H-2196.1  _______________________________________________

 

                    SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2221

          _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

 

By House Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Representatives Mielke, Rockefeller and Jackley)

 

Read first time 03/08/2001.  Referred to Committee on .

Adjusting procedures for ferry maintenance and preservation.


    AN ACT Relating to maintenance and preservation of ferries; and amending RCW 47.56.030.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

 

    Sec. 1.  RCW 47.56.030 and 1995 1st sp.s. c 4 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) The department of transportation shall have full charge of the construction of all toll bridges and other toll facilities including the Washington state ferries, and the operation and maintenance thereof.  The transportation commission shall determine and establish the tolls and charges thereon, and shall perform all duties and exercise all powers relating to the financing, refinancing, and fiscal management of all toll bridges and other toll facilities including the Washington state ferries, and bonded indebtedness in the manner provided by law.  The department shall have full charge of design of all toll facilities.  Except as provided in this section, the department shall proceed with the construction of such toll bridges and other facilities and the approaches thereto by contract in the manner of state highway construction immediately upon there being made available funds for such work and shall prosecute such work to completion as rapidly as practicable.  The department is authorized to negotiate contracts for any amount without bid under (a) and (b) of this subsection:

    (a) Emergency contracts, in order to make repairs to ferries or ferry terminal facilities or removal of such facilities whenever continued use of ferries or ferry terminal facilities constitutes a real or immediate danger to the traveling public or precludes prudent use of such ferries or facilities; and

    (b) Single source contracts for vessel dry dockings, when there is clearly and legitimately only one available bidder to conduct dry dock-related work for a specific class or classes of vessels.  The contracts may be entered into for a single vessel dry docking or for multiple vessel dry dockings for a period not to exceed two years.

    (2) The department shall proceed with the procurement of materials, supplies, services, and equipment needed for the support, maintenance, and use of a ferry, ferry terminal, or other facility operated by Washington state ferries, in accordance with chapter 43.19 RCW except as follows:

    (((1))) (a) Except as provided in (d) of this subsection, when the secretary of the department of transportation determines in writing that the use of invitation for bid is either not practicable or not advantageous to the state and it may be necessary to make competitive evaluations, including technical or performance evaluations among acceptable proposals to complete the contract award, a contract may be entered into by use of a competitive sealed proposals method, and a formal request for proposals solicitation.  Such formal request for proposals solicitation shall include a functional description of the needs and requirements of the state and the significant factors.

    (((2))) (b) When purchases are made through a formal request for proposals solicitation the contract shall be awarded to the responsible proposer whose competitive sealed proposal is determined in writing to be the most advantageous to the state taking into consideration price and other evaluation factors set forth in the request for proposals.  No significant factors may be used in evaluating a proposal that are not specified in the request for proposals.  Factors that may be considered in evaluating proposals include but are not limited to:  Price; maintainability; reliability; commonality; performance levels; life cycle cost if applicable under this section; cost of transportation or delivery; delivery schedule offered; installation cost; cost of spare parts; availability of parts and service offered; and the following:

    (((a))) (i) The ability, capacity, and skill of the proposer to perform the contract or provide the service required;

    (((b))) (ii) The character, integrity, reputation, judgment, experience, and efficiency of the proposer;

    (((c))) (iii) Whether the proposer can perform the contract within the time specified;

    (((d))) (iv) The quality of performance of previous contracts or services;

    (((e))) (v) The previous and existing compliance by the proposer with laws relating to the contract or services;

    (((f))) (vi) Objective, measurable criteria defined in the request for proposal.  These criteria may include but are not limited to items such as discounts, delivery costs, maintenance services costs, installation costs, and transportation costs; and

    (((g))) (vii) Such other information as may be secured having a bearing on the decision to award the contract.

    (c) When purchases are made through a request for proposal process, proposals received shall be evaluated based on the evaluation factors set forth in the request for proposal.  When issuing a request for proposal for the procurement of propulsion equipment or systems that include an engine, the request for proposal must specify the use of a life cycle cost analysis that includes an evaluation of fuel efficiency.  When a life cycle cost analysis is used, the life cycle cost of a proposal shall be given at least the same relative importance as the initial price element specified in the request of proposal documents.  The department may reject any and all proposals received.  If the proposals are not rejected, the award shall be made to the proposer whose proposal is most advantageous to the department, considering price and the other evaluation factors set forth in the request for proposal.

    (((3) The legislative transportation committee shall review the secretary's use of the request for proposals solicitation for Washington state ferries projects to determine if the process established under chapter 4, Laws of 1995 1st sp. sess. is appropriate.  The results of the review, including recommendations for modification of the request for proposal process, shall be reported to the house of representatives and senate transportation committees by January 1, 1997.))

    (d) If the department is procuring large equipment or systems (e.g., electrical, propulsion) needed for the support, maintenance, and use of a ferry operated by Washington state ferries, the department shall proceed with a formal request for proposal solicitation under this subsection (2) without a determination of necessity by the secretary.

 


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