REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

2026-RFP-109

CONSULTING SERVICES FOR THE PREPARATION OF A DATA

CENTER AND LARGE-LOAD DEVELOPMENT REGULATORY

FRAMEWORK

City of Lakeland

1140 E. Parker Street

Lakeland, FL 33801

RELEASE DATE: September 7, 2026

DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS: September 18, 2026

RESPONSE DEADLINE: October 5, 2026, 2:00 pm

RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO:

https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/lakelandgov https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/%7bproject.government.code%7d

City of Lakeland

CONSULTING SERVICES FOR THE PREPARATION OF A DATA CENTER AND

LARGE-LOAD DEVELOPMENT REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

I. NOTICE

II. INTRODUCTION

III. SCOPE OF WORK

IV. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

V. SELECTION CRITERIA

VI. INSURANCE AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS

VII. SPECIFICATION OF SAFETY AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

REQUIREMENTS

VIII. VENDOR QUESTIONNAIRE

Attachments:

B - Indemnification 2026 Consultant

G - Human Trafficking Affidavit

H - Sample Standard Contract Form

Request For Proposal #2026-RFP-109 Title: CONSULTING SERVICES FOR THE PREPARATION OF A DATA CENTER AND LARGE-LOAD DEVELOPMENT

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

1. NOTICE

CONSULTING SERVICES FOR THE PREPARATION OF A DATA CENTER AND LARGE-LOAD DEVELOPMENT

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

FOR THE CITY OF LAKELAND

Monday, September 7, 2026

RFP No.2026-RFP-109

Sealed proposals will be received electronically by the Purchasing Manager via OpenGov, the City’s e-

Procurement Portal (“Portal”), until 2:00 pm – Monday, October 5, 2026. Proposals received after this specified time and date will not be considered. The sealed proposals will be publicly opened and read aloud on the same date and time in the office of the Purchasing Manager for the following:

RFP Documents may be accessed by visiting our Website athttps://procurement.opengov.com/portal/lakelandgov or by contacting the City of Lakeland

Purchasing Division @ (863) 834-6780.RFP Documents are Required for Submittal. Proposers are required to submit their response through the Portal. Proposers shall sign up on the Portal if an account does not exist.

THE CITY OF LAKELAND IS SOLICITING SEALED PROPOSALS FROM QUALIFIED PROPOSERS TO

PROVIDE: CONSULTING SERVICES FOR THE PREPARATION OF A DATA CENTER AND LARGE-LOAD

DEVELOPMENT REGULATORY FRAMEWORK.

THE PROPOSALS SUBMITTED SHALL BE IN COMPLETE ACCORDANCE WITH, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THIS REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL, THE ATTACHED CITY OF LAKELAND SPECIFICATIONS, ALL CODES AND

REQUIREMENTS REFERENCED THEREIN.

All Questions regarding this request for proposals shall be in writing and submitted electronically via the

Portal through the Question and Answer tab before 2:00 pm on Friday, September 18, 2026. Responses will be released on the Question and Answer Tab.

1.1. CLARIFICATION AND/OR EXCEPTIONS OF DOCUMENTATION

Proposer requiring clarification or having a dispute with these documents must advise the City

Purchasing Division of the nature of the required clarification or basis of the dispute, in writing, no later than 2:00 pm on Friday, September 18, 2026 via the Portal's Question and Answer tab. If no written contact has been made by this specified date, the Proposer waives the right to any future consideration and accepts the documents as published and/or revised by the City. Additionally, submitting a signed proposal shall be construed as a total compliance statement. Note: Any use of brand names

(manufacturer) in this RFP is for the Proposer's convenience only and shall not limit this RFP. Equal or better equipment and alternate proposals may be given consideration.

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/lakelandgov

1.2. FLORIDA PUBLIC RECORDS LAW

IF THE CONTRACTOR HAS QUESTIONS REGARDING THE APPLICATION OF

CHAPTER 119, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO THE CONTRACTOR’S DUTY TO PROVIDE

PUBLIC RECORDS RELATING TO THIS CONTRACT, CONTACT THE CUSTODIAN OF

PUBLIC RECORDS: KELLY S. KOOS – CITY CLERK AT: PHONE: 863-834-6210, E-

MAIL: cityclerk@lakelandgov.net, MAIL: ATTN: CITY CLERK 228 S.

MASSACHUSETTS AVE., LAKELAND, FLORIDA 33801.

