.

SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE IS THAT IN 2020, WHICH IS ON THE LEFT SIDE, 35% OF OUR SOLICITATIONS WERE AWARDED TO BREVARD BASED BUSINESS.

[00:20:08]

IN 2021, IT WAS 32%, SO ROUGHLY THE SAME.

SO THEN 2022, WE HAD THIS DROP IN BOVARD BUSINESS AWARDS WENT DOWN TO 18%.

SO TO YOUR POINT, MAYOR, I WANTED TO DIG INTO THAT AND FIND OUT WHY DID THAT OCCUR.

WELL, INDIAN RIVER COUNTY PICKED UP A HUGE SHARE OF OUR BID AWARDS.

AND WHEN I LOOKED AT WHY THAT WAS, FIVE SOLICITATIONS WERE AWARDED TO RANGER CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRIES FOR ROAD BOND PAVING PROJECTS.

THEY ARE BASED IN FORT PIERCE AND FRANK WATANABE, THE CITY ENGINEER WILL TELL YOU THAT RANGER HAS BEEN AN EXCELLENT PARTNER IN OUR ROAD BOND PAVING PROGRAM, AND THEY ARE OFTEN THE LOWEST BIDDER, PARTIALLY BECAUSE THEY'RE ALREADY MOBILIZED HERE AND DOING WORK FOR THE CITY.

AND THEN I WANTED TO BREAK THAT DOWN EVEN FURTHER.

AND I WANTED TO LOOK AT WHAT CITIES ARE WE ACTUALLY AWARDING TO.

SO HERE'S STARTING ON THE LEFT FOR 2020.

YOU CAN SEE THAT PALM BAY REPRESENTED 11% OF SOLICITATIONS AWARDED AND MELBOURNE WAS THE SECOND LARGEST.

THEN INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FOLLOWED BY COCOA.

AGAIN, YOU'RE SEEING CITIES WITH LARGER COMMERCIAL BASES IN MELBOURNE AND COCOA.

THEN 2021 MELBOURNE AGAIN, FOLLOWED BY COCOA.

AND THEN 2022, MELBOURNE AGAIN HAD THE LARGEST SHARE AND THEN INDIAN RIVER COUNTY CAME IN NEXT.

AND WE KIND OF KNOW WHY BECAUSE OF THE REASONS I JUST MENTIONED.

SO JUST A HIGH LEVEL RECAP OF THAT.

IN FISCAL YEAR 2022 OF OUR TOTAL SPENDS POS AND P CARDS.

80% WAS SPENT IN FLORIDA, 39 IN BREVARD, AND 30% IN PALM BAY.

AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT JUST THE SOLICITATIONS, SO WHERE LOCAL PREFERENCE WOULD IMPACT OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS AND THIS IS ON AVERAGE 87% OF SOLICITATIONS WERE AWARDED TO FLORIDA BUSINESSES, 29 TO BREVARD AND 7% TO PALM BAY.

SO I'M A DATA PERSON.

IF YOU HAVEN'T FIGURED THAT OUT, I LOVE ANALYSIS.

SO THE LAST THING THAT I DID IS I WENT THROUGH THE LAST TWO FISCAL YEARS AND SAID, WOULD LOCAL PREFERENCE HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE IF IT WAS STILL IN PLACE? SO LET'S START WITH 2022.

WE HAD TEN TIMES WE RECEIVED A RESPONSE FROM A PALM BAY BUSINESS EXCUSE ME, FOUR TIMES THAT BUSINESS WAS NOT AWARDED.

THREE OF THOSE WERE CULVERT PIPE PROJECTS.

YOU CAN SEE THE DOLLAR VALUE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE LOW BID AND THE PALM BAY BID.

IT WAS PRETTY SIGNIFICANT.

AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IS THE ONE WE KNOW ABOUT THAT'S UNIMPROVED CODE LOT MOWING WHERE WE HAD A DISCUSSION WHICH GENERATED THE WORKSHOP TODAY.

THE SECOND HIGHEST BIDDER WAS A PALM BAY BASED BUSINESS AND SO YOU ALL KNOW THE AWARDED BIDDER DID WITHDRAW FROM THE CONTRACT AFTER AWARD AND WE DID MOVE FORWARD AND AWARD IT IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR CODE TO THE SECOND, SECOND LOWEST BIDDER, WHICH IS FLAWLESS.

SO THEY ARE AWARDED THAT CONTRACT CURRENTLY.

LOOKING AT 2021, WE HAD NINE TIMES WE HAD A RESPONSE FROM A PALM BAY BUSINESS.

YES. I DON'T MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF, PLEASE, MAYORS.

WHY DID THAT THAT BUSINESS WITHDRAW? DO YOU HAVE THAT INFORMATION OR NOT? I DO. SO ULTIMATELY, WHEN THEY GOT IF YOU REMEMBER, THAT CONTRACT IS FOR AN IMPROVED CODE LOT MOEY.

THESE ARE OUR LOTS THAT HAVE GROWN WILD AND WE NEED TO CREATE A BASICALLY A FIRE BARRIER AROUND THEM TO PROTECT THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORS.

SO THERE'S A DEFINITION IN THE SCOPE OF A MEDIUM CUT IN A HIGH CUT, AND WE HAD TO ESTIMATE HOW MANY TIMES YOU WOULD NEED A HIGH CUT.

GRASS AND TREES ABOVE YOUR HEAD AND HOW MANY TIMES YOU WOULD NEED A MEDIUM CUT.

AS CODE STARTED HANDING OUT TASK ORDERS FOR THIS WORK TO THE VENDOR.

THEY FOUND THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE THE EQUIPMENT AND THEY WERE NOT CAPABLE OF KEEPING UP WITH THE DEMAND.

SO THEY DID REQUEST TO WITHDRAW.

IT IS IT WAS DEFINITELY IN THE CITY'S BEST INTEREST TO ALLOW THEM TO WITHDRAW AND MOVE FORWARD.

THEY ARE STILL SUCCESSFULLY DOING THE RIGHT OF WAY MOWING FOR PUBLIC WORKS, WHICH IS A VERY DIFFERENT SCOPE, AS I'M SURE YOU CAN IMAGINE.

THANK YOU, MA'AM. I APPRECIATE THAT.

NO PROBLEM. SO MOVING ON TO 2021 NINE RESPONSES FROM PALM BAY BUSINESSES.

FIVE TIMES A PALM BAY BUSINESS WAS NOT AWARDED ONCE WAS THE RFP FOR RESIDENTIAL BROKERAGE SERVICES.

I DO WANT TO NOTE THE PALM BAY BUSINESS THAT SUBMITTED ON THAT ACTUALLY WAS PARTNERING WITH AN OUT OF COUNTY FIRM.

