Notice of Intent to Sole Source City Hall HVAC Automation System

The City of Plant City in Hillsborough County, Florida is pursuing a sole source procurement for a comprehensive HVAC automation system upgrade for City Hall. The project involves acquiring the Siemens Desigo Optic Controls System from Building & Agricultural Automation Solutions (BAS), a recognized Siemens Solution Partner. The procurement aims to replace the existing obsolete Johnson Controls NAE Network Manager with a new digital control infrastructure, including BACnet controllers for four air handling units, one fresh air unit, 51 VAV boxes, chiller plant controls, and five exhaust fan controls. Deliverables include a web-based server front end, device licensing, communication converters, 3D graphic renderings, new HVAC equipment graphics, all necessary software, and 8 hours of user training. The project's key objectives are to modernize building control systems, enable real-time equipment status monitoring, and implement email alarm capabilities. The due date for this procurement is October 29, 2024, with the intent to verify the sole source status through a public notice.

No specific set-aside designations or restrictions on responding organizations were explicitly mentioned in the documentation. The incumbent technology is the existing Johnson Controls NAE Network Manager, which will be completely replaced by the new Siemens system. Siemens has confirmed that only licensed Solution Partners like BAS can work on the Desigo Optic system, effectively limiting potential vendors. The total project cost is quoted at $140,000.00, with a proposed payment structure of three equal installments: one-third upon contract signing, one-third upon completion of VAV controls and air handling units, and the final third upon project completion. The proposal explicitly notes that the quote does not include after-hours labor, permits, non-working mechanical equipment, or any items not specifically listed in the project scope. BAS is positioned as an authorized Siemens TALON dealer and has a 20-year history as a Siemens Solution Partner.