RFQ 41325-NFRPWetland&Recharge Investigation.pdf

RFQ 41325

THE GOVERNING BOARD OF THE

ST. JOHNS RIVER WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT

NORTH FLORIDA RECHARGE PROJECT TREATMENT WETLAND AND RECHARGE

FACILITY INVESTIGATION, SELECTION AND CONCEPTUAL DESIGN

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS 41325

The Governing Board of the St. Johns River Water Management District (the “District”) requests that interested parties respond to the solicitation below by 2:00 p.m. July 28, 2025. Further information is available through DemandStar at Demandstar.com, Vendor Registry at vendorregistry.com, Central Bidding at centralauctionhouse.com, MyFloridaMarketPlace at myfloridamarketplace.com or the District’s website at sjrwmd.com. Solicitation packages may be obtained from DemandStar, Vendor Registry, Central Bidding, MyFloridaMarketPlace, or the District by calling or emailing Kendall Siemiatkoski, Contracts Manager at

(386) 312-2324 or ksiemiat@sjrwmd.com. Responses will be opened in Conference Room 147, Administration Building, Palatka Headquarters, 4049 Reid Street, Palatka, Florida 32177-2571.

Project Description

The objective of this solicitation is to select and enter into an agreement with an engineering firm to conduct a treatment wetland site and recharge site investigation and provide siting recommendations. The work performed under the agreement would identify and evaluate treatment wetland and recharge sites for construction of treatment wetland(s) for additional treatment of the JEA Buckman and Southwest Water Reclamation Facility’s reclaimed water which would be used for Minimum Flow and Level prevention and recovery efforts and for aquifer enhancement at aquifer recharge sites (the “Project”).

Information regarding the Project can be found in Attachment A — Statement of Work included with this solicitation.

The contract issued pursuant to this solicitation will expire June 30, 2028. The budget for this Agreement is estimated to be $2,170,000.

Non-Mandatory Pre-Submittal Conference

A NON-MANDATORY PRE-SUBMITTAL CONFERENCE IS SCHEDULED FOR 1:00 P.M., June 26, 2025, in Conference Room 162, District Headquarters, 4049 Reid Street, Palatka, Florida 32177.

Respondents attending the conference online (District uses Microsoft Teams) must forward an email request to ksiemiat@sjrwmd.com at least 24 hours prior to the conference to receive an Outlook Teams invitation. The purpose of the pre-submittal conference is to review requirements of this solicitation and answer Respondent questions.

Request for Qualifications

The RFQ process includes the submission of a Qualifications Submittal that includes a letter of interest with information pertaining to Respondent’s qualifications. The information in the Qualifications Submittal shall include, but is not limited to: (1) evidence of current professional status; availability; capabilities; adequacy of personnel; experience; recent, current, and projected workloads; and willingness to meet time and budget requirements; (2) approach to the Project; (3) ability to furnish the required professional services; (4) past contractual record and related experience; (5) location; and (6) volume of work previously awarded to the firm by the District. Refer to the paragraph entitled, PREPARATION AND ORGANIZATION OF THE QUALIFICATIONS SUBMITTAL for additional instructions regarding the contents of the Qualifications Submittal.

A District Evaluation Committee (“Committee”) will review and evaluate the Respondents’ qualifications and Project approach, finalize the initial ranking of firms, and determine a shortlist of Respondents.

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The Committee will be composed of voting members, all of whom are District employees, and non-voting members, as designated by the following entities (“Project Partners”):

• Suwannee River Water Management District

• Clay County Utility Authority

• Gainesville Regional Utilities

• JEA

• St. Johns County Utility Department

All members of the Committee will receive copies of the submittals and may participate in discussions during the Committee meeting(s). The voting members of the Committee will select in order of preference no fewer than three firms deemed to be the most highly qualified and forward its recommendation to the District’s Governing Board and request that its rankings be approved, and negotiations commence with the highest-ranked Respondent. If negotiations fail with the highest-ranked Respondent, negotiations will proceed with the other Respondents in ranked order. Respondents selected as most qualified will be notified by email. This Solicitation is issued subject to the legal requirements established under Consultants’ Competitive Negotiation Act, §287.055, Fla. Stat.

Respondents should note that the Cone of Silence provisions set forth in Paragraph 3 of this solicitation applies equally to the Project Partners.

The District will conduct the RFQ process as follows:

Date Description June 26, 2025, 1:00 p.m. Pre-Submittal Conference (District HQ – In person, or by phone or web conferencing) July 28, 2025, 2:00 p.m. Qualifications Submittals due August 11, 2025, 1:00 p.m. Committee meets to complete its review of the Submittals and will select not less than three Respondents deemed most highly qualified (District HQ, 4049 Reid St., Palatka, FL 32177, Conf. Rm. 147, Admin. Bldg.) One or more members of the Committee may participate via communications media technology through phone or web conferencing.

