Recreational Rental Equipment Concession at Okeeheelee Park

Palm Beach County, Florida issued Request for Proposals No. 2019-103-DML for recreational rental equipment concession services at Okeeheelee Park located at 7715 Forest Hill Boulevard. The County seeks a qualified operator to lease and manage a 645 square-foot food and rental equipment concession building with a 1,670 square-foot fenced storage area and lake access. The concessionaire must provide rental and sales services including canoes, kayaks, recreational equipment, prepackaged foods, non-alcoholic beverages, and sundry items. Required qualifications include the ability to maintain minimum operating hours of eight hours per day, five days per week during June through August; eight hours per day on weekends and designated school holidays during September through May; and eight hours per day on weekends during daylight hours for the remainder of the year. The concessionaire must maintain Commercial General Liability Insurance with minimum limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, Workers' Compensation Insurance per Florida Statutes Chapter 440, and Watercraft Liability with minimum limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence combined single limit. A mandatory pre-proposal meeting was held on June 26, 2019, at 10:30 A.M., followed by a mandatory site visit, with proposals due by 2:00 P.M. on Wednesday, August 7, 2019. Proposals were evaluated based on operational plan/business plan (25 points), experience/qualifications (27 points), revenue proposal (25 points), financial ability (18 points), and local business preference (5 points).

The County established a minimum guaranteed annual rent of $8,200 (or $683.33 per month) and a minimum commission fee of 8 percent on monthly gross sales exceeding the monthly rent installment, with respondents required to submit a $1,000 security deposit via cashier's check with their proposals. The initial contract term is three years with two optional two-year extensions subject to Board approval. The RFP documentation does not indicate specific set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises or restrictions limiting response to particular types of organizations. Upon selection, the successful concessionaire must open the business within thirty days of the Agreement's effective date or risk contract termination. The Selection Committee, comprised of representatives from the Property and Real Estate Management Division, Contract Development and Control, and the Parks and Recreation Department, evaluated all responsive proposals at a public meeting, with recommendations submitted to the Board of County Commissioners for final approval. An addendum issued on July 15, 2019, clarified the negotiation procedures and proposal review process, requiring respondents to acknowledge receipt of the addendum by signing and returning the acknowledgment page with their proposals.