New construction and renovation of a municipal facility in Groveland, Florida. Completed plans call for the construction of a municipal facility; and for the renovation of a municipal facility.

This Request for Proposals (RFP) is designed to contract with one Design-Build organization for the construction of a new community based center for use by the citizens of Groveland. The new Elese Tomlin Empowerment Center will be constructed upon property close to downtown Groveland, specifically at the corner of SR-50 and Brown Ave. The total acreage of the site is .48 acres. An appraisal is currently underway to acquire the three parcels to the west of the parcel already owned by the City. The City of Groveland was incorporated in 1922 and is located in south Lake County, Florida. It encompasses 21.48 square miles and has a population of 18,505 as established by the 2020 U.S. Census. The City runs under a Council-Manager form of government, including five elected officials, the Mayor and four councilmembers. The City Council determines policy, adopts legislation, and approves the City's annual budget. Council appoints the City Manager, who as the Chief Administrative Officer, is charged with the responsibility of enforcing all ordinances and resolutions passed by Council. The City provides the following full range of municipal services authorized by it's Charter: public safety, streets, sanitation, recreation, public improvements, planning and zoning, building services, water and sewer, and general administrative services. Inquiry Deadline Date:June 28, 2022, 10:00am Question Response Deadline:July 6, 2022, 4:00pm Evaluation:August 2, 2022 Intent to Award:August 4, 2022 Award:August 15, 2022 Questions are to be submitted via the OpenGov Procurement platform. If a question is general in nature, an answer will be provided directly to the question. If a question effects the nature of the scope, evaluation criteria, or anything else that may add, change, or clarify a clause within this RFP, an addendum will be issued with the question and answer noted. The City enforces a Cone of Silence during the active phase of the solicitation; this is from the time of issuance through execution of a contract. No proposer nor any prospective proposer shall contact, communicate with, or discuss any matter relating in any way to this RFP with any member of the City of Groveland City Council, City Manager, or any employee of the City other than the City's Procurement Director. This prohibition begins with the issuance of the RFP and ends upon execution of any resultant contract(s). Any such communication initiated by a proposer or prospective proposer shall be grounds for disqualifying the offender from consideration for award pursuant to this RFP and for any other solicitations that the City may issue in the future. The proposer should examine its proposal carefully for any errors prior to submission. The proposer is solely responsible for the accuracy and completeness of its proposal. The proposer's errors or omissions, if any, are solely at the risk of the proposer and may be grounds for the City's finding that the proposer's proposal is non-responsive. Any proposer submitting inconsistent copies of its proposal is subject to disqualification from further consideration under this RFP. Should a single proposer submit multiple responses to the same RFP, all submissions will be ruled non-responsive. If the proposer desires to take exception(s) to any portion of the terms and conditions of this RFP, the exception(s) must be taken during the question and answer period. Exceptions noted within the response submittal will cause the response to be deemed non-responsive. Any proposal may be withdrawn until the date and time set in the timeline for the submission of the proposals. Any proposals not so withdrawn shall constitute an irrevocable offer, for a period of one hundred and twenty (120) days or until one or more of the proposals have been awarded. By submitting a proposal, the proposer affirms that the proposal is genuine and not made in the interest of or on behalf of any undisclosed person, firm, or corporation, and is not submitted in conformity with any agreement or rules of any group, association, organization, or corporation; the proposer has not directly or indirectly induced or solicited any other person to submit a false or sham proposal; the proposer has not solicited or induced any person, firm, or corporation to refrain from submitting a proposal; and the proposer has not sought by collusion to obtain any advantage over other persons or over the City. Neither the City nor its representative(s) shall be liable for any expenses incurred in connection with preparation of a response to the RFP. Proposers should prepare a proposal simply and economically, providing a straightforward and concise description of the proposer's ability to meet the requirements of the RFP. The recommended short list of firms ranked highest to lowest will be posted for review by interested parties at the City of Groveland City Hall, 156 S. Lake Avenue, Groveland, Florida and will remain for a period of three (3) full business days. Failure to file a protest to the City by 5:00 PM on the third full business day after the posting date shall constitute a waiver of protest proceedings. Any actual bidder, proposer, or contractor who is aggrieved in connection with the notice of intent to award a contract (Protestor), where such grievance is asserted to be the result of a violation of the requirements of the Procurement Policies & Procedures or any applicable provision of law by the officers, agents, or employees of the City, may file a Protest with the Procurement Director. An initial Notice of Intent to Protest must be in writing and transmitted via email to the Procurement Director at chris.coghill@groveland-fl.gov within three (3) calendar days following the Notice of Intent to Award. This Protest Period begins the first full calendar day following the posting of the Notice of Intent to Award. A Formal Protest package, incorporating all material facts of the protest, must be hand delivered to the City of Groveland Procurement Department, 156 S. Lake Avenue, Groveland, Florida 34736. The Formal Protest package must be submitted and received by the Procurement Director by 5 p.m. on the fifth (5th) full calendar day following the submission of the Notice of Intent to Protest. It shall be the responsibility of the party transmitting the Formal Protest package to ensure that the package was received by the City. Protestor is not permitted to challenge the solicitation requirements, chosen procurement method, the evaluation criteria, the relative weight of the evaluation criteria, or the formula specified for assigning points to the evaluation criteria in its Formal Protest. There is no stay of the procurement process during a protest. During any Formal Protest, the Protestor is not permitted to contact or communicate with City Council members, officers, or employees, other than the Procurement Director or designee and the City's Attorney regarding the Formal Protest. Once filed and received by the Procurement Director, the Formal Protest may not be supplemented by the Protestor. However, the City has the right to