Alachua County Jail Needs Assessment and Capital Efficiency Analysis

The County’s current jail configuration is the result of a major renovation and expansion effort initiated in the early 1990s. Rather than constructing an entirely new facility at that time, the County pursued a renovation and multi building expansion approach that opened in 1994 and was designed to meet projected needs through approximately 1995 and beyond. Since that time, the facility has undergone additional modifications and expansions, including bed additions and re-configurations to address recurring overcrowding, classification needs, operational demands, and evolving correctional standards. While these incremental investments have increased rated capacity and extended the functional life of the complex, the jail today reflects a layered development pattern spanning more than three decades of additions, retrofits, and system upgrades.

As the facility approaches over 30 years since its most significant modernization, key building systems, housing configurations, infrastructure components, and operational layouts require objective evaluation. The County seeks a comprehensive Jail Needs Assessment and Capital Efficiency Analysis focused specifically on determining whether continued reinvestment in the existing complex, phased renovation and expansion, or full replacement through construction of a new jail facility represents the most fiscally responsible and operationally sustainable path forward. The study must include detailed review of structural components; mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, and security systems; life safety and code compliance; deferred maintenance; remaining useful life; and long term capital reinvestment requirements. Comparative capital and lifecycle cost modeling shall be developed alongside projected bed needs, operational impacts, and risk considerations so County leadership can make a clear, defensible renovation versus replacement decision.

Background

Location: Alachua County is located in North Central Florida. The County government seat is situated in Gainesville. Gainesville is located 70 miles southwest of Jacksonville, 129 miles southeast of Tallahassee, 140 miles northeast of Tampa - St. Petersburg and 109 miles northwest of Orlando. Alachua County has a population of over 250,000 and a regional airport. The County itself consists of a total area of 969 square miles.

Form of Government: Alachua County is governed by a Board of five (5) elected County Commissioners and operates under the established County Manager Charter form of government. In addition to the five County Commissioners, there are five elected Constitutional Officers: Supervisor of Elections, Sheriff, Clerk of the Court, Tax Collector, and the Property Appraiser. The Alachua County Attorney also reports to the Board.

Project Details

• Reference ID: RFP 26-589-MB
• Department: Facilities Management
• Department Head: Tommy Crosby (Acting Director)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-05-17T04:00:00.000Z

Evaluation Criteria

• Ability and Competency of the Proposer (50 pts) —
  1. Did the Proposer provide a brief statement of background, organization, and size?
  2. Does the Proposer have experience with past work of similar scope and budget?
  3. Has the Proposer recently done this type of work for a state, or local government in the past?
  4. Does the Proposer’s workload and ability satisfy County requirements for this project?
  5. Is any of this work to be subcontracted? If so, what are the abilities of the firm(s) to be subcontracted?

  Based on questions above, award points as follows:

  1. 50 - 40 points - Exceptional Experience
  2. 39 - 20 points - Average Experience
  3. 19 - 0 points - Minimal Experience
• Project Manager and Project Team's Competency and Qualifications (30 pts) —
  1. Was a project team identified?
  2. Do the Project Manager, Project Team and Key Staff have experience with projects comparable in size and scope?
  3. Do the Project Manager, Project Team and Key Staff have experience with state or local government?
  4. Does the Project Manager have a stable job history?
  5. Is the team makeup appropriate for the project?
  6. Are there factors, such as unique abilities, which would make a noticeable (positive) impact on the project?
  7. Was a point of contact identified?
  8. Was there an alternate to the point of contact identified?
  9. Are the subcontractors, if any, identified?
  10. Does the subcontractor have experience with projects comparable in size and scope?

  Based on questions above, award points as follows:

  1. 30 - 20 points - Exceptional Experience
  2. 19 - 10 points - Average Experience
  3. 9 - 0 points - Minimal Experience
• Project Understanding and Approach (50 pts) —
  1. Did the proposal indicate a thorough understanding of the project, the scope, and objectives through a concise narrative?
  2. Did the Proposer describe the approach to the provision of services as required and the specific work plan to be employed to implement it?
  3. Is the appropriate emphasis placed on the various work tasks?
  4. Did the firm develop a workable approach to the project?
  5. Does the proposal specifically address the County's needs or is it "generic" in content?
  6. Does the proposal indicate how this project fits into the total workload of the Proposer during the project period?

