ANNOUNCEMENT The Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization (TPO), which is housed within the Knoxville-Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC), is soliciting qualifications from firms, joint ventures and/or partnerships to prepare a series of Regional Greenway Planning studies in the Knoxville, Tennessee, region. Qualifications must be received by 4 p.m. EST on Oct. 15, 2012. Tentative Project Schedule The process for selecting a design team and the contract schedule are as follows: Qualifications Submitted Oct. 15 Consultant(s) Interviewed early to mid November Consultant(s) Selected Nov. 15 Contract Commencement Jan. 2, 2013 This timetable is for the consultants information. Project constraints and contracts may cause these dates to change. The MPC/TPO reserves the right to amend this RFQ. Any amendments will be posted on the web at www.knoxtrans.org. If you download the RFQ from the website it is your responsibility to periodically check to see if an amendment has been posted. The MPC/TPO reserves the right to determine which response is in its best interest and to reject any and all responses or waive any irregularities in the process. Contacts Answers to questions or additional information may be obtained by contacting Ms. Ellen Zavisca at: Knoxville Regional TPO Attn: Ellen Zavisca, Senior Transportation Planner 400 W. Main St., Suite 403 Knoxville, TN 37902 E-mail: ellen.zavisca@knoxtrans.org Questions will be accepted through Oct. 8, 2012. All questions must be in writing and submitted to Ms. Zavisca either via e-mail or mail. Questions and responses will be compiled and posted by Oct. 9, 2012, on the following website: www.knoxtrans.org. 1
Project background The MPC/TPO, on behalf of the Great Smoky Mountains Regional Greenway Council (RGC), is seeking assistance in creating one (1) or more small-scale ($25,000-$50,000) regional greenway corridor plans over the course of multiple years. The RGC is a coalition of local governments, agencies and individuals working together to coordinate, plan and promote greenway construction in the greater Knoxville region. Member entities support the RGC by paying annual dues and sending representatives to its meetings. The RGC has traditionally been open to any local governments in the counties that border Knox County or the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Current membership includes local governments from Knox, Blount, Sevier and Union counties. The RGC also regularly engages with local governments from Anderson, Loudon and Cocke counties. One of the roles of the RGC is to support regional greenway planning by using its collected dues to fund the local match for greenway planning studies that might not otherwise be created. In 2009, the RGC initiated the process and funded the local match to create the Knox/Blount Regional Greenway Master Plan for Maryville, Alcoa and Blount County, Phase One. (The plan can be found on the RGC website, smokymountainsgreenways.org, in the Plans section. Responders to this RFQ are encouraged to visit the RGC website to learn more about greenways in the Knoxville region.) This plan looks at how the existing greenway systems in Knoxville, Maryville and Alcoa could be linked. It supports the RGC s larger goal of linking Knoxville to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park via greenway trail. The purpose of this RFQ is to find assistance for creating similar small-scale plans that further the RGC s goal of linking greenway systems in the Knoxville region. Ideally, the individuals or team selected as the result of this RFQ will contract with the MPC/TPO to produce a series (up to three [3] over three [3] years) of regional greenway plans in consultation with the RGC. The exact scope of work for each study will be determined once a consulting team is under contract. We anticipate that each greenway planning study scope of work would likely include the following deliverables: A description and visual depiction of suggested routes based on an analysis of relevant factors A description of why that route was chosen over other possible routes A general description of the purposes and benefits of greenways, especially greenways that are regional in scale, including economic benefits Possible greenway corridor planning studies to be undertaken by the selected consultants may include: Linking the planned Knox/Blount greenway (Knoxville, Knox County, Alcoa and Maryville) to the Townsend greenway A greenway link connecting Knoxville s Weisgarber Greenway, Knoxville/Knox 2
County s 10 Mike Creek Greenway and Knox County s Pellissippi Greenway A greenway link between existing or planned greenways in Knox County to existing or planned greenways in urbanized Anderson County Contents of Qualifications All submissions of qualifications shall comply with the following instructions. These instructions ensure that (1) submissions contain the information and documents required by this RFQ; and (2) the submissions have a degree of uniformity to facilitate evaluation. Failure to include ANY of these items or to comply with these instructions may result in a submission of qualifications being rejected. 1. Qualifications must be limited to 20 pages, excluding the appendix (which should be limited to 10 pages) and cover letter (maximum of 2 pages), utilize 11-point font, and be submitted in five (5) double-sided hard copies and one digital copy, using a digital format such as Adobe Acrobat. All qualifications must include, at a minimum, the following: a. Primary contact name, address, phone number and e-mail address; b. Specific background information about the firm(s) and individual(s) who will work on various elements of any resultant contract including a list and description of key subcontractors. Include information about professional licenses; c. An organizational chart for the Project Team along with relevant experience and description of project involvement for each team member (preference will be given to teams that have worked together successfully on similar projects); d. A statement of project understanding and project approach; e. Demonstration of experience on similar projects that includes a portfolio of no more than three (3) examples of similar planning projects. Example projects should demonstrate the Project Team s experience using GIS and visualization tools to depict where trails will go and how they will look. For each example, include an overview of the planning project; a brief description of how the project is similar to this one; a list the project team (key personnel and subcontractors); progress of the plan and implementation; the planning project budget; and references; f. A brief discussion of a public involvement process and community outreach effort that should occur as part of these studies; g. A brief description of the team s experience with analyzing the positive fiscal impacts of greenways; h. Any additional information deemed necessary to explain your expertise and capabilities relevant to this project should be placed in an appendix. 2. Cover Letter: A cover letter from a principal in the firm submitting the qualification on behalf of their company or team. This letter shall agree to all terms and conditions in this RFQ, and specifically include the following certifications: 3
