Arbitrators to Serve as Appeals Referees of Discipline

Project Description: Hillsborough County intends to recommend the award of a noncompetitive procurement to the American Arbitration Association, Inc., (AAA) at a total cost of $10,000.00, for a five (5) year period for ongoing and as-needed labor and employment arbitrators for non-union discipline appeals. AAA will assist with the County’s Discipline Appeal Process, which became effective on October 1, 2019. AAA will select neutral and impartial referees to oversee appeals, ensuring that no conflict of interest exists for either party. Additionally, AAA will address unresolved labor management disputes in conjunction with the Administrative Review Council, serve as the administrative decision-making authority, and appoint referees for matters filed under this process. This procurement is being made in accordance with Section 3-208(30) and (32) of the County’s Procurement Policy as AAA has the capabilities to provide a contingency of diverse arbitrators with special abilities, experience and professional knowledge that are unique, require special skills or training, they have unique expertise and specialized knowledge in administering multiple labor and employment arbitrations, and securing competition is neither practical or practicable. The County reserves the right to extend the time period further, adjust the scope of services in response to changing conditions and updated requirements, and increase the resulting award accordingly.
Contractors who believe that they can provide services that are substantially and materially the same as those identified in the attached agreement must submit clear and convincing information to support a challenge to the intended award. Challenges to this notice must be received no later than the Close Date of the Sole Source (SS) Project and must be directed to the primary contact listed above using the “messages” section in Bonfire for this particular procurement. After this date, an award will be made. The County will review properly submitted challenges (responses) to determine whether bona fide competition exists.