REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TOWN OF HARTFORD HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION HARTFORD BUSINESS ORAL HISTORY PROJECT JANUARY, 2014

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1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TOWN OF HARTFORD HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION HARTFORD BUSINESS ORAL HISTORY PROJECT JANUARY, 2014 The Town of Hartford is seeking the services of a consultant to assist the Historic Preservation Commission with an oral history project that focuses on interviewing Hartford residents who owned or were employed by a business in Hartford. Funds for the project have been provided by the United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, for the Certified Local Government Program of Vermont's annual program grant under the provisions of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (P.L ), as amended. About Hartford Hartford is located in the heart of the Upper Valley region and consists of five villages (White River Junction, Hartford, Wilder, Quechee and West Hartford) and several smaller hamlets. With a population of 10,000 residents, Hartford is the ninth largest community in Vermont. First chartered in 1761, Hartford has three major rivers (Connecticut, White and Ottauquechee) along with a rich mill history. The first railroad train in Vermont left White River Junction on June 26, 1848 and for the next century White River Junction had the distinction of being one of the busiest railroad towns in northern New England. About the Hartford Historic Preservation Commission Hartford became a Certified Local Government (CLG) in 1993 and the Hartford Historic Preservation Commission (HHPC) was formed shortly thereafter. Since then, the HHPC has used several historic preservation grants to prepare historic district nominations to the National Register of Historic Places for properties throughout the Town s many villages and hamlets. Other projects have included an Historic Sites and Structures Survey, historic district brochures, historic district signs, Design Plan and Design Guidelines for Downtown White River Junction, oral history projects and a barn census. Background of Hartford s Oral History Program In 2003, the Hartford Oral History Program was launched. With assistance from a CLG grant, it focused on training to set up a volunteer oral history program. It also resulted in the first ten interviews. In 2005, a second oral history grant resulted in completing transcriptions of most of the interviews. In 2012, a third oral history grant project was undertaken which focused on agricultural oral history. To date, approximately 90 people have been interviewed for the Program. In the past fifty years, Hartford and the Upper Valley region have undergone many changes. The Interstate Highway system provided access to the region at the same time passenger and freight rail declined. Downtown White River Junction, which had served as the retail service center of the region was replaced by interchange development in adjoining West Lebanon and the last of the Town s textile mills closed. Many farms ceased operating and farmland was converted to

2 residential and commercial uses to accommodate population growth. Hartford has a rich business history that has evolved with the changes. The HHPC is interested in documenting the experiences of Hartford residents who owned or worked for a Hartford business. Specifications of Work to be Completed The following materials and work shall be furnished by the Consultant: 1. The Consultant will conduct a minimum of twenty (20) interviews. 2. The Consultant will provide written transcriptions of all of the interviews 3. The Consultant will contact interviewees to confirm interview date, time and location. 4. The Consultant will undertake the interviews using high quality recording equipment. 5. The Consultant will provide field notes of each interview on a form provided by the Town. 6. The Consultant will provide digital photographs of each person interviewed and photographs of any artifacts or photographs that the interviewee might show the consultant during the interview. 7. The Consultant will complete a summary report which describes business life in Hartford and provides a synopsis of the interviews. 8. The Consultant will provide to the Town and the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation a CD of the audio recorded interviews, summary report, all field notes and photographs, and two hard copies of the summary report with photographs. 9. The Consultant will participate in one community meeting, along with interviewees, to discuss Hartford s business past. The following materials and work shall be furnished by the Town: 1. The Town will provide the Consultant with a list of individuals who are willing to be interviewed about their work experiences in Hartford. 2. Working with the Consultant, the Town will develop a tentative schedule for the interviews and contact interviewees. 3. The Town will provide the release form for all interviewees to sign. 4. The Town will organize, schedule and advertise the community meeting. Schedule of Performance Page 2 of 5

