County fishes for Jiggs Landing proposals

EAST COUNTY — Manatee County is floating a new request for proposals for Jiggs Landing. Its mission: Hook a vendor to coordinate on-site rentals of cabins and vessels, along with concession sales at the park and preserve site.

Just days after the park’s May 29 reopening following a three-month project (see sidebar), the county reissued the RFP for a vendor to coordinate cabin rentals and offer canoe/kayak and small motor boat rentals, along with operating a shop with bait and tackle sales and snacks. The county seeks a vendor to run concession sales at a minimum of Thursday through Sunday. The vendor also would be allowed to offer boat tours of the river and would be responsible for maintaining restrooms and showers and facilitating rentals of fishing cabins on-site.

The county planned to issue the RFP — which did not include facilitating cabin rentals, maintenance of park property or concessions — in March but delayed the process to make modifications.

“To ensure that there would be enough streams of revenue for an operator to be successful, we went back to the (2014) idea of the on-site vendor operating the store, providing rental watercraft and coordinating the cabin rentals,” Manatee County Recreation Division Manager Mike Whelan said. “Watercraft might be kayaks, canoes, paddleboards and small jon boats. There have also been suggestions from proposers and the public for allowing evening pontoon boat cruises, which is now suggested in the RFP.”

Prospective vendors toured the park with county staff June 1.

Although the 2014 RFP did not yield any responses, county officials hope the new scope of work will entice vendors. Whelan said it tried “softening the language” to appeal to a broader audience.

“We have had a number of inquiries in the last few months that has led us to think there are enough interested parties to reissue the RFP.”

 

– Mike Whelan, Manatee County Recreation Division manager

“We have had a number of inquiries in the last few months that have led us to think there are enough interested parties to reissue the RFP,” he said.

Contracts negotiator Christine Pearson said RFP responses are due to the county by June 29. An evaluation committee will review the applications and hold a meeting with vendors if needed before selecting a proposal sometime in the next few months.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].