REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Town of Brattleboro, VT June 22, 2010 BACKGROUND: The Town of Brattleboro has conducted an extensive planning process for the reconstruction of the Putney Road (US Route 5) corridor between the West River and Exit 3 on Interstate 91. Within this corridor lies Crosby Brook listed as impaired for the Class B water quality standard, and on the State of Vermont 303(d) impaired waters list. Based on extensive water quality monitoring, geomorphic assessments and nonpoint source pollution source inventories the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has determined that the brook is impaired by excess sediment and temperature. Stormwater runoff from the Route 5 corridor, Interstate 91 and Exit 3 of Interstate 91 has been shown to contribute to the impairment of the brook. This section of Route 5 is proposed for reconstruction by the Vermont Agency of the Transportation (VTrans) in the next ten years. OVERVIEW: The Town in collaboration with DEC, and VTrans was awarded a State of Vermont federal highway bill Transportation Enhancement (TE) Grant. The Town seeks consultant services for a comprehensive study of the existing public stormwater infrastructure in three project areas: 1. Route 5 from the West River (at Veterans Bridge) to Old Ferry Road 2. Interstate 91 drainages discharging into the Crosby Brook watershed 3. Interstate 91 Exit 3 east to the bridge across the Connecticut River The DEC Stormwater Section has completed a GIS drainage survey and a preliminary list of stormwater management options for the watershed which appear in the TE grant application. ALL WORK WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING: VTrans CADD Manual / MicroStation and Intergraph format Consultant Contract Provisions, dated October 1998 (from LTF Guidebook on Agency's web site). LTF Guidebook LTF Project Development Process Grant Agreement between VTrans and the Town of Brattleboro VTrans Design & Construction Standards (see Attachment F of Grant Agreement) VTrans Procedures for Selecting Contractors and Specifications for Contractor Services, Including Customary State Contract Provisions
ESSENTIAL PROJECT ACTIVITIES: The project comprises four (4) main activities (1.A, 1.B, 2.A, 2.B). Proposals must respond to all requirements as specified. 1 1.A. Project Area 1: Alternative Conceptual Designs for Stormwater Outfall Develop alternative conceptual designs from the Putney Road Crosby Brook drainage which eliminates the current discharge points and replaces them with one or more to the Connecticut River. The outfalls should intercept existing drainage lines and any new drainage lines proposed as part of the Putney Road reconstruction. The outfalls should have stormwater treatment designed to meet at a minimum the 2002 (or most current) VT Stormwater Manual design standard for water quality. The stormwater collection, conveyance, treatment, and discharge design alternatives shall consider all stormwater runoff discharging into and/or through the State Highway right-of-way in this Project Area. Each alternative should be supported by preliminary analysis to identify: i. all rights of way ii. utilities iii. environmental impacts iv. water quality benefit v. all potential conflicts associated with the option. 1.B. Project Area 1: Recommend Final Approach 2 Based on the alternatives provided in 1.A. using preliminary analysis, recommend one final approach with more detailed analysis including but not limited to: i. Federal, State and Local permitting 3 ii. Estimated cost and time line iii. Any necessary property or easement acquisition, ownership and probable cost iv. Preliminary, final and construction engineering costs v. Construction cost of outfall and related structures from US Route 5 to the Connecticut River vi. Water quality benefit vii. viii. Annual maintenance cost of structure(s) The stormwater design should account for the full build-out of the contributing drainage and should be designed as a trunk line with the potential for lateral lines to serve existing and new drainage as the result of redevelopment along the Putney Road and adjacent parcels. The design should be capable of handling and safely passing a 25 year design storm hydrologic event. 4 1 See Appendices 1, 2, 3. 2 The consultant s recommendations will receive conceptual approval from the VTrans Putney Road Project Office, VTrans Operations Environmental Program Manager, VTrans Program Development Environmental Stormwater Engineer, ANR Stormwater Section, and the District 2 Transportation Administrator. All recommendations will reflect comments received from the Town of Brattleboro. No recommendation can be made that cannot be permitted by all responsible agencies. 3 The outfall pipe(s) will likely pass under the New England Central RR tracks to discharge at the Connecticut River. 4 The consultant s recommendations will be consistent with the Towns plans in the commercial areas adjacent to the Route 5 reconstruction area. The Putney Road Master Plan can be found at: http://brattleboro.govoffice.com/index.asp?type=b_basic&sec={12661629- DA99-43FE-A73F-B9897077B269} Implementation of the Master Plan has included amending the Zoning Ordinance. See North End District Six: http://brattleboro.govoffice.com/vertical/sites/{f60a5d5e-ac5c-4f97-891a615c172a5783}/uploads/{2f2959c1-7b82-4448-9b1d-14a7b3f2a45e}.pdf
