Title
CRA Request for Qualification for General Engineering and Consulting Services (B)
This item involves approval of the final ranking of engineering firms for the CRA's General Engineering and Consulting Services Request for Qualification (RFQ) No. CRAX130013-DH.
Explanation
In September 2012 the City of Gainesville Purchasing Department posted a Request for Qualification (RFQ) for General Engineering and Consulting Services. Statements of Qualification were requested from qualified professional engineering/consulting firms to provide professional services associated with civil, environmental, construction administration, assessments and studies, design, permitting, implementation and structural, mechanical, systems and electrical engineering for CRA projects.
Fifteen firms responded to the RFQ and on November 5, 2012 the selection committee met to evaluate and rank the written proposals. The top six ranked firms were invited for presentations to the selection committee on November 13, 2012. The selection committee heard the presentations and then met to rank the firms. The top three firms, in order of ranking, were Brown & Cullen, Inc. (Gainesville, FL), Chen Moore & Associates (Gainesville, FL) and Comprehensive Engineering Services, Inc. (Orlando, FL).
At the December 17, 2012 CRA Board meeting members discussed the possibility of including a fourth ranked firm in the final award. The item was continued to a Special Meeting of the CRA Board on January 3, 2013.
Upon further review of the Request for Qualification and the responses thereto with the City Attorney, the Community Redevelopment Attorney, and the Finance Director, the Community Redevelopment Agency staff believes that it is in the best interest of the Community Redevelopment Agency to reject any and all proposals at this time. The Community Redevelopment Agency staff bases its recommendation on the following factors:
1. The inclusion of more than three engineering firms as discussed at the December 17, 2012 CRA meeting, would cause staff to ask the Board to consider at least 5 engineering and consulting firms because of the closeness in points between the fourth and fifth bidders;
2. Staff is concerned that awarding bids to more than 3 vendors would result in insufficient work for all vendors; and
3. There is one potential vendor who made improper contact with the city during the blackout period.
4. The CRA attorney recommends that CRA staff and attorneys use this time to revise its Request for Qualification pursuant to the Memorandum of Agreement between the City and the Community Redevelopment Agency. The Community Redevelopment Agency staff administers projects on behalf of the city when the city project is caused by or related to a CRA project. This Request for Qualification does not expressly include projects for which the City rather than the Community Redevelopment Agency may wish to use the services of the engineering and consulting firms.
Fiscal Note
None at this time.
Recommendation
Staff to the CRA Board: 1) reject any and all proposals for RFQ No. CRAX130013-DH.
Staff to City Commission: 1) reject any and all proposals for RFQ No. CRAX130013-DH.