Title
MOTION TO APPROVE THE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE AND TO AWARD RFQ # PSUT-25-06 “ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR ION EXCHANGE ADDITION TO THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT FOR PFAS REMOVAL" TO HAZEN AND SAWYER AND TO DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE A CONTRACT FOR SERVICES, IN ACCORDANCE WITH FLORIDA STATUTE 287.055, CONSULTANTS COMPETITIVE NEGOTIATIONS ACT (CCNA).
Summary Explanation and Background
PROCUREMENT PROCESS TAKEN:
- Chapter 35 of the City’s Code of Ordinance is titled “PROCUREMENT PROCEDURES, PUBLIC FUNDS.”
- Section 35.15 defines a Request for Qualifications as “A written solicitation for competitive sealed offers with the title, date and hour of the public opening designated. A request for qualifications shall include, but is not limited to, general information, functional or general specifications, statement of work, instructions for offer and evaluation criteria. All requests for qualifications shall state the relative importance of the evaluation criteria. The city may engage in competitive negotiations with responsible offerors determined to be reasonably susceptible of being selected for award for the purpose of clarification to assure full understanding of and conformance to the solicitation requirements. Offerors shall be accorded fair and equal treatment with respect to any opportunity for discussion and revision of offers, and such revisions may be permitted after submissions and prior to award for the purpose of obtaining the best and final offer.”
- Section 35.19 of the City's Code of Ordinances is titled "SEALED COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCEDURE."
- Section 35.19(A) states, "All sealed competitive solicitations as defined in §35.18 shall be presented to the City Commission for their consideration prior to advertisement."
- Florida Statute (F.S.) 287.055 is known as the “Consultant’s Competitive Negotiation Act” (CCNA).
- F.S. Section 287.055(2)(a) defines Professional services as “those services within the scope of the practice of architecture, professional engineering, landscape architecture, or registered surveying and mapping, as defined by the laws of the state, or those performed by any architect, professional engineer, landscape architect, or registered surveyor and mapper in connection with his or her professional employment or practice.”
- F.S. Section 287.055(2)(f) states “Project” means that fixed capital outlay study or planning activity described in the public notice of the state or a state agency under paragraph (3)(a). A project may include:
1. A grouping of minor construction, rehabilitation, or renovation activities.
2. A grouping of substantially similar construction, rehabilitation, or renovation activities.
- F.S Section 287.055 (2)(g) states "A "continuing contract" is a contract for professional services entered into in accordance with all the procedures of this act between an agency and a firm whereby the firm provides professional services to the agency for projects in which the estimated construction costs of each individual project under the contract does not exceed $7.5 million, for study activity if the fee for professional services for each individual study under the contract does not exceed $500,000, or for work of a specified nature as outlined in the contract required by the agency, with the contract being for a fixed term or with no time limitation except that the contract must provide a termination clause. Firms providing professional services under continuing contracts shall not be required to bid against one another."
- F.S. Section 287.055(3)(a)(1) states “Each agency shall publicly announce, in a uniform and consistent manner, each occasion when professional services must be purchased for a project the basic construction cost of which is estimated by the agency to exceed the threshold amount provided in s.287.017 for CATEGORY FIVE ($325,000) or for a planning or study activity when the fee for professional services exceeds the threshold amount provided in s.287.017 for CATEGORY TWO ($35,000), except in cases of valid public emergencies certified by the agency head. The public notice must include a general description of the project and must indicate how interested consultants may apply for consideration.”
- Section 35.21 of the City's Code of Ordinances is titled "AWARD OF CONTRACT."
- Section 35.21(A) of the City's Code of Ordinances is titled "City Commission Approval."
- Section 35.21(A)(1) states, “An initial purchase of, or contract for, commodities or services, in excess of $25,000, shall require the approval of the City Commission, regardless of whether the competitive bidding or competitive proposal procedures were followed.”
SUMMARY EXPLANATION AND BACKGROUND:
1. On April 16, 2025, the City Commission approve the technical memorandum produced by the City’s General Water Consultant Carollo titled "PFAS Treatment Feasibility Evaluation", and waived section 35.19(a) of the city’s code of ordinances, which requires all sealed competitive solicitations to be presented to the city commission for consideration prior to advertisement.
The resulting solicitation RFQ # PSUT-25-06, “Engineering Services for Ion Exchange Addition to the Water Treatment Plant for PFAS Removal” was developed and advertised on May 7, 2025.
