Remarks by Danielle Cohen Higgins
389 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 11 of 16
- Play at 5:22:30
“And despite that language in the RFP, no one on the committee or the attorneys found the response from Thompson to be nonresponsive as a result of them, including an hourly rate in their response to the attorneys.”
Board of County Commissioners · Jun 16, 2026
- Play at 5:23:54
“Is that standard procurement language contained in all procurements that Miami-Dade issues?”
Board of County Commissioners · Jun 16, 2026
- Play at 5:24:02
“Wow. I mean, you see where that goes, right? Because that is a shield and a sword. You can use that to justify a lot. So, I mean, you're an attorney. You understand what it is what I'm saying. You're reading one provision that is included in every single RFP that goes out on behalf of Miami-Dade County. Namada and one of the bidders is reading language that is specific to this RFP that said, we're not entertaining overtime. We want flat rates and flat rates overtime. Only and so legally I see what it is that you are saying. Go ahead.”
Board of County Commissioners · Jun 16, 2026
- Play at 5:26:03
“Yeah, and I think this is an interesting position because it's not as though there was an opportunity, or was there an opportunity to file a bid protest on this? Has that window come and gone? Has that opened and closed? That is correct. The window to file a bid protest on this has opened and closed? Correct. Okay, thank you. Nothing further, Mr. Chair.”
Board of County Commissioners · Jun 16, 2026
- Play at 5:54:33
“Thank you, Mr. Chair. Question for Thompson. You said that there was nowhere in the RFP that said only flat rates were required.”
Board of County Commissioners · Jun 16, 2026
- Play at 5:54:49
“But you heard what was read on the microphone by our administration regarding the RFP written such that flat rates were required.”
Board of County Commissioners · Jun 16, 2026
- Play at 5:55:12
“That makes perfect sense. So your footnote said... And I quote, the hourly rates proposed herein are applicable to regular time hours worked by an employee in a work week. Employee hours worked beyond 40 regular time per ends over time at employee option shall be charged at one. and a half times the proposed rate. That's your footnote.”
Board of County Commissioners · Jun 16, 2026
- Play at 5:55:41
“Okay. So my question to you is, did you do what has been alleged, i.e., lower your rates in your bid proposal, i.e., yielding an $800,000 perceived savings with the intention of bumping up the rates via overtime, which is exactly what your footnote and your caveat says? Because what I'd like to know is, I want savings. We all want savings. The administration has already said, if we were to negotiate with you, we're disregarding that because it runs afoul of the black and white language of the RFP. So my question to you is, can you do the work at the rates that are bid exclusive of any…”
Board of County Commissioners · Jun 16, 2026
- Play at 5:56:57
“Okay, so I'm going to ask the question again. Are you on the record today representing that you can perform the work at the rates that you bid originally, completely disregarding and eliminating your footnote and your caveat regarding charging time at one and a half times the proposed rate for overtime?”
Board of County Commissioners · Jun 16, 2026
- Play at 5:57:24
“Okay, but that's not practicable, though, because we know that in disaster recovery and relief, our historical data shows that 38% of the time worked is overtime.”
Board of County Commissioners · Jun 16, 2026
- Play at 5:58:03
“Okay, but that's why I'm asking the question. I understand that explanation in that you're going to add, I guess, additional employees to not yield overtime, but then wouldn't that change your numbers? Because you would then necessarily need to hire more staff. So I'm giving you an opportunity here, and I hope you recognize that, because it's your RFP. You gave numbers that are substantially lower than the incumbent, right? For project manager, the incumbent bid $95 an hour, you bid $75 an hour. For a data clerk, the incumbent bid $75 an hour, you bid $32 an hour. And then you put that caveat…”
Board of County Commissioners · Jun 16, 2026
- Play at 6:00:25
“All right. You're half breath, I'll let you finish because this is, listen, we have disasters in Miami-Dade County, okay? We have disasters in Miami-Dade County. We also have a budget crisis in Miami-Dade County. We need competent professionals that know what they're doing, and I agree with our chairman. I have no questions regarding Thompson's ability to do the work. I am questioning your pricing by your own language included in the bid. And as the chairman stated, we're making a decision today. This is not going to get bumped down the road. My question, I've asked you three times the same…”
Board of County Commissioners · Jun 16, 2026
- Play at 6:21:27
“Thank you, Mr. Chair. I pull this item only to ask the administration, if you recall back in December of 2025, we made a motion directing the administration to work with all of our constitutional officers to try and gather as much information as possible as early as possible so that we can be best prepared going into our budget season. And then subsequently, I see on April 9th, our administration sent all of our constitutional officers very detailed letters. asking for those pieces of documents and information. And I would just like to know from the administration how that has been going as…”
Board of County Commissioners · Jun 16, 2026
- Play at 6:23:03
“That was it, Mr. Chair. I pulled the item just because I wanted to know whether or not our constitutionals were working with us pursuant to the motion that we made at the end of December so that we can best prepare going into budget season. And I'm happy to move the item. Thank you. Second.”
