Responses due by May 24
On May 16, Sarasota County staff advertised a request for quotes for a “Temporary Shaded Bus Shelter” at Siesta Public Beach, The Sarasota News Leader has learned.
The deadline for any questions is 3 p.m. on May 20, while the bid itself will close at 3 p.m. on May 24.
The county documents advise interested persons not to submit a quote higher than $25,000. However, they add, if an offer will exceed that amount, an individual is asked to select the “Place ‘No Bid’” option “and provide a reason for not submitting an offer.”
The bid documents also point out, “[A] contingency up to 10% may be allowed,” in the event that, during construction or any repair work, “an unforeseen circumstance occurs that triggers an additional expense.” Nonetheless, they add, use of any contingency funds “is subject to the written approval of the County Project Manager, and any unused contingency shall not be paid out as part of any final payment.”
For years, county staff has considered how best to incorporate a permanent bus shelter in the park design. Most recently, at the News Leader’s request for an update, Jane Grogg, director of Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT), reported that her staff had been collaborating with individuals in multiple other departments to move forward with such an initiative. She added that staff had been working with the architect of the park improvements, which were completed in early 2016.
The Siesta Key Breeze open-air trolley routinely picks up and drops off passengers at the beach park. Commissioner Christian Ziegler asked county staff several years ago to provide shade for those waiting for it. He and his young daughters had suffered in the sun as they kept their eyes peeled for the trolley for about 20 minutes, as he described the situation.
The bid overview says county staff wants a 10-foot by 20-foot “shaded structure at the main entrance to Siesta Beach on Siesta Key.”
The shade portion of the shelter must be a quick-release model “with a minimum of 8 foot clearance,” the notice says. Formally, the bid specifications explain, “The Contractor shall purchase and install” two shaded structures that are 15 feet long by 10 feet wide “that utilize anchored posts with high density polyethylene fabric shade material.”
Those shades must be able to withstand winds of 105 mph “with the covers attached” and 170-mph winds “with the covers removed.”
The contractor also will have to provide a one-year unconditional warranty for all parts and labor, plus a 10-year warranty on the fabric shade “against deterioration, rot, or faulty workmanship, powder coat paint minimum of 6 [millimeters] thickness, post material and stainless-steel fasteners and cabling.”
The shelter materials would have to be delivered to the park no later than 30 days following the contractor’s receipt of a county purchase order, the documents note.
Additionally, the contractor will be required to “provide a qualified service technician to provide training and recommended routine maintenance to County staff, upon completion of the project.”
The structure would have to be installed between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., which are the county staff’s normal business hours at the park, the bid says.
A site visit is mandatory, the bid specifications point out. That session will be conducted at 1 p.m. on May 19 at 948 Beach Road on Siesta Key, the address of the park, the documents add.
The notice does point out that, “[i]n the event that no responsible or responsive quotes are received under the quote threshold, the County may elect to cancel this Quick Quote and re-solicit using another procurement method.”
About time too! Thank you for reporting on this.