Sunday, April 15, 2018

AND NOW, for something completely different: COMPETITIVE BIDDING AFTER EIGHTEEN (18) YEARS: May 17, 2018 bid opening for Wednesday Farmer's Market at St. Augustine Beach Pier



After eighteen (18) years, the St. Augustine Beach Civic Association (SABCA) is now required to bid for the Wednesday Farmers' Market at the St. Johns County Ocean and Fishing Pier Park parking lot.

Encourage qualified bidders, including the operators of the Saturday Farmer's Market at St. Augustine Amphitheater.

Thanks to St. Johns County Commissioners for rejecting demands by SABCA to engage in de facto sole source procurement, or to award it a contract without competitive bidding.



From:
Date: April 15, 2018 at 05:00:06 EDT
Subject: Announcing Bid RFP-18-51-0-2018/BM from St. Johns County - Purchasing Department

Bid Identifier: RFP-18-51-0-2018/BM
Bid Name: Management of St. Johns County Pier Park Market
Agency Location: Florida
Agency: St. Johns County - Purchasing Department
Scope of work: St. Johns County is currently seeking proposals from
interested firms to operate and manage a top quality, authentic market at
the St. Johns County Ocean Pier Park, located at 350 A1A Beach Blvd, St.
Augustine, FL 32080. The market will be held each Wednesday, from 8:00am
to 12:00pm, and shall be focused on offering residents and visitors of St.
Johns County, fresh and locally sourced food as well as unique,
hand-crafted items....

If you would like to sign up to receive notification by fax or email when
more opportunities are available please navigate to
www.demandstar.com/register.rsp to register. This free notification is
provided to you as a courtesy of Onvia DemandStar in partnership with St.
Johns County - Purchasing Department.

_________________________________________

To view your bid information:
1. Click on the link below (AOL users: Copy the link, paste it into the
URL of your Internet browser, and hit "Enter" on your keyboard).
2. You are now in the Details section of the bid. Scroll down to where
the documents are located and click "View".
3. Click the "Download/Order" button at the bottom of the page to download
the bid document.
4. Click on Create Profile. You will be asked to fill in some basic
information in order to download the bid.

http://www.demandstar.com/supplier/bids/BID_SupplierDetail.asp?BI=341660









ST. JOHNS COUNTY, FL 
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 
RFP NO: 18-51 
MANAGEMENT OF ST. JOHNS COUNTY PIER PARK MARKET 
St. Johns County Purchasing Department 
500 San Sebastian View 
St. Augustine FL 32084 
(904) 209-0150 
www.sjcfl.us/Purchasing/index.aspx 
Final: 4/13/18

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) NO: 18-51 
MANAGEMENT OF ST. JOHNS COUNTY PIER PARK MARKET 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
I. ADVERTISEMENT 

II. INTRODUCTION 

III. SERVICE REQUIREMENTS 

IV. CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS 
V. REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS AND EVALUATION 
VI. ATTACHMENTS / FORMS 
VII. OPTIONAL CHECKLIST 
VIII. SEALED RFP MAILING LABEL 
IX. EXHIBIT A- MARKET AREA (SEPARATE DOCUMENT)

RFP 18-51 - MANAGEMENT OF ST. JOHNS COUNTY PIER PARK MARKET 
PART I: ADVERTISEMENT 
Notice is hereby given that St. Johns County, FL is soliciting responses for RFP No: 18-51, Management of St. Johns County Pier Park Market. Interested and qualified respondents may submit RFP Packages, in accordance with the requirements provided herein, to the St. Johns County Purchasing Department. All RFP Packages are due by or before 4:00PM (EST) on Thursday, May 17, 2018. Any packages delivered to or received after the 4:00PM deadline will not be considered and shall be returned unopened to the addressee. 
St. Johns County is currently seeking proposals from interested firms to operate and manage a top quality, authentic market at the St. Johns County Ocean Pier Park, located at 350 A1A Beach Blvd, St. Augustine, FL 32080. The market will be held each Wednesday, from 8:00am to 12:00pm, and shall be focused on offering residents and visitors of St. Johns County, fresh and locally sourced food as well as unique, hand-crafted items. 
RFP Documents are available for download from www.demandstar.com, or by calling 800-711-1712 and requesting Document #18-51. Vendors registered with Onvia Demandstar may download most packages at no cost from the website. Download fees may apply to vendors not registered on the website. Documents are also available from the SJC Purchasing Department. When making a request, vendors must provide their full company name, full company address, company phone number, primary contact and email address. 
A Non-Mandatory Pre-Proposal Meeting will be held on Thursday, April 26, 2018 at 2:00PM in the Aviles Conference Room, in the St. Johns County Administration Building, located at 500 San Sebastian View, St. Augustine, FL 32084. Attendance at this meeting is not required to be considered for award, but is recommended. 
Any and all questions or requests for information relating to this RFP shall be submitted in writing by or before (4:00PM) on Thursday, May 3, 2018 to the designated Point of Contact shown below: 
Contact Information: Bryan Matus, Buyer 
SJC Purchasing Department 
500 San Sebastian View 
St. Augustine FL 32084 
Email: bmatus@sjcfl.us 
Phone: (904) 209-0168 
Fax: (904) 209-0169 
Interested firms shall not contact any staff member of St. Johns County, including members of the Board of County Commissioners, except the above referenced individual, with regard to this RFP as stated in SJC Purchasing Code 304.6.5 “Procedures Concerning Lobbying”. Any such communication shall result in disqualification from consideration for award of a contract for these services. 
RFP Packages MUST be submitted in a SEALED envelope or container and clearly marked on the exterior of the package: RFP 18-51 MANAGEMENT OF ST. JOHNS COUNTY PIER PARK MARKET. Each package submitted must have the respondent’s name and mailing address marked plainly on the outside of the container. Each package shall consist of one (1) hard-copy original and one (1) exact electronic PDF copy on a USB Drive which shall include all required documents and any supplemental information. In the event of a discrepancy between the submitted hard-copy and electronic copy, the hard-copy will supersede. 
Deliver or Ship RFP Packages to: St. Johns County Purchasing Department 
500 San Sebastian View 
St. Augustine FL 32084 
Vendors shall not contact, lobby or otherwise communicate with any SJC employee, including any member of the Board of County Commissioners, other than the above referenced individual from the point of advertisement of the RFP until contract(s) are executed by all parties, per SJC Purchasing Code 304.6.5 “Procedures Concerning Lobbying”. According to SJC policy, any such communication shall disqualify the vendor or Contractor from responding to the subject invitation to bid, request for quote, request for proposal, invitation to negotiate or request for proposals and possible debarment for periods up to twelve (12) months.

