CN-550000-CAV32-00010000.pdf

STATE OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES LETTER OF RESPONSE

375-030-22

PROCUREMENT

04/18

Advertisement No.: 25431 DOT FM Number: 446589-1-32-01 and 446589-2-32-01

Submittal Date: 8/5/2024 Project Name: Continuing Services for Project Design (BDI)

Consultant’s Name: ASA Consultants, Inc.

(Firm must use the name shown on the Consultant’s qualification letter.)

Street Address: 510 Shotgun Road, Suite 402

City: Sunrise State: Florida Zip: 33326

Office Location: Sunrise Contact person: Carlos M. Rodriguez, PE

Phone: (754) 216-2026 Contact email: crodriguez@asaconsultants.us By submittal of this letter the Consultant certifies that all information provided in the letter is true and accurate. The Consultant further certifies that staff proposed are currently employed by the firm(s) identified, or the Consultant shall provide a statement indicating when staff will become employed by the identified firm(s).

The Letter of Response should address the following information:

• Proposed approach and understanding of critical issues.

• Relevant project experience – Similar type of work experience.

• Other content provided by firm.

• Proposed key personnel and their proposed roles (do not include resumes).

Consultants: Please be aware that all font (including font in graphics, tables, and captions on photos) must be standard Arial Narrow, 11 point, single line spacing with no modification of font or spacing allowed. ½” clear margin on all sides must be maintained on all pages. It is the Consultant’s responsibility, due to font and format restrictions within this form, to work within the constraints of the form and its format. Character styling such as use of color, bold, and italics is allowed. Use of a table is recommended for text boxes. The page layout may be modified to add columns, tables, graphics, and photos. All graphics and photos must be created in a clean, blank word document and the “text wrapping square” option applied before cutting and pasting into this form. Consultants may add their logo at the top of the first page (directly underneath the header), however, the Consultant shall not extend the form beyond the pages allocated for the Letter to accommodate insertion of the logo. Consultants are not permitted to insert any other information in the header other than the logo. After pasting your letter into this form, highlight all text and ensure the font size of Arial Narrow, 11 point was retained. Once your content is inserted, delete any additional blank pages that are generated by pressing your delete key after the last word in the Letter of Response. Recreation of the form in another software application to modify the form format is not permitted. This form works best when saved with a .docx extension. *Please retain the source document as it may be requested at a later date in the procurement, to verify adherence with aforementioned restrictions. Note: You may begin typing on this page.

ASA Consultants, Inc. (ASA) is pleased to submit a Letter of Response for the Continuing Services for Project Design (BDI) Contract (CSC). The ASA team is prequalified in all the required work groups and consists of highly qualified professionals with strong technical and managerial skills. Our team has the available resources and unmatched District 4 (D4) experience to successfully complete all the assigned Task Work Orders (TWOs).

Understanding of Scope| We have meticulously reviewed the currently adopted 5-year work program, including the projects to be deferred in the District Tentative Work Program for FY 26-30 (DTWP), to identify and plan for projects that may be assigned under this contract. The types of assignments anticipated for this CSC may include Intersection Improvements, Safety, Signalization, Lighting, Bridge Maintenance, Public Involvement, and other support services as required. Noticeably, RRR projects will likely be minimized during this CSC cycle. The ASA team is aware of the heterogeneity of this Contract, with direct knowledge of what it takes to manage and complete all types of projects from both an external consultant and an internal FDOT PM perspective. With D4 PMs on average having more than 15 projects to manage, what our team can uniquely offer is the Peace of Mind that all assignments will be completed on time, within budget, and without the need for any “handholding”. We are here to ease the load, not add on to it.

Project Approach and Understanding of Critical Issues| MANAGEMENT APPROACH | Carlos M. Rodriguez, PE (ASA) will be the Contract Manager and point of contact. His management style is built upon 4 main pillars: Proactiveness, Organization, Communication, and Leadership. Carlos is intimately familiar with all the D4 preferences and processes, having served In-House for over 7 years in Consultant Management. From D4’s first SWAT project, and ranging from sidewalk improvements to Interchanges, Carlos has successfully managed virtually every type of project.

The wealth of knowledge he has accumulated has shaped his management style to ensure success on every project. Carlos proactively plans 90 days in advance to build float at every

375-030-22

PROCUREMENT

opportunity, rather than waiting for activities to “come up” on the schedule. He organizes CSC contracts with a master spreadsheet detailing the team’s availability, assignments, milestone dates, budgets, and expiration dates. Carlos is a big believer that “the burden of clarity falls on the communicator”. To that end, he strives to make sure that all written and verbal communication is thoroughly thought through, in plain language, and provides enough detail to ensure the recipient understands the point coming across.

Lastly, Carlos strives to make sure the team succeeds through his leadership. His deep technical background aids in his ability to help the team quickly resolve issues. He promotes constant engagement and accountability across disciplines to ensure everyone has some “skin in the game”. Task Distribution and Team Capacity: This contract will require our team to work on concurrent assignments. We formed seven (7) Main Task Teams (with a reserve capacity of 12 Teams, if needed), each with a Task leader, Designer, and QC Reviewer. Budget Control: We understand the individual TWO budget is limited to $600K and that the overall contract may not exceed $3M. Carlos will monitor each of the TWOs and the overall contract budget. On a quarterly basis, he will reach out to the Contract Coordinators to compare records.