August 12, 2025 District Issues Notice of Intended Decision (NOID) notifying Respondents of Rankings

September 9, 2025 District Governing Board consideration to approve a ranking of designated firms and competitive negotiations be instituted

September 10, 2025 District enters negotiations with respondents in ranked order

Any Submittal (defined herein) received after the dates and times stated will not be considered and will be returned to Respondent unopened. The District reserves the right to waive any minor deviations in an otherwise valid Submittal to the solicitation process and to reject any or all Submittals to this Request For Qualifications.

This solicitation is issued subject to the legal requirements established under Consultants’ Competitive Negotiation Act, §287.055, Fla. Stat., and Rules 40C-1.709 – 40C-1.718, FA.C.

Americans with Disability Act (ADA) The District does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its services, programs, or activities. Special accommodations for disabilities may be requested through Kendall Siemiatkoski, email ksiemiat@sjrwmd.com or by calling (800) 955-8771 (TTY), at least five business days before the date needed.

mailto:ksiemiat@sjrwmd.com

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SUBMITTAL CHECKLIST

This Submittal Checklist is provided for convenience of Respondent and shall not be relied upon in lieu of the instructions or requirements of this solicitation. To ensure that the Submittal is complete and to maximize the number of points Respondent may receive, please review the following items to confirm that they have been addressed and are included in the Submittal. Do not return this checklist with your Submittal.

QUALIFICATIONS SUBMITTALS

Has Respondent met the Qualifications submission deadline established in the solicitation?

Does the electronic file contain all required documentation to meet the requirements stated in the solicitation documents?

Is Respondent in good standing with the Florida Secretary of State (corporations and partnerships)?

Has Respondent prepared, organized, and completed the Qualifications Submittal correctly?

Transmittal Letter/Letter of Interest

(1) Tab 1 — Forms and Professional Licenses (Complete all District-provided Administrative Forms and include professional licenses of Respondent and subconsultant)

(2) Tab 2 — Respondent’s and subconsultants’ overall qualifications, adequacy of personnel, capabilities, experience, and availability to conduct work as presented in the Statement of Work (SOW)

(3) Tab 3 — Respondent’s approach and ability to provide the required professional services as presented in the SOW – emphasis on projects successfully completed within the last 10 years and/or are ongoing.

(4) Tab 4 — Location of Respondent

(5) Tab 5 — Volume and Quality of Work Previously Awarded to Respondent by the District

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS ....................................................................................................... - 5 -

1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. - 5 -

2. DEFINITIONS ...................................................................................................................... - 5 -

3. CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION & CONE OF SILENCE ............................................... - 5 -

4. WHERE TO DELIVER SUBMITTAL ................................................................................. - 5 -

5. OPENING OF QUALIFICATIONS SUBMITTALS ........................................................... - 6 -

6. PREPARATION AND ORGANIZATION OF THE SUBMITTAL .................................... - 6 -

7. INQUIRIES AND ADDENDA ........................................................................................... - 10 -

8. ESTIMATED BUDGET ..................................................................................................... - 10 -

9. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS ........................................................................................ - 10 -

10. SIGNATURE AND CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS .............................................. - 11 -

11. DISQUALIFICATION OF RESPONDENTS .................................................................... - 11 -

12. REJECTION OF QUALIFICATIONS SUBMITTAL ........................................................ - 12 -

13. EXAMINATION OF CONTRACT DOCUMENTS AND WORK AREA ........................ - 12 -

14. PUBLIC ENTITY CRIMES/DISCRIMINATORY VENDORS ........................................ - 12 -

15. PROHIBITION AGAINST CONSIDERING SOCIAL, POLITICAL OR

IDEOLOGICAL INTERESTS IN GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING ............................ - 13 -

16. FLORIDA SALES TAX ..................................................................................................... - 13 -

17. EVALUATION CRITERIA ................................................................................................ - 14 -

18. EVALUATION AND AWARD PROCEDURES ............................................................... - 15 -

19. WITHDRAWAL OF SUBMITTAL ................................................................................... - 16 -

20. EXECUTION OF AGREEMENT ....................................................................................... - 16 -

21. NOTICES AND SERVICES THEREOF ............................................................................ - 17 -

22. PROTEST PROCEDURES ................................................................................................. - 17 -

FORMS........................................................................................................................................................ - 19 - QUALIFICATIONS SUBMITTAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM................................................ - 19 - PROPOSED SUBCONSULTANTS ...................................................................................................... - 20 -

AFFIDAVIT AS TO NON-COLLUSION AND CERTIFICATION OF MATERIAL

CONFORMANCE WITH SPECIFICATIONS ............................................................................. - 22 - QUALIFICATIONS — GENERAL ...................................................................................................... - 23 - QUALIFICATIONS — SIMILAR PROJECTS FORM ........................................................................ - 24 - QUALIFICATIONS — CLIENT REFERENCES ................................................................................. - 27 - DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE FORM .................................................................................................... - 29 -

NO RESPONSE FORM .............................................................................................................................. - 30 - DRAFT AGREEMENT .............................................................................................................................. - 31 -