Any bidder, proposer or person substantially and adversely affected by an intended decision or by any term, condition, procedure or specification with respect to any bid, invitation, solicitation of proposals or request for qualifications, shall file with the Purchasing Department for St. Johns County, a written notice of intent to protest no later than seventy two (72) hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays for employees of St. Johns County) after the posting either electronically or by other means of the notice of intended action, notice of intended award, bid tabulation, publication by posting electronically or by other means of a procedure, specification, term or condition which the person intends to protest, or the right to protest such matter shall be waived. The protest procedures may be obtained from the Purchasing Department and are included in St. Johns County’s Purchasing Manual. 
All of the terms and conditions of the County’s Purchasing Manual are incorporated by reference and are fully binding. 
St. Johns County reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals, waive minor formalities, and to award to the proposer that best serves the interests of St. Johns County. 
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 
OF ST. JOHNS COUNTY, FL 
HUNTER S. CONRAD, CLERK 
BY: 
DEPUTY CLERK

RFP NO: 18-51 - MANAGEMENT OF ST. JOHNS COUNTY PIER PARK MARKET 
PART II: INTRODUCTION 
A. PURPOSE: 
St. Johns County Purchasing Department is accepting sealed Request for Proposals (RFP) packages from interested and experienced firms to operate and manage a market at the St. Johns County Ocean Pier Park. The venue has space for vendors to offer local unique, high-quality merchandise, such as, but not limited to: fresh produce, handmade arts and crafts, baked goods, flowers, unique gifts and a wide variety of multi-cultural food, and crafts. The market shall operate each Wednesday, from 8:00am to 12:00pm. 
B. TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS 
The County proposes the tentative schedule of events provided below for this Request for Proposals (RFP), and subsequent award of contract(s). This schedule is for planning purposes only, and is subject to change, without notice, based upon the County’s needs. 
Advertisement of Request for Proposals April 14, 2017 
Pre-Submittal Meeting April 26, 2018 
Issuance of Final Addendum May 10, 2018 
Pre-Proposal Package Submission Deadline May 17, 2018 
Evaluation of Submitted RFP Packages May 31, 2018 
Presentation of Award Recommendation to SJC BOCC July 3, 2018 
Issuance of Notices of Award & Contracts July 6, 2018 
C. DUE DATE & LOCATION 
Packages submitted in response to this RFP must be delivered to, and received by the SJC Purchasing Department by or before four o’clock (4:00PM) EST on May 17, 2018. Proposal Packages received after the 4:00 P.M. deadline will not be considered and will be returned to the sender. 
Proposal Packages shall be delivered to: St. Johns County Purchasing Department 
500 San Sebastian View 
St. Augustine, FL 32084 
D. DESIGNATED POINT OF CONTACT 
Any and all questions or requests for information relating to this RFP shall be directed, in writing, to the following Designated Point of Contact: Mr. Bryan Matus, Buyer, at bmatus@sjcfl.us. 
In the event the Designate Point of Contact, provided above, is absent or unavailable for more than three (3) business days, interested firms may contact Jaime T. Locklear, MPA, CPPB, FCCM, Purchasing Manager, at jlocklear@sjcfl.us. 
Interested firms SHALL NOT contact any staff member of St. Johns County, including members of the Board of County Commissioners, except the above referenced individual, with regard to this RFP as stated in SJC Purchasing Code 304.6.5 “Procedures Concerning Lobbying”. All inquiries will be routed to the appropriate staff member for response. Any such communication shall result in disqualification from consideration for award of a contract for these services. 
E. NON-MANDATORY PRE-SUBMITTAL MEETING 
There will be a Non-Mandatory Pre-Submittal meeting on Thursday, April 26, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. in the Aviles Conference Room at the St. Johns County Administration Building, located at 500 San Sebastian View, St. Augustine, FL 32084. All firms interested in submitting a Proposal Package are invited to attend this meeting. Attendance at this meeting is not required, but encouraged to ensure a full understanding of the requirements provided in this RFP document. 
F. SUBMITTAL OF QUESTIONS/INQUIRIES 
Any and all questions and/or inquiries related to this RFP, shall be directed, in writing, to the Designated Point of