This becomes increasingly important as the main contract ages and the availability of funds diminishes. Beyond the quarterly reviews, requesting timely close-outs of completed TWOs and releasing any remaining funds will aid in determining whether the contract can support any additional assignments. Construction budgets will also be closely monitored. Changes in funding requirements will be evaluated via periodic LRE updates and/or cost estimates through AASHTOWARE. Updates will be performed at all milestone submittals, the yearly Work Program Update Cycle (WPUC), and whenever a change in scope occurs. Schedule Control: The main CSC expiration date and individual TWOs will be tracked with calendar reminders a minimum of 4 months prior to expiration. If a time extension is required and justified, we will work with the PM and Contract Coordinators to get this done expeditiously. At the onset of each TWO, we will discover the schedule and identify critical path items. We have learned that although the “discovered” schedule may show positive float, the order of the activities may not always coincide with the needs of the project deliverables. For example, even though the schedule may show Geotechnical activities do not need to start for 3 months based on float, that is not necessarily correct. Pavement cores and soil borings may be needed to complete the pavement design and/or advance the component sets. Simply relying on the schedule for when activities should start will result in the overall delay of the project. For that reason, we meticulously review the phase submittal checklist, identify the PSEE schedule activities required to complete each item, and then ask the scheduling office to change the relationships/logic to realistically align the schedule with the required deliverables. Another issue with PSEE is that it is not “live”.

Updates made throughout the week do not reflect until the following Monday, making it difficult to assess the overall health of the project. To mitigate this, we create a “live” version of the schedule which is actively monitored by leveraging Microsoft Planner to send reminders and notifications directly to the responsible team member, resulting in better control of the schedule. Our Quality Control Process complies with the FDM 124 & 125 requirements.

It is a uniform plan used by all team members and adapted to meet the specific requirements of each TWO. The QC reviews are performed by experienced engineers who are independent of the design process. ASA utilizes a OneNote database of lessons learned based on past projects as well as projects we review on behalf of Final Plans in various Districts. This database is continuously updated and utilized in the Bluebeam Sessions QC reviews to ensure deliverables are error-free. To date, ASA has never had any errors or omissions (E&O) assessed against them.

We urge the TRC members to reach out to the PM’s in Consultant Management who can attest to the quality of our deliverables.

TECHNICAL APPROACH | TWO Execution: Upon receipt of the main Contract NTP, a staff hour template for each sub will be created to ensure that all classifications and rates exactly match the main contract. The process we follow for an expeditious and error-free execution of TWOs includes the timely evaluation of a TWO, development of a well-defined scope, staff hours, and an achievable schedule. Data Collection: Before any scope or staff hours are developed, the assigned team will obtain available as-built plans, RW Maps, utility information, crash data, and safety recommendations. FDOT PM’s can expect our team to know where to find information and who to contact in the supporting offices. In fact, Carlos gave a presentation at the 2021 Consultant Forum to educate fellow consultants as to how and where to access information on the various SharePoint Sites and GIS applications.

Following a review of all the available information, we will initiate a field review with the FDOT PM and the supporting offices. During the Initial Engineering Development, the team will complete the following, as applicable to the project: Summary of Design Criteria, Typical Section Package, Pavement Design Package, Exceptions and Variations, RRR/Engineering Report, Access Management Plan, Drainage Report, PIF and PRM, LFA Commitment Letter, Lighting Maintenance Commitment Letter and/or MOU for FPL lights, Community Awareness Plan, Utility contact plans, hold a meeting with D4 Construction and the appropriate Ops Center to discuss our TTCP approach, and update the Scope History and LRE. During the Constructability Development, all plan components will be completed, SUE performed, utility conflicts identified and UWS secured, a resolution of support completed for any proposed off-SHS detours, and permit packages submitted.

During the Biddability Development, the team will complete the contract plans, verify all pay items and quantities, develop any required Technical and Modified Special Provisions, and obtain the RW, Utility, and Rail certifications as well as the PTM. In preparation for Production, the team will finalize the time-related quantities (TTCP and LR&M) upon receipt of the CTE Memo, request the contamination and environmental certification, and prepare the specification package. Post Design Services will include supporting construction related activities including, responding to RFIs, review of required shop drawings, construction meeting attendance, and final walk-throughs. CRITICAL ISSUES | Below are examples of potential critical issues and our approach to mitigate them on a typical TWO. Right-of-Way (RW): We have seen projects delayed due to RW issues. A recurring issue is finding out that existing elements are either outside of the RW or that the RW lines are not where the Department’s scoping team thought they would be. RW verification is a critical task we perform as part of our scope refinement for any assignment. We do this by downloading all available RW maps from GIS, existing easement documents, and plat books. While this may not eliminate the issue, it does give us a head start to be able to either develop maintenance maps and/or proactively coordinate the issue with the Department.