ix. In addition the consultant will make recommendations for stormwater treatment practices that take advantage of existing A-B soils and that, to the degree possible complement local zoning stormwater/drainage requirements 5 2.A. Project Areas 2. and 3.: Develop Transportation Oriented Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMP) Develop transportation oriented stormwater best management practices for reducing the impact of the 1 year 24 hour runoff event (channel protection volume storm (CPv)) on Crosby Brook from the Interstate 91 and the Exit 3 right of way. Such practices will incorporate VTrans viewpoints regarding safety, maintenance and other state or federal highway concerns when proposing stormwater best management practices within the Interstate right of way. The stormwater collection, conveyance, treatment, and discharge best management design options shall consider all stormwater runoff discharging into and/or through the State Highway right-of-way in this Project Area. To the extent possible the stormwater treatment best management practices should at a minimum meet the 2002 (or most current) VT Stormwater Management Manual design standard for recharge, water quality and channel protection. Where there is insufficient room to meet all 3 standards the designs should follow the state s stormwater retrofit engineering and feasibility analysis procedure (5/5/2005 or most current) and retrofit design standards in the manual. Each recommendation for the practice should contain preliminary discussion of the following: i. rights of way ii. utilities iii. environmental impacts iv. water quality benefits v. any other potential conflicts 2.B. Project Areas 2 and 3.: Recommended Program of Transportation Oriented Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMP) 6 Based on the selected BMPs identified in 2.A. and the preliminary analysis recommend a program of final practices and provide more detailed analysis including but not limited to: i. Federal, State and Local permitting including estimated cost and time line ii. Any necessary property or easement acquisition, ownership and probable cost iii. Preliminary, final and construction engineering costs iv. Construction cost of structure(s) v. Annual maintenance cost of structure(s) 5 Brattleboro Zoning Code 4349. Drainage: All site development shall include provisions for the environmentally safe discharge of surface water. Drainage systems shall be designed so as to permit no increase in the peak discharge of water as a result of the development. Surface water shall be retained on the site if necessary. No increase in any flow levels to off-site adjoining properties is permitted. The state agencies responsible for discharges into watercourses shall approve the proposed system. The Town's Public Works Department shall review and make recommendations on systems which use the Town's storm water system or are in any portion of a Town right-of-way. The Board may require that the drainage system be designed and installed under the direction of a certified civil engineer. 6 The consultant s recommendations will receive conceptual approval comments from the VTrans Putney Road Project Office, VTrans Operations Environmental Program Manager, VTrans Program Development Environmental Stormwater Engineer, ANR Stormwater Section, and the District 2 Transportation Administrator. All recommendations will reflect comments received from the Town of Brattleboro. No recommendation can be made that cannot be permitted by all responsible agencies.
vi. vii. Estimated channel protection volume reduction, sediment reduction (lbs/yr) and recharge volume increase to the Crosby Brook watershed Water quality benefit FINAL PRODUCTS: All work products associated with the project, preliminary or final, paper and/or electronic format, shall be the property of the Town of Brattleboro, Planning Services Department. SCHEDULES AND SUBMITTALS: The Awarded Consultant(s) shall accomplish all of the above project activities by the following schedule: Submit activities 1.A. & 2.A. no later than August 1, 2011 Submit activities 1.B. & 2.B. no later than March 1, 2012 PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS: Engineering services for this project will be procured through a RFP process and will be evaluated based on, but not limited to technical merit and cost proposals. This request is a solicitation for a Proposal that includes a technical proposal and cost proposal from qualified firms. All submissions become the property of the Town of Brattleboro upon submission. In order to be considered a submission must meet (but is not limited to) the following requirements: 1. Technical Proposal: A. A brief description of relevant past work. Applicants are strongly encouraged to describe examples of their work on not more than three (3) similar projects (these materials are not counted in the size limitation of the Proposal stated below). B. Resumes of the individuals who will be assigned to the project (these materials are not counted in the size limitation of the Proposal stated below). C. At least three, but not more than six, references (including contact information). D. Proposed Scope of Work (SOW) for achieving the Program activities, as described in RFP the SOW must include, but need not be limited to, the following: i. A description of the proposed approaches to completing the project activities. ii. A chart identifying the organizational structure proposed to be used to manage the project and to deliver Project Services that specifically identifies iii. the major proponent s designated principal-in-charge iv. the names of individuals performing key responsibilities v. each co-consultant and subcontractor and their roles E. a statement that the consultant will, if selected, be able to show proof of insurance that meets the requirements outlined in the LTF Guidebook. No warranty is made that the coverage and limits herein are adequate to cover and protect the interests of the consultant for the Consultant s operations. These are solely minimums that have been developed and must be met to protect the interests of the Town. F. Deliverables Timeline State what products will be delivered (including the formats of final products) and when such products will be delivered. G. Any Technical Proposal (excluding examples of past work and resumes) must not exceed ten (10) pages (five sheets, if printed double-sided).