a. No member or employee of the Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC), no member or employee of the Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) governing body or member jurisdiction exercising any functions or responsibilities with respect to this project shall during his or her tenure, or for one year thereafter, have any interest, direct or indirect, in any proceeds thereof. b. The offering firm is not party to an outstanding lawsuit against the MPC. 3. References: A minimum of three (3) references, complete with address and telephone number, of the governmental entities for which the contractor has performed similar work. As least one reference should be from a project that was offered as an example project in response to Item 1e above. The MPC/TPO makes no commitment to any firm which responds to the RFQ and will not reimburse any firm for costs incurred in preparing its initial information; or for its interview, if held; or for any costs incurred prior to notice to proceed to a firm to perform the designated work. The following certifications will be required for all prime Project Team members and subcontractors once a firm has been selected: a. Statement of the firm s program and policy addressing Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action; b. Non-Collusion Affidavit; c. Certification of Restrictions on Lobbying; d. Certificate of lower-tier participants debarment, suspension, ineligibility, and voluntary exclusion Interested parties are encouraged to submit their qualifications as comprehensively as possible because qualifications will be subject to an initial ranking without interviews. Erasures, interlineations or other modifications in the proposal shall be initialed in original ink by the authorized person signing the Statement of Qualifications. Periods of time, stated as a number of days, shall be calendar days. It is the responsibility of all Qualifiers to examine the entire Request for Qualifications package and seek clarification of any item or requirement that may not be clear and to check all responses for accuracy before submitting a qualification. Negligence in preparing an offer confers no right of withdrawal after due time and date. 4
Submitting Address and Deadline Qualifications must be received by 4 p.m. EST on Oct. 15, 2012. The mailing address is: Knoxville Regional TPO Attn: Ellen Zavisca, Senior Transportation Planner 400 W. Main St., Suite 403 Knoxville, TN 37902 Responses should be clearly marked REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS: Regional Greenway Planning Evaluation Criteria The intent of MPC/TPO s policy on procurement of professional services is to select the most qualified individual(s) or firm(s) to perform needed services when such services cannot be performed by MPC/TPO personnel due to time restrictions, requirement of specialized skills, or other valid reasons. An evaluation committee, using the criteria listed below, will evaluate all qualifications statements received by the MPC/TPO: Criterion Professional qualifications and specialized experience of the firm(s) in preparing similar studies. Professional qualifications and experience of the individual(s) who will make up the Project Team (including experience working together on similar studies), and qualifications and experience of the proposed Project Manager. Understanding of greenway planning issues including pedestrian and bicycle transportation, recreation and tourism; and the costs and fiscal impacts of greenway trails. Demonstrated ability to conduct successful public involvement techniques and community relations. Ability to produce high-quality work that demonstrates outstanding graphic skills. Approximate weight 15 percent 20 percent 30 percent 20 percent 15 percent Selection Process The evaluation committee will analyze all qualified submissions received by the deadline. Failure to comply with the provisions of this RFQ may cause any submission of qualification to be ineligible for evaluation. Following the evaluation, one of the following courses of action will be taken: 1. Recommend to the MPC/TPO that a limited number of firm(s) (1-3) or individual(s) 5
be chosen to attend an interview. An interviews or interviews will be conducted before a team is selected. Specific requirements of the interview process will be issued to the selected firm(s) or individual(s) once this path has been selected; or 2. Reject all submissions of qualifications. Once a firm is selected, the MPC/TPO will enter into contract negotiations with the selected firm(s) or individual(s). Should such negotiations fail to result in a contract, the MPC/TPO may negotiate with the firm(s) or individual(s) deemed to be the second most qualified. Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Notice MPC/TPO notifies all respondents that it will affirmatively ensure, that, in regard to any contracts entered into pursuant to this notice, Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) will be afforded full opportunity to submit material in response to this RFQ. MPC/TPO will not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, or disability, in consideration for an award. MPC/TPO hereby notifies all respondents that in connection with the performance of any resultant contract, the firm(s) or individual(s) will cooperate with MPC/TPO in meeting its commitments and goals with regard to the maximum utilization of disadvantaged business enterprises and will use their best efforts to insure that DBE shall have the maximum practicable opportunity to compete for subcontract work. The MPC/TPO has historically had a goal of ten (10) percent for DBE participation. MPC/TPO notifies all respondents that all firm(s) or individual(s) shall comply with the regulations relative to nondiscrimination in federally assisted programs of the Department of Transportation s Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended. 6