Bid - Environmental Assessment Services

1 CITY OF TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT SERVICES OCA File Number: A22-0642 Issued by: City of Tuscaloosa Office of Community & Neighborhood Services 2201 University Boulevard Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35401 Date Issued: 6-21-22 Deadline for Proposals: 7-13-22 LATE SUBMISSIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED 2 CONTENTS Part 1 Overview .............................................................................................................................. 1 Part 2 The Project and Scope of Work............................................................................................. 2 Part 3 Content of Proposals ........................................................................................................... 4 Part 4 Instructions for Proposals ..................................................................................................... 7 Part 5 Selection Procedure

........................................................................................................... 10 1 PART 1 OVERVIEW The City of Tuscaloosa is requesting proposals from qualified firms to provide environmental assessments to the Citys Office of Community & Neighborhood Services. Part 2 of this RFP provides a general description and abbreviated scope of work for the project. This is a procurement of professional services, and will be conducted in a manner to provide full and open competition. A Selection Committee will review all proposals, and will rank firms based on criteria identified in Part 5. The criteria may include, but is not limited to, the proposal, firm qualifications, references, interviews, and other relevant information. Upon selection by the Selection Committee, the City will enter into negotiations with the successful Respondent. Pending successful negotiations, the successful Respondent will enter into a Contract for professional services with the City. 2 PART 2 THE PROJECT AND SCOPE OF WORK The City of Tuscaloosa seeks the services of an environmental assessment firm that has the knowledge, experience and expertise to perform the services as requested. The firm must be able to perform the following types of services upon request from the City: 1. On an as needed, as requested basis, conduct Environmental Assessments in a timely manner and in accordance with HUD regulations including 24 CFR 58, determine which activities will require one of the following levels of review and perform the same: a. Emergency Declaration per 24 CFR 58.33 (CENST Format) b. Exempt/CENST Format per 24 CFR 58.34 & 58.35(b) with supporting documentation as to exemption c. CENST Format (Categorically Excluded) per 24 CFR 58.35(a) d. Environmental Assessment (Phase 1) per 24 CFR 58.36 e. Environmental Impact Statement per 24 CFR 58.37 2. On an as needed, as requested basis, conduct lead, mold, and asbestos risk assessments in a timely manner and in accordance with HUD regulations including 24 CFR 35, U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration: 29 CFR 1926, 29 CFR 2010, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): 40 CFR 745, National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP),State regulations, Local regulations determine which activities will require hazard controls and/or abatement activities and perform the same. The firm must comply with all applicable state, local, and federal regulations related to the services provided to the City. The City reserves the right, subject to negotiation and agreement, in writing, with the selected firm, to either expand or limit the scope of services as needed. 1. The selected firm will be required to have sufficient personnel to complete the tasks required by this scope of services. The selected firm will complete the required tasks in a timely and efficient manner. The selected firm would be expected to enter into a contract for services based upon the negotiated fee structure. 2. Basic Hazard Reduction Services. The essential function of the Hazard Reduction services are to identify conditions that may result in adverse human health effects from the following sources: deteriorated asbestos surfaces, presence of mold, deteriorated lead-based paint (LBP), interior dust-lead hazards, soil lead hazards, chewable surfaces, friction surfaces and impact surfaces, as defined by HUD and EPA; 2) to test surfaces and paint on surfaces that will be disturbed during the renovation and identify all hazards with sufficient detail to permit replication of sampling and/or testing effort, sketches or drawings of property with floor plan detailing all sample locations. Provide all necessary facilities, materials, supplies, equipment, supervision, and personnel and other items and services to perform the hazard evaluation services as defined in this RFP. These services must be in accordance with applicable work practice standards of the state (or EPA, if applicable) where the services are provided. When more than one regulatory provision applies to a condition or activity, the most stringent shall be used. The City reserves the right to request clarifications and revisions by the risk assessor, 3 at no additional cost to the City. Applicable regulations are those that are in force when and where the lead evaluation is conducted, including, but not limited to: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): 24 CFR 35 U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration: 29 CFR 1926 and 29 CFR 2010 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): 40 CFR 745 National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants State regulations Local regulations 4 PART 3 CONTENT OF PROPOSALS In order to facilitate the Selection Committees evaluation, each proposal should include the following content, in the following order: Licensing and Professional Standing Conflicts of Interest Background Information Firm Experience Project Understanding and Approach Project Team Quality Assurance and Quality Control Each of these items is discussed in more detail in the following sections. 3.1 Licensing and Professional Standing Please include a brief statement confirming that the Respondent is legally authorized to do business in Alabama and in the City of Tuscaloosa, and that all staff assigned to perform services for the project are licensed or certified to perform such services in Alabama. In addition, please include a statement confirming that the Respondent is not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation by any state or federal department or agency. Finally, for the five year period preceding submission of the proposal, please identify (1) all contracts terminated (in whole or in part) by clients for convenience or default, including contract value, description of work, project owner, contract number, and name and telephone number for a representative of the project owner; (2) all claims made against the Respondent arising out of the Respondents professional services; and (3) all litigation (including any arbitration or mediation proceedings) to which the Respondent has been a party.1 If no contracts have been terminated, or if the Respondent has not been a party to any claims or litigation, please include a statement to that effect. 