The Sarasota County Commission voted 4–1 to direct staff to prepare an ordinance amending the county procurement code governing unsolicited public–private partnership (P3) proposals. The change would move several detailed submittal items out of the initial sufficiency application and into a later, paid stage of review, and would allow staff limited discretion to grant short extensions for proponents to correct insufficiencies.

Why it matters: The county’s unsolicited-proposal process requires an extensive set of materials at application stage. Commissioners and staff said the current approach creates administrative burden for both applicants and staff and can discourage proposals that could accelerate projects or bring outside funding.

What the change would do: Procurement staff explained the two-stage review now in place: a sufficiency check followed by a more detailed technical and financial evaluation that requires a $25,000 evaluation fee. The board instructed staff to draft ordinance language that would keep only the statutory minimum information in stage 1 and move additional, discretionary submittal items to stage 2; the board also directed staff to add an administrative flexibility to allow a limited extension for applicants to cure insufficiencies.

Motion and vote: Commissioner Cutsinger moved the change and Commissioner Mast seconded. The motion to advertise proposed ordinance language passed 4–1; the chair cast the dissenting vote. Staff will prepare the ordinance amendment for a public hearing and return with redlined language.

Next steps: Procurement will draft proposed language and bring it back for advertisement; if adopted, the amendment would be advertised for public hearing and the county would begin accepting revised applications under the new schedule.