South Miami approves $6.67 million septic-to-sewer contract amid bidder protest

Mayor Fernandez and the City Commission voted to award the Phase 2 septic-to-sewer construction contract after staff recommended the lowest responsive, responsible bidder at the June 9 meeting.

Alex Munoz, the city's director of public works, told the commission the city received 11 proposals and that the three lowest-priced submissions were deemed nonresponsive because they failed to provide mandatory information required by the invitation to bid (ITB). “The deficiencies occurred in the following categories: proof of experience, personnel experience, lack of documentation ... key personnel and similar projects,” Munoz said, explaining that responsiveness review eliminated the lower-priced firms and left the lowest responsive proposal as the recommendation.

A representative for one of the disappointed bidders, Joel Valdez of Master Road Finishers, asked the commission to delay the award and allow his firm to supplement its paperwork. Valdez said his company is bonded for more than $8 million, has relevant equipment and references, and could supply missing documentation quickly. “We are more than capable and more than qualified for this job,” Valdez told commissioners, estimating his firm could save the city about $1.4 million if reconsidered.

City staff and the city attorney outlined the procurement process and the limits on administrative cure. The city attorney advised that the ITB standard requires city staff to distinguish responsive from nonresponsive bids and noted that while minor irregularities can be waived, the omissions in the lower bids were judged substantial.

After discussion about pre-bid outreach, the opportunity for bidders to ask questions and the protest process, Commissioner Kai moved to adopt staff's recommendation and Vice Mayor Corey seconded. The clerk recorded a 4–1 roll call vote with one commissioner dissenting; the motion carried and the contract award was approved.

The mayor emphasized that responsiveness is a basic requirement and that compliance with ITB instructions is a market expectation: “If we walk away from a solicitation and a process that we designed, we send a message to the market that could undermine our ability to get better pricing on future projects,” he said.

The contract award and procurement packet identify the project as the Phase 2 septic-to-sewer improvements (ITB PW2026-03) with a total not-to-exceed amount published in the agenda materials. Officials explained bid and evaluation details are included in the memorandum distributed to the commission, and legal protest rights remain available under state law.

What happens next: with the commission's approval the city will move forward with contract execution and project delivery. Staff noted protest or legal avenues remain for disappointed bidders and that staff will provide bidders with bid debrief information as requested.