Okaloosa County BOCC — March 18, 2014 — Action Item Printout

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA REQUEST DATE: March 18, 2014 TO: Honorable Chairman and Members of the Board FROM: Jeff Littrell SUBJECT: Approval To Authorize OCWS To Construct The Newcastle Area Water System Improvements DEPARTMENT: Water and Sewer BCC DISTRICT: 2 STATEMENT OF ISSUE: In accordance with Chapter 255, Public Property and Publicly Owned Buildings, Florida State Statues (F.S), Section 255.20, Local bids and contracts for public construction works; specification of state-produced lumber, the BCC must hold a public meeting to discuss the County’s proposal to construct new water mains and install new fire hydrants to serve the Newcastle community using Okaloosa County Water and Sewer Department (OCWS) staff and equipment. Specifically, the statute states that a County government may “self- perform” public works projects valued at greater than $300,000... “When the governing board of the local government, after public notice, conducts a public meeting under s. 286.011 and finds by a majority vote of the governing board that it is in the public's best interest to perform the project using its own services, employees, and equipment.” BACKGROUND: The proposed project will upgrade existing water lines from 2" to 6" in a predominantly low to moderate income (LMI) neighborhood in the Newcastle community, which will facilitate the installation of new fire hydrants, increasing fire protection in the area. The project will include the installation of approximately 14 new fire hydrants, 10,500 L.F. of 6" water main (including 8" bores where necessary), 2,300 L.F. of existing parallel mains where services need to be switched over from the old mains, and all associated appurtenances. Funding for this project is supplemented by a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Disaster Recovery Fund (DREF) appropriation made available through the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity in the amount of $252,923.30 and is scheduled to expire October 25th, 2014. Soft costs, such as surveying and design, will be completed by in-house staff and not included in the approved funding request. OCWS is proposing to self-perform the construction of the new water mains and installation of the new fire hydrants to serve the Newcastle community. OCWS plans to construct the water mains and install the fire hydrants using OCWS staff and equipment to expedite completion of the project. OCWS estimates that using their own forces and equipment to construct the project will shorten the construction schedule and will reduce the project costs over contracting with an outside construction company. OCWS has estimated the design-build project to cost approximately $450,000.00. As stated in the attached Public Notice, a cost breakdown of the project was available for the public to view at our office anytime between the Public Notice and the Public Meeting. The cost includes material (with fringe/insurance), labor, equipment (with maintenance), and subcontracted work. OCWS has reviewed the construction requirements for the project and has determined that they have the necessary qualifications, labor and available time to complete the project. As presented earlier, Section 255.20 F.S., Local bids and contracts for public construction works; specification of state-produced lumber includes specific requirements for County governments that choose to construct projects valued at greater than $300,000 using their own forces and equipment. F.S. 255.20 states that before the project can be constructed using the County’s forces, the County must hold a properly advertised public meeting to discuss the project and then the BCC must vote to approve the County constructing the project using its own forces. The meeting has been advertised as required. OCWS will discuss the project, the estimated cost and timing of the project as well as issues regarding why it is in the public's best interest to perform the project using the County’s own services, employees and equipment. In short, by self-performing this project with in-house crews, staff believes we can get it done better, faster, and more economical than the alternatives. OPTIONS: Approve or deny. RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff requests BCC approval to authorize OCWS to construct the Newcastle Area Water System Improvements project using OCWS staff and equipment, as supplemented in accordance with County Ordinances and State Statutes. RECOMMENDED BY: APPROVED BY: Ernie Padgett, County Administrator