ATTACHMENT A — STATEMENT OF WORK ................................................................................ - 50 - ATTACHMENT B — INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS .................................................................... - 58 - ATTACHMENT C — DISTRICT SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTIONS (SAMPLE) ........................ - 59 - ATTACHMENT D — COMMON CARRIER OR CONTRACTED CARRIER .................................. - 60 - ATTACHMENT E — CONTRACT PAYMENT REQUIREMENTS .................................................. - 61 - ATTACHMENT F — HUMAN TRAFFICKING ATTESTATION ..................................................... - 62 -

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INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

This Request for Qualifications (RFQ) invites responses (the words, “Response” and “Submittal” have the same meaning in these documents) according to the requirements set forth in this Solicitation, Through this RFQ, the District is seeking to procure a qualified and experienced professional, as contemplated in §287.055, Fla. Stat., and Rules 40C-1.709 – 40C-1.718, FA.C., Respondents understand and agree that any expenditure they make in preparation and delivery of their Submittals or in the performance of any services requested by the District in connection with the Submittals or in response to this RFQ, are exclusively at the expense of the Respondents. In addition, the District shall not pay or reimburse any expenditure or other expense incurred by any Respondent for the following:

(a) Anticipation of an award of a contract,

(b) Maintaining the approved status of the Successful Respondent if a contract is awarded, or

(c) Administrative or judicial proceedings resulting from the solicitation process.

2. DEFINITIONS

The definitions of capitalized terms used in this solicitation that are not otherwise defined herein can be found in the sample contract document (the “Agreement”) that is at the end of these instructions. The Agreement includes these Instructions to Respondents, any addenda published by the District, the Qualifications Submittal provided by Respondent, and all required certifications and affidavits.

3. CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION & CONE OF SILENCE

All inquiries related to this solicitation may only be directed to the Contracts Manager:

Kendall Siemiatkoski, Contracts Manager Phone: (386) 312-2324 Email: ksiemiat@sjrwmd.com

Between the release of this solicitation and the posting of the notice of intended decision, Respondents to this solicitation or persons acting on their behalf may not contact any employee or officer of the District or its Project Partners concerning any aspect of this solicitation, except the procurement employee listed above. Violation of this Cone of Silence provision is grounds for rejecting a response.

4. WHERE TO DELIVER SUBMITTAL

Respondent must submit its Submittal either by uploading to Demandstar or Central Bidding or in “digital format”. Instructions for submitting are provided below.

Submittals can be uploaded directly to www.demandstar.com OR to www.centralbidding.com, NOT

BOTH; OR

mailto:kmatott@sjrwmd.com http://www.demandstar.com/ http://www.centralbidding.com/

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Digital Submittals can be mailed or hand-delivered in a sealed envelope. For digital Submittals, Respondents must clearly label the Submittal envelope with large bold, and/or colored lettering (place label on inner envelope if double sealed) as follows:

SEALED SUBMITTAL — DO NOT OPEN

Respondent’s Name: _______________________________ Request for Qualifications:

Opening Time: 2:00 P.M.

Opening Date: July 28, 2025

Kendall Siemiatkoski, Contracts Manager Attn: Office of Financial Services St. Johns River Water Management District 4049 Reid St.

Palatka, FL 32177-2571

DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR SUBMITTAL BY EMAIL — THIS WILL RESULT IN THE

RESPONSE BEING REJECTED AS NONRESPONSIVE.

5. OPENING OF QUALIFICATIONS SUBMITTALS

Respondents or their authorized agents are invited to attend the opening of the Qualifications Submittals at the following date, time, and place:

July 28, 2025, 2:00 P.M.

St. Johns River Water Management District Headquarters 4049 Reid Street, Palatka, Florida 32177-2571

The Florida Public Records Act, §119.071(1)(b), Fla. Stat., exempts sealed submittals from inspection and copying until such time as the District provides notice of an intended decision pursuant to §120.57(3)(a), Fla. Stat., or until 30 days after opening of bids, proposals, submittals, or final replies, whichever is earlier. This exemption is not waived by the public opening of the submittals.

Unless otherwise exempt, Respondent’s Submittal is a public record subject to disclosure upon expiration of the above exemption period. If any information submitted with the Submittal is a trade secret as defined in §812.081, Fla. Stat., and exempt from disclosure pursuant to §815.04, Fla. Stat., Respondent must clearly identify any such material as “CONFIDENTIAL TRADE SECRET” in its Submittal AND explain the basis for such exemption. The District reserves the right, in its sole judgment and discretion, to reject a Submittal for excessive or unwarranted assertion of trade secret confidentiality and return the Submittal to Respondent.

6. PREPARATION AND ORGANIZATION OF THE SUBMITTAL

Respondents must submit all required, fully completed forms as indicated below (reproduced copies are acceptable).

1. Respondent is encouraged to include as much pertinent data and information under each section as necessary to ensure proper evaluation of its qualifications. Each section shall be evaluated separately on its own merit.

