Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/352007
Siesta Seen Buccaneer Landscape Management of Pinellas County was the only firm to bid on the new maintenance contract for Siesta Village, county staff reported this week. Mark Smith, the liaison between the Siesta Key Village Maintenance Corp. (SKVMC) and the county, told me on July 21 that the bid was $129,041.50, which county staff members indicated to him was in line with their expec- tations. "I thought it was in line," he said, based on the expenses of the first firm that handled the work, JWM Management Inc. of Sarasota, which had the contract in 2010-11. County spokeswoman Jamie Carson told me on July 21 that county Procurement Department staff is evaluating the bid and hopes to have a recommendation about it by the end of this week. Smith added that county staff told him if all goes well, the contract will be on the County Commission's Aug. 26 regular meeting agenda for final approval. According to its website, Buccaneer is a St. Petersburg firm that has contracts in Sarasota, Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Manatee, Charlotte, Osceola, Orange, Lee and Collier counties. It serves banks, business parks, homeowner associations, pharmacies, restaurants, shopping centers and state and local government. Buccaneer was the only firm registered for a June 30 mandatory pre-bid conference in the Village, Smith said, and he was impressed with the Buccaneer representative. "I was very pleased with his answers and comments, just walking around with him." For example, Smith told me he previously had learned from county staff that a county arbor- ist had indicated that the black olive trees struggling for survival in the Village land- scaping need more oxygen. The Buccaneer representative offered the same assessment without knowing of the county staff remark, Smith continued. When Smith asked him how the situation could be remedied, the man ONLY ONE BID COMES IN AGAIN FOR THE NEW SIESTA VILLAGE MAINTENANCE CONTRACT; AND SIESTA KEY ASSOCIATION OFFICERS HAVE A GOOD MEETING WITH SHERIFF'S OFFICE REPRESENTATIVES OVER PARKING AND HOMELESSNESS ISSUES By Rachel Brown Hackney Editor