Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee - Regular Meeting

Excellent, all right, we're going to begin our meeting of the Infrastructure Innovation and Technology Committee. Today is the 15th, and I welcome all of you here today. We're going to start with a quick moment of silence, moment of reflection, and followed by the pledge led by Commissioner Cohen-Higgins. Thank you so much. Today we have one of our young students who are part of the youth engagement program up here with us, and so we welcome Allegra. All right, with that, do we have any additions, any changes before we set the agenda?

Okay, thank you. We're going to go into reasonable opportunity to be heard. Is there anybody here from the public who wishes to speak on any item? I do not have any cards, but this is the opportunity. Seeing none, reasonable opportunity is now closed. And do I have a motion to set the agenda? So moved. Second. All right, show that done by acclamation. And now we have a few items on this agenda before we get to the discussion presentations. Does anybody have any questions, would like to bifurcate any items, or ask any questions?

No? Yes, please, Commissioner Cohen-Higgins. Thank you, Madam Chair. On the item that was just added to our agenda, 3D, I'm looking at it for the first time. And so I have a few questions. It's asking for an increase in the professional services agreement by almost $2 million for a total contract aggregate of $5.4 million. Can you just speak to what this contract is for? I know it's for engineering, construction, and inspection services. Is this particular professional service provider getting $5.4 million for their professional services? Or is the $5.4 million inclusive of the actual construc

A lot, we have a lot of professional services agreement, and we've had the conversation on this dice a number of times when we had former commissioner Higgins, who is professionally by trade and engineer. She said, we really need to keep all of these contracted outside expert engineers on these contracts to make sure that obviously these projects are built. in compliance with our laws and under the highest level of safety. But when I see a professional services agreement for one project nearing $6 million with an additional ask of $2 million, what is it that they are doing? And why do they nee

Sure, and so the term of this contract with this PSA is what, two years? You said 300 and something days, and then there was an additional scope of 280 something days, so roughly two years of work?

Okay, so this one professional service provider, engineering, consulting, compliance, is getting paid $5.5 million by Miami County over a two year period on one contract. What does that work out to monthly? Do the simple math on that, 5.5 million over 24 months. What's the math? I don't know, I'm going to actually put it into my calculator.

Okay, so we're paying one professional service provider $200,000 a month on one project. What's the aggregate value of this one project?

That's what I thought you were going to say. And so that's exactly kind of my point. It has been the practice of Miami-Dade County to accept these professional service agreements based on that general formula. Like if you have a $100 million project, the PSA percentage that they're going to charge us is what's the standard percent? What's the average percent?

Okay, so what is the aggregate cost of this self-date intramodal project? Since it's not based on a percentage, what is the aggregate value from your capital improvement budget for this one project?

And they're getting paid $5.5 million to oversee, consult, and make sure that everything is in compliance. And that's not based on a percentage, that's based on something you all negotiated independently?

Okay, and originally again, they said that they would be paid 3.5M and they're asking for now. That's what this item is because they already got 3.5M dollars. They're asking us to authorize an additional 2M dollars in time and materials, which is an hourly calculation that someone came up with that. They said we need another 2M dollars in order to provide the engineering. Consultation and and and services on this contract. What is the justification for the additional 1.9?

Okay. So the answer on who added to the scope I asked, I know it's us, I know it's the county, but was it the board? Did we authorize an additional scope or did the department internally authorized additional scope?

Okay. But the, the cost of the engineering did not accompany that item. It was just an additional scope.

So I appreciate you answering my questions and I appreciate you answering the questions the way that you did and not saying, I don't know the answer. I'll get back to you. Right. That's number one. I appreciate you knowing the answers to my question. That is tremendous. That is really, really appreciated because we don't always get that. So thank you for knowing the answer to the questions and being prepared on an item that was just added at the last minute on our agenda. The reason I'm asking the question is because I know we've already heard Presentations and we're going to get the budget in

Thank you. And I appreciate you pulling this item because I was also going to pull it to ask a few questions just because of the late nature of the item and we didn't have a chance to fully have a chance to debrief on it. Yes, Commissioner Lopez.

Thank you, Madam Chair. So I guess this speaks to, thank you for your line of questioning, Commissioner Cohen-Higgins. I think it continues to speak to how we don't know what a project should look like from the get-go. This happens all the time here, I see. You go out for a bid, and you say this is the project, and then all of a sudden the commission is asked to approve further scopes of services without money, which I find even crazier. So back in November, the commission prior to my joining approved an additional scope of services without knowing what it would cost. I don't know anyone who w

Thank you, Commissioner. Yes, Commissioner.

