RFP 26-03 City Manager Executive Search Firm

City of Atlantic Beach, FL
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
RFP 26-03
City Manager Executive Search Firm
RFP OPENING: April 8, 2026
800 Seminole Road
Atlantic Beach, FL 32233

City of Atlantic Beach RFP No. 26-03
The City of Atlantic Beach, Florida invites qualified firms to submit proposals to provide:
Executive Search Services - City Manager Recruitment
The City intends to award a contract to a firm or individual to provide services necessary for the project (the
"Project") described herein.
The City of Atlantic Beach, Florida (the "City") will receive proposals in person at the address
listed below:
The City's contact information for this RFP is:
City of Atlantic Beach
Procurement Office
800 Seminole Road
Atlantic Beach, Florida 32233
Telephone: 954-247-5800
pdrake@coab.us
RFP documents may be obtained by visiting the City's website at www.coab.us/bids or by contacting the
Procurement Manager at pdrake@coab.us. See Part II, Section H of the RFP for information regarding
submitting a proposal.
The City reserves the right to reject proposals with or without cause and for any reason, to waive any
irregularities or informalities, and to solicit and re-advertise for other proposals. Incomplete or non-
responsive proposals may be rejected by the City as non-responsive or irregular. The City reserves the right
to reject any proposal for any reason, including, but without limitation, if the proposer fails to submit any
required documentation, if the proposer is in arrears or in default upon any debt or contract to the City or
has failed to perform faithfully any previous contract with the City or with other governmental
jurisdictions. All information required by this RFP must be supplied to constitute a proposal.

City of Atlantic Beach, FL RFP No. 26-03
Part I - Statement of Work & Scope
PART I - STATEMENT OF WORK
A. OBJECTIVE
The City of Atlantic Beach is seeking proposals from qualified vendors to provide executive search and
recruitment services for the City Manager position. Firms shall submit proposals in accordance with the
requirements of this RFP and strict accordance with specifications in the Request for Proposals.
The selected firm will work closely with the Atlantic Beach City Commission, a citizen advisory
committee and designated staff to develop and conduct a search and selection process for this key
leadership position. Materials submitted by respondents are subject to public inspection under the
Florida Public Records laws unless exempt.
B. GENERAL INFORMATION
The City of Atlantic Beach is a small coastal community consisting of approximately three square miles
of land area and a population less than 14,000. The City is located between two miles of Atlantic Ocean
beachfront on the east and the expansive marsh and estuarine environment of the San Pablo
Creek/Intracoastal Waterway on the west. With all our natural beauty and nice weather we have many
pedestrians and cyclists enjoying the outdoors. The City is a near fully developed municipality where
the predominant land use is residential consisting of stable and well-established neighborhoods. The
City possesses a unique character and "personality" where a high quality of life, diverse recreational
activities, preservation of community character, and protection of natural resources are day-to-day
priorities to residents and elected officials as well
PROJECT SCOPE
The successful consulting firm will be expected, at minimum, to perform the following:
1. Consultation & Needs Assessment
a. Meet with the City key stakeholders to understand organizational culture, needs, and
expectations.
b. Define qualifications, skills, and experience desired for the position.
2. Recruitment Strategy
a. Develop and implement a recruitment strategy.
b. Prepare and distribute recruitment materials.
c. Advertise the position through appropriate channels, including professional associations
and publications.
3. Candidate Screening
a. Receive and review all applications.
b. Conduct preliminary screening and interviews.
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City of Atlantic Beach, FL RFP No. 26-03
Part I - Statement of Work & Scope
c. Coordinate with citizen advisory committee during review process.
d. Present a list of qualified candidates to the City commission designees.
4. Candidate Evaluation & Selection
a. Facilitate background checks, reference checks, social media checks, and verification of
degrees and credentials.
b. Assist with the development of interview questions and evaluation tools.
c. Assist in coordinating both virtual and in-person interviews, including logistics, technical
setup, and candidate preparation.
d. Support the final selection and negotiation process.