THE RFQ FOR ENGINEERING SERVICES WAS AWARDED TO MULTIPLE FIRMS, INCLUDING FIRMS IN COCO AND MELBOURNE.

MOWING MAINTENANCE THERE WAS 153,000 DIFFERENCE.

CULVERT PIPE THERE WAS A $272,000 DIFFERENCE.

THIS LESSON WAS INTERESTING ON A ROAD BOND BID.

[00:25:03]

THE THIRD HIGHEST BIDDER WAS A PALM BAY BASED BUSINESS AND THERE WAS A 13.2% OR $135,000 DIFFERENCE.

BUT THE SECOND LOW WAS IN COCOA AND THAT WAS THE PAVING.

AND THERE WAS ONLY A $10,000 DIFFERENCE.

SO IN THAT CASE, RANGER WAS AWARDED.

BUT IF WE HAD OUR PREVIOUS LOCAL PREFERENCE POLICY, SINCE IT STILL HAD A BOVARD PREFERENCE, VA PAVING WOULD HAVE ACTUALLY WON THAT.

$135,000 OR MORE? NO, I'M SORRY, A 10,000 MORE.

BUT THEIR COCO BASED BUSINESS.

NOT A PALM BAY BASED BUSINESS.

WE'RE NEARING THE END AND I REALLY WANT TO FOCUS ON WHAT OUR OFFICE DOES THAT REALLY ENGAGES LOCAL BUSINESS, IN MY OPINION.

I TALK A LOT ABOUT BEST VALUE PROCUREMENT.

THOSE ARE THE RFPS AND THEY ARE OF QUEUES WHERE COST IS A VERY LOW FACTOR OR IN THE CASE OF RFQ, CAN'T BE CONSIDERED AT ALL.

ALTHOUGH WE DON'T HAVE A MATHEMATICAL FORMULA THAT WE APPLY, WE LOOK CAREFULLY AT EVALUATION CRITERIA AND TRY TO STRUCTURE THEM IN SUCH A WAY THAT EVALUATION TEAM MEMBERS ARE THINKING ABOUT LOCAL BUSINESS.

SO A GREAT EXAMPLE IS THE FIRE STATION DESIGN RFQ.

I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

THAT WILL BE COMING BACK TO YOU GUYS AT THE SECOND MEETING IN NOVEMBER TO AWARD.

WE HAD FOUR SEPARATE BULLET POINTS UNDER PROJECT TEAM WHERE THE FIRMS HAD TO TALK ABOUT WHERE ARE THEY LOCATED, WHERE ARE THEIR TEAM MEMBERS LOCATED, HOW MANY JOBS HAVE THEY DONE IN PALM BAY? WHAT ABOUT THEIR SUB CONSULTANTS? HAVE THEY FILED PERMITS WITH THE CITY OF PALM BAY? WHAT'S THEIR EXPERIENCE? WHAT'S THEIR FAMILIARITY WITH THE SOIL CONDITIONS IN OUR AREA AND THE STORMWATER? SO THAT'S ONE EXAMPLE.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS THE DIGITAL MARKET RFP.

SUSAN BLAIR BY THE WAY, OUR PROCUREMENT MANAGER IS HERE AND SHE DID THIS ONE.

THIS HAD A GREAT RESPONSE LEVEL AND ONE OF THE EVALUATION CRITERIA IS THERE WAS FOR THE FIRMS TO AGAIN DISCUSS THEIR PHYSICAL LOCATION AND HOW THEY CAN SERVICE THIS MARKET.

THIS IS GOING TO BE THE MARQUEE IN FRONT OF THE CITY HALL COMPLEX.

HOW CAN THEY SERVICE IT IF WE HAD A TECHNICAL ISSUE FOR THEM TO TALK ABOUT THAT? WE HAD AN APPAREL QUOTE ALSO DONE BY SUSAN, AND SHE ACTUALLY HAD A PREFERENCE IN THERE WHERE YOU HAD TO HAVE A COMMERCIAL STOREFRONT WITHIN 50 MILES.

WE ENDED UP AWARDING THAT CONTRACT TO FIVE VENDORS, ALL LOCATED WITHIN CITY OF PALM BAY AND CITY OF MELBOURNE.

IN TERMS OF EXTRA OUTREACH, WE REALLY GO OUT OF OUR WAY TO ENGAGE VENDORS AND REACH OUT TO THEM BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY IS ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND READING OUR POSTS ABOUT GETTING ON VENDOR LINK.

SO ON THE APPAREL QUOTE, SUSAN WENT THROUGH AND LOOKED AT ALL THE LOCAL VENDORS WE'VE EVER DONE BUSINESS WITH AND CALLED THEM TO INVITE TO PARTICIPATE ON THEIR ON GM PARTS AND SERVICE HEAVY EQUIPMENT PARTS AND GENERAL CONTRACTOR SERVICES.

SAME THING. THOSE SOLICITATIONS WE CALLED VENDORS TO ENGAGE THEM AND INVITE THEM TO PARTICIPATE.

THE DIGITAL MARQUEE, WE DID SOMETHING KIND OF DIFFERENT AND COOL WHEN WE WERE AND JOAN WAS PART OF THIS AS WELL.

WHEN WE WERE DEVELOPING THE SCOPE, WE WEREN'T SURE EXACTLY HOW TECHNOLOGY HAS EVOLVED FROM THE DIGITAL MARQUEES.

SO WE HAD A MEETING WITH JUST THE LOCAL SIGN COMPANIES BEFORE THE SOLICITATION EVEN WENT LIVE TO JUST PICK THEIR BRAINS AS THE SUBJECT MATTER.

EXPERTS TALK ABOUT OUR SCOPE AND WHAT WE WANTED TO DO AND GET THEIR FEEDBACK AND THEN PUT IT OUT ON THE STREET.

AND SAME THING FOR RESIDENTIAL BROKERAGE.

YOU PROBABLY REMEMBER THAT PRIOR TO THE RFP BEING ISSUED.

SO MAINTAINING THE CONE OF SILENCE, WE DID A WEBINAR THAT WE ADVERTISE THROUGH THE SPACE COAST ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS, INVITING INTERESTED BROKERS TO ATTEND AND LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT AN RFP BECAUSE THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT THEY OFTEN WOULD BE SUBMITTING ON.

AND LASTLY, IN DECEMBER, WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO HAVE A STAKEHOLDER MEETING WITH OUR ROAD BOND CONTRACTORS AND SUBCONTRACTORS TO TALK ABOUT CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE COULD BE DOING DIFFERENTLY IN OUR SOLICITATIONS OR HOW WE'RE PLANNING THAT PROGRAM TO ENCOURAGE MORE BIDDERS AND MORE ACCESSIBILITY ON THOSE BIDS.

