Operations & Maintenance of Baggage Handling Systems at PBIA

The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners and Department of Airports seeks qualified firms to operate, maintain, and repair all inbound and outbound automated Checked Baggage Inspection Systems/Checked Baggage Reconciliation Areas (CBIS/CBRA) and manual sortation Baggage Handling Systems (BHS) at Palm Beach International Airport (PBIA), a medium, full-service facility serving approximately six million passengers annually. The scope of work includes 24-hour daily operations across one terminal building and three concourses (A, B, and C), with primary terminal operations from 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., requiring proposers to maintain a full complement of seventeen (17) full-time equivalent staff members across various positions, including control room operators working twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week. Successful proposers must provide all necessary vehicles, equipment, and tools; submit comprehensive pricing including monthly maintenance fees, fully-burdened hourly rates for specialized personnel positions (Operations & Maintenance Manager, Assistant O&M Manager, Lead Journeyman Electrical Technician, Lead Maintenance Technician, Maintenance Technician, Maintenance Technician Apprentice, and Control Room Operator/Dispatcher), and markup percentages for subcontracted work capped at specified percentages based on cost tiers; and hold current state or county-registered general contractor licenses and certifications. The mandatory pre-proposal conference and site inspection was held on October 27, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. at PBIA's McCampbell Conference Room, with proposals due November 15, 2022, at 4:00 p.m., comprising one unbound original, six bound copies, and one electronic PDF copy. The initial contract term is 24 months commencing February 28, 2023, through February 27, 2025, with three optional 12-month renewal periods at the County's sole discretion, and the Board of County Commissioners was scheduled to award the contract on February 7, 2023. Evaluation criteria include Experience/Qualifications (20%), Project Approach/Understanding (15%), Key Personnel and Operations (25%), Price Proposal (20%), Small/Minority/Women Business Enterprise (S/M/WBE) participation (15%), and Business Location/Local Preference (5%).

The RFP includes a 15 percent S/M/WBE participation goal, with all proposed exceptions to standard contract terms requiring written submission with the proposal, and the County reserves the right to reject any proposed amendments. The incumbent contractor is ERMC Aviation Services (Contract No. 16-013R/LJ), with current employees paid at rates ranging from $22.44 to $46.70 per hour depending on position, and Brock Solutions maintenance support costs are pass-through expenses invoiced separately to the County. Contractors must provide a Performance Bond or Clean Irrevocable Letter of Credit equal to 100 percent of the contract amount for the initial twenty-four-month period prior to commencement of work, along with evidence of commercial general liability insurance at $5 million per occurrence and $10 million aggregate, and business auto liability at $5 million. All contractor employees must pass criminal history records checks and security threat assessments to access restricted airport areas, with fees ($40 for fingerprinting, $15 annual badge fee, $40 recurrent every two years) borne by the contractor, and employee airport parking costs $108.00 per employee per year. While specific award values or budget ranges are not explicitly stated in the RFP materials, the contract structure and fully-burdened hourly rates provided indicate a substantial multi-year procurement supporting ongoing airport operations and maintenance activities.