96-22007 RESO
Resolution No. 96-22007
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, AUTHORIZING THE CITY
MANAGER TO ISSUE A REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR A JOINT
VENTURE PROJECT TO ESTABLISH A CITYWIDE TELECOMMUNI-
CATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE
WHEREAS changes in telecommunications laws at both the State and Federal levels are
expected to revolutionize the industry, opening all areas to competition; and
WHEREAS changes in State law now permit long distance telephone companies to offer
local services, local telephone companies to offer long distance services, telephone companies to
offer video services, and cable companies to offer telephone services; and
WHEREAS the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has begun the rule-making
process affecting over-the-air reception devices, open video systems, cable telephony and use of
government rights-of-way, market entry barriers, pole attachments, and cable deregulation; and
WHEREAS these changes will have a significant impact not only on the quality and types
of services offered but also on local zoning ordinances, access to public rights-of-way and
franchise/utility revenues to the City; and
WHEREAS the City has proposed a number of public improvement projects that will
require construction in the public rights-of-way throughout the entire length of the City; and
WHEREAS these projects provide an opportunity for the establishment of a citywide
telecommunications infrastructure through the construction of underground conduits for fiber optic
cables; and
WHEREAS the City has neither the technical expertise nor the funds necessary for the
establishment of the telecommunications infrastructure; and
WHEREAS the Capital Improvement/Finance Committee reviewed a proposed Request for
Proposals, entitled "Request for Qualifications for a Joint Venture Project to Establish a Citywide
Telecommunications Infrastructure".
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT DULY RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, that the City Manager is
authorized to issue a Request for Qualifications, in substantially the format contained herein as
Attachment "A", for a joint venture project to establish a citywide telecommunications
infrastructure.
PASSED and ADOPTED, this
Attest
R 0 \M...t- 9 AA~
City Clerk
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
The City of Miami Beach, Florida, believes that it is a matter of compelling public interest to
establish a first-class telecommunications infrastructure that will serve the needs of the citizens
and businesses of Miami Beach well into the twenty-first century.
The City of Miami Beach, Florida, is seeking submittals of qualifications and experience from
firms wishing to design, install, operate, and maintain a universal broadband fiber optic
communications network utility in partnership with the City of Miami Beach.
The City of Miami Beach is interested in firms that can indicate qualifications and experience
needed to meet the following City communications policies:
Open Platform Technical compatibility among network providers must be assured, as
well as equal access to the network for all service providers. The network must be
capable of being connected to other existing networks.
Abundant Bandwidth To make the Open Platform work, there must be available
capacity beyond current demand, ensuring that access won't soon be denied for capacity
reasons.
Universal Availability Connections to the system are to be available to every residence,
business, and institution in Miami Beach.
FinancinglManagement It is the desire of the City of Miami Beach to enter into an
arrangement with a firm that can provide full financing, engineering, and facilities
management.
Firms responding must support the following goals of the City of Miami Beach:
Competition The City intends to stimulate competition by making capacity available to
service and information providers, including but not limited to local exchange, long
distance, data, video, and multimedia providers. Providers may enter the market more
easily by not having to bear the cost of building their own transport facility. A single
open network will allow more information providers to offer services at lower costs.
Economic Development A first-class telecommunications infrastructure is a necessity
in the emerging information economy. The advanced public telecommunications utility
will serve existing businesses and promote new ones in the Miami Beach area.
Asset Management By having a common public telecommunications facility, scarce
rights of way can be used optimally, redundant infrastructure avoided, and disruptions
and public cost due to construction minimized.
FIBERNET.DOC
Advanced Telecommunications Miami Beach seeks a public switched digital
broadband network that supports two-way voice, data, video and multimedia
communications.
Partnership The City prefers a strategic partnership with private enterprise. The City
brings significant contributions to the partnership in the form of rights-of-way and
regulatory authority, and prefers a role with a greater degree of proprietorship than the
traditional franchise arrangement.
Responding firms should submit specific, verifiable documentation of qualifications and
experience of the firm, as well as resumes of in-house personnel who may be assigned to the
project and illustrative of the expertise needed to perform the tasks envisioned to design, build,
and manage the network. Qualifications and expertise should be documented in the following
areas:
Project management
Digital broadband systems
SONET transmission systems
A TM switching systems
Fiber optic systems
Digital access cross connect systems
Disaster recovery planning
Standards based software engineering
Public exchange networks
Inside/outside plant engineering
Knowledge of site conditions
Customer billing systems
Telecommunications management
Financial backing, partnership arrangements
Qualification packages will be carefully reviewed and a short list of qualified firms will be
prepared for further consideration. The firms that are short-listed may be asked to make
presentations to an evaluation committee.
Ten copies of a firm's response to the Request for Qualifications must be submitted to:
City of Miami Beach
Procurement Management Division
1700 Convention Center Drive
Miami Beach, FL 33139
Responses must be received by, but not later than:
, 1995 - 4:00 P.M.
FIBERNET.DOC
CITY OF
MIAMI
BEACH
CITY HALL 1700 CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE MIAMI BEACH FLORIDA 33139
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM NO. ~~3 -CJla
TO:
Mayor Seymour Gelber and
Members of the City Commission
DATE: May 15, 1996
FROM:
Jose Garcia-Pedrosa
City Manager
SUBJECT:
A RESOLUTION AUTH IZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ISSUE A REQUEST FOR
QUALIFICATIONS FOR A JOINT VENTURE PROJECT TO ESTABLISH A CITYWIDE
TELECOMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE
ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDATION
To authorize the City Manager to issue the Request for Qualifications.
BACKGROUND
Changes in the telecommunications laws at both the State and Federal levels are expected to
revolutionize the industry, opening all areas to competition.
Changes in the State law will permit long distance telephone companies to offer local services; local
telephone companies can offer long distance services; telephone companies can offer video services;
and, cable companies will be able to offer telephone services.
On the Federal level, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began the rule making process
that will cover areas such as: over-the-air reception devices (satellite antennas); open video systems;
cable telephony and use of government right-of-way; market entry barriers; pole attachments; and,
cable deregulation.
These changes will have a significant impact not only on the quality and types of services offered but
also on local zoning ordinances, access to public rights-of-way, and franchise/utility revenues to the
City.
AGENDA
ITEM
~~
~~s- C1l,
DATE
Telecommunications RFQ
May 15, 1996
Page-2-
Already this year, we are aware that a new cellular service provider anticipates beginning service in
September. The issue of fiber optic cables and the Venetian Causeway Landscape Project was
discussed by the Capital Improvement/Finance Committee and the successful project architect will
be requested to explore the issue of fiber optic cables as a means of off-setting costs. Significant
amounts of landscaping, water, sewer, and storm water renovation projects will occur throughout
the City involving excavation in the public right-of-way. All these events, indicate that this would
be the most opportune time for the City to consider a telecommunications (fiber optic) infrastructure.
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT/FINANCE COlvlMITTEE
On Friday, May 3, 1996, the proposed RFQ was reviewed by the Capital Improvement Finance
Committee. It is their recommendation that the proposed RFQ be recommended to the City
Commission for issuance.
CONCLUSION
Because of the significant amount of technical expertise and capital investment required, the Request
for Qualifications for a Telecommunications Infrastructure seeks a firm that can provide full financing,
engineering, and facilities management. This proposal is expected to allow the City to "strike while
the iron is hot."
The objectives of the City and the capabilities of the infrastructure are outlined in the attached
Request for Qualifications.
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