SO BASED ON THAT DATA, IN MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION, I WOULD SAY YOU DON'T NEED A LOCAL PREFERENCE.

OUR COMMERCIAL BASE, IN MY OPINION, IS NOT LARGE ENOUGH FOR IT.

OUR LARGEST FELLOW GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, BREVARD COUNTY IN THE SCHOOL BOARD, DON'T HAVE A LOCAL PREFERENCE.

IT'S RESTRICTED FOR USE FOR SOME OF OUR GRANT DOLLARS, CDBG ARPA, AND EVEN OUR STATE LEGISLATIVE APPROPRIATIONS.

IT WOULD HAVE ONLY IMPACTED ONE BID TO A PALM BAY BUSINESS IN THE LAST TWO YEARS.

AND PLEASE BELIEVE ME, NO ONE WAS MORE UPSET ABOUT THAT WHEN I SAW THE TABULATION THAN ME.

SUSAN BROUGHT IT TO ME. SHE'S LIKE, OH, YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO BELIEVE THIS BECAUSE WE WANT LOCAL BUSINESSES TO DO BUSINESS WITH THE CITY.

THAT'S WHAT WE WANT.

BUT ULTIMATELY, IT'S NOT WITHIN MY PURVIEW TO MAKE ARBITRARY DECISIONS ABOUT WHO SHOULD BE AWARDED A CONTRACT.

[00:30:06]

I HAVE TO FOLLOW OUR ORDINANCE.

AND ALSO I'M GOING TO TOOT OUR OWN HORN HERE.

I DON'T THINK IT'S AN EXAGGERATION TO SAY THAT AT LEAST WITHIN BREVARD COUNTY, NO ONE IS MORE COMMITTED TO VENDOR ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH THAN OUR OFFICE IS.

I'M INCREDIBLY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT OUR STAFF DOES, AND I HOPE I'VE DEMONSTRATED THAT FOR YOU TODAY.

BUT THAT SAID, I SERVE THE RESIDENTS AND YOU ALL REPRESENT THE RESIDENTS.

I REPORT TO THE CITY MANAGER.

IF YOU ALL WANT LOCAL PREFERENCE, I JUST NEED SOME GUIDANCE ON A FEW IMPORTANT CATEGORIES SO I CAN BRING YOU BACK AN ORDINANCE AT A LATER COUNCIL DATE.

WE WOULD NEED TO TALK ABOUT CATEGORIES.

DO YOU WANT ONLY PALM BAY, PALM BAY AND BREVARD? HOW MUCH PREFERENCE DO YOU WANT? 5%. 10%.

DO WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT RESIDENTIAL VERSUS COMMERCIAL GOOD STANDING? ANY EXCEPTIONS? THOSE ARE GOING TO BE PRETTY WELL DEFINED BY BY CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS IN FLORIDA STATUTE.

DO YOU WANT TO HAVE AN ADMINISTRATIVE WAIVER OF IT OR ONLY HAVE IT WAIVED AT COUNCIL LEVEL? AND LASTLY, I DO ASK THAT ANY ORDINANCE WOULD HAVE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.

I'D BE GLAD TO BRING YOU BACK DATA AND ALSO PERHAPS A SUNSET CONSIDERATION OR AT LEAST HAVE IT REVISITED AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE.

AND WITH THAT, I'M OPEN TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.

I WANTED TO GIVE DEPUTY MAYOR JOHNSON, SINCE YOU'RE ON COMM, I WANT TO GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY FOR QUESTIONS FIRST, SIR.

DEPUTY MAYOR. HE IS THE UNALIGNED MEMBER.

AP MAYOR. DEPUTY MAYOR JOHNSON.

IF YOU GET MAYOR, JUST ASK IF YOU HAD ANY QUESTIONS OF JULIET BEING THAT YEAR ON.

WELL, NOT REALLY. QUESTIONS ARE MORE.

IS THIS THE TIME TO KIND OF GIVE A DIRECTION OR ELABORATE OR.

I WANTED TO SEE IF YOU HAD ANY QUESTIONS BECAUSE I WANT TO OPEN UP THE QUESTIONS TO THE REST OF COUNCIL, IF THEY HAVE ANY.

BUT I WANTED TO YIELD TO YOU FIRST BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT PHYSICALLY HERE, SIR.

ALL RIGHT, THEN. THE ONLY QUESTION I'LL ASK IS FROM HER, FROM HER EXPERTISE.

JULIET, WE'VE BEEN DOWN THIS ROAD APPROXIMATELY TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO, I BELIEVE, AND YOU GAVE AN ELABORATE PRESENTATION REGARDING LOCAL PREFERENCE, JUST LIKE YOU'RE DOING NOW.

IF WE'RE LOOKING AT A HYBRID APPROACH OR SOMETHING, WHAT WOULD BE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE'RE BECAUSE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS PRIOR WAS TO REMOVE IT.

BUT IF WE ARE TAKING THIS STEP, WHAT WILL BE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS MOVING FORWARD NOT TO DO IT OR A HYBRID APPROACH, OR BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR MANY MORE YEARS THAN ANY OF US HAVE EVEN DEALT WITH PROCUREMENT.

SO. THANK YOU, MADAM.

JULIA. SURE. THANK YOU, DEPUTY MAYOR.

I'M GOING TO HAVE TO STAND BEHIND MY THE DATA I PRESENTED, BUT ALSO MY PROCUREMENT ORGANIZATION, BEST PRACTICES, AND SAY THAT WE DON'T NEED IT.

HOWEVER, IF THE CITY WOULD LIKE TO PURSUE IT, I WOULD RECOMMEND IT FOR BEST VALUE.

PROCUREMENTS ARE OF PS ARE OF QS.

AND THEN FURTHER, IF THE CITY WANTS IT FOR BIDS, THEN I WOULD RECOMMEND SEVERAL THINGS, ONE OF WHICH IS THAT WE CONSIDER A MATCH TO KEEP IT FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE.

BUT MY FIRST RECOMMENDATION IS NOT TO HAVE IT.

GOT IT. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU, MA'AM. OKAY.

NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, MAYOR.

THANK YOU, DEPUTY MAYOR.

I WANT TO START AT THE OTHER END OF THE DAIS.

COUNCILMAN FILIBERTO.

ANY QUESTIONS? I'M.

NO QUESTIONS, MAYOR. JUST COMMENT WHEN YOU'RE READY, SIR.

WHENEVER I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE.

WE OPEN THE FLOOR FOR QUESTIONS.

COUNCILMAN FELIX.

SIR. THANK YOU. AND COUNCILMAN FOSTER.

I HAVE A QUESTION.

WHEN IT WAS RESCINDED IN 2020.

I WASN'T HERE, RIGHT? CORRECT. I DON'T RECALL THAT.

