Subject:
Title
Agreement with Independent Living Systems, LLC. for weekly meals in support of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Food Stability Program
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Fiscal Impact:
FY 19-20: No impact to the General Fund. Up to $646,425 in CARES Act funds allocated to the Food Stability Program in Fund 1720, Cost Center 302108 will be utilized for this agreement.
FY 20-21: No impact to the General Fund. Up to $1,400,587.50 in CARES Act funds allocated to the Food Stability Program in Fund 1720, Cost Center 302108 will be utilized for this agreement.
Dept/Office:
Housing and Human Services
Requested Action:
Recommendation
It is requested the Board of County Commissioners authorize: (1) the County Manager to sign the attached Agreement with Independent Living Systems, LLC., (2) the County Manager to sign any amendments and/or modifications to the Agreement upon approval of Risk Management and the County Attorney’s Office, and (3) the County Manager to approve all necessary Budget Change Requests.
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Summary Explanation and Background:
On June 30, 2020, the Board of County Commissioners determined (due to the public health emergency associated with Coronavirus (COVID-19)) that expenditures associated with a Food Stability Program were necessary, were not accounted for in the County’s budget most recently approved as of the date of enactment of the CARES Act (March 27, 2020), and were only for expenses incurred between March 1, 2020 and December 30, 2020. As a result of this determination, the Board allocated $4 million from the County’s $105 million CARES Act distribution from the United States Treasury for the Food Stability Program.
In furtherance of this ongoing program, an agency (Independent Living Systems, LLC.) was located which has the capacity to provide 25,350 meals per week ($4.25 per meal) to support traditional food banks, popup pantries, and other vulnerable populations through local distribution. Independent Living Systems, LLC. has the capacity to increase the number of shipments if need increases within Brevard County. An increase in shipments would necessitate an additional allocation of funds to the Food Stability Program.
Staff looked at the possibility of issuing a solicitation for these services, however, the time to properly solicit via Request for Proposal would hinder the ability to procure the meals in an efficient time and immediately address the need. The Request for Proposal process takes approximately 6 weeks to advertise, review, select, and award a vendor. As this need is urgent, and the County remains under a local state of emergency, it is recommended that the Board waive competitive procurement for this contract to allow staff to get the meals in a time frame which will allow for immediate distribution to those in need. The County recently issued a solicitation for meal services very similar to this and only received one response, as such there is not an expectation of competition at this point. Purchasing Services recommends a single/sole source of this procurement for these reasons.
Clerk to the Board Instructions:
It is requested that the Clerk have the County Manager endorse the attached Agreement and return it to the Housing and Human Services Department.