Public Safety Radio Simulcast Communications Tower Expansion – County’s Technical Owner’s Representative

Kenosha County, Wisconsin is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP #2606) for a technical owner's representative to oversee the design, procurement, and construction of a public safety radio simulcast communications tower expansion project. The project aims to address radio coverage gaps affecting 19 law enforcement and fire protection/EMS agencies operating in the Village of Twin Lakes, Town of Wheatland, and Town of Randall, with the new transmit/receive radio tower tentatively to be located at Kenosha County Veterans Memorial Park. The successful consultant will be responsible for ensuring that design outputs, site due diligence, permitting, bidding, construction, commissioning, and system activation are completed in accordance with County expectations, industry standards, and public safety performance requirements. Deliverables include comprehensive oversight and validation of the designer/engineer and general contractor work throughout all project phases. Required qualifications include expertise in public safety radio and simulcast systems, owner's representative and construction monitoring experience, radio tower and site infrastructure knowledge, regulatory and permitting expertise, emergency services operational knowledge, and project management capabilities. The evaluation committee will assess proposals using eight criteria totaling 100 points: Public Safety Radio and Simulcast Expertise (15 points), Owner's Representative/Construction Monitoring (15 points), Radio Tower & Site Infrastructure (10 points), Regulatory and Permitting Knowledge (10 points), Emergency Services Operational Knowledge (15 points), Project Management and Communication (10 points), Wisconsin/Regional Experience (5 points), and Cost Proposal (20 points). A virtual pre-proposal conference is scheduled for February 17, 2026 at 10:00 AM CT via Microsoft Teams, with sealed proposals due by March 17, 2026 at 3:00 PM to the Kenosha County Purchasing Division at 1010 56th Street, Second Floor, Kenosha, Wisconsin 53140. The estimated contract award date is April 24, 2026, with work commencing April 27, 2026, and the County expects the tower to be operational in 2027.

The RFP documents do not specify set-aside designations or restrictions limiting the types of organizations that can respond, nor do they identify disadvantaged enterprise preferences or incumbent vendors. The contract will continue until project completion and consists of the RFP document, specification documents, exhibits, drawings, the contractor's proposal response with all required forms, any addenda issued, negotiated terms and conditions, and a Kenosha County standard professional services contract. No existing infrastructure or technology integration requirements are detailed in the available documentation. Proposal costs must be submitted in a separate sealed envelope, complete and inclusive of all charges, with prices remaining firm for 90 days from the date of opening and no escalator clauses permitted unless specified by the County. The lowest cost proposal will receive the maximum 20 points available for cost scoring, with subsequent proposals scored proportionally. The County reserves the right to request interviews or presentations from top-scoring proposers and may request Best and Final Offers before making a final award. The successful contractor must maintain specified insurance coverage including Commercial General Liability ($1,000,000 each occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate), Professional Liability ($1,000,000), Automobile Liability ($1,000,000), Excess/Umbrella Liability ($1,000,000), and Workers Compensation at statutory limits, with Kenosha County named as an additional insured.