BUT WHAT MADE THE COUNCIL RESCINDED? WHAT WAS THE.

WAS THE THE WAS IT WORKING THE WAY IT WAS OR WAS IT NOTHING WORKING? CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT TO ME? SO I WOULD ONLY BE SPECULATING, OF COURSE.

BUT CERTAINLY THE FACT THAT IT HAD NOT BEEN EFFECTIVE IN THAT TIME FRAME IN TERMS OF MOTIVATING LOCAL BUSINESSES TO PARTICIPATE OR EVEN BE AWARDED MORE CONTRACTS THAN THEY WERE ON THEIR OWN.

ALSO, I THINK THERE WERE SOME CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT THAT HEADQUARTERS PIECE, THE HEADQUARTERS VERSUS A REGIONAL OFFICE.

[00:35:09]

IT'S CERTAINLY A CONSIDERATION THAT I WOULD WANT TO ADDRESS IF WE WENT DOWN THE PATH OF OUR OWN ORDINANCE.

AND THEN BESIDES THAT, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY THERE'S REALLY STRONG CAMPS EITHER WAY.

I THINK THE FACT THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PROHIBITS IT AND THAT IT'S MAYBE PERHAPS NOT POPULAR AT THE STATE LEGISLATIVE LEVEL AND CERTAINLY NOT AT BREVARD COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, THOSE WOULD ALL BE MY GUESSES, BUT I'D BE SPECULATING.

SO THE STATE.

IT'S NOT A FAN OF IT.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS NOT A FAN OF LOCAL PREFERENCE AND.

AND BREVARD COUNTY IS THE SCHOOL.

SO WHY ARE THE OTHER CITIES IN FLORIDA HAS A PREFERENCE? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

YOU KNOW, SO THIS BECAME TALLAHASSEE.

THAT'S RIGHT. AND IT IS VERY PREVALENT IN MUNICIPALITIES.

LET ME BE VERY CLEAR ON THAT.

THE MAJORITY OF MUNICIPALITIES, FROM A PURE PERCENTAGE STANDPOINT, HAVE IT.

IT WAS A VERY POPULAR PROGRAM DURING THE GREAT RECESSION.

IT WAS A WAY THAT GOVERNMENT AGENCIES COULD PUT MONEY AND PREFERENCE BACK INTO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY THAT WAS HURTING.

AND AND I FEEL LIKE THE INTENTIONS THERE WERE VERY, VERY GOOD.

ULTIMATELY, I THINK YOU'LL SEE THAT IT'S NOT AS EFFECTIVE AS PEOPLE WANTED IT TO BE.

AND ALSO AND COUNCILMAN JOHNSON AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS IN 2020, IT'S KIND OF HARD TO RESCIND.

IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE YOU'RE DOING RIGHT BY YOUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY TO SAY THAT YOU'RE RESCINDING LOCAL PREFERENCE.

BUT THE DATA SUPPORTS THAT DECISION OR NOT.

IT COULD GO EITHER WAY.

SO ONE MORE QUESTION, SIR.

SO WITH THE.

A PROBLEM WITH INFLATION, A PROBLEM WITH THE SUPPLY CHAIN THAT WE EXPERIENCED ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.

HOW A PREFERENCE.

BENEFIT OR DOESN'T BENEFIT IN THE SCENARIO THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW.

I THINK IT COULD GO EITHER WAY.

I CERTAINLY WE ARE PAYING HIGHER PRICES BECAUSE OF THOSE FACTORS.

THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT.

THAT'S WHY I'D BE INTERESTED IN THE MATCH APPROACH IF WE WERE GOING TO DO IT, TO TRY TO MAINTAIN SOME OF THAT FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY.

BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT A BUSINESS WILL BE ABLE TO COME TO THE TABLE AND MATCH THE LOW BIDDER.

SO THAT'S A CONSIDERATION.

I ALSO THINK THAT YOU RUN THE RISK IF YOU'RE LET'S SAY YOUR PREFERENCE IS REALLY HIGH.

LET'S SAY YOU HAD YOU WANTED TO SAY THAT ANY PALM BAY BUSINESS WITHIN 20% OF THE LOW BIDDER COULD HAVE THE CHANCE TO MATCH THE LOW BIDDER.

EVEN THOUGH WE'RE IN A BLIND BIDDING SCENARIO.

NOW THE BIDS ARE OPEN AND HE CAN LOOK AT YOUR NUMBER AND MATCH IT WITHIN 20%.

IF WE WERE CONTINUALLY APPLYING LOCAL PREFERENCE, I DO THINK YOU COULD HAVE THE EFFECT OF REDUCING YOUR BIDDER POOL BECAUSE LESS BIDDERS FROM OUT OF THE AREA WOULD COME TO THE TABLE.

SO THAT'S A POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCE.

THANK YOU, MA'AM.

I THINK COUNCILMAN FOSTER TOUCHED A LITTLE BIT ON SOMETHING.

I JUST WANTED TO EXPOUND A LITTLE A LITTLE MORE ON IT.

WHEN YOU MENTION ABOUT MUNICIPALITIES.

RIGHT. AND THAT THEY HAVE THAT PREFERENCE, THOSE LOCAL PREFERENCE, DID YOU COMPARE THEIR COMMERCIAL BASE TO OUR COMMERCIAL BASE? I DID NOT. BUT THAT WOULD BE A GOOD COMPARISON TO MAKE IN PARTICULAR, BECAUSE THEY HAVE THAT TYPE OF POOL.

RIGHT. WE DON'T HAVE.

SO I THINK THAT'S THE CRITICAL QUESTION THERE.

IF WE HAD THAT CAPACITY TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE WE COULD BE SHOOTING OURSELVES IN THE FOOT.

SO MUCH TO YOUR POINT, YOU KNOW, SOME ENFORCER.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT COMMERCIAL BASE, THEN HOW DO WE JUSTIFY HAVING LOCAL PREFERENCE? BECAUSE WE CAN'T COMPETE AND THE SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES ARE DEFINITELY COMING TO PASS RIGHT NOW.

BUT THAT WAS MY QUESTION, IF YOU COMPARED IT.

SO AT THIS POINT, I'M GOING TO PASS ON.

I JUST WANT TO SAY SOMETHING. YOU BRING UP A GOOD POINT.

AND THAT'S WHAT'S. TRYING TO GET TO.

AND I APPRECIATE YOU SAYING THAT.

BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK AT MELBOURNE, YOU HAVE THE PREFERENCE AND WE DON'T.

LOOK AT HOW I SEE.

UH, DAYTONA BEACH.

WE GOT A LOT OF COMMERCIALS THERE.

IT'S JUST LIKE THERE.

GOT A LOT OF COMMERCIAL THERE.

