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RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING WAIVER OF COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCEDURES PURSUANT TO SECTION 2-8.1(B)(1) OF THE CODE OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA BY A TWO-THIRDS VOTE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT AND DELEGATING AUTHORITY TO THE COUNTY MAYOR OR COUNTY MAYOR�S DESIGNEE TO CONTRACT WITH AND PAY FOR VETERINARY SERVICES AND ASSOCIATED EXPENSES FOR AN UP TO FIVE-YEAR PERIOD IN AN AGGREGATE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $8,542,837.00 FOR MULTIPLE COUNTY DEPARTMENTS; AND AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY MAYOR OR COUNTY MAYOR�S DESIGNEE TO OBTAIN VETERINARY SERVICES THROUGH DIRECT NON-COMPETITIVE PURCHASES, NEGOTIATE, APPROVE AND EXECUTE CONTRACTS WITH VETERINARY SERVICE PROVIDERS, PAY FOR THE SERVICES, AND EXERCISE ALL PROVISIONS OF ANY RESULTING CONTRACTS OR AGREEMENTS, INCLUDING ANY CANCELLATIONS, RENEWALS AND EXTENSIONS, PURSUANT TO SECTION 2-8.1 OF THE CODE OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA AND IMPLEMENTING ORDER 3-38

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WHEREAS, this Board desires to accomplish the purposes outlined in the accompanying memorandum, a copy of which is incorporated herein by reference,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that:

Section 1. This Board finds that it is in the best interest of Miami-Dade County to waive the competitive bidding procedures of section 2-8.1(b)(1) of the Code of Miami-Dade County, Florida by a two-thirds vote of the Board members present and delegates authority to the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee to contract with and pay for veterinary services and associated expenses for an up to five-year period in an aggregate amount not to exceed $8,542,837.00 for multiple County departments.

Section 2. This Board authorizes the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee to obtain veterinary services through direct non-competitive purchases, negotiate, approve and execute contracts with veterinary service providers, pay for the services, and exercise all provisions of any resulting contracts or agreements, including any cancellations, renewals, and extensions, pursuant to section 2-8.1 of the Code of Miami-Dade County, Florida and Implementing Order 3-38.

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Date:

To: Honorable Chairman Anthony Rodriguez
and Members, Board of County Commissioners

From: Daniella Levine Cava
Mayor

Subject: Resolution Approving Waiver of Competitive Bidding
to Contract with and Pay for Veterinary Services

STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Summary
This item is requesting that the Board of County Commissioners (Board) approve a waiver of the competitive bidding procedures and delegate authority to the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee to contract and pay for necessary veterinary services for Animal Services Department (ASD), Miami-Dade Aviation Department (MDAD, Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department (MDCR), and Miam-Dade Fire Rescue Department (MDFR). These are critical and life-saving services for the County�s animal population and play a vital role in maintaining public health and safety.

Veterinary services are unique in nature, as no one animal may require the same service or treatment as another, and needs are generally unable to be predicted in advance. As such, it has proven difficult to articulate each specific need in a solicitation for competition. Furthermore, due to the specialized nature of this field, many veterinary service providers do not have the time and resources to submit proposals to participate in County solicitations. This was evident after two recent solicitations for veterinary services, in which the two veterinary service providers that participated were found non-responsive due to not meeting the submittal requirements. In addition, through the County�s previously established prequalification pools for these services, departments have faced challenges in having veterinary service providers respond timely and complete the necessary documentation to be prequalified to participate in spot market competitions. Market research has found that most other governmental jurisdictions procure these services directly.

Recommendation
It is recommended that the Board approve waiving competitive bidding procedures by a two-thirds vote of the Board members present, pursuant to Section 2-8.1 of the County Code (Code) and Section 5.03(D) of the Home Rule Charter, to allow multiple County departments to directly contract with and pay for veterinary services and associated expenses in an aggregate amount not to exceed $8,465,000 in total. This waiver will remain in effect for five (5) years or until the aggregated amount is expended, whichever occurs first.

Background
This recommendation to waive formal competitive bidding procedures and delegate authority to the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee to directly contract and pay for veterinary services is based on the difficulties that departments have faced in obtaining the necessary services and treatment for the County animal population, police canines, and equines. This waiver will allow department to continue to purchase the services that were accessible under the following current or expired contracts and prequalification pools:

� Prequalification Pool RTQ-01665, Pet Retention Vet Care Program, established under delegated authority and valued at $616,000 for a five-year term.
� Prequalification Pool RTQ-01702, Veterinary Services (Prequalification), established under delegated authority and valued at $1,000,000 for a three-year and six-month term.
� Contract BW-10477, Veterinary Services for Canines, approved under delegated authority and valued at $193,000 for a one-year term.
� Contract No. E10375, Animal Sterilization Services, emergency declaration for spay and neuter services to address the countywide pet overpopulation crisis, ratified by the Board and valued at $500,000 for a one-year term.

ASD has also obtained similar services through direct payment in the amount of $1,800,000 over the past five years.

