The Dunedin City Commission voted to award pre-event disaster recovery consulting contracts to two firms on Nov. 20 to speed the city’s ability to respond to future disasters.

Finance Director Les Tyler said staff issued RFP 25‑24 for Disaster Recovery Consulting Services and recommended awarding contracts to the top two ranked firms to ensure redundancy, to provide complementary expertise and to improve response times after events. Tyler said the contracts are structured as pre-event agreements so the city can begin work immediately after an incident, rather than issuing a new bid under emergency conditions.

Tyler said staff corrected a typographical error in the contract language to reflect a three-year term with options for additional extensions and that the firms have agreed to the revision. He also told the commission the hourly rates included in the staffing packet are comparable to or somewhat lower than rates from five years prior. "These costs are 100% reimbursable by FEMA," Tyler said, explaining FEMA pays for administration costs for this type of work.

Commissioners asked whether the two contracts are separate and whether one vendor would substitute for the other; staff said the contracts are independent and will be used as-needed, with staff returning to the commission for scope and fee approvals for task orders exceeding $50,000.

Next steps: Staff will finalize contract language and execute agreements; for task orders above $50,000, the commission will approve scope and fees.