In accordance with Florida Statute §119.0701, the Contractor shall keep and maintain public records required by the City in performance of services pursuant to the contract. Upon request from the City’s custodian of public records, Contractor shall provide the City with a copy of the requested records or allow the records to be inspected or copied within a reasonable time at a cost that does not exceed the cost provided pursuant to Florida Statute Chapter 119 or as otherwise provided by law. Contractor shall ensure that public records that are exempt or confidential and exempt from public records disclosure requirements are not disclosed except as authorized by law for the duration of the contract term and following completion of the contract if the Contractor does not transfer the records to the City. Contractor shall, upon completion of the contract, transfer, at no cost, to the City all public records in possession of the Contractor or keep and maintain public records required by the City to perform services pursuant to the contract. If the Contractor transfers all public records to the City upon completion of the contract, the Contractor shall destroy any duplicate public records that are exempt or confidential and exempt from public records disclosure requirements. If the Contractor keeps and maintains public records upon completion of the contract, the Contractor shall meet all applicable requirements for retaining public records. All records stored electronically must be provided to the City, upon request from the City’s custodian of public records, in a format that is compatible with the information technology systems of the City.

1.3. EXPARTE COMMUNICATION

Please note that to insure the proper and fair evaluation of a proposal the City of Lakeland prohibits exparte communication (i.e., unsolicited) initiated by the Proposer to the City Official or Employee evaluating or considering the proposals prior to the time a bid decision has been made. Communication between Proposer and the City will be initiated by the appropriate City Official or Employee in order to obtain information or clarification needed to develop a proper and accurate evaluation of the proposal.

Exparte communication may be grounds for disqualifying the offending Proposer from consideration or award of the proposal, then in evaluation, or any future proposal.

1.4. INSURANCE AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS

All insurance shall be secured from or countersigned by an agent or surety company recognized in good standing and authorized to do business in the State of Florida.

The Contractor shall, within ten (10) days of notification of award and prior to commencement of work, take out and maintain in full force and effect minimum insurance coverage as specified in the attached requirements. This insurance shall remain in force and effect throughout the duration of the contract.

A certificate of existing insurance coverage should be submitted with the proposal as proof of insurability. If the current coverage does not meet the RFP requirements, then the Proposer should mailto:cityclerk@lakelandgov.net request an affidavit of insurability from the Proposer's insurance agent that certifies the requirements can and will be met. Failure to provide adequate insurance coverage may be cause for disqualification as non-responsive to the RFP requirements. The Contractor agrees to accept and abide by the City of

Lakeland safety regulations in complete accordance with the attached requirements.

1.5. INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

The Contractor agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the City of Lakeland in complete accordance with the attached requirements. This agreement shall be signed, notarized and returned with the RFP submittal. Failure to provide the Hold Harmless Indemnification Agreement may be cause for disqualification as non-responsive to the RFP requirements.

1.6. HUMAN TRAFFICKING -- F.S. 787.06(14)

In compliance with Section 787.06(14), Florida Statutes, the attached Affidavit must be completed by an officer or representative of a non-governmental entity that is executing, renewing, or extending a contract with the City of Lakeland, Florida (the “Governmental Entity”). This attests under penalty of perjury that the nongovernmental entity does not use coercion for labor or services when a contract is executed, renewed or extended between a governmental entity.

1.7. DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE CERTIFICATION

By submitting a proposal in response to this Request for Proposal, you are certifying that your company is a drug-free workplace in accordance with Florida Statute 287.087.

1.8. SUSPENSION AND DEBARMENT CERTIFICATION

By submitting a proposal in response to this Request for Proposals, you are certifying that your company, pursuant to 49 CFR Part 29: (1) is not presently suspended or debarred as, and/or listed on the U.S. General Services Administration’s System for Award Management (SAM) as such; and (2) will at all times remain eligible to submit a proposal for and perform the services subject to the requirements set forth herein and other applicable laws. Proposer agrees that any contract awarded to Proposer will be subject to termination by the City if Contractor or its subcontractors fail to comply or maintain such compliance.

1.9. 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 proposal on a contract to provide any goods or services to a public entity, may not submit a proposal on a contract with a public entity for the construction or repair of a public building or public work, may not submit proposals 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 Section 287.017, for CATEGORY TWO for a period of 36 months from the date of being placed on the convicted vendor list.

1.10. CONFLICT OF INTEREST / STATEMENT OF NON-COLLUSION

The award hereunder is subject to Chapter 112, Florida Statutes. All Proposers must disclose with their proposal the name of any officer, director, or agent who is also an employee of the City of Lakeland.

Further, all Proposers must disclose the name of any City of Lakeland employee who owns, directly or indirectly, an interest of five percent (5%) or more of the Proposer's firm or any of its branches.

The Proposer shall certify that he/she has not, either directly or indirectly, entered into any agreement, participated in any collusion, or otherwise taken any action in restraint of free competitive bidding in connection with the proposal and that the Proposer is not financially interested in, or otherwise affiliated in a business way with any other Proposer on the same land or improvements.

1.11. E-VERIFY CERTIFICATION

Vendor/Contractor shall utilize the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify system, in accordance with the terms governing use of the system, to confirm the employment eligibility of:

All persons employed by the Vendor/Contractor during the term of the Contract to perform employment duties within Florida; and

All persons, including subcontractors, assigned by the Vendor/Contractor to perform work pursuant to the Contract with the City.

