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Board debates options for construction oversight: split master planner from program manager favored; staff to return with cost scenarios
Summary
Board members and industry speakers debated whether to keep a single PM/owner's‑rep, add a separate long‑range master planner, or split the work among PMOR, CMAs and a strategic master planner; staff will return with costings and procurement language.
A major portion of the workshop focused on how Broward should organize and buy services to manage hundreds of active capital projects. Staff presented three high‑level options: keep a single program manager/owner’s representative (PMOR); bundle PMOR with a long‑range master planner; or use a hybrid model that pairs a strategic master planner and program manager with multiple, locally‑sourced construction manager‑agents (CMAs).
Several board members and outside speakers urged separation of long‑range planning from day‑to‑day program management to avoid conflicts and to increase opportunities for local firms. "We want the master planner focused on a 10‑year vision, and PMORs focused on execution; keep them separate," said Kimberly Burke Mulhorn, facilities task force chair.
Industry and board members also discussed tradeoffs between single‑vendor accountability and the higher soft costs and potential local vendor exclusion that can come with large bundled contracts. Multiple board members asked staff to benchmark the top districts and large public agencies that consistently deliver projects on cost and on schedule and to return with organizational charts and sample contract structures.
Staff noted the district currently manages roughly 292 active projects; about 162 are under the existing PMOR contract and roughly 130 under internal staff. Procurement staff said they have been working with a government‑procurement advisor and that solicitations could be finalized after the board helps pick the preferred structure. Staff proposed a March workshop to present cost projections and draft solicitation terms; several board members asked for more time and additional comparative data before soliciting work.
No contract awards or changes were made at the workshop. The board instructed staff to return with a clearer set of options, including model organizational charts, likely contract values (Atkins or other advisors were invited to cost out scenarios), a timeline of major milestones, and recommendations to increase local and MWBE participation while preserving oversight and accountability.