seek clarification and additional information as needed. Failure to follow the requirements of this Protest Policy shall be just cause for rejection of the Formal Protest and will result in an automatic disqualification of Protestor for award of the pending solicitation. The Formal Protest package shall include the following information: (1) The name, postal and email addresses, and telephone number of the Protestor; (2) City solicitation title and number; (3) A concise statement indicating the grounds and evidence, including facts, rules, regulations, statutes, and constitutional provisions, the factual and legal basis, upon which the Protest is based, with the inclusion of all supporting documentation. The Protestor waives its rights and remedies related to any grounds not specifically stated in writing; (4) A statement of the specific ruling or relief requested; and (5) Signature of the Protestor or an authorized agent of the Protestor. Security Bond: The Formal Protest must be accompanied by a security in the form of a bond payable to the City of Groveland in the amount of $2,500.00. The surety issuing the bond must be authorized to do business in the State of Florida and be in compliance with the Florida Insurance Code. Any bond submitted shall have a duly executed power of attorney attached. In lieu of a bond, the City may accept an irrevocable letter of credit, cashiers or certified check, or money order. Noncompliance with this requirement, in whole or in part, will be deemed to be a waiver of the right to appeal. Said security shall be designated and held for the payment of any costs that may be levied against the Protestor. The Procurement Director shall have the authority to settle and resolve a Formal Protest concerning the intended award of a contract. The Procurement Director shall promptly investigate the Formal Protest and issue a written decision within fourteen (14) days of the date the Formal Protest is received. If the protest is upheld, the posted security will be refunded in full. If the City prevails, the City shall assess against the Protestor any reasonable costs incurred by the City in defending the Formal Protest. Such assessment will be set forth in the written decision. Costs of the Formal Protest assessed against the Protestor shall be paid to the City within five (5) business days after receipt by the Protestor of the decision of the Procurement Director. Any costs not fully discharged by the amount of the Protestor's bond shall be paid by the Protestor. Failure to timely pay said costs shall result in the Protestor being suspended from competing for any other contract with the City until such payment is made in full. Any remaining funds available on the Security Bond will be held until such time as the Formal Protest and any appeal request is completed in full. Following the Procurement Director's decision of the Formal Protest, any adversely affected Protestor may file a request for appeal with the City Manager within three (3) calendar days of notification of the Procurement Director's decision regarding the Formal Protest. Appeals received after this timeframe shall not be considered. The request for appeal must state that the Protestor is submitting an appeal of the Procurement Director's decision and the grounds of the request for appeal. Failure to follow the requirements of this policy shall be just cause for rejection of the appeal. There is no stay of the procurement process during an appeal. The request for appeal must be submitted in writing via email to the Procurement Director at chris.coghill@groveland-fl.gov and will be forwarded with all relevant City documentation to the City Manager within twenty-four (24) hours of receipt. An appealing party may be represented by legal counsel at its own expense. Once filed and received by the City, the appeal may not be supplemented. However, the City has the right to seek clarification and additional information as needed. The appeal must include the following information: (1) The name, postal and email addresses, and telephone number of the party filing the appeal; (2) City solicitation title and number; (3) A concise statement indicating the grounds and evidence, including facts, rules, regulations, statutes, and constitutional provisions, the factual and legal basis, upon which the appeal is based, with the inclusion of all supporting documentation. New grounds or evidence not previously set forth in the Formal Protest will not be considered; (4) A statement of the specific ruling or relief requested; and (5)Signature of the party filing the appeal or an authorized agent of the party filing the appeal. If Protestor's appeal is successful, any remaining funds on the posted security will be released or refunded in full. If the City prevails, the City shall assess against the appealing party any reasonable costs incurred by the City in defending the request for appeal. Such assessment will be set forth in the written decision. Costs of the appeal assessed against the appealing party shall be paid to the City within five (5) calendar days after receipt by the appealing party of the decision of the City Manager. All costs not fully discharged by the amount of the appealing party's bond shall be paid by the appealing party. Failure to timely pay said costs shall result in the appealing party being suspended from competing for any other contract with the City until such payment is made in full. The City Manager shall investigate the appeal and shall promptly issue a decision in writing to the Protestor. The City Manager's decision shall be sent via email to the authorized representative of the Protestor, with a copy to the Procurement Director. If the Protest is upheld, the relief granted may include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: (1) Cancel the solicitation and/or contract. (2) Award in part. (3) Re-compete the procurement. No contact with City Council members, officers, or employees, other than the City Manager, Procurement Director or their designee, and the City's Attorney, is permitted from Protestor during any appeal. Decisions of the City Manager are final, subject to appeal by appropriate court action. The City of Groveland reserves the right, and the Procurement Director has absolute and sole discretion, to cancel a solicitation at any time prior to approval of the award. The decision to cancel a solicitation cannot be the basis for a protest pursuant to the City of Groveland Procurement Policies & Procedures. If any proposer violates or is a party to a violation of the code of ethics of The City of Groveland, with respect to this RFP, such proposer may be disqualified from performing the services described in this RFP or from furnishing services for which the proposal is submitted, and shall be further disqualified from bidding on any future requests for work, goods, or services for the City. Subject to the provisions of Chapter 112, F.S., all proposers must disclose with their proposal the name of any officer, director, agent, or shareholder who is also an employee of the City. All proposers must disclose the name of any City employee who owns, directly or indirectly, an interest of five percent (5%) or more in the proposer's firm or any of its branches.