Thank you, Madam Chair. And so I want to start off on a positive note. As Commissioner Cohen-Higgins said, very impressive. Thank you. Thank you for being serious. Thank you for being prepared. Thank you, Commissioner. He's probably the most prepared I have ever seen any director, right? And I very much appreciate how prepared you are. Thank you. But now.

To echo some of the sentiments of my colleagues, I do have to agree that, for example, the original bid for the scope of work that was originally approved, what was that original bid? And I believe it was like a $3 million. But what was the scope of that work? And then this new additional work, when exactly did it come about that the Bentley style was necessary?

So I think, I don't want to put words into your mouth, Commissioner Lopez, but I think this is exactly where Commissioner Lopez is going, because the permitting is put forward by the county. I know they're separate departments. I understand they're separate departments, but it would only be logical that If we're the ones giving the permitting, why didn't we factor this into the original scope in the first place? I mean, we are the ones that are giving the permitting. And so that leads me to, How did this whole electric vehicle charging station come about? Why exactly didn't we consider that th

Got it, so those new federal standards are amounting to a $2 million increase?

Got it, and why weren't those evacuation requirements taken into consideration in the first place?

Got it. Okay, thank you so much really appreciate thank you.

We appreciate the information and thank you for pulling the item again, I will say just generally speaking it's not just towards your department, I think generally speaking when we look at scope and having to do change orders of things of that nature, especially if the scope has changed by us we kind of have to take a finer look at that. But we do appreciate the information that you provided so with that. Do we have any other items? Thank you. I don't think we have any more. Yes. Please, Commissioner.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I do have questions on 3C. It has a similar tone. It's a request for additional allocated funds.

Is there anybody here to speak on 3C? for the garbage collection and disposal services. Commissioner, you're recognized for an ebb and flowing conversation.

Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. Is the requested allocation above and beyond what we've previously authorized simply due to the extension of the term of this pool? Is that the root of the request for the extension?

Okay, and that's what I gathered. And I understand that both of the vendors are waste management or waste connections and waste management who does the bulk, if not the entirety of our waste management in Miami-Dade County. But are there no other companies that can offer these services to us? And I understand that you're making this decision to extend existing contract rates, correct, in order to presumably provide some sort of savings. But are there no other companies that can offer these services to us?

Sure. I understand that servicing a county this size would require a company that is of substantial size. But the question was, are there no other competitors other than waste management and waste connections?

Okay. And when was the last time that we've done any sort of competitive procurement in this sort of waste management space?

Okay, I'm going to look more closely at this item because it has a very large dollar amount associated with it, $62 million through 2028. We're currently in 2026. This item is asking for us to extend it through 2031. I GUESS, LIKE I SAID PREVIOUSLY, TO MAINTAIN EXISTING RATES. WHAT ARE THE RATES THAT WE'RE MAINTAINING?

And where in the item does it state that the current rates are going to be honored through 2031?

To clarify, if I may, keeping it at the same terms and conditions versus keeping it flat, do they have an increase that's built in year after year versus a flat rate of that year?

I appreciate that, but I also think that a contract of this size, it's currently at 62 million. You're asking for another 20 million. You're talking about $80 million to the same exact people without a competitive procurement process, with a representation on the microphone that the rates are going to be the same. But it's not articulated in the item, at least not that I can see. I'm wondering why we're not giving this opportunity to other companies. That's the question. Listen, I've said before many times on this microphone regarding our waste management problems in Miami-Dade County and my e

So I appreciate that explanation. My concerns remain on this item though. Whenever I see pools that are asking to be extended years before they even expire without a competitive procurement process with dollar amounts as high as this, it gives me great cause to pause. And this item that we are extending was originally procured in September of 2013. That's what the item says. This contract holder has had this same contract since 2013. I mean, I don't want to advance this item. I don't want to advance it. You're two years before the expiration of your contract. The dollar amount is astronomical.

What's the urgency? The contract doesn't expire until 2028. It's 2026. What is the urgency?

I appreciate that. I always want the proactive step to be taken. Um, but I'm not sure that that's the, the, um. The proposition that supports this item at this time, I just would like to defer because I have a lot of questions. I want to know why each department needs the additional allocation. I want to know what the rates are. You're representing that the rates are going to remain the same. That's not articulated in the item. I think that this needs a lot of review. If it were a much smaller dollar amount, I would feel more comfortable, but this is a lot of money going to a company that has

Okay, and it's just to work with you to get the numbers and additional facts and details to at least give me greater comfort before spending this kind of money. So I move to defer this item. Thank you, Madam Chair.

All right, we have a second on that. Yes, Commissioner Gonzalez.

Yes, so I agree with the deferral. And if I could get the director to come back up.

