SOLICITATION NOTICE
X -- Tower and rack space for a NOAA weather radio antenna
- Notice Date
- 9/30/2010
- Notice Type
- Justification and Approval (J&A)
- NAICS
- 531190
— Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
- Contracting Office
- Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, Room 8431 Routing Code OFA57, 1305 East West Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland, 20910-3278, United States
- ZIP Code
- 20910-3278
- Archive Date
- 12/31/2010
- Point of Contact
- Karen L. Brooks, Phone: 2065264434
- E-Mail Address
-
karen.l.brooks@noaa.gov
(karen.l.brooks@noaa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Award Number
- 11WSW0201C
- Award Date
- 9/15/2010
- Description
- COMPETITION IN CONTRACTING ACT (CICA) JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION NOAA WEATHER RADIO PROGRAM - HIGH PEAK MOUNTAIN, ARKANSAS 1. IDENTIFICATION OF AGENCY AND CONTRACTING ACTIVITY: The U. S. Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is the contracting agency. A real property lease contract for tower, ground and building space will be acquired for support of NOAA's Weather Radio Program (NWR). Under a January 1975 White House policy statement, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio (NWR) All Hazards was designated the sole Government operated radio alert system to provide direct warnings into private homes for both natural disasters and nuclear attack. This mandate requires uninterrupted transmission capability 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. The NWR Program remains a prime entry point in the Emergency Alert System (EAS) along with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). An estimated 85 percent of EAS activations are due to weather. The NWS has been invaluable in providing timely warnings to citizens, local officials, law enforcement, and local emergency management agencies, ultimately saving citizen's lives. NWR is one of the NWS's primary means of disseminating forecasts and warnings. 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTION BEING APPROVED: A five year lease to provide a site for an NOAA Weather Radio antenna facility. This lease includes all appropriate contract clauses, including a clause giving the Government the right to terminate the lease with 60 days written notice to the Lessor. The OMB A-11 lease scorekeeping analysis determined this transaction to be an operating lease. 3. DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES OR SERVICES REQUIRED TO MEET AGENCY'S NEEDS, INCLUDING ESTIMATED VALUE: The project objective is to enter into an operating lease for a NOAA National Weather Radio station. To obtain broadcasting range in this mountainous area, the Government requires antenna space on a tower located on one of the tallest mountains in the area, ground area space of 144 square feet for a propane tank and generator and 36 square feet of floor space in an equipment building to place a transmitter. Also required are electric and communication utilities for 24 hours per day 365 days per year uninterrupted transmission. 4. IDENTIFICATION OF STATUTORY AUTHORITY PERMITTING OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION: 41 USC 253 (c) (1) Statutory Authority - Only one responsible source. 5. DEMONSTRATION THAT PROPOSED CONTRACTOR'S UNIQUE QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRES USE OF THE AUTHORITY CITED: The C & W Communications Inc. (C & W) tower site at High Point Mountain, Arkansas is the only tower location found through an exhaustive number of site surveys that could eliminate the current degradation of NWR broadcast services and limited activation of the EAS to Garland and Montgomery counties in west central Arkansas. The site elevation above mean sea level, latitude, longitude, and the above ground level (AGL) placement of a NWR antenna at a particular height on a tower is critical. Based upon a theoretical coverage plot, the acceptable tower height on High Point Mountain, AR is at or above 150 feet. In consideration of the irregular and steep topography of this part of Arkansas, the specific line of sight and tower space available on the C & W tower deems it the only tower available that will provide a five microvolt coverage area that mirrors the previous NWR reception area. In addition, the use of this tower will minimize any potential frequency interference problems associated with existing NWR stations. 6. DESCRIPTION OF EFFORTS MADE TO ENSURE THAT OFFERS WERE SOLICITED FROM AS MANY POTENTIAL SOURCES AS PRACTICABLE An exhaustive search of possible antenna site locations was made in the designated area. A FCC tower location search was performed, tower companies and cell phone management companies (SBA, Verizon, Vanguard/Insite LLC, American Tower etc.) were contacted, as well as local (Montgomery and Garland Counties) and state law enforcement and emergency management offices. Engineering studies and structural analyses were performed on several available tower sites in the area but none met the criteria of the NWR. 7. DETERMINATION BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER THAT THE ANTICIPATED COST TO THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE FAIR AND REASONABLE: A new lease for tower, building and ground space at High Peak Mountain has been negotiated at $15,000 per annum, with a base rental rate of $5,000.04 per annum and operating costs of $9,999.96 per annum for electricity and communication service. This negotiated rate for base rent excluding utilities is $416.67 per month or $2.60 per lineal foot at the 160' AGL antenna installation height. For comparison, an existing NWR lease for antenna space at 80' AGL on a tower in nearby Mena, AR was negotiated in November 1, 2001 for tower space only at the rate of $250 per month. If a CPI adjustment is made to the 2001 lease rate the current market rate would be $307.23 or $3.84 per lineal foot at the 80' AGL antenna installation height. 8. DESCRIPTION OF THE MARKET SURVEY CONDUCTED AND RESULTS: While site surveys have identified other towers in the vicinity, the C & W Communications Inc. tower is the only source capable of returning adequate NWR broadcast coverage to this part of west central Arkansas at a minimal cost to the Government. High Peak Mt., AR MARKET SURVEY 2010 VENDORS: C & W Communications SBA ALLTEL/VERIZON FCC Registration Number None 1064278 1029885 Height of Tower (AGL) 180' AGL 350' AGL 386' AGL Government Required Mid-Point Antenna Height 160' AGL n/a n/a Satisfactory Coverage of Target Broadcast Area Yes Most likely No Tower Space Available Yes No Yes Space Available in Lessor Transmitter Building Yes n/a n/a Government Provides Building No n/a n/a Telecommunications Available Yes n/a n/a Lessor Provides Electricity Yes n/a n/a Lessor Provides Emergency Power No n/a n/a 9. OTHER FACTS SUPPORTING THE USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION: If the Government could not secure a lease with C & W Communications Inc. for tower space, floor and ground space, then the degradation of NWR broadcast services and limited capability to activate EAS would continue. The estimated cost to the Government to build a new tower would be approximately $100,000. The required lease of land would be an additional cost. 10. LISTING OF SOURCES THAT EXPRESSED A WRITTEN INTEREST IN THE ACQUISITION: None 11. CONTRACTING OFFICER CERTIFICATION: To the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that this justification is accurate and complete. Submitted by: Karen L. Brooks Date Department of Commerce Real Property Contracting Officer
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/notices/07516ad8a37f2865ab142194ea906f1b)
- Place of Performance
- Address: High Peak Mountain, near Norman, AR, Norman, Arkansas, 71960, United States
- Zip Code: 71960
- Zip Code: 71960
- Record
- SN02302487-W 20101002/100930235048-07516ad8a37f2865ab142194ea906f1b (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's FBO Daily Index Page |