RFP-26-00069 Appeal to Hearing Master-Meeting

This meeting was an appeal hearing before the Hillsborough County Hearing Master on August 27, 2026, concerning a procurement protest related to RFP-26-00069 for a cattle grazing lease. The appellant, RHC, challenged the county's evaluation and award decision favoring the incumbent, Ottabbon Ranch, alleging inconsistent scoring, lack of transparency in evaluation criteria application, and unequal treatment regarding licensing requirements and proposal responsiveness. The discussion focused extensively on the evaluation of qualifications, experience, technical approach, and licensing compliance, including the handling of subcontractor licenses and feral swine dealer licenses. The county representatives defended the evaluation process, explaining the consensus scoring methodology and asserting no bias or conflict of interest among committee members. The hearing master indicated a desire to review the transcript before issuing a decision. No new evidence was permitted beyond the original protest. The meeting highlighted procurement integrity concerns, scoring disputes, and procedural fairness in competitive bidding for county leases.