Contact as provided above, by or before four o’clock (4:00PM) EST on Thursday, May 3, 2018. Any questions received after this deadline will not be addressed or clarified by the County, unless it is determined to be in the best interest of the County to do so. The County reserves the right to extend the deadline for RFP submission in order to clarify or answer questions as necessary to serve the best interest of the County. 
Interested Vendors shall not contact, lobby, or otherwise communicate with any SJC employee, including any member of the Board of County Commissioners, other than the above referenced individual from the point of advertisement of the solicitation, until contract(s) are executed by all parties, per SJC Purchasing Code 304.6.5 “Procedures Concerning Lobbying”. According to SJC Policy, any such communication shall disqualify the vendor, contractor, or consultant from responding to the subject invitation to negotiate or request for qualifications. 
G. ADDENDA 
Any and all clarifications, answers to questions, or changes to this RFP shall be provided through a County-issued Addendum, posted on www.demandstar.com. Any clarifications, answers, or changes provided in any manner other than a formally issued addendum, are to be considered “unofficial” and shall not bind the County to any requirements, terms or conditions not stated herein. 
The County shall make every possible, good faith effort to issue any and all addenda no later than seven (7) days prior to the due date for proposals. Any addenda issued after this date, shall be for material, necessary clarifications to the Request for Proposal. 
H. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY 
In accordance with Federal, State and Local law, the submitting firm shall not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or handicap. The submitting firm shall be required to comply with all aspects of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) during the performance of the work. 
I. PUBLIC RECORDS 
The access to, disclosure, non-disclosure, or exemption of records, data, documents, and/or materials associated with this RFP shall be subject to the applicable provisions of the Florida Public Records Law (Chapter 119, Florida Statutes), and other applicable State or Federal Law. Access to such public records, may not be blocked, thwarted, and/or hindered by placing the public records in the possession of a third party, or an unaffiliated party. 
J. SOLICITATION POSTPONEMENT / CANCELLATION 

The County may, at its sole and absolute discretion, postpone, cancel, or re-advertise, at any time, this solicitation process for any reason, as determined by County Staff, in order to best serve the interests of St. Johns County. 
K. RIGHT TO REJECT / ACCEPT 

The County reserves the right to accept or reject any or all submitted packages, waive minor formalities, and to award to the Respondent(s) that best serve the interests of St. Johns County. 
PART III: SERVICE REQUIREMENTS 
Scope of Services: 
The Contractor shall be responsible for providing for the operation and management of a market at the St. Johns County Ocean Pier Park, offering local unique, high-quality merchandise, such as, but not limited to: fresh produce, handmade arts and crafts, baked goods, flowers, unique gifts and a wide variety of multi-cultural food, and crafts. The market shall operate each Wednesday, from 8:00am to 12:00pm. 
Local Focus: 
The market shall have a local focus, offering fresh local produce, dairy, meats, local/artisan prepared foods such as baked and pickled goods, fresh squeezed juices, locally sourced artisan seasonings, teas, hand-made crafts, plants, and other local or artisan non-food items. For the purposes of this Request for Proposals, and for the subsequent Contract Agreement, “local” shall be defined as grown or crafted within one hundred (100) miles of the location of the market. 
Market Composition: 
The Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring a balanced product offering and desired ambiance with an appropriate mix of vendors. County reserves the right to change market composition requirement to best serve needs of County and Market Patrons.

Market Layout: 
The Contractor shall coordinate the layout of the market with the County. The County must approve final layout before implementation by the Contractor. No changes shall be made to the approved layout without prior written approval by the County. Contractor must ensure ADA compliant access to all portions of the market intended for public access. The Contractor shall be responsible for securing additional parking locations for market attendees as necessary at no additional cost to the County. All parking areas located outside the designate market area shall remain open to the public and shall not be blocked or reserved by the contractor or market vendors. 
Set-Up/Take-Down/Clean-Up 
The Contractor shall be responsible for maintaining the area reserved for the market prior to and following the operations of the market each Wednesday. The Contractor shall have one hour prior to the scheduled opening time of the market and one hour following the scheduled closing time of the market to perform set-up, take-down and clean-up of the area(s) used for the market. It shall be the responsibility of the Contractor to ensure that the market closes promptly at 12:00PM and that all vendors have cleaned-up their respective areas and exited the premises by or before 1:00PM. The Contractor will be charged a usage fee of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) per each half-hour beyond 1:00PM that the St. Johns County Ocean Pier Park property is occupied by one or more market vendors. 
Activity Restrictions: 
The County strictly prohibits certain activities at the market, and it shall be the Contractor’s responsibility to ensure compliance with these restrictions from any and all market vendors, as well as visitors of the market. Any exception to these restrictions must be provided, in writing, by the County Administrator, or his designee, prior to any allowance of the activity at the market. 
1. Sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages; federally-controlled substances; illegal narcotic substances; federally-banned products, devices, weapons, drugs, food or liquid, juices or drinks. 
2. Sale of prescription drugs, federally-recalled products, devices, foods, or liquids, juices, or drinks; any product, device, or substance classified as or regulated as a hazardous substance under local, state, or federal law, rule, or regulation; any living animal, including pets and livestock. 
3. Any other activities determined by the County to be prohibited. 

