REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS PROFESSIONAL ARCHITECTURAL FIRM FOR DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SERVICES Prepared By: Ellis County Administration 718 Main Street P.O. Box 720 Hays, KS 67601 Contact: Phillip Smith-Hanes County Administrator psh@ellisco.net
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS June 13, 2017 Through this Request for Proposals (RFP), Ellis County is seeking proposals from qualified professional architectural firms to demonstrate qualifications, experience, and proposed approach for architectural design and construction management for 2 projects: renovation of an existing facility at 601 Main Street, Hays, KS; and the remodel of a newly-acquired Health Services Building. The selected architect shall provide preliminary designs and cost estimates, final design services, and construction management services for the projects as further described herein. Sealed Proposals: Vendor will deliver one (1) original and two (2) copies to the following address: Ellis County Administrative Center Attention: Phillip Smith-Hanes 718 Main Street Hays, KS 67601 by 4:00 p.m. on THURSDAY, JULY 13, 2017 Proposals received after the above cited time will be considered late and are not acceptable unless waived by the County Administrator. Please use the attached self-addressed label or the envelope must be clearly marked SEALED RFP. Please direct questions regarding this RFP to Phillip Smith-Hanes at psh@ellisco.net. Thank you for your interest.
I. BACKGROUND The County Ellis County is issuing this RFP on its own behalf and on behalf of the Ellis County Kansas Public Building Commission. Ellis County (the County) is one of 105 counties in the state of Kansas. It is the most populous county in the 18-county northwest Kansas area and serves as a center for higher education, transportation, retail and health care services for the region. The County is governed by a threemember Board of County Commissioners, who appoint a County Administrator charged with daily progress on policies of the Commission. The County has embarked on a long-term plan to improve its physical plant, and has cash on hand for remodeling of a newly-acquired Health Services Building. The Ellis County Kansas Public Building Commission (PBC) is a municipal corporation organized under Article 17 of Chapter 12 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated. The three members of the Ellis County Board of County Commissioners serve as members of the PBC. The County Administrator serves as Capital Projects Manager for the PBC. In 2013, the PBC issued revenue bonds for remodeling of the Administrative Center a complex of two buildings at 601 and 718 Main Street in downtown Hays, Kansas. Remodeling of 718 Main Street was completed in 2015. Proceeds remain in the bond for completion of the remodeling at 601 Main Street. The Projects At the time of the PBC s bond issuance, it was envisioned that 601 Main Street would be remodeled to accommodate two existing uses: the Kansas State University Research & Extension Service Ellis County offices (Extension) and the Ellis County Health Department (Health). Preliminary drawings were completed by the architectural firm engaged to remodel the 718 Main Street facility, but were never used to proceed to construction drawings. Subsequently, organizational changes have occurred in the leadership structures of both Extension and Health. The Board of County Commissioners has determined it would be in the best interest of the community for 601 Main Street to be remodeled solely for Extension purposes and the County is in the process of acquiring a new facility to house Health (labeled the Health Services Facility). Preliminary drawings were again completed by an architect to determine the financial feasibility of this approach, but those drawings are not expected to form the basis for moving forward to construction. Additional basic information about the two facilities is included in Attachment 1. 3
II. PROPOSAL Purpose of RFP: The County is requesting professional architectural firms to submit proposals for the provision of design and construction management services for remodeling of 601 Main Street and the Health Services Facility. Proposal Terms: A. Ellis County reserves the right to reject any and all proposals received as a result of this RFP. If a proposal is selected, it will be the most advantageous regarding price, quality of service, the vendor s qualifications and capabilities to provide the specified service, and other factors which the County may consider. Ellis County does not intend to award a contract fully on the basis of any response made to the RFP; the County reserves the right to consider proposals for modifications at any time before a contract would be awarded, and negotiations would be undertaken with that proposer whose proposal is deemed to best meet the County s specifications and needs. B. Proposals must be signed by an official authorized to bind the proposer to its provisions for at least a period of 90 days. Failure of the successful proposer to accept the obligation of the contract may result in the cancellation of any award. C. In the