1-RFP - Artificial Reef Materials Deployment to Gulfside 5 8 9 Mile Reef FINAL(9.25.25).pdf

MONROE COUNTY

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

FOR GULFSIDE

5-MILE, 8-MILE, AND 9-MILE

ARTIFICIAL REEFS DEPLOYMENTS

MONROE COUNTY FLORIDA

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

Mayor James K. Scholl, District 3 Mayor Pro Tem Michele Lincoln, District 2

Craig Cates, District 1 David Rice, District 4

Holly Merrill Raschein, District 5

COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR

Christine Hurley

Clerk of the Circuit Court Artificial Reefs Program Director

Kevin Madok Dr. Hanna Koch

October 2025

PREPARED BY:

Office of Artificial Reefs

Table of Contents

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SOLICITATIONS

Article I. Detailed Requirements

1. BACKGROUND

2. SCOPE OF WORK

3. CONTENTS OF PROPOSAL/SELECTION CRITERIA………………………………………..11

Article II. Special Terms and Conditions

1. SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS

2. ERRORS OR MISINTERPRETATIONS

3. PROPOSAL SECURITY

4. DETERMINATION OF SUCCESSFUL RESPONDENT

5. MILESTONE DATES

6. MISCELLANEOUS REQUIREMENTS

Article III. General Terms and Conditions

1. DEFINITIONS OF GENERAL TERMS

2. REQUIRED PROVISIONS

3. GOVERNING LAWS AND REGULATIONS

4. SAFETY REQUIREMENTS & EMERGENCY CONSIDERATIONS

5. PERFORMANCE & PAYMENT

6. POWERS RESERVED BY MONROE COUNTY

7. FORCE MAJEURE AND EXTENSION(S) OF TIME

8. LIABILITY, INDEMNIFICATION, AND CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE

CHECKLIST ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM…………………………………………………………35

PRICE PROPOSAL FORM

PROPOSER'S STATEMENT……………………………………………………………………………..38

COUNTY FORMS (& STATE-MANDATED PROVISIONS) AFFIDAVIT

CERTIFICATION REGARDING DEBARMENT, ETC…....…………………………………………...45

INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS AND FORMS

INDEMNIFICATION, HOLD HARMLESS

INSURANCE AGENT’S STATEMENT

BID (PROPOSAL) SECURITY…………………………………………………………………………..51

SAMPLE CONTRACT…………………………………………………………………………………...54

ATTACHMENT 1 - FWC Pre-Deployment Notification Form………………..………………...……….71 ATTACHMENT 2 - FWC Post-Deployment Notification Form...……………..………………………...73

FIGURES & TABLES

Figure 1 | Map of Proposed Artificial Reef Sites in the Gulfside Network Table 1 | GPS coordinates, in all formats, for the three proposed artificial reef sites Table 2 | Type, number, and status of permits for each proposed artificial reef site Table 3 | Center GPS coordinates (decimal degrees, DD) for proposed patch reefs at each site Figure 2 | Patch reef configuration at each artificial reef site Figure 3 | Desired Patch Reef Design and Configuration of Artificial Reef Modules Table 4 | Minimum required specifications of artificial reef modules…...……………………………..78 Table 5 | Proposed specifications for artificial reef modules………..…………..……………………...79 Table 6 | Site depth relative to mean low low water line (MLLW) Table 7 | Schedule of liquidated damages………………………………………………………………80

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SOLICITATIONS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at 3:00 P.M., the Monroe County Purchasing Office will receive and open sealed responses for the following:

Artificial Reef Materials Deployment to Gulfside Five (5) Mile Reef, Gulfside Eight (8) Mile Reef, and Gulfside Nine (9) Mile Reef

Monroe County, Florida

Pursuant to F.S. § 50.0211(3)(a), all published competitive solicitation notices can be viewed at:

www.floridapublicnotices.com, a searchable Statewide repository for all published legal notices.

Requirements for submission and the selection criteria may be requested from the County’s electronic bidding platform at https://monroecounty-fl.bonfirehub.com OR www.monroecounty-fl.gov/BonfireBids.

The Public Record is available upon request. Monroe County Purchasing Department receives proposals via the Bonfire electronic bidding platform. Please do not email, mail or attempt to deliver in person any sealed bids/proposals/responses. Emailed/mailed/physically delivered bids/proposals/responses WILL NOT be accepted.

The Monroe County Purchasing Department hereby directs that proposals be submitted via the Bonfire electronic bidding platform at https://monroecounty-fl.bonfirehub.com, before 3:00P.M. on Wednesday, November 5, 2025. There is no cost to the proposer to use the Bonfire platform and questions should be submitted using the Bonfire platform. Otherwise, questions regarding this RFP may be transmitted in writing to Ilze Aguila, Senior Administrator of Growth Management Operations, at address: 2798 Overseas Hwy, 2nd Floor, Marathon, FL 33050, or Email: aguila-ilze@monroecounty-fl.gov.

