Subject:
Title
Ranking of firms and agreement with CHA Consulting, Inc. for the Highland Lakes Forcemain Replacement - Professional Engineering Services project.
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Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approval of the ranking of firms and agreement with CHA Consulting, Inc. for the Highland Lakes Forcemain Replacement - Professional Engineering Services project.
• This contract is for professional engineering services for the Highland Lakes Forcemain Replacement project.
• Five firms submitted proposals and were evaluated with recommendation to award to the top ranked firm, CHA Consulting, Inc., in the amount of $1,356,439.00 in accordance with the Consultants Competitive Negotiations Act (CCNA), per Florida Statute 287.055.
• Two certified Small Business Enterprise (SBE) sub-consultants were included in the award to CHA Consulting, Inc., Driggers Engineering Services, Inc., and Dialogue Public Relations, LLC for total SBE fees in the amount of $167,148.00 or approximately 13% of the total award amount.
• This agreement will be effective for four-hundred days from issuance of notice to proceed from the County.
• Funding for this contract is budgeted under Force Main Capacity Improvements - Highland Lakes Project 003761A, included in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026-FY31 Capital Improvement Plan, funded by the Sewer Renewal and Replacement Fund in the amount of $1,360,000.00.
Contract No. 25-0210-RFQ-CCNA in the amount of $1,356,439.00 for four hundred consecutive calendar days; Authorize the Chairman to sign and the Clerk of the Circuit Court to attest.
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Strategic Plan:
Resilient Infrastructure and Environment
1.2 Maintain and enhance County infrastructure
1.6 Ensure sustainable water management
Summary:
Summary
The purpose of this project is to repair the forcemain as it has reached the end of its useful life. Ultrasonic thickness testing was performed on the existing 20" Highland Lakes forcemain and was determined to have reduced pipe wall thickness in multiple locations as well. In recent years, the Highland Lakes forcemain has failed in several locations. The most recent failure occurred in June 2023.
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Background Information:
A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to comply with the Consultants Competitive Negotiation Act (CCNA), per Florida Statute 287.055, was released February 20, 2025, on behalf of the Utilities Department with submittals due March 25, 2025; the negotiation and scoping process concluded August 12, 2025.
The contract includes fully burdened hourly rates that include all labor, direct/indirect overhead margins/profits, and travel within the Tampa Bay Metropolitan Statistical Area (TBMSA). Travel outside of the TBMCSA will be reimbursed in accordance with Florida Statutes.
The County proposes to engage a professional engineering firm to perform design services, including limited hydraulic modelling, permitting, bidding and post design services for the replacement a 20-inch sanitary sewer forcemain located in North Pinellas County, on the west side of Lake Tarpon.
Fiscal Impact:
Total contract not to exceed: $1,356,439.00.
Funding for this contract is budgeted under Forcemain Capacity Improvements - Highland Lakes Project 003761A, included in the FY26-FY31 Capital Improvement Plan, funded by the Sewer Renewal and Replacement Fund in the amount of $1,360,000.00.
Staff Member Responsible:
Jeremy Waugh, Director, Utilities
Merry Celeste, Purchasing Division Director, Office of Management & Budget
Chris Rose, Director, Office of Management & Budget
Partners:
N/A
Attachments:
Agreement
Ranking