Connecting the Collectors PD&E

The Board of County Commissioners of Okaloosa County, Florida, is requesting qualifications for professional planning and engineering services to conduct a Planning, Design, and Environmental (PD&E) study for the Connecting the Collectors Project, with proposals due October 8, 2026, and questions due September 24, 2026. Selection will follow the Florida Consultants Competitive Negotiation Act (Chapter 287.055, Florida Statutes).

Consultants must be licensed to practice professional planning and engineering in Florida. The scope encompasses a comprehensive PD&E study and Environmental Impact Statement for a new collector road spanning Santa Rosa County and Okaloosa County, running parallel to SR 30 (US 98) to connect the Navarre Community Access Road to the West 98 Collector Road and ultimately link SR 87 to Hurlburt Field's West Gate. Deliverables include engineering analyses, environmental documentation, public involvement activities, traffic studies, hydraulic reports, geotechnical investigations, utility assessments, and regulatory-agency coordination. The consultant must submit a Quality Control Plan within twenty business days of Notice to Proceed and provide monthly progress reports.

The contract is structured as a master services agreement with an initial three-year term and two optional one-year renewal periods. Compensation will be determined through individual task orders on a lump-sum or hourly-rate basis specified in Exhibit A, with rates fixed for the initial three-year term. Direct expenses and reimbursable costs are detailed in Exhibit A; travel expenses are not reimbursable for local providers unless specifically authorized in advance. The consultant must maintain comprehensive insurance including workers' compensation, commercial general liability of $1 million per occurrence, and professional liability of $1 million per claim for three years after contract completion, naming Okaloosa County as an additional insured.

All contractors must complete conflict-of-interest disclosures, register in System of Award Management (SAM.gov) if grant-funded, and comply with federal and state requirements including E-Verify and the Byrd Anti-Lobbying Act. The consultant assumes all costs for public involvement activities. Responses remain subject to acceptance or rejection for ninety calendar days after opening. Qualified respondents will be ranked under the CCNA, and the contract will be awarded to the highest-ranked responsive respondent.