5. Additional Services
a. Provide optional services such as stakeholder engagement, community outreach, or
onboarding assistance.
REQUIRED CONTENT OF PROPOSAL
General Requirements
All costs incurred in the preparation and presentation of this proposal shall be wholly absorbed by the
consultant. Proposals shall contain the following:
1. Firm Background
a. Company history, size, location, and qualifications.
b. Resumes of key personnel who will be assigned to the project.
2. Relevant Experience
a. Description of past recruitments for similar positions, particularly in local government.
3. Work Plan & Timeline
a. Detailed plan outlining how the recruitment process will be conducted.
b. Estimated timeline for each phase.
4. Deliverable Expectations:
a. Number of qualified candidates expected
5. Frequency of progress updates
a. Target timeline for shortlisting
6. Cost Proposal
a. Total cost and fee breakdown (e.g., fixed fee, hourly rate, reimbursable expenses).
7. References
a. Minimum of three (3) references from recent clients with similar engagements.
RFP Check List
Please provide a completed RFP Checklist (Attachment 1). Please include the official name, address,
phone number, email address of the vendor, as well as the name of the principal contact person
and the name of the person authorized to execute the contract.
Proposed Cost of the Project
1. Provide a detailed project budget.
2. Budget will include all additional options, priced separately for any services that the City
might request outside the scope of the items in the RFP.
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City of Atlantic Beach, FL RFP No. 26-03
Part I - Statement of Work & Scope
3. Any incidental expenses, such as copying, mailing, travel type charges must be clearly
stated in the proposal.
4. Prices quoted shall be firm and not subject to increases during the term of the contract
that the vendor and City may enter into as a result of the proposal.
Please confirm the consultant's ability to meet the minimum requirements. Please explain any exception
to the consultant's ability to meet these minimum requirements.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
The City Commission or citizen review committee designees and/or staff review team will evaluate all
proposals received by the submission deadline. The evaluation will be based on a combination of objective
qualifications and subjective judgment, with the goal of selecting the firm that best aligns with the City's
needs and expectations. The following criteria will be considered in the selection process:
* Experience and qualifications
* Understanding of scope and approach
* Prior success in previous recruitments for the position of City Manager.
* Proposed timeline including schedule and availability
* Cost and overall value
* References
Finalist firms may be invited to participate in an interview with City staff and/or the City Commission. If
selected, firms should be prepared to:
* Provide a brief presentation (10 minutes) including the following:
- Outline of approach to recruitment, timeline, and proposed team members.
- Demonstrate familiarity with the role of City Manager and municipal operations.
- Discuss capacity and availability to begin the engagement on or before the anticipated
start date.
* Respond to a structured Q&A session with City representatives focused on qualifications,
candidate sourcing strategies, and experience with similar recruitments.
The interview may be held in person or virtually, at the City's discretion. Specific format and instructions
will be provided to selected firms in advance.
GENERAL CONDITIONS
1. All proposals must conform to the requirements of this RFP and must be submitted according to the
outline set forth in Sections in this RFP.
2. The City of Atlantic Beach reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive any defects in the
proposals received, and to select the consultant considered the most advantageous to the City.
3. Proposals received after the deadline and/or received unsigned shall be considered void and will NOT
be considered.
4. All proposals, responses, inquiries, correspondence or other documents relating to this RFP will become
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City of Atlantic Beach, FL RFP No. 26-03
Part I - Statement of Work & Scope
the property of the City when received.
The City reserves the right to use any or all ideas presented in any proposal, whether amended or not;
selection or rejection of a proposal does not affect this right.
RFP Timeline
Milestone Date
RFP Issue Date March 05, 2026
Deadline for Questions April 01, 2026
Proposal Due Date April 8, 2026
Interviews/Presentations April 13th - 15th, 2026
Award of Contract April 27, 2026
Anticipated Start Date May 2026
All dates are subject to change at the discretion of the City.