Please do not submit your confidential financial information as part of your proposal. There are separate uploads for each set of documents, including confidential financial information. All proposals will be made public on the platform after an intended decision or 30 days from unsealing, whichever is earlier, unless the bids/proposals are rejected in accordance with F.S. § 119.071. If your proposal document includes financial information (not uploaded separately), that information will be considered public and viewable to the public in accordance with public records law. In the event of a discrepancy between the bid/proposal amount on the Proposal Form and the bid/proposal amount entered in Bonfire, the bid/proposal amount listed in the “Proposal Form” provided by Monroe County in the RFP is the amount that will be utilized by the County when considering the bid/proposal. The County reserves the right to waive any bid/proposal irregularity.

The proposal opening for this solicitation will be held virtually, via the internet, at 3:00 P.M., on Wednesday, November 5, 2025. You may call in by phone or internet using the following:

Join Zoom Meeting https://mcbocc.zoom.us/j/4509326156

Meeting ID: 4509326156 One tap mobile:

+16465189805,,4509326156# US (New York) +16699006833,,4509326156# US (San Jose)

Dial by your location:

+1 646 518 9805 US (New York) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)

Publication Dates Keys Citizen: Sat., 10/04/2025 Miami Herald: Fri., 10/03/2025 Keys Weekly: Thur., 10/09/2025 News Barometer: Fri., 10/10/2025

End of Section http://www.floridapublicnotices.com/ https://monroecounty-fl.bonfirehub.com/ http://www.monroecounty-fl.gov/BonfireBids https://monroecounty-fl.bonfirehub.com/ https://mcbocc.zoom.us/j/4509326156

Artificial Reef Materials Deployment to Gulfside Five (5) Mile Reef, Gulfside Eight (8) Mile Reef, and Gulfside Nine (9) Mile Reef

Article I. Detailed Requirements

1. BACKGROUND

The purpose and intent of this Request for Proposals (“RFP”) is to select a qualified respondent for the acquisition, construction, and deployment of prefabricated concrete artificial reef modules to at least one (1), and potentially two (2) and/or all three (3) artificial reef sites in offshore state waters of the Gulf of America that are each approximately 37-42 feet deep. The specified artificial reef materials will be deployed to four (4) discrete patch reefs at each of the three (3) artificial reef sites, as further described herein. This solicitation only guarantees work for the Gulfside Five (5) Mile Reef location, but solicits work on all three (3) artificial reef sites. The County expressly reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to increase or decrease the work on the additional artificial reef sites, to wit: one or both of the artificial reef sites described herein as the Gulfside Eight (8) Mile Reef and/or Gulfside Nine (9) Mile Reef. Respondents must submit a proposal that describes a deployment plan that is uniform across all three (3) artificial reef sites, and provides a total (aggregate) price for all three (3) deployments, with each deployment cost equaling one-third (1/3) of the total (aggregate) price. For example: If the proposal’s total (aggregate) price is $1,200,000.00; then the Gulfside Five (5) Mile Reef will cost $400,000.00, the Gulfside Eight (8) Mile Reef will cost $400,000.00, and the Gulfside Nine (9) Mile Reef will cost $400,000.00.

Each patch reef within an artificial reef site will be composed of three (3) large tetrahedrons (~16 tons each), four (4) small tetrahedrons (~3 tons each), and six (6) layered disc stands (~3 tons each). This represents an estimated total weight of approximately 318 tons of concrete material per artificial reef site. The specific locations and allocations of the artificial reef materials are outlined in this RFP. The specified artificial reef materials are intended to be deployed to three (3) artificial reef sites offshore of Monroe County as referenced herein, consistent with and subject to the following permits:

A. Gulfside Five (5) Mile Reef - FDEP (state) approved permit application #44-0453700-001- EG / USACE (federal) pending permit application #SAJ-2024-04159;

B. Gulfside Eight (8) Mile Reef - FDEP (state) approved permit application #44-0461100- 001-EG / USACE (federal) pending permit application #SAJ-2025-00696; and

C. Gulfside Nine (9) Mile Reef - FDEP (state) approved permit application (#44-0459830- 001-EG / USACE (federal) pending permit application #SAJ-2024-04827.

(See Figure 1, Table 1.)

The work outlined in this RFP will be subject to and must comply with all terms and conditions, including any special conditions, of artificial reef permits issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (Table 2). All terms and conditions, including any special conditions, of said permits are incorporated herein as if set forth in full. For pending and/or approved permit applications and other important documents, see links within the Bonfire System, Monroe County’s Public Procurement Platform, https://monroecounty-fl.bonfirehub.com). Of note: The proposed permitted work areas are outside the jurisdictional waters of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary boundaries; thus, sanctuary permits are not applicable.

Respondents must submit proposals that include a plan for material acquisition, construction, transportation and deployment (“Deployment Plan”), including cost to complete the proposed Deployment Plan. Respondents should plan to timely deploy artificial reef materials to sites as permits get approved. Contractor selection will be administered through the criteria outlined in the below RFP process. The County reserves the right to award a contract to a responsible Respondent that submits a responsive proposal that is most advantageous and in the best interest of Monroe County. Monroe County Board of County Commissioners (“BOCC”), at its sole discretion, reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, waive any slight or immaterial variation, irregularity, or technicality in proposals received, or readvertise for the services hereunder. As such, the BOCC is the sole judge of what serves the County’s best interest, and such decision is final.