  Based on questions above, award points as follows:

  1. 50 - 40 points - Exceptional Experience
  2. 39 - 20 points - Average Experience
  3. 19 - 0 points - Minimal Experience
• Ability to Meet Project Schedule and Budget Requirements (35 pts) —
  1. Did Proposer provide a draft project schedule that includes: milestones, individual tasks and major deliverable deadlines?
  2. Is the draft project schedule reasonable based on quantity of personnel assigned to the project?
  3. Did the Proposer provide the Project Manager, Project Team, and Key Staff’s percentage of involvement, tasks and/or hours assigned?
  4. Are the hours assigned to the various team members for each task appropriate?
  5. Is the pricing provided reasonable for the project’s tasks?
  6. Is the pricing in line with the County’s budget?
  7. Does the information contained in the proposal indicate that the firm will, or will not, meet time and budget requirement?

  Based on questions above, award points as follows:

  1. 35 - 25 points - Exceptional Experience
  2. 24 - 15 points - Average Experience
  3. 14 - 0 points - Minimal Experience
• Proposal Organization (10 pts) —
  1. Was proposal organization per the RFP? Did Proposer include a letter of interest?
  2. Was all required paperwork submitted and completed appropriately?
  3. Did the proposal contain an excessive amount of generic boilerplate, resumes, pages per resume, photographs, etc.?

  Based on questions above, award points as follows:

  1. 10 - 8 points - Exceptional Experience
  2. 7 - 5 points - Average Experience
  3. 4 - 0 points - Minimal Experience
• Volume of Previous Work (VOW) awarded by the County (5 pts) —

  Points Provided by Procurement.

• Location (10 pts) —

  Points Provided by Procurement.

• Small Business Enterprise Participation (SBE) (10 pts) —

  Points Provided by Procurement.

• Understanding of Project (50 pts) —
  1. Did the presentation indicate a thorough understanding of the project? Is the appropriate emphasis placed on the various work tasks?
  2. Was the presentation more specific to the County's project or a "generic" presentation?
  3. Did the firm develop a workable approach to the project?
• Responsiveness to Questions (40 pts) —
  1. Were questions answered directly or evasively?
  2. Were answers to questions clear and concise or scrambled and verbose?
• Project Team (50 pts) —
  1. Did the project team participate?
  2. Was project team plan of action presented and how specifically did it address the project?
  3. Was there participation from any subcontracted firms? What was the impact of their participation?
• Project Manager (50 pts) —
  1. Does the project manager have experience with responsibility for projects of comparable size and scope? Did he/she have a good understanding of this project?
  2. Did the project manager participate in the presentation? How effectively did he/she communicate ideas and respond to questions?
• Other (10 pts) —
  1. Award additional points for unique experience or abilities; organization of approach; understanding of "why it is to be done", as well as, "what is to be done," etc. Do not award points for excessive boilerplate, excessive participation by "business development", and use of "professional" presenters.
  2. The Other Factors to be considered, but not limited to, are those items, such as Small Business Enterprise status, past performance, and previous amount of work for Alachua County. Fee proposals, when requested and deemed appropriate, are also to be considered in the evaluation process, where the request for such fees is in accordance with the County's Procurement Code.

Submission Requirements

• Corporate Resolution (required) —

  The response must be submitted by an officer of the business who is legally authorized to enter into a contractual relationship in the name of the Proposer. An authorized representative who is not an officer may submit the bid on behalf of the Proposer.  

  Proposer may use the County's template provided or an approved corporate resolution form from their agency.

  Complete the Corporate Resolution form and upload.

• Mandatory Pre-Bid Attendance (required) —

  Confirm that you attend the Mandatory Pre-Bid meeting, and that you signed the Sign-in Sheet matching your submitting vendor name?

• State Compliance (required) —

  All corporations, LLCs, limited and general partnerships, LLPs and LLLPs wishing to do business within the County must register and be active with the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations at the following web site: http://www.sunbiz.org/

  Failure to register and be active with the Florida Department of State may result in the bid being determined as non-responsive.

  Upload your registered documents below.

• Taxpayer Identification Form (required) —

  Upload your W-9 form.

• Public Record Trade Secret or Proprietary Confidential Business Information Exemption Request (required) —

  As a proposer, any document you submit to Alachua County may be a public record and be open for personal inspection or copying by any person. In Florida ‘public records” are defined as all documents, papers, letters, maps, books, tapes, photographs, films, sound recordings, data processing software, or other material, regardless of the physical form, characteristics, or means of transmission, made or received pursuant to law or ordinance or in connection with the transaction of official business by any agency. Section 119.011, F.S. A document is subject to personal inspection and copying unless it falls under one of the public records exemptions created under Florida law.