The total allocation requested for the departments is $8,465,000 over a five-year period. This amount is based on historical usage under previous contracts and pools, as well as projected annual expenses for each department. ASD allocation will ensure access to critical veterinary services, which includes:

� Spay/Neuter Services: Expanding sterilization efforts for County pets through the enrollment of relief veterinarians working with the department�s mobile sterilization clinic.
� Specialized Veterinary Services: Enhancing the pet retention program to prevent pet surrender to shelters by providing necessary medical care.
� Life-Saving & Non-Profit Support: Providing life-saving medical care that cannot be offered at the shelter, including offering reimbursements to non-profit organizations rescuing shelter pets and providing them with specialized veterinary care.

The availability of these life-saving services will directly contribute to increasing the department�s live release rate, furthering its mission to advance animal welfare through its programs.

Miami-Dade Aviation Department�s (MDAD�s) allocation request will provide the services needed for their vulnerable canines and increased costs associated with these services. Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation�s (MDCR�s) allocation request will provide for the services needed to keep their canine units healthy to support their mission to promote a safe and secure environment in their facilities. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department�s (MDFR�s) allocation request will be used to support the health of their canines that are trained for search and rescue as well as their specialized support canine team that aids individuals that experience trauma. The departments will conduct extensive market research to identify and select veterinary service providers who can deliver the life-saving and critical services and treatment for the County�s animal population.

To date, the respective departments have been working closely with the Strategic Procurement Department (SPD) to explore sourcing avenues for securing veterinary services. SPD facilitated several bid openings, inviting local clinics, relief veterinarians, and other regional partners to participate. However, the outcome of these efforts revealed that many these veterinary clinics were not adequately equipped to engage in the bidding processes, limiting their ability to secure contracts despite being qualified and certified. Efforts to expand the pool of prequalified veterinary clinics and providers have proven challenging, as many suppliers are unable to respond to frequent County solicitations or complete the necessary forms to enter a prequalification pool. Additionally, providers do not have sufficient resources to respond to the frequent issuance of solicitations.

Although the County issued two competitive solicitations, EVN0000257 and EVN0000830, a Request for Proposals (RFP) and Invitation to Bid (ITB) respectively, only two suppliers responded, and both were deemed non-responsive for failing to meet the submittal requirements. Both times, the suppliers failed to provide the necessary forms and information in order to be evaluated in accordance with the requirements of the solicitation. Furthermore, market research indicates that most other governmental jurisdictions procure these services directly.

Departments must have the ability to secure veterinary services on short notice to address the needs of County pet owners, as well as to respond to sudden injuries in the line of duty or illnesses affecting department animals. These services will continue to be sought from local veterinary clinics, ideally at the nearest available facility to where the department is conducting its duties, based on the availability of the clinic to provide urgent care.

Given that these services cannot be absorbed by either ASD or other departments under their current protocols, departments will adhere to County procurement policies while making every effort to utilize existing qualified vendors and obtain multiple quotes whenever feasible for non-life-threatening or non-emergency services and medical supplies.

Accordingly, it is in the County�s best interest to waive formal bidding procedures to contract and pay for veterinary services and associated expenses pursuant to Section 2-8.1 of the Code and Implementing Order 3-38.

Scope
The scope of this item is countywide in nature.

Fiscal Impact/Funding Source
The fiscal impact for the five years is $8,465,000. The combined allocation for the contracts/prequalification pools and direct payments that this waiver will replace is valued at $1,461,908 annually, with each department accounting for the allocation within their respective budgets. The increased allocation reflects anticipated needs to facilitate growth in the number of pet owners served throughout Miami-Dade County and is based on market trends. This initiative will not only provide veterinary services for pets in the community but will also positively impact local, small business clinics that provide these services. The contracting of veterinary services for all departments under this waiver is contingent upon annual authorization of the budgets for each department.

Department Allocation Funding Source Budgeted* Project Manager
ASD $6,900,000 General Fund FY 25-26 Proposed Budget, Volume 3, Page 25, Other Operating. Lia Portilla
MDAD $1,300,000 Proprietary Funds FY 25-26 Proposed Budget, Volume 3, Page 203 Caroline Burgos
MDCR $150,000 General Fund FY 25-26 Proposed Budget, Volume 2, Page 54, Other Operating. Nelson Gil, Jr.
MDFR $115,000 Fire District FY 25-26 Proposed Budget, Volume 2, Page 76, Other Operating. Marianela Betancourt
Total $8,465,000
*The Adopted Budget Book was not finalized at the time this item was drafted. Therefore, the budget information above is based on the Proposed Budget Book.

Track Record/Monitor
The negotiated agreements between the County and veterinary service providers will require written authorization from the Directors of each department. This waiver will be administered and monitored by each respective department for compliance.

Delegation of Authority
If this item is approved, the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee will have the delegated authority to obtain veterinary services through direct non-competitive purchases, negotiate, approve and execute contracts with veterinary service providers, pay for the services, and exercise all provisions of any resulting contracts or agreements, including any cancellations, renewals, and extensions, pursuant to Section 2-8.1 of the Code and Implementing Order 3-38.


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Arnold Plamer
Chief of Public Safety