Title
MOTION TO APPROVE TASK ORDER #2 WITH FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY (FAU) TO COMPLETE A VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT (VA) PLANNING DOCUMENT PURSUANT TO THE EXISTING MASTER RESEARCH AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PEMBROKE PINES AND FAU, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $198,700.
Summary Explanation and Background
PROCUREMENT PROCESS TAKEN:
- Chapter 35 of the City's Code of Ordinance is titled "PROCUREMENT PROCEDURES, PUBLIC FUNDS."
- Section 35.18 of the City's Code of Ordinances is titled "COMPETITIVE BIDDING OR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS REQUIRED; EXCEPTIONS."
- Section 35.18(C) states that "Only the following situations are exempt from the competitive bid and competitive proposal requirements of this section:"
- Section 35.18(C)(2) states "Contracts for professional services involving peculiar skill, ability, experience or expertise, which are in their nature unique and not subject to competitive bidding, or competitive proposals, are exempt from this section; however, state laws, such as the Consultants ‘Competitive Negotiation Act of the state statutes, as may be amended from time to time to the extent applicable, shall be followed."
- Section 2 CFR 200.320(c) of the Code of Federal Regulations states, "There are specific circumstances in which the recipient or subrecipient may use a noncompetitive procurement method. The noncompetitive procurement method may only be used if one of the following circumstances applies:"
- Section 2 CFR 200.320(c)(4) of the Code of Federal Regulations states, "The recipient or subrecipient requests in writing to use a noncompetitive procurement method, and the Federal agency or pass-through entity provides written approval; or"
- Section 35.21 of the City's Code of Ordinances is titled "AWARD OF CONTRACT."
- Section 35.21(A) of the City's Code of Ordinances is titled "City Commission approval."
- Section 35.21(A)(1) of the City's Code of Ordinance states, "An initial purchase of, or contract for, commodities or services, in excess of $100,000, shall require the approval of the City Commission, regardless of whether the competitive bidding or competitive proposal procedures were followed."
SUMMARY EXPLANATION AND BACKGROUND:
1. The State of Florida established the Resilient Florida Program to help local governments identify and address the impacts of flooding, sea level rise, and extreme weather events. Through this program, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) provides grant funding to counties and municipalities to complete Vulnerability Assessment (VA) planning documents that would serve as a tool to identify populations and geographic regions that may be at risk so that communities can become more prepared and resilient to hazards, like extreme weather.
2. On February 21, 2024, the City Commission approved a grant agreement with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) for funding in the amount of $198,700 under the Resilient Florida Grant Program to complete a Comprehensive Vulnerability Assessment pursuant to Section 380.093, Florida Statutes (F.S.) due to the fact the City is particularly vulnerable to adverse impacts from flooding resulting from increases in frequency and duration of rainfall events, storm surge from more frequent and severe weather systems, and sea level rise.
3. The Vulnerability Assessment will evaluate potential impacts to critical assets owned or maintained by the City, using the most recent publicly available Digital Elevation Model and generally accepted analysis and modeling techniques.
4. Previously, on May 3, 2023, the City Commission approved a Master Research Agreement with Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and Task Order No. 1 for the preparation of the City’s Watershed Master Plan, which was partially funded through a FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program award.
5. The Master Research Agreement between the City and FAU allows the City to issue individual task orders for specific research projects, each with its own scope of work, deliverables, and funding amount.
6. Florida Atlantic University (FAU) completed the Watershed Master Plan (WMP), which was adopted by the City Commission on June 18, 2025. The modeling, data collection, and hydrologic analysis completed as part of the Watershed Master Plan provide a substantial portion of the technical foundation needed to perform the City’s Vulnerability Assessment. Additional modeling is also required and FAU has the knowledge and capability to perform this modeling.
7. Because FAU already developed the watershed modeling framework and maintains the datasets used in the Watershed Master Plan, the University is uniquely positioned to expand this work and perform the additional analysis required for the Vulnerability Assessment in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
8. FDEP has advised that the City may contract directly with FAU, which is a public university/State agency, to perform the services required for the Vulnerability Assessment.
9. Accordingly, the Engineering Division recommends that the City Commission approve Task Order #2 with Florida Atlantic University (FAU) under the existing master research agreement to allow FAU to complete the Comprehensive Vulnerability Assessment, for the City of Pembroke Pines, in an amount not to exceed $198,700, which is fully reimbursable through the Resilient Florida Grant Program.
Financial Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT DETAIL:
a) Initial Cost: $198,700, which is fully reimbursable through the Resilient Florida Grant Program that was accepted by the City Commission on February 21, 2024.
b) Amount budgeted for this item in Account No: New accounts will be created and funded upon City Commission approval.
c) Funding for difference, if not fully budgeted: Not Applicable.
d) 5 year projection of the operational cost of the project: Not Applicable.
e) Detail of additional staff requirements: Not Applicable.
FEASIBILITY REVIEW:
A feasibility review is required for the award, renewal and/or expiration of all function sourcing contracts. This analysis is to determine the financial effectiveness of function sourcing services.
a) Was a Feasibility Review/Cost Analysis of Out-Sourcing vs. In-House Labor Conducted for this service? Not Applicable.
b) If Yes, what is the total cost or total savings of utilizing Out-Sourcing vs. In-House Labor for this service? Not Applicable.