LTC 019-2007 Senior Transportation Program
lD
MIAMI BEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
NO. LTC # 019-2007
LETTER TO COMMISSION
FROM:
Mayor David Dermer and Members of the City Commission
Jorge M. Gonzalez, City Manager ~ ~
January 25, 2007 ()
TO:
DATE:
SUBJECT: SENIOR TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM
In the budget approval for fiscal year 2007-2007, the City Commission added $150,000 to be
dedicated to the provision of transportation service enhancements for senior citizens. The
program development, as outlined in this LTC, is being referred to the
Neighborhoods/Community Affairs Committee for discussion.
The concept for transportation enhancements that was endorsed by the City Commission
was to provide funding for transportation services either to existing agencies wishing to
expand on programmatic offerings or to new providers of this service for senior citizens. It
was not anticipated that City Departments would be eligible to access the new transportation
funding.
Several approaches to provide for the implementation of the new services were considered.
1. A direct arant in aid proaram to user aaencies. Modeled after the CDBG
Program. In this approach, the City would issue a NOFA and solicit
applications from agencies desiring to access funds. Applications would be
reviewed for compliance with established service criteria and ranked for
funding. Each agency would be responsible to use and account for funding,
while the City would monitor compliance.
2. Provision of contracted transportation services to user aaencies bv one entitv
on behalf ofthe Citv. In this approach, the City would solicit one agency, most
likely a non-profit, to operate and manage the transportation program. The
management agency would solicit from the community a list of services and
programs desired that would require transportation support. The City would
work with the management agency to refine the program list, develop an
application process and then solicit bids for a transportation provider. The
management agency would then match and schedule user agencies to the
contracted transportation provider.
3. Citv Staff development of proaram rules and criteria and solicitation and
implementation of a bid for transportation providers.
For the long term, if the program is successful, the second option would be recommended
as the overall most beneficial. The option provides for ease of use and access by user
agencies and would have the cost benefit of a City bid price. In this option the users would
not have to individually arrange for transportation services. The option provides for a
process driven by non-profits and potential users and monitoring for the City is simplified.
The only significant drawback to the second option is that the process to select a non-profit
program manager and then to issue a bid for transportation services would take until at least
June. The process might take longer if at any point something does not go as scheduled.
In order to more expeditiously deliver the desired services, in the first year of the program
the Administration will pursue the third option and rely on current staff to develop the
program rules, application process and to select a transportation provider.
On a more informal basis than anticipated in the second option, the staff will make an effort
to solicit the participation and feedback of potential program users in the process
development and implementation. After the fist or trial run year, a process review can be
undertaken with users to see if modifications are needed. With the added lead time
available in second or subsequent program years, the second option of using a non-profit
can be pursued at that time. The pursuit of the non-profit option in the second program year
would also make the program easier to implement for a potential non-profit as most of the
front end work will have been completed and tested.
To proceed with the program implementation, the City will be taking the next steps.
1. Staff will develop a preliminary list of program criteria and procedures to
discuss with potential program users. (30 days)
2. Solicit applications for program. (Starting in early March and then on going)
3. Staff will match a user need with a transportation provider from existing
contracts maintained by Miami-Dade County and the Miami-Dade Board of
Education.
Lead support staff for the program would be the Neighborhood Services Department with
assistance from Parks, Public Works and the Procurement Departments.
The goal of the process will be to develop as simple a program as possible to deliver as
quickly as possible the services requested by the City Commission.
Staff will be proceeding with the initial program development and bid issuance in the next
several weeks. If you have any questions or comments, please direct them to me or
Assistant ity Manager's Hilda Fernandez or Robert C. Middaugh.
JM \sam
F: LL\BOBlSeniortransportation~c.doc
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