Senate Bill sb0850

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
    Florida Senate - 2001                                   SB 850

    By Senator Burt





    16-505-01

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to state facilities; amending

  3         s. 255.25, F.S.; authorizing state agencies to

  4         execute certain replacement leases; providing

  5         guidelines for the execution of such leases;

  6         providing for direct negotiations of certain

  7         leases; providing an effective date.

  8

  9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

10

11         Section 1.  Subsection (3) of section 255.25, Florida

12  Statutes, is amended to read:

13         255.25  Approval required prior to construction or

14  lease of buildings.--

15         (3)(a)  Except as provided in subsection (10), no state

16  agency shall enter into a lease as lessee for the use of 5,000

17  square feet or more of space in a privately owned building

18  except upon advertisement for and receipt of competitive bids

19  and award to the lowest and best bidder.  The Department of

20  Management Services shall have the authority to approve a

21  lease for 5,000 square feet or more of space that covers more

22  than 1 fiscal year, subject to the provisions of ss. 216.311,

23  255.2501, 255.2502, and 255.2503, if such lease is, in the

24  judgment of the department, in the best interests of the

25  state. This paragraph does not apply to buildings or

26  facilities of any size leased for the purpose of providing

27  care and living space for persons.

28         (b)  The Department of Management Services may approve

29  extensions of an existing lease of 5,000 square feet or more

30  of space if such extensions are determined to be in the best

31  interests of the state, but in no case shall the total of such

                                  1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2001                                   SB 850
    16-505-01




  1  extensions exceed 11 months.  If at the end of the 11th month

  2  an agency still needs that space, it shall be procured by

  3  competitive bid in accordance with s. 255.249(4)(b) s.

  4  255.249(2)(b). However, an agency that determines that it is

  5  in its best interest to remain in the space it currently

  6  occupies may negotiate a replacement lease with the lessor if

  7  an independent market analysis demonstrates that the rates

  8  offered are within market rates for the space and the cost of

  9  the new lease does not exceed the cost of a comparable lease

10  plus documented moving costs. A present-value analysis and the

11  consumer price index shall be used in the calculation of lease

12  costs. The term of the replacement lease may not exceed the

13  base term of the expiring lease.

14         (c)  Any agency proposing to enter into a lease for

15  office space in an area designated as a community

16  redevelopment area or an area that is part of the Front Porch

17  Florida Initiative may, with the prior approval of the

18  Department of Management Services, directly negotiate with a

19  building owner for leased space within such area without

20  meeting the competitive bid requirement of paragraph (a).

21         (d)(c)  Any person who files an action protesting a

22  decision or intended decision pertaining to a competitive bid

23  for space to be leased by the agency pursuant to s.

24  120.57(3)(b) shall post with the state agency at the time of

25  filing the formal written protest a bond payable to the agency

26  in an amount equal to 1 percent of the estimated total rental

27  of the basic lease period or $5,000, whichever is greater,

28  which bond shall be conditioned upon the payment of all costs

29  which may be adjudged against him or her in the administrative

30  hearing in which the action is brought and in any subsequent

31  appellate court proceeding. If the agency prevails after

                                  2

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2001                                   SB 850
    16-505-01




  1  completion of the administrative hearing process and any

  2  appellate court proceedings, it shall recover all costs and

  3  charges which shall be included in the final order or

  4  judgment, excluding attorney's fees.  Upon payment of such

  5  costs and charges by the person protesting the award, the bond

  6  shall be returned to him or her.  If the person protesting the

  7  award prevails, the bond shall be returned to that person and

  8  he or she shall recover from the agency all costs and charges

  9  which shall be included in the final order of judgment,

10  excluding attorney's fees.

11         (e)(d)  The agency and the lessor, when entering into a

12  lease for 5,000 or more square feet of a privately owned

13  building, shall, before the effective date of the lease, agree

14  upon and separately state the cost of tenant improvements

15  which may qualify for reimbursement if the lease is terminated

16  before the expiration of its base term. The department shall

17  serve as mediator if the agency and the lessor are unable to

18  agree. The amount agreed upon and stated shall, if

19  appropriated, be amortized over the original base term of the

20  lease on a straight-line basis.

21         (f)(e)  The unamortized portion of tenant improvements,

22  if appropriated, will be paid in equal monthly installments

23  over the remaining term of the lease. If any portion of the

24  original leased premises is occupied after termination but

25  during the original term by a tenant that does not require

26  material changes to the premises, the repayment of the cost of

27  tenant improvements applicable to the occupied but unchanged

28  portion shall be abated during occupancy. The portion of the

29  repayment to be abated shall be based on the ratio of leased

30  space to unleased space.

31         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2001.

                                  3

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2001                                   SB 850
    16-505-01




  1            *****************************************

  2                          SENATE SUMMARY

  3    Authorizes state agencies to negotiate replacement leases
      for space currently occupied. Exempts agencies from
  4    competitive bid requirements for leases of property that
      is in a community redevelopment area or is part of the
  5    Front Porch Florida Initiative.

  6

  7

  8

  9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

                                  4

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.