Electric System Inventory

The City of Bartow, Florida, is soliciting proposals under RFP 26-14 for a comprehensive electric system inventory project covering its municipal electric utility service area, which includes over 13,600 retail electric accounts across 115 square miles. The project requires a qualified contractor to perform a detailed field inventory of all electric system assets, including poles, transformers, meters, pad-mounted equipment, and various distribution facilities, with the goal of capturing high-accuracy GPS locations (sub-foot accuracy of 0.3 meters or better), detailed phasing data, and extensive attribute information as outlined in the RFP's Attachment A. The work will be conducted using GIS tools and involves strict quality standards, mandating 98% accuracy for both geographic features and attribute completeness, with corrective measures mandated if error thresholds exceed 2%. Deliverables include geospatial data products such as ESRI shapefiles and file geodatabases, as well as procedure manuals, QA/QC documentation, progress reports, and two years of backup data storage. The contractor must propose efficient methods to minimize project duration, cost, and database downtime, with data collection to be performed within Bartow’s designated utility service area and no energized equipment entry permitted. Contract administration details specify monthly invoicing based on accepted work, with a 10% retainage withheld pending final project acceptance. The City of Bartow retains strong oversight authority, including rights to approve personnel, enforce background and E-Verify requirements, and terminate for default or convenience following established procedures. Evaluation of proposals follows a trade-off approach emphasizing overall value rather than price alone, with critical factors including experience, organization resources, and compliance with mandatory certifications and affidavits addressing debarment, lobbying, non-collusive bidding, and scrutinized company lists. The contract includes important conditions against assignment or subcontracting without written consent, requires compliance with public records laws, and enforces a cone of silence during solicitation. No standard FAR clauses are incorporated; instead, city-specific contract clauses govern warranty, termination, indemnity, and protest procedures. Although pricing details are not provided in the solicitation, the contract suggests a fixed-price or unit-price structure. The project timeline features a pilot phase submission within 90 days of contract execution and incremental deliveries thereafter, with liquidated damages applicable for delays. Overall, the contract is designed to ensure precise, verifiable utility asset data collection and system improvements in alignment with Bartow’s operational and regulatory requirements.