This project is funded by a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (“FWC”) grant awarded to Monroe County’s Office of Artificial Reefs, and said work is solicited pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in FWC Agreement #23132 - State Grant Recipient Agreement between State of Florida (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission) and Monroe County Board of County Commissioners for Florida Artificial Reef Program (CSFA No. 77-007), as may be amended. By submitting a proposal, Respondents expressly acknowledge and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions stated in FWC Agreement #23132, as may be amended, and same is incorporated herein as if set forth in full. Available funding for completion of all three (3) artificial reef sites is budgeted at $2,100,000.00. Respondents are advised to submit proposals for what each can construct/procure and deploy as specified in their given Deployment Plan with a not-to-exceed total (aggregate) cost of $2,100,000.00 for all three (3) artificial reef sites. The County reserves the right to divide the total (aggregate) cost by three (3) in order to ascertain the price per each artificial reef site, notwithstanding any language to the contrary contained in the proposal itself, or in this RFP. Additionally, it is the intent of the County to complete the deployment of all three (3) artificial reef sites no later than December 31, 2026.

2. SCOPE OF WORK

A. DEFINITIONS

The terms and abbreviations set forth below shall have the meanings ascribed to them in Chapter 68E-9, “The Florida Artificial Reef Program,” of the Florida Administrative Code, and additional terms as used in this RFP are defined as follows:

1. “Artificial reef” means one or more manufactured or natural objects intentionally placed on the bottom in predominantly marine waters to provide conditions believed to be favorable in sustaining, or enhancing the spawning, breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity of Florida’s managed reef associated fish species as well as to increase the productivity of other reef community resources which support fisheries. Included in this definition are artificial reefs developed with one or more of the following additional objectives: habitat enhancement for marine life, enhancement of fishing and diving opportunities, fisheries research, and fisheries conservation/preservation purposes.

2. “Contractor” means the vendor contracted by the County to provide services defined in the scope of work and meets the definition of “Contractor” in section 119.0701(1) (a). F.S.

3. “Layered Disc Stand” means an artificial reef structure with multiple concrete discs layered on top of one another, maintaining space between the discs.

4. “Permitted site” means an area with discrete boundaries inside of which one or more artificial reefs may be located and for which all required permits and authorizations have been obtained. These permits and authorizations include: artificial reef permits issued by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and/or the Army Corps of Engineers and other permits, licenses, or authorizations required by any governing body.

5. “Prefabricated modules” means structures specifically designed and built for use as artificial reefs and which meet the environmental safety, durability, and stability requirements of this rule, as well as providing complexity and texture which are suitable as habitat for fishes and for colonization by encrusting marine organisms.

6. “Staging area” means a land-based holding area for artificial reef material where such material is stored and prepared for transportation to an approved artificial reef site.

7. “Tetrahedron” means a three (3)-sided concrete artificial reef structure resembling a pyramid.

B. LOCATIONS

The deployment sites of the artificial reef materials are as specified in Table 1 and Figure 1 (the ‘Permitted sites’). The specified artificial reef modules are to be deployed to four (4) separate patch reefs at each of the pending permitted sites of Gulfside Five (5) Mile Reef, Gulfside Eight (8) Mile Reef, and Gulfside Nine (9) Mile Reef (Figure 2, Table 3). This solicitation only guarantees work for the Gulfside Five (5) Mile Reef location, but solicits work on all three (3) artificial reef sites. The County expressly reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to increase or decrease the work on the additional artificial reef sites, to wit: one or both of the artificial reef sites described herein as the Gulfside Eight (8) Mile Reef and/or Gulfside Nine (9) Mile Reef.

C. MINIMUM MATERIAL STANDARDS

1. All artificial reef materials intended for deployment:

a) Must be consistent with the published “Guidelines for Marine Artificial Reef Materials,” 3rd edition, the National Artificial Reef Plan (found at: Guidelines for Marine Artificial Reef Materials - Third Edition (gsmfc.org), the State of Florida Artificial Reef Strategic Plan, and Chapter 68E-9, F.A.C., entitled, “The Florida Artificial Reef Program.”

b) Will be clean and free from asphalt, petroleum, other hydrocarbons, and toxic residues, as well as loose, free-floating material, or other deleterious substances.

c) Must be composed of marine grade concrete with a minimum strength of 4,000 pounds per square inch (psi).

D. MINIMUM MODULE STANDARDS

1. Minimum design specifications for each module type, including large tetrahedron, small tetrahedron, and layered disc stand, can be found in Table 4. Proposer will need to include a filled out Table 5 as part of their Deployment Plan and clearly state how they will meet these -and all- minimum standards listed herein.

2. Open-bottom prefabricated reef modules may not be used unless the module has a top opening sufficiently large to allow for turtle egress. Approved open-bottom modules include:

a) Three (3)-sided modules where each side of the top opening is at least 36-in in length along its edge.

b) Four (4) or more sided modules where each side of the top opening is at least 40-in in length along its edge.

c) Modules with a round opening with a diameter of at least 40-in (oval openings are not allowed unless a 40-in diameter circle space can fit within the oval).

d) Modules that are approved by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation

Commission as being turtle friendly.

3. No open-bottom modules are allowed that include additional modules, discs, or other materials stacked, placed on or immediately adjacent to the top opening, as they may prevent turtles from easily escaping.