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2. Unless directed otherwise, all information required by the solicitation, including the forms and questionnaires listed below must be completed (typed or handwritten) and included in the submission in electronic format (forms must be completed and converted/scanned to PDF format (Adobe).

3. The District recommends that Respondents confirm the files on the pin/flash/thumb drive open correctly on a non-company owned computer. Any electronic submittal received by the District that does not open on a District-owned computer is subject to rejection as a defective response.

Instructions for submitting are below.

4. Do NOT password protect the pin/flash/thumb drive or your files. Use a naming convention similar to those shown below for each pin/flash/thumb drive.

RFQ Qualifications Submittal: RFQ # Respondent’s name (abbreviated) Due Date Example: “RFQ 40495 ABC Venture LLC. 10-11-2024 All blank spaces on the District-provided forms and documents must be typewritten or legibly printed in ink.

5. In the event you decline to submit a Qualifications Submittal, the District would appreciate submittal of the “No Response Form” provided at the end of the “FORMS” section to describe the reason for not submitting a Qualifications Submittal.

6. All of the forms and questionnaires in the RFQ solicitation package are available upon request in Microsoft® Word to aid the Respondent in submitting its Qualifications Submittal.

A RESPONDENT’S SUBMITTAL MAY BE REJECTED AS NON-RESPONSIVE FOR (1)

FAILING TO COMPLETE ALL FORMS AND QUESTIONNAIRES; (2) FAILING TO

PROVIDE ALL REQUIRED MATERIALS; OR (3) OTHERWISE FAILING TO COMPLY

WITH INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARATION AND ORGANIZATION OF SUBMITTAL

It is Respondent’s responsibility to include information in its Response to present all relevant qualifications and other materials. The Response, however, should not contain standard marketing or other general materials. The requirements set forth below represent the minimum content for the Response. It is Respondent’s responsibility to modify such materials so that only directly relevant information is included in the Response.

Respondents shall provide and complete the following forms and questionnaires, and include them in their Submittal under the tabs identified below (responses to the forms and questionnaires can be submitted on reproduced copies and shall be typed or legibly printed in ink):

Tab 1 — Transmittal Letter, Professional Licenses, and Forms (Complete all District-provided Administrative Forms and include professional licenses of Respondent and its subconsultant)

(a) Transmittal Letter/Letter of Interest

Respondents must submit a transmittal letter on Respondent’s letterhead. It must be signed by a representative of Respondent who is authorized to sign such material and to commit Respondent to the obligations contained in the Response. The transmittal letter must include the name, address, phone number and email address for Respondent contact, and must specify the authorized individual who will execute the Contract. If Respondent is a general partnership, joint venture, or consortium, all partners/members of the general partnership, joint venture, or consortium shall sign the letter. If Respondent is a corporation or a limited liability company, an authorized officer shall sign his/her name and indicate his/her title beneath the full corporate name. The transmittal letter may include any information deemed relevant by Respondent. If Respondent is a general partnership, joint venture or consortium, state that each partner/member of the general partnership, joint venture or consortium will have joint and several liabilities if awarded the Agreement.

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(b) Evidence of Current Professional Licensure

Include a copy of current valid state of Florida Professional Engineer and Geology licenses for individuals taking part in the work, and a copy of all other professional and business licenses required to do business in the state of Florida for other Project staff and Respondent.

Failure to provide copies of such licenses may result in Respondent being deemed non-responsive.

(c) Forms

Complete all District-provided administrative forms below:

(1) Proposed Subconsultants Form

(2) Certificate as to Corporation and copy of the Certificate to do business in Florida

(3) Affidavit as to Non-Collusion and Certification of Materials Conformance with

Specifications

(4) Qualifications Form — General, Similar Projects, and Client References

(5) Drug-Free Workplace Form (not required unless there is a tie)

Tab 2 — Respondent’s and subconsultants’ overall qualifications, adequacy of personnel, capabilities, experience, and availability to conduct work as presented in the Statement of Work (SOW)

(a) Provide a description of Respondent and its overall qualifications, capabilities, and experience with water supply efforts in Florida, including:

(1) Minimum Flows and Levels,

(2) Hydrogeology,

(3) Groundwater modeling,

(4) Regulatory permitting in Florida,

(5) Wastewater treatment storage,

(6) Pumping and treatment design,

(7) Treatment wetland project design,

(8) Recharge wetland project design,

(9) Wastewater effluent discharge to natural wetlands,

(10) Wastewater effluent discharge to surface waters,

(11) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) compliance,

(12) Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) compliance,

(13) Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) compliance,

(14) Rapid Infiltration Basin (RIB) project design,

(15) Aquifer recharge well project design,

(16) Aquifer Storage and Recovery project design,

(17) Wastewater treatment project design,

(18) Water ozonation project design, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS/PFOS) treatment project design, and

(19) Emerging contaminants of concern.

