M E M O R A N D U M
To: Honorable Mayor and Town Council
From: Rafael G. Casals, Town Manager
Date: April 19, 2017
Re: Issuance of Request for Proposal (RFP #17-05) for: HVAC Equipment and Controls Replacement
REQUEST
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A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF CUTLER BAY, FLORIDA, AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) FOR HVAC EQUIPMENT AND CONTROLS REPLACEMENT AND MAINTENANCE SERVICES; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
The Town purchased the South Dade 2 Building (Town Center Building), located at 10720 Caribbean Boulevard Cutler Bay, Florida. As the Owner of the building, the Town is scheduled to perform various tenant improvements.
On July 2, 2014, Town staff completed an inspection of the Town Center Building air conditioning equipment and received a letter from Town contractor AA Advanced Air, Inc. (Attachment “A”) stating that the facility’s units are in “poor” condition and require replacement. Town staff is proposing the replacement of the facility’s existing air conditioning system with Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) equipment and controls and maintenance services.
On January 20, 2016, the Town approved Resolution No. 16-09 selecting TLC Engineering for Architecture, Inc. for design services. TLC Engineering for Architecture, Inc. has provided a design for the construction of the new HVAC.
The proposed replacement of the existing air handling system with new water cooled HVAC equipment and controls have several advantages including, but not limited to:
Ø Town demonstration of environmental stewardship while increasing energy efficiency and reduced climate impact;
Ø Improvement to the comfortability within the building for visitors, tenants and staff. The HVAC units can be situated away from the building, lowering noise and other mechanical disruptions;
Ø HVAC chiller water lines exhibit a smaller footprint than conventional air conditioning ducts;
Ø Lowers HVAC size and rating through integrated design. New chillers with larger capacities have smaller footprints and do not require building modifications unless additional capacity is required. Chiller lines are easier to route, maintain and utilize less space than conventional air conditioning ducts;
Ø Improves facility’s overall operational efficiency; The cooling demands of different units throughout a building can be addressed independently and based on demand. Multiple units can be used to increase capacity and as an emergency backup; and
Ø Reduces building operational costs; New energy efficient chillers can operate at an efficiency of 0.4kW/Ton. (Normal HVAC systems average 1.6kW/Ton). Florida Power & Light claims high efficiency chillers can easily save half the initial investment in operational costs in as little as one (1) year.
In order to comply with our procurement process, staff has developed a Request for Proposals in which one qualified and licensed contractor will be selected for construction services. The contractor will be selected based on:
Ø Scope of Services / Plan;
Ø Proposer Qualifications;
Ø References (Relevant experience); and
Ø Cost
Chapter 24, Article II of the Town Code requires the Town Manager to obtain authorization from the Town Council in order to advertise solicitations for bids and proposals, prior to advertising the public notice.
RECOMMENDATION
We recommend that the attached Resolution be adopted, authorizing the Town Manager to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP #17-05) for HVAC Equipment and Controls Replacement and Maintenance Services.
ATTACHMENTS
Ø Attachment “A” - Existing HVAC Contractor’s Letter