PUR 7776 - Carmody.pdf

PUR 7776 (Revised 07/2022) Page 1 of 4 Incorporated by Reference: Rule 60A-1.045, F.A.C.

DESCRIPTION OF INTENDED

SINGLE SOURCE PURCHASE

(PUR 7776)

AGENCY: FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

TITLE: Carmody® Environmental Health Services Short description of the commodity or service desired: Document Scanning Project (Part2) of onsite sewage management software database system.

CONTACT

Name: KIMBERLY BOWLING Address: 3800 Commonwealth Blvd, Carr Bldg, Tallahassee, FL 32399 Telephone: (850) 245-2361 Email: Kimberly.Bowling@FloridaDEP.gov

Internal tracking number, if any: 2026SS004 (SS-)

Date posted: September 12, 2025 Last day for receipt of information: October 6, 2025

This description of commodities or contractual services intended for purchase from a single source is posted in accordance with Sections 120.57(3) and 287.057(3), Florida Statutes (F.S.), and will remain posted for a period of at least 15 business days.

Commodity or Contractual Service Required (commodity or United National Standard Products and Services Code (UNSPSC), manufacturer, model, and description, as appropriate):

81112005 Document scanning service

Quantity or Term (as appropriate):

One (1) Year

Requestor (division, bureau, office, individual, as appropriate):

Division of Water Resource Management (DWRM) / Onsite Sewage Program (OSP)

Performance and/or Design Requirements (e.g. intended use, function or application, compatibility, requirements; reference to policy, rule, statute or other act of the Legislature, etc., as appropriate):

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Division of Water Resource Management (DWRM), is responsibly for implementing state laws providing for the protection of the quality of Florida’s drinking water, ground water, rivers, lakes, estuaries, wetlands and the reclamation of mined lands. The Onsite Sewage Program (OSP) is responsible for implementing Section 381.0065, F.S. (“Onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems [OSTDS]; regulation), in a manner consistent with the terms of the 2020 Clean Waterways Act (Ch. 2020-150, Laws of Florida), the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Florida Department of Health (DOH) entered into an Interagency Agreement Between the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Department of Health in Compliance with the 2020

PUR 7776 (Revised 07/2022) Page 2 of 4 Incorporated by Reference: Rule 60A-1.045, F.A.C.

Clean Waterways Act for Transfer of the Onsite Sewage Program (effective June 30, 2021) under which administration of the state’s OSTDS (i.e., septic tank) permitting program is being transferred from DOH to DEP through a phased transfer process.

To address significant quantities of archival and historic paper OSTDS records associated with this program, DEP requires an OSTDS records scanning and document management service to convert paper files received from DOH into publicly accessible digital files in a readable, searchable format consistent with existing OSTDS permitting and industry practices. The services required are document preparation for digital scanning; uploading scanned documents into a digital septic system records management software platform that is optimized for OSTDS records searching, sharing, and downloading, including the quality assurance of said files; disposal of documents once scanning is complete; staffing for scanning, digital file formatting, data entry, and file management; provision and operation of scanning equipment; and creation of and maintenance of the septic system records management software.

The septic system records management software and online records retrieval system must be compatible with Florida’s existing septic tank permitting rules, forms, and regulatory standards used by DEP and DOH and be able to provide an online public portal for customers, property owners, contractors, and government officials to view OSTDS permitting records. In addition to hosting the digital OSTDS records on the software platform, DEP must be provided with the scanned files in a PDF format for the agency’s records archival purposes.

Services have been previously procured under Single Source procurement (Part1), the next phase (Part2) of this service is now needed for review and preparation of historic paper septic system records for scanning, digital scanning of historic paper records; uploading and maintaining scanned records on a digital septic system records management software platform administered by the Contractor; quality assurance for the scanned records and the data entry process; disposal of paper records when the scanning and uploading process is complete; creation of and maintenance of the septic system records management software.

Services are needed in order to support the continued transition of the Onsite Sewage Program from the Department of Health records from CHDs in counties that are already included in DEP’s Onsite Sewage Program (OSP) service area, and for additional counties to the Department of Environmental Protection as OSP expands its service area.

Intended Single Source:

Carmody® Software Inc

Estimated Dollar Amount:

$320,000

Justification for single source acquisition (what is necessary and unique about the product, service or source; steps taken to confirm unavailability of competition, as appropriate):

DEP’s Onsite Sewage Program (OSP) is required to administer the state’s Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System (OSTDS) (i.e., septic tank) permitting and compliance program consistent with statutory requirements under Section 381.0065, et seq. Fla. Stat. (“Onsite sewage

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treatment and disposal systems [OSTDS]; regulation) and consistent with the terms of the 2020 Clean Waterways Act (Ch. 2020-150, Laws of Florida). A significant component of this mandate is to maintain searchable digital septic tank permitting records and make accessible to the public historic and archival records pertaining to existing OSTDS to customers throughout the state.

The Carmody® / SepticSearch system is the sole provider of OSTDS digital records having developed and implemented a septic system records management software and online records retrieval system that was designed specifically for Florida’s septic system permitting rules, forms, and compliance documents.

The Carmody® / SepticSearch records scanning, formatting, software, and public portal service is the only existing OSTDS program-specific service through which Florida customers, property owners, contractors, and government can gain access to OSTDS permitting records. At present, Carmody®/Septic Search is the only vendor that has developed a software platform that is compatible with and optimized for Florida’s existing septic tank permitting rules, forms, and regulatory standards used by DEP and DOH. In addition to hosting digital OSTDS records on its software platform, Carmody®/SepticSearch can provide DEP with the scanned files in a PDF format for the agency’s records archival purposes.

Carmody®/SepticSearch has been providing OSTDS paper records scanning and digital records hosting services to DOH County Health Departments throughout the state for more than 10 years.

Significant cost savings will result from using a vendor that has experience working with OSTDS permitting records in the State of Florida and that has developed a system for optimizing the accessibility of those records for Florida customers.

DEP is committed to continuing a uniform statewide system for managing OSTDS records in a manner that is consistent with the Legislative intent of the 2020 Clean Waterways Act. DEP and DOH are actively working to complete the process of transferring the OSTDS program from DOH to DEP. Continued utilization of Carmody® would ensure that DEP implements the historic digital OSTDS records management component of the phased transfer in a manner that increases efficiency, reduces duplication of efforts, maintains existing file formats and online portal features in communities that are already accustomed to this service, and standardizes the formatting features of historic digital OSTDS records that will be added to the digital records platform as DEP expands into additional OSP service areas

Approved By (names & titles, as appropriate, e.g., requestor, requestor management, information systems, budget, purchasing):

Avery Lehman, Budget Coordinator, DWRM Keisha Akhavein, Support Services Director, DWRM Cindy Mulkey, Deputy Director, DWRM Kimberly Bowling, Purchasing Specialist Supervisor

Prospective vendors are requested to provide information regarding their ability to supply the commodities or contractual services described. If it is determined in writing by the agency, after reviewing any information received from prospective vendors, that the commodities or contractual services are available only from a single source, the agency shall provide notice of its intended

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decision to enter a single-source purchase contract in the manner specified in Rule 60A-1.045, Florida Administrative Code, and section 120.57(3), F.S.