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Commission approves demolition and park contracts after debates over local preference in RFPs
Summary
The commission approved award of RFP 2026‑008 for demolition/abatement and RFP 2026‑022 for Coachmen Park improvements, while commissioners debated whether code/statute allows awarding contracts based on local preference; staff said locality was not included in the evaluation and that statute limits awarding solely on preference.
The Fort Pierce City Commission voted March 2 to approve two contracts brought forward on the consent agenda while debating whether and how the city should prefer local firms in future bids.
On RFP 2026‑008 (demolition, asbestos and lead‑paint abatement), staff recommended awarding to Cross Environmental Services Inc. The evaluation committee scored the proposals and locality was not an evaluation criterion, interim community response director Sean Koss said. Koss told the commission the RFP was structured to award one vendor but could be rewritten to allow multiple vendors if the commission preferred. Finance director Morris explained the city cannot award solely on local preference if federal funds are involved and that local preference could be included in criteria but could not be the sole basis for award.
Commissioners signaled support for revisiting the purchasing code and RFP structure to encourage local participation without creating legal exposure. One commissioner suggested using the current contract as a case study to test a revised local preference framework; another said the contract should go forward now and staff should clean up the RFP process for future procurements. The motion to approve the award passed on roll call.
Separately, the commission approved bid 2026‑022 for the CDBG‑funded Coachmen Park improvement project, awarding the work to the lowest responsive bidder at $626,591.15. Commissioners asked staff how the city would protect the new investment. Marsha Vaughn, special projects coordinator in public works, said the project budget could grow to about $1.1 million with all grant elements; the team plans to use more durable materials (steel‑framed pavilions, prefabricated restrooms with timed electric locking systems) to deter vandalism and suggested working with the police department to explore camera funding through crime‑prevention grants. Commissioners also noted community partners such as the Boys & Girls Club will help with park operations once completed.
Votes on consent items were recorded by roll call and carried unanimously as shown on the meeting record. Commissioners asked staff to review procurement language, confirm statutory constraints and return with options for local preference scoring in future RFP documents.