2. The purpose of this solicitation is to request statements of qualifications from qualified firms to provide Professional Engineering Services for the addition of ion exchange treatment for PFAS removal to the City’s Water Treatment Plant.
Services may include, but are not limited to:
• Site Visits
• Data Collection
• Testing
• Water Treatment Process Design
• Electrical Engineering Design Services
• Instrumentation and Control Engineering Design Services
• Structural Engineering Design Services
• Geotechnical Engineering Design Services
• Sub-surface Utility Locations
• Cost Estimating
• Permitting
• Bidding Support
• Engineering Services during Construction
• Final Certification
3. On June 10, 2025, the City received and opened three (3) proposals, listed in order of receipt:
|
Vendor Names |
|
Carollo Engineering, Inc |
|
WSP USA, Inc |
|
Hazen and Sawyer |
4. On September 11, 2025, the City convened an evaluation committee to select, in order of preference, no fewer than three (3) firms deemed most qualified to perform the required services. The committee evaluated qualifications based on the weighted criteria below:
- Adequacy of Personnel / Ability of Professional Personnel (25 points)
- Past Record / Past Performance (25 points)
- Capabilities (25 points)
- Experience (of the firm or individual) (25 points)
5. As only three firms submitted proposals, all were shortlisted during the first meeting. This allowed the second phase presentations and interviews to be conducted later that same day, streamlining the process.
6. During the second session on September 11, 2025, the evaluation committee heard presentations from the shortlisted firms, engaged in a question-and-answer session, and finalized their rankings based on the expanded weighted criteria outlined in the solicitation:
- Adequacy of Personnel / Ability of Professional Personnel (25 points)
- Past Record / Past Performance (25 points)
- Firm’s Understanding and Approach to the Work (32.5 points)
- Willingness to Meet Time and Budget Requirements (5 points)
- Recent, Current, and Projected Workloads of the Firms (5 points)
- Location (2.5 points)
- Local Vender Preference/Veteran Owned Small Business Preference* (5 points)
7. The evaluation committee ranked the vendors as shown below:
|
Rank |
Vendor |
|
1 |
Hazen and Sawyer |
|
2 |
Carollo Engineering, Inc |
|
3 |
WSP USA, Inc |
8. Based on the scoring results, the evaluation committee unanimously approved a motion to award RFQ # PSUT-25-06, “Engineering Services for Ion Exchange Addition to the Water Treatment Plant for PFAS Removal” to the highest ranked vendor, Hazen and Sawyer and to direct the City Manager to negotiate a contract for services, in accordance with Florida Statute 287.055, Consultants Competitive Negotiations Act (CCNA).
If a contract cannot be agreed upon, the City Manager shall then undertake negotiations with the next most qualified firm. In the event that no contract agreement can be made with any of the ranked firms, the City Manager may reconvene the Evaluation Committee to select additional firms or to determine the next steps in the process.
9. Hazen and Sawyer has completed the Equal Benefits Ordinance Compliance Form and affirmed that the firm is currently in compliance with the City’s Equal Benefits Ordinance.
10. Request City Commission to approve the findings and recommendations of the evaluation committee and to award RFQ # PSUT-25-06 “Engineering Services For Ion Exchange Addition to the Water Treatment Plant for PFAS Removal" to Hazen and Sawyer and to direct the City Manager to negotiate a contract for services, in accordance with Florida Statute 287.055, Consultants Competitive Negotiations Act (CCNA).
Financial Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT DETAIL:
a) Initial Cost: None currently. A negotiated contract will be brought back to the Commission and executed by the vendor.
b) Amount budgeted for this item in Account No: Funds are available in account 471-533-6031-663000-0000-000-0000
c) Source of funding for difference, if not fully budgeted: Not Applicable.
d) 5 year projection of the operational cost of the project: Not Applicable.
e) Detail of additional staff requirements: Not Applicable.
FEASIBILITY REVIEW:
A feasibility review is required for the award, renewal and/or expiration of all function sourcing contracts. This analysis is to determine the financial effectiveness of function sourcing services.
a) Was a Feasibility Review/Cost Analysis of Out-Sourcing vs. In-House Labor Conducted for this service? Not Applicable.
b) If Yes, what is the total cost or total savings of utilizing Out-Sourcing vs. In-House Labor for this service? Not Applicable.