At the end of the day, the new operator for Penticton’s iconic Peach offered more than half what locals were willing to bid.
The controversial result of a Request for Proposals (RFP) saw the concession stand go to a company from outside the city; Calgary-based Family Squeezed Lemonade.
According to the city’s director of finance and administration Angela Campbell, the bid from Family Squeezed Lemonade came in at over 60 per cent higher than either of the two competing bids, including the bid from Loco Landing’s Diana Stirling.
Family Squeezed Lemonade offered to put up $13,125 a year to operate the Peach for the next three years, the contract for which is now finished and signed.
While the financial aspect is a key part of the consideration for the bid, it is not the only one, or even the most important. Out of the city’s criteria for the RFP, the financial proposal is worth 20 per cent of the scoring, while the business plan is worth 25 and experience is worth 30 per cent.
According to the draft RFP that was presented in February, that experience includes a request for details of the company’s dealings with Interior Health, Penticton Fire Department and the City of Penticton that will be considered for deliver what they are proposing.
The awarding of the contract to the Calgary-based company, as well as the city’s spin by claiming they are a ‘local’ company by virtue of having extended family in the area, caused an uproar among locals and members of city council.
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