3.2 Conflicts of Interest 1 The disclosure of terminated contracts, claims, or litigation will not automatically disqualify a Respondent from consideration. The Selection Committee will review any matter disclosed, and make an independent determination as to whether the matter should disqualify the Respondent from consideration. 5 Please identify all actual or potential conflicts of interest that would prevent the Respondent from entering into a professional relationship with the City generally, or for this project specifically.2 If no such conflicts exist, please include a statement to that effect. 3.3 Background Information The background information should describe in general the Respondents history and its experience in providing environmental assessment services for government agencies, not for profit corporations and others. It should also describe the Respondents size, and identify key ownership and management personnel. If the Respondent is a minority-owned or woman-owned business, please include a statement to that effect. The background information should also identify the location of the Respondents home office or headquarters, and identify the location of the Respondents office or offices where work and services for the City will be performed. 3.4 Firm Experience The proposal should identify at least three projects or studies which the Respondent has completed within the last five years, which the Respondent believes are similar to the proposed project, or otherwise relevant to the project or services to be performed. For each project identified, please provide the following information: Project title, owner, and location Client contact person, address, and phone number Respondents project manager for the project Detailed description of the project and the services provided by the Respondent Year services were performed and date(s) of project construction Construction costs Respondents fee for the project State whether the project was completed on time. If the project was not completed on time, please state how long the project extended beyond the scheduled completion date, and provide an explanation of why the project went beyond the scheduled completion date. If the project description and abbreviated scope of work set out in Part 2 identifies this project as being funded in whole or in part by any federal or state grant program, please include projects the Respondent has completed which were funded under the same or substantially similar grant program. 3.5 Project Understanding and Approach 2 The disclosure of actual or potential conflicts of interest will not automatically disqualify a Respondent from consideration. The Selection Committee will review any actual or potential conflicts, and make an independent determination as to whether the conflict should disqualify the Respondent from consideration. 6 The proposal should demonstrate the Respondents understanding of the project, and describe the Respondents proposed approach to the project and the activities to be accomplished. Please provide a proposed work plan which identifies project milestones (e.g., project elements, measures, and deliverables), and the Respondents anticipated timeline for accomplishing each milestone. 3.6 Project Team Identify the project manager and key personnel who will be assigned to the project team. Describe the specific services that will be performed by the project team members, and how each team members background, education, and experience relates to their assigned role. In addition, please address the project teams ability to perform the required work within the Respondents proposed timeline, in light of their current and projected workload and assignments. Please provide resumes for all members of the proposed project team, and identify the location from which each of the team members will be working. If the Respondent proposes to use subconsultants to perform any part of the work or services for the project, please provide the following information: The corporate or company name of each subconsultant, and names of the officer or principals of the subconsultant who will perform work on the project A description of each subconsultants role, and the work or services to be performed A description of previous joint work between the Respondent and the subconsultant Particular experience of the subconsultants key personnel, including past projects and resumes. If any proposed subconsultant is a minority-owned or woman-owned business, please include a statement to that effect. 3.7 Quality Assurance and Quality Control The proposal should describe how the responding Respondent will provide quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) for the project. Identify the individuals that will be involved in QA/QC services. If your firm has a structured QA/QC program, briefly describe the program and how it will be applied to the project. 7 PART 4 INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROPOSALS Before submitting a proposal, the Respondent should carefully review the entire RFP and be familiar with its contents. Submission of a proposal shall be considered evidence that the Respondent has fully studied the RFP and is familiar with the general conditions to be encountered in performing any services. 4.1 Format of Proposals Proposals shall be 8.5 x 11" in size. General brochure type information is to be kept to a minimum, and the proposal shall be a maximum of 20 one-sided pages or 10 two-sided pages. Proposals may be written in either Times New Roman or Calibri font, and the font size must be 12-point or larger. 4.2 Inquiries The City will accept inquiries on the contents and requirements of the RFP in electronic form only. Inquiries may only be submitted by email. Inquiries should be submitted to: Margaret Desjarlais Office of Community & Neighborhood Services mdesjarlais@tuscaloosa.com Inquiries must be submitted at least seven (7) days before the deadline for submission of proposals. For this RFP, the deadline for inquiries is July 6, 2022 at 5:00 Central Standard Time, after which time no further inquiries will be addressed by the City. If the City chooses to respond to an inquiry, the City will do so in writing, in the form of an addendum to this RFP. The addendum will be sent to all recipients of the RFP, and will be posted to the Citys website at www.tuscaloosa.com/bids. Each addendum issued by the City shall become part of this RFP and proposals shall include any work or requirements described in the addendum. No addendum will be issued or posted less than 72 hours before the deadline for submission of proposals. 