Placement: Consent Agenda
Action Requested: Motion / Vote
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Award Contract #20240141 for Design-Build Services for Nine (9) Wells and a Raw Water Main.
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Submitted By: Nathaniel Rubel, Procurement Assistant Director, Procurement Management Division (PMD).
Strategic Plan Link: The City's Goal of high-quality infrastructure and facilities.
Summary Brief (Agreements/Contracts only)
1. Prepared by: Nathaniel Rubel, PMD.
2. Parties: City of Port St. Lucie and Florida Design Drilling, LLC.
3. Purpose: Design-build services for nine (9) wells and a raw water main on Discovery Way. The construction of the proposed raw water main is from the future Range Line Water Treatment Facility to the proposed future Floridan wells.
4. New/Renewal/Modified: New.
5. Duration: 400 calendar days for Guaranteed Maximum Price Package “A” scope of work.
6. Benefits to Port St. Lucie: Installing new Floridan Wells will aid in supplying raw water to the planned Range Line Water Treatment Facility. This will help the facility to meet future water supply demands and provide operational flexibility at the James E. Anderson (JEA) Water Treatment Facility.
7. Cost to Port St. Lucie (Annual and Potential): A one-time expense of $10,574,067.43 for Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) Package “A” which includes preliminary design, survey, and geotechnical services, public outreach, early procurement of materials, and construction of two Upper Floridan Aquifer test wells. Subsequent phases will be placed on future Council agendas for approval prior to commencing the work for each GMP phase.
Presentation Information: N/A.
Staff Recommendation: Move that the Council Award Contract #20240141 for Design-Build Services for Nine (9) Wells and a Raw Water Main to Florida Design Drilling, LLC.
Alternate Recommendations:
1. Move that the Council reject the recommended award and provide staff with direction.
2. Move that the Council reject all proposals and provide staff with direction to reissue the solicitation or cancel the Request for Qualifications.
Background: Over the past several decades, Port St. Lucie has experienced substantial growth and is now Florida’s seventh largest city. Port St. Lucie is currently ranked as the 10th fastest-growing large city in the country. This increase in population directly impacts the demand for sufficient water supply. The City’s Master Plan forecasts that current water treatment capacity must increase by 2030. Port St. Lucie has long planned, and is moving forward, with the design and construction of a new reverse osmosis water treatment plant at the Range Line Water Treatment Facility (WTF). Upon completion, the plant will add an additional ability to produce 10 million gallons of potable water per day. The City also owns and operates the JEA WTF. Both the JEA and Range Line facilities will treat brackish groundwater with reverse osmosis membranes to provide potable water to the City’s customers. The proposed three (3) wells for the JEA WTF, will allow for increased operational and maintenance flexibility as it will allow other, existing wells to be taken out of service in the JEA wellfield. The proposed six (6) wells for the Range Line WTF will also provide raw water to the upcoming Range Line WTF. This will result in a total of nine (9) wells (some attached documents reference eight wells, however, the ninth was listed as a potential inclusion in the solicitation, and will be included under the Contract in future phases.). The scope of work for this project includes design, construction services, integration, test, checkout, and startup of proposed Floridan aquifer wells. The scope also includes preliminary design, final detailed design, permitting, construction, testing, and construction phase services for the raw water main on Discovery Way. The proposed raw water main construction from the future Range Line WTF to the proposed future Floridan wells.
The project will be broken into multiple design-build phases, each with a GMP for completion. This initial GMP-A includes preliminary engineering design services, survey, geotechnical evaluation, public outreach, hydrogeologic design for UFA water supply wells, modifications to the City’s existing Water Use Permit, procurement of steel casing material, initial site setup and installation of all nine (9) Pit casings for all UFA wells, complete construction of the first two (2) UFA test wells and all engineering, hydrogeologic well construction services during construction for the first two (2) UFA test wells, and grant management assistance.
A Request for Qualifications was issued in accordance with Section 287.055, Florida Statutes, identified as the Consultants’ Competitive Negotiation Act (CCNA) on November 25, 2024, to 953 potential consultants. There were 3 proposals received on January 21, 2025. PMD held the first evaluation committee meeting on February 26, 2025, to review and discuss the proposals and individual scores to determine the short list. The Evaluation Committee selected and voted on the top three (3) firms to move forward to the short list. The firms were invited to a second evaluation meeting held on March 26, 2025, to make presentations and to answer more detailed questions regarding the project. The Evaluation Committee reviewed their scores and adjusted accordingly. The final scores were announced as follows:
#1 Ranked Firm: Florida Design Drilling, LLC - 855.2
#2 Ranked Firm: Globaltech, Inc. - 810.4
#3 Ranked Firm: Tetra Tech, Inc. - 807.6
PMD began negotiations with the top ranked firm, Florida Design Drilling, LLC. After the negotiations, the recommendation was made to accept the proposal of $10,574,067.43 for GMP-A.
Issues/Analysis: Staff has reviewed the final proposal and finds that the scope is consistent with the needs for the phasing of the project and finds that the fees are fair and reasonable.
Financial Information: Funding is appropriated in the Utility CIP Fund/ JEA Water Treatment Facility & Range Line Water Treatment Facility / Improvements O/T Building (#448-3312 & 3313-563000-00000).
Special Consideration: This is a multi-year project phased as budget allows to complete the entire scope of work. Multiple design-build phases, each with a GMP and guaranteed completion date will be placed on future Council agendas for approval prior to commencing the work for each GMP phase.
Location of Project: Various City-owned land parcels and Discovery Way.
Attachments:
1. Notice of Intent to Award.
2. Proposals Submitted Report.
3. RFP #20240141 Evaluation Summary Report.
4. Signed Contract.
5. Recommended Proposal from Florida Design Drilling, LLC.
6. RFP Documents.
NOTE: All of the listed items in the “Attachment” section above are in the custody of the City Clerk. Any item(s) not provided in City Council packets are available upon request from the City Clerk.
Internal Reference Number: 25223-03.
Legal Sufficiency Review:
Reviewed by Alyssa Lunin, Senior Deputy City Attorney. Approved as to Legal form and sufficiency by Richard Berrios, City Attorney.