(b) Provide a description of all subconsultants and their overall qualifications, capabilities, and experience with the project types delineated in paragraph (a). Include a “Letter of Commitment” from a principal of each subconsultant stating that subconsultant is

- 9 -committed to be a part of Respondent’s Project team. Include a list and brief description of past similar projects where the subconsultant has delivered similar services to a prime consultant.

(b) Identify Respondent’s Project team specific to this Project and key personnel (i.e., Project manager, engineering design manager, engineer of record, quality control manager, discipline leads, production staff, and supporting disciplines). Include the following information:

(1) Organizational chart of the Project team, identifying names and titles of key personnel and subconsultants.

(2) Functions and availability of Project team and key personnel.

(3) Resumes and contact information for the Project team and key personnel (two-page limit per person).

(4) Description of roles, responsibilities, and experience in past similar projects.

(5) Provide details of personnel’s experiences and capabilities where they have successfully provided project planning, risk mitigation; ensured project quality; and met schedule and budget goals. Personnel with experience in the following discipline areas are particularly needed for this Project: hydrogeology, groundwater modeling, well design, RIB design, Minimum Flows and Levels, TMDL/BMAPs, PFOS/PFAS, emerging constituents, regulatory permitting, treatment and recharge wetlands, mine reclamation, water/wastewater treatment, real estate.

(6) Demonstrate willingness/ability of Respondent to meet time and budget requirements. Include recent, current, and projected workloads.

Tab 3 — Respondent’s approach and ability to provide the required professional services as presented in the SOW — emphasis on current projects recently completed or ongoing relative to the approach proposed; and application of lessons learned that will benefit this Project.

(a) Explain Respondent’s approach and ability to execute and complete the Project as delineated in the SOW. Demonstrate the efficient use of the Respondent’s resources, existing District, Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD), Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), United States Geological Survey (USGS) data, and/or information from other sources as deemed appropriate.

(b) Describe the Project management approach and other management methods. Include discussion on quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) process and communication and coordination strategies. Include discussion on any recently completed or ongoing projects that have similar approaches, including lessons learned that will benefit this Project and achieve successful results.

(c) Provide estimated hours committed to the Project by job classifications for the Respondent’s Project team.

(d) Include a proposed Project schedule. Describe any potential time constraints.

Tab 4 — Location of Respondent

Include location of Respondent’s Management office or Project Manager relative to the District’s Palatka Headquarters or Jacksonville Service Center. The District shall utilize the website maps.google.com and the shortest driving route to determine mileage to a District office.

Tab 5 — Volume and Quality of District work previously awarded to Respondent by the District

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Submit documentation as to the volume of work (in dollars) awarded by the District to Respondent in the five years prior to the deadline date for receipt of Submittals for this solicitation, including contracts, work orders, and purchase orders.

7. INQUIRIES AND ADDENDA

District staff are not authorized to orally interpret the meaning of the specifications or other Agreement documents, or correct any apparent ambiguity, inconsistency, or error therein. In order to be binding upon the District, the interpretation or correction must be given by the Contracts Manager and must be in writing. The Contracts Manager may orally explain the District’s procedures and assist Respondents in referring to any applicable provision in the RFQ documents, but the Respondent is ultimately responsible for submitting the Qualifications Submittal in the appropriate form and in accordance with written procedures.

Every request for a written interpretation or correction must be received at least nine days prior to the opening of Qualifications Submittal to be considered. Requests should be submitted by email at ksiemiat@sjrwmd.com. Interpretations, corrections, and supplemental instructions will be communicated by written addenda to this solicitation posted by DemandStar, Vendor Registry, MyFloridaMarketPlace and Central Bidding to all prospective Respondents (at the respective addresses furnished for such purposes) no later than five days before the opening of Qualifications Submittal.

Submission of Qualifications Submittal constitutes acknowledgment of receipt of all addenda and construed as though all addenda have been received. Failure of the Respondent to receive any addenda does not relieve Respondent from any and all obligations under the Qualifications Submittal as submitted. All addenda become part of the Agreement.

8. ESTIMATED BUDGET

The District’s estimate for the scope of work is $2,170,000.

This amount is an estimate only and does not limit the District in awarding the Agreement. Respondents are cautioned to not make any assumptions from the estimate about the total funds available for the Work. The District retains the right to adjust the estimated budget in awarding the Agreement. The District also reserves the right to reject all Submittals that are over the budget estimate. In addition, the District reserves the right to increase, decrease, or delete any class, item, or part of the Work to reduce costs for any reason. The District may discuss alternatives for reducing the cost of the Work with Respondents and make such modifications as it determines to be in its best interest.

9. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Respondent must use and complete the “Qualification” forms (General and Similar Projects, and Client References) provided in these documents toward documenting its minimum qualifications. If Respondent fails to include these forms and the documentation requested below, Respondent’s Qualifications Submittal may be considered non-responsive.

(a) Respondent (or a combination of the firm, individual, or Project manager assigned to the work) or Respondent’s subconsultant must have successfully completed at least three similar projects within the past 10 years immediately preceding the deadline date for receipt of Submittals for this solicitation. (Respondent must use form Qualifications – Similar Projects provided under the section

“FORMS”).