1.12. VENDOR/CONTRACTOR CERTIFICATION REGARDING SCRUTINIZED

COMPANIES

Section 287.135, Florida Statutes, as may be amended, prohibits agencies or local government entities from contracting with companies for goods or services of $1,000,000.00 or more, that are on the

Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Sudan List, the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in the Iran

Petroleum Energy Sector List, the Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel List or is engaged in a boycott of Israel and that it does not have business operations with Cuba or Syria.

As the person authorized to submit proposals on behalf of the Proposer, I hereby certify that the company identified above in the section entitled “Proposer Vendor Name” is not listed on either the

Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Sudan List or the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in the

Iran Petroleum Energy Sector List, the Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel List. I further certify that the company is not engaged in a boycott of Israel or has business operations in Cuba or Syria. I understand that pursuant to section 287.135 , Florida Statutes, as may be amended, the submission of a false certification may subject company to civil penalties, attorney’s fees, and/or costs.

1.13. SCRUTINIZED COMPANIES OR OTHER ENTITIES

Pursuant to Florida Statute §287.135(3)(b)2., as may be amended, the City may terminate its contract with Contractor if Contractor is found to have been placed on the Scrutinized Companies or Other

Entities that Boycott Israel or is engaged in a boycott of Israel.

1.14. PROHIBITION AGAINST CONSIDERING SOCIAL, POLITICAL OR IDEOLOGICAL

INTERESTS IN GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING -- F.S. 287.05701

Proposers are hereby notified of the provisions of section 287.05701, Florida Statutes, as amended, that the City will not request documentation of or consider a Proposer's social, political, or ideological interests when determining if the Proposer is a responsible Proposer. Proposers are further notified that the City's governing body may not give preference to a Proposer based on the Proposer's social, political, or ideological interests.

1.15. ADDENDA

It is the Proposer's responsibility to review all available project documents including Addenda, Notices and Questions & Answers prior to submitting a proposal. Proposer shall acknowledge all addenda electronically within their submission via the Portal.

The failure of a Proposer to submit acknowledgement of any addenda that affects the proposal price(s) may be considered an irregularity and may be cause for rejection of the proposal.

1.16. LOCAL VENDOR PREFERENCE

Please refer to the City’s Local Preference Policy, Ordinance No. 5912 dated January 3, 2022, located on the Purchasing Department page, www.lakelandgov.net.

A Local Business shall be defined as a vendor, supplier or contractor that: (i) conducts business within the jurisdictional limits of Lakeland Electric’s service territory by providing goods, services or construction; (ii) maintains a physical business location within the jurisdictional limits of Lakeland

Electric’s service territory in an area legally zoned for conducting such business; (iii) conducts business on a daily basis from the local business location; (iv) has conducted business from such location for at least twelve (12) consecutive months prior to the due date for the applicable bid or proposal; and (v) provides a copy of its local business tax receipt, if located within the City of Lakeland, or a copy of its

Polk County local business tax receipt, if located outside of the City limits but within Lakeland Electric’s service territory.

1.17. BID PROTEST PROCEDURE

The City’s procedure on bid disputes is located in the City’s Purchasing Manual and can be found at https://www.lakelandgov.net/departments/purchasing/bid-dispute-policy.

1.18. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF AGREEMENT

A copy of the agreement to be entered into with the successful Proposer is included with this RFP

Attached herein, should the City require such.

1.19. OPENGOV PROCUREMENT

The City of Lakeland uses OpenGov, the e-Procurement Portal (“Portal”), to administer the competitive solicitation process, including but not limited to soliciting quotes, sealed bids, proposals, and qualifications, issuing addenda, posting results and issuing notification of an intended decision.

Proposers are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves well in advance of their intention of https://www.lakelandgov.net/ https://www.lakelandgov.net/departments/purchasing/bid-dispute-policy submitting a proposal to ensure familiarity with the use of the Portal. The City shall not be responsible for a Proposer's inability to submit a proposal by the end date and time for any reason, including issues arising from the use of the Portal.

1.20. RFP SUBMITTAL

Proposer shall complete all electronic sections of their response and submit a response before the due date and time identified in the Timeline of this solicitation. Electronic sections may comprise of but are not limited to Contact Information, Addenda Confirmation, Questionnaire, Pricing and Company Profile.

The City of Lakeland at its sole discretion reserves the right to waive technicalities or irregularities, to reject any or all proposals, and/or to accept that proposal which is in the best interest of the City. The award of this proposal, if made, may be based on considerations other than total cost and may be awarded based on various considerations, including without limitation; Proposer's experience and/or qualifications, past experience, administrative cost, standardization, technical evaluation and oral and/or written presentations as required. The City reserves the right to accept all or part, or to decline the whole, and to award this RFP to one (1) or more Proposers. There is no obligation to buy. The RFP, if awarded, will be in the judgement of the City the most responsive to the City’s needs. The City of

Lakeland encourages the use of minority and women owned businesses as subcontractors or in joint venture arrangements.