ORLANDO HAS A LOCAL PREFERENCE, AND WE DON'T.

SO SOME OF THESE CITIES.

THEY HAVE. THEY'RE DOING PRETTY WELL WITH COMMERCIAL.

AND OUR POPULATION IS NOT, OF COURSE, ORLANDO'S WAY ABOVE OUR POPULATION, BUT TALLAHASSEE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN THE RANGE.

[00:40:05]

BECAUSE TO ME, IT GOT DISNEY.

MELBOURNE. SO.

BUT I'M DONE.

IF I MAY ADD SOMETHING TO THAT.

I DIDN'T BECAUSE I WAS CURIOUS.

I DID LOOK AT THE SIX LARGEST CITIES IN PALM BAY BY POPULATION.

SO MIAMI.

ORLANDO. NOW I HAVE TO FIND IT.

TALLAHASSEE AND JACKSONVILLE ALL DO HAVE LOCAL PREFERENCE.

TAMPA AND ST PETERSBURG DO NOT.

YES, THAT'S CORRECT. AND I'D LIKE TO CHECK OUT THE PERCENTAGE OF THOSE.

I MEAN, WE DON'T HAVE THAT, BUT THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN REALLY INTERESTING TO HAVE THAT THAT DATA.

COUNCILMAN. FILIBERTO YEAH, WELL, I THINK WE WE WE ASKED OUR QUESTIONS.

YES. WELL, THANK YOU, MAYOR.

SO IT'S GOING WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT? I'M A FEDERAL CONTRACTOR BY TRADE.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOES HAVE A PROCUREMENT PROCESS.

THEY DO NOT MAY NOT BE LOCAL PREFERENCE, BUT THEY DO HAVE SMALL BUSINESS PREFERENCE.

THEY DO HAVE VETERAN PREFERENCE.

THEY HAVE MINORITY PREFERENCE.

SO THERE IS PREFERENCES OUT THERE WHEN IT DOES COME TO PROCUREMENT.

I FEEL A PREFERENCE HERE IN PALM BAY WOULD BE ADVANTAGEOUS FOR US.

I DON'T THINK IT HAS TO BE ROCKET SCIENCE.

I THINK IT CAN BE SIMPLE.

THE OLD METHOD MAY HAVE WAS LIKE A ROCKET SCIENCE.

IT REALLY WAS, I SAID, DOING YOUR NUMBERS AND THE CHARTS AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.

BUT IT'S JUST A SIMPLE CODE OF A SOMEWHAT LIKE MELBOURNE'S AND THE OTHER ONES IS JUST IF YOU'RE WITHIN, SAY, THE BIDS WITHIN 10% OF THE LOWEST BID AND WE GIVE THEM A CALL AND SAY, HEY, YOU'RE ONLY OUTBIDDING BY 5 TO 10%, ARE YOU WILLING TO MATCH? IF YOU MATCH, WE WILL GIVE YOU THE BID OR THE RFQ OR THE RFP, WHICHEVER IT IS.

SO THAT'S KIND OF THE WAY I'M FEELING.

WE SHOULD GO WITH IT. I'D LIKE TO HEAR COUNSEL'S REMARKS ON THAT AND SEE IF THERE'S OTHER IDEAS AS WELL.

BUT I FEEL THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT DOES NEED TO HAPPEN, AND IT'S GOING ALSO TO PALM BAY.

WHILE WE MAY NOT HAVE THE BUSINESSES, BOVARD COUNTY DEFINITELY DOES.

SO WHEN IT COMES TO THE LOCAL PREFERENCE, IT WOULD INCLUDE OBVIOUSLY PALM BAY BE PRIORITY.

BUT THEN IF NOT IN PALM BAY, THEN BREVARD COUNTY.

AND THEN IF WE CAN'T DO IT, THEN THEN IT GOES TO A GOES TO SO.

AND MY MY FINAL COMMENT.

I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT IT UP. JULIA IS THE UNIMPROVED CODE LOT MOWING WHICH WAS HERE.

THIS IS WHAT BROUGHT THE CONVERSATION AND THE PERSON THAT WE AWARDED THE BID TO AND THAT COUNCILMAN FOSTER MYSELF VOTED AGAINST, THEY ULTIMATELY FAILED.

AND I'M GLAD COUNCILMAN FOSTER BROUGHT IT UP THAT SAYING, HEY, THESE PEOPLE PROBABLY SAW THE BID FROM LAST YEAR AND TRY TO UNDERBID FLAWLESS AND THERE WAS NO WAY THEY CAN DO IT.

ALL THEY WANT TO DO IS WIN THE BID.

AND THEN ONCE THEY WON THE BID, THEY TRIED IT OUT AND REALIZE, HEY, THIS IS NOT GOING TO WORK OUT FOR US.

SO I KNOW THEY PROBABLY SAID THEY WITHDREW, BUT AND OBVIOUSLY THEY FAILED.

THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED. AND I DON'T WANT US I DON'T WANT THEM TO FAIL IN A LOCAL BUSINESS TO BE.

DISREGARDED LIKE THAT AGAIN BECAUSE OF.

A POSSIBLY RECORD OF A PAST.

SO I'M HAPPY WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION AND I'M GOING TO PASS THE MIC TO MY COLLEAGUES.

THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN.

FELIX. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR.

BUT FOR THIS DISCUSSION, I'M REALLY HONESTLY, I WANT TO HEAVILY RELY ON THE PROFESSIONAL.

JULIETTE, YOU DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB.

GREAT JOB. AND AT THE END, YOU NOT ONLY YOU MAKE HER RECOMMENDATION, SOMEBODY THAT IS AN EXPERT EXPERT MATTER IN THE SUBJECT, AND YOU ALSO YOU'RE BACKED BY A LOT OF DATA.

SO I WOULD HONESTLY.

AND WELL, SOME OF THE DATAS SPEAK VOLUME IN TERMS OF TALENT POOL.

AND WE HAVE IN THE IN THE WITHIN THE CITY BOUNDARIES ALSO THE AVAILABILITY EXPERTISE.

SO THESE ARE FACTS AND THESE ARE NOT JUST OPINIONS.

AND IN THAT SENSE, AS MUCH AS I'M.

I'M A BIG FAN OF SUPPORTING LOCAL.

BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT WE NEED CERTAIN SERVICES THAT WE ARE LIMITED OF.

I WOULD REALLY LEAN TOWARDS YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS.

AND STICK TO WHAT? IT'S. AND I CONCLUDE.

THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN FELIX.

COUNCILMAN, YOU'RE COMING.

THANK YOU, MAYOR. COUNCILMAN FILIBERTO, YOU KNOW, I WAS WITH YOU AND I WAS VERY PASSIONATE THAT NIGHT, AND IT BRINGS BACK MEMORIES.

