The Company Running the Downtown Orlando Farmers Market for the Last Ten Years Will be Running it for Another Two
The Community Redevelopment Agency has awarded the 2-year contract for managing the Downtown Orlando Farmers Market to Red Top Productions. This company has had the contract every year since the market began ten years ago.
Red Top Productions' most current contract ended December 2016. The reason a new contract wasn't awarded in December 2016 is because the Community Redevelopment Agency had not initiated RFP proceedings at all in 2016. There wasn't even an RFP in 2016. It took until May 2017 for them to make it and begin proceedings.
During those months the City gave Red Top Productions month-to-month extensions until they were given the contract again September of this year. It's unclear if those extra months will be included in their new two year contract.
This is not the only time in 2017 the Community Redevelopment Agency struggled with RFPs and the formal competitive solicitation process. This year they were supposed to put together an RFP for $197,858 in new holiday decorations in time to select the winning company and have them hung by Thanksgiving Day. They didn't. No reason was given in City documents for the delay.
Due to the inaction by the agency this year, they had to ask City Council for permission to have what's known as a negotiated procurement from City Council. This means the opportunity to bid on a $197,858 contract was not given to eligible companies. It just goes to one company of the agency's choosing. Doing it this way also prevents the agency from doing the work of putting together the pieces including the RFP to execute a formal competitive solicitation process.
Red Top Productions went up against 2 other companies: 82 South and us, Producing LLC dba The Daily City.
Thumb through the written proposals:
Listen to the presentations and Q&As:
The Advisory Committee discussed each company's proposal and presentation, then made a decision moments after. Listen to the recoding here: