Advisory board votes to recommend hiring a consultant for Bahama Village redevelopment

The Bahama Village Redevelopment Advisory Board voted to forward a resolution recommending that the city commission, sitting as the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), consider engaging a professional consultant to provide strategic planning, community redevelopment and economic-development services for the Bahama Village CRA.

Madam Clerk read the resolution into the record as recommending "the engagement of professional consultant who provides strategic planning, community redevelopment, and economic development services for Bahama Village Community Redevelopment Area, providing for transmittal of this resolution to the CRA for its consideration." A board member who spoke in favor referenced a potential candidate, saying he "served secretary of the Florida Department of Community Affairs under Jeb Bush from 2004 to 2007," and outlined his statewide redevelopment experience.

Commissioner Lopez moved to approve the resolution and a board member seconded. The board voted by voice; the chair said the motion carried. Board members and city staff repeatedly clarified that the vote was only a recommendation to the CRA and would not bypass the city's procurement rules. City staff said that if the CRA decides to proceed, the city would follow a standard RFQ/RFP process.

The board discussed the risk of appearing to favor a named candidate during a later procurement and emphasized the need to avoid disqualifying potential applicants. The chair and staff noted the CRA (the city commission sitting as the CRA) would be the ultimate decisionmaker and that any consultant engagement would be subject to city procurement regulations.

The resolution passed and will be carried to the city commission for the CRA's consideration by a commissioner the board identified to carry the recommendation forward.