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Southwest Ranches council rejects top-ranked Arcadis contract after resident objections over optics
Summary
After public objections tied to Arcadis’s prior work on a Broward County study residents associate with an incinerator option, the Town Council voted to reject the top-ranked firm for a $200,000 vulnerability-assessment contract and directed staff to pursue the second-ranked vendor.
The Town of Southwest Ranches council voted to reject the procurement committee’s top-ranked firm, Arcadis US Inc., for a proposed $200,000 vulnerability assessment after residents raised concerns about the firm’s prior work and the optics of awarding it local town business.
Mayor Bright Crews told the council that Arcadis had been hired by Broward County in 2015 to produce options that included incineration and said that the firm was “following directions” from the county when that study generated public opposition. He said he reviewed the prior work and that it changed his view of the company’s selection process.
Residents and several council members said the connection to the earlier study created an appearance problem. Mary Ann Allen asked the council not to “be in bed with” Arcadis because of public distrust; she told the council, “This is like putting the fox in the henhouse.” Multiple public speakers urged the council to select a local firm or the second-ranked proposer instead.
Arcadis representatives defended the firm’s qualifications and local presence. Melissa Pomales, identified as Arcadis’s Florida-area leader for resilience water, told the council the company had local staff and recent, relevant project experience, including vulnerability assessments for Fort Lauderdale and Davie.
Town staff and the town attorney explained the procurement process: Arcadis scored top in the CCNA merit evaluation (staff reported 249 points for Arcadis, 246 for the second-ranked firm) and the contract amount reflected negotiated pricing after selection. The town attorney said the council may decline to accept the top-ranked vendor but recommended that any disqualification be based on stated cause, such as a conflict of interest, to reduce the risk of a bid protest.
Councilors ultimately made and passed a motion to deny the selection of Arcadis for reasons tied to potential conflict and optics and asked staff to negotiate with the next-ranked firm. The motion passed on a roll-call vote with all members voting in favor.
Next steps: staff were directed to return with an agreement based on the next-ranked vendor and to document the justification for that selection in case of any procurement challenge.