The selected firm will be required to sign a contract with the City, the form and substance of which must be
acceptable to the City. The City most likely will not agree to execute the consultant's standard contract. Please see
Attachment 2 for the City's standard Professional Services Agreement. All necessary insurance, business license, and
other documents will need to be provided as required.
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City of Atlantic Beach RFP No. 26-03
Part II - General Information
PART II: RFP GENERAL INFORMATION
A. DEFINITIONS
For the purposes of this Request for Proposals (RFP): Proposer or Contractor shall mean the contractor,
consultant, respondent, organization, firm, or other person submitting a response to this RFP. City shall
mean the City of Atlantic Beach, City Commission or Designee, as applicable, and any officials, employees,
agents, and elected officials.
The City's contact information for this RFP is:
Patty Drake
Procurement Manager
800 Seminole Road
Atlantic Beach, Florida 32233
Telephone: 904-247-5800
Email: pdrake@coab.us
INVITATION TO PROPOSE: PURPOSE
The City solicits proposals from responsible proposers to perform work for or provide goods and/or
services to the City as specifically described in Part I, Statement of Work.
B. CONTRACT AWARD/TERM
The City Commission anticipates entering a contract with the proposer who submits the proposal judged by
the City to be most advantageous. The City anticipates awarding one contract but reserves the right to
award more than one contract if it is in its best interest. If the City selects a proposal, the City will provide
a written notice of the award.
The proposer understands that neither this RFP nor the notice of award constitutes an agreement or a
contract with the proposer. A contract or agreement is not binding until a written contract, or agreement
has been approved as to form by the City Attorney and has been executed by both the City (with
Commission approval, if applicable) and the successful proposer. The contract will be for one year term, with
the potential for one extension depending on performance.
C. PROPOSAL COSTS
Neither the City nor its representatives shall be liable for any expenses incurred in connection with
preparation of a response to this RFP. Proposers should prepare their proposals simply and economically,
providing a straightforward and concise description of the Proposer's ability to meet the requirements of
the RFP.
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City of Atlantic Beach RFP No. 26-03
Part II - General Information
D. INQUIRIES
The City will not respond to oral inquiries. Proposers may email written inquiries for interpretation of this
RFP to the attention of the Patty Drake, Procurement Manager, pdrake@coab.us. Please mark the
correspondence "RFP No. 26-03 QUESTION".
The City will respond to written inquiries received at least 7 calendar days prior to the date scheduled for
submission of the proposals. The City will record its responses to inquiries and any supplemental
instructions in the form of a written addendum. If an addendum is issued, the City will post the written
addendum to the City's site at www.coab.us/bids. It is the sole responsibility of a Proposer to remain
informed as to any changes to the RFP.
E. DELAYS
The City may postpone scheduled due dates in its sole discretion. Changes to the scheduled due dates
will be done by written addenda that will be posted to the City's site.
F. PRE-PROPOSAL MEETING
No pre-proposal meetings are scheduled. However, proposers may schedule an on-site visit with the
Director of Human Resources, Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM, the week of March 23rd
- Friday, March 27th. Proposers should contact Robert Blanco at rblanco@coab.us to schedule such
meetings.
G. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION
Proposals shall be submitted in TRIPLICATE by 2:45 PM on Wednesday, April 8th, 2026. All responses must be sealed and
delivered in an enclosed envelope/package and endorsed as follows:
Patty Drake
Procurement Manager
800 Seminole Road
Atlantic Beach, Florida 32233
"RP 26-03: City Manager Executive Search Firm, due Wednesday, April 8th, 2026"
Late submittals, additions, or changes will not be accepted and will be returned to the bidder unopened.
It is the sole responsibility of each Proposer to ensure that their Proposal is received by the City by the
specified due date and time. Proposers may withdraw their proposals by notifying the City in writing at
any time prior to the City's opening of Proposals. Proposals, once opened, become property of the City and
will not be returned.
