C6C-Report- Finance And Citywide Projects Committee On March 1 2012G MIAMIBEACH
City of Miami Beach,l700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, Florida 33139, www.miamibeachfl.gov
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
COMMITTEE MEMORANDUM
Mayor Matti Herrera Bower and Members of the City Commission
City Manager Jorge M. Gonzalez~
March 21, 2012 {) L/
SUBJECT: REPORT OF THE FINANCE AND CITYWIDE PROJECTS COMMITTEE
MEETING OF March 1, 2012.
OLD BUSINESS
NEW BUSINESS
1. Selection of Chair for Finance and Citywide Committee
ACTION
The Committee elected Commissioner Deede Weithorn as Chair and
Commissioner Jorge Exposito as Vice-Chair of the Finance and Citywide Projects
Committee for a one year term ending January 2013.
2. Discussion concerning City Fees and Charges for Gay Pride 2012
ACTION
The Committee recommended that a one year advance waiver be given for the
Square Footage and Lummus Park User Fees for Gay Pride 2012 and that Staff
work with Pride representatives to create criteria for future fee waivers.
In 2008, Mayor Bower created the Gay Business Development Ad Hoc Committee. One
of the first initiatives of this Ad Hoc Committee was to establish a Miami Beach Gay
Pride. In 2009 the Committee celebrated the inaugural Miami Beach Pride event and
they have successfully produced the event for three (3) consecutive years. The City
does not provide waivers to any entity for hard costs (police and fire personnel, parking
or sanitation), and cannot waive building fees by State law. Assistant City Manager
Hilda Fernandez noted that the Square Footage and Lummus Park User Fees were the
non hard cost or building fees that could be waived. Chip Arndt, Finance Director of
Pride, presented statistics on hotel occupancy during past Pride events. Chairperson
Deede Weithorn asked that Mr. Arndt work with Staff to create criteria for waiving City
Fees. The Committee recommended that a one year advance waiver be given for the
Agenda Item C(e C.
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Square Footage and Lummus Park User Fees for Gay Pride 2012 and that Staff work
with Pride representatives to create criteria for future fee waivers.
3. Discussion regarding property assessed clean energy (PACE) program
ACTION
The Committee recommended that the item be brought to the League of Cities in
an effort to create a coastal communities PACE district and that the item be
brought to the full Commission subject to the League of Cities creating the
district.
Public Works Director Fred Beckmann presented the item and gave a brief synopsis of
the memo.
The Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Program provides a way for local
governments to encourage property owners to reduce energy consumption and increase
energy efficiency. The program is structured around a municipal bond, from either
municipal financing districts or finance companies, which is issued to commercial and
residential property owners to pay for energy retrofits. Financed retrofits include energy
conservation and efficiency improvements, renewable energy improvements, and wind
resistant improvements. Property owners are responsible for paying the cost of the loan
over its functional life, which is generally twenty (20) years, through an annual
assessment on their property tax bill. Participation in the program is voluntary; however,
at least thirty (30) days before entering into the financing agreement, the property owner
must provide notice to the mortgage holder or loan services of the intent to enter into the
agreement.
The Town of Cutler Bay has created the Green Corridor PACE District (District) to
effectuate the intent and purpose of Section 163.08 F.S., which provides authority for a
local government to pass an ordinance or adopt a resolution to create a program that
provides up-front financing and allows property owners to apply to the local government
to receive the finance. The District is comprised of local municipalities that enter into an
lnterlocal Agreement with the other participating municipalities. In order to make the
program financially feasible, a third party administrator provides management and
finance service for the District's PACE Program. It appears that the City would not have
any financial or legal obligations, other than one elected official or City representative
sitting on the District's governing board, to ensure that the program is being
administered effectively. There are a maximum number of seven (7) members on the
governing board at any given time. At this time, the governing board has reached its
maximum of seven (7) members and the City would be only a non-voting member.
However another option of the City would be to form a separate PACE District with a t
least on other municipality. Under this option, the City would need to obtain proposals
for a third party administrator using the City's procurement process. Chairperson Deede
Weithorn stated that she would take the item to the League of Cities in order to create a
new district. Commissioner Michael Gongora was in favor of creating a coastal
communities PACE district. The Committee recommended that the item be brought to
the League of Cities in an effort to create a coastal communities PACE district and that
the item be brought to the full Commission subject to the League of Cities creating the
district.
4. Discussion regarding sanitizer dispensers at City Facilities to lessen
illness and increase productivity
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ACTION
The Committee recommended that hand sanitizer dispensers be installed at
various City facilities.
The Committee did not discuss the item but recommended that hand sanitizer
dispensers be installed at various City facilities.
5. Discussion regarding the issuance of Request for Proposals (RFP) for
catering and concession services for the Miami Beach Convention Center
ACTION
The Committee recommended:
• changing score weighting on Experience and qualifications and Past
Performance based on Client Surveys from 25% to 35%
• reducing the weight of Business and Creative Marketing Plan from 25% to
15%.
• including a food quality criterion in section B -Experience, qualifications
and Past Performance
• including asking proposers to include a detailed plan of how they will raise
survey scores to 93% or above
• that the criteria be as defined or specific as possible as to avoid
subjectivity
Max Sklar, Tourism and Cultural Arts Development Director, presented the item.
