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entrusted with the care and preservation of some of Florida's most prized destinations. Our founder's philosophy still remains the same today as it did from the beginning: to pro- vide resource-based recreation and superior visitor services, while interpreting and pre- serving our natural and cultural resources." Barbetta asked what would happen if National and State Park Concessions was not inter- ested in the long-term operation of Warm Mineral Springs. "They would have to transition out of the property and the new vendor would be com- ing in," Brown replied. "If we stop paying them, their incentive to stay goes away," County Attorney Stephen DeMarsh pointed out. "This is a Band-Aid," Robinson said of the short-term operation, "because the only thing that's going to keep [the resort] open is get- ting the long-term [process] done. … We've got a purposeful end date for this, so we can make sure we get Warm Mineral Springs … open and keep it open on a permanent basis." The city and county have committed to hav- ing a long-term plan in place as of Sept. 1. "But if it's a Band-Aid and we can't get the North Port Commission to agree on a long- term vendor," Barbetta responded, "then this [short-term contract] can't be extended. We're dealing with a four-month Band-Aid and a vacant place." THE NEXT STEP Before the board voted on the long-term solic- itation, Robinson asked for clarification from County Attorney DeMarsh about the need for the commission to declare Warm Mineral Springs surplus property. "I don't want this to be misconstrued," she said. For most solicitation purposes, DeMarsh explained, it is not necessary to declare a property surplus. However, if the chosen respondent wanted to lease or purchase a portion of the Warm Mineral Springs parcel for a private purpose, such as construction of a hotel, he continued, the surplus property clause had to be included in the document. Otherwise, he added, the solicitation process would have to be started all over again to ensure it complied with state law regarding competition for bids. "So basically, it's a technical requirement?" Robinson asked. DeMarsh affirmed that, adding the city and county still would have to agree to such a pri- vate use. "I'm looking forward to getting a long-term vendor in [Warm Mineral Springs]," Robinson said before making the motion to approve the solicitation package. That motion passed unanimously. Robinson also made a motion that approved two proposed joint meetings with the City Commission during the process. The first will be to whittle responses to a short list. The second will be to hear presentations from representatives of those groups. She also suggested that county staff propose to the North Port board that it entertain the idea of working with the County Commission to choose whom to award the bid during that second meeting, if the North Port Sarasota News Leader March 28, 2014 Page 52