Non-Competitive_Oversight_Committee_Justification_Form.docx

This is a Non-Competitive Oversight Committee Justification Form prepared for Pinellas County Solid Waste Department in Florida regarding an Artificial Reef Tire Removal Project. The project involves contracting marine salvage and debris removal services to extract approximately 3,300 tires from five artificial reef areas located off the Pinellas County coast: Clearwater Artificial Reef (320 acres, approximately 2,900 tires), Rube Allyn Reef Area (220 acres, approximately 160 tires), St. Pete Beach Artificial Reef (60 acres, approximately 60 tires), Treasure Island Artificial Reef (85 acres, approximately 70 tires), and Madeira Beach Artificial Reef (85 acres, approximately 110 tires). All recovered materials must be transported via vessels capable of operating in coastal Gulf waters to depths of 50 feet and 20 nautical miles offshore and unloaded into County-provided containers at the staging area located at Sand Key Park, 1060 Gulf Boulevard, Clearwater, Florida. The RFP requires question submissions by March 31, 2026 at 12:00 p.m., with proposal submissions due electronically through OpenGov by April 16, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. No site visits or pre-bid conferences are scheduled. The contract term is twelve months from award with one optional twelve-month renewal period available at the same prices and conditions subject to County approval.

The RFP requires submission of lump sum unit costs for mobilization and tire removal/transport/unloading services for each of the five reef locations, with all costs remaining firm throughout the contract duration. Contractors must demonstrate at least five years of experience in marine salvage or debris removal from sensitive habitats and provide four customer references for similar services. Evaluation criteria include executive summary (5 percent), qualifications and experience (35 percent), project approach and methodology (50 percent), and compensation/price proposal (10 percent). All contractors must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including workers' compensation, commercial general liability ($1,000,000 combined single limit), business automobile liability ($1,000,000), excess/umbrella liability ($1,000,000), and watercraft liability ($1,000,000), with no performance security required. Contractors must complete and submit notarized affidavits including Human Trafficking, Common Carrier, and Foreign Countries of Concern attestations, along with E-Verify system registration. Work must comply with NOAA Environmental Best Management Practices and Project Design Criteria, including protected species management, daylight-only operations, turbidity control measures, and archaeological site protection. The County will obtain the required Environmental Resource Permit at no cost to the contractor and provides the staging area for equipment mooring at no cost.