Board of County Commissioners · Jun 16, 2026
- Play at 6:28:18
“Thank you, Mr. Chair. These collective bargaining agreements speak nothing to what is missing from these collective bargaining agreements. The reopeners for the purpose of negotiating.”
Board of County Commissioners · Jun 16, 2026
- Play at 6:29:14
“Okay, so these maintain the status quo until January of 2027, specifically in the area of the financials?”
Board of County Commissioners · Jun 16, 2026
- Play at 57:17
“To the county attorneys, the way that Commissioner Gonzalez asked his excellent line of questions and the way that he received responses made it seem like this is pretty much an open and shut case. Only three should have advanced to orals, more than three did not, and so we're going to go back and we're going to renegotiate. But I'm not sure that I'm convinced that it's that simple. Because, and I'm going to ask a few questions in that regard, because. What I don't understand right now is what are you all going to do? Different than what you have done previously and how are the facts going to…”
Intergovernmental and Economic Impact Committee · Jun 10, 2026
- Play at 1:01:18
“I think it was an authentic response, but I'm not sure that it necessarily gave me the guidance on what specifically you're going to do different. And that's fair because I think the answer authentically is I'm not sure yet. I think the answer is I need to speak with the attorneys, which I think is fair. Before I go to the attorneys, I'm looking through a lot of paperwork that I have here on this and not included in the very slim six page item. What is the term of this contract? I don't see it written anywhere here. What is the term of the contract that these five companies bid on?”
Intergovernmental and Economic Impact Committee · Jun 10, 2026
- Play at 1:02:21
“And the numbers that they bid when they submitted were, what were the numbers represented? What the number for the life of the contract? Um, give me, so there were five numbers submitted. There were nine numbers submitted. But the numbers as submitted were for the six year aggregate.”
Intergovernmental and Economic Impact Committee · Jun 10, 2026
- Play at 1:03:03
“Okay, so I want to be clear. I need you to say that again, the numbers that were submitted from all of these proposers were aggregate numbers for the life of the contract, which was a 6 year term. Correct?”
Intergovernmental and Economic Impact Committee · Jun 10, 2026
- Play at 1:03:15
“Okay. So. The numbers that were submitted. Number 1. 43 million in change. Movil, number two, 26 million in change. Three, Indra, USA, 30 million in change. Cubic, 46 million in change. INIT, 38 million in change. Cuba, 35 million in change. Flowbird, 11 million in change. Token, $14 million in change. Do those numbers sound accurate as far as the initial numbers that these proposers submitted?”
Intergovernmental and Economic Impact Committee · Jun 10, 2026
- Play at 1:03:53
“Okay. And so here's what is particularly curious to me. And now I'm going to go to the attorney. So Bruce. At the beginning of our conversation, we spoke about new language and you said this, there was new language in this regarding the advancement of proposers and 3 advancing and that that was new language included in procurement as a result of a resolution that was passed by this board. And it's somewhat of a new situation for you all, because you included it to be consistent with that resolution. And I know what resolution you're referring to, because I was very much in support of that…”
Intergovernmental and Economic Impact Committee · Jun 10, 2026
- Play at 1:04:52
“But none of these proposers are proposing contracts of $25 million annually.”
Intergovernmental and Economic Impact Committee · Jun 10, 2026
- Play at 1:04:59
“Okay, but that's important, right? Because it's an aggregate. None of these proposers are proposing $25 million contracts annually.”
Intergovernmental and Economic Impact Committee · Jun 10, 2026
- Play at 1:05:36
“Okay. So what you're saying is that policy is not what governs. It's the language in the actual RFP that governs. And you were tracking that language, even though that resolution doesn't necessarily govern or apply because it's not $25 million annually.”
Intergovernmental and Economic Impact Committee · Jun 10, 2026