Item B08
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
Meeting Date: May 17, 2001
Division:
Growth Management
Bulk Item: Yes X
No
Department:
N/A
AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Approval to advertise a Request for Statements of Qualifications for
conducting a management evaluation study of the Growth Management Division's development permitting
system.
ITEM BACKGROUND: This management evaluation study of the Growth Management Division's
development permitting system is intended to provide recommendations for improving and enhancing the
overall efficiency, effectiveness, productivity, and level of customer service of the permitting system. The
scope of the evaluation will include but not necessarily be limited to: permit processing, review, and issuance;
permitting inspections, staffing and organization; physical layout of facilities, staff training; records
management; computer permitting system; and customer service and outreach. It is anticipated that the study
should take approximately three to six months to complete.
A five-person committee will be formed to review and rank all responses and provide recommendation on top-
firm to the Board of County Commissioners. The committee will consist of the Director of Growth
Management, Director of Planning & Environmental Resources, Building Official, a citizen representative
appointed by the County Administrator, and a representative of the contracting community appointed by the
Florida Keys Contractor's Association.
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION: Among its goals to accomplish for this year, the BOCC has
established a specific goal to improve the permitting system.
CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES: N/A
STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Approval
TOTAL COST:
$35,000 to $70,000
BUDGETED: Yes X
No
COST TO COUNTY: $35,000 to $70,000
REVENUE PRODUCING: Yes N/ A No
AMOUNT PER MONTH N/A Year
APPROVED BY:
County Atty ~ OMB/Purchasing
arry, AICP
DMSION DIRECTOR APPROVAL:
DOCUMENTATION: Included )(
To Follow
ot Required
AGENDA ITEM #~
DISPOSITION:
Revised 2/27/01
NOTICE OF A
REQUEST FOR STATEMENTS OF QUALIFICATIONS
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN that on , at the
office of the Director of Purchasing for Monroe County, a committee consisting of the
Director of Purchasing, the County Administrator, the County Attorney, and the Director
of Growth Management Division, or their designees, will open sealed Statements of
Qualifications for the following:
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TO CONDUCT A MANAGEMENT EVALUATION
OF MONROE COUNTY'S GROWTH MANAGEMENT
DIVISION'S PERMITTING SYSTEM
All Statements of Qualifications must be received by the Purchasing Office, 5100,
College Road, Public Service Building, Cross Wing, Room #002, Stock Island, Key
West, Florida 33040 on or before 5:00 p.m. on ,2001. A Study Review
Committee will consider all Statements of Qualifications. The Committee will rank each
Statement of Qualifications, interview at a minimum the three highest ranked firms, and
recommend one or more firms in order for preference for selection by the Board of
County Commissioners.
The Board of County Commissioners will automatically reject the Statement of
Qualifications of any person or affiliate who appears on the convicted vendor list
prepared by the Department of General Services, State of Florida, under Section
287.113 (3)(d), Florida Statutes (1989).
All respondents to this Request for Qualifications must submit two (2) complete originals
and seven complete copies of their Statement of Qualifications in a sealed envelope
marked on the outside with the following:
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TO CONDUCT A MANAGEMENT EVALUATION
OF MONROE COUNTY'S GROWTH MANAGEMENT
DIVISION'S PERMITTING SYSTEM
All Statements of Qualifications must remain valid for a period of ninety (90) days.
Specifications and/or further information may be obtained by contacting Timothy J.
McGarry, AICP, Director of Growth Management, 2798 Overseas Highway, Suite 410,
Marathon, Florida 33050; Voice (305) 289-2517; FAX (305) 289-2854.
The Board of County Commissioners reserves the right to reject any and all Statements
of Qualifications, to waive informalities in any or all Statements of Qualifications, and to
re-advertise for Statements of Qualifications.
..
The Board also reserves the right to separately accept or reject any item or items of a
Statement of Qualifications and to award and/or negotiate a contract in the best interests
of the County.
Dated at Key West, Florida, this _ day of
,2001.
Purchasing Department
Monroe County, Florida
REQUEST FOR STATEMENTS OF QUALIFICATIONS
Professional Services to Conduct a Management Evaluation
of Monroe County's Growth Management Division's Permitting System
Purpose
The purpose of this Request for Statements of Qualifications is to identify needed
enhancements and improvements to the Division's existing permitting system to improve
its overall efficiency, effectiveness, productivity, and level of customer service. This
management study should provide specific recommendations and action program for
consideration by the Growth Management Division management and Board of County
Commissioners.
Background
The Monroe County Growth Management Division is responsible for all local government
development permitting and code inspections within unincorporated Monroe County,
which encompasses a 120-mile long string of islands and part of mainland Florida. This
area consists of significant natural resources of national and international significance,
which have necessitated stringent and complex environmental and growth management
regulations, including competitive permit allocation systems for both residential and non-
residential development. To complicate the issue, Monroe County is extremely
vulnerable to hurricanes, a significant portion of the county is located within the 100 year
flood plain, and the County is designated an Area of Critical State Concern.