Utility Coordination: The D4 schedule template calls for Utilities to be certified by Biddability but it also has the Utility design conference occurring 4-6 weeks after Constructability. On the surface, this makes sense considering that signing, signal, lighting, and ITS components, as well as SUE, are not required until Constructability. However, the issue lies in trying to accommodate a UWHCA. If a UAO decides they want to enter into a UWCHA, it is nearly impossible to get this done on time if we wait until the Utility design conference. The reason is that there are typically only 3 months between Constructability and Biddability, and the executed UWHCA is required for Utility Certification. Drafting the agreement securing the backout UWS, getting legal approval, obtaining the municipalities commission board approval, and routing for final signature usually takes more than 3 months. Our approach is two-fold: at the initial utility contact, we ask if any of them plan to enter into a UWHCA if conflicts are found, as well as advance the development of the component sets during Initial so that adequate time can be allocated. Field Reviews: We perform field reviews prior to all milestones. Through past experiences, we have learned that field conditions may change. On a previous TWO, a new scenic view parking area was added and observed during our field prior to the Constructability submittal. The traffic movements observed prompted us to coordinate with D4 Traffic Ops which ultimately resulted in a request to add an exclusive left turn lane. On a D6 project, we performed a drive-thru prior to letting only to find out that a Utility Agency was performing major work (replacement of a transite/asbestos line) on the proposed detour route. Although we had informed the locals of our intent to utilize the road as a detour route and obtained concurrence, they did not communicate the proposed work to us. This could have had major implications during our construction project had we not performed that last field visit and issued a pre-let plan revision to utilize our backup detour route.

Consequently, we always request a resolution of support for detour routes off the SHS, even if it’s not required by FL Statutes 335.15, and partner with the locals to advise us of any work they have planned or permitted. We recently went through this exercise on our SR 80 Bridge repair (Leslie). Post Design Requests from Construction have been a big issue lately. The problem lies in the CEI’s interpretation of what is required from the design Team (Engineer vs Engineer of Record). Frequently, the PA and/or Construction PM will send over shop drawings that are not required (i.e., mast arms, light poles, etc.) or that are required to be reviewed by the Engineer, and not the Engineer of Record. Most consultants, to avoid “rocking the boat”, will blindly comply with the request.

However, doing so can drastically eat away at the limited PD funds that were intended for other required items and have major implications if the consultant cannot support construction due to a lack of funds. Our approach is to discuss expectations with the Construction team during the handoff meeting and request that the CEI filters the information sent to the design team. We also remind them of the Contractor’s obligation to provide a schedule of shop drawings (Spec 5-1.4.3) so we can proactively compare against our list and advise the Design PM if there are any unaccounted items.

Key Personnel, Roles, and Relevant Project Experience| Each Team Lead possesses extensive experience working on and managing D4 projects. Our aim is to provide D4 with a team that requires no learning curve and can maximize availability. We also chose to utilize the allowable 45% non-SBE participation to partner with some larger firms for additional redundancy and capacity. The anticipated non-SBE participation is as follows: C&H 2%, CTS 5%, GPI 15%, HDR 5%, MGV 5%, RS&H 5%, and Scalar 8%.

ASA has successfully completed some unique TWOs which included: the Sebastian Inlet Feasibility Study (Binod) to determine if phase construction was possible, the SR 80 Bridge Rehab (Leslie) requiring specialty steel bridge work; the SR 732/Jensen Beach Mobility (Adham) which included a late request from Maintenance to partially reconstruct 30 light pedestals; as well as some traditional projects like the SR 615 RRR (Kenzot) and SR 5 RRR (Maria). In D1, we designed 2 grade-separated Shared Use Paths and in D7, we completed 2 railroad tub replacements. All TWOs were completed ahead of schedule, within budget, and without issues in Construction. As an extension of the Department, our team takes pride in the success of these accomplishments.

Why the ASA Team?

ASA’s staff has experience working on projects ranging from complex interchanges to minor roadways. In ASA’s relatively short history, we have been entrusted as a Prime on multiple DW/CSC contracts [CA322 (D4), CAA71 (D4), CAM59 (D4), C9T01 (D6), CA846 (D7), and CAA42 (D1)] and as a sub, served on countless others. We have a proven track record of completing assignments on time, within budget, and at the highest levels of quality (P.A.S.S.

score of 2 for our SR 80 Bridge Rehab). Our current CSC is out of funds as they were mainly used within the first 2 years. Therefore, the ASA team is immediately available and eager to continue to foster our relationship with the Department.

Key Staff (Firm) Exp. Role Carlos M. Rodriguez, PE (ASA) 13 Contract Manager

Soheila Sadough, PE (ASA) 31 QA Manager

Gordon Houston, PE (ASA) 44 Construct. Review

Richard Burgess, PE (ASA) 30 Team 1 Lead

Favio Laverde, PE (TRACE) 21 Team 2 Lead

Hans Ribbeck, PE (REI) 18 Team 3 Lead

Maikel Gonzalez, PE (VIA) 20 Team 4 Lead

Godfrey Lamptey, PE (GOAL) 20 Team 5 Lead

Pablo Bielecki, PE (TCI) 21 Team 6 Lead

Ricardo Castro, PE (RDS) 21 Team 7 Lead

Prequalification of Prime Consultant and any proposed Subconsultants by advertised type(s) of work:

Consultant Name Project Advertised Major & Minor Work Types

3.1 3.2 3.3 4.1.1 4.1.2 6.1 6.2 6.3.1 6.3.2 6.3.3 DBE SB UU

Prime ASA Consultants, Inc.

S u b c o n s u lt a n ts

ALFKA, LLC

Arehna Engineering, Inc.

Cotleur & Hearing Landscape Architecture, LLC

CTS Engineering, Inc.

GCME, Inc.

GOAL Associates, Inc.

GPI Geospatial, Inc.