4. All artificial reef modules to be deployed:

a) Will be selected, designed, constructed, and deployed to create stable and durable marine habitat.

b) Must consist of multi-sided, prefabricated concrete parts.

c) Must be at least five (5) feet tall each.

d) Must each weigh at least 6,000 lbs (or approximately three (3) tons).

e) Shall consist of embedded materials (e.g., variable sizes of Florida limestone rocks) to increase surface area, roughness, and rugosity to support settlement.

f) Must not include external metal frameworks.

g) Must include multiple openings all the way through the outer surface to allow for water circulation and access by fish.

E. MATERIAL DEPLOYMENT AND PLACEMENT MINIMUM STANDARDS

1. Artificial reef materials must be deployed within the permitted sites (Table 1).

2. No artificial reef materials shall be deployed within 50 feet of any boundary of the permitted artificial reef site (Figure 2).

3. Artificial reef materials shall be deployed across four (4) distinct patch reefs at the permitted reef site (Figure 2), where each patch reef consists of three (3) large tetrahedrons, four (4) small tetrahedrons, and six (6) layered disc stands (Figure 3).

The proposed relative placement and configuration of the modules within each patch reef can be found in Figure 3. At each patch reef, two layered disc stands will be housed inside larger tetrahedrons, and the spacing between all modules within a patch reef shall be approximately 5-10 feet (Figure 3).

4. The module deployed to the center of the targeted patch reef must be within 5-10 feet of the targeted GPS coordinates (Figure 3, Table 3).

5. During deployment of the artificial reef materials, the transport vessel must be effectively moored through double anchoring, be spudded down, or otherwise be held securely in place with minimal movement (+/-20 feet) to ensure accurate placement of the modules on the bottom.

6. Any machinery used to move and deploy the reef materials should be sufficiently powered/maneuverable and capably operated to ensure timely, effective and safe off-loading of materials.

7. The tug or transport vessel shall meet all U.S. Coast Guard certification and safety requirements, be equipped with a working, accurate Global Positioning System (GPS) unit and other marine electronics including a working VHF radio. Regarding whether the barge has to be ocean certified by ABS, proposers are required to follow all federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and rules. Monroe County cannot provide legal advice on whether an exemption to such laws, regulations, or rules apply to a particular vessel.

8. Effective and reliable communications shall exist at all times between the transport vessel captain, the transport vessel crew, and designated COUNTY observer on site.

9. Deployment operations will only be initiated when sea height in the operations area is no greater than two (2) to four (4) feet as forecast by the nearest NOAA weather office.

10. Either the FWC’s observer, the COUNTY’s observer or the contractor’s vessel captain reserves the right to suspend off-loading operations if positioning or other deployment objectives, including safety of personnel and equipment, are not met. The Contractor will not be entitled to an increase in the contract sum or payment or compensation of any kind from the County for direct, indirect, consequential, impact or other costs, expenses or damages, including but not limited to costs for acceleration or inefficiency arising because of delay, disruption, interference or hindrance from any cause whatsoever, whether such delay, disruption, interference or hindrance was avoidable or unavoidable. The Contractor’s recovery of damages and sole remedy for any delay caused by the County or FWC is exclusively an extension of time on the Contract, and only for an amount of time authorized herein.

11. In order to validate accuracy of cargo manifests prior to deployment, the Contractor shall provide to the COUNTY a complete inventory list and photograph of artificial reef materials loaded onto the barge or other deployment vessel immediately prior to each deployment.

12. A minimum vertical clearance of 22 to 25 feet shall be maintained above the highest point of the reef modules at each permitted site (Table 6).

13. All special and standard manatee protection requirements described in the Army Corp of Engineers permit for this reef site must be met.

14. The COUNTY’S Project Manager or COUNTY’s designated official observer shall oversee the temporary marking of each targeted patch reef location in advance of material deployment in order to assist the contractor in the proper placement of the artificial reef materials. The markers shall be buoys of sufficient size and color to be clearly visible to the tug captain, and sufficiently anchored and with sufficient scope so that they will not drift prior to deployment. Precise GPS placement of marker buoys that do not shift position are important to ensure the reef is constructed within the permitted site and accurately placed at the designated deployment location(s). The COUNTY will not pay for materials placed outside the permitted site, and Contractor will be solely responsible for any materials outside the permitted site. The Contractor must provide the GPS coordinates of the center of each targeted patch reef to the County on the day of deployment. After deployment, the Contractor must re-confirm patch reef GPS coordinates and send them to the County.

15. The COUNTY’s Project Manager or COUNTY's designated official observer shall remain on site during the entire deployment phase of the operation.

16. Both the COUNTY and its CONTRACTOR shall have on site current nautical charts of the deployment area, with the permitted site indicated on the chart. The proposed patch reef coordinates and the corner coordinates of the permitted site will also be in possession of the COUNTY's observer and the contractor when on site.

17. The CONTRACTOR shall be prepared to and must remove any floating debris that might occur during deployment. Having boat hooks, dip nets, and other equipment on board to enable efficient collection of unanticipated floating debris is strongly encouraged. The CONTRACTOR shall be responsible for ensuring that any floating debris discovered during deployment operations (e.g., wood, floating line, aluminum cans, plastic bottles, or other floating materials) shall be collected and transported back to land for proper disposal.

18. The CONTRACTOR agrees to allow the COUNTY and FWC to conduct on-site inspection of the artificial reef materials before, during, and after the deployment.

