REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR THE WEST VILLAGES IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT

RFQ for Engineering Services

The West Villages Improvement District (“District”), located in the City of North Port and unincorporated Sarasota County, Florida, announces that it is soliciting professional engineering services to be performed on a continuing basis for the District. The District is an independent special improvement district of the state of Florida, created by the Florida Legislature in 2004. The District encompasses approximately 8,200 +/- acres of land within the City of North Port and 3,300 +/- acres in unincorporated Sarasota County. The District’s capital improvement plan (the “Project’) is intended to include earthwork; water and sewer facilities and infrastructure (including water treatment plants and wastewater treatment plants); stormwater management and drainage facilities and infrastructure; roadways, signalization improvements, and parking facilities; recreational amenity and park improvements; governmental facility improvements (such as fire stations and police stations); landscaping, hardscaping, and signage, improvements; environmental services; and other similar infrastructure for a mixed-use development.

The engineering firm(s) or individual(s) selected will act in the general capacity of District Engineer and will provide District engineering services upon request of the District’s Board of Supervisors (the “Board”) including but not limited to attendance at Board, staff, and other meetings; participation in the District’s issuance of new and maintenance of existing financing; monitoring District projects; overseeing construction and/or acquisition activities; preparation of certifications, documents, and reports in furtherance of District engineering activities; and the provision of such other engineering services as may be authorized by the Board.

The selection manual (“Selection Manual”), including the scope of work, instructions to applicants, evaluation criteria and other documents, are available for public inspection and may be obtained from the District Manager, Special District Services, Inc., beginning on March 18, 2020 at 10:00 A.M. at 19503 S. West Villages Parkway, #A3 Venice, Florida 34293, (941)-244-2805 wcrosley@sdsinc.org (“District Office”).

Any firm or individual (“Applicant”) desiring to provide professional engineering services to the District must: (1) hold applicable federal, state and local licenses; (2) be authorized to do business in Florida in accordance with Florida law; and (3) furnish a statement (“Qualification Statement”) of its qualifications and past experience on U.S. General Service Administration’s “Architect-Engineer Qualifications, Standard Form No. 330,” along with pertinent supporting data.

The District will review all Applicants consistent with Florida law, including the Consultant’s Competitive Negotiations Act, Chapter 287, Florida Statutes (“CCNA”). Each interested Applicant must submit one (1) original copy and one (1) electronic copy (PDF format on a USB flash drive) of the Qualification Statement, along with all other requested attachments, by April 20, 2020 (“Submittal Deadline”) to the District Office. The District reserves the right to reject any and all Qualification Statements.

The Board has appointed a three-person Selection Committee (the “Committee”). The Committee will meet at 8:00 AM on April 30, 2020 at the West Villages Conference Room, 19503 S. West Villages Parkway, Suite A4, Venice, Florida 34293 to evaluate the Qualification Statements, hear presentations from the Applicants, and rank the Applicants based on the selection criteria outlined in this RFQ (the “Committee Meeting”). Submission of the Qualifications Statement by an Applicant constitutes acknowledgment by the Applicant that it will coordinate its attendance at the Committee Meeting. The Committee reserves the right to determine a Qualifications Statement as being unresponsive if the Applicant does not attend the Committee Meeting for the purpose of providing a presentation to the Committee.

The Committee’s ranking recommendation, as determined at the Committee Meeting, will be considered by the District’s Board at its regular meeting held at 11:00 A.M. on May 14, 2020 at the Commission Chambers, North Port City Hall, 4970 City Hall Boulevard, North Port, Florida 34286. The highest ranked Applicant, as approved by the Board, will be requested to enter into contract negotiations. If an agreement cannot be reached between the District and the highest ranked Applicant, negotiations will cease and begin with the next highest ranked Applicant, and if these negotiations are unsuccessful, will continue to the third highest ranked Applicant, and so forth.

Any protest regarding the terms of this Notice, or the Selection Manual on file with the District Manager, must be filed in writing, within seventy-two (72) hours after the Submittal Deadline. The formal protest setting forth with particularity the facts and law upon which the protest is based shall be filed within seven (7) calendar days after the initial notice of protest was filed. Failure to timely file a notice of protest or failure to timely file a formal written protest shall constitute a waiver of any right to object or protest any matters relating to the Selection Manual. Any person who files a notice of protest shall provide to the District, simultaneous with the filing of the notice, a protest bond with a responsible surety to be approved by the District and in the amount of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00). Furthermore, there is no express or implied obligation for the District to reimburse Applicants for any expenses associated with the preparation and submittal of the Qualification Statements in response to this request. Additional information and requirements regarding protests are set forth in the Selection Manual and the District’s Rules of Procedure, which are available from the District Manager.

Any and all questions relative to this Request for Qualifications shall be directed in writing by email only to William Crosley at Wcrosley@sdsinc.org, with an e-mail copy to Lindsay Whelan at lwhelan@hgslaw.com on or before 5:00 P.M. on April 15, 2020.

William Crosley
District Manager

WEST VILLAGES IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT

www.westvillagesid.org

PUBLISH:  SARASOTA HERALD TRIBUNE   03/18/20