4.3 Submission of Proposals Proposals must be received by the City by 5:00 Central Standard Time on July 13, 2022. Late proposals will not be accepted or reviewed. It is the Respondents responsibility to ensure that the proposal is submitted and received within the time required by this RFP. The City is not responsible for delayed or late deliveries due to mailing or delivery service. Proposals should be clearly labeled with the OCA file number: OCA File Number: A22-0642 http://www.tuscaloosa.com/bids 8 Respondents must submit proposals electronically. Electronic submissions should be made in Portable Document Format (PDF) file format, and should be sent to via email to: Oto Tuamokumo Office of the City Attorney otuamokumo@tuscaloosa.com The Respondents email should reference the OCA file number listed above. The Respondent is responsible for obtaining confirmation that the City received the Respondents proposal. 4.4 Additional Items Related to Proposals a. Proposal Rejection/Proposal Costs By issuing this RFP, the City does not commit to entering into a contract, to paying any costs incurred in the preparation of a proposal, or to procuring or contracting for services. The City reserves the right to cancel this RFP in whole or in part, to reject any and/or all proposals, to accept the proposal it considers the most favorable to the Citys interests in its sole discretion, and to waive irregularities or informalities in any proposal or in the proposal procedures. The City reserves the right to reject all proposals and issue a new RFP, at its sole discretion. All proposals and other materials submitted in response to this RFP will become property of the City. b. Contract and Insurance Requirements The City has standard contract and insurance requirements for professional services contracts, and is unable to make substantial changes to the requirements for the contract to be used for this project. The laws of the State of Alabama shall govern the contract executed between the successful Consultant and the City, as well as any interpretations or constructions thereof. Further, the place of performance and transaction of business shall be deemed to be in the City of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and in the event of litigation, the exclusive venue and place of jurisdiction shall be in the Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. c. Requests for Additional Information The City reserves the right to request additional information to clarify the proposals. 4.05 Public Records Each Respondent is hereby informed that, upon submission of its proposal to the City in response to this RFP, the proposal becomes the property of the City. Unless otherwise compelled by a court order, the City will not disclose any proposal while the City conducts its deliberative process in accordance with the procedures identified in this RFP. However, after the City either awards an agreement to a successful Consultant, or the City rejects all proposals, the City shall consider each proposal subject to the public disclosure requirements of the Alabama 9 Open Records Act (Ala. Code 36-12-40) and Tuscaloosa City Code 2-4, unless there is a legal exception to public disclosure. If a Respondent believes that any portion of its proposal is subject to a legal exception to public disclosure, the Respondent shall: (1) clearly mark the relevant portions of its proposal Confidential; (2) upon request from the City, identify the legal basis for exception from disclosure under the Open Records Act; and (3) defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the City regarding any claim by any third party for the public disclosure of the Confidential portion of the qualifications submittal. 10 PART 5 SELECTION PROCEDURE The City will use a Selection Committee of qualified City employees for the evaluation of proposals. This is a qualifications-based procurement for professional services, in which the qualifications of the responding Consultants will be reviewed and evaluated, and the most qualified firm will be selected, subject to negotiation of fair and reasonable compensation. The Selection Committee will review the proposals submitted in response to this RFP, and rate the proposals based on the following grading system, which includes both numerical and pass/fail criteria: Numerically-Scored Criteria Max. Points Firm Experience 10 Project Understanding and Approach 20 Project Team 5 Quality Assurance and Quality Control 10 Minority- or Woman-Owned Business 5 Pass/Fail Criteria Compliance with RFP Instructions P/F Licensing and Professional Standing P/F Conflicts of Interest P/F The Selection Committee will eliminate from consideration any proposal which receives a Fail grade on any one or more of the pass/fail criteria for evaluation. After review and evaluation of the proposals, the Selection Committee may select one or more Respondents for interviews. However, the Selection Committee is not required to conduct interviews. The Selection Committee may determine that interviews are not necessary for the selection process, and such decision is within the sole discretion of the Selection Committee. When the Selection Committee concludes its work, it will make a recommendation to the City Councils Community Development Committee or Public Projects Committee, and request authority to begin negotiating an agreement, including final scope of work and fees for services, with the successful Respondent. Upon approval by the Community Development or Projects Committee, City staff will begin contract negotiations with the successful Respondent. If the negotiations are unsuccessful, of if an agreement cannot be reached within a reasonable time, as determined by the City, then City staff will terminate negotiations the firm, and will request authority from the Projects Committee to begin negotiations with another Respondent. Any compensation discussed with one Respondent will not be disclosed or discussed with any other Respondent. Upon the conclusion of negotiations, the successful Respondent will enter into an agreement with the City. The agreement shall not be in force until it is approved by the Tuscaloosa City Council, and 11 it is signed by the Mayor. The City cannot pay for any work or services performed prior to the approval of the agreement by the City Council, and the issuance of a notice to proceed by the City. Please note, this RFP does not guarantee that the City will make any contract award. The City reserves the right to modify, amend, or withdraw this RFP, in whole or in part, at any time and for any reason, in its sole discretion. The City also reserves the right to reject all proposals, in its sole discretion.