Six firms submit proposals to take Longboat utilities underground

Six proposals were opened Wednesday, Dec. 7, from companies interested in landing the multimillion-dollar job of placing all remaining overhead Longboat Key utilities underground.

All are from Florida companies.

The cost of this project will determine the final amount Longboat Key residents will be assessed to pay for it.

Longboat Key Purchasing Manager Kari Kennedy opened each proposal package and announced the name and location of the company.

Only one of the interested companies sent a representative: Michael Smith of Grissom Smith of Tampa, which specializes in electrical engineering. Smith said he has been doing business on the island for more than a decade.

Proposals include credentials for engineering services and construction management in converting all remaining overhead Longboat Key utilities to underground. They do not include bid amounts - yet.

“Firms do not submit amounts at this point,” said Kennedy. “It is prohibited by law as this is strictly a qualifications-based evaluation.”

Price is only considered during the contract negotiation phase with the firm deemed most qualified after proposal scoring and presentations from the bidders, under terms of the Consultants Competitive Negotiations Act. All RFP terms in the process of contracting for professional services are in accordance with section 287.055 of the Florida statutes for CCNA.

Factors to be considered in the evaluation process include: ability of professional personnel; whether a firm is a certified minority business; past performance; willingness to meet time and budget requirements; location; projected workload of each firm; and volume of work previously awarded each firm by Longboat Key.

The response to Longboat Key’s request for proposals was strong, Kennedy said.

Firms submitting proposals, included:

• Burkhardt Construction of W. Palm Beach.

• CDM Smith Inc. of Sarasota.

• Cribb Philbeck Weaver Group of Tampa (Grissom Smith is a partner on this bid).

• HDR Engineering of Tampa.

• Jon F. Swift Construction of Sarasota.

• UC Synergetic of Land O' Lakes.

Proposals will be distributed for review to a Longboat Key panel at a 1 p.m. meeting Thursday, Dec. 15. The panel includes Public Works Director Juan Florensa; project manager James Linkogle; Executive Director Anne Ross of the Lakewood Ranch Inter-District Authority; and Stephen Smith, Drexel University professor of engineering.

The panel will choose a short list of up to no less than three firms before making its final recommendation to Town Manager David Bullock, said Kennedy. Bullock has ultimate authority to choose a firm to handle the job, based on the selection committee's recommendation, Kennedy said.