TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: Peter D. Lear, CPA, CGMA, City Manager
TITLE: Provide direction for Utilities staff on revisions to the Opt-in Program for the Cross-Connection Control Program.
Recommended Action
Provide direction for Utilities staff on revisions to the Opt-in Program for the Cross-Connection Control Program.
Background Information
Section 78-129 of the City Code requires the Utilities Department to offer all residential customers with a backflow prevention device the option to participate in an "Opt-in" Program which authorizes the City to coordinate required device testing, repairs and installations and place all applicable charges and fees on the customer's utility bill once the work has been completed. Historically, the Department has utilized a pool of plumbers to perform these services, however, Contract 2013-02 expired on September 30, 2015. At that time, the Cross-Connection Control section of the Florida Administrative Code was being revised and subsequently, the City's code was updated to be more consistent with the state regulations.
On February 1, 2019, Request for Bid (RFB) 2019-56 Backflow Installation, Testing, and Repair/Replacement Services was advertised to solicit a pool of plumbers to perform the required services as part of the Opt-in Program. Bids were originally due on February 26, 2019, however, because no submittals were received by that date, the due date was extended by two weeks. On March 12, 2019, one bid was received as well as five Statements of Non-Submittal.
Due to the volume of customers that participate in the Opt-in Program, one firm is not enough to perform the required services; and with the current volume of construction underway within the city, Utilities has been unable to secure the required minimum of three firms that are willing and able to commit to performing these services for the City. In addition, it becomes a quality control issue in that the same comp...
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