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Agenda 03/24/2026 Item #16K 2 (Authorize the County Attorney to file a lawsuit on behalf of Collier County Board of County Commissioners against Utilities One Inc., and Reycamp Cable Construction, LLC)3/24/2026 Item # 16.K.2 ID# 2026-536 Executive Summary Recommendation to authorize the County Attorney to file a lawsuit on behalf of Collier County Board of County Commissioners against Utilities One Inc., and Reycamp Cable Construction, LLC, and any other responsible parties, for $32,612.58 in damages caused to the County’s wastewater lateral line, located at or near 3723 Kent Drive. OBJECTIVE: To recover the money spent by Collier County to repair a wastewater lateral line, damaged by a negligent contractors Utilities One Inc. and Reycamp Cable Construction, LLC. CONSIDERATIONS: On or about April 2, 2024, Reycamp Cable Construction, LLC performed underground boring work at 3723 Kent Drive, Collier County, Naples, Florida, and damaged the County’s wastewater lateral line. Reycamp Cable Construction, LLC performed the work at issue on a CenturyLink Communications, LLC/Lumen Technologies, Inc. project. Utilities One Inc. served as the general contractor for the project and had a duty to supervise Reycamp Cable Construction, LLC, among other duties. The County engaged emergency contractors and allocated staff resources to repair the County’s wastewater lateral line, incurring $32,612.58 in damages. The County Attorney’s Office issued a demand to Reycamp Cable Construction, LLC, and received no response. The County recommends Board approval to file a lawsuit in the County Court to recover the damages. Attached is a draft copy of the Complaint, documenting the damage and amount thereof. By filing this lawsuit to recover damages, the County puts the contractor/subcontractor on notice that they will be held responsible for their negligent actions. FISCAL IMPACT: The cost to file and serve a Complaint is approximately $450.00. Funds are available in the Water-Sewer District Operating Fund (4008). GROWTH MANAGEMENT IMPACT: There is no growth management impact associated with this item. LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS: This item has been approved as to form and legality and requires a majority vote for Board approval. – CLD RECOMMENDATION(S): To authorize the County Attorney to file a lawsuit on behalf of Collier County Board of County Commissioners against Utilities One Inc., and Reycamp Cable Construction, LLC, and any other responsible parties, for $32,612.58 in damages caused to the County’s wastewater lateral line, located at or near 3723 Kent Drive. PREPARED BY: Courtney L. DaSilva, Assistant County Attorney Michael Quigley, Division Director- Risk Management Joseph Bellone, Division Director- Utilities Finance ATTACHMENTS: 1. Reycamp Complaint 2.27.26 Page 6176 of 6641 [26-RMG-00916/2002029/1] Page 1 of 10 IN THE COUNTY COURT OF THE TWENTIETH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA CIVIL ACTION BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA, Plaintiff, vs. Case No.: _____________________ UTILITIES ONE INC., a New Jersey Profit Corporation, and REYCAMP CABLE CONSTRUCTION, LLC, a Florida Limited Liability Company, Defendants. _____________________________________/ COMPLAINT Plaintiff, BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA, (the “COUNTY”), by and through its undersigned counsel, sues Defendants, UTILITIES ONE INC. (“UTILITIES ONE”) and REYCAMP CABLE CONSTRUCTION, LLC (“REYCAMP”), a Florida Limited Liability Company, and states as follows: NATURE OF CLAIMS, THE PARTIES, JURISDICTION, AND VENUE 1. The COUNTY’s claims stem from damage to the COUNTY’s personal property, specifically a wastewater lateral line, owned, operated, and maintained by the COUNTY, and the resulting cost of repair and mitigation incurred by the COUNTY. 