The Contractor shall be required to notify the County if there is any request to provide any product, substance, or items at the market, questionable in nature, to determine whether or not the activity may be allowed. 
Market Administration: 
The Contractor shall be required to perform all aspects of administration of the market, including vendor solicitation, review and approval, collection of vendor fees, day-of-market operations, and resolution of conflicts that arise from or occur during the market. The Contractor shall be required to have a representative onsite at all times during the market operating hours, which includes times for set up and breakdown for all vendor booths. The Contractor shall have representative(s) onsite prior to the arrival of the first vendor and shall have representatives onsite until any and all vendors have vacated the park. 
The Contractor shall meet with County Staff bi-annually, at a minimum, to present/workshop proposals and innovative ideas for improving the operations of the market, and to improve overall sale of vendor spots and visitation of the market. The County may require additional meetings and coordination with the Contractor to ensure compliance with the terms of the Contract, and to appropriately evaluate performance by the Contractor. 
Market/Vendor Fees: 
The Contractor shall pay to the County, two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) + five point eight percent (5.8%) sales tax per each Market as payment for the County’s authorization to use the designated area at the St. Johns County Ocean Pier Park facility for the market. All fees shall be paid to the County by or before the fifteenth (15th) day of each month, for the prior month’s collected fees. The Contractor shall submit, with each payment to the County, a copy of the sales tax report furnished, by the Contractor, to the State Department of Revenue. The Contractor shall be assessed a late fee of three hundred dollars ($300.00) per each business day beyond the fifteenth (15th) that payment is not received. 
In addition to the above, the Contractor shall collect all inclusive Vendor fees and shall not exceed forty dollars ($40.00) per vendor spot. The Contractor shall pay to the County, a percentage of the revenue generated from the Contractor-collected Vendor Fees as Rental/Use Fees. Vendor spot sizes shall be determined by Contractor to best accommodate Vendors and Market Patrons. Vendors are not to exceed the footprint of the designated Market Area (Exhibit A). County reserves the

right to change the designated Market Area to best serve needs of County and Market Patrons. Contractor shall be responsible for any other fees associated with the use of the site including new event fees. 
Reporting: 
The Contractor shall submit, with each payment, a monthly report detailing the number of participating vendors and estimated visitor attendance for each market conducted during the prior month. The report shall also include a list of ‘active’ vendors who have participated in at least one (1) market during the previous month. The listed vendors shall be categorized as fresh food vendors, prepared food vendors, craft vendors, or ‘other’ vendors, which would include vendors for market music, demonstrations, etc. The Contractor shall submit any additional reports upon request from the County. The monthly report shall also include a listing of any and all waiting list vendors, as well as any vendors that were disapproved from participating in the market with an explanation for the disapproval. 
Maintenance: 
The Contractor shall inspect the area of the SJC Ocean Pier Park used for the market, prior to each scheduled event in order to determine the overall condition of the area being used, and shall notify the County if there are any areas that require attention, repair, or closure prior to the market use of the area. 
The Contractor shall be responsible for restoring the area(s) used for the market back to the original condition, including the restrooms used by market visitors. The Contractor must remove and properly dispose of any and all debris and garbage generated by the market, as approved by the County. In the event the County is required to expend funds to clean and/or repair any area utilized for the market, due to the improper maintenance by the Contractor, the County shall bill the Contractor for all amounts paid, including costs for County Staff time. The Contractor must pay any invoice from the County by or before the fifteenth (15th) of the following month for these charges. 
Facility Damage: 
The Contractor shall be responsible for any and all damages caused to the facility resulting from the use of the facility for the market. In the event that damage occurs, the County shall notify the Contractor within seventy two (72) hours of discovery. The County shall take photos of the damage before authorizing any repairs, and shall invoice the Contractor any and all costs associated with repair of damages, incurred by the County, including, but not limited to costs for County Staff time. The Contractor shall pay the County for any damages by or before the fifteenth (15th) of the following month for these charges. 
Trash & Utilities: 
The Contractor shall empty all trash receptacles the market and vendors utilized at the end of each market event. Contractor will be responsible for the disposal of all trash. No dumpsters will be permitted onsite. The Contractor shall ensure that all trash and debris generated by the market, vendors, and visitors of the market is removed from the area after each market event. In the event the County is required to expend funds to collect, remove, and/or dispose of market generated trash and/or debris, including trash and debris from vendors and market visitors, the County shall bill the Contractor for all amounts paid, including costs for County Staff time. The Contractor must pay any invoice from the County by or before the fifteenth (15th) of the following month for these charges. 
The Contractor and market vendors shall have access to existing utilities (e.g. power and water) within the designated market area. The County will not expand existing utility service for use by the Contractor, market vendors, or visitors. The Contractor shall not access or utilize, and shall not allow market vendors and visitors to access or utilize the existing utilities in a manner that may cause damage to the Park or hinder the operation of other County activities outside the market area, which may be occurring during the operating hours of the market. 
Storage of Materials & Equipment: 
Storage for materials and equipment is not available at the SJC Ocean Pier Park. The Contractor shall be required to store any and all materials, equipment, signage, and other items off-site, and will not be permitted to leave any of these materials on-site before or after the market events. 
Security: 
For each market event, the Contractor shall provide a minimum of two (2) law enforcement personnel for general security at the Contractor’s expense. Security shall be present at all times that vendors are on-site, including during set-up and break-down/clean-up. The County reserves the right to require additional law enforcement personnel to be provided by the Contractor, at the Contractor’s expense. 
Vendor Solicitation, Screening & Fees:

The Contractor is responsible for soliciting and reviewing vendor applications and ensuring that all vendors of the market are properly licensed. Contractor will approve qualified vendors and schedule vendors in a manner that maintains the desired market composition as previously stated. 
The Contractor shall be responsible for conducting background screenings on all vendors prior to approving them to participate in any market event. Contractor shall be required to ensure that all employees comply with the criteria for the background screenings, which shall be provided in the Contract Agreement. Contractor shall be responsible for any fees incurred from employee background screenings. The cost of any required background checks may be assessed to the submitting vendors separate from the vendor fees as provided above. No vendor representatives who have not successfully completed a background check shall be permitted to work at any market event. 
The Contractor shall maintain a qualified vendors list, as well as a waiting list for booth space and shall manage the vendors equitably and in a manner that provides regular market patrons with a diverse/varied market experience. Preference shall consistently be given to vendors offering locally sourced items. Vendors who are not providing locally sourced items shall only be permitted to participate in the market if there are not sufficient local vendors interested and available for any given market event. Vendors shall be scheduled and managed in a manner that maintains the overall market composition as provided herein. Contractor is responsible for the coordination of all cancelations due to inclement weather or unforeseen circumstances. The Contractor shall be responsible for any cancelation cost incurred and shall coordinate any refunds as needed. 
The Contractor shall review Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility of all vendors. All SNAP eligible vendors will be required to accept SNAP benefits as a form of payment. 
Conflicts & Complaints: 
The Contractor shall address any and all conflicts or complaints from market vendors and visitors. All conflicts and complaints shall be documented and submitted to the County for review. Any action taken by the Contractor in response to these conflicts and/or complaints must be included in the documentation provided to the County. 
Signage & Advertisement: 
The Contractor shall be required to submit a Marketing/Advertisement Plan to the County for review and approval. All signage and advertisement shall be of professional quality and will be the responsibility of the Contractor to create post, disseminate, and collect as appropriate at the end of each market. The Contractor is required to maintain a website for the market and is encouraged to use multiple methods of advertisement including, but not limited to, printed materials, local radio, billboards, social media, etc. All signage and advertisement must be previously approved by the County prior to broadcast, and prior to any changes made thereafter. 
The County reserves the right to inspect and monitor the placement of all signs, directional or otherwise, to ensure the safety of patrons walking/traveling around the market, and to ensure compliance with the applicable provisions of the County Sign Ordinance (99-15), contained in the Land Development Code, and in order to ensure the safety of person walking/traveling around the market. County ordinance is subject to change. 
Additional Markets: 
The County reserves the right to expand the market at the SJC Ocean Pier Park to include additional markets, if there is a community demand and/or need, as determined by the County. In the event the County determines that an additional market is in the best interest of the County, the County and the Contractor shall coordinate services required for any additional market. Any changes in scope will be negotiated between County and Contractor with the County approving any final changes. 
Relocating Markets: 
In the event the County determines that relocating the market is in the best interest of the County or the public, the County and the Contractor shall coordinate the relocation of the market. The County shall provide no less than thirty (30) days’ prior written notice of any relocation of the market. Any changes in scope will be negotiated between County and Contractor with the County approving any final changes. 
PART IV: CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS 
A. Contract Agreement & Term: 
The intent of this RFP is to select the number one ranked firm through the evaluation process and to award a contract 10 