F. CALENDAR OF EVENTS – REQUIRED MILESTONES

1. Material construction and deployment for all three sites is intended for completion no later than December 31, 2026, provided permits are approved and other conditions precedent are met. This is a time-of-the-essence project, and contractors should plan to deploy materials to each site as permits are approved, and no later than thirty (30) days after the County issues a “Notice to Proceed” consistent with the contract. No compensation will be made for any work completed after the express termination date provided in the contract. At the County’s discretion, the Contractor may request a no cost extension of the term, and same may be accomplished via a duly executed amendment to the contract or change order.

2. At least 30 days prior to the first deployment, the selected Contractor, FWC representative, and County shall participate in a Pre-construction Meeting to go over contract/agreement documents and discuss a deployment operations plan identifying the deployment locations with sufficient buffer from permit boundaries, schedule of operations, list of personnel (and phone contact information) and vessels involved in deployment operations, and identify the VHF working channel during operations.

Work cannot proceed until after the Pre-construction Meeting is held and a written Notice to Proceed is issued to the Contractor by the County.

3. Work cannot proceed until the FWC has issued a written Notice to Proceed to the County, which should be requested at least 30 days prior to the planned deployment date.

4. Once artificial reef materials have been inspected by the County or someone designated by the County or FWC, a FWC Artificial Reef Cargo Manifest Form (Attachment 1) will be filled out by the Contractor AND County and then submitted to the FWC at least 14 days prior to the deployment date. The FWC Artificial Reef Cargo Manifest form shall be maintained onboard the deployment vessel at all times during transport of materials, pursuant to Chapter 379.249, Florida Statutes.

5. For each barge load of artificial reef materials, the selected Contractor shall inventory all of the artificial reef materials, calculate the tonnage, and take a representative photograph of the artificial reef materials loaded onto the barge or other deployment vessel immediately prior to deployment and send to the County prior to deployment.

6. For each deployment location (i.e., patch reef) or deployment date, a FWC Artificial Reef Materials Placement Report (Attachment 2) shall be partially filled out by the Contractor and submitted to the County within one week of deployment.

a) The Contractor must provide the GPS coordinates of the center of each targeted patch reef to the County on the day of deployment. After deployment, the Contractor must re-confirm patch reef GPS coordinates and send them to the County, preferably the day of, but no later than one week.

G. LIABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR REEF MATERIALS

All liability, risk of loss, and responsibility for the safe handling, storage, transportation and deployment of the artificial reef materials is borne upon the CONTRACTOR. This liability, assumption of risk and responsibility shall remain with the CONTRACTOR until the materials are deployed at the permitted artificial reef site in accordance with the specifications in RFP and any forthcoming agreement. The Proposer must acknowledge these express requirements in the Deployment Plan.

H. CONTRACTOR EXPERIENCE MINIMUM STANDARDS

1. Proposers must be registered with the Department of State in accordance with provision of Chapter 607, Florida Statutes, the “Florida Business Corporation Act”;

(http://dos.myflorida.com/);

2. Proposers must not be on the federal debarment list;

http://www.dol.gob/ofccp/regs/compliance/preaward/debarlst.htm

3. Proposer must not be on the state debarment list;

http://www.dms.myflorida.com/business_operations/state_purchasing/vendor_inform ation/convicted_suspended_discriminatory_complaints_vendor_lists

4. Show they are competent and have the necessary resources to fulfill the conditions of the contract. A Certified General Contractor’s license or Certified Marine Contractor’s license are not required for this artificial reef deployment.

5. Have successfully completed at least one (1) artificial reef construction project, or similar marine construction project, within the past five (5) years, anywhere in the United States.

6. Provide proof of insurance (in accordance with the County liability requirements).

7. Divers are not required to deploy artificial reef materials described herein. However, if

Proposer plans to use divers, it must use an OSHA Compliant dive team and Proposer must carry commercial diving insurance, with proof of sufficient coverage for such operations, as determined by the County’s Risk Manager.

8. Pollution insurance or builder’s risk insurance is not required.

I. REPORTING, PERFORMANCE, AND PUBLICATIONS

1. No publicity, published articles, or media interviews will be conducted by Contractor in relation to the Work unless written approval is first obtained by the County. As a minimum, any publication of information related to this artificial reef activity shall reflect sponsorship as follows: "Sponsored by Monroe County, and the State of Florida, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission." If the sponsorship reference is in written material, the words "State of Florida, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission" shall appear in the same size letters or type as Monroe County. This sponsorship disclosure requirement is consistent with Section 286.25, Fla. Stat., as may be amended from time to time.

2. The Contractor shall comply with all applicable Federal, State and local rules and regulations in providing services to the County under this Agreement, including the general and special conditions specified in any permits issued by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, or the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission. The Contractor acknowledges that this requirement includes compliance with all applicable Federal, State and local health and safety rules and regulations.

