(Press Release) On Wednesday December 14, 2016, Senator Tom Ada introduced Bill 411-33 (CoR) to remove a limiting factor in the procurement process for the renovation - construction of Simon Sanchez High School. “The law (P.L. 32-120) mandates the use of a specific source selection method, i.e. Request For Proposals (RFP), for the construction of a new high school. Although the RFP method may have been okay for the initial solicitation attempt, the existing law constrains DPW and GDOE from using other source selection methods that may be more suitable,” said Senator Ada.
DPW recently revealed that, aside from some changes in administrative procedures, the re-bid of the SSHS construction/lease-back contract will be done no differently, i.e. it will use the RFP solicitation method, because that’s what the law mandates. Senator Ada said, “The law needs to be amended to allow for alternative source selection methods which in the next round may be more appropriate. To do the same thing again, hoping for different results would be insanity.” Instead, use of the Multi-Step Competitive Sealed Bid source selection method in the next round of bidding may be a more practical way to proceed.
What criteria a bidder must meet to pass the “responsibility” procurement test is already completed. And, after having recently built two new high schools (JFK and Ukudu), and the information gained from the recent solicitation, one can reasonably expect that GDOE by now knows very well what the new SSHS education facility must have. It is the latter that prospective bidders must respond to for the “responsive” assessment.
Prospective offerors that are evaluated to be responsible and have submitted proposals determined to be responsible will then be invited to submit a sealed price bid that would represent an annual lease-back amount for the use of the new education facility. “The responsible and responsive bidder offering the lowest annual lease during the 30-year leaseback period would be awarded the contract,” said Senator Ada.
“I have scheduled a public hearing for Friday, December 23 at 9:00am for Bill 411-33 (CoR)and hope to get it placed on the agenda for the next legislative session December 27th.”