  Answer NO if:

  NO PART OF YOUR SUBMISSION IS EXEMPTION FROM FLORIDA PUBLIC RECORDS LAW

  No part of the proposal submitted is exempt from disclosure under the Florida public records law, Ch. 119, F.S.

  Answer Yes if:

  ALL OR PART OF YOUR SUBMISSION IS CLAIMED BY YOU TO BE EXEMPT FROM FLORIDA PUBLIC RECORDS LAW AND YOU AGREEMENT TO INDEMNIFY AND DEFEND ALACHUA COUNTY

  The following parts of the proposal submitted are exempt from disclosure under the Florida public records law because: (list exempt parts and legal justification - e.g., trade secret): ___________________________

  By claiming that all or part of the proposal is exempt from the Florida public records law, the undersigned proposer agrees to protect, defend, indemnify and hold the County, its officers, employees and agents free and harmless from and against any and all claims arising out of a request to inspector copy the proposal. The undersigned proposer agrees to investigate, handle, respond to, provide defense (including payment of attorney fees, court costs, and expert witness fees and expenses up to and including any appeal) for and defend any such claim at its sole cost and expense through counsel chosen by the County and agrees to bear all other costs and expenses related thereto, even if they (claims, etc.) are groundless, false, or fraudulent.

• Public Record Trade Secret or Proprietary Confidential Business Information Exemption Request (required) —

  I CLAIM THAT THAT THE FOLLOWING PARTS OF MY PROPOSAL ARE EXEMPT FROM FLORIDA PUBLIC RECORDS LAW AND AGREE TO INDEMNIFY AND DEFEND ALACHUA COUNTY

  The following parts of the proposal submitted are exempt from disclosure under the Florida public records law because: (list exempt parts and legal justification - e.g., trade secret): ___________________________

  Please designate what portion of your proposal, if any, qualifies to be exempt from inspection and copying.

  By claiming that all or part of the proposal is exempt from the public records law, the undersigned proposer agrees to protect, defend, indemnify and hold the County, its officers, employees and agents free and harmless from and against any and all claims arising out of a request to inspector copy the proposal. The undersigned proposer agrees to investigate, handle, respond to, provide defense (including payment of attorney fees, court costs, and expert witness fees and expenses up to and including any appeal) for and defend any such claim at its sole cost and expense through counsel chosen by the County and agrees to bear all other costs and expenses related thereto, even if they (claims, etc.) are groundless, false, or fraudulent.

• Public Record Trade Secret or Proprietary Confidential Business Information Exemption Request (required) —

  Upload your complete submittal with non-redacted information in a single pdf file.

• Option 1: The Proposer is Alachua County Certified Small Business Enterprise (required) —

  If you select "Yes", answer No on SBE Options 2, 3, and mark N/A on SBE Option 4.

  If you select "No" move to SBE Option 2.

• Alachua County Small Business Enterprise Certificate (required) —

  Upload your Alachua County SBE Certificate.

• Option 2: Proposer commits to meet or exceed 30% SBE participation in subcontracted work (required) —

  If you select "Yes", answer No on SBE Options 1, 3, 4 and mark as N/A on SBE Option 5.

  If you select "No" move to SBE Option 3.

• Alachua County Small Business Enterprise Certificate (required) —

  Upload your Sub-Contractor(s) Alachua County SBE Certificate.  If you are using more than one, combine and upload as a single pdf. file.

• Option 3: Proposer will perform ALL work no subcontractors will be utilized for this proposal (required) —

  If you select "Yes", answer "No" on SBE Options 1, 2, and mark as N/A on SBE Option 4.

  If you select "No" move to SBE Option 4.

• Option 4: SBE Good Faith Effort (required) —

  If you selected "NO" on SBE Options 1, 2, and 3 complete SBE Option 4.

  Proposer will not receive points if all work is to be performed by the Consultant and subcontractors are Non-Small Business Enterprise vendors. The consultant should complete Option 5 to demonstrate a good faith effort to utilize SBE subcontractors.

  • If options 1, 2, or 3 were not chosen, the Consultant should complete Option 5 substantiating compliance with good faith effort requirements.

  In accordance with the Alachua County Procurement Code, I have solicited and received responses from the following Alachua County certified SBE companies. (The SBE vendor’s response should be entered in the section below.)

  Name of SBE Vendor Contacted: _________________

  Date SBE was Contacted: _______________________

  SBE Contact Name:____________________________

  Phone #:_____________________________________

  SBE Response when contacted: __________________

   

• Alachua County Government Minimum Wage (required) —

  Select which option that apply:

• Alachua County Location Preference (required) —

  Do you meet the Alachua County Location Preference, found in Instruction to Proposers?