to that firm, if negotiations are successful. It is anticipated the County will issue a professional services contract for the duration of the project. 
If awarded, the initial contract term shall be for a period of one (1) calendar years, providing satisfactory performance has been maintained by the Contractor, and the County has a continued need for the services. The contract may be renewed in one (1) year increments, for a maximum of four (4) one-year renewal periods. These contract renewals shall be contingent upon the continued, satisfactory performance by the Contractor, and approval by the appropriate St. Johns County representatives. The County is under no obligation to exercise any of the available renewals. All renewals available under this contract are optional to the County. 
In the event that a Contract Agreement is attached to the RFP, such attached Contract Agreement is for discussion purposes only, and not necessarily reflective of any Contract that may be ultimately entered into by the County. In the event that a Contract Agreement is not attached to the RFP, it is expressly understood that the Board of County Commissioner’s (Board’s) preference/selection of any proposal does not constitute an award of a Contract Agreement with the County. It is anticipated that subsequent to the Board’s preference/selection of any Proposal, Contract Negotiations will follow between the County and the selected Respondent. It is further expressly understood that no contractual relationship exists with the County until a Contract has been executed by both the County, and the selected Respondent. The County reserves the right to delete, add to, or modify one or more components of the selected Respondent’s Proposal, in order to accommodate changed or evolving circumstances that the County may have encountered, since the issuance of the RFP. 
B. Contract Award: 
Recommendation shall be made to the Board of County Commissioners by County Staff to enter into negotiations with the highest ranked firm as determined by the evaluation committee, with the intention of coming to agreement over terms, conditions, and pricing in order to award a Contract for the services described herein. 
C. Contract Performance: 
At any point in time during the term of the Contract with the awarded Contractor, County Staff may review records of performance to ensure that the Contractor is continuing to provide sufficient financial support, labor, equipment and organization as prescribed herein. The County may place said contract on probationary status and implement termination procedures if the County determines that a Contractor no longer possesses the financial support, equipment and organization which would have been necessary in the RFP response in order to comply with the requirements for satisfactory performance. 
D. Termination: 

Failure on the part of the Contractor to comply with any portion of the duties and obligations under the Contract Agreement shall be cause for termination. If the Contractor fails to perform any aspect of the responsibilities described herein, St. Johns County shall provide written notification stating any and all items of non-compliance. The Contractor shall then have seven (7) consecutive calendar days to correct any and all items of non-compliance. If the items of non-compliance are not corrected, or acceptable corrective action, as approved by the County, has not been taken within the seven (7) consecutive calendar days, the Contract Agreement may be terminated by St. Johns County for cause, upon giving seven (7) consecutive calendar days written notice to the Contractor. 
In addition to the above, the County may terminate the Contract Agreement at any time, without cause, upon thirty (30) days written notice to the Contractor. 
E. Governing Laws & Regulations: 
It shall be the responsibility of the Contractor to be familiar and comply with any and all federal, state, and local laws, ordinances, rules and regulations relevant to the services to be performed at the SJC Amphitheatre, under the awarded Contract. The Contract Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Florida and the County both as to interpretation and to performance. 
F. Licenses, Permits & Fees: 
The Contractor shall be responsible for obtaining and holding any and all necessary licenses, permits, certifications required to perform the work described herein throughout the duration of the Contract. Payment of any fees or fines resulting in the lack of permits, licenses or certifications shall be the sole responsibility of the Contractor. 
G. Insurance Requirements: 
The Contractor shall not commence work under the awarded Contract until he/she has obtained all insurance required 11 

under this section and such insurance has been approved by the County. All insurance policies shall be issued by companies authorized to do business under the laws of the State of Florida. The Contractor shall furnish proof of Insurance to the County prior to the commencement of operations. The Certificate(s) shall clearly indicate the Contractor has obtained insurance of the type, amount, and classification as required by contract and that no material change or cancellation of the insurance shall be effective without thirty (30) days prior written notice to the County. Certificates shall specifically include the County as Additional Insured for all lines of coverage except Workers’ Compensation and Professional Liability. A copy of the endorsement must accompany the certificate. Compliance with the foregoing requirements shall not relieve the Contractor of its liability and obligations under the awarded Contract. 
Certificate Holder Address: St. Johns County, a political subdivision of the State of Florida 
500 San Sebastian View 
St. Augustine, FL 32084 
The Contractor shall maintain during the life of the awarded Contract, Comprehensive General Liability Insurance with minimum limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate, to protect the Contractor from claims for damages for bodily injury, including wrongful death, as well as from claims of property damages which may arise from any operations under this contract, whether such operations be by the Contractor or by anyone directly employed by or contracting with the Contractor. 
The Contractor shall maintain during the life of the awarded contract, Professional Liability or Errors and Omissions Insurance with minimum limits of $1,000,000, if applicable. 
The Contractor shall maintain during the life of the awarded Contract, Comprehensive Automobile Liability Insurance with minimum limits of $300,000 combined single limit for bodily injury and property damage liability to protect the Contractor from claims for damages for bodily injury, including the ownership, use, or maintenance of owned and non-owned automobiles, including rented/hired automobiles whether such operations be by the Contractor or by anyone directly or indirectly employed by a Contractor. 
The Contractor shall maintain during the life of the awarded Contract, adequate Workers’ Compensation Insurance in at least such amounts as are required by the law for all of its employees per Florida Statute 440.02. 
In the event of unusual circumstances, the County Administrator or his designee may adjust these insurance requirements. 
H. Indemnification: 
To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Contractor shall indemnify and hold harmless St. Johns County, Florida, and employees from and against liability, claims, damages, losses and expenses, including attorney’s fees, arising out of or resulting from performance of the Work, provided that such liability, claims, damage, loss or expense is attributable to bodily injury, sickness, disease or death, or injury to or destruction to tangible property (other than the Work itself) including loss of use resulting there from, but only to the extent caused in whole or in part by negligent acts or omissions of the Contractor, a Subcontractor, or anyone directly or indirectly employed by them or anyone for whose acts they may be liable, regardless of whether or not such liability, claim, damage, loss or expense is caused in part by a party indemnified hereunder. 
In claims against any person or entity indemnified under this Paragraph by an employee of the Contractor, a Subcontractor, any one directly or indirectly employed by them or anyone for whose acts they may be liable, the indemnification obligation under this Paragraph shall not be limited by a limitation on amount or type of damages, compensation or benefits payable by or for the Contractor a Subcontractor under workers’ compensation acts, disability benefits acts or other employee benefit acts. 
I. Priority of Use 
The County shall retain priority of use of the area designated for the market, in order to handle emergency situations. The County reserves the right to use the facility, at any time, during the normal, operating hours of the market, without notice. In such circumstances, the county will attempt to find an alternate site/location for the market for the affected dates. 
J. Reserved Rights of the County: 