On April 11, 2006, the Mayor and City Commission approved the issuance of a Request
for Proposal (RFP) No. 22-05/06, to provide Professional Food and Beverage Facilities
Management Services for the Miami Beach Convention Center; with an option to mange
food and beverage services at other city cultural facilities to include: 1) the Jackie
Gleason Theater of the Performing Arts; 2) the Colony Theater; and 3) the Byron Carlyle
Theater. This RFP was issued in advance of Centerplate's expiring contract on
February 28, 2007. On September 6, 2006, the City Commission adopted Resolution
No. 2006-26316 authorizing the Mayor and Clerk to execute an agreement upon
completion of successful negotiations by the Administration. Centerplate didn't conclude
negotiations until December 13, 2007, which is when the final agreement was executed.
The terms of the Agreement were retroactive to March 1, 2007 and expire on September
30, 2012. The Agreement also includes two (2) successive, five (5) year renewal
options at the City's discretion. The Convention Center Advisory Board (CCAB) at their
June 7, 2011 meeting discussed whether or not the City should exercise the five (5) year
renewal option available in the Agreement or issue a new RFP. The CCAB reviewed
Centerplate's history and recommended, by a 6-1 vote, that the City issue a new RFP for
catering and concession services at the Convention Center. This recommendation was
based largely on Centerplate's client survey scores and their history of being the lowest-
rated area of the Convention Center's overall operations. At the December 14, 2011
Commission meeting the Administration was directed to issue an RFP and referred the
scope of service to the Finance & Citywide Projects Committee to review the criteria
prior to RFP issuance.
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Commissioner Michael Gongora asked where the food quality criteria were in the
evaluation criteria. Mr. Sklar stated that it would fall under section B, Experience and
qualifications and past performance based on client surveys. Chairperson Deede
Weithorn asked that the criteria be more defined, such as the size of the facility that is to
be compared, the minimum amount of revenue, and minimum volume of surveys.
Chairperson also asked that proposers submit a detailed plan of how they will raise
survey scores from 86% to 93%. Commissioner Gongora asked how a score of 93% or
above was arrived at. Mr. Sklar stated that 93% was set by the City because it was the
standard set for all of the departments in the facility. The Committee recommended
changing score weighting on Experience and qualifications and Past Performance based
on Client Surveys from 25% to 35% and reducing Business and Creative Marketing Plan
from 25% to 15%.
The Committee recommended:
• changing score weighting on Experience and qualifications and Past
Performance based on Client Surveys from 25% to 35%
• reducing the weight of Business and Creative Marketing Plan from 25% to 15%.
• including a food quality criterion in section B -Experience and qualifications and
Past Performance
• including asking proposers to include a detailed plan of how they will raise survey
scores to 93% or above
• that the criteria be as defined or specific as possible as to avoid subjectivity
6. Ordinance amending penalty charges for late utility bills
ACTION
Item Deferred
7. Discussion regarding consideration of a letter of agreement between the
City of Miami Beach and Art Basel Miami Beach outlining terms and
conditions for use of public property by Art Basel Miami Beach
ACTION
The Committee recommended amending the Special Events Guidelines to reflect
the Art Basel Miami Beach Zone.
Art Basel Miami Beach (ABMB) was established in 2000 as the sister event of
Switzerland's Art Basel, the world's most prestigious art fair for the past 39 years. In just
ten years, ABMB has become the preeminent contemporary art fair in the western
hemisphere, and an established destination for artists, galleries, collectors, museum
groups and other individuals interested in top-notch art. As ABMB grew in popularity, so
did the number of requests for temporary art displays or for use of public property in the
immediate area of the convention center. The City and ABMB informally established an
Art Basel Miami Beach Zone to protect the ABMB brand and limit third party use of
public property in this area. The boundaries of the zone include 23rd Street to the north;
Lincoln Lane South to the south; Alton road to the west; and the Atlantic Ocean to the
east. At this time, the City and ABMB would like to formally memorialize the Art Basel
Miami Beach Zone. In order to do this, an amendment to the Special Event Guidelines
is required to establish an "Art Basel Miami Beach Zone". The Committee
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recommended amending the Special Events Guidelines to reflect the Art Basel Miami
Beach Zone.
8. Discussion regarding updates on the Collins Canal/Bike Path project
ACTION
The Committee recommended that the item be discussed with the Capital Budget
later this year.
Fred Beckmann presented the item and gave a brief synopsis of the memo.
Approximately 3.100 feet of seawall on the north side of the Collins Canal, between
West Avenue and Convention Center Drive, is in poor condition and requires
replacement. The City received a grant for this work in the amount of $1 ,282,885. The
Cit~ is also constructing approximately 5,000 feet of bike path along this corridor from
17t Street to Park Avenue with a grant in the amount of $2,873,896. The project is fully
permitted and has been approved by the Historic Preservation Board. It has also been
endorsed by the Transportation and Parking Committee, the Disability Access
Committee, the Bikeways Committee, the Belle Isle Residents Association, the Miami
Beach Convention Center, the Greater Miami & the Beaches Hotel Association, and the
Miami Beach Senior High PTSA. The contractor, Harbor Construction, is presently on
schedule to complete the work in early July. At the request of the City, the contractor is
leaping the block that contains a 650-foot section that is too narrow to plant trees,
returning to it at the end of the project. While continuing the work, the City is pursuing
two designs in parallel that could provide for trees in that area: planting mangroves in the
canal and shifting the Dade Boulevard curb to the north to provide a planting area.
Chairperson Deede Weithorn suggested that this item be discussed with the Capital
Budget later this year. Chairperson Weithorn opened the floor for public comment which
included support for the completion of the canal repair/bike path and greenspace.
Resident Barry Miller asked for a cost estimate for shifting the Dade Boulevard curb
portion of the project. The Committee recommended that the item be discussed with the
Capital Budget later this year.
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