AND I GUESS IT WAS RIGHT.

[00:45:04]

THAT'S WHAT THAT'S THE WAY I FEEL ON THAT.

BUT. WHEN IT COMES TO LOCAL PREFERENCE.

UM. COUNCILMAN FILIBERTO MENEM.

I'M NOT A I DON'T CLAIM TO BE THE EXPERT ON THIS.

I'M ALL FOR LOCAL BUSINESS.

I AND EVEN WITH NO PREFERENCE, THEY STILL COULD COMPETE FOR THE BUSINESS, RIGHT? CORRECT. WHAT I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU IS.

WE'RE GOING TO A WEIRD ECONOMY HERE.

STOCK MARKETS LOOKING CRAZY.

CRYPTO MARKETS LOOKING CRAZY.

SUPPLY CHAIN WORK.

PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO GO TO WORK.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND ALL OF THIS, BUT THIS IS PART OF YOUR WORLD.

AM I CORRECT? CORRECT.

AND. SINCE.

WHAT WE GOING THROUGH.

AND IT MADE YOUR JOB HARDER TO HAVE NO PREFERENCE OR WOULD IT MAKE YOUR JOB? HARDER TO HAVE A PREFERENCE.

WELL, WE GET THE SAME RESULTS THAT WE'RE GETTING RIGHT NOW.

THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE.

I'M TRYING TO FIND AN AX.

IT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

LET ME THINK ABOUT IT FOR A MOMENT.

I WORKED AT BREVARD COUNTY DURING THE GREAT RECESSION.

I REMEMBER I STARTED AND I WENT TO ORIENTATION AND THE PERSON IN HR SAID AND I HAD COME OFF OF BEING LAID OFF OF TWO JOBS IN PRIVATE CONTRACTING FOR THAT.

AND SHE SAID, I'M SURPRISED THEY'RE HIRING ANYBODY.

THEY'RE TELLING US TO GET OUR RESUMES READY.

AND I THOUGHT, I'M JUST GOING TO DO THIS GOVERNMENT THING FOR A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME UNTIL THE MARKET STABILIZES.

AND I WORK THERE FOR SEVEN YEARS AND I'VE BEEN HERE FOR EIGHT YEARS IN PUBLIC SERVICE IS NOW IN MY BLOOD.

I'M COMMITTED TO IT.

BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT DURING THE GREAT RECESSION, WE WOULD HAVE 50 TO 60 CONTRACTORS SHOWING UP TO PRE-BID MEETINGS.

WE WOULD HAVE.

10 TO 15 CONSTRUCTION BIDS.

IT'S THE ONLY TIME IN MY CAREER THAT I'VE EVER HAD TO CALL A PERFORMANCE BOND BECAUSE THE COMPANY FLAT OUT WENT OUT OF BUSINESS.

THEY JUST CLOSED UP SHOP AND IT WAS IT WAS CANOGA PARK COMMUNITY CENTER.

I MEAN, A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT CONSTRUCTION PROJECT.

IF THE ECONOMY TURNS, I DO EXPECT TO GET MORE.

BIDS IN GENERAL RIGHT NOW AS IT STANDS WITH THE SUPPLY CHAIN SHORTAGES AND LABOR SHORTAGES.

IT IS A STRUGGLE TO GET BIDS.

WOULD IT ENCOURAGE PALM BAY BUSINESSES THAT AREN'T BIDDING NOW TO BID? PERHAPS. I'M HOPING THESE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING ARE ENCOURAGING THEM TO BID BEYOND JUST A POTENTIAL FOR MATH.

IT WOULD. ADD A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO MY STAFF AND HOW THEY HAVE TO PREPARE BIDS AND ANALYSIS, DOING ANALYSIS OF BIDS AND TABULATIONS. I AM SHORT STAFFED RIGHT NOW, JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT SHOULD BE A CONSIDERATION BECAUSE I'M HOPING TO FILL THOSE POSITIONS.

IT WOULD REALLY BE. IT COULD GO EITHER WAY.

COUNCILMAN I'M SORRY, THAT'S A WISHY WASHY ANSWER, BUT I WOULD HATE TO SPECULATE.

I COULD SEE IT GOING BOTH WAYS.

OKAY, SO I'M TRYING TO GET OUT.

I GUESS. GET OUT OF YOU.

IF WE HAVE A LOCAL PREFERENCE, WHAT IS STOP BUSINESS GROWTH AND PALM BAY.

I'M NOT SURE I COULD REALLY ASK THAT QUESTION.

I MIGHT DEFER TO CITY MANAGEMENT OR EVEN OUR DEPUTY MANAGER IF THEY HAVE MORE INFORMATION, BUT I.

I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD BE PREPARED TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

I THINK IF OUR PREFERENCE WAS HIGH ENOUGH, WE WOULD DISCOURAGE BIDDERS FROM OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY FROM BIDDING.

I DO THINK THAT COULD OCCUR.

BUT WILL WE GET QUALITY? YOU KNOW, VALUE FOUR FOR OUR BIDS.

JUST LIKE THE PERSON LIKE COUNCILMAN FILIBERTO SAID.

THAT PERSON COULDN'T DO THE JOB WELL.

AND RIGHT NOW, IF YOU LOOK AT OUR OUR CONSTRUCTION BIDS, WE VERY RARELY HAVE A PALM BAY BIDDER, ESPECIALLY ON THE ROAD CONSTRUCTION.

I MEAN, IT'S A STRUGGLE TO GET ROAD AND CULVERT BIDDERS TO BID AT ALL.

AND THAT IS A HUGE AMOUNT OF THE BIDS THAT WE'RE DOING.

SO I DON'T KNOW.

THERE'S ONLY ONE BUSINESS THAT I KNOW OF IN PALM BAY THAT'S CONSISTENTLY RESPONDING TO OUR CULVERT PIPE BIDS.

THEY ARE GENERALLY THE HIGHEST BIDDER.

I THINK YOU COULDN'T MAKE A PREFERENCE HIGH ENOUGH TO CLOSE THAT GAP FOR THEM, BUT I COULD BE WRONG.

ON ROAD BOND, WE HAVE NOT EVER HAD A PALM BAY BIDDER ON ANY OF THE ROAD BOND PROJECTS.

GOING TO YOUR POINT OF COMMERCIAL BASE, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S REMEMBER, THESE ARE LARGE PROJECTS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

[00:50:02]

WHAT PROCUREMENT DOES IS OVER 25,000 TO THE TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE THOSE CONTRACTORS HERE.

SO IT COULD REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF COMPETITION, WHICH COULD INCREASE OUR PRICES AND MAKE IT HARDER TO GET BIDS.

SO BY BY BY GOING AFTER THE LOWEST BID.

WE ARE SAVING THE TAXPAYER DOLLAR.

