Item C37
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
Meeting Date: 9/20100
Division: Community Services
Bulk Item: Yes.x No_
Department: Extension Services
AGENDA ITEM WORDING:
Approval of contract between Monroe County and Mr. William Fitch, local lobster fisherman.
ITEM BACKGROUND:
The Lobster Sentinel Fisheries Program is grant funded and is designed to evaluate the
effectiveness of the Western Sambos Ecological Reserve toward enhancing local lobster
abundance. This contract with Mr. William Fitch, who has been the project's contractor
since May, 1998, is for a maximum of $9,600.00 and is a necessary part of conducting this
research.
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION:
The BOCC accepted receipt of the Y2000-2001 Lobster Sentinel Fisheries Grant of
$17,974 on June 14, 2000.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Approval
TOTAL COST: $9.600
COST TO COUNTY:..iQ
REVENUE PRODUCING: YES
BUDGETED: YesL
No
NO X
AMT. PER MONTH
OMBlPurchasi~
_YEAR
Risk Mgmt ~.(C- .
APPROVED BY: County Attorney
DIVISION DIRECTOR APPROVAL:
To Follow
Not Required _
Agenda Item #: 1.(..'?)1
DOCUMENTATION: Included -1-
DISPOSITION
CONTRACT SUMMARY
Contract #
Contract with: Mr. William Fitch Effective Date: October I, 2000
Expiration Date: May 31, 2001
Contract Purpose/Description:
Contract to charter a commercial lobster vessel for the purpose of conducting lobster trapping in the
Western Sambos Ecological Reserve for 8 days at a rate of$1000.00 per day for vessel, gear, and crew,
plus an additional $100 per day for each research assistant provided, up to a maximum of 2 assistants
per day, or $9,600.00 total. This is grant funded with a contract period of June I, 2000 - May 31, 200 I.
Contract Manager: Douglas Gregory 4501 Extension Services
(Name) (Ext. ) (Department)
for BOCC meeting on Sept. 20, 2000 Agenda Deadline: Sept.6,2000
CONTRACT COSTS
Total Dollar Value of Contract:
$9,600.00
Current Year Portion: $0.00
Budgeted? Yes X
No
Account Codes:
125-5370-61001-530490-GX0001-
530340
Grant: $ 17,974
County Match:
$ 0.00
ADDITIONAL COSTS
Estimated Ongoing Cost:
$ 0 /yr
For:
(Not included in dollar value above)
(eg: maintenance, utilities, janitorial, salaries,
etc.)
Date In
Division Director { Is JOt.>
, ,
Risk Management ~
o~pur~ng ~
County Attorney q /10/00
I I
CONTRACT REVIEW
Changes
Needed
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Comments:
AGREEMENT
Agreement made as of the ~20~ day of September, 2000, between the BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA, hereinafter "Board" and Mr. WILLIAM
FITCH.
WHEREAS, Monroe County, as grantee, has received $17,974 in funds from the Spiny Lobster Sentinel
Fisheries Program, to conduct lobster trap sampling in the Lower Florida Keys, and
WHEREAS, Mr. William Fitch has been selected and has agreed to provide a lobster vessel (FN
Surprise), 90 traps, and crew to conduct the above trap sampling for a maximum of 8 days, at a rate of
$1000.00 per day for vessel, gear, and crew, plus an additional $100 per day for each research assistant
provided, up to a maximum of2 assistants per day, or $9,600.00 total, now therefore,
IN CONSIDERA nON of such a provision, Mr. William Fitch and the Board agree as follows:
1. The attached Contract Specifications (Attachment A) are included herein as a part of this contract.
2. For each day of at-sea lobster trap sampling, in accordance with Section 6 of the attached
Specifications, the Board agrees to pay Mr. William Fitch a maximum sum of$9,600.00, to be
billed on a day-to-day basis.
3. The effective date of this contract will be the period of October I, 2000 through May 31, 2001.
4. Mister William Fitch covenants and agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Monroe County Board
of County Commissioners, the University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service, and the
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary from any and all claims for bodily injury (including
death), personal injury, and property damage (including property owned by Monroe County) and
any other losses, damages, and expenses (including attorney's fees) which arise out of, in
connection with, or by reason of services provided by the Contractor or any of its Subcontractor(s)
in any tier, occasioned by the negligence, errors, or other wrongful act or omission of the
Contractor or its Subcontractors in any tier, their employees, or agents.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
OF MONROE COUNTY
By
Clerk
WILLIAM FITCH
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ATTACHMENT A
CONTRACT SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE
WESTERN SAMBOS SENTINEL TRAP STUDY
COMMERCIAL LOBSTER VESSEL CHARTER
1:. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
This research project is designed to determine the extent of protection afforded to spiny
lobster by the Western Sambos Ecological Reserve and if increases in abundance or size of
lobster within the reserve contribute to increased lobster sizes and catch rates in the adjacent
fishery. This research project is important because it directly involves commercial fishermen
and can provide data more closely related to the commercial trap fishery.
In addition to the Western Sambos Ecological Reserve, two areas outside the Reserve
will also be studied to see if a gradation of effects from the reserve exists with the Middle
Sambos site exhibiting higher catch rates and larger lobsters than the Pelican Shoal site due to
the closer proximity of the Middle Sambos site to the reserve. All sampling sites are within five
miles of the Florida Keys coastline, occur in depths less that 40 feet, and are located inshore
of the barrier reef.
~ SCOPE OF WORK
This project requires a commercial lobster vessel, with crew and traps, plus two
research assistants, to fish both within the Western Sambos Ecological Reserve and areas
immediately adjacent between the Western Sambos and Pelican Shoal reefs from the reef-line
to the shoreline for two 4-week trapping periods during the year, once during the closed lobster
fishing season (June) and again during the middle of the open fishing season (November).