HDR Engineering, Inc

Infinite Source Communications Group

Manuel G. Vera & Associates, Inc.

Premiere Lighting & Traffic, Inc.

RS&H, Inc.

Ribbeck Engineering, Inc.

Scalar Consulting Group, Inc.

Technika Consulting, Inc.

Trace Consultants, Inc.

VIA Engineering Group, Inc.

Roadway Design Solutions, Inc.

SB = Small Business UU = Under-utilized work type; subconsultant is a professional services firm and is prequalified in the Under-Utilized Work Group. Refer to the advertisement for applicability.

My firm has submitted a Bid Opportunity List through the Equal Opportunity Compliance System for this project.

https://fdotwp1.dot.state.fl.us/EqualOpportunityCompliance/Account.aspx/LogIn?ReturnUrl=%2fEqualOpportunityCompliance

Project Advertised Major & Minor Work Types

7.1 7.2 7.3 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 9.1 9.2 9.4.1 DBE SB UU

Prime ASA Consultants, Inc.

S u b c o n s u lt a

ALFKA, LLC

Cotleur & Hearing Landscape Architecture, LLC

CTS Engineering, Inc.

GCME, Inc.

GOAL Associates, Inc.

GPI Geospatial, Inc.

HDR Engineering, Inc

Infinite Source Communications Group

Manuel G. Vera & Associates, Inc.

Premiere Lighting & Traffic, Inc.

RS&H, Inc.

Ribbeck Engineering, Inc.

Scalar Consulting Group, Inc.

Technika Consulting, Inc.

Trace Consultants, Inc.

SB = Small Business UU = Under-utilized work type; subconsultant is a professional services firm and is prequalified in the Under-Utilized

My firm has submitted a Bid Opportunity List through the Equal Opportunity Compliance System for this project.

https://fdotwp1.dot.state.fl.us/EqualOpportunityCompliance/Account.aspx/LogIn?ReturnUrl=%2fEqualOpportunityCompliance

Project Advertised Major & Minor Work Types

14.0 15.0 DBE SB UU

Prime ASA Consultants, Inc

S u b c o n s u lt a

ALFKA LLC

Cotleur & Hearing Landscape Architecture, LLC

CTS Engineering, Inc.

GCME, Inc.

GOAL Associates, Inc.

GPI Geospatial, Inc.

HDR Engineering, Inc

Infinite Source Communications Group

Manuel G. Vera & Associates, Inc.

Premiere Lighting & Traffic, Inc.

RS&H, Inc.

Ribbeck Engineering, Inc.

Scalar Consulting Group, Inc.

Technika Consulting, Inc.

Trace Consultants, Inc.

SB = Small Business UU = Under-utilized work type; subconsultant is a professional services firm and is prequalified in the Under-Utilized

My firm has submitted a Bid Opportunity List through the Equal Opportunity Compliance System for this project.

https://fdotwp1.dot.state.fl.us/EqualOpportunityCompliance/Account.aspx/LogIn?ReturnUrl=%2fEqualOpportunityCompliance

STATE OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES - RFP

September 3, 2024

Aylin.Costa@AllBrightEngineering.com crodriguez@asaconsultants.us godfrey.lamptey@goalassociates.com mmaaliki@ribbeck.co

Re: Request for Proposal - 25431/25432: Continuing Services for Project Design (BDI)

Dear Consultant:

I am pleased to advise you that your firm has been shortlisted for the 25431/25432:

Continuing Services for Project Design (BDI). To enable the Department to complete the evaluation of your firm, you are requested to prepare resumes, an organization chart or staffing chart, and to participate in an interview with the technical review committee. The resumes and organization chart or staffing chart must be prepared in accordance with the enclosed information, which includes a scope of services. Resumes, required forms, and organization chart or staffing chart shall be e-mailed to d4.profserv@dot.state.fl.us. All documents are due by 3:00 PM, September 16, 2024.

The interviews are scheduled for September 17, 2024 in Manatee Conference Room at the District 4 Headquarters.

Note: All times listed in this letter and attached documents are Eastern Time Zone unless specifically noted otherwise.

Sincerely, William Labuda, Contract Analyst II Procurement Office

Attachments CC: Haiyan Ou

William Labuda

Request For Proposals

For 25431/25432: Continuing Services for Project Design (BDI)

1. Purpose:

2. Scope of Consultant Services:

3. Length of Consultant Services:

4. Contract Restrictions & Proposed Method of Compensation:

5. Staffing Requirements:

6. Scope of Services Meeting:

7. Deadline for Questions:

8. Resumes, Organization Chart or Staffing Chart, Required Certification, and Forms:

9. Consultant Interviews:

10. Consultant Selection:

11. Contract Negotiations:

12. Schedule:

Attachment A – Scope of Services

Attachment B – Standard Professional Services Agreement Terms

Attachment C – Interview Evaluation Form

Attachment D – Required Certifications

Attachment E – Anticipated Method of Compensation (Rates not included)

Request For Proposals

1. Purpose:

The Florida Department of Transportation requires professional services for the project known as 25431/25432: Continuing Services for Project Design (BDI). Additional information is necessary to complete the evaluation of each shortlisted consultant’s ability to provide the desired services. As a result, each shortlisted consultant is requested to provide resumes, organization chart or staffing chart, required certification, forms, and to participate in an interview to discuss qualifications for the project.

Shortlisted Consultants:

Allbright Engineering Inc.

