TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: A. Jerome Fletcher II, ICMA-CM, MPA, City Manager
TITLE: Approve the Award of Request for Bid 2026-17 for Water and Wastewater Treatment Chemicals for a Five (5) Year Term with Brenntag Mid-South, LLC., Chemtrade Chemicals US LLC, CedarChem LLC, Chemrite Incorporated, Allied Universal Corp., Hawkins Inc., Polydyne, Inc., Airgas, Amaya Solutions, Inc. dba American Water Chemicals, for the Purchase and Delivery of Chemicals, First Year Amount of $1,744,500 Subject to Contractual Escalators for the Remaining Terms.
Recommended Action
Option 1: Approve the award of Request for Bid 2026-17 for Water and Wastewater Treatment Chemicals for a five (5) year term with Brenntag Mid-South, LLC., Chemtrade Chemicals US LLC, CedarChem LLC, Chemrite Incorporated, Allied Universal Corp., Hawkins Inc., Polydyne, Inc., Airgas, and Amaya Solutions, Inc. dba American Water Chemicals, for the purchase and delivery of chemicals, first year amount of $1,744,500 subject to contractual escalators for the remaining terms.
City Commission Options
Option 1: Approve the award of Request for Bid 2026-17 for Water and Wastewater Treatment Chemicals for a five (5) year term with Brenntag Mid-South, LLC., Chemtrade Chemicals US LLC, CedarChem LLC, Chemrite Incorporated, Allied Universal Corp., Hawkins Inc., Polydyne, Inc., Airgas, and Amaya Solutions, Inc. dba American Water Chemicals, for the purchase and delivery of chemicals, first year amount of $1,744,500 subject to contractual escalators for the remaining terms.
• Pros: Contracts will be awarded to lowest responsive and responsible bidders that met the regulatory qualifications of the chemicals provided.
• Cons: Requires an annual expenditure of approximately $1.74 million to ensure a reliable supply of treatment chemical necessary for regulatory compliance and uninterrupted water and wastewater treatment.
Option 2: Deny the award of Request for Bid 2026-17 for Water and Wastewater Treatment Chemicals for a five (5) year term with Brenntag Mid-South, LLC., Chemtrade Chemicals US LLC, CedarChem LLC, Chemrite Incorporated, Allied Universal Corp., Hawkins Inc., Polydyne, Inc., Airgas, and Amaya Solutions, Inc. dba American Water Chemicals, for the purchase and delivery of chemicals, first year amount of $1,744,500 subject to contractual escalators for the remaining terms.
• Pros: Staff have not identified any foreseeable benefits associated with denying this award.
• Cons: Denying the contract could result in the disruption of essential water and wastewater treatment chemicals and may impact regulatory compliance and the continuous operation of the City's water and wastewater treatment.
Background Information
Both the City’s water and wastewater treatment facilities require the use of various treatment chemicals to maintain effective and reliable treatment processes and to ensure compliance with applicable regulatory requirements. These chemicals are an essential component of daily utility operations and are used in the treatment of potable water and wastewater throughout the City.
Request for Bid 2026-17 provides for the purchase and delivery of water and wastewater treatment chemicals on an as needed, or required, basis. The contract is intended to ensure that the North Port Utilities Department has a reliable supply of the chemicals necessary to support the continuous operation of the City’s water and wastewater treatment systems.
The chemicals purchased under this contract will be utilized primarily by the North Port Utilities Department and delivered directly to various City-owned treatment facilities and other designated job site locations. Purchases will be made based on operational requirements, inventory levels, treatment needs, and anticipated demand, allowing the City to obtain materials when needed rather than maintaining unnecessarily large inventories. The as-needed purchasing structure also provides the Utilities Department with flexibility to respond to changing treatment requirements and facility needs throughout the contract term.
Any water or wastewater system that the City of North Port Utilities constructs or acquires through contract operations or direct purchase shall receive the same price structure. The City will reserve the right to increase or decrease the delivery of chemicals and may include future add-on locations at its discretion.
The timeline below outlines the procurement details for this solicitation.
Ø May 21, 2026, Request for Bid (RFB) 2026-17 was advertised with responses due on June 11, 2026.
Ø June 11, 2026, RFB No. 2026-17 was opened with a total of thirteen (13) responses received.
After reviewing the bids received, staff recommend a multi-vendor award to the following lowest responsive, responsible bidders that meet specifications:
1. Airgas USA, LLC.
2. Allied Universal Corporation
3. Amaya Solutions, Inc. DBA American Water Chemicals
4. Brenntag Mid-South, LLC.
5. CedarChem LLC.
6. Chemtrade Chemicals U.S, LLC.
7. Chemrite Inc.
8. Hawkins, Inc.
9. Polydyne, Inc.
The initial term of the contract shall be five (5) years, commencing on October 1, 2026, and ending on September 30, 2031, for Carbon Dioxide and Sodium Hypochlorite. The remaining chemical contracts will commence on January 1, 2027, through September 30, 2031. This will allow the City to consolidate its chemical contracts for administrative efficiency. The contract may be renewed for up to two (2) additional one-year terms, subject to satisfactory performance and the mutual written agreement of both parties.
RFB 2026-17 has been reviewed by the City Attorney and is legally correct as to form.
Strategic Plan Pillar
Infrastructure & Facilities Integrity
Financial Impact
Funding in the amount of $1,284,100 has been budgeted in account 420-6061-533.52-05 and $460,400 has been budgeted in account 420-6062-535.52-05. Future fiscal years to be contingent upon approval of the budget.
Procurement
This service was procured pursuant to Chapter 2 - Administration, Article VIII - Procurement, Section 2-404, Competitive Sealed Bid Process of the Code of the City of North Port, Florida.
Attachments:
1. Notice of Intent to Award
2. Award Recommendation Memo
3. Bid Submittal by Airgas USA, LLC.
4. Bid Submittal by Allied Universal Corporation
5. Bid Submittal by Amaya Solutions, Inc. DBA American Water Chemicals
6. Bid Submittal by Brenntag-Mid South, LLC.
7. Bid Submittal by CedarChem LLC.
8. Bid Submittal by Chemtrade Chemicals U.S., LLC.
9. Bid Submittal by Chemrite Inc.
10. Bid Submittal by Hawkins, Inc.
11. Bid Submittal by Polydyne, Inc.
12. Request for Bid 2026-17 and Addenda
Prepared by: Michelle Tipp, Senior Business Manager
Cassandra Price, Business Services Coordinator
Department Director: Michael Vuolo, Acting Utilities Director