Request for Proposals To Provide Engineering Services for the Wastewater Treatment Facility Improvements Project City of Dixon City Engineer/ Public Works Department December 2013 The City of Dixon (CITY) is pursuing engineering services to provide design of the City s Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) Improvements Project (Project). The existing WWTF is located at 6915 Pedrick Road, Dixon, California, 95620. It consists of a pond system, which supports a low rate biological process that produces an equivalent secondary effluent. Treated wastewater is currently disposed using eight percolation basins. The proposed Project involves construction of secondary treatment at the WWTF. Secondary treatment will be provided by replacing the current pond treatment with a nitrifying/denitrifying activated sludge process. Construction of a new influent pump station, a new headworks with mechanical screening and flow measurement, and a new potable water well will be required. Flow equalization to minimize peak flows will be provided by constructing an equalization basin post secondary treatment. Upgrade of piping and pumping capacities throughout the plant and disposal area will be completed as part of the proposed project. Proposals shall be submitted by firms that have a capable and demonstrable background in the type of work described in Section V, "SCOPE OF SERVICES," of this Request For Proposals (RFP). The Proposals shall be submitted to the City Engineer/ Public Works Department, 171 South Fifth Street, Dixon, California, 95620, no later than 5:00 p.m. on January 30, 2014. Each Proposer shall submit a reproducible original, six (6) bound copies, and an electronic version (Adobe Acrobat PDF) of the Proposal in accordance with Section VII, "PROPOSAL FORMAT," of the RFP. This Request for Proposals and attachments are available on the City website at http://www.ci.dixon.ca.us/bids.aspx. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PROSPECTIVE PROPOSERS TO CHECK THE CITY WEBSITE FOR ANY FUTURE ADDENDUMS TO THIS RFP All questions regarding this RFP should be directed to Chris Gioia, Associate Civil Engineer via electronic mail at cgioia@ci.dixon.ca.us.
II. TABLE OF CONTENTS: I. Cover Page 1 II. Table of Contents 2 III. Introduction 3 IV. Purpose 4 V. Scope of Services 4 VI. Procurement Process 5 VII. Proposal Format 7 VIII. Review and Evaluation of Proposals 10 IX. Award 12 Attachments: A. Final City of Dixon Wastewater Treatment Facility Improvements Project Design Report, November 2013; prepared by Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. B. City of Dixon Wastewater Treatment Facility Report of Waste Discharge, November 27, 2013; prepared by Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. C. Design Review comments, dated November 15, 2013 (prepared by Stantec) D. Brown and Caldwell Technical Memorandum, Dixon Project Design Report Review, November 1, 2013 E. Pre demolition Asbestos and Lead Based Paint Survey Report, prepared by Stantec Consulting Services, Inc., September 27, 2013 F. Topographic Survey, Dixon WWTP, prepared by Andregg Geomatics, September 24, 2013 G. January 30, 2013 CDO R5 2008 0136 Compliance Status letter from the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board H. City of Dixon Groundwater Evaluation Report, January 2012, prepared by Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. I. City of Dixon Source Control Effectiveness Report, January 2012, prepared by Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. J. Draft City of Dixon Wastewater Facilities Plan, August 2011, prepared by Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. K. Cease and Desist Order No. R5 2008 0136 L. WDR No. 94 187 M. City of Dixon Standard Professional Services Agreement N. Geotechnical Report, Dixon Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements, prepared by Taber Consultants (will be made available after 12 23 13) O. WWTF Improvements Project Draft Initial Study/ Mitigated Negative Declaration, prepared by Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. (will be made available after 1 7 14) P. Final City of Dixon Wastewater Facilities Plan, prepared by Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. (will be made available after 1 7 14) Page 2 of 12
III. INTRODUCTION The existing City of Dixon Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) consists of a pond system, which supports a low rate biological process that produces an equivalent secondary effluent. Treated wastewater is disposed using eight percolation basins. The WWTF is permitted to operate under Order No. 94 187, Waste Discharge Requirements/Monitoring & Reporting Program, issued by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) in June 1994. The permit stipulates treatment levels, effluent quality, monitoring and reporting requirements. The RWQCB also issued two Cease and Desist Orders (C&DOs), in 2005 and 2008, respectively. The 2008 C&DO imposed performance based effluent concentration limits for chloride and sodium. The C&DO also required planning and construction of improvements and new facilities required to comply with the C&DO, control/prevent groundwater degradation, and expand the WWTF (if needed). The C&DO also allowed for development of a site specific analysis to determine the most appropriate water quality limitations for effluent and groundwater. Several alternatives for wastewater treatment were evaluated. Activated sludge biological treatment was found to reduce effluent salinity when compared to the effluent salinity observed from the existing pond system. The pond system loses significant water to the atmosphere, thereby significantly increasing the average effluent salinity concentration. The City Council of Dixon approved an activated sludge process of treatment to lessen the need for more costly salt removal processes. A significant expansion and upgrade to the WWTF is now required. A WWTF Improvements Project Design Report (Design Report) was prepared by Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. (Stantec), and included findings and recommendations for the Project. Project drivers include: Replacement of aged facilities with improved wastewater treatment components that employ modern technologies. Minimization of water evaporation during treatment and disposal in order to minimize the salt concentration in groundwater. Compliance with applicable State and Federal water quality objectives, including nitrogen limits. The need to provide wastewater treatment and disposal capacity for additional City growth. The proposed Project involves construction of secondary treatment at the WWTF. Secondary treatment will be provided by replacing the pond treatment with a nitrifying/denitrifying activated sludge process. Construction of a new influent pump station, a new headworks with mechanical screening and flow measurement, and a new potable water well will be required. Flow equalization to minimize peak flows will be provided by constructing an equalization basin post secondary treatment. Upgrade of piping and pumping capacities throughout the plant and disposal area will be completed as part of the proposed project. Page 3 of 12
Note: A Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration/ Initial Study document is currently in development for the project. It is expected to be available after January 7, 2014. IV. PURPOSE The purpose of this RFP process is to procure a Consultant to provide the following wastewater engineering services: Design Engineering During Construction Bidding Engineering During Construction Services After Construction Peer Review (optional)* *The City anticipates review and evaluation of Proposals in order to select the most recommended Consultant to complete the Design, Engineering Services During Construction Bidding, Engineering Services During Construction, and Services After Construction. The City anticipates selecting a separate Consultant to complete Peer Review Services from the remaining Consultants interested in providing such services. V. SCOPE OF SERVICES Design: A WWTF Improvements Project Design Report (Design Report) was prepared by Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. (Stantec), and included findings and recommendations for the Project. The City anticipates construction of improvements consistent with the Design Report. However, it is expected that the selected Consultant review the Design Report and other supporting documents included in the attachments; record/ as built drawings of the existing WWTF are available at the City s Engineering Division Office and not included in the attachments. After review of the supporting documents, if the Consultant believes an alternative design can provide better efficiency, cost savings and/or ease of operation & maintenance, it may propose such alternative design. Such alternