REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL Public relations support and outreach services for Advanced Water Purification Program PROPOSALS DUE: Friday, December 19, 2014 12:00 p.m. SUBMIT PROPOSALS TO: Melissa McChesney Padre Dam Municipal Water District P.O. Box 719003 9300 Fanita Parkway Santee, CA 92072-9003 November 2014 Page - 1 -
Organization of this Document The (RFP) is organized in these sections: SECTION 1 Page 3 Scope of the Project: Provides background and goals of the project. SECTION 2 Page 4 Scope of Required Services: Provides the required objectives and related tasks for meeting the public relations and outreach goals, key timeframes for the project, and communications information. SECTION 3 Page 6 Proposal Instructions: Describes the required format for consultant proposals and presents administrative information on the conduct of the RFP process. SECTION 4 Page 8 Evaluation and Selection Criteria: Describes the process Padre Dam will use to evaluate and select consultant. SECTION 4...Page 9 Terms and Conditions: Provides standard terms and conditions of the contract. November 2014 Page - 2 -
Section 1: Scope of the Project Padre Dam Municipal Water District (Padre Dam) provides water, wastewater, and recycled water and recreation services for a service area population of 97,000 in the eastern suburbs of San Diego, California. Padre Dam imports 100 percent of its drinking water supply from hundreds of miles away, from the Sacramento Bay Delta and the Colorado River. Our economy, livelihood and well-being depend on having a reliable source of water. Recent drought and imported water supply challenges have highlighted the need for Padre Dam to explore new possible water sources to ensure a safe, reliable water supply and to safeguard the vitality of East County s economy and quality of life. Padre Dam s goal is to develop an Advanced Water Purification (AWP) Program to provide a reliable, local and drought proof water supply for our customers. Goals of the AWP Program include: 1. Produce a minimum of 15 percent of the District s potable supply 2. Price of water to be less than $2,000 per acre foot (all inclusive cost, capital and O&M following secondary treatment through introduction of the AWP water to the potable distribution system through groundwater recharge or reservoir augmentation) 3. Design a program that promotes full scale operation as soon as possible while gaining regulatory acceptance 4. Produce water quality meeting CDPH requirements for groundwater recharge & replenishment 5. Limit financial obligations to the District s sewer rate payers to the same level as if the District s wastewater flow would continue to be processed at the Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment System Padre Dam broke ground in October 2014 on our new AWP Demonstration Project. The project, funded through a three million dollar Proposition 50 grant from the Department of Water Resources, will use advanced water purification technologies to potentially diversify East County s water supply by providing a new source of water that is safe, reliable, locally controlled and drought-proof. The demonstration project is scheduled to begin operation in March 2015. The AWP Project will include the planning, design, installation and operation of a demonstration plant using Advanced Water Treatment technologies that meet or exceed the California Public Health Department s draft regulations. The water produced during this phase is for testing purposes only and will not be utilized in the drinking water system. If the demonstration project is a success and the project moves forward, it would provide up to 3,000 acre feet per year of drinking water to Padre Dam customers. This is approximately 15 percent of Padre Dam s current drinking water demands. An additional study is being conducted to consider the potential for expanding the Advanced Water Purification Program to include more East County communities. This proposed expanded project would include the service areas of Padre Dam Municipal Water District, Helix Water District, a portion of the County of San Diego, and the City of El Cajon. This study will evaluate expanding Padre Dam s Advanced Water Treatment facility, and advanced treatment systems, in order to provide a new water supply for additional local users beyond Padre Dam s water customers. Project Funding Funding for the AWP Demonstration Project has been secured by a State of California, Department of Water Resources, Proposition 50 Grant. A budget of $250,000 has been established for the public relations to support the project for the next three (3) calendar years. The budget for the three (3) calendar years is to be allocated approximately as follows: $100,000 for 2015; $75,000 for 2016; and $75,000 for 2017. The larger allocation for the first year is due to the development of tour programs and other outreach related to the opening of the Demonstration Project. Padre Dam highly encourages proposers to submit creative, innovative approaches to meeting the public relations objectives in Section 2 of this RPF. November 2014 Page - 3 -