ASA Consultants, Inc.

Goal Associates, Inc.

Ribbeck Engineering, Inc.

2. Scope of Consultant Services:

For a detailed description of the required consultant services, refer to Attachment A, Scope of Services.

3. Length of Consultant Services:

The consultant services are scheduled for a maximum period of 60 Months. The consultant services shall begin only upon the receipt of written notice (i.e. Task Work Order) from the Department. The term of the contract is 60 Months.

4. Contract Restrictions & Proposed Method of Compensation:

A standard consultant contract will be executed with the selected consultant for this project. The standard contract terms are provided as Attachment B. The following additional information is furnished to the consultant firm for consideration:

4.1 Professional Liability Insurance Requirement: $250,000.00. For purposes of contracting, only Professional Liability Insurance from a company or companies authorized to do business in the State of Florida is acceptable. The selected prime consultant shall submit proof of Professional Liability Insurance coverage in the minimum threshold amount designated above, prior to contracting. The policy/ies and coverage described herein may be subject to a deductible. Pay all deductibles as required by the policy. The Department shall be notified in writing within ten days of any cancellation, notice of cancellation, lapse, renewal, or proposed change to any policy or coverage described herein. The Department’s approval or failure to disapprove any policy/ies, coverage, or ACORD Certificates shall not relieve or excuse any obligation to procure and maintain the insurance required herein, nor serve as a waiver of any rights or defenses the Department may have. No policy/ies or coverage described herein may contain or be subject to a Retention or a Self-Insured Retention. A commitment letter from a financial institution is also not acceptable for purposes of contracting.

4.2 Computer Usage: The selected Consultant firm may desire to use the

Department's mainframe computer (not CADD) for project related tasks.

Requested computer services will be considered during the contract negotiations.

4.3 Subconsultant Services: Services assigned to subconsultants must be approved in advance by the Department. Subconsultants performing the standard types of work covered by Rule Chapter 14-75, F.A.C., must be technically prequalified with the Department or have an application for prequalification under review at the time that they are proposed.

Subconsultants with fees less than $500,000, and/or performing specialty services

(non-standard types of work), a self-certified overhead statement may be accepted. These overhead statements must be sent to Central Office for review and approval.

Private attorney services may not be utilized on Department contracts without advance approval from the Attorney General’s Office. The advance approval may only be requested by Agency General Counsel (FDOT), and not the consultant firm. Since approval cannot be assumed, consultant firms shall refrain from proposing legal firms as part of the professional services consultant team in their procurement response and proposal documents. As referenced in Section 287.059(3), F.S.:

“An agency requesting approval for the use of private attorney services shall first offer to contract with the Department of Legal Affairs for such attorney services at a cost pursuant to mutual agreement. The Attorney General shall decide on a case-by-case basis to accept or decline to provide such attorney services as staffing, expertise, or other legal or economic considerations warrant. If the Attorney General declines to provide the requested attorney services, the Attorney General’s written approval shall include a statement that the private attorney services requested cannot be provided by the office of the Attorney General or that such private attorney services are cost-effective in the opinion of the Attorney General. The Attorney General shall not consider political affiliation in making such decision. The office of the Attorney General shall respond to the request of an agency for prior written approval within 10 working days after receiving such request. The Attorney General may request additional information necessary for evaluation of a request. The Attorney General shall respond to the request within 10 working days after receipt of the requested information.”

When universities or colleges are needed to perform services, the Department’s Project Manager shall procure such services by means of either a University Master Agreement task work order, a governmental agency contract, or a http://www.fdot.gov/procurement/pdf/Rule%2014-75.pdf competitive solicitation for contractual services, as appropriate (reference Section 287.057(21), F.S.). Universities proposed as subconsultants will not be added to the professional services contract.

4.4 Small Business Participation:

This project is a small business reserved project. The prime consultant must be a small business. All subconsultants must also be small businesses unless specified otherwise within the advertisement. Please complete FDOT Form No.

375-030-83 to indicate your firm and all subconsultant’s small business participation.

Federal law requires states to maintain a database of all firms that are participating or attempting to participate in DOT-assisted contracts. To assist the Department in this endeavor, consultants should have already submitted their Bid Opportunity List through the Department’s Equal Opportunity Compliance System found at the following link (https://fdotwp1.dot.state.fl.us/EqualOpportunityCompliance/Account.aspx/LogIn?

ReturnUrl=%2fEqualOpportunityCompliance). If you have not yet completed your bid opportunity list through this online application, please do so at this time. Prime Consultants can obtain access to the new EOC system by filling out the Contractors and Consultants New Users Access Form. Please complete the form and submit it to EOOHelp@dot.state.fl.us.

Consultants please be reminded that if you are selected on this project, you need to enter your subconsultant commitments of each task work order in the Equal Opportunity website after invoice has been paid in CITS. Also, if you are awarded amendments to task work orders, the subconsultant commitments will also need to be reported after the respective invoice has been paid.

4.5 Method of Compensation:

This will be a task assignment type contract. A fee and method of compensation will be negotiated for each task assignment.

4.6 Public Entity Crimes: A person or affiliate who has been placed on the convicted vendor list following a conviction for a public entity crime may not submit a bid, proposal, or reply on a contract to provide any goods or services to a public entity;

may not submit a bid, proposal, or reply on a contract with a public entity for the construction or repair of a public building or public work; may not submit bids, proposals, or replies on leases of real property to a public entity; may not be awarded or perform work as a contractor, supplier, subcontractor, or consultant under a contract with any public entity; and may not transact business with any public entity in excess of the threshold amount provided in s. 287.017 for CATEGORY TWO ($35,000) for a period of 36 months following the date of being placed on the convicted vendor list.

https://pdl.fdot.gov/api/form/downloadAttachment/10980573 https://pdl.fdot.gov/api/form/downloadAttachment/10980573 https://fdotwp1.dot.state.fl.us/EqualOpportunityCompliance/Account.aspx/LogIn?ReturnUrl=%2fEqualOpportunityCompliance https://fdotwp1.dot.state.fl.us/EqualOpportunityCompliance/Account.aspx/LogIn?ReturnUrl=%2fEqualOpportunityCompliance https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffdotwww.blob.core.windows.net%2Fsitefinity%2Fdocs%2Fdefault-source%2Fequalopporunity%2Feoc-rcs-user-manual%2Feoc-system-access-request-form.pdf%3Fsfvrsn%3D899539b3_0&data=02%7C01%7CKelly.Walls%40dot.state.fl.us%7C72c061ab81c841be0eb408d703d68c8a%7Cdb21de5dbc9c420c8f3f8f08f85b5ada%7C0%7C0%7C636982092320368962&sdata=KYy0%2FLjCiK5oF%2F2PSqs662Qm%2BB%2F63Kw7%2BzUYl%2BDqe0Q%3D&reserved=0 mailto:EOOHELP@dot.state.fl.us

Antitrust Vendor Violator Contract Language: Pursuant to section

287.137(2)(a), Florida Statutes, a person or an affiliate who has been placed on the antitrust violator vendor list following a conviction or being held civilly liable for an antitrust violation may not submit a bid, proposal, or reply for any new contract to provide any goods or services to a public entity; may not submit a bid, proposal, or reply for a new contract with a public entity for the construction or repair of a public building or public work; may not submit a bid, proposal, or reply on new leases of real property to a public entity; may not be awarded or perform work as a contractor, supplier, subcontractor, or consultant under a new contract with a public entity; and may not transact a new business with a public entity.

Affidavit Regarding Labor and Services: Prior to contract execution, extension or renewal, the Department shall notify the Contract awardee of the need to download, complete and submit FDOT Form No. 375-030-31. Please have the form signed and notarized and send a scanned copy to the Department. The nongovernmental entity (Contract awardee) must maintain the original copy in accordance with other provisions of this Agreement or Contract, and in accordance with Florida law.

4.7 Vendor Registration through E-PROCUREMENT: As per Rule 60A-1.030, all consultants doing business with the State shall register in the MyFloridaMarketPlace system. Information about the registration process is available, and registration may be completed by linking to the following web address: https://vendor.myfloridamarketplace.com

NOTE: Contracts procured under s. 287.055, Florida Statutes are exempt from the 1% transaction fee. Interested persons lacking internet access may request assistance from MyFloridaMarketPlace Customer Services at (866) FLA-EPRO (352-3776) or State Purchasing, 4050 Esplanade Drive, Suite 300, Tallahassee, Florida 32399.

4.8 Inspector General: The Consultant agrees to comply with section 20.055(5), Florida Statutes, and to incorporate in all subcontracts the obligation to comply with section 20.055(5), Florida Statutes.

5. Staffing Requirements:

After submittal of Letters and up through contract execution, proposed subconsultants/subcontractors/sub-vendors, teaming arrangements, or key staff of the Consultant cannot be changed or substituted except in instances of force majeure or in the event of circumstances that cannot reasonably be anticipated and/or are beyond the control of the prime consultant. In such cases, changes or substitutions are subject to the discretion of the Department, and cannot be made without written approval of the Department. All such requests made during the contract procurement must be routed and coordinated through PSU only, as the official point of contact during contract https://pdl.fdot.gov/api/form/downloadAttachment/17378449 https://vendor.myfloridamarketplace.com/ procurement. After contract execution, subconsultant/subcontractor/sub-vendor, teaming arrangement, or key staff changes/substitutions require pre-approval of the Department’s Project Manager before implementing. All qualification/certification requirements of the original advertisement shall govern, where applicable.

6. Scope of Services Meeting:

A Scope of Services meeting is not required for this project.

7. Deadline for Questions:

Any technical or administrative questions shall be addressed to the following:

William Labuda, Procurement Office, MS Florida Department of Transportation, 3400 W. Commercial Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309, Phone: (954) 777-4625, E-mail address: d4.profserv@dot.state.fl.us

NOTE: The shortlisted consultant teams shall not have any conversations concerning this project with the project manager, technical review committee, selection committee, or any other persons regarding issues related to this project other than the specified procurement office personnel identified above.

The deadline for technical questions is September 13, 2024.

There is no deadline for contract or administrative questions.

8. Resumes, Organization Chart or Staffing Chart, Required Certification, and Forms:

Please note that there is no requirement for submittal of technical proposals.