The Division issues approximately 6,000 permits per year of all kinds from its three
offices in Stock Island, Marathon, and Plantation Key, not including conditional use
development orders, signs and other planning permits. The Building Department has
26 full-time staff assigned to the permitting system, which is augmented by up to 16
planners and planning technicians from the Planning and Environmental Resources
Department who process conditional uses, signs, and other planning and special use
permits and ensure permit compliance with zoning regulations.
The Growth Management Division permitting system involves coordination with the
County Fire Marshal (Public Safety Division), County Engineer, South Florida Water
Management District, Florida Department of Transportation, U,S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority, and two electrical companies.
The competing demands on staff time, high turnover of staff, inexperienced staff,
physical separation of permitting offices, and complexity of dev.elopment regulations
have resulted in problems for the permitting system. Problems identified have included
unnecessary delays in permitting of projects, inconsistent decisions on permit approvals
and denials, incomplete reviews of issued permits, and some dissatisfaction over the
level of customer service. Although the Growth Management Division has made
progress in internally addressing these problems, management has been unable to
focus its efforts sufficiently enough due to other pressing demands made on its time.
Furthermore, the Board of County Commissioners and Division management believe
that a professional outside group may be able to provide a fresh, unbiased perspective
that would be of benefit to the County and its professional staff.
Elements to be Evaluated
In their Statements of Qualifications, respondents should demonstrate their firm and
project team's qualifications and general work approach in evaluating the following
elements of the Growth Management Division permitting system in preparing
recommendations:
1. Permit input, processing, review, and issuance;
2. Construction and permitting inspections;
3. Conditional Use and Site plan review;
4. Records and financial management;
5. Administrative policies and procedures;
6. Permitting coordination with County agencies;
7. Quality control and operational management;
8. Computer permitting system; and
9. Customer service (both general public and contractors), outreach, and
feedback.
Interaction with County Staff and Study Review Committee
The successful respondent will be expected to work closely with the Growth
Management Division's Director and permitting management team in conducting the
study. In addition, the consultant will be expected to meet at significant points in the
study with the Study Review Committee to discuss its preliminary findings and
recommendations. The Study Review Committee will serve as a steering committee for
the work effort and provide specific input and review comments to the consultant.
Review Criteria
The Study Review Committee will meet to evaluate each response to the Request for
Statements of Qualifications. The Committee will rank each respondent based on the
following criteria (the relative weight of each criterion is shown in brackets []):
· Firm/Project Team's Qualifications [20%]: Background and experience of firm
and/or project team working together in successfully preparing public management
and organizational studies related to development permitting, permitting
administration, and permitting inspections.
· Key Project Staff's Qualifications [40%]: Background and experience of
designated project staff with appropriate experience, knowledge, capabilities,
education, and appropriate building codes certifications/licenses to successfully
conduct a management evaluation of nine keys elements of the Division's permitting
system.
· Work Approach [20%]: Extent to which the respondent's work approach for the
nine elements of the Division's permitting system demonstrates an understanding of
issues involved, how to address them in a expeditious and effective manner, and
how to develop specific recommendations and strategies to address these problems
in cooperation with the Growth Management Division permitting management team
and the members of the Study Review Committee.
· Florida Statutes and Building Codes [10%]: Extent to which the response
demonstrates the firm's/project team's familiarity with Florida Statutes regarding
development permitting and the requirements and mandates placed on local
governments.
· Project Management [10%]: Extent proposed management structure will result in
the timely and successful completion of the project within four-months of the notice to
proceed and will be responsive to the needs of the County staff.
Review Process
After ranking each response, the Study Review Committee (SRC) will invite the top-
ranked firm to be interviewed. The SRC may elect to also interview other top-ranked
firms depending upon the level of response to this RSQ, how closely the responses are
ranked, or questions raised by the Committee in its review of the responses.
After the interviews the SRC will recommend the top-ranked or top-rank firms in order of
preference to the Board of County Commissioners based on the written responses to
this RSQ and the follow-up interviews. The recommended firm or firms mayor may not
be required to make a presentation to the Board of County Commissioners.
The Board of County Commissioners will consider the SRC's recommendations and
request that the County staff enter into negotiations with the top-ranked firm or the one
of the top-ranked firms recommended by the SRC. The staff will be directed to enter into
contract negotiations with the firm.
After the contract and scope of work are negotiated, it will brought back before the Board
of County Commissioners for approval. Should the County and selected be unable to
reach agreement on the contract, the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) may
direct staff to enter into negotiations with the next highest ranked firm.
Proposed Consultant Selection and Project Schedule
· May 25, 2001
· June ,2001
· June --! 2001
· July -.! 2001
· July ,2001
· August 1612001
· September _,2001
· October 18, 2001
· October _, 2001
· February 28, 2001
Notification of Request for Submissions of Qualifications
Responses to RSQ deadline
Responses to RSQ officially opened
Responses reviewed and ranked by SRC
Top-rank firmlfirms interviewed by SRC
BOCC acts on selection of firm.
Contract negotiations with selected firm
BOCC approves contract
Contract executed and study initiated
Study is completed