SS-25-022-RS_Digital_Twin_Feature_Development-_England_Thims_&_Miller_Final.pdf

NOTICE OF INTENT

SS-25-022-RS

Waive Solicitation and Approve Sole/ Single Source

– Digital Twin Feature Set Development

Response Deadline: 4:30 p.m. Friday, February 7, 2025

The City of Altamonte Springs intends to waive the solicitation process and approve England, Thims & Miller (ETM) as a single-source vendor for the services described below.

For the past two years, the City has been engaged in an exploratory pilot project with ETM to understand digital twin technology and lay the foundation for the City to build and use its own digital twin. The digital twin is an initiative of the Altamonte Global Innovation Lab (AGīL).

Digital twins combine numerous technologies to create digital versions of real-world objects and processes, changing how cities are designed, monitored, and managed. They pair the virtual and physical worlds and enable data analysis, system monitoring to alert problems, downtime prevention, and future planning via simulations. It should be noted that a digital twin is a concept, not a product or technology. The concept becomes a reality when multiple technologies are combined, such as 3D simulation, Internet of Things, large and diverse datasets, edge computing, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence. The objective of this project is to develop the initial digital twin feature sets that have been identified by the operational departments through a series of work sessions led by ETM.

Interested Vendors (firms or individuals) that can provide the goods/services can respond with an alternate solution that overcomes the sole/single source reasons stated on the sole/single source documentation, along with sufficient detailed convincing documentation, regarding their ability to supply equivalent commodities or services. The responses must be submitted and posted online no later than 4:30 p.m. on Friday, February 7, 2025.

The City reserves the right to require the responding Vendor to submit additional information as it may deem necessary and may consider any evidence available to it of the financial, technical, and other qualifications and abilities of the responding Vendor.

All communication related to this Notice of Intent should be directed to the Procurement contact assigned to this solicitation exemption: Roxana Siaca-Jones, Procurement Div. Manager, at RSiaca@altamonte.org. Communication with any other party is strictly prohibited.

This is not a request for bid or proposal and there is no solicitation available. The City will not consider any responses with a proposal, bid, or quote. Any responses received as a result of this Notice of Intent shall be considered solely for determining whether bona fide competition exists that overcomes the reasons stated on the sole/single source documentation.

If it is determined by City staff, after reviewing any information received from responding vendors, that sole/single source justification stands and that the commodities or contractual services are available only from a sole/single source, the City shall prepare a recommendation to the City Commission requesting approval waive the solicitation process and the sole/single-source purchase.

mailto:RSiaca@altamonte.org

Persons are advised if they wish to appeal any decision made at the hearing/meetings, they will need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made which includes the testimony evidence upon which the appeal is to be based, per Chapter 286.0105, Laws of Florida. The City of Altamonte Springs does not provide this verbatim record. Persons with disabilities needing assistance in participating in any of these proceedings should contact the City Clerk Department ADA Coordinator 72 hours in advance of the meeting at (407) 571-8122 (VOICE) or (407) 571-8126 (TTY) or email:

cityclerk@altamonte.org.

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0200-0299/0286/Sections/0286.0105.html mailto:cityclerk@altamonte.org

MEMORANDUM

Date: February 4, 2025 To: Franklin W. Martz, II, City Manager From: John Sember, AICP, Director of Strategic Planning and Analysis Re: Single-Source Justificiation for Digital Twin Feature Set Development

This memorandum is a request to waive the formal solicitation process and declare England- Thims & Miller (ETM) as a single-source vendor for the development of digital twin feature sets.

For the past two years, the City has been engaged in an exploratory pilot project with ETM to understand digital twin technology and lay the foundation for the City to build and use its own digital twin. The digital twin is an initiative of the Altamonte Global Innovation Lab (AGīL). The City and ETM have partnered to engage in development of the foundation for a digital twin for the City, at no charge to the City as part of a research and development program. The proposed feature sets would integrate with the virtual environment ETM has created for the City and are based upon workshops ETM has conducted with City departments.

Digital twins combine numerous technologies to create digital versions of real-world objects and processes, changing how cities are designed, monitored and managed. They pair the virtual and physical worlds and enable data analysis, system monitoring to alert problems, downtime prevention, and future planning via simulations. It should be noted that a digital twin is a concept, not a product or technology. The concept becomes a reality when multiple technologies are combined, such as 3D simulation, Internet of Things, large and diverse datasets, edge computing, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence.

Under the partnership, the City and ETM have explored technologies, developed a virtual environment for the digital twin, conducted use case workshops with operational departments, and developed a three-year roadmap. The next step is to develop the initial feature sets for the digital twin and optimize the supporting technological and organizational systems.

The objective of this project is to develop the initial digital twin feature sets that have been identified by the operational departments through a series of work sessions led by ETM. The development process for each feature set would start with requirements gathering with department stakeholders that build upon prior workshops and held with staff and development of an implementation strategy. The user needs would be translated into software feature design

Franklin W. Martz, II, City Manager February 4, 2025 and development, sensor connections, system integrations, workflow analysis, documentation, training, and related activities leading up to deployment. Upon deployment, each feature set would enter into a maintenance and evolution phase.

The City will benefit from entering into a contract with ETM for this project in several ways.

Perhaps most uniquely, ETM’s Geospatial Program Manager is the City’s former GIS Manager.

This provides the ETM team with in-depth knowledge of the City’s GIS data, components, and configuration, the City’s infrastructure management processes, and nuances of the City’s organizational structure.

Additionally, a digital twin is uniquely customized to an organization, especially during its initial design and development, which is the phase where the City is at. ETM has performed the prior, foundational digital twin work with the City, including development of the City’s virtual environment for the digital twin, conducting use case workshops with City departments, and mapping the use case feedback into solution scenarios. Utilization of a different vendor would require a re-orientation to the technical aspects of the environment, a re-engagement of City departments, and a re-performance of tasks that have already been completed, and introduce an unknown ability to resolve issues with the environment as capabilities are added to it, all of which would cost the City more.

The duration of this contract would be two years and seven months, from now until September 30, 2027. The not-to-exceed amount is $125,000 per year, for a total not-to-exceed amount of $375,000.

Payment and performance obligations for fiscal years after the current 2024-25 fiscal year would be subject to funding for those years. Additionally, the agreement with ETM would include an allowance for extensions upon agreement by both parties.

Should you require anything additional, or wish to discuss further, please let me know. Thank you.