The firms being considered for this project are required to electronically submit resumes, organization chart or staffing chart, required certification, and forms. Resumes must be no longer than 2 pages per resume per person. The organization chart or staffing chart is limited to a one page chart which can be either 8 ½” x 11” or 11” x 17”, at the discretion of the Consultant. Font size of 11, with ½ inch margins are recommended for clarity, but not required for Consultant submittals. The Consultant firm may elect to submit an organization chart OR staffing chart, not both. Examples of acceptable and unacceptable content for organization charts, staffing charts, staff hour estimate charts, and a link to the Construction Training and Qualification Program (CTQP) system can be found at this link. Organization, staffing, or staff hour estimate charts containing extra narrative content (not in conformance with examples) will be deemed unacceptable, at the sole discretion of the Procurement Office, and will not be passed on to the Technical Review Committee for review and evaluation with the other submittals.

Resumes and organization chart or staffing chart shall include sufficient information to http://www.fdot.gov/procurement/SubmittalExamples.shtm enable the Department to evaluate the technical capability of the firms to provide the desired services. Resumes shall be included only of persons who will actually be playing key roles in the project, if selected. Resumes and organization chart or staffing chart shall not contain links to other web pages that would provide additional technical content.

8.1 Other Information & Required Certifications:

Organization Chart or Staffing Chart and Resumes (including

Subconsultants): Consultant shall include the names and levels of key personnel (including Project Manager), names of subconsultant staff (if any). Resumes are limited to 2 pages in length.

Form No. 375-030-30, Truth in Negotiation Certification – Attachment D

Form No. 375-030-83, Professional Services Commitment Form – Attachment D

Form No. 375-030-32, Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion for Federal Aid Contracts – Attachment D

Form No. 375-030-33, Certification for Disclosure of Lobbying Activities on Federal-Aid Contracts – Attachment D

Form No. 375-030-34, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities – Attachment D If this form is not applicable for your firm, please sign your firm name and write N/A on the top of the form.

Form No. 375-031-06, E-Verify – Attachment D

Form No. 375-030-60, Vendor Certification Regarding Scrutinized Companies Lists – Attachment D

The forms provided in Attachment D shall be executed by an officer of the consultant firm submitting the proposal.

8.2 Copyrighted Material:

Copyrighted material will be accepted only if accompanied by a waiver that will allow the FDOT to make paper or electronic copies necessary for the use of Department staff and agents. It is noted that copyrighted material is not exempted from the Public Records Law, Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. Therefore, such material will be subject to viewing by the public, but copies of the material will not be provided to the public.

certification, and forms:

The resumes, organization chart or staffing chart, required certification, and forms shall be submitted as an attached, single computer file via e-mail. PDF (Adobe Acrobat) is the preferred format, but a Word file is acceptable. Please do not include cover sheets or dividers. The Department has a 20 MB limit on e-mail attachments. The file shall be sent to d4.profserv@dot.state.fl.us. Deadline for FDOT receipt of file is 3:00 PM on September 16, 2024. All submittals may be subject to public records requests. Zipped email attachments are NOT acceptable, and will be disabled by FDOT’s email server due to security reasons.

9. Consultant Interviews:

Consultants under consideration for this project will be interviewed by the Technical Review Committee (TRC) in person, or by video-conference if TRC member(s) are in a district and cannot travel on the date of interviews.

9.1 INTERVIEW REQUIREMENTS: The following guidelines will govern the interviews:

(1) A portion of the prepared Interview questions shall be common to all shortlisted Consultants. The Department may prepare additional questions that are unique for a Consultant based on the Consultant’s Letter of Response, organization/staffing chart, or other information. TRC members may also ask follow-up clarifying questions during the Interview, where time permits.

(2) The Department may pose questions about hypothetical or actual projects, or situational questions, but only during the follow-up Question and Answer portion.

(3) Just prior to the start of the Interview, each Consultant team shall be given the prepared questions to review for five (5) minutes. One copy of the questions shall be provided to each member of the Consultant team. The Consultant may keep the copy of the questions during the Interview. The Consultant may not leave the Interview room to review the questions. The Consultant firm remains in the same room as the TRC and Professional Services Unit (PSU) staff when reviewing the questions. The five minutes for reviewing questions is not considered as part of the Interview.

Discussions by the Consultant team members during the 5 minute review are not part of the Interview process, and are not considered in evaluation of the Consultant.

(4) Introductions of Consultant staff and Department staff are also not counted as part of the Interview time. Interviews are limited to 45 minutes total, inclusive of Consultant opening statement and Questions and Answers

8.3 Submittal of resumes, organization chart or staffing chart, required

(Q&A). Ten (10) minutes will be allowed after the Interview for follow-up questions pertaining to the Consultant’s responses and Consultant closing statement (closing statement is optional and only if time permits). PSU shall be timekeeper, and is responsible for ensuring the Consultant firm adheres to the stated time limits. The Interview may conclude early if less time is actually required. Each Consultant firm may make an opening statement of approximately 5 minutes (opening statement is optional). The opening statement shall not be separately timed.

(5) Attendance at the interview by the Consultant’s proposed Project Manager is strongly recommended.

(6) A maximum of 6 attendees per Consultant team is allowed. Switching out of participants in the Interview room is not permitted. Disciplines that must attend the interview are N/A. If a proposed subconsultant is listed as a subconsultant on more than one (1) team for a single project, then it is the responsibility of the subconsultant to disclose this information with each respective team. The Department representatives in attendance will at a minimum be the members of the Technical Review Committee and a Procurement Office representative (interview facilitator).

(7) No handouts other than standard paper business cards will be allowed before, during, or after the interview.