Section 2: Scope of Required Services Padre Dam s Communications Officer will serve as the lead for public relations and outreach activities for the Advanced Water Purification Program. The purpose of the consultant for this project is to assist and augment the Communications Officer with public relations support. The consultant retained shall support the objectives listed below: 1. Create and maintain a positive public perception of the Advanced Water Purification Program with emphasis on a reliable, high quality, safe, drought proof water supply for Padre Dam. 2. Provide outreach communications in support of the Advanced Water Purification Program. 3. Educate the community on the benefits and goals of the indirect potable reuse (IPR) as related to the Advanced Water Purification Program. 4. Conduct outreach activities for the duration of the Advanced Water Purification Program to build support for and public understanding of this project. Tasks to support objectives of the AWP Program should include the following, but are not limited to the following: 1. Assist in developing effective communication methods. 2. Assist in the development a community outreach plan, tailored to meet District s goals. 3. Coordinate outreach and stakeholder meetings within the communities served by Padre Dam. Meeting coordination will include scheduling of and preparation for meetings. 4. Monitor and report perceptions of various individuals and groups and provide opportunities for transparent, two-way communications with all interested groups and individuals. 5. Assist with briefings for public officials and preparing for question and answer sessions. 6. Coordinate events at the AWP Demonstration Project including ribbon cutting at the start-up of the facility. 7. Coordinate tour program for the AWP Demonstration Project including electronic registration system and tour agenda and layout. 8. Assist in the development of publicity materials for the AWP Demonstration Project. Materials may include, but are not limited to, newsletters, brochures, project fact sheets, maps, graphics, and signage for the visitor s center and the AWP Demonstration Project site. 9. Assist in conducting media relations activities by providing, but not limited to, the following: media kits, news releases, presentations, seeking positive publicity for project through feature news stories, and media releases. 10. Participate in AWP Program team meetings and workshops with other project consultants and agencies when requested. Attend special Board Workshops or meetings as required. November 2014 Page - 4 -
11. Prepare monthly activity report describing progress of implementing community outreach plans, strategies, products, and accomplishments including but not limited to placed articles, brochure distribution, and newsletter coverage. The monthly report shall include an activity plan for the upcoming month. Special Considerations: 1. Consultant will provide as part of this proposal a proposed project schedule that delineates the needed public relations/public outreach tasks and conforms to the overall project schedule as outlined below: Oct. 2014 to Mar. 2015: Oct. 2014 to Feb. 2015: Mar. 2015 to Mar. 2016: Mar. 2016 to June 2016: June 2016 to 2017: Construction of Demonstration Project East County Feasibility study for full scale project Demonstration Plant Online and Testing Final Report on Demonstration Plant Results Analysis and Planning for next steps for full scale project 2. Padre Dam Municipal Water District owns all rights to generated and produced materials, including intellectual property rights. 3. All products will be provided in both hard and electronic formats. 4. The AWP Program is a multi-year effort. The AWP Demonstration Program is expected to go into the middle of 2016. The feasibility study for the East County approach will help the District to determine next steps after completion of the Demonstration Project. Proposal Assumptions 1. A preliminary stakeholders list will be prepared by Padre Dam, which will be supplemented by the selected consultant. 2. Consultant will attend monthly meetings with Padre Dam and other workshops/meetings as required. 3. Publicity materials may include fact sheets/brochures, postcards, quarterly electronic newsletter, customer newsletter articles and other materials as required. Rate schedules should include estimates for production and printing of publicity materials. Quantity can be assumed as 20,000. 4. Performs other duties of a similar nature as necessary. November 2014 Page - 5 -
Section 3: Proposal Instructions We require a uniform proposal format to help assist Padre Dam in fairly evaluating proposals. The proposal sections are listed below, please reference all numbered sections in the RFP. You may provide additional information relevant to a section, not specifically requested in the section of this RFP, at the end of such section of your response. Please submit your RFP in the following order of sections: 1. Cover Letter. Submit a cover letter on your letterhead signed by an authorized representative of your organization, certifying the accuracy of all information in your proposal and acknowledging your agreement to be bound by and in compliance with the terms and conditions. 2. Executive Summary. Submit an executive summary of your proposal, covering the main features and benefits that distinguish it. 3. Response to Requirements. This section requires detailed responses from you. a. Describe project organization, including identification and responsibilities of key personnel. b. Consultant shall develop and describe a conceptual plan that satisfies our project objectives and proposal assumptions discussed in Section 2. c. Consultant should include additional tasks they deem appropriate, reasons why a task should be included and an estimate of the fee required to complete the task. d. Provide resumes and detailed description of experience of key personnel. 4. Rate Schedule and fee estimate. Include a price schedule for all tasks. Unless otherwise indicated, it is assumed that the cost of all development necessary to meet the stated requirements is included in the pricing. If specific services are not to be included in this pricing, such items and the associated cost must be indicated and clearly identified. 5. Appendices. Appendices are optional. You may wish to submit additional material that you believe will clarify or enhance your proposal. Schedule for Selection and Award The District anticipates that the process for nominating and selecting a Consultant and awarding the contract will be according to the following tentative schedule. See Section 4: Evaluation and Selection Criteria for information on how we will select a consultant. Activity Date RFP released -----------------------------------------------------------------November 21, 2014 Cut-off date for questions --------------------------------------------------December 15, 2014 Proposals due ----------------------------------------------------------------December 19, 2014 Consultant Interviews -------------------------------------------------------Week of January 5, 2015 Consultant Selection --------------------------------------------------------January 12, 2015 Projected Board approval --------------------------------------------------January 21, 2015 November 2014 Page - 6 -
Number of Copies Six (6) copies of the proposal shall be submitted. Due Date All proposals shall be delivered to Padre Dam by 12:00 pm on Friday, December 19, 2014. Contact information For inquires about this RFP during the open process please contact: Melissa McChesney at 619-258-4680 or mmcchesney@padre.org. Mail Proposals To: Hand-Deliver Proposals To: Melissa McChesney Melissa McChesney Padre Dam Municipal Water District Padre Dam Municipal Water District P.O. Box 719003 9300 Fanita Parkway Santee, CA 92072-9003 Santee, CA 92071 (DO NOT MAIL TO THIS ADDRESS) November 2014 Page - 7 -
Section 4: Evaluation and Selection Criteria The evaluation of proposals will involve both an objective and subjective process. Proposals will be scored on a 100-point basis using the following criteria: Project understanding and approach (50 points) Qualifications and experience of project team (30 points) Demonstrate Best Value to District (20) Once the top firm has been determined, Padre Dam will start contract negotiations with the firm. If contract negotiations are not successful, the second ranked firm may be asked to negotiate a contract with Padre Dam. Padre Dam will select a proposal they believe will best provide the services outlined above. Padre Dam reserves the right to reject some or all of the proposals and will base selection on whichever consultant best meets our interests. Proposals will be evaluated and ranked per the evaluation criteria by a screening committee. Discussions may be conducted with the most qualified bidders for the purpose of clarification to assure full understanding of, and conformance to, the solicitation requirements. Revisions may be permitted, per our approval, after submissions, and prior to award, for the purpose of obtaining best and final offers. The committee will rank the semi-finalists and will be responsible for negotiating a firm contract price with the highest ranked respondent. If no agreement can be reached, negotiations may begin with the next ranked respondent. If a respondent is selected, it is anticipated that the form of agreement will be a negotiated Contract subject to Padre Dam MWD approval through our Board of Directors. All proposals, project scope and cost, shall become the property of the District and will not be returned. Proposals also become public records and as such may be subject to public review. Deadline: The deadline for receiving proposals is 12:00 pm on Friday, December 19, 2014. November 2014 Page - 8 -