(b) Respondent (or a combination of the firm, individual, or Project manager assigned to the work), or Respondent’s subconsultant must have no less than five years of experience in wetland site and recharge site investigation immediately preceding the deadline date for receipt of Submittals for this

- 11 -solicitation. (Respondent must use form Qualifications – General provided under the section

“FORMS”).

(c) Respondent AND any proposed subconsultant must provide three client references from similar projects completed. Client references for District projects are limited to one from the District.

(Respondent must use form Qualifications – Client Reference provided under the section

“FORMS”).

(d) Licenses: The qualifying licensed professional(s) employed by Respondent for the engineering work (Engineer of Record) must have at least five years of professional registration prior to the date set for receipt of Qualifications Submittals on projects of a similar nature. (Respondent-provided documentation – license; submit under Tab 1) and (Respondent-provided documentation to substantiate experience; submit under Tab 1)

Irrespective of the minimum qualifications stated above, the District may make such investigations as it deems necessary to determine the ability of the Respondent to perform the Work. The District reserves the right to reject any Qualifications Submittal, if the evidence submitted by such Respondent and/or the District’s independent investigation of such Respondent fails to satisfy the District that such Respondent is properly qualified to carry out the obligations of the Agreement and complete the Work in a manner acceptable to the District within the time period specified.

10. SIGNATURE AND CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

An individual submitting a Qualifications Submittal must sign his/her name therein and state his/her address and the name and address of every other person interested in the submission as principal. If a firm or partnership provides the submission, state the name and address of each member of the firm or partnership. If a corporation provides the submission, an authorized officer or agent must sign the submission subscribing the name of the corporation with his or her own name and affixing the corporate seal. Such officer or agent must also provide the name of the state under which the corporation is chartered, and the names and business addresses of the President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Corporations chartered in states other than Florida must submit evidence of registration with the Florida Secretary of State for doing business in the state of Florida. Respondent must certify that all persons or entities having an interest as principal in the submission or in substantial performance of the Work have been identified.

11. DISQUALIFICATION OF RESPONDENTS

Any of the following causes will be considered as sufficient grounds for disqualification of a Respondent and rejection of the Qualifications Submittal:

(a) Contacting a District/Project Partner employee or officer other than the procurement employee named in this solicitation about any aspect of this solicitation before the notice of intended decision is posted.

(b) Submission of more than one Qualifications Submittal for the same subject matter by an individual, firm, partnership, or corporation under the same or different names.

(c) Evidence of collusion among Respondents.

(d) Submission of materially false information with the Qualifications Submittal.

(e) Information gained through checking of similar projects/client references or other sources which indicates that Respondent may not successfully perform the Work.

(f) Incomplete contractual commitment(s) to other persons or entities, which, in the sole judgment of the

District, may hinder or prevent the prompt completion of the Work if awarded to Respondent.

(g) Respondent has failed or is failing to adequately perform on any contract with the District (regardless of whether or not such performance failure has been cured), including without limitation: (1) a

- 12 -material breach thereof; (2) a failure to complete work in a timely manner or within the contract price when such failure is attributable to the actions or inactions of Respondent or Respondent’s subconsultants or suppliers, which may or may not result in the District issuing a cure notice;

(3) substandard quality of work, which may or may not result in a violation of a law, regulation, or building code; (4) any failure to cooperate with the District during performance of the contract; or

(5) evidence of financial instability or irresponsibility, as may be indicated through notice of non-payment of claims or liens filed against Respondent’s bond or the District by Respondent’s subconsultants or suppliers.

(h) Respondent has defaulted on a previous contract with the District or other public entity, which may be evidenced by a successful claim on Respondent’s performance or payment bond due to the default.

(i) The evidence submitted by Respondent, or the District’s investigation of Respondent, fails to satisfy the District that Respondent is properly qualified to carry out the obligations of the Agreement in a manner acceptable to the District and within the time period specified.

(j) Any other cause that is sufficient to raise doubt regarding the ability of a Respondent to perform the Work in a manner that meets the District’s objectives for the Work.

12. REJECTION OF QUALIFICATIONS SUBMITTAL

Submittals must be delivered to the specified location and received before the applicable opening date and time in order to be considered. Untimely submissions will be returned to the Respondent unopened.

Submittals will be considered irregular and may be rejected if they show material omissions, alterations of forms, additions not called for, conditions, limitations, or other material irregularities. The District reserves the right to waive any minor deviations or irregularities in an otherwise valid submission.

The District reserves the right to reject any and all submissions and cancel this RFQ when it determines, in its sole judgment and discretion, that it is not in its best interest to award the Agreement. In addition, the District reserves the right to increase, decrease, or delete any class, item, or part of the Work in order to reduce costs for any reason. The District may discuss alternatives for reducing the cost of the Work with Respondents and make such modifications as it determines to be in its best interest.