(8) The Department shall supply and make available either a standard white board or flip chart with markers during the interview. The Consultant is not permitted to bring in prepared diagrams or drawings to display on the Department-supplied flip chart or white board. Procurement will discard the flip chart pages at the completion of the interview. Flip charts and/or white board illustrations will not be given to TRC for evaluation after the interview.

Consultant may begin drawing as soon as the questions are handed to them (the beginning of the five minutes of review).

(9) Consultant may bring one unaltered aerial plot, 24” x 36” maximum for use during the interview. Split views are allowed, as long as the overall total size does not exceed 24” x 36”. No alterations other than a North arrow as well as street names can be shown on the aerial for locating purposes when brought to the interview. The unaltered aerial plot may be marked up or drawn upon by the Consultant during the interview, but not before the interview begins. One aerial per project may be submitted. No other visual aides are allowed.

(10) Consultants may bring in paper notepads or index cards with notes during their interviews, for their own reference and use. The notepads and index cards will not be left behind for the Department, nor shared with the TRC.

(11) Consultants are not permitted to refer to smartphones, tablets, laptops, or other electronic devices during the course of the Interview.

9.2 SCHEDULE OF INTERVIEWS: Interviews are scheduled for September 17, 2024 and will be conducted in Manatee Conference Room, Florida Department of Transportation, District 4 Headquarters, 3400 W. Commercial Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309.

The order of interviews will be established by random drawing.

Firm: Time:

1. Ribbeck Engineering, Inc. 9:00 AM

2. ASA Consultants, Inc 10:15 AM

3. Allbright Engineering Inc. 1:00 PM

4. Goal Associates, Inc. 2:15 PM

10. Consultant Selection:

A technical review committee will review the resumes and the organization chart or staffing chart received from the consultant firms being considered for final selection.

Attachment C provides the criteria to be considered by the technical review committee in the evaluation of organization chart or staffing chart, resumes, and interviews.

Evaluations and comments will be provided to the Selection Committee.

The Selection Committee, consisting of Steven C. Braun, P.E., District Secretary; John P.

Krane, P.E., Director of Transportation Development; Paul A. Lampley, P.E., Director of Transportation Operations; and a representative of the Procurement Office, will meet to discuss the capabilities of the consultant firms. At the discretion of the Committee, other persons may be requested to provide information at the meeting.

The results of the final selection meeting will be posted on the FDOT Procurement Advertisements web page.

11. Contract Negotiations:

Contract discussions will be initiated with the firms ranked numbers 1 and 2 by the Selection Committee. The consultant will be asked to prepare a fee proposal with backup information to support the proposed wage rates for the services. The consultant's audit information will be used to determine the allowance for administrative overhead and fringe benefits for the project, facilities capital cost of money and direct expense percentage. If subconsultants are proposed to work on the project, information to substantiate each firm's overhead rate and proposed wage rates will also be required.

Should the Department be unable to negotiate a fair, reasonable, and competitive price for the consultant services with the firms ranked numbers 1 and 2, the Department will terminate the negotiations. The Department will then begin contract negotiations with the next ranked firm.

The proposed costs MUST be submitted in the Automated Fee Proposal Spreadsheet.

The Automated Fee Proposal and Guidelines can be obtained by accessing the following link and clicking on the Automated Fee Proposal Spreadsheet:

http://www.fdot.gov/procurement/formmenu.shtm.

When completing the AFP, it is the expectation that the Consultant submit resumes for each individual proposed on the project. Consultants, please understand that it is critical that you classify proposed staff in accordance with Attachment B of the Negotiation Handbook. If proposed staff is classed inappropriately, it may cause delays in having to revisit the staff hours (if applicable for this project). In order to minimize time delays, please utilize the Negotiation Handbook typical definitions found in Attachment B to best decide the proposed classifications.

Upon completion of the Automated Fee Proposal, the Awarded Prime Consultant shall email the Automated Fee Proposal to the District Professional Services Unit.

The Awarded Prime Consultant MUST also prepare the back-up information to support the proposed wage, overhead and expense costs for services proposed.

The due date for the Automated Fee Proposal and backup documentation shall be provided in the Request for Fee Proposal document (or e-mail).

This webpage also contains an Automated Fee Proposal User’s Guide which may be very helpful in understanding the spreadsheet. At a minimum, the fee proposal shall include the following:

Identification of the Basis for Proposed Wage Rates Approved Overhead and Fringe Benefits and Expense Percentage Proposed Operating Margin Identification of the Basis for Loaded Rates Subconsultant Costs

The negotiated compensation will be in an amount the Department determines is fair, competitive, and reasonable considering the scope and complexity of the project.

http://www.fdot.gov/procurement/formmenu.shtm

12. Schedule:

Date Time Action

September 13, 2024 5:00 PM Cutoff Date for Technical Questions September 16, 2024 3:00 PM Resumes, organization chart or staffing chart, required certification, and forms due (aka Phase II Submittal Deadline)

September 17, 2024 9:00 AM Interviews Begin October 7, 2024 9:30 AM Final Selection

Dates for selected firm after final selection, please note dates are subject to change:

Date Time Action October 15, 2024 12:00 PM Fee Proposal Due October 29, 2024 N/A Planned end of Negotiation Date

(Negotiation conclusion date) November 29, 2024 N/A Planned Date of Execution

Note: All times listed in this document are Eastern Time Zone unless specifically noted…