Town N' Country Regional Drainage Improvements

Hillsborough County Engineering & Operations Department is issuing Request for Professional Services (RPS-26-00059) to procure comprehensive stormwater engineering design services for the Town N' Country Regional Drainage Improvement Project, a regional flood mitigation initiative addressing chronic flooding in the Town N' Country community caused by Henry Street Canal overtopping. The project encompasses design and plans preparation, specifications and contract development, environmental permitting, sub-surface utility engineering surveys, topographic mapping, specific purpose surveys, right-of-way acquisition services, title search reports, utility coordination, geotechnical investigation and analysis, post-design construction services, construction phasing and maintenance-of-traffic analysis, and landscape architecture and design services. The scope of work includes five subprojects: Sweetwater Creek restoration and pond development at Sweetwater Park, Lower Sweetwater Creek channel improvements, bypass channel construction with culvert replacements, box culvert design between Henry Street Canal and bypass canal, and coordination with Florida Department of Transportation for two separate FDOT crossings within right-of-way on Hillsborough Avenue and George Road. Design phases 1 and 2 are funded for Fiscal Year 2026, while phases 3 and 4 are planned for Fiscal Year 2027 pending approval of future funding. Qualified respondents must demonstrate relevant experience with similar stormwater engineering projects, maintain adequate staffing of Florida-licensed architects and/or engineers, provide detailed firm data sheets organized by personnel discipline with subconsultant identification and project references, maintain professional liability insurance with minimum limits of $1,000,000 per claim, comply with E-Verify requirements, and submit proposals by March 20, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time through the County's electronic bidding system (Euna Procurement). Evaluation criteria include technical approach and qualifications (maximum 100 points), small business enterprise participation bonus (maximum 5 points), past performance rating based on the preceding twenty-four months (maximum 5 points), and volume of work report (maximum 5 points), with oral presentations potentially required for no fewer than three shortlisted firms.

The procurement includes a 10 percent Small Business Enterprise (SBE) participation goal, with qualified firms receiving five percent bonus points for meeting this threshold and demonstrating good faith commitment through completed Subcontractor Letters of Intent. Respondents must submit notarized Affidavits of Compliance affirming they are not owned by or controlled by foreign governments of concern and must complete Substitute W-9 Forms for tax identification and reporting purposes. All contractors must obtain and maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including Commercial General Liability ($500,000 to $2,000,000), Automobile Liability ($300,000 to $1,000,000), Workers' Compensation with Employers' Liability ($100,000 to $1,000,000), Professional Liability ($1,000,000 per claim), Cyber Liability ($1,000,000), and Pollution Liability ($1,000,000), with Hillsborough County named as additional insured on all liability policies except workers' compensation and cyber liability. The contract will be structured as a professional services agreement with compensation based on actual work performed and costs incurred, not to exceed an upper cap limit of $1,350,000, with personnel costs billed at established rates by classification plus audited or certified multipliers for direct expenses, overhead, and profit. The County reserves the right to select one or multiple qualified professionals for award with separate contracts executed for each selected firm, with work orders issued based on availability, responsiveness, ongoing performance, schedule, and other considerations. Contractors must provide Certificates of Insurance before commencing services and comply with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations, including Florida Statute requirements and county procurement policies regarding direct deposit authorization and public records compliance.