event it becomes necessary to revise any part of the RFP, addenda will be provided. Deadlines for submission of the responses may be adjusted to allow for revisions. D. The response must include an original proposal and two copies containing the items specified under Proposal Contents on the following page, together with any other materials that the proposer wishes the County to consider in making its award. To be considered, these documents must be received at 718 Main Street on or before the date and time specified. E. The County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive or not waive informalities or irregularities in proposals or proposal procedures, and to accept or further negotiate cost, terms, or conditions of any proposal determined by the County to be in the best interests of the County even though not the lowest bid. F. The price quotations stated in the proposer s response will not be subject to any price increase from the date on which the proposal is opened at 718 Main Street to the mutually agreed-to date of contract. G. Proposals shall be typewritten. No erasures are permitted. Mistakes may be crossed out and corrected and must be initialed in ink by the person signing the proposal. H. All proposals (and the materials contained therein) submitted in response to this RFP shall become the property of Ellis County and may be reviewed and evaluated by any persons at the County s discretion. No proposal shall be returned to the respondent regardless of the outcome of the selection process. Proposers should carefully consider the items submitted before submitting items that would not be disposable to the architect. The County reserves the right to use any or all ideas presented. Selection or rejection of the proposal does not affect this right. 4
I. A contract will be executed between the Ellis County Board of County Commissioners and the awarded vendor. The County reserves the right to award the total proposal, to reject any and all proposals in whole or in part, and to waive any informality or technical defects if, in the County s sole judgment, the best interest of Ellis County will be so served. J. In the event the County receives two or more proposals from responsive, responsible proposers, one or more of whom are Ellis County vendors and the bids are substantially equal in price, quality and service, the County shall award the contract to the most responsive, responsible Ellis County vendor. For purposes of this section, Ellis County vendor means a company which has maintained a physical presence in Ellis County for at least six (6) months. Presence of a single representative or salesperson is not, in and of itself, sufficient under this section to determine if a company qualifies as an Ellis County vendor and if two or more proposals are substantially equal. Proposal Contents A responsive proposal shall include all of the following elements: A. A cover letter, consisting of no more than three pages, which includes the following elements: 1) confirmation that all elements of this RFP have been reviewed and understood, 2) a statement of intent to perform the services as outlined, 3) expression of the proposer s willingness to enter into a contract under the terms and conditions prescribed in this RFP, 4) a brief summary of the proposer s qualifications, and 5) a single person for possible contact during the proposal review process. B. Basic information about the firm, including 1) the address and telephone number of the firm s main office and any branch offices that will be participating in this work, 2) the type of organizational entity (corporation, sole proprietorship, partnership, joint venture, etc.), 3) name, title and qualifications of each member of the firm s professional team proposed to provide services to Ellis County, as well as their managers, 4) a listing of similar work performed by the firm for Kansas local governments and contact information for persons at those agencies who can speak knowledgeably about the firm s work, and 5) the firm s latest audited financial statement or other pertinent information such as internal unaudited financial statements and financial references to allow the County to reasonably formulate a determination about the financial capacity of the firm. C. The proposed fees and schedule for completion of the project, including 1) an outline expressing the proposer s understanding of the request and summarizing the basic approach to and timeline for providing these services, and 2) a full description of all fees proposed for performing all the services to be provided as outlined in the Major Elements of Work, including costs to complete each component. 5
III. GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS Major Elements of Work: 1) Evaluation of Ellis County requirements and of the proposed sites. 2) Evaluation of federal, state and local requirements and standards, including but not limited to ADA and flood plain standards. 3) Evaluation of Extension and Health desired elements. 4) Preliminary design services. 5) Preliminary cost estimates. 6) Final design services. 7) Preparation of plans and specifications for construction bidding. 8) Final cost estimate. 9) Assistance with bidding. 10) Construction management. 11) Assistance with selection and procurement of furniture, fixtures and equipment. Expectations: 1) Thoroughly analyze the project, perform field review and investigations, evaluate existing conditions. 2) Conduct scoping meetings with the County and building tenant representatives to determine space requirements, design parameters, and other related needs. 3) Meet periodically with the County Administrator and other parties involved, during the progress of the project, for appropriate guidance and coordination. Take notes during the meetings and prepare meeting minutes that shall be submitted to the County for approval within one week after the meeting. 4) Design project using energy efficient and minimum-maintenance materials and equipment. 5) Utilize innovative and economical design solutions. 6
IV. EVALUATION & SELECTION Evaluation Criteria: 1) Responsiveness: Proposals will first be screened to ensure responsiveness to the RFP. The County may reject as nonresponsive any proposal that does not include the documents required to be submitted by this RFP. At any time during the evaluation process, the County reserves the right to request clarifications or additional information from any or all proposers regarding their proposals. 2) Qualifications and Experience: Responsive proposals will be reviewed to determine each firm s experience in providing design services on similar projects, successfully completing assignments of similar scope, and the experience level of key personnel proposed for this project. Evaluation will be based on resumes that are provided, direct contact with identified current and previous clients, submitted information in response to the RFP and on the evaluation team s assessment of the various factors. 3) Best Fit: To distinguish among the qualified and experienced firms, the evaluation team will determine the firm that provides the best fit for the needs of Ellis County weighing evidence of best understanding the needs of the County, the most economical fee proposal, and the most advantageous timeline for project completion. Evaluation will be based upon the documents submitted in response to the RFP and may additionally include interviews with firm contacts. Selection Process: 1) Following the submittal date, the County Administrator shall assemble an evaluation team to assist in applying the evaluation criteria above. 2) Once the evaluation team has recommended the firm that best fits the needs of the County, the County Administrator shall enter into negotiations to conclude a contract. If a contract cannot be concluded with the best fit firm, the County Administrator may enter into negotiations with another of the qualified and experienced firms. 3) The contract shall be presented to the Ellis County Board of County Commissioners, whose decision shall be final. 7
Attachment 1 601 Main Street is a multi-use structure located at the south end of downtown Hays. It is located adjacent to offices, museum buildings and a residence. It was constructed in approximately 1947 and contains 8,900 square feet currently housing meeting rooms, storage spaces, offices and medical examination rooms. It consists of a main level over a partial basement. It is located in the flood plain of Big Creek and experiences water intrusion from the parking lot on the north side of the building during significant rains. Desirable facilities in a remodel include meeting rooms, storage space, offices, and a kitchen. Office space should accommodate five full-time staff (four professional, one clerical) and one or two interns, plus swing space for visiting professionals. High priorities in remodeling 601 Main Street include preventing future water intrusion, reuse of existing structural elements, and staying within a limited budget of remaining bond proceeds. Other challenges that may be encountered include HVAC and electrical upgrade needs. Health Services Facility is an office structure in the northeastern part of the City of Hays, adjacent to other medical facilities as well as residences. It was purpose-built as a medical office in approximately 1981, but has been retrofitted to serve as a billing office. It contains approximately 4,250 square feet and consists of a main level over a partial basement. Desirable facilities in a remodel include patient waiting room, reception area, examination rooms, medical records storage, offices, nursing station, and laboratory space. Office and reception spaces should accommodate five full-time staff (three clerical, two nursing), a part-time dietitian, a Director who splits time between this facility and another location in town, and a possible future mid-level practitioner. High priorities in the remodel of the Health Services Facility include reuse of existing structural elements, design choices that withstand heavy public use, appropriate security features including sight lines, and potential for future expansion. Challenges may exist in connecting this site to other County facilities for data, ensuring sufficient public visibility from Canterbury Drive, and other unknowns associated with a newly-acquired facility. 8