2. Cost Proposal: that identifies the not-to-exceed costs for completing the Project described in the SOW (the cost of preparing, submitting, and presenting a proposal is at the sole expense of each proponent) with: A. Cost breakdowns for completing major Project tasks described in the SOW 3. Submission of Proposal: (Five (5) copies each of the Technical and Cost Proposal must be submitted each in two separate envelopes or packages (i.e. one Technical Proposal, one Cost Proposal). A. Clearly indicate the following on the outside of each sealed package: Proposal Title [ Technical or Cost Proposal Town of Brattleboro Putney Road- Crosby Brook Stormwater Design Project ] B. Name and address of the principal applicant Submissions must be received by 4:00 p.m. Friday, July 30, 2010 at: Planning Services Department Town of Brattleboro 230 Main Street Suite 202 Brattleboro, VT 05301 Attn: [Technical/Cost] Proposal Putney Road-Crosby Brook Stormwater Design Project QUESTIONS CONCERNING RESPONSES TO THIS RFP: All questions regarding this RFP must be submitted in writing and received not later than 4:00 pm on Friday July 16, 2010. Questions should be sent to: Rod Francis, Planning Director Town of Brattleboro rfrancis@brattleboro.org (or physical address above) Answers to submitted questions will be posted on the Town s website periodically from July 19, 2010 to July 23, 2010 (http://www.brattleboro.org/index.asp?type=b_basic&sec={c251c670-2772-479a-af33- B871BB6A8D71} A summary of all questions will be sent certified mail to all parties requesting an RFP on July 28, 2010.
PROPOSAL REVIEW CRITERIA AND AWARD: A Selection Committee consisting of representatives from the Town, DEC, and VTrans will select the Awarded Consultant based on the following criteria: Review Criteria Weight Max. Points Points* Weight Understanding of the Project (Scope-of-Work) 5 5 25 Knowledge of the Project Area 2 5 10 Availability of Technical Disciplines 3 5 15 Qualifications / Experience of Proposed Staff 2 5 10 Ability to Meet Schedules & Budgets 2 5 10 Past Performance on Similar Projects 4 5 20 Knowledge of Federal and State Standards and Policies 2 5 10 TOTAL 100 The Selection Committee members will individually rank the Technical Proposals first. Once a final ranking is agreed upon, the cost proposals will then be opened and used as a secondary consideration in order to determine the best value for the Town of Brattleboro. The Selection Committee reserves the right to: 1. Clarification of any proposal submitted 2. Any formality and any technicality 3. Reject any and all proposals received as a result of this solicitation 4. Cancel the RFP in part or in its entirety if it is in the best interest of the Town The Selection Committee at its discretion may conduct interviews of proposal finalists during the week of August 16, 2010, the Town anticipates making the award no later than August 30, 2010. This solicitation of proposals in no way obligates the Town of Brattleboro to award a contract. CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS: The Consultant will be registered with the Secretary of State to do business in the State of Vermont prior to contract signing. All prospective consultants and subconsultants must be on the VTrans qualified list, or found eligible for addition to that list. A completed copy of the Agency s Form AF38 will also be required prior to being awarded a contract. One copy of this financial information for the prime consultant as well as one copy of the financial information for each firm designated as a sub-consultant. The information submitted shall meet the requirements of Form AF38 at a level commensurate with the anticipated magnitude of each sub-consultant s proposed work. Complete audited financial statements, balance sheets, etc. do not need to be submitted, if that information is on file with VTrans. Please note in the Cost proposal if this information is on file with VTrans. The awarded contract will be provided on a cost plus fixed fee basis. The reimbursement rate for direct expenses, such as meals, mileage, etc., will conform to the State Employee Contract rates as noted in the Grant Agreement.
The Consultant awarded this contract shall be responsible for furnishing properly supported indirect cost rates in accordance with the cost principles contained in 48 CFR Part 31 for all time periods covered by the contract for VTrans approval. If the Design Consultant already has current VTrans approved indirect cost rates, please note this in the Cost Proposal. It is expected that all consultants will make good faith efforts to solicit DBE sub-consultants. Prior to beginning any work, the Consultant shall obtain Insurance Coverage in accordance with the Consultant Contract Provisions located in the Local Transportation Facilities Guidebook. The certificate of insurance coverage shall be documented on forms acceptable to the Town. APPEAL PROCESS: If the award of the contract aggrieves any firm, they may appeal in writing to the Town of Brattleboro, 230 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT 05301. The appeal must be post-marked within fourteen (14) calendar days following the date of written notice to award the contract. Any decision of the Town Select Board is final.