3. The Contractor is required to be in compliance with the following Federal employment guidelines when employing individuals with funds obtained through this contract:

i. Title 42, United States Code Section 2000d (Section 601, Title VI, Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended)

ii. Title 29, United States Code Section 794 (Section 504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended)

iii. Title 20, United States Code Section 1681 (Section 901, Title IX, Public Law 92-318, prohibiting discrimination of the basis of sex)

iv. Title 42, United States Code (Section 6101 Title II of Public Law 94-135, prohibiting http://dos.myflorida.com/ http://www.dol.gob/ofccp/regs/compliance/preaward/debarlst.htm http://www.dms.myflorida.com/business_operations/state_purchasing/vendor_information/convicted_suspended_discriminatory_complaints_vendor_lists http://www.dms.myflorida.com/business_operations/state_purchasing/vendor_information/convicted_suspended_discriminatory_complaints_vendor_lists discrimination on the basis of age)

v. Executive Order 11246, entitled “Equal Employment Opportunity”, as amended by

Executive Order 11375 and as supplemented in Department of Labor Regulations (41 CFR Part 60)

vi. Under Title 40, United States Code Section 276a to a-7 (as supplemented by Department of Labor Regulations, 29 CFR, Part 5), Contractors shall be required to pay wages to laborers and mechanics at a rate not less than the minimum wages specified in a wage determination made by the Secretary of labor. In addition, Contractor shall be required to pay wages not less often than once a week.

4. If modules are damaged during transport or deployment, the parties agree that liquidated damages are appropriate and such value for said damages shall be the reduction of payment for the value as described herein of any misplaced, disoriented, cracked or broken modules documented during the County’s pre-deployment inspection or post-deployment surveys. The County will report liquidated damages to the Contractor using the assigned unique identifier number (attached to each reef) within 30 days of material deployment. Claims for liquidated damages may only be applied to the specific modules documented by the County within the 30-day inspection period. Modules not inspected within the 30-day inspection period will not be eligible for liquidated damages.

Liquidated damages may be applied per unit according to the liquidated damages schedule (Table 7). Damages can be cumulative; for example, if a unit is found to be lying on its side and was cracked during handling that unit’s price will be reduced by 20%.

3. CONTENTS OF PROPOSAL/SELECTION CRITERIA

The Proposer shall submit a proposal that depicts its Deployment Plan which includes detailed descriptions for Module Specifications, Price per Reef Material / Total Aggregate Cost, Professional Qualifications, Schedule of Operations, and Available Deployment Resources.

Proposer must include descriptions of how minimum standards outlined herein will be ensured, including specifications in Table 4. The proposal shall be prepared simply, providing a straightforward, concise delineation of Proposer’s capabilities to satisfy the requirement of the RFP. Colored displays, and promotional material are not desired; however, technical literature may be included as attachments to the proposal. The Proposal cover page should contain Proposer’s name, address, telephone number, and the name of the Proposer’s contact person and their e-mail address. Emphasis must be on completeness and clarity of content. To expedite the evaluation of proposals, it is essential that the Proposer follows the format and instructions contained in the RFP.

Proposer must ensure that electronic copies of their documents are uploaded in sufficient quality and resolution/pixelization to ensure legibility of the submission. The County reserves the right to waive any slight or immaterial variation, irregularity, or technicality in proposals received.

Proposers are hereby put on notice that if selected to perform the work pursuant to this solicitation any change(s) to the “Deployment Plan” (vessels, barges, equipment, methodology), such proposed changes must not be material to the performance of the work and must be submitted in writing, and approved by the County and FWC in writing, prior to implementation.

A. Module Specifications (0 – 20 Points)

Describe detailed specifications of the module designs proposed to be deployed;

include a completed Table 5. The contractor must provide the following information:

1. Detailed description and specifications of modules. Describe the module dimensions, weight and the composition of each component of each module design including wall thickness, what type of material reinforces the module’s concrete walls and how and with what material the separate parts of the module are secured to each other. Submit scale drawings (top, side, bottom views) of each module design proposed. Include a description of the number, size, and placement of windows, openings, spaces for each module type. Include description of how modules allow for turtle egress. Module descriptions exhibiting the greatest detail and performance potential are preferred.

2. Footprint. Provide the area in square feet of the base of each module design proposed.

3. Surface area. Specify the external surface area exposed in the water column (not covered by seafloor) in square feet of each module type to be deployed. Indicate what material enhancements will be attached to the module surface (i.e., embedded) such as stone. Greatest amount of surface areas and material enhancements are desired.

4. Height. Identify the maximum height of each type of module to be deployed. Greatest heights meeting specifications and restrictions are desired, i.e. a 22-25’ navigational clearance must be maintained across the artificial reef site (Table 6).

5. Lifting and placement mechanism. Describe how each module is designed to be lifted and released on the bottom. Describe how the lifting lines and/or straps will be temporary/removable.

6. Demonstrate stability of each module design. Documentation of past performance are preferred.

7. Demonstrate durability of each module design. Documentation of past performance at similar deployment depths are preferred.

8. Tendency to subside. Demonstrate the tendency of each module design to subside.

Describe any module design elements intended to reduce subsidence. Documentation of past performance and designs with minimal subsidence at similar deployment depths and similar substrate type are preferred.

9. Configuration & placement. Describe how the module placement and configuration depicted in Figure 3 will be achieved, including spaces between modules within each patch reef and how layered disc stands will be placed inside the larger tetrahedrons.

10. Minimum standards. Describe how Minimum Material Standards and Minimum Module Standards will be ensured.

B. Price per Reef Material / Total Aggregate Cost (0 – 30 Points)

1. Identify the cost of modules that will be provided. Lowest cost is preferred.

2. Include cost breakdown/rates for manufacture or acquisition of modules, module transportation and/or staging, mobilization, and deployment.