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City of Atlantic Beach RFP No. 26-03
Part II - General Information
H. PROPOSAL FORMAT
To ensure a uniform review process and to obtain the maximum degree of comparability, the City requires
the proposals to be organized in the manner specified herein. Proposers shall use the proposal forms
provided by the City herein. These forms may be duplicated, but failure to use the forms may cause your
proposal to be rejected.
All proposals shall be submitted as specified in this RFP. Any attachments shall be clearly identified. To
be deemed responsive and considered for contract award, the proposal must respond to all parts of the
RFP. Any other information thought to be relevant, but not applicable to the enumerated categories,
should be provided as an appendix to the proposal. If publications are supplied by a proposer to respond
to a requirement, the response should include reference to the document number and page number.
Proposals lacking this reference may be considered to have no reference material included in the
additional documents. Proposers shall prepare their proposals using the following format:
1. Letter of Transmittal - This letter will summarize in a brief and concise manner the proposer's
understanding of the scope of work and make a positive commitment to provide its services on
behalf of the City. The letter must name all persons authorized to make representations for or on
behalf of the Proposer, and must include their titles, addresses, and telephone numbers. An official
authorized to negotiate and execute a contract on behalf of the proposer must sign the letter of
transmittal.
2. Title Page - The title page shall show the name of Proposer's agency/firm, address, telephone
number, name of contact person, date, and the RFP No. and the Project name.
3. Table of Contents - Include a clear identification of the material by section and by page number.
4. Organization Profile and Qualifications - This section of the proposal must describe the Proposer,
including the size, range of activities, and experience providing similar services. Each Proposer
must include:
Documentation indicating that it is authorized to do business in the State of Florida and, if a
corporation, is incorporated under the laws of one of the States of the United States.
A description of the primary individuals responsible for supervising the work including the
percentage of time each primary individual is expected to contribute to this work.
Resumes and/or professional qualifications of all primary individuals and identify the person(s)
who will be the City's primary contact and provide the person(s') background, training,
experience, qualifications, and authority.
Completed RFP Forms A, B, C, and D. All RFP forms are included as exhibits to this document
and are available on the City website.
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City of Atlantic Beach RFP No. 26-03
Part II - General Information
I. EXPERIENCE
The proposer must describe its expertise in and experience with providing services similar to those
required by this RFP. Describe previous experience relating to the scope of work requested in this RFP.
Please describe the work performed and include contact information for no less than three (3) references, the
time the similar agency was engaged, and a list of accomplishments for each.
J. APPROACH TO PROVIDING SERVICES
This section of the proposal should explain the scope of work as understood by the proposer and
detail the approach, activities, and work products to be provided.
K. COMPENSATION
The proposal shall document the fee proposal for the requested services on RFP Form C.
L. CONFLICT OF INTEREST
All Proposers must disclose with their Qualifications Statement the name of any officer, director, or agent
who is also an employee or former employee or vendor of the City. Further, all Proposers must disclose if
any City employee owns, directly or indirectly, an interest in the Proposer's firm or any of its branches. If
there is such involvement, a proposal may not be submitted for consideration.
M. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Any additional information which the proposer considers pertinent for consideration should be included
in a separate section of the proposal.
N. PROPOSAL - PROCEDURAL INFORMATION
1. Interviews - The City reserves the right to conduct interviews or require presentations prior to
selection. The City is not responsible for any expenses which proposers may incur in connection
with a presentation to the City or related in any way to this RFP.
2. Request for additional information - The proposer shall furnish such additional information as the
City may reasonably require. This may include information which indicates financial stability as well
as ability to provide the services. The City reserves the right to conduct investigations of the
qualifications of the proposer as it deems appropriate, including but not limited to, a background
investigation. Failure to provide additional information requested may result in disqualification of
the proposal.
3. Alternate Proposals - An alternate proposal is viewed by the City as a proposal describing an
approach to accomplishing the requirements of this RFP which differs from the approach set forth
in the solicitation. An alternate proposal may be a second proposal submitted by the same
Proposer, which differs in some degree from the prior proposal or from this RFP. Alternate
proposals may be in the area of technical approach, or other provisions or requirements of
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