THAT'S THE IDEA. AND THAT THAT BID, THAT LOWER BIDDER MIGHT NOT BE HOME HERE IN PALM BAY OR BREVARD COUNTY.

YES, CORRECT.

THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, I'VE ALSO SEEN THE LOWEST BIDDER NOT PERFORM JUST FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE.

AND WHAT COMES TO MIND IS OUR 4TH OF JULY.

I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO SAY THAT. WELL, BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING BIDS HERE, RIGHT? I THINK IT WAS THE DIFFERENCE WAS 1200 DOLLARS, GENTLEMEN.

AND AND PRIOR TO THAT, WE USED SOMEONE, I DON'T KNOW, FOR OVER A DECADE, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY.

YOU'RE CORRECT. THAT PERFORMED TIME AND TIME AGAIN.

OUTSTANDING FIREWORKS.

AND BECAUSE THEY WERE ON THE BED FOR, WHAT WAS IT, 1200 DOLLARS.

CAN YOU? IT WAS A VERY LOW AMOUNT.

I DON'T RECALL. IT WAS SOMETHING SIGNIFICANTLY SMALLER.

THEY THEY DIDN'T EVEN PERFORM.

AND AND THAT COMPANY.

WELL, WHATEVER.

BUT I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT AS WELL THAT THAT'S BEEN AN EXPERIENCE I SAW.

DEPUTY MAYOR JOHNSON, YOUR COMMENTS.

SIGNAL. ACKNOWLEDGE ME. I'LL KEEP IT BRIEF.

I APPRECIATE HEARING FROM EACH COUNCILMEMBER.

I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.

JULIETTE. AS AS KNOWN I WAS ON THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL WHERE WE HAD A PRESENTATION AND WE REMOVE LOCAL PREFERENCE.

AND I THINK EVERYTHING WAS GOING WELL, EXCEPT FOR WITH THE ONE INSTANCE WHERE ANOTHER BIDDER LOOKED AT THE PRICE OF, YOU KNOW, FLAWLESS AND THEY SAW IT, AND THEN THEY TOOK THEY DID A BIT BELOW.

SO THAT WAS MY ONLY DISCREPANCY, WHICH THAT'S THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM THE RFP PROCESS, CORRECT? JULIETTE CORRECT.

SO THAT WAS MY ONLY DISCREPANCY.

BUT I LOVE THE APPROACH, YOU KNOW, WITH REMOVING LOCAL PREFERENCE.

WHAT MISS JULIETTE DID WAS WHAT I THINK MORE MUNICIPALITIES NEED TO DO IS ENCOURAGING LOCAL BUSINESSES BY, YOU KNOW, REACHING OUT TO THEM, HOLDING WORKSHOPS.

YOU KNOW, THE LAST ONE YOU HAD HAD OVER OVER 400 PEOPLE REGISTER OR.

CORRECT? OVER 400 REGISTER.

YES. YES.

SO THIS IS HOW YOU YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T WANT TO LOWER THE STANDARD OF WHAT WE NEED AS A CITY.

WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS RAISE UP EVERYONE AROUND US SO THAT WAY WE CAN HAVE A HIGHER QUALITY PERFORMANCE AROUND US.

SO TAKING THE APPROACH YOU'VE TAKEN THIS, JULIETTE, I'VE LOVED IT.

MY ONLY DISCREPANCY ONCE AGAIN, WAS WITH HOW THAT WHOLE BID PROCESS WENT WITH FLAWLESS AND THE OTHER COMPANY.

BUT I THINK WE'VE BEEN DOING THE RIGHT THING AND EDUCATING EVERYONE AND AND SINCE WITHIN THE PAST TWO YEARS OF THE EDUCATING OF ALL THESE DIFFERENT VENDORS, HAVE YOU SEEN AN INCREASE IN LOCAL VENDORS? ABSOLUTELY. AND I THINK EVEN BEYOND THAT, IT'S NOT JUST THE EDUCATION, IT'S THE OUTREACH.

IT'S THESE WE ALWAYS JOKE ABOUT BOB'S TRANSMISSION.

WE GOT TO CALL BOB ON THE PHONE.

HE IS NOT GOING TO GO ON VENDOR LINK.

HE'S NOT EVEN GOING TO CHECK HIS EMAIL.

WE MIGHT NEED TO MAIL HIM THE PACKAGE IF WE WANT HIM TO BID, BUT WE'RE GOING TO GET IT TO BOB BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE KIND OF VENDORS THAT WE NEED TO FIX OUR FLEET.

SO THAT LEVEL OF OUTREACH, WHICH, YOU KNOW, SUSAN AND I, WE SAID AT THE TOP AND ALL OF OUR AGENTS FOLLOW SUIT.

I THINK THAT GOES JUST HAND IN HAND WITH EDUCATION.

YOU KNOW, I LOVE THE PERFECT.

THANK YOU. AND MY FOLLOW UP QUESTION.

SO YOU'VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN LOCAL VENDORS.

HAVE YOU ALSO SEEN IMPROVEMENT OR INCREASE IN SCORES FROM LOCAL VENDORS, VENDORS WITH PROPER EDUCATION ON HOW TO APPLY HOW TO GO THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCUREMENT PROCESS? I DEFINITELY I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE USED TO WORRY ABOUT ON RFP ESPECIALLY, THEY'RE JUST GOING TO TURN BACK ALL OUR FORMS INTO US BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO IT AND I DON'T BLAME THEM.

IT'S CHALLENGING.

I DIDN'T TALK ABOUT ON ONE OF THE SLIDES, I HAD A PEST CONTROL COMPANY COME TO CITY HALL AND HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO SUBMIT A PEST CONTROL BID AND MICHAEL AND OUR FRONT LOBBY CAN ATTEST.

I SAT WITH HIM FOR AN HOUR IN THE LOBBY AND WENT THROUGH IT PAGE BY PAGE.

HE'S FROM STUART.

HE WASN'T A LOCAL VENDOR, BUT HE DROVE ALL THAT WAY TO GET THAT INFORMATION.

SO IF WE CAN EDUCATE VENDORS, WE HAVE CERTAINLY SEEN LESS BIDS WE'VE HAD TO THROW OUT AND WE'VE SEEN THE QUALITY OF RFP INCREASE. OKAY, THANK YOU.

[00:55:03]

NO FURTHER QUESTIONS. NO, NO FURTHER COMMENTS.

I THINK WE'VE BEEN GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, JUST THAT ONE INSTANCE.

IF THERE'S A WAY TO PREVENT WHERE A, YOU KNOW, A BITTER CAN JUST LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, IT'S PUBLIC RECORD SO THAT WE CAN'T CHANGE.