3. Total Aggregate Cost must include cost of all three (3) artificial reef sites in the aggregate as a flat rate, inclusive of all expenses, i.e. Performance and Payment Bond(s).

4. Proposer may include Optional Add-Ons. For example purposes only, these could include specific add-on (non-essential) services and associated prices; Price per optional additional tonnage of artificial reef materials to be deployed; etc.

NOTE: The County reserves the right to divide the total (aggregate) cost by three (3) in order to ascertain the price per each artificial reef site, notwithstanding any language to the contrary contained in the proposal itself, or in this RFP. This solicitation only guarantees work for the Gulfside Five (5) Mile Reef location, but solicits work on all three

(3) artificial reef sites. The County expressly reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to increase or decrease the work on the additional artificial reef sites, to wit: one (1) or both of the artificial reef sites described herein as the Gulfside Eight (8) Mile Reef and/or Gulfside Nine (9) Mile Reef. Respondents must submit a proposal that contemplates completion of all three (3) artificial reef sites; proposals that limit the work (i.e. offer completion of only one (1) reef site) will not be considered.

C. Professional Qualifications (0 – 15 Points) Describe the qualifications and demonstrate the ability to implement and administer the project. The Proposer must provide a response to each item below at the time of submitting a proposal:

1. Describe how the Proposer meets the Contractor Experience Minimum Standards.

Describe the qualifications, competence, demonstrated ability and possession of/access to the necessary resources to implement and administer the project, as well as fulfill the conditions of the contract. Provide copies or other evidence of all professional and occupational licenses held by Proposer. Note: Proof of payment of any required business tax receipts (previously occupational license), if applicable.

2. Identify key staff and their qualifications and experience to provide the services requested. Among factors to be considered are certifications and qualifications.

Names, titles, certifications, and qualifications of staff shall be listed.

3. Must have completed at least one (1) artificial reef project or comparable marine construction project within the past five (5) years, anywhere in the United States.

Describe the number of years of involvement in artificial reef and/or marine construction projects; and list each name, location, description, price of the contract, and year of artificial reef or marine construction project(s) that have been successfully completed by Contractor.

4. Must acknowledge that the liability and responsibility for all reef materials acquired, constructed, fabricated, transported, and deployed as part of this project are borne by the Contractor.

5. Must demonstrate that Contractor owns sufficient marine equipment to accomplish project goals and such marine equipment is capable of operating in shallow waters of the Florida Keys without disturbing benthic resources.

6. Provide a minimum of three (3) reference names (full legal names), one (1) of which must be the client from a previous artificial reef or comparable marine construction project. Addresses and phone numbers must be provided for each reference. Higher quality project references are preferred.

7. Describe work of a relevant nature, within the past ten (10) years, for other governmental or non-governmental entities within Monroe County and references among the staff of those organizations. Provide descriptions of current or past contracts providing services similar to those called for in this RFP.

8. Provide proof of registration to conduct business in the State of Florida, consistent with the provisions of Chapter 607, Fla. Stat., (https://dos.fl.gov/sunbiz/).

D. Schedule of Operations & Deployment Logistics (0 – 20 Points)

Describe the schedule to complete deployment of all modules no later than December 31, 2026. The contractor must provide the following information:

1. Provide the total number of estimated days at sea, number of module manufacturing days, and associated vessel loading days that will be required to complete the project prior to the contract expiration date. Shortest periods of time and earliest completion https://dos.fl.gov/sunbiz/ dates are preferred.

2. Describe the step-by-step tasks of procuring, loading, moving, transporting, handling and deploying the selected modules through the time the modules are placed on the bottom. Proven, previously used methods are preferred.

3. Describe how the modules will be safely transported to the permitted artificial reef site, including how the modules will be secured for transit to the deployment site.

4. Describe the proposed anchoring system and the proposed method to accurately deploy the modules at the designated coordinates. Methods with the greatest degree of safety and protection are preferred. Greatest anchoring and deployment methods to ensure placement accuracy are favored.

5. Describe how coordination with designated County observers will be maintained throughout the deployment operations and how the Contractor will have a meaningful opportunity to inspect the materials prior to deployment.

6. Describe how Material Deployment and Placement Minimum Standards will be ensured.

7. Confirm compliance with Required Milestones.

E. Available Deployment Resources (0 – 15 Points) Describe the resources available to successfully complete deployment of all proposed modules. The Proposer must provide the following information:

1. The staging site where the units will be kept and made available for inspection at least fourteen days prior to deployment. High site capability and accessibility for inspection by the County is preferred.

2. The specifications (load capacity, vessel type, etc.) of the vessel/barge, crane, and other equipment that will deploy the modules and port(s) they will be operating from.

Well maintained equipment showing greatest capabilities and dependability preferred.

3. The specification (load capacity, vessel type, etc.) of the tugboat and/or other support vessels that will deploy the modules, and the port(s) they will be operating from.

Well maintained vessels showing greatest capability and dependability are preferred.

4. The GPS specifications and methods to be used to deploy materials at the target locations and the anticipated deployment accuracy of module placement in relation to the target coordinates. Equipment redundancy and installations with the least offset distances are preferred. Methods and procedures assuring greatest placement accuracy are preferred.

