TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: A. Jerome Fletcher II, ICMA-CM, MPA, City Manager
TITLE: Approve Utilization of the City of Venice, Florida Continuing Contract No. 3144-23 with Innovative Fabricators of Florida, Inc. for Scheduled and Emergency Repairs on an As-Needed Basis in an Amount Not to Exceed $3,000,000 Through the Term Ending April 4, 2027, Authorizing the City Manager to Approve any Modifications, Renewals, or Terminations in Concurrence with City of Venice, Florida.
Recommended Action
Option 1: Approve utilization of the City of Venice, Florida Continuing Contract No. 3144-23 with Innovative Fabricators of Florida, Inc. for scheduled and emergency repairs on an as-needed basis in amount not to exceed $3,000,000 through the term ending April 4, 2027, authorizing the City Manager to approve any modifications, renewals, or terminations in concurrence with City of Venice, Florida.
City Commission Options
Option 1: Approve utilization of the City of Venice, Florida Continuing Contract No. 3144-23 with Innovative Fabricators of Florida, Inc. for scheduled and emergency repairs on an as-needed basis in amount not to exceed $3,000,000 through the term ending April 4, 2027, authorizing the City Manager to approve any modifications, renewals, or terminations in concurrence with City of Venice, Florida
• Pros: Approving the use of the Contract provides the following benefits:
o Allows the City to take advantage of a Contract that was already competitively solicited.
o The City of North Port saves time and resources while still taking advantage of competitive pricing.
o Provides continuity of disposal services without interruption.
• Cons: Contract terms and scope were developed by another governmental entity and may not fully align with all City preferences or operational priorities. The City has less direct control over the original solicitation structure and negotiated terms.
Option 2: Deny utilization of the City of Venice Continuing Contract No. 3144-23 with Innovative Fabricators of Florida, Inc. for scheduled and emergency repairs on an as-needed basis in amount not to exceed $3,000,000 through the term ending April 4, 2027, authorizing the City Manager to approve any modifications, renewals, or terminations in concurrence with City of Venice, Florida
• Pros: Denial of the use of this contract allows the City to develop their own solicitation with clearly defined scope, service levels and a pricing structure that directly reflects local priorities and operational needs.
• Cons: Denying the use of this contract would not allow sufficient time for the City to complete its own procurement process: including solicitation, bid opening, legal review, and Commission approval, which could result in temporary disruption of operations.
Background Information
The City of North Port seeks to utilize an existing contract between the City of Venice, Florida and Innovative Fabricators of Florida, Inc. for scheduled and emergency construction work on utility infrastructure to include water distribution, wastewater collection, and both water and wastewater plants. Construction work examples include installation, repair, replacement, relocation and maintenance on utility infrastructure. This arrangement, commonly referred to as a piggyback contract, allows the City to procure services under the same terms and conditions competitively established by another governmental entity. The requested not-to-exceed amount is higher than a typical construction services contract due to the nature of utility infrastructure work, where emergency repairs, major replacements, and system improvements involving water and wastewater facilities can result in significant project costs.
Scheduled work will be identified in advance by the City and performed on an ongoing basis to support utility renewal and replacement needs.
For Emergency Work, the Contractor shall respond within twenty (20) minutes and commence work within one (1) hour of notification by the City’s representative. For City-designated emergency work, the Contractor may apply a markup of up to ten percent (10%) on labor and equipment in accordance with the hourly Fee Schedule.
The contract was originally executed by the City of Venice following a competitive procurement process. The City of North Port has reviewed the contract and determined that its terms, pricing, and service provisions are in the best interest of the City.
Contract No. 3144-23 has been reviewed by the City Attorney and is legally correct as to form.
Strategic Plan Pillar
Infrastructure & Facilities Integrity
Financial Impact
Expenditures under this Contract shall be limited to funds that have been duly appropriated through the City’s budget process and are specifically allocated for the scope of services outlined in the Agreement.
Any purchase made on or after October 1, 2026, against this Contract is contingent on future appropriated funds.
Procurement
The utilization of this Cooperative Contract is consistent with Chapter 2, Administration, Article VIII, Procurement, Section 2-403(a)(4)(a) of the Code of the City of North Port, Florida, which permits the use of competitively awarded Contracts from other governmental entities.
The City’s internal procurement process will be followed for all scheduled work under this contract to ensure proper oversight and compliance with procurement policies and procedures. Emergency work will be procured in accordance with Chapter 2, Administration, Article VIII, Procurement, Section 2-408, and all applicable procurement policies and procedures.
Attachments:
1. Contract No. 3144-23 and Renewal
2. Notice of Intent to Award
3. Submittal by Innovative Fabricators of Florida, Inc.
4. RFP No. 3144-23
Prepared by: Michelle Tipp, Senior Business Manager
Department Director: Michael Vuolo, Acting Utilities Director