City of Lakeland, Florida

2. INTRODUCTION

2.1. Summary

The City of Lakeland, Florida (City) is soliciting proposals from qualified multidisciplinary consulting teams to assist the City in developing a comprehensive regulatory framework governing the zoning, siting, permitting, utility service, and long-term operation of data centers and other large-load developments.

The rapid growth of data centers, artificial intelligence (AI) computing facilities, cloud computing infrastructure, and other energy-intensive industries presents opportunities for economic investment while also creating unique challenges related to compatibility, utility infrastructure, environmental resources, and long-term fiscal sustainability.

Unlike many local governments, the City owns and operates electric, water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities. This unique governance structure allows the City to coordinate land use planning with utility planning and infrastructure investment. It also requires the City to ensure that future development is planned in a manner that protects existing utility customers, preserves system reliability, and allocates infrastructure costs fairly.

The City recently adopted a temporary 12-month moratorium on new data center and large-load development to provide sufficient time to evaluate existing regulations and develop a comprehensive policy framework addressing the unique characteristics of these facilities. The City’s objective is to emerge from the moratorium with a technically sound, legally defensible, and implementable regulatory framework that provides certainty for both the City and future applicants.

The successful Consulting Team will evaluate existing conditions, identify regional and national best practices, assess utility service and municipal infrastructure capacity, develop recommendations for the siting and regulation of future data centers and other large-load development, and prepare implementation documents, including recommended amendments to the City’s Land Development Code, related utility policies, and other implementation documents necessary to establish the recommended regulatory framework.

The final product should provide the City Commission with practical recommendations that can be implemented through future legislative and administrative action.

2.2. Background

The purpose of this project is to prepare a comprehensive regulatory framework that enables the City to responsibly evaluate future data centers and other large-load developments in a manner that protects public health, safety, and welfare while:

• Protecting existing utility customers from subsidizing growth-related infrastructure

• Ensuring that development-related costs and financial risks are appropriately assigned to the proposed development

• Maintaining reliable electric, water, wastewater, and stormwater service

• Protecting environmental resources and promoting responsible water and energy use

• Preserving community character and protecting sensitive land uses

• Promoting responsible economic development

• Providing a predictable and transparent regulatory process

• Establishing legally defensible development standards consistent with Florida law

The regulatory framework should establish consistent standards for data centers and other large-load developments regardless of whether a facility is newly constructed, constructed on a greenfield site, or located within an existing or speculative building. Requirements should be based on the anticipated impacts and infrastructure demands of the proposed use and should appropriately address the infrastructure, utility, environmental, public safety, and fiscal implications of both new construction and the reuse or conversion of existing facilities.

The project is intended to produce an integrated regulatory framework, not a comprehensive master plan, for managing future data center and large-load development. The recommendations should balance economic opportunity with infrastructure capacity, environmental stewardship, fiscal responsibility, and long-term community objectives.

Unless otherwise expressly stated, the analyses required under this RFP are intended to establish a planning and policy-level basis for the City's regulatory framework and are not intended to substitute for project-specific engineering, environmental permitting, utility interconnection, or other technical studies that may be required of individual applicants.

2.3. Contact Information

Cristy Newton

Purchasing Manager

1140 E. Parker Street

2nd Floor

Lakeland, FL 33801

Email: cristy.newton@lakelandgov.net

Phone: (863) 834-6788

Department:

Purchasing

2.4. Timeline

The City Commission may not approve this purchase, or may ask that the plan be modified in some respect. The City may opt to modify and/or terminate the project described within the RFP.

The suggested deployment schedule contained within this RFP is subject to change based on the City’s needs and/or final scoping of the project through the contract negotiation phase.

Estimated Schedule

RFP release September 7, 2026 mailto:cristy.newton@lakelandgov.net tel:(863)834-6788

RFP questions deadline September 18, 2026, 2:00pm

City responses to vendors September 25, 2026, 5:00pm

RFP proposal due date October 5, 2026, 2:00pm

3. SCOPE OF WORK

3.1. PROJECT OBJECTIVES

The Consulting Team shall prepare recommendations that enable the City to:

A. Protect Existing Utility Customers.

Develop policies that ensure the costs associated with serving future data centers and other large-load developments are allocated fairly and do not shift growth-related costs to existing electric, water, wastewater, or stormwater customers.

B. Maintain Reliable Municipal Infrastructure and Utility Services.

Evaluate the City's electric, water, wastewater, and stormwater systems and identify infrastructure constraints, capacity limitations, and policy recommendations necessary to accommodate future data centers and large-load development while maintaining system reliability and resiliency.

C. Guide Appropriate Land Use.

Identify potential locations for future data centers and other large-load developments based upon existing and planned infrastructure, environmental constraints, land use compatibility, and long-term planning objectives.