• Local Address (required) —

  Provide your local address in Alachua County.

• Drug Free Workplace (required) —

  In accordance with §287.087, Florida Statutes

  Do you certify that you meet the following:

  1. Publish a statement notifying employees that the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession or use of a controlled substance is prohibited in the workplace and specifying the actions that will be taken against employees for violations of such prohibition.

  2. Inform employees about the dangers of drug abuse in the workplace, the business's policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace, any available drug counseling, rehabilitation, and employee assistance programs, and the penalties that may be imposed upon employees for drug abuse violations.

  3. Give each employee engaged in providing the commodities or contractual services that are under proposal a copy of the statement specified in subsection (1).

  4. In the statement specified in subsection (1), notify the employees that, as a condition of working on the commodities or contractual services that are under this proposal, the employee will abide by the terms of the statement and will notify the employer of any conviction of, or plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, any violation of Chapter 1893 or of any controlled substance law of the United States or any state, for a violation occurring in the workplace no later than five (5) days after such conviction.

  5. Impose a sanction on, or require the satisfactory participation in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program if such is available in the employee's community, by any employee who is so convicted.

  6. Make a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of this section.

  As the person authorized to sign the statement, I certify that this firm complies fully with the above requirements.

• Vendor Eligibility (required) —

  Confirm that the submitting proposer has not been placed on any of the list's below:

  Convicted Vendor List

  Suspended Vendor List

  Discriminatory Vendor List

  Scrutinized List of Prohibited Companies

  Federal Excluded Parties List

• NON-SBE Subcontractors (required) —

  List all subcontractor's being utilized on this RFP, (NON-SBE) If no sub contractor are being utilized respond N/A

  Name of Sub-Contractor: ______________________

  Address:_______________________________

  Scope of Work to be Performed: ____________

   

• Responsible Agent Designation (required) —

  The Consultant shall designate a responsible agent and alternate as necessary, for all dealings, communications, or notices or contracts between the County and the Consultant by completing and returning this Responsible Agent Form. Any notice or communication to or from the responsible agent shall be deemed to be a communication to the Consultant.

  RESPONSIBLE AGENT:

  1. Include name, email, phone number

  ALTERNATE RESPONSIBLE AGENT:

  2. Include name, email, phone number

• Conflict of Interest (required) —

  The proposer certifies that to the best of its/his/her knowledge or belief, no elected/appointed official or employee of the County is financially interested, directly or indirectly, in the purchase of the goods or services specified on this proposal. (Select yes, if there is no conflict of interest)

• Request for Proposal Submittal Documentation (required) —

  Upload your Request for Proposal documentation, in PDF format, with all required information and applicable documents in this section for review.

  If you claimed exemption from Public Records, upload your redacted proposal here.

• Acknowledgement of Requirements (required) —

  Did you review and complete all the required documents, attachments, addenda and questions and answers?

• What type of project will this be? (required)
• Software Requirements (required) —

  Does this project involve any software requirements, whether it's cloud-based or local?

• Advertisement for RFP (required) —

  Does the RFP need to be publicly advertised in the Local Newspaper?

• Is a Pre-Bid Meeting required? (required)
• Enter the address of the Pre-Bid Meeting (required)
• Mandatory or Non-Mandatory (required)
• Do you require a Electronic Pricing Table? (required)
• Insurance Requirements (required) —

  Which Insurance will you need for this RFP?

• Do you require a Performance Bond? (required)
• Bonding Requirements (required) —

  Do you require Bid Bonds for this Solicitation?

  Required for Projects over $100K and P & P bonds are required for Projects over $200K.

• Will you require term language? (required)
• Initial Term Start Year (required)
• Initial Term End Year (required)
• Number of Renewal Periods (required) —

  Example: two (2)

• Renewal Year Length (required) —

  Example: two (2)

• Evaluation Critera (required) —

  Please choose the following:

  Option 1: Covers Annual / One Time Project (Includes Local Preferences)

  Option 2: Covers A&E CCNA and No Local/SBE/GMW (Excludes Local Preferences )

  Option 3: No Technical Scoring required

• Contract Type (required) —

  What type of Contract will this solicitation result in?

• Reuse of Existing Plans (required) —

  Do you need to include reuse of existing plans?

• Oral Presentations (required) —

  Does this solicitation require an oral presentation?