Downtown street light globes

The City of Fort Myers issued a Sole Source Notice on December 20, 2024, for the procurement of twenty historic downtown streetlight globes, model RK7GVD3 GL3 CL, exclusively manufactured and supplied by Holophane, an Acuity Brands Company. This procurement is conducted under the authority of Florida State Statute 287.057(3)(c), which permits sole source acquisition when a unique product is required and only one supplier is available. The globes have been approved by the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) to maintain the historical integrity of the city’s downtown area. The City intends to negotiate and award the contract directly to Holophane without a formal solicitation or bidding process, though it provides a 15-day public notice period ending January 3, 2025, during which other suppliers may submit product information or qualifications for consideration. However, these submissions are neither proposals nor bids but are solely used to evaluate if competitive procurement is warranted. The quoted price from Holophane is $275 per unit, totaling $5,500 for the twenty globes. The manufacturing lead time is approximately 4 to 5 weeks, followed by 5 to 10 business days for freight delivery, with shipment terms specified as FOB shipping point. Freight is free for orders exceeding $3,000 within the continental U.S. This procurement includes strict restrictions such as no cancellations or returns on the ordered products and no substitutions unless approved by the HPC. Delivery is to the City of Fort Myers’ Public Works Department, and inspection will occur upon shipment from the manufacturer with acceptance at the delivery site. The City's Purchasing Agent, Rose Theriot, serves as the primary point of contact for this acquisition, with all communications required by email. This process does not involve federal acquisition regulations or standard government contract clauses, reflecting its status as a local statutory sole source procurement for a historically significant product.