2. This Court has jurisdiction over this matter, as it is an action to recover damages of more than $8,000.00 and less than $50,000.00. Page 6177 of 6641 [26-RMG-00916/2002029/1] Page 2 of 10 3. In personam jurisdiction is properly exercised over REYCAMP because REYCAMP is a Florida Limited Liability Company and Florida courts have personal jurisdiction over all Florida residents. See, e.g., Subic Bay Marine Exploratorium, Inc. v. JV China, Inc., 257 So. 3d 1139, 1141 (Fla. 5th DCA 2018). 4. The COUNTY, as the governing body for Collier County, Florida, a political subdivision of the State of Florida, and as the ex -officio governing board of the Collier County Water-Sewer District, an independent special district created by the Florida Legislature, is the owner of the personal property that is the subject of this litigation and is thus authorized to bring this action. 5. REYCAMP is a limited liability company organized under the laws of Florida, with its principal place of business at 7279 Quail Hollow Boulevard, Wesley Chapel, Florida 33544, in Pasco County, Florida, and is authorized to and does conduct business throughout the State of Florida, including in Collier County. 6. UTILITIES ONE is a New Jersey Profit Corporation with its principal place of business at 300 West Somerdale Road, Suite 5, Vorhees Township, New Jersey 08043. UTILITIES ONE is authorized to and does conduct business throughout the State of Florida, including in Collier County, and has several office locations throughout the State of Florida, including in Fort Myers and Bonita Springs, both of which are in Lee County, Florida. 7. Venue is proper in Collier County, Florida, pursuant to Section 47.011, Florida Statutes, because (i) Collier County is where the instant cause of action accrued, (ii) Collier County is where the property in litigation is located, (iii) the property damage Page 6178 of 6641 [26-RMG-00916/2002029/1] Page 3 of 10 occurred in Collier County, and (iv) the amounts due to the COUNTY are due in Collier County. FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS 8. In 1993, the Florida Legislature enacted the “Underground Facility Damage Prevention and Safety Act,” Chapter 556, Florida Statutes (“the Act”), to prevent injury to persons or property and the interruption of services resulting from damage to an underground facility caused by excavation or demolition operations. Fla. Stat. § 556.101(3)(a). 9. The Act created a not-for-profit corporation called Sunshine State One-Call of Florida, Inc. (the “Corporation”) and requires the Corporation to maintain a free-access notification system (the “One-Call System” or “System”) which excavators can use to notify owners of underground facilities of planned excavation or demolition activities. See Fla. Stat. §§ 556.103, 556.104. 10. The Corporation is comprised of the owners of underground facilities in the State of Florida, which are called “member operators” by the Act. Fla. Stat. § 556.104. 11. The COUNTY is a “member operator” under the Act. 12. Under the Act, “excavators” and “excavating contractors” are required to notify the System and provide information about a planned excavation at least two full business days before beginning any excavation. Fla. Stat. § 556.105(1). After receiving notification from the System, a member operator shall provide a positive response to the System within 2 full business days, indicating he status of operations to protect the facility. See id. at § 556.105(9)(a). Thereafter, an excavator shall verify the System’s positive Page 6179 of 6641 [26-RMG-00916/2002029/1] Page 4 of 10 responses before beginning excavation. See id. at § 556.105(9)(a). If a member operator determines that a proposed excavation is in proximity or in conflict with an underground facility of the member operator, the member operator shall identify the horizontal route by marking to within 24 inches born the outer edge of either side of the underground facility by the use of stakes, paint, flags, or other suitable means within two full business days after the time the notification is received from the System. See id. at § 556.105(5)(a). 13. When excavation is to take place within a tolerance zone, an excavator shall use increased caution to protect underground facilities, requiring hand digging, pot holing, soft digging, vacuum excavation methods, or other similar procedures to identify underground facilities. See Fla. Stat. § 556.105(5)(c). 14. REYCAMP is an “excavator” and/or “excavating contractor” under the Act because they performed the excavation work at issue. 15. CenturyLink Communications, LLC, in combination with Lumen Technologies, Inc., hired UTILITIES ONE as its General Contractor to place new underground fiber optic cable at multiple locations in Collier County (the “Lumen Project”). 16. Upon information and belief, UTILITIES ONE as the Contractor of Record hired REYCAMP as subcontractor on the Lumen Project to place new underground fiber optic cable at multiple locations in Collier County, Florida. 17. UTILITIES ONE is a licensed Certified Underground Utility and Excavation Contractor in the State of Florida with license number CUC1225467. Page 6180 of 6641 [26-RMG-00916/2002029/1] Page 5 of 10 18. Upon information and belief, REYCAMP and its principal, Jaime Maurice Reyes, are not licensed Certified Underground Utility and Excavation Contractors in the State of Florida. 19. On March 30, 2024, REYCAMP notified the System of a planned excavation on April 2, 2024, at Kent Drive and Weymouth Circle and Kent Drive and Hawaii Boulevard, Collier County, Naples, Florida. A true and correct copy of REYCAMP’s locate ticket received on March 30, 2024, is attached hereto as Exhibit “A.” 20. REYCAMP requested that the COUNTY locate both sides of Kent Drive, including all road crossings, starting at Weymouth Circle moving west then south to Hawaii Boulevard. See Ex. A, at 1. Specifically, REYCAMP instructed the COUNTY to “follow white line.” See id. 21. On April 2, 2024, the COUNTY marked the COUNTY’s underground facilities, including its sewer laterals, within the white lined work area and issued a “2E” positive response code. See Ex. A, at 2. 22. The System’s definition of the 2E positive response code on its website https://sunshine811.com/response-codes is as follows: 2E Marked with Exceptions: Marked within the confines of the white-lined area. A locate technician marked the approximate horizontal location of buried facilities WITHIN the white-lined area. (White paint, stakes or other white marks define the dig site boundary.) Any excavation outside the white-lined area requires a new ticket. 23. On or around April 2, 2024, after the COUNTY properly located and marked its underground facilities within the white lined area, REYCAMP performed its directional boring work to install underground cable lines for CenturyLink. Page 6181 of 6641 [26-RMG-00916/2002029/1] Page 6 of 10 24. On July 11, 2024, the COUNTY discovered damage to its wastewater lateral line located at 3723 Kent Drive, Naples, Florida 34112 (the “Property”). 25. The COUNTY investigated the damage and determined that REYCAMP failed to use increased caution prior to performing their directional boring work at the Property by hand digging, pot holing, soft digging, vacuum excavation methods, or any other industry standard methods for spotting utilities prior to boring. 26. Upon information and belief, UTILITIES ONE did not supervise REYCAMP’s directional boring work to ensure that REYCAMP used increased caution to spot the COUNTY’s utilities prior to boring. 27. As a result of REYCAMP’s failure to use increased caution as required by Florida law, the COUNTY incurred monetary damages in the total amount of $32,612.58 to repair the damaged wastewater lateral line. 28. “If any excavator fails to discharge a duty imposed by [the Act], the excavator, if found liable, is liable for the total sum of the losses to all parties involved as those costs are normally computed.” Fla. Stat. § 556.106(2)(b). 29. Accordingly, REYCAMP is liable to the COUNTY for the total sum of the losses to repair the damage caused by REYCAMP. 30. UTILITIES ONE is also liable to the COUNTY for the total sum of the losses to repair the damage caused by REYCAMP because UTILITIES ONE has a nondelegable duty as general contractor to use a degree of skill adequate to the competent performance of the work. See Bialkowicz v. Pan. Am. Condo. No. 3, Inc., 215 So. 2d 767, 771–72 (Fla. 3d DCA 1968). Page 6182 of 6641 [26-RMG-00916/2002029/1] Page 7 of 10 31. All conditions precedent to the relief demanded herein have been performed or waived. COUNT I – NEGLIGENCE (AGAINST REYCAMP) 32. The COUNTY re-alleges and incorporates by reference its allegations in paragraphs 1–31, as if fully set forth herein. 33. REYCAMP had a statutory duty to use increased caution to protect the COUNTY’s underground facilities. See Fla. Stat. § 556.105(5)(c). 34. REYCAMP breached that duty by failing to hand dig, pot hole, soft dig, vacuum excavate, or use any other similar procedure to identify the COUNTY’s marked underground facilities prior to boring. See id. 35. REYCAMP also had a common law duty to perform its work to the standard of a reasonable, competent contractor performing underground boring work. 36. REYCAMP breached that duty by failing to perform its work in accordance with the required standard of care for performing underground boring work. Specifically, REYCAMP failed to proceed with the work with the same level of care, skill, and diligence that a reasonable and prudent contractor would exercise while boring near COUNTY owned and operated facilities. 37. REYCAMP knew that there were COUNTY owned underground facilities in the work area. Page 6183 of 6641 [26-RMG-00916/2002029/1] Page 8 of 10 38. REYCAMP’s breach of its aforementioned duties is the direct, proximate, and foreseeable result of the damage caused to the COUNTY’s owned, operated, and maintained wastewater lateral line at 3723 Kent Drive. 39. As a result of REYCAMP’s negligence, the COUNTY incurred monetary damages including, but not limited to, $32,612.58 incurred by the COUNTY to repair the wastewater lateral line, and other direct and consequential damages. 40. REYCAMP is liable to the COUNTY for the total sum of the losses incurred by the COUNTY as a result of its negligence. See Fla. Stat. § 556.106(2)(b). WHEREFORE, the COUNTY demands judgment against Defendant, REYCAMP CABLE CONSTRUCTION, LLC, for damages, together with prejudgment interest and costs, and for such other or further relief as this Court deems equitable and just under the circumstances. COUNT II – NEGLIGENCE (AGAINST UTILITIES ONE) 41. The COUNTY re-alleges and incorporates by reference its allegations in paragraphs 1–31, as if fully set forth herein. 42. UTILITIES ONE, as the General Contractor of Record on the Lumen Project, had a duty to properly and competently supervise its subcontractor, REYCAMP, in the performance of the directional boring work. 43. UTILITIES ONE breached its duty to properly and competently supervise REYCAMP on the Lumen Project. Page 6184 of 6641 [26-RMG-00916/2002029/1] Page 9 of 10 44. UTILITIES ONE also had a nondelegable duty as general contractor to use a degree of skill adequate to the competent performance of the work. See Bialkowicz v. Pan. Am. Condo. No. 3, Inc., 215 So. 2d 767, 771–72 (Fla. 3d DCA 1968). 45. UTILITIES ONE breached that duty when REYCAMP failed to proceed with the work with the same level of care, skill, and diligence that a reasonable and prudent contractor would exercise while boring near COUNTY owned and operated facilities. 