Port St. Lucie spotlighted procurement reform as staff eyes California Boulevard widening

City staff on Nov. 21 told the Port St. Lucie City Council that a procurement reform effort pursued through the Bloomberg Harvard program will shape how the city delivers its half-cent sales-tax-funded California Boulevard widening project.

Emily Snyder, capital projects administrator for Public Works, said the team used the program to test a project that is both prioritized in the city’s mobility plan and funded through the half-cent sales tax. “Our challenge statement was how do we make what we do more efficient and better, and how do we put an exact project to that?” she said, outlining a sequence of internal stakeholder meetings, market research and a request for information leading to a results-driven contracting solicitation targeted in 2026.

Snyder and staff emphasized early engagement with internal and external stakeholders and said the city will pilot results-driven contracting (RDC) elements intended to reduce change orders and increase procurement speed and scalability. Staff listed measures of success that include awarding a contract that incorporates RDC components, increasing traffic capacity and a reduction in change orders.

A key near-term deliverable is a separate noise study to determine whether the widened corridor qualifies for a sound wall. "We're going to initiate that now," Snyder said, adding that the study will be timed to consultant guidance and seasonal conditions. Councilmembers asked whether the study would run across colder months to account for temperature effects on sound propagation; staff said they would work with consultants to determine an appropriate frequency and duration.

The city’s presentation credited Partners for Public Good, which paired Port St. Lucie with national experts and peer cities through the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative. Kaylee Bergreogu, identified by presenters as a program representative, said Port St. Lucie was one of 16 cities accepted into the program this year and described the initiative as “focused on helping cities get faster and better services, have a more transparent use of public funds, create fair opportunities to do business, especially with more local businesses, and get better outcomes.”

Staff said the next internal meeting to sequence the project would occur shortly after Thanksgiving, RFI and market research would follow, and a design criteria package is expected to be prepared to support a 2026 solicitation and later contract award. The presentation noted that the city has used design-build previously, citing Crosstown Parkway as an example staff would draw lessons from during the procurement reform work.

The council did not take formal action on the presentation; staff committed to follow up with a timeline, to provide comparative cost information about delivery methods on request, and to return with additional details as the noise study and market engagement progress.