BRADENTON BEACH – Rather than partnering with an outside vendor as planned, commissioners are now considering city-managed paid parking lots throughout Bradenton Beach.
The city had put out a Request for Proposals (RFP) on Feb. 9 to “Provide the City with a complete parking management and enforcement system that is capable of handling the current parking environment at six (6) municipal locations, a public street, and a future 7th site.”
Two bidders – Beach to Bay Investments and SP Municipal Parking – submitted proposals to the city by the Feb. 29 due date.
Representatives from both entities laid out their cases for approval at a March 19 city commission work meeting. A decision was deferred to the March 21 commission meeting where a choice between the two was expected to be made.
Instead, neither one of them was chosen. On March 21, Mayor John Chappie recommended having the city oversee paid parking without a vendor.
“The more I looked over two really impressive applications – each with a lot of plusses – I thought why have that third person? We’re talking about 75 parking spaces. I’m recommending we deny both of these and look at doing it in-house,” Chappie said.
The RFP 2024-04 went out for bid to provide paid parking in areas that included all of Bridge Street, an after-hours parking lot to the east and west side of the police department, the city hall parking lot, the area around the pickleball court on Highland Avenue (with free passes to pickleball players), the shared parking lot with Silver Resorts at First Street North, Gulfside parking spaces near the Anna Maria Island Moose Lodge and future options at the Tingley Library, if the building is raised to create parking.
“This is a big commitment to make, and once we do it, it’s done,” Commissioner Ralph Cole said. “There are a lot of unknowns and that’s what bothers me.”
“I think we should keep it in-house with the ability to go back and revisit the proposals,” Commissioner Deborah Scaccianoce said.
During the public comment session, Shawn Kaleta, president of Beach to Bay Investments, addressed the commission.
“It’s an option for the city to review the idea to manage it – wise decision. However, while the RFPs are already in, select one if you don’t come up with a solution,” Kaleta said. “You’ve already done the RFP so maybe selecting which one works now so you don’t have to go through that process and take that time up at a later date. But obviously, it’s your property. If it’s best to manage it internally or try it, if it doesn’t work, then you have the RFP you can go back to on whatever terms you negotiate today. I think the big thing is liability… (cities) are not in the business of operating parking lots, they’re in the business of operating a city.”
“I respect the council’s decision,” said Will Gloor, regional manager for SP Municipal Services, offering consulting services if requested.
“The city needs to give a timeline to go back to the vendors,” Commissioner Jan Vosburgh said. “I think we’d be biting off more than we can chew.”
Chappie said he is leaning toward rejecting the bids.
“I’m leaning toward a clean slate,” Chappie said. “We may decide we don’t want to do it.”
City Attorney Ricinda Perry asked the board if the city had the funds available to prepare the lots in question for paid parking or whether this would come under the purview of the Community Redevelopment Agency.
“I think it’s the CRA,” Chappie said.
A motion was read to reject all bids submitted under RFP 2023-24 to direct the mayor to investigate and present a plan for municipal paid parking within 90 days to the CRA.
The motion passed unanimously.