D. Develop Objective Development Standards.

Prepare recommendations for clear, measurable and enforceable development standards addressing site design, access, setbacks, buffering, landscaping, architecture, lighting, noise, mechanical and emergency equipment, operational performance, infrastructure requirements, ongoing compliance, decommissioning, and compatibility with adjacent land uses. The standards should be applied consistently to data centers and large-load developments based on the anticipated impacts and infrastructure demands of the proposed use, regardless of whether the development involves new construction or reuse or conversion of an existing building.

E. Establish a Predictable and Transparent Development Review and Compliance Process.

Develop recommendations for application requirements, technical studies, interdepartmental review procedures, utility coordination, public participation, approval processes, and post-approval monitoring and enforcement procedures that provide predictability for applicants while ensuring the City and the public receive sufficient technical information to evaluate proposed developments and verify continued compliance.

F. Promote Environmental Stewardship.

Develop recommendations that consider air quality and waste heat, while encouraging efficient and responsible use of water and energy resources, use of reclaimed water where feasible, sustainable stormwater management practices and protection of environmentally sensitive resources and limiting wastewater effluent contaminants, environmentally responsible cooling technologies, mitigation of impacts from backup generators and fuel storage, and ongoing monitoring of environmental performance.

G. Develop Equitable Utility Funding and Cost-Recovery Policies.

Prepare recommendations regarding utility cost allocation, Contributions in Aid of Construction

(CIAC), developer-funded infrastructure, capacity reservation, financial assurances, minimum payment obligations, early termination protections, and other funding mechanisms that support long-term financial sustainability and equitable cost recovery, protect existing utility customers, and address the financial risk associated with infrastructure constructed or reserved for data centers or large-load developments.

H. Create an Implementable Regulatory Framework.

Prepare implementation-ready draft amendments to the City’s Land Development Code, together with utility policies, administrative procedures, and model agreements that can be considered by the Planning and Zoning Board, Utility Committee, and the City Commission following completion of the study.

3.2. DESIRED OUTCOMES

At the completion of this project, the City expects to have a comprehensive, technically sound, and legally defensible regulatory framework that enables the City to evaluate future data center and large-load development in a consistent, transparent, and financially responsible manner.

Specifically, the City expects the Consulting Team to provide recommendations and implementation documents that will enable the City to:

• Identify appropriate locations for future data centers and other large-load developments based upon infrastructure capacity, land use compatibility, environmental considerations, and long-term planning objectives.

• Establish clear, measurable and enforceable development standards that protect surrounding neighborhoods, businesses, and environmentally sensitive resources while providing predictable expectations for applicants.

• Establish a consistent regulatory and utility framework for large-load development regardless of whether the proposed customer occupies a newly constructed facility, a greenfield development, or an existing speculative or industrial building, with requirements based on the impacts and infrastructure demands associated with the proposed use.

• Develop utility policies that promote equitable cost allocation, protect existing utility customers from subsidizing growth-related infrastructure, and support the long-term financial sustainability of the City's municipal utilities.

• Evaluate the City's existing development review process and recommend refinements, as appropriate, to ensure that planning, engineering, utility, environmental, legal, and public safety considerations are effectively coordinated within a clear and efficient permitting framework and address post-approval monitoring and enforcement.

• Prepare implementation-ready draft amendments to the Land Development Code, related utility policies, and administrative procedures necessary to implement the proposed regulatory framework.

• Provide model implementation documents, including a Development Agreement and Utility

Service Agreement, which can be adapted for future projects.

• Prepare a GIS-based suitability analysis identifying areas generally appropriate for future data center and large-load developments and areas where such development should be discouraged or avoided.

• Develop an implementation roadmap that identifies the actions, priorities, and sequencing necessary to successfully administer the recommended regulatory framework.

• Develop recommendations that provide flexibility to accommodate future technological advancements, evolving cooling technologies, and changing utility demands without requiring frequent amendments to the City's regulations.

• Develop recommendations addressing responsible water and energy use, reclaimed water, cooling technologies, stormwater management, backup power, fuel storage, and protection of environmentally sensitive resources.

• Establish clear definitions and requirements based on facility size and utility demands, including provisions preventing applicants from avoiding applicable requirements by dividing a project into separate phases, parcels, utility meters, related companies, or tenant spaces.

• Establish monitoring, reporting, enforcement, and decommissioning requirements that allow the

City to verify continued compliance throughout a facility’s operation.

The City intends for the completed project to provide a practical framework that supports responsible economic development and capital investment while protecting municipal infrastructure, existing utility customers, surrounding neighborhoods, and the long-term interests of the community.

The City recognizes that technologies, market conditions, and regulatory requirements associated with data centers and large-load developments continue to evolve. The Consulting Team is encouraged to recommend alternative approaches or additional analyses that, in its professional judgment, would better achieve the City's stated objectives, provided such recommendations are clearly identified in the proposal and accompanied by an explanation of their value to the City.

