PELICAN HARBOR SEABIRD STATION

Board of County Commissioners · 2026-07-21 · resolution

The Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners adopted Resolution R-628-26 (File Number 260783) on July 21, 2026, waiving competitive bidding procedures by a two-thirds vote to approve a Programming Partnership Operating and Management Agreement between Miami-Dade County and Pelican Harbor Seabird Station, Inc. (PHSS), a not-for-profit entity, to continue operating the Pelican Harbor Seabird Station for the care of sick and injured seabirds. The agreement is for a term through April 1, 2027, with yearly fees to the County of $300.00. PHSS has operated from this location since 1990 and plans to relocate to a new facility on or before April 1, 2027. The facility is located within Pelican Harbor Marina at 1279 NE 79 Street Causeway, Miami, Florida 33138, in County Commission District 3. The Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department's Assistant Director of Finance and Administration, Robert Villar, will manage the agreement. The resolution was introduced on April 29, 2026, and forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners with a favorable recommendation by the Recreation, Tourism, and Resiliency Committee on June 9, 2026. The County will continue to incur charges for utilities associated with the operation of the building, but the exact fiscal impact is not quantifiable as utility payments are paid in conjunction with those associated with the marina as a whole. PHSS cares for around 2,700 native wildlife patients per year, for a total of around 70,000 bird lives impacted over the life of the original lease. The original lease was entered into in 1990 by Resolution R-789-90, and an option to renew was approved in 2011, extending the term through July 23, 2020. A subsequent Programming Partnership Operating and Management Agreement was executed in October 2021 and remained in place until December 31, 2023. PHSS has experienced delays with construction of its new building due to permitting issues, brownfield remediation, archaeological work, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The document does not state any public comment or stakeholder sentiment.