13. EXAMINATION OF CONTRACT DOCUMENTS AND WORK AREA

Respondent is solely responsible for being fully informed of the conditions under which the Work for is to be performed in relation to existing conditions. Respondent is responsible for carefully examining the general area of the Work, the requirements of the drawings and other contract documents related to the Work, the time in which the Work must be completed, and any other details of the Work. Respondent must satisfy itself from its own personal knowledge and experience or professional advice as to the character of the Work, the conditions and materials to be encountered, the character, quality, and quantities of the Work, and any other conditions affecting the Work, including surrounding land.

Failure to satisfy the obligations of this paragraph will not relieve a Successful Respondent of its obligation to furnish all material, equipment, and labor necessary to perform the Agreement and to complete the Work for the consideration set forth in its Submittal. Any such failure will not be sufficient cause to submit a claim for additional compensation.

No verbal agreement or conversation with any District officer, agent, or employee, either before or after the execution of the Agreement, will affect or modify any of its terms.

14. PUBLIC ENTITY CRIMES/DISCRIMINATORY VENDORS

In accordance with §287.133 , Fla. Stat., 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

- 13 -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 consultant, contractor, supplier or subconsultant under a contract with any public entity; and may not transact business with any public entity in excess of the threshold amount provided in §287.017 for CATEGORY TWO ($35,000) for a period of 36 months following the date of being placed on the convicted vendor list. In accordance with §287.134, Fla. Stat., an entity or affiliate who has been placed on the discriminatory vendor list 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.

15. PROHIBITION AGAINST CONSIDERING SOCIAL, POLITICAL OR IDEOLOGICAL

INTERESTS IN GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING

Notice is hereby provided that pursuant to Section 287.05701, Florida Statutes, the District (1) will not request documentation of or consider a Respondent’s social, political, or ideological interests when determining if the Bidder is a responsible Bidder and (2) may not give preference to a Bidder based on the Bidder’s social, political, or ideological interests.

16. FLORIDA SALES TAX

The District is exempt from payment of state of Florida sales tax pursuant to §212.08(6), Fla. Stat. Any tangible personal property that is the subject of this RFQ is intended to remain tangible personal property and not become part of a public work owned by the District.

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17. EVALUATION CRITERIA

Responses will be evaluated using the evaluation criteria below. The evaluation rating scale for the Qualifications Submittal is as follows:

More than adequate.........................................8 – 10 Less than adequate ................................................ 1 – 4 Adequate .........................................................5 – 7 Not covered in Qualifications Submittal

Criteria Written Submittal

Weight

Tab 1 - Forms and Professional Licenses

a. Submittal Form (all blank spaces on the Submittal Form shall be filled out)

b. Proposed Subconsultants Form

c. Certificate as to Entity’s Authority to do Business in Florida Fomr

d. Affidavit as to Non-collusion and Certification of Material

Conformance

e. Qualifications (General, Similar Projects, Client References)

f. Licenses

g. Drug-Free Workplace Form (not required unless there is a tie)

15%

Tab 2 - Respondent’s and subconsultants’ overall qualifications, capabilities, and business certifications

a) Description of the Respondent and their overall qualifications and capabilities

b) Description of subconsultant(s) and their overall qualifications and capabilities

c) Understanding of requested services

d) Willingness to meet time and budget requirements

e) Whether Respondent is a minority-owned business enterprise certified by state of Florida Office of Supplier Diversity (if yes, provide certification) (per s.287.055(4)(b), F.S.)

35%

3 Tab 3 - Respondent’s approach and ability to provide the required professional services as presented in the SOW.

a) Team organizational structure with specific names, titles, and/or roles of key personnel

b) Project management approach and QA/QC process

c) Qualifications and work history of key personnel

d) Projects completed in last 10 years. Incorporate details on obstacles and completion of projects relative to initial schedule and budget

e) Current and projected workloads of key personnel

f) Hours committed to project by job classification

35%

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4 Tab 4 - Location of Respondent’s Management Office or Project Manager

Higher scores will be given to Respondents whose Management Office or Project Manager are in proximity of the entrance to the District’s Palatka Headquarters or Jacksonville Service Center. The District shall utilize the website maps.google.com and the shortest driving route to determine mileage to a District office. Points will be awarded as follows:

• Within 0 - 75 miles = 10 points

• Within 76 - 150 miles from the project site = 5 points

• Greater than 150 miles from the project site = 0 points

5%

5 Tab 5 - Volume of District work previously awarded to Respondent

Submit documentation as to the volume of work (in dollars) awarded by the District to Respondent in the five years immediately preceding the deadline date for receipt of Submittals for this solicitation, including contracts, work orders, and purchase orders.