This charter covers the work to be completed during 2001. The University of Florida/Monroe
County Cooperative Extension Service has obtained a special research permit from the Florida
Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary to
fish lobster traps in the Western Sambos Ecological Reserve and during the summer closed
lobster season.
This lobster trapping project will involve a maximum of 8 days at sea during the contract
period (October 1,2000 - May 31,2001). A total of 5 days at sea are expected for research
sampling during October - December and 3 days for derelict trap removal in April and May.
After initial deployment of the traps in each of the three areas, they will be pulled three
times with a 7-10 day soak period. This schedule will provide a total of 90 trap pulls in each of
the three sampling areas within each of the two sampling periods, plus two days to allow for
sampling disruptions due to weather or mechanical problems. Three broad areas will be
sampled to compare catch rates and lobster sizes. Each of the three areas will be fished with
30 traps from just inshore of the outer reef to the shallow habitats inshore of Hawk Channel.
Area 1 will be within the Western Sambos Ecological Reserve, Area 2 will be inshore of the
Middle Sambos Reef, and Area 3 will be inshore of the Pelican Shoal Reef.
Within each area, ten traps each will be fished at three different sites--the offshore
back reef, offshore patch reef, and inshore shallow patch reef habitats. Each trap is to be
baited consistently with fish heads, cowhide, etc. Each trap will be identified with a white buoy
that has the word "Research" painted in black. The Research buoy may be attached to the
trap vessels existing buoys so that during the open fishing season the traps can be reused for
normal commercial operation after the research sampling is completed. Time release pop-ups,
purChased by the County, can be used on the traps to reduce vandalism and theft.
Each day of sampling will require 90 trap pulls. As each trap is pulled, the lobsters will
be placed in a live well by the vessel crew until the researchers can measure the captured
lobsters for size, sex, and reproductive condition and tag each lobster with an external tag.
The lobsters will be returned to the water as soon as possible after capture within the same
habitat of capture.
All research sampling activity will be coordinated with the Florida Marine Patrol and the
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary to minimize confusion; this task will be the
responsibility of the University of Florida/Monroe County Cooperative Extension Service,
County Extension Director.
The Contracted Fisherman must provide a commercial lobster vessel with a sufficient
number of traps (either new or in good condition), crew and boat facilities to deploy, fish, and
maintain 90 actively fishing lobster traps at the times and places specified in this Scope of
Work. In addition, the Contracted Fisherman will provide up to two research assistants per
sample trip to conduct data recording and lobster tagging. The pop-ups, rope and buoys
needed to construct the research buoy attachment, will be purchased by the County but the
labor required for painting the buoys and constructing the rope and buoy attachment will be
provided by the Fisherman as part of the charter agreement.
3. COMMENCEMENT AND COMPLETION OF WORK:
After receiving notification of selection by the County Extension Director, and after
reconciliation of any details or conditions which may directly or indirectly interfere with the job,
the Contracted Fisherman and County Extension Director will agree on a starting date
sometime near the beginning of October 2000. If the Contracted Fisherman should be
delayed in completing the tasks by unforeseeable causes beyond his control, the time for the
completion of the work may be extended upon agreement of the County Extension Director.
4. TERMINATION OF CHARTER:
This charter may be terminated by either party, without cause, giving at least ten (30)
days written notice; said notice shall be sufficient if delivered to the other party personally or
mailed by certified mail to his mailing address.
~ PAYMENT
Payment shall be after each day of a successful trip, as determined by the County
Extension Director. A successful trip shall constitute a day of at-sea operations that has
completed the pulling and handling of lobsters from at least 30 research traps and the cause of
not completing the pulling of all 90 traps is the result of weather, mechanical breakdown, or
some other factor not controllable by the Contractor. A day is defined as the time period from
sunrise to sunset.
6. HOLD HARMLESS AGREEMENT:
The Contracted Fishermen agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Monroe County Board of
County Commissioners, the University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service, and the
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary from any and all claims for bodily injury (including
death), personal injury, and property damage (including property owned by Monroe County)
and any other losses, damages, and expenses (including attorney's fees) which arise out of, in
connection with, or by reason of services provided by the Contractor or any of its
Subcontractor(s) in any tier, occasioned by the negligence, errors, or other wrongful act or
omission of the Contractor or its Subcontractors in any tier, their employees, or agents.
7. NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY
The University of Florida and Monroe County do not discriminate on the basis of race,
color, sex, national origin, religion, age, or disability in its purchase of goods and services.
8. PUBLIC ENTITY CRIME STATEMENT
A person or affiliate who has been placed on the convicted vendor list following a
conviction for public entity crime may not submit a bid on a contract to provide any goods or
services to a public entity, may not submit a bid on a contract with a public entity for the
construction or repair of a public building or public work, may not submit bids on leases of real
property to public entity, may not be awarded or perform work as a contractor, supplier,
subcontractor, or consultant under a contract with any public entity, and may not transact
business with any public entity in excess of the threshold amount provided in Section 287.017,
for CATEGORY TWO for a periOd of 36 months from the date of being placed on the
convicted vendor list.
9. ETHICS CLAUSE
Mister William Fitch warrants that he had not employed, retained or otherwise had act
on his behalf any former County officer or employee subject to the prohibition of Section 2 of
Ordinance No. 010-1990 or any County officer or employee in violation of Section 3 or
Ordinance No. 020-1990. For breach or violation of this provision the County may, in its
discretion, deduct from the contract without liability and may also, in its discretion, deduct from
the contract or purchase price, or otherwise recover the full amount of any fee, commission,
percentage, gift, or consideration paid to the former County officer or employee.