At the regular Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting held on Aug 24, 2021, the board voted to approve the contract with Water & Air Research of Gainesville to perform site evaluations, design, permit and perform baseline monitoring of the county’s Artificial Reef Program.
The term of the contract is for 48 months and funding is available for the total amount of $593,815.19. A specific fund for Artificial Reef, Professional Services will cover $316,700.00, and the remainder will be advanced from the General Fund until awarded funds become available.
The award of the contract to Water & Air Research was the result of their ranking in response to a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) that opened on October 30, 2020. Two proposals were received on the same day, the other from EXP U.S. Services, Inc. of Tampa.
The county’s Professional Services Review Committee (PSRC) comprised of Scott Herring, P.E., Public Works Director; Keith Kolasa, Aquatic Services and Waterways Manager; Frank Santo, Chairman, Hernando County Port Authority; and Michael Singer, Conservation Lands Specialist, met on November 20, 2020, to review and rank the two proposals, scoring Water & Air Research at 88.75 and EXP U.S. Services at 78.00.