Proposers may identify reusable analytical models, tools, or decision-support resources developed or utilized in performance of the project that may be made available to the City at project closeout. The proposal shall identify any applicable licensing, ownership, proprietary-use, access, or other restrictions associated with such tools and shall describe the extent to which City staff may retain, update, and apply them to future large-load applications.

As an exception to the requirement in Section 3.11 that project work products become the property of the

City, pre-existing or proprietary analytical models, tools, software, methodologies, or other intellectual property identified by the proposer shall remain subject to the ownership and licensing terms disclosed in the proposal and ultimately agreed upon by the City. Project-specific reports, data, analyses, recommendations, and other deliverables produced for the City remain subject to the ownership and deliverable requirements of the RFP.

The City will allow a proposer to retain ownership of its pre-existing proprietary methodologies, models, scoring logic, decision-support tools, templates, and other intellectual property that was developed independently of this project.

For a specialized or partial-scope proposal, the proposer may use such proprietary intellectual property in performing the work and may retain ownership of the underlying proprietary methodology and reusable intellectual property.

The City will receive the project-specific analyses, findings, recommendations, dashboards, registers, reports, and other deliverables produced for the City for its unrestricted internal use.

Where a project-specific implementation tool incorporates the proposer’s pre-existing or proprietary intellectual property, the parties may establish an appropriate license for the City to use the tool for purposes of this project and the City’s related internal governmental activities without requiring transfer of ownership of the underlying proprietary methodology, source logic, scoring architecture, weighting, thresholds, or other reusable proprietary mechanics.

Any proprietary information or intellectual property claimed by the proposer must be appropriately identified and supported in accordance with the RFP and the resulting contract. The foregoing does not modify any applicable public-records requirements, confidentiality obligations, or other contractual requirements governing ownership, licensing, use, disclosure, or delivery of project materials. The final intellectual-property rights and license terms will be established in the resulting contract.

3.3. CONSULTING TEAM QUALIFICATIONS

Because of the interdisciplinary nature of this project, the City seeks proposals from multidisciplinary consulting teams with demonstrated experience in municipal planning, municipally owned utilities, infrastructure engineering, land development regulation, and public policy.

The Prime Consultant shall serve as the single point of responsibility for all work performed under this project and shall identify a Project Manager who will remain assigned throughout the project unless a replacement with comparable qualifications is otherwise approved by the City. The Project Manager and key personnel shall demonstrate direct experience with assignments comparable in scope and complexity to this project.

The Consulting Team shall collectively demonstrate experience in the following disciplines, as applicable to the proposed approach:

• Municipal comprehensive planning

• Land use and zoning

• Development regulations

• Municipally owned electric utilities

• Electric, generation, resource adequacy, transmission and distribution systems planning

• Electrical power systems engineering

• Water, wastewater, reclaimed water, and stormwater utilities

• Water resource development for limited water supply areas

• Data center cooling technologies and associated utility demands

• Emergency/backup power systems, fuel storage, and hazardous-material considerations

• Environmental planning and permitting

• Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

• Acoustic engineering

• Utility rate design, cost allocation, and large-load service agreements

• Municipal finance and fiscal impact analysis

• Public engagement and facilitation

• Florida municipal law and land use law

• Data center and large-load facility planning and regulation

• Municipal fire-rescue service delivery planning

The City strongly prefers teams that have successfully completed comparable assignments for municipalities, public utilities, or other clients, particularly in Florida or jurisdictions with municipally owned utilities.

3.4. SCOPE OF WORK

o Phase I – Project Initiation and Existing Conditions

• Initiate the project, evaluate the City's existing regulatory framework, identify regulatory gaps, review applicable legal authorities and best practices, establish the technical foundation for the study, and identify the public engagement strategy for the project.

o Phase II – Technical Assessments

• Evaluate market conditions, utility infrastructure capacity, environmental constraints, fiscal impacts, and geographic suitability to identify opportunities, constraints, and appropriate locations for future data centers and large-load developments.

o Phase III – Policy Framework Development

• Develop recommendations regarding definitions and applicability thresholds, land use compatibility, development and operational standards, utility cost recovery, environmental protection, development review and compliance procedures, fiscal impacts, and prepare draft regulatory recommendations.

o Phase IV – Implementation and Adoption

• Prepare draft Land Development Code amendments, utility policy recommendations, GIS products, model implementation agreements, the Final Regulatory Framework Report and implementation roadmap. Assist the City during the public review and adoption process and revise the documents in response to City direction.

3.5. PHASE 1

PHASE I – PROJECT INITIATION AND EXISTING CONDITIONS ASSESSMENT

The purpose of Phase I is to establish a common understanding of the City's objectives, organize the project, evaluate the City's existing regulatory and infrastructure framework, identify regulatory gaps and opportunities for improvement, and establish the technical foundation for the development of a comprehensive regulatory framework governing data centers and other large-load developments.

During this phase, the Consulting Team shall become familiar with the City's planning documents, utility systems, development regulations, and operational procedures. The Consulting Team shall also evaluate applicable legal authorities and best practices to identify regulatory approaches that are appropriate for

Lakeland's unique governance structure as a municipally owned electric, water, wastewater, and stormwater utility.

Task 1 – Project Initiation and Existing Conditions Assessment

Purpose

The purpose of this task is to initiate the project, establish communication and project management protocols, and evaluate the City's existing planning documents, utility policies, development regulations, and administrative procedures affecting the siting and operation of data centers and other large-load developments, and develop a recommended public engagement strategy for the project.

The Consulting Team shall identify existing strengths, regulatory gaps, inconsistencies, and opportunities for improvement that should be addressed during subsequent phases of the project.

The Consulting Team shall work with City staff during the early stages of the project to establish an appropriate approach for informing and involving residents, businesses, utility customers, neighborhood organizations, development interests, environmental organizations, and other stakeholders. The engagement strategy shall recognize the City's need to provide meaningful opportunities for public participation while maintaining an efficient process and meeting the City's anticipated schedule.

Scope of Work

The Consulting Team shall conduct a project kickoff meeting with City staff to confirm project objectives, refine the work plan, establish communication protocols, identify required data, and finalize the project schedule.

Following project initiation, the Consulting Team shall review and evaluate existing City policies, regulations, plans, and supporting documents applicable to data centers and other large-load developments. At a minimum, the review shall include:

• Comprehensive Plan

• Land Development Code

• Utility ordinances and policies

• Utility master plans

• Electric, water, wastewater, and stormwater capital improvement plans

• Utility rates and service policies

• Current electric, water, and wastewater capacity, demand, and reserved capacity

• Alternative water supplies (i.e., purchased water through Polk Regional Water Cooperative)

• Development review procedures

• Development agreement practices

• Existing Utility Service Agreements

• Economic development strategies

• GIS mapping and available infrastructure data

• Applicable interlocal, wholesale, transmission, power-supply, mutual-aid, water management district, and utility territorial service agreements; emergency management, public safety and hazardous material plans; and other documents determined relevant by the City or the

Consulting Team

• The City’s data center moratorium and supporting documents

• Available information concerning prior or pending data center and large-load development inquiries

The Consulting Team shall interview key City personnel to identify operational issues, infrastructure constraints, anticipated growth trends, regulatory concerns, interdepartmental coordination needs, and implementation challenges that should be addressed during the project.

The Consulting Team shall develop a recommended Public Engagement Strategy for consideration by the

City. The strategy shall identify appropriate methods, audiences, timing, and opportunities for public and stakeholder participation throughout the project.

The Public Engagement Strategy shall recommend the appropriate use, timing, and level of effort for the following activities:

• Identification of key stakeholder groups and affected audiences

• Preparation of clear and accessible public information materials in facilitation with the City’s

Communications Department

• A dedicated project website or webpage for project information and updates in facilitation with the City’s Communications Department, if deemed advisable

• Publication of project schedules, presentations, and other appropriate documents

• An online mechanism for receiving public comments and feedback

• Stakeholder interviews or focused stakeholder meetings

• Public informational meetings or workshops

• Opportunities for periodic City Commission updates and policy direction

• Methods for documenting and organizing public comments and feedback

• Coordination of public engagement activities with the formal public hearing and adoption process

• Strategies for providing accurate, accessible, and understandable project information and responding to questions or areas of public misunderstanding

The Consulting Team shall recommend opportunities for public input at appropriate milestones in the project, while recognizing that technical analyses and policy recommendations should be developed and evaluated before individual regulatory provisions are presented.

The City shall have an opportunity early in the project to review and provide direction regarding the recommended Public Engagement Strategy before substantial implementation of the strategy.

Deliverables

The Consulting Team shall provide:

• Project Management Plan

• Communications Plan

• Data Request Matrix identifying the information requested, responsible City source, data needed, and status

• Detailed Project Schedule identifying tasks, milestones, City review periods, public engagement activities and decision points

• Public Engagement Strategy including Stakeholder Engagement and Outreach Plan

• Monthly Progress Reports identifying completed work, upcoming activities, schedule status, outstanding decisions and matters requiring City attention

• Existing Conditions Report and Regulatory Assessment Report

Task 2 – Legal and Best Practices Assessment

The purpose of this task is to evaluate the City’s legal authority to regulate data centers and other large-load developments and identify best practices from comparable jurisdictions.

Recommendations shall recognize recent changes in Florida law while identifying regulatory approaches that are technically sound, legally defensible, and appropriate for municipalities operating integrated utility systems.

The Consulting Team shall review applicable federal, state, regional, and local laws and regulations affecting land use planning, municipal utilities, environmental regulation, and development review procedures.

The review shall evaluate statutory authority, procedural requirements, and legal limitations that may affect the City's ability to regulate data centers and other large-load developments. At a minimum, the review shall address sections 112.231, 163.326, 288.075, 366.043, and 373.262, Florida Statutes, together with related comprehensive planning, land development, municipal utility, water-use, public-records, and procurement requirements in effect during the project. Legal conclusions and draft regulatory language shall be coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office.