BUT THERE'S A WAY TO PREVENT SOMEBODY GOING, YOU KNOW, BEHIND I WANT TO SAY BEHIND THE SCENES, BUT LOOKING AT WHAT THE PREVIOUS BIDDER WHO'S DOING A GREAT JOB HAS DONE AND TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, SHORT SELL, THAT'S THE ONLY REALLY DISCREPANCY I HAVE.

BUT OTHER THAN THAT, I LIKE THE DIRECTION WE'VE BEEN GOING AS A CITY AND AS A PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT.

THAT'S IT. MAYOR YEAH, THANK YOU.

DEPUTY MAYOR. I'M NOT SURE YOU COULD PREVENT THAT.

THEY COULD ALWAYS STUDY THE PUBLIC RECORDS.

SO, YOU KNOW, MY COMMENTS ARE THE FIRST THING I WANT TO SHARE IS OUTSTANDING PLUG FOR BOB'S TRANSMISSIONS, BECAUSE THIS IS THIS IS A PAID ADVERTISEMENT.

RIGHT? OR AND I LOVE THAT APPROACH.

I LOVE THAT OUTREACH.

MY COMMENTS ARE ARE PRETTY SIMPLE IN IT.

THEY'RE ALONG THE LINES OF I DON'T THINK WE HAVE THE COMMERCIAL BASE RIGHT NOW.

I DON'T THINK MAYBE WE COULD REEVALUATE THIS YEARS DOWN THE LINE BECAUSE OUR MISSION HERE IS TO INCREASE OUR LIGHT INDUSTRIAL IS TO INCREASE OUR COMMERCIAL BASE WHERE WE COULD LITERALLY SAY ONE POINT TO SAY, YEAH, LET'S GO DOWN THIS PATH.

THAT'S THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS, I REALLY THINK.

I'M IN AGREEMENT.

HAD WE HAD A QUESTION ABOUT OUR COMMERCIAL BASE BEING INCREASED.

BUT YET YOU MENTIONED WE'RE HAVING THIS WORKSHOP BECAUSE OF THAT ISOLATED INCIDENT.

AND YOU SOMETIMES YOU JUST CAN'T PREVENT THAT BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO LOOK AT PUBLIC RECORDS AND TRY TO UNDERMINE OR UNDERBID PRODUCT. BUT AS FOR AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, GENTLEMEN AND I DON'T KNOW, I'M NOT HEARING A DEMAND TO CHANGE ANYTHING RIGHT HERE, BUT I, I WOULD JUST I WOULD JUST CAUTION US IF WE START CHANGING THINGS, THIS MAY NOT BE THE TIME WITH OUR SUPPLY CHAINS ISSUES. AND ANOTHER THING, YOU KNOW, FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME, WE'VE GOT WE ASSIGNED SOME FINANCING TO GET EQUIPMENT FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, OUR OUR POLICE, YOU KNOW, GET THOSE VEHICLES IN.

AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE HAVING A CHALLENGE GETTING THOSE VEHICLES.

SO I DON'T THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT TIME.

AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE I'M EXPECTING US TO GET THOSE VEHICLES FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS SINCE WE HAVE SOME FINANCING.

BUT THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS.

GENTLEMEN, I DON'T KNOW.

I DON'T THINK I HEAR A DEMAND TO TO ADD ANOTHER LAYER OF BUREAUCRACY RIGHT NOW.

SO UNLESS I HEAR DIFFERENTLY FROM THIS COUNCIL, I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND ADJOURN THIS MEETING.

MAYOR, IF I MAY, SIR, I'M JUST GOING TO ASK THE COUNCIL TO RECONSIDER, TO AT LEAST DO IF IT'S WITHIN IF THE BID COMES IN WITHIN 5%, THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR LOCAL BUSINESS, I'M SAYING WITHIN BREVARD COUNTY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MATCH THAT BID.

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ANY MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT.

IT JUST IT COULD BE VERY SIMPLE LAID OUT, WHICH EVEN AS JULIA MENTIONED, WE CAN GO THAT WAY OR WE CAN GO NO WAY.

SO SHE DID PROVIDE A RECOMMENDATION OF A FOR A LOCAL PREFERENCE, BUT THEN SHE ALSO PROVIDE A RECOMMENDATION OF NOT HAVING A LOCAL PREFERENCE.

AM I RIGHT? AM I WRONG ON THAT? CORRECT. I'M I AM.

I SERVE AT THE WILL OF COUNCIL.

I'LL GIVE YOU MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION.

BUT IF YOU ALL FEEL LIKE IT'S IMPORTANT, THEN I HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS TO GUIDE WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE.

THANK YOU. AND THEN JUST IN CLOSING, I STILL FEEL AND I EVEN CAMPAIGNED ON THIS, I FEEL THAT THERE IS ENOUGH BUSINESSES IN BREVARD COUNTY, TOO, TO BASICALLY BUILD OR SOLVE ANYTHING, INCLUDING THE ROAD BOND PROGRAM.

BUT THE EXAMPLES BROUGHT UP WERE MASSIVE CULVERTS, ROAD BOND WITH LOCAL PREFERENCES.

TO ME, I'M THINKING RESIDENTIAL BROKERAGE SERVICES, I'M THINKING LAWNS.

I'M THINKING TREE TRIMMING.

JUST SIMPLE LITTLE THINGS THAT ARE WITHIN THE 100 GRAND THING, NOT THOSE MASSIVE SCALE PROJECTS.

H HVAC, WHICHEVER ELECTRICIANS.

SO THAT'S WHERE I WAS KIND OF GOING WITH IT.

AND I KNOW THE EXAMPLES BROUGHT FORWARD WERE MASSIVE PROJECTS.

SO I JUST ASK THE COUNCIL TO RECONSIDER.

IF NOT, THAT'S THAT'S FINE.

DEPUTY MAYOR JOHNSON, ANY LAST COMMENTS? SOME MEMBERS. YOUR RECOMMENDATION, MA'AM, IS TO.

NO LOCAL PREFERENCE, RIGHT? THAT'S MY FIRST RECOMMENDATION.

YES. THAT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME.

I STAND BY MY PREVIOUS COMMENT.

AND DEPUTY MAYOR JOHNSON, YOU WANT TO CLOSE OUT YOUR LAST REMARKS?

[01:00:04]

REPEAT THAT, MAYOR. YOUR LAST REMARKS.

WELL, I CAN'T HEAR YOU, SIR.

DO YOU HAVE ANY LAST REMARKS? NO, SIR. I'M GOOD.

OKAY, SO THIS THIS I THINK WE'RE GOING TO STAY WITH THE SAME.

I THINK THAT'S THE OVERWHELMING CONSENSUS OF COUNCILMAN AND SHERMAN.

AND SO THIS MEETING IS HEREBY ADJOURNED.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.