Contracts with department for provision of services on the turnpike system.

(1) The department is empowered to contract with any person for the purpose of providing a service on the turnpike system, including those services authorized in s. 338.234, which the department determines is necessary or desirable, and to review and adjust as appropriate the terms, conditions, rates, and charges for use.

(2) In order to secure high-quality products, business opportunities, and services on the turnpike system, products, business opportunities, and services authorized by s. 338.234 may be secured by competitive solicitation. If the department receives an unsolicited proposal for products, business opportunities, or services that it wishes to consider, it shall publish a notice in a newspaper of general circulation at least once a week for 2 weeks, or may broadcast such notice by electronic media for 2 weeks, stating that it has received a proposal and will accept other proposals on the same subject for 30 days after the date of publication. The department may select offers that best satisfy the conditions of a quality service, business opportunity, or product for the turnpike system. The factors to be used in evaluating proposals include, but are not limited to:

(a) The financial capacity of the provider;

(b) The willingness to contribute toward the cost of facility construction;

(c) The type and quality of the service or product offered;

(d) The price structure of the service or product offered;

(e) Management experience and capabilities;

(f) The national brand names offered;

(g) The originality of the concept and its relationship to the turnpike system;

(h) The lease rate; and

(i) Other factors that the department may deem pertinent.

(3) The department may enter into contracts or agreements, with or without competitive bidding or procurement, to make available, on a fair, reasonable, nonexclusive, and nondiscriminatory basis, turnpike property and other turnpike structures, for the placement of wireless facilities by any wireless provider of mobile services as defined in 47 U.S.C. s. 153(27) or s. 332(d), and any telecommunications company as defined in s. 364.02 when it is determined to be practical and feasible to make such property or structures available. The department may, without adopting a rule, charge a just, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory fee for placement of the facilities, payable annually, based on the fair market value of space used by comparable communications facilities in the state. The department and a wireless provider may negotiate the reduction or elimination of a fee in consideration of goods or services provided to the department by the wireless provider. All such fees collected by the department shall be deposited directly into the State Agency Law Enforcement Radio System Trust Fund and may be used to construct, maintain, or support the system.

(4) The department shall receive credits for any amounts expended or proposed to be expended from the State Transportation Trust Fund for the department’s participation in and use of the State Agency Law Enforcement Radio System. Revenue from the fees collected under subsection (3) in amounts equal to such credits shall be deposited in the State Transportation Trust Fund for use by the department under s. 339.08.