In addition, the Consulting Team shall conduct a comparative review of at least ten jurisdictions that have adopted regulations or policies governing data centers, hyperscale computing facilities, or other large-load developments.

The review should emphasize jurisdictions that operate municipal electric utilities, have adopted comprehensive regulatory frameworks, have significant experience permitting data centers or similar facilities, and have addressed utility cost recovery, land use compatibility, and infrastructure planning for large-load development.

The Consulting Team shall prepare a comparison matrix identifying each jurisdiction’s facility definitions and thresholds, approval process, siting and development standards, utility and water protections, monitoring and enforcement provisions, implementation outcomes, and known legal or administrative issues. The Consulting Team shall identify approaches that have proven effective, including cautionary examples where appropriate, summarize lessons learned, and evaluate their applicability to Lakeland.

The legal and best-practices review must also address electric-utility and large-load regulatory issues that may affect implementation.

The Consulting Team shall prepare a Legal and Best Practices Technical Memorandum summarizing:

• Applicable legal authority

• Regulatory constraints

• Legal considerations affecting implementation

• Comparative review of selected jurisdictions

• Best practices applicable to Lakeland

• Preliminary recommendations for consideration during subsequent phases of the project

Phase I Deliverables

At the completion of Phase I, the Consulting Team shall submit:

A. Project Management Plan

B. Communications Plan

C. Public Engagement Strategy Recommendations

D. Project Schedule

E. Existing Conditions and Regulatory Assessment Report

F. Legal and Best Practices Technical Memorandum

G. Monthly Progress Reports

H. Capacity assessment for electric, water and wastewater, including wastewater treatment capabilities

3.6. PHASE II – TECHNICAL ASSESSMENTS

The purpose of Phase II is to establish the technical foundation necessary to support the City's regulatory framework. During this phase, the Consulting Team shall evaluate market conditions, municipal infrastructure capacity, environmental considerations, and geographic suitability to identify opportunities and constraints associated with future data center and large-load developments.

The analyses completed during this phase shall provide the basis for subsequent recommendations regarding land use compatibility, development standards, utility policies, permitting procedures, and Land

Development Code amendments.

Task 3 – Market Assessment

The purpose of this task is to evaluate current and anticipated trends in the data center and large-load development, identifying the types and scale of facilities that could reasonably seek to locate within the

City of Lakeland or the Lakeland Electric service territory, and identify the factors most likely to influence future development within Lakeland.

The assessment is intended to provide context for the City's regulatory framework rather than serve as a comprehensive economic development strategy.

The Consulting Team shall prepare a concise assessment of national, statewide, and regional trends affecting data centers and other large-load developments.

The assessment shall evaluate:

• Current and anticipated data center market trends

• Site selection criteria including factors influencing site selection within Central Florida

• Typical electrical, water, wastewater, transportation, telecommunications and other infrastructure requirements

• Common development phases, buildout periods, and utility demand patterns

• Technology and cooling trends that may affect future utility demands

• Types, sizes and operating characteristics of micro, large-scale, colocation, AI, and enterprise facilities

• Opportunities and constraints specific to Lakeland

The Consulting Team shall develop representative facility profiles and development scenarios that can be used in the analyses completed during subsequent phases. The assessment shall identify the infrastructure and regulatory characteristics most important to prospective developers and summarize how those characteristics relate to Lakeland's existing conditions.

The assessment is not intended to develop a recruitment strategy or recommend economic incentives.

The Consulting Team shall prepare a Market Assessment Memorandum summarizing:

• Industry trends

• Site selection considerations

• Representative facility profiles and development scenarios

• Implications for Lakeland

• Key issues to be considered during development of the regulatory framework

Task 4 – Municipal Infrastructure and Environmental Assessment

The purpose of this task is to evaluate the City's ability to accommodate future data centers and other large-load developments while maintaining reliable utility service, protecting existing customers, and preserving environmental resources.

The assessment shall identify infrastructure constraints, evaluate existing and planned capacity, and recommend policies that support sustainable growth and equitable cost recovery.

The Consulting Team shall evaluate the City's municipal utility systems and supporting infrastructure to determine their ability to serve future data centers and large-load developments.

1. Electric Utility

Evaluate the City's electric system to determine its ability to accommodate future data centers and large-load developments, identify existing and anticipated infrastructure constraints, and recommend planning considerations necessary to maintain system reliability.

At a minimum, the evaluation shall consider generation and power-supply resources; transmission and distribution facilities; substations; resource adequacy; interconnection and energization timelines; load ramp, volatility, power quality, harmonics, and telemetry; redundancy and resiliency;

curtailment and load-shedding capability; on-site generation or storage; and future infrastructure needs. The assessment shall evaluate representative project sizes and phased or campus buildout scenarios rather than a single assumed load.