Points will be allocated from 0 to 10; Respondents with higher awarded contract totals in the last five years based on the solicitation date of this RFQ shall receive fewer award points. Respondents with no previous work awards may receive the highest allocation of points (10). Respondent with the highest volume of work will receive zero points. The District shall rely on its official financial records to resolve any discrepancies. Contracts, work orders, and purchase orders issued by the District in the last five years shall be included in this total even if the Respondent has not yet received payment. The District shall calculate scores as follows: The amount (in dollars) awarded to the Respondent with the highest volume of work in the last five years shall represent the Allocation Basis Total (ABT). The ABT less a Respondent’s total volume of work awarded shall be divided by the ABT and then multiplied by 10;

the result rounded to the tenths shall represent the Respondent’s score for this criterion.

10%

SUBTOTAL: Written Submittal 100%

18. EVALUATION AND AWARD PROCEDURES

(a) Qualifications Submittals will be evaluated by an Evaluation Committee (Committee) based upon the criteria and weighting set forth in paragraph entitled “EVALUATION CRITERIA.” The Committee will meet at District headquarters or other location as appropriate to discuss the Qualifications Submittals and their evaluations. Each voting Committee member will complete an evaluation form for each Respondent, from which the overall ranking of Qualifications submittals will be complied. Evaluation forms may be submitted at or subsequent to the Committee meeting.

(b) Section 286.0113, Fla. Stat., exempts from being open to the public, any portion of a meeting at which: (1) a negotiation with a Respondent is conducted pursuant to a competitive solicitation; (2) a Respondent makes an oral presentation as part of a competitive solicitation; (3) a Respondent answers questions as part of a competitive solicitation; or (4) negotiation strategies are discussed.

Also, recordings of, and any records presented at, the exempt meeting are exempt from §119.07(1), Fla. Stat. and §24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution (Public Records) until such time as the District provides notice of an intended decision or until 30 days after opening the bids, proposals, submittals, or final replies, whichever occurs earlier. A complete recording shall be made of any portion of an exempt meeting. No portion of the exempt meeting may be held off the record.

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(c) Pursuant to §286.0113, Fla. Stat., if the District rejects all Qualifications Submittals and concurrently provides notice of its intent to reissue the competitive solicitation, any recordings or records presented at any exempt meeting relating to the solicitation shall remain exempt from §119.07(1), Fla. Stat., and §24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution (Public Records) until such time as the District provides notice of an intended decision concerning the reissued competitive solicitation or until the District withdraws the reissued competitive solicitation. A recording and any records presented at an exempt meeting are not exempt for longer than 12 months after the initial District notice rejecting all Qualifications Submittals.

(d) Following the evaluation process, the District will submit the final ranking to the Governing Board for approval and that competitive negotiations be instituted, except for those instances in which the authority to negotiate, approve, and execute the Agreement has been delegated by the Governing Board to the Executive Director, or designee. All Respondents will be notified in writing of the Evaluation Committee’s final ranking.

(e) Contract negotiations will then commence with the highest-ranked Respondents. If negotiations fail with the highest-ranked Respondent(s), negotiations will proceed with the other Respondents in ranked order.

(f) If two or more submissions are equal in all respects, the Agreement will be awarded as follows:

(1) to the Respondent that certifies compliance with §287.087, Fla. Stat., via the Drug-Free Workplace Form; (2) to a Respondent whose Proposal contains commodities manufactured, grown, or produced within the state of Florida pursuant to §287.082, Fla. Stat.; or (3) by lot.

(g) The Agreement will be awarded to the highest-ranked Respondent(s), which successfully concludes negotiations with the District (the “Successful Respondent[s]”). The Agreement(s) may be modified based on the District’s acceptance of any alternatives listed in this RFQ that the District deems in its best interest.

(h) The District reserves the right to award the Agreement to the next highest-ranked Respondent in the event the Successful Respondent fails to enter into the Agreement, or the Agreement with said Respondent is terminated within 90 days of the effective date.

(i) All Respondents will be notified of the District’s intent to award or decision to award the Agreement.

For the purpose of filing a protest under §120.57(3), Fla. Stat., the time period will commence as provided in the paragraph entitled “NOTICES AND SERVICES THEREOF.”

19. WITHDRAWAL OF SUBMITTAL

Respondent may withdraw its Submittal, if it submits such a written request to the District prior to the designated date and hour of opening of Submittal. Respondent may be permitted to withdraw its Technical Proposal no later than 72 hours after the Submittal opening for good cause, as determined by the District in its sole judgment and discretion.

20. EXECUTION OF AGREEMENT

The submission of a Submittal binds the Successful Respondent to perform the Work upon acceptance and execution of the Agreement by the District.

Unless all Responses are rejected, a contract substantially in the form included in these documents will be provided to the Successful Respondent, who must execute and return the Agreement to the District within ten days of the date of receipt, along with the following:

(a) A completed Internal Revenue Service Form W-9;

(b) Satisfactory evidence of all required insurance coverage;

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(c) Proof satisfactory to the District of the authority of the person or persons executing the Agreement on behalf of Respondent; and

(d) All other information and documentation required by the Agreement.

The District will not execute the Agreement until the above documents have been executed and delivered to the District. The Agreement will not be binding until executed by the District. A copy of the fully executed Agreement will be delivered to the Successful Respondent.