The County Commission recently approved a three-year contract with Metz Culinary Management, of Sarasota, as its primary vendor, and Mattison's Catering, also of Sarasota, as its secondary vendor to provide meals for county workers stationed in the Emergency Operations Center in the event of a disaster. The contract with Metz would cost $30.50 for four meals a day per person around the clock — compared with the $26 that the county spent during Irma per person, per meal, ultimately costing taxpayers $130,000.
While county residents hunkered down at home or in shelters as Irma thrashed the region on its trek up the Florida peninsula on Sept. 10 and 11 in 2017, about 400 county employees enjoyed Mattison's Catering, county records show. Under the $130,000 deal, Mattison's staff prepared and delivered enough food to serve up to 5,000 meals from lunch on the Saturday before the storm hit through lunch the following Tuesday — a cost of $26 per person, per meal, according to the purchase order.
Meals ranged from eggs and fresh fruit at breakfast to boxed lunch sandwiches to options like hot dogs, burgers and chicken Parmesan for hot meals, according to the purchase order.
The county's current backup contract with Mattison's would cost $57 for four meals per person, according to county documents. The county used Mattison's as a last-minute option in 2017, officials said. It had a contract with the catering arm of St. Armands restaurant Cafe L'Europe, but canceled the agreement after the catering service split from the restaurant and no longer could provide the required services in the event of a disaster. The county tried to ultimately use their services, but the vendor was overwhelmed with relief efforts in Texas after Hurricane Harvey.
Metz is a dependable company that specializes in providing the services the county would require if another major storm strikes, the county's Emergency Services Director Rich Collins said.
"Metz really provides a great service for the cost — that cost is phenomenal. They are in the county. Their building is rated for (a Category 4 hurricane). They have generator capacity and the ability to do a number of things," Collins said.
The county's spending during Irma drew scrutiny after revelations that the jurisdiction just north spent significantly less money to feed its workers. Manatee County served its 400 first responders with food it ordered in bulk from the Salvation Army for just more than $9,000, according to an invoice.
Manatee County in November also agreed to use Metz for the same price for food as Sarasota County, according to county documents.
"I don't think the Salvation Army was as prepared to go long term for an extended activation," Manatee County spokesman Nicholas Azzara said of the vendor switch.
In an independent review of Sarasota County's response to Hurricane Irma last year, former FEMA administrator Craig Fugate praised the feeding plan for providing "adequate nutrition" to county employees, saying it served as a "a bright spot in the difficult days and something to look forward to as a respite prior to returning to work."
Still, Fugate suggested the county execute two contracts — rather than just one — with one or more food vendors to provide a cost savings in future storms.
With one contract to provide food to workers at the county's EOC and another to provide meals in a triage setting in the field after a disaster, the county could save money by not having to include logistical planning expenses in the contract for workers at the EOC.
The county has not yet entered into a contract with a vendor to feed workers in a triage setting, but plans to, Collins said.
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