Thank you, Madam Chair. And so, first of all, I want to thank you for bringing this up early. Because I do appreciate the fact that now, I think this has been very positive, right? Because we're able to see that two years from now, This could possibly be necessary, but the Director of Solid Waste did bring up that you folks are trying to bring this in-house. And so I understand what you're saying regarding that although this expires in 28, it's very possible that we may only need two more years in order to bring this in house. But that's also an assumption because a lot of things can happen fr

Yes, agreed. So I'm assuming we're going to be deferring this to September committee. So that way, will that give you enough time to run the analysis and make sure that it's back here with enough time so that we can find a path forward?

And if I may add to that, if you could also give us the analysis and kind of the plan of what you're thinking with going in-house and what that looks like and what a realistic timeline could look like. Because if we have to extend the current contract, if that's what the best path forward looks like at that point, then we also understand the trajectory of what the department's looking to do and try to, yes.

Thank you, so show that item- Madam Chair, sorry, I had two questions. Yes, Commissioner.

Thank you, Madam Chair. So Director, bringing it in-house, would you be able to identify the savings? In other words, we now currently have an external vendor doing it, so Because I'm always looking to see whether we can achieve savings and sometimes it's the exact opposite, right? We privatize because we think we'll get better, better, better costs. But if you're you feel like it's in the best interest of the county to move it internally, could you identify savings?

I think that'll be helpful for us when you bring it back. We also made an investment in equipment, I'm assuming, right? So that would have to be factored in. I mean, we made a capital... We purchased equipment to do the services in-house, and so the 75 accounts that you've been running your pilot on should give us what were those 75 accounts costing us with the vendor that was picking up the garbage and then what you're proposing. That's one.

But I'm going to also do that analysis as well. Okay, because I think we would be very happy to hear that we made progress in saving money by bringing it in-house. Okay, and then the other thing is, I'm unclear. This analysis that we've asked for, do companies normally tell you what they would charge? Is it the same as if we put out an RFP on the street? What I see the exact same, because if you come to me and you tell me, well, what I can do the services for, right? But I don't see the full scope of services. I don't see an RFP. How is it that you're going to tell me that it's cheaper without

was going to be my recommendation. I don't trust that someone just tells me this is the price because it never really is that price. I think a formal RFP is where you really know, one, who's willing to bid on the job to Commissioner Cohen-Higgins' point. Is there anyone else other than these two vendors that are willing to do it. And I have to believe that there may be others that have come into the market in the last three years. Again, we owe it to the taxpayer to do the more fiscally conservative thing, which is to put everything to bid and see what comes back. Because if in fact it shows t

Perfect. Thank you so much. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. So item 3C has been deferred to the September committee. Right, we're good with that. I'm asking was there anything else from 3?

Okay. And then the rest of the random chair on reason. So. I just want to make sure, because I believe the commissioner Lopez also added that we should procure the item.

Okay, so the only thing I would say on that is I think she said she's going to get us real numbers. And I don't know, Namita, if you want to explain how you're going to get that. I don't know if we're going to go out on the street and do a full procurement.

Yeah, I think she said she was going to procure. I just want to make sure that that's what we're doing because I think that Commissioner Lopez's line of questioning was on point. If we are bringing it in-house, we want to make sure that we're saving money. And if we're going to get that analysis and we procure it, it's almost the perfect time to do a comparison. And I think this is what you were saying, Commissioner Lopez. It's the perfect time to do the comparison as to whether we should bring it in-house or not because it's not only the equipment that we've already purchased. If I'm not mist

I guess I need clarity from the director and how you were getting the real numbers because to do a full procurement for however many time that we're going to look to do it could be potentially problematic because if we are looking at bringing it in house then we're going to tell all these people who bid sorry we're not going with you and then I mean I maybe there's an invitation to negotiate maybe there's some other I don't know process how are you going to get her the real numbers by September?

That's exactly right. That's what I was going at. Yeah. That's fine. Okay. Okay. Thank you so much. Perfect. Great discussion. This is what happens when you come after a budget committee. Yes, apparently I do not. So through the lens of our infrastructure committee, are there any other items that we need to be looking at? And by the way, I really appreciate the discussion this morning. What other items or are we going to pass the balance of the agenda and get to the presentations?

Okay, moved by Commissioner Cohen-Higgins, seconded by Commissioner Gonzalez. All in favor? Aye. Signifying aye, I'll show that passed. And now we're going to get to the presentations except for that. I have a request that I will be making formally to the Chair's office for item 3B for the award of the contract due to time stipulations and constraints. I'm going to be requesting to add that to the agenda next week.

Thank you. All right. And with that, we're going to start with our presentations. I see some of the young people in the audience. I want to thank all of you for being here. They're part of the Young Youth Engagement Program. Sorry. Yep, yep. Okay. So welcome. All right. So our first presentation is going to be with the Communications Information Technology Department. Come on up.