46. UTILITIES ONE’s breach of its aforementioned duties was the direct, proximate, and foreseeable result of the damage caused to the COUNTY’s wastewater lateral line. 47. As a result of UTILITIES ONE’s negligence, the COUNTY incurred monetary damages including, but not limited to, $32,612.58 incurred by the COUNTY to repair the wastewater lateral line, and other direct and consequential damages. WHEREFORE, the COUNTY demands judgment against Defendant, UTILITIES ONE INC., for damages, together with prejudgment interest and costs, and for such other or further relief as this Court deems equitable and just under the circumstances. Page 6185 of 6641 [26-RMG-00916/2002029/1] Page 10 of 10 DEMAND FOR JURY TRIAL The COUNTY hereby demands a jury trial on all issues so triable. Respectfully submitted, By: _____________________________ Courtney L. DaSilva Florida Bar No. 1032733 Collier County Attorney’s Office 3299 East Tamiami Trail, Suite 800 Naples, Florida 34112-5746 Telephone: (239) 252-8400 Facsimile: (239) 252-6300 Counsel for Plaintiff COLLIER COUNTY courtney.dasilva@collier.gov marian.rhyne@collier.com rosa.villarreal@collier.gov Page 6186 of 6641 EXHIBIT A Page 6187 of 6641 CPW592 02084 CALL SUNSHINE 03/30/24 11:17:27ET 090400475-000 STREET Ticket : 090400475 Rev:000 Taken: 03/30/24 11:17ET Old Tkt: 064409088 Taken: 03/07/24 00:20ET Oper: SUN State: FL Cnty: COLLIER GeoPlace: NAPLES CallerPlace: NAPLES Subdivision: Address : Street : KENT DR Cross 1 : WEYMOUTH CIR Within 1/4 mile: Y Cross 2 : HAWAII BLVD Locat: LOCATE BOTH SIDES OF KENT DR INCLUDING ALL ROAD CROSSING STARTING AT WEYMOUTH CIR GOING WEST THEN SOUTH TO HAWAII BLVD. FOLLOW WHITE LINE . : Remarks : PLEASE ENSURE TO MARK ALL LINES,DROPS, GAS LINES, WATER AND SEWER PIPES WORK BEING DONE BY REYCAMP CABLE CONSTRUCTION AND REYESCOM LLC. LUMEN-GPON THIS TICKET REPLACES TICKET #064409088 DINA.REYES WEB 03/30/2024 11:17:26 AM *** LOOKUP BY BETWEEN *** *** Boundary: n 26.120180 s 26.116840 w -81.748220 e -81.744630 : Grids : 2607D8144A 2607D8144B Work date: 04/02/24 Time: 23:59ET Hrs notc: 040 Category: 3 Duration: 30 DAYS Due Date : 04/02/24 Time: 23:59ET Exp Date : 04/29/24 Time: 23:59ET Work type: CONDUIT PLACEMENT Boring: Y White-lined: Y Ug/Oh/Both: U Machinery: Y Depth: 40 IN Permits: N N/A Done for : CENTURY LINK Company : REYCAMP CABLE CONSTRUCTION Type: CONT Co addr : 7279 QUAIL HOLLOW BLVD City : WESLEY CHAPEL State: FL Zip: 33544 Caller : DINA REYES Phone: 813-997-9294 Contact : JAIME REYES Phone: BestTime: BEFORE 5 PM Mobile : 813-997-9285 Email : JREYES374@GMAIL.COM Submitted: 03/30/24 11:17ET Oper: DIN Chan: WEB Mbrs : CNTL01 CON762 CPW592 CTV413 FPLCLR 3/30/2024 11:17:28 AM: Received DETAILS: Ticket received for registration code CPW592 3/30/2024 11:17:28 AM: Assigned DETAILS: Assigned to Josh Wells by auto process NOTE: Auto Processed per Responsibility Area 3/30/2024 11:17:33 AM: Ticket Queued DETAILS: Ticket queued for delivery Page 6188 of 6641 3/30/2024 11:17:47 AM: Ticket Delivered DETAILS: Ticket successfully sent to WWTS-IRTHNET@colliercountyfl.gov 4/1/2024 6:41:47 AM: Responded DETAILS: 8: added by Josh Wells, Locate Time: 4/1/2024 6:41:47 AM NOTE: REFRESHED TICKETS. Agreed to mark ahead of contractor. 4/1/2024 6:41:53 AM: Positive Response to Center Queued DETAILS: Positive Response to Center queued for delivery 4/1/2024 6:42:00 AM: Positive Response to Center Delivered DETAILS: Positive Response to Center successfully sent 4/2/2024 12:34:27 PM: Reopened DETAILS: Reopened by Josh Wells 4/2/2024 1:32:18 PM: Responded DETAILS: 2E: added by Josh Wells, Locate Time: 4/2/2024 1:32:17 PM NOTE: Marked gravity main, water main, water service, sewer lateral, valve, fire hydrants, ARV. 4/2/2024 1:32:23 PM: Positive Response to Center Queued DETAILS: Positive Response to Center queued for delivery 4/2/2024 1:32:26 PM: Positive Response to Center Delivered DETAILS: Positive Response to Center successfully sent Page 6189 of 6641