Manager Seeks $60K No-Bid Public Relations Contract

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The Village of Key Biscayne wants to hire a temporary communications director under a contract for up to 150 days that would pay an outside firm $60,000. 

A proposal from Village Manager Andrea Agha for consideration at Tuesday’s Village Council meeting would allow the no-bid contract to be awarded to Fernandez Media Relations.

Agha said under the Village Code “professional service agreements” are exempt from competitive bidding, although the Village has at times sought competitive quotes for similar services.

Agha said she put a similar job up for competitive bidding in the past “for there to be competition and see who was interested.”

“I wanted to see who was interested so we could handle what was happening so quickly to us,” Agha said.

She added the Village intends to hire a permanent communications director.

“The past two public meetings the Council was pretty clear that they wanted us to enhance communications. This is the first step toward that,” Agha said. “We are going to be posting a job position.”

She added any contract over $10,000 must be approved by the Council, even if it is a no-bid agreement.

According to Agha, Fernandez would provide media training to Village officials, put together media plans, handle major events such as the Ultra Music Festival and Miami Boat Show, manage interactions with media organizations, develop a social media strategy and pitch stories about Key Biscayne to news outlets.

“The communications function will be centralized to ensure timely, accurate and consistent messaging to bolster the Village’s brand and keep residents well informed,” Agha wrote in the proposal.

The proposed agreement envisions Fernandez providing these services for three hours a day seven days a week at a rate of $140 an hour. That comes to about $60,000 over the potential full 150-day contract.

Agha will assess the services after the first 90 days and can renew the deal herself for an additional 60 days “depending on the service provider’s performance and the status of employee recruitment.”