The County hereby reserves the rights to: 
 Require County-approved security and/or medical personnel to be present at the market, at the expense of the Contractor; 
 Authorize unannounced inspection of the area used for the market, during set-up, operation, and clean-up/break-down hours;   Impose additional requirements in those instances where there are documented health, safety, or welfare concerns;  Offer/sell alcohol before, during, or after the market operating hours, utilizing County facilities; Cancel the market without notice.
PART V: REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS AND EVALUATION 
A. Respondent Responsibilities: 
Respondents are responsible for any and all costs associated with developing and submitting an RFP Package in response to this Request for Proposals. Respondents are also solely responsible for any and all costs associated with interviews and/or presentations requested by the County. It is expressly understood, no Respondent may seek or claim any award and/or re-imbursement from the County for any expenses, costs, and/or fees (including attorneys’ fees) borne by any Respondent, during the entire RFP process. Such expenses, costs, and/or fees (including attorneys’ fees) are the sole responsibility of the Respondent. 
All RFP Packages received in response to this Request for Proposals shall become the property of St. Johns County and will not be returned. In the event of contract award, all documentation produced as part of the contract will become the exclusive property of St. Johns County. 
By submitting an RFP Package, each Respondent certifies that the proposer has fully read and understands any and all instructions in the Request for Proposals, and has full knowledge of the scope, nature, and quality of work to be performed. All RFP Packages submitted shall be binding for one hundred twenty (120) consecutive calendar days following the submittal due date. 
B. Evaluation of Responses: 
All responsive RFP Packages shall be evaluated by an Evaluation Committee of no less than three (3) representatives. Each Evaluation Committee Team Member will receive an electronic copy of all of the responsive RFP Packages submitted, a copy of the RFP Document with all issued Addenda, and an Evaluator’s Score Sheet. The Team shall then evaluate each RFP Package according to the criteria provided herein. Each Evaluation Team Member shall evaluate the RFP Packages individually, with no communication, coordination, or influence from any other individual(s). Scores for each Respondent shall be recorded on the Evaluator’s Score Sheet. A public Evaluation Meeting will be held by the SJC Purchasing Department to record the scores from each Evaluation Committee Team Member, and to rank the responding firms based on the scores provided. 
The County desires to avoid the expense to all parties of unnecessary presentations; however, the County may elect to conduct oral interviews or presentations from one or more of the respondents in order to make a final determination of the top rankings. If the County elects to conduct oral interviews or presentations, selected firms will be notified. 
County Staff may consider any evidence available regarding financial, technical, other qualifications and abilities of a respondent, including past performance (experience) with the County prior to recommending approval of award to the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners. 
The St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, waive minor formalities or award to / negotiate with the firm whose proposal best serves the interest of the County. 
C. Trade Secrets: 
The requesting firm must mark each page of such document or specific portion of a document claimed to be a trade secret must be clearly marked as “trade secret.” All material marked as a trade secret must be separated from all non-trade secret material, such as being submitted in a separate envelope clearly marked as “trade secret.” If the office or department receives a public records request for a document or information that is marked and certified as a trade secret, the office or department shall promptly notify the person that certified the document as a trade secret. 
To invoke the provisions of Florida Statute 812.081, Trade Secrets, or other applicable law, the requesting firm must complete an Affidavit for Trade Secret Confidentiality, signed by an officer of the company, and submit the affidavit with the information classified as “Trade Secret” with other proposal documents. The affidavit must reference the applicable law or laws under which trade secret status is to be granted. 13 