F. COUNTY FORMS (Y/N)

In this section of the Proposal, the Proposer shall attach the following forms/affidavits, which are required as part of this RFP:

A. Price Proposal Form;

B. Proposer’s Statement per subsection 2-347(h), Monroe County Code C. County Forms Affidavit;

D. Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility E. Proposer’s Insurance and Indemnification Statement; and F. Insurance Agent’s Statement.

Article II. Special Terms and Conditions

1. SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS

To the extent these Special Terms and Conditions conflict with the General Terms and Conditions contained herein, these Special Terms and Conditions control. The selection of a Respondent to provide services will be based on the following process:

A. All interested parties shall submit written proposals that address each aspect of the Scope of Work and Selection Criteria in the sequence presented in the RFP.

Respondents may also include additional material they deem relevant to their selection.

B. A Selection Committee will evaluate the submitted proposals, rank their responsiveness to the Selection Criteria, and identify the top-ranked Proposer.

C. The Selection Committee shall require the CONTRACTOR to execute an agreement that incorporates the RFP and the Proposal. The Selection Committee’s recommendation of the Contractor as the final top-ranked Proposer and the partially executed agreement will be presented to the Board of County Commissioners for final review and approval.

The County reserves the right to reject any and all Proposals, or any part of a Proposal. The County reserves the right to waive informalities, technical errors, slight or immaterial variations, and irregularities in any or all Proposals that do not render the Proposal non-conforming, to re-advertise for Proposals, to separately accept or reject any item or items and/or to award and/or negotiate a contract as may be deemed best for the interests of the County. Proposals which contain modifications, are incomplete, conditional, obscure, or which contain additions not requested or material irregularities of any kind, or which do not comply with the Instruction to Respondents, and the proposal documents, may be rejected at the option of the County. The County may contact a Respondent to request clarification of an ambiguity in the Respondent’s proposal. Additionally, by submitting a proposal, Respondent agrees that if a contract is awarded in violation of Section 2-347 of the Monroe County Code, as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction, the Respondent is not entitled to, and may not receive, any payment whether based on the contract price or based on quantum merit for work performed.

2. ERRORS OR MISINTERPRETATIONS

The County does not assume any responsibility for errors or misinterpretations resulting from the use of incomplete or incorrect solicitation documentation. Neither the County, nor any officers, employees, or agents, assume any responsibility for errors or misinterpretations resulting from the use of incomplete or incorrect sets of Proposal Documents. Proposers may obtain complete sets of the Proposal Documents from the County’s electronic bidding platform at https://monroecounty-fl.bonfirehub.com OR www.monroecounty-fl.gov/BonfireBids as stated in the Notice of Request for Competitive Solicitations.

3. PROPOSAL SECURITY

Each Proposal shall be accompanied by a Proposal Security made payable to Monroe County, in the amount of five percent (5%) of the Proposer’s total (aggregate) price (this excludes the value of optional add-ons). The Proposal Security shall be in the form of a certified check made payable to the County, or in a bond from a Surety Company authorized to do business in Florida. If a Bid Bond is submitted as Proposal Security, the attorney-in-fact who executes the bond on behalf of https://monroecounty-fl.bonfirehub.com/ http://www.monroecounty-fl.gov/BonfireBids the surety shall affix to the Bond a certified and current copy of his/her power of attorney. The Proposal Security constitutes a pledge by the Proposer that he/she/it will enter into a Contract with the County on the terms and conditions stated in this RFP and the responsive Proposal. The Proposal Security of the successful Proposer will be retained until such Proposer has entered into a Contract with the County, whereupon it will be returned. If the successful Proposer fails to execute and deliver the Contract, the County may annul the Notice of Award and the amount of the proposal security of that Proposer shall be forfeited to the County not as a penalty, but as liquidated damages. The Proposal Security of any Proposer may be retained by the County until either: (a) the Contract has been executed, or (b) the ninety-first (91st) day after the Proposal opening, or (c) the ninety-first (91st) day after all Proposals have been rejected.

4. DETERMINATION OF SUCCESSFUL RESPONDENT

Following the receipt of the proposals, the Selection Committee will meet in a publicly noticed meeting and evaluate the responses based on the criteria and point total below. Each section will be given points used to score and evaluate firms and individuals. The point structure is as follows:

CRITERIA MAXIMUM POINTS

A. MODULE SPECIFICATIONS (20 PTS)

B. PRICE PER REEF MATERIAL / TOTAL AGGREGATE COST (30 PTS)

C. PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS (15 PTS)

D. SCHEDULE OF OPERATIONS & DEPLOYMENT LOGISTICS (20 PTS)

E. AVAILABLE DEPLOYMENT RESOURCES (15 PTS)

F. COUNTY FORMS (Y/N)

TOTAL: 100

Tie Responses: In the event the same competitive solicitation amounts are received from two (2) or more responses that are considered by the BOCC to be equally qualified and responsive or when two (2) or more responses are equal in rank and score, and only one (1) of the Respondents has a principal place of business in Monroe County, Florida, the award shall be to the Respondent who has a principal place of business located in Monroe County, Florida, except where prohibited by federally funded or state funded contracts. Otherwise, the tie will be resolved by draw from an opaque container.

Aside from the aforementioned, no preference shall be given to local businesses.