Notwithstanding Section 20321, the Board of Directors of the Sacramento Regional Transit District may construct all or any part of the Folsom Corridor Light Rail Extension and Double Tracking Project using a design and construct approach. If the board elects to design and construct the project, it shall comply with all of the following procedures:
(a)
A request for qualifications shall be prepared and submitted to an adequate number of sources, as determined by the district, to permit reasonable competition consistent with the nature and requirements of that portion of the extension the district elects to design and construct. In addition, notice of the request for qualifications shall be published at least once in a newspaper of general circulation, at least 10 days before the last date on which responses to the request for qualifications may be received. The request for qualifications shall identify the minimum standards that the district has determined shall be met or exceeded by a contractor to successfully design and construct the project described in this section. Those standards may include, but are not limited to, technical experience and capability, financial condition and capacity, organization, and personnel.
(b)
All respondents determined by the district to meet or exceed the minimum standards set forth in the request for qualifications shall be considered prequalified. The district may repeat the prequalification process described in subdivision (a). If the district has prequalified at least three respondents, it may invite those prequalified to submit sealed bids for the project based upon plans and specifications previously prepared by the district. Only those who have been prequalified are eligible for award of a contract. Award shall be made to the prequalified bidder submitting the lowest responsible bid.
(c)
The board may reject any and all bids and request new bids.
(d)
The board shall not give any special preference in the design and construct bidding process authorized by this section to any contractor or consortium of contractors that worked on the initial designs of the Folsom Corridor Light Rail Extension and Double Tracking Project.