HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Parks and Recreation DepartmentCITY Of MIAMI, FLORIDA
INTER -OFFICE MEMORANDUM
TO: Annie Perez DATE: March 21, 2017
Director
Procur TDirer
ent SUBJECT: Sole Source Request
FROM: L a de REFERENCES:
eputy Parks an ENCLOSURES:
The Parks and Recreation Department is requesting to accept Changing Environments, Inc. as a sole
source provider for solar powered, sensor enabled, smart phone charging benches for installation
in City of Miami Parks.
The Changing Environments, Inc product line of Soofa Benches facilitate the ability to provide
residents convenience to sit and charge their cell phone while visiting a park. The Parks Department
will also benefit from the tracking and reporting wirelessly to the department data such as
attendance/traffic volume within a 150ft radius from the bench.
This data can provide the ability to analyze and make decisions based on demonstrated high traffic
periods, areas of the parks most heavily used and the average time an individual sits in the park.
This type of information can impact maintenance schedules for a park, programming plans and help
in targeted marketing communication.
Due to the range that the sensor on the Soofa Benches provides and the type of reports the Parks
Department would be able to run from the data gathered by the bench, Changing Environments, Inc
is considered a sole source. Market research showed other manufacturers in the market do not
currently offer the same ability to track movement 150 feet away or provide the granular level of
reporting for department use.
The Parks and Recreation Department was the recipient of a Public Space Challenge grant of $10,000
towards the total purchase of five benches to be placed in five parks (one per park) as part of a pilot
program. Based on feedback received from residents and the data available from the benches,
additional purchases may be made through application for additional grant funding or incorporation
into future project costs.