New Homestead City Hall expected cost: $50,000,000

In the Miami-Dade County tradition of underbidding to get the contract, Bleu Network in Homestead had the winning bid to build the New City Hall in downtown Homestead's Historic District.  The background checks have begun, but we figured we could help out by doing our own public records check.  It appears the winning bid comes from a company owned by one of the Mayor's neighbors in the Fairways at Keys Gate.  Talk about keeping it in the neighborhood if not the family.  This winning bid is no surprise.  Bid low and submit change orders galore later.  Hence how we believe the $50M figure is within the realm of possibilities.  You've heard it here first!  






Excerpt from the South Dade News Leader

According to public records, the city contacted a total of 1,934 vendors to respond to the Request for Proposal (RFP) and a total of five vendors responded.

The five bids received were from:

•  Bleu Network in Homestead - $24,819,850  Winning Bid
•  Munilla Construction Management (MCM) in Miami - $26,209,000  Runner Up
•  Manhattan Construction in Naples - $25,883,881   Third Place
•  Link Construction in Miami - $25,641,571  Fourth Place
•  J. Kokolakis Contracting in Tarpon Springs - $28,280,000  Consolation Prize

After the bids were placed, the evaluation committee, comprised of Julio Brea Director of Public Works; Dennis Maytan Director of Parks and Recreations; Barbara Quiñones Director of Utilities; Elizabeth Mangual Assistant CRA Director; Christi Vizcaino Assistant Director of Finance; Tom Lambert Building

Official and Detective Antonio Aquino of the Homestead Police Department, ranked each company’s bid according to a criteria checklist.

With the recommendation signed, the background evaluations mentioned above have begun.

Read More on link below:
Homestead City Hall Update | South Dade News Leader - The Pulse of the Community

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New Rule: If You Collect A Fee, There Had Better Be A Fee Benefit Especially If Public Safety Is Involved

Caption For This Picture:
So Sorry Gated Communities Of Homestead, You're On Your Own, Your Money Is Needed Elsewhere


Where is the City concern for the health and safety of the residents paying the stormwater fee yet residing in a community with "private" roads?

Shouldn't the goal of the City of Homestead stormwater management plan be first and foremost to insure the health, safety and general welfare of it's citizens by the reduction or prevention of hazards from flooding, inadequate drainage and contamination?

403.0893 Stormwater funding; dedicated funds for stormwater management.—In addition to any other funding mechanism legally available to local government to construct, operate, or maintain stormwater systems, a county or municipality may:

(1) Create one or more stormwater utilities and adopt stormwater utility fees sufficient to plan, construct, operate, and maintain stormwater management systems set out in the local program required pursuant to s. 403.0891(3);

(2) Establish and set aside, as a continuing source of revenue, other funds sufficient to plan, construct, operate, and maintain stormwater management systems set out in the local program required pursuant to s. 403.0891(3); or

(3) Create, alone or in cooperation with counties, municipalities, and special districts pursuant to the Interlocal Cooperation Act, s. 163.01, one or more stormwater management system benefit areas. All property owners within said area may be assessed a per acreage fee to fund the planning, construction, operation, maintenance, and administration of a public stormwater management system for the benefited area. Any benefit area containing different land uses which receive substantially different levels of stormwater benefits shall include stormwater management system benefit subareas which shall be assessed different per acreage fees from subarea to subarea based upon a reasonable relationship to benefits received. The fees shall be calculated to generate sufficient funds to plan, construct, operate, and maintain stormwater management systems called for in the local program required pursuant to s. 403.0891(3). For fees assessed pursuant to this section, counties or municipalities may use the non-ad valorem levy, collection, and enforcement method as provided for in chapter 197.

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Water I$$ue$: Julio Brea Says 36 PSI Can Be Lowered To 20 PSI, This Could Get Ugly

Mayor Bateman discussed a letter that was received from the South Florida Water Management District pertaining to the non-compliance of the City of Homestead in terms of water usage. He noted there was a need to educate the City residents on water conservation measures.

City Manager Gretsas stated the Director of Public Works had crafted a memorandum about the initiatives that had been taken pertaining to this issue.

He mentioned the City Public Works Department had been working

closely with the South Florida Water Management District to handle this issue.

He commented from a practical perspective the Public Works Director had been avoiding purchasing water from Miami Dade County because of

the cost. He explained as staff starts reducing the water pressure there will be complaints from residents.

He suggested at this point the City may have to start purchasing waterfrom the County which would bringthe City into compliance with the South Florida Water Management District.

Unfortunately it is going to be costly for the City. He pointed out as the City commercial areas have grown and the customers have increased there is additional demand on the water.

Public Works Director Julio Brea stated the City could decrease the water pressure to 20psi and the water pressure is currently at 36psi but this could be a problem because of the public expectation regarding the water pressure. 

Does Anyone Like The Sound Of That?

He explained the City has different projects such as mandating that low flow toilets have to be installed for all new construction and the City gives rebates to customers that change their toilets from regular flow to low flow not only toilets but also faucets and shower heads. These programs were implemented along with the District to try and curb the public behavior in terms of water usage.

Mayor Bateman stressed his emphasis on this issue was pertaining to water conservation. City Manager Gretsas stated the short term solution to getting the City water usage from the South Florida Management District into compliance would be to purchase water from the County along with an education campaign.

Councilman Shelley stated the City was working on a project for increasing its deep water injection which would avoid this problem. He asked staff what was the status of that project. Public Works Director Julio Brea stated those were some of the long term solutions that involved the waste water treatment.

He commented if the capacity of the treatment plant was increased then the City could recharge back down but that was also costly. He advised the City design engineers have generated reports for the Department of Environmental Protection which is the state agency that is in charge of the waste water treatment plant.

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