TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: A. Jerome Fletcher II, ICMA-CM, MPA, City Manager
TITLE: Approve and Authorize the City Manager to Execute Contract No. 2026-24 School Crossing Guard Services for a Three-Year Term and the Option to Renew for Two Additional One-Year Terms With Waterfield Florida Staffing, LLC., for School Crossing Guard Services in the Total Amount of $1,008,612.00.
Recommended Action
Option 1: Approve and authorize the City Manager to execute Contract No. 2026-24 School Crossing Guard Services for a three-year term and the option to renew for two additional one-year terms with Waterfield Florida Staffing, LLC., for School Crossing Guard Services in the total amount of $1,008,612.00.
City Commission Options
Option 1: Approve and authorize the City Manager to execute Contract No. 2026-24 School Crossing Guard Services for a three-year term and the option to renew for two additional one-year terms with Waterfield Florida Staffing, LLC., for School Crossing Guard Services in the total amount of $1,008,612.00.
• Pros: Approval of this Contract will ensure the provision of trained and certified school crossing guards, enhancing pedestrian and student safety at designated school intersections throughout the school year.
• Cons: Approval of the Contract commits the City to ongoing annual expenditures for crossing guard services and may result in additional costs if future add-on locations or expanded service needs are required.
Option 2: Deny the approval and authorization of the City Manager to execute Contract No. 2026-24 School Crossing Guard Services for a three-year term and the option to renew for two additional one-year terms with Waterfield Florida Staffing, LLC., for School Crossing Guard Services in the total amount of $1,008,612.00.
• Pros: Denying the Contract may provide the City an opportunity to reassess service needs, explore alternative service models, or seek more cost-effective options in the future.
• Cons: Denying the Contract could result in insufficient staffing of school crossing locations, potentially impacting student and pedestrian safety and disrupting traffic operations during school arrival and dismissal times.
Background Information
Request for Bid (RFB) No. 2026-24 was issued to solicit qualified firms (789 suppliers plus 1 supplemental supplier) to provide school crossing guard services. The solicitation was opened on June 23, 2026, and resulted in two (2) responsive bids. Waterfield Florida Staffing, LLC. was determined to be the lowest responsive and responsible bidder in accordance with the solicitation requirements.
Contract No. 2026-24, School Crossing Guards, is an annual contract for a professional firm to provide trained and certified school crossing guard services for the City of North Port. The purpose of the Contract is to enhance student safety and establish a qualified contractor to provide school crossing guard services at designated locations and times throughout the Contract term.
The awarded contractor will be responsible for providing trained, qualified, supervised, and certified school crossing guards at locations and times specified by the Sarasota County School Board. All crossing guards must be certified in accordance with the Florida School Crossing Guard Training Guidelines.
The City will reserve the right to increase or decrease the scope of services, hours, and assigned locations during the Contract term. One or more additional school locations may be added, or existing locations may be deleted, at the City's discretion. The contractor will be required to provide coverage at the designated posts and times established by the City in accordance with the Sarasota County School Board schedule.
It is estimated that school crossing guard services will be required for approximately 180 regular school days per school year. The actual number of days, hours, and locations requiring coverage may vary based on the Sarasota County School Board's annual school schedule and the City's operational needs. The City does not guarantee a minimum number of days, hours, or assignments under the Contract.
School crossing guard services under this Contract will support the following school locations:
Elementary Schools
Ø Atwater Elementary School
Ø Cranberry Elementary School
Ø Glenallen Elementary School
Ø Lamarque Elementary School
Ø Toledo Blade Elementary School
Middle Schools
Ø Heron Creek Middle School
Ø Woodland Middle School
High School
Ø Wellen Park High School
Charter School
Ø Imagine School at North Port
The Contract provides an initial term beginning on the effective date through and including September 30, 2029. Upon satisfactory performance and mutual agreement of both parties, the Contract may be renewed for up to two additional one-year renewal terms.
The pricing established under the Contract will remain firm throughout the initial term and any renewal term and is based on an hourly rate. The hourly rate includes, but is not limited to, the costs associated with required uniforms and equipment, recruiting, training, payroll, payroll taxes, insurance, and overhead.
Contract No. 2026-24 School Crossing Guard Services for a three-year term and the option to renew for two additional one-year terms with Waterfield Florida Staffing, LLC., for School Crossing Guard Services in the total amount of $1,008,612.00 has been reviewed by the City Attorney and is legally correct as to form.
Contract No. 2026-24 School Crossing Guard Services for a three-year term and the option to renew for two additional one-year terms with Waterfield Florida Staffing, LLC., for School Crossing Guard Services in the total amount of $1,008,612.00 was provided to the City Clerk’s Office on August 31, 2026, for signature, subject to City Commission approval.
Strategic Plan Pillar
Safe Community
Financial Impact
Funding in the amount of $339,930.00 has been budgeted in account number 001-2103-521.34-00.
Future fiscal years to be contingent upon approval of the budget.
Procurement
This service was procured pursuant to Chapter 2 - Administration, Article VIII - Procurement, Section 2-404, Competitive Sealed Bid Process of the Code of the City of North Port, Florida.
Attachments:
1. Contract No. 2026-24
2. Solicitation and Addendum
3. Tabulation
4. Recommendation
5. Submittal
Prepared by: Chelsey Rodgers, Senior Business Manager
Jamie Ebershoff, Executive Assistant
Department Director: Todd R. Garrison, Chief of Police