3 The following is a proposed schedule. The consultant may modify the schedule, but due to grant requirements, the September completion date may not be extended. DATE February 14, 2014 Week of 2/17/14 Week of 2/24/14 Week of 3/3/14 March August 2014 March August 2014 June 30, 2014 July 31, 2014 August 15, 2014 August 29, 2014 September 5, 2014 September 19, 2014 October, 2014 Task/Product Competed Deadline for proposals Review proposals, If necessary, interview consultants Select consultant, contract prepared and signed Conduct oral history interviews Prepare written transcriptions Complete ½ of the interviews Complete ½ of the transcriptions Complete remaining interviews Complete remaining transcriptions Submit draft project summary report to Town for Review Submission of audio recordings, written transcripts, final summary report, field notes and photographs to the Town & State Community meeting with consultant and interviewees to discuss Hartford s business past Consultant Qualifications The Consultant selected for this work must: 1. Be an oral history professional or possess knowledge about Vermont history. 2. Experience with oral history interviewing preferred. 3. Own or lease recording equipment for the interviews at the consultant s expense. 4. Comply with the provisions of 18 U.S.C regarding lobbying with appropriated monies. 5. Comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of race, color or national origin, against people with handicaps, and on the basis of disability and age. 6. Comply with all the requirements of Title 21 V.S.A., Chapter 5, and Subchapter 6 relating to fair employment practices to the extent applicable. 7. Comply with Federal requirements governing grants (Office of Management and Budget circulars A-87 or A-122, 43 CFR 12 or A-110, and A-128). 8. Hold the State of Vermont and the Town of Hartford and its officers and employees harmless from any damages to persons or property arising from any act, omission or action relating to this project. Page 3 of 5

4 9. Furnish periodic updates to the Town about progress of the project. 10. Promptly inform the Town of any significant problems, delays or adverse conditions. Basis for Selection of Consultant The consultant will be selected based upon the following criteria: 1. Demonstrated ability to carry out the project. 2. Quality of the proposal. 3. Number of interviews to be conducted 4. Prior experience/record of performance: a. Resume. b. Experience on similar projects. 5. Availability/ability to work within time schedule. 6. Ability to work with the public and Town staff. 7. Ability to comply with grant requirements. Proposal Instructions Proposals should address the "Specifications of Work to Be Completed" and "Basis for Selection" as specified in this RFP; and the method and procedure to be used to fulfill the requirements. This will be a lump sum contract. The total budget for the project cannot exceed $10,000. If the proposal exceeds $10,000, the consultant shall select areas that will be eliminated from the scope of work. In addition, the Consultant should provide a list of oral history projects that they have worked on and a minimum of three references. Submission of Proposal The deadline for submission of proposals is no later than Friday, February 14, 2014 at 4:00 p.m. Proposals submitted after this time and date will not be accepted. Electronic submissions are preferred. Please use Hartford Business Oral History Project under subject heading and include the proposal along with resume, a brief work sample a minimum of three references and send to mosborn@hartford-vt.org. If in the form of a hard copy, please submit five copies of the proposal along with resume, work sample and three references with the following information clearly printed on the outside: Hartford Business Oral History Project Town of Hartford Department of Planning and Development Services 171 Bridge Street White River Junction, VT Fax submittals will not be accepted. Page 4 of 5

5 Limitations of Liability Hartford Business Oral History Project Request for Proposals The Town of Hartford assumes no responsibility and no liability for costs incurred by proposer in responding to this Request for Proposal, or in responding to any further request for interviews, additional data, etc. prior to the issuance of a contract. Revisions to the Request for Proposals The Town of Hartford reserves the right to modify any technical and submission requirements associated with this proposal and the scope of work. Rejection of Proposals The Town of Hartford reserves the right to reject any or all proposals or to award contracts in whole or in part if it is in the best interest of the Town. Insurance Requirement Prior to signing a contract with the Town, the Consultant must provide the Town of Hartford with proof of the following insurance: Commercial General Liability Insurance: Includes but not limited to Bodily Injury, Personal/ Advertising Injury, Broad Form Property Damage, Products and Completed Operation Liability and Contractual Liability within the limits of, at minimal, $1,000,000 Combined Single Limit for each occurrence. The Consultant must list the Town as an Additional Insured on its Commercial General Liability Policy. Workers Compensation & Employers Liability: Within limits of, at minimal, $500,000 for any one occurrence. Please note that in some cases, Worker s Compensation Insurance may not be required if you are a single owner business and meet certain criteria. Contacts For More Information Matt Osborn, AICP, Planner Devin Colman, State Architectural Historian Dept. of Planning and Development Services Vermont Division for Historic Preservation 171 Bridge Street National Life Building, North, 6 th Floor White River Jct., VT 0500l Montpelier, VT mosborn@hartford-vt.org devin.colman@state.vt.us Page 5 of 5