Hillsborough
Date Created: 04/13/26
Last updated: 04/13/26

Hillsborough County, FL to Consider Amending Ordinance Updating Provisions Related to the Cone of Silence

The Commission will Authorize the Procurement Services Department to work with the County Attorney's Office to draft for the Board's consideration an ordinance amending Hillsborough County Code of Ordinances and Laws, Part A, Chapter 2, Article VI, Division 3 ("Protest Ordinance") to revise and update provisions related to the Cone of Silence and communication of protests and interventions applicable to County procurements. Specifically, there are multiple provisions in the Protest Ordinance that require protests and protest interventions to be submitted to the "Director of the County Department that issued the applicable procurement solicitation," which can be confusing to bidders/potential protestors given that procurement solicitations are primarily issued by the County's Procurement Services Department. Consequently, this confusion may cause bidders/potential protestors to unknowingly and unintentionally violate the Cone of Silence by delivering protests/protest interventions to a County Department other than Procurement Services. This request for authorization to revise and update the Protest Ordinance is intended to remove any remaining ambiguities associated with the Cone of Silence and the communication of protests and protest interventions to the County. There is no financial impact associated with amending the subject ordinance, except for the cost to publish the required legal notice(s).

Issue History
04/13/26	The Commission will consider the item at the 4/15/26 meeting.

Related Documents
	4/15/26 Background
	4/15/26 Meeting Agenda