Section 20209.8.

Criteria used in the evaluation of proposals may include, but need not be limited to, the proposed design approach, life-cycle costs, project features, and project functions.

(a) Competitive proposals shall be evaluated by using only the criteria and source selection procedures specifically identified in the RFP. Once the evaluation is complete, all responsive bidders shall be ranked from most advantageous to least advantageous to the awarding agency.

(b) Any architectural or engineering firm or individual retained by the governing body to assist in the development criteria or preparation of the solicitation shall not be eligible to participate in the competition with any design-build entity.

(c) The award of the contract shall be made to the responsible bidder whose proposals are determined, in writing, to be the best value to the awarding body.

(d) Proposals shall be evaluated and scored solely on the basis of the factors and source selection procedures identified in the RFPs. However, the following minimum factors shall collectively represent at least 50 percent of the total weight or consideration given to all criteria factors: price, technical expertise, life cycle costs over 15 years or more, skilled labor force availability, and acceptable safety record.

(e) The contracting agency shall issue a written decision supporting its contract award and stating in detail the basis of the award. The decision and the contract file shall be sufficient to satisfy an external audit.

(f) Notwithstanding any provision of the Public Contract Code, upon issuance of a contract award, the contracting agency shall publicly announce its award, identifying the contractor to whom the award is made, the winning contractor's price proposal, and its overall combined rating on the RFP evaluation factors. The notice of award shall also include the agency's ranking of all other offerors and their respective price proposals and a summary of the agency's rationale for the contract award.

(g) For the purposes of this section, "skilled labor force availability" shall be determined by the existence of an agreement with a registered apprenticeship program, approved by the California Apprenticeship Council, which has graduated apprentices in each of the preceding five years. This graduation requirement shall not apply to programs providing apprenticeship training for any craft that has not been deemed by the Department of Labor and the Department of Industrial Relations to be an apprenticeable craft in the five years prior to enactment of this act.

(h) For the purposes of this section, a bidder's "safety record" shall be deemed "acceptable" if his or her experience modification rate for the most recent three-year period is an average of 1.0 or less and his or her average total recordable injury/illness rate and average lost work rate for the most recent three-year period does not exceed the applicable statistical standards for its business category or if the bidder is a party to an alternative dispute resolution system as provided for in Section 3201.5 of the Labor Code.

(Added by Stats. 2000, Ch. 541, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2001. Repealed as of January 1, 2015, pursuant to Section 20209.14.)