SECTION 5: TERMS AND CONDITIONS Non-Response to RFP In the event your firm decides not to submit a proposal, it would be helpful if you indicated why your firm did not wish to do so. Right to Reject Proposals The District reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, to waive any of these procedures for submitting proposals, to waive any informality in proposals received, to accept or reject any or all of the items in the proposal, and to award the contract in whole or in part if it is deemed in District s best interest. The District reserves the right to negotiate with any Respondent after proposals are opened, if such action is deemed in the District s best interest. During contract negotiations with the selected Respondent, the District, at its option, may modify the scope of work and/or the proposed work schedule. If we cannot reach terms with the selected consultant, we reserve the rights to go with the second firm. Collusive or Sham Proposal No person, firm, or corporation shall make or file or be interested in more than one proposal for the same work, except so far as alternate proposals may be called for. Nor shall any person, firm, or corporation submit a collusive or sham proposal, per se, directly or indirectly, to induce any other firm to submit such a proposal, or to refrain from responding, or seek in any way to fix the price, or any portion of the proposed price, in order to secure an advantage against the owner or any person interested in a proposed contract. However, a person, firm, or corporation submitting a sub-proposal to a bidder or quoting prices on materials for a bidder, is not hereby disqualified from submitting sub-proposals or quoting prices to other bidders. Please note that Padre Dam requires the following general terms and conditions in its agreements: Assignment of Agreement No assignment by Consultant of any of its rights, burdens, duties or obligations under the contract documents will be binding on another party without the written consent of Padre Dam and the party sought to be bound; and specifically, but without limitation, monies that may become due, and monies that are due, may not be assigned without such consent (except to the extent that the effect of this restriction may be limited by law), and unless specifically stated to the contrary in any written consent to an assignment, no assignment will release or discharge the assignor from any duty or responsibility under the contract documents. Insurance: 1. Without limiting the foregoing in any way, Consultant shall carry standard form Professional Liability Insurance acceptable to Padre Dam in an amount not less than One Million Dollars per occurrence combined single limit Bodily Injury and Property Damage coverage. 2. Consultant shall obtain and maintain, during the life of the agreement, Workers' Compensation Insurance, covering all of its employees on the project with a firm satisfactory to Padre Dam. Consultant shall be responsible for the insurance coverage as herein provided of all employees of said firm. 3. For all insurance provided above, policies shall provide that the same cannot be canceled except upon thirty days' written notice to Padre Dam. 4. A certificate of insurance shall be furnished to Padre Dam as evidence of the above coverage and conditions prior to the commencement of work. Any statements that relieve the insurance company from liability if notice of cancellation is not sent are not acceptable. The successful respondent only will be required to submit a certificate of insurance before commencement of work. November 2014 Page - 9 -
Termination of Agreement and Contract Padre Dam may, by written notice to Consultant, terminate the contract if Consultant has been found to fail to perform its services in a manner satisfactory to Padre Dam as per specifications, including delivery as specified. The date of termination shall be stated in the notice. Padre Dam shall be sole judge of nonperformance. Padre Dam may cancel the contract upon 30 days written notice to Consultant for cause or reasons other than cause. If Padre Dam terminates the contract, all finished or unfinished work prepared by Consultant under this contract may, at the option of Padre Dam, become Padre Dam's property and Consultant may be entitled to receive just and equitable compensation for any satisfactory work. Termination of the contract pursuant to this paragraph may not relieve Consultant of any liability to Padre Dam for damages sustained by Padre Dam because of any breach of contract by firm, and Padre Dam may withhold any payments to firm for the purpose of set-off until such time as the exact amount of damages due to Padre Dam from Consultant is determined. Indemnification Consultant shall indemnify, hold harmless, and defend Padre Dam and assigns from all claims, suits, or actions brought for or on account of any damage, injury or death, loss, expense, civil rights or discrimination claims, labor disputes, inconvenience, or delay which may result from Consultant s performance. Term of Contract The term of the contract shall commence upon notification of award. A copy of Padre Dam s Professional Services contract is attached for your reference. November 2014 Page - 10 -