D. Conflict of Interest 
Respondents must certify that they presently have no interest and shall acquire no interest, either directly or indirectly, which would conflict in any manner with the performance of required services as provided herein. Respondents must certify that no person having any interest shall be employed for the performance of any of the required services as provided herein. 
Respondents are required to disclose to the County any and all potential conflicts of interest for any prospective business association, interest or circumstance, the nature of work the Respondent may undertake and request an opinion from the County, whether such association, interest, or circumstance constitutes a conflict of interest. 
E. Public Records: 
In accordance with Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes (Public Records Law) and except as may be provided by other applicable State and Federal Law, all proposers should be aware that Request for Proposals and the responses thereto are in the public domain. However, the proposers are requested to identify specifically any information contained in their proposals which they consider confidential and/or proprietary and which they believe to be exempt from disclosure, citing specifically the applicable exempting law. 
F. Use of County Logo: 
Pursuant to, and consistent with, County Ordinance 92-2 and County Administrative Policy 101.3, the Contractor may not manufacture, use, display, or otherwise use any facsimile or reproduction of the County Seal/Logo without express written approval of the Board of County Commissioners of St. Johns County, Florida. 
G. RFP Package Submittal Instructions: 
The RFP Package format must sufficiently address and demonstrate all required components, and follow the order of sections described below. The aim of the required format is to simplify the preparation and evaluation of the RFP Packages. 
RFP Packages shall be submitted in a sealed envelope or container, and labeled, on the exterior of the package, with the Respondent’s full legal company name and mailing address, as well as “RFP No: 18-51, Management of St. Johns County Pier Park Market”. RFP Packages shall be mailed or hand-delivered to: 
St. Johns County Purchasing Department 
500 San Sebastian View 
St. Augustine, FL 32084 
RFP Packages must be submitted, in the format provided herein, by or before four o’clock (4:00PM) EST on Thursday, May 17, 2018. 
St. Johns County Purchasing will not accept any RFP Packages that are not submitted in the manner described above. Any unsealed, unlabeled, or otherwise incomplete packages may be rejected. Respondents are not permitted to deliver packages to any County Department or County Employee other than the Purchasing Department, as provided herein. Any packages delivered to any County Staff other than the Purchasing Department shall be disqualified. 
Any packages received after the deadline as provided above, shall not be provided to the Evaluation Committee for review, and shall be returned to the sender, unopened. 
H. Evaluation Criteria: 
It is the intention of St. Johns County to evaluate, and rank the respondents that submit RFP Packages from highest to lowest utilizing the evaluation criteria listed below. 
Evaluation of the responses to this RFP will comply with the specific criteria as follows: 
Evaluation Criteria: Maximum Possible Points per Evaluator: 
A. Company Background, Experience 20 
B. Pricing 20 

C. Business Plan / Approach to Services 30 
D. Staff Qualifications & Resources 20 
E. Quality of Submittal 10 
Total Points Possible for Each Evaluator: 100 14 

I. RFP Package Components: 
All of the components outlined below must be included with each copy of the RFP Package and submitted as follows: one (1) hard-copy original and one (1) exact electronic PDF copy on a USB Drive. The hard-copy original RFP Package shall be on 8 1/2” X 11” pages, numbered, with headings typewritten with no smaller than 10 size font and sections and sub-sections identified appropriately. The goal of the provided format is to simplify the proposal preparation and evaluation process, and to ensure that all proposals receive the same orderly review. 
All RFP Packages must include the following components: 
Section Topic 
1 RFP Cover Page 
2 Cover Letter 
3 Company Background & Experience 
4 Pricing 
5 Business Plan / Approach to Services 
6 Staff Qualifications & Resources 
7 Administrative Information 
In order to insure a uniform review process and to obtain the maximum degree of comparability, it is recommended that proposals be organized in the manner specified as follows: 
Section 1: RFP Cover Page (Complete and Submit) 
Section 2: Cover Letter 
Provide a one or two page cover letter. Include the original signed cover letter with the original proposal and a copy of the cover letter with each copy of the proposal. No electronic signature will be accepted. 
The cover letter should include the following: 
 The Respondent Company type (sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, joint venture, etc.), Company name and business address – must include location address of office that will administer this Contract 
 All contact information, including name, title, phone number, fax number, e-mail address, and street address of any contact person(s) in Respondent’s organization who will respond to questions regarding the submitted RFP Package 
 Highlights of the Respondent’s qualifications and ability to perform the specified services 

Section 3: Company Background & Experience 
Provide the following information about your firm: 
 Brief history of your firm describing experience in providing services and length of time firm has been providing these services; 
 Provide a history of your firm’s experience in providing comparable services in a comparable-sized facility; 
 List how many facilities your firm currently provides services. Please identify the facility and define if these services are provided on an exclusive or non-exclusive basis; 
 Describe your firm’s experience relevant to the Scope of Services requested by this RFP. List and describe relevant contracts of similar size and scope performed over the past five years; 
 Respondents may provide supplemental documentation or information regarding services provided in the past. 

Section 4: Pricing 
In this section, respondent shall provide proposed pricing for the Vendor Fees to be collected by the Contractor, and the Rental/Use Fees to be paid to the County, in accordance with the requirements previously provided herein. 
This section shall be evaluated based on the formula below to determine the best pricing proposal. The respondent submitting the lowest proposed Vendor Fees with the highest proposed percentage to be paid to the County will receive the highest points in this section. The points available for this section shall be as follows: ten (10) points for Vendor Fees, and ten (10) points for Rental/Use Fees, for a total of twenty (20) points possible. 
The lowest proposed Vendor Fees to be charged to market vendors shall receive the maximum score for this section. All other submitted proposals shall receive a score based on the percentage differential between the lowest proposed Vendor Fees and the highest proposed Vendor Fees. Example below: 15 

Contractor 
Vendor Fee 
Percentage 
By 
Weight 
Equals 
Weighted Score 
$30.00 
100.0% 
10 
10 
$35.00 
85.7%* 
10 
8.6 
$40.00 
75.0%** 
10 
7.5 

1 comment:

Warren Celli said...

Privatization Scam!

Hide your wallet.

This needs a RESIDENT citizen oversight selection committee with teeth, not fox owned and controlled SJC purchasing dept!