Point of order, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, may I be recognized very briefly? I don't mean to interrupt at all, even though I know that's exactly what I'm doing. But we just had a committee hearing. where we had a number of presentations that visibly look identical to what you are putting up on our screen right now. And I don't know if you watched the previous committee hearing, but I don't have a copy on my desk of your presentation, and it's always helpful if I have a physical copy. So if you can Distribute that to us. I'd appreciate it. And I am going to assume that your presentation follows

Yeah, of course. And just to piggyback off of what Commissioner Cohen-Higgins is saying, so I'm a litigator by trade, and when you go in front of a judge, And you're arguing a motion, you always bring copies of the motion for opposing counsel, and then you also bring a copy of the motion for the judge. So just for future reference, we're not trying to call you out. It was the same thing with other directors, but for the directors that are going to present after, if you can have those copies given to us before you come up to present, that would be outstanding.

Madam Chair, I just have a quick comment to make. So the three of us that serve on this committee were also on the committee this morning where we had so many questions based on the presentations, which really didn't help us drill down on anything. Although I appreciate very much, Deputy Mayor, your explanation, which we were given this morning as well. It's really kind of like a perfunctory exercise we're going through here. You're going to tell us about all of this, which we could read ourselves. But it's not going to help us determine what decisions we need to make or what the plan is. So,

Yeah, we understand that and thank you. Yes, Commissioner Cohen-Higgins.

Thank you, Madam Chair, Deputy Mayor. I think we all understand that clearly. And I think that the chairman of the board was the one that asked all of us to do these budget reviews and these analyses in an effort to work collectively towards the same goal, obviously. And so, I'm not sure that, Going through these presentations is going to be particularly helpful to us because I'm not sure that it accomplishes what the chairman aimed for us to accomplish. And in the previous hearing, we discussed having a workshop of sorts, right? Where after the 230 release of our mayor's budget, we will then

Yes, so I have to agree, and I do appreciate the Chief's explanation, because I do agree with the Deputy Mayor's explanation, because I do agree. I mean, it's not fair to you, and I hope that you're not taking this personally. It's not personal to you. I agree with commissioner Cohen Higgins that perhaps going through a presentation talking about how great. The technology department is and I have no doubt that it's great. We've met 1 on 1 before. We have no doubt that it's great and that. You're doing a great job as a director, but. For purposes of going through your budget and analyzing what

So since I wasn't there earlier today, we are going to be having a workshop. Is that what we're looking to schedule?

Our committee decided that we would not recess in August. That as soon as the mayor releases her budget, our committee will take as long as it takes to go through every budget. Because what we discovered was that we did not find during our discussions that anyone was asked to reduce their budget. Actually, the budgets grew. They were just asked to grow their budgets by 3%. And we've said, we're pretty sure if we work with the administration, we will find ways in which we can walk away and say, we actually saved money. We didn't grow government. So that was the decision in this morning's budget

Well, I would like to be a part of that. And so I guess hearing from three of the board members right now, I think it's clear that they want to waive the presentations to an August meeting for, I guess, a more in-depth budget discussion. I know yesterday at our committee, we had these great presentations, but they were really an abstract. And so I did say at the end, it would have been nice to have some budget numbers with them. So while I do appreciate everybody's time and effort, I think this committee is now taking the direction that they would like to postpone any sort of presentation unti

Yeah, and Madam Chair, if I could just add, and just to piggyback off what both of my colleagues have been saying, for those budget For those presentations, I don't think any of us are expecting anybody to just read off a screen. For those presentations, previously we had Josiel come up and he was very prepared um i think that that that's the level of expectation that i think everybody's going to have where you know don't just come up and read know your numbers because you are a highly capable director which is the equivalent of a ceo of a multi-million dollar organization so when you do come

Yes, Madam Chair, I also want to remind everyone that I've asked all the department directors, and I'll do it again here. I would like a schedule of your vacancies with the aging reports. And I would further like, what occurred this morning was a discussion around telling me that you got rid of 50 staff members. But in fact, what happened was some left the county and because of their employment rights were actually transferred into another department. So that's not a savings. We're going to be really clear about what every step we're taking. We want the public to understand exactly what we're

All right, thank you. Any other comments or questions from the DAIS?

Yes. Madam Chair, really quickly, just to provide clarification, I think it's the intention, I hope it's the intention, I'm sure it's the intention, that these budget hearings that we will have in August is open and welcome to all commissioners, more like a committee of the whole. um where we um engage in that deep dive that we have been uh talking about so i look forward to all of our colleagues participating in that and i see our chairwoman nodding her head and so that's the confirmation i was looking for is that i'll be open to everyone okay thank you madam chair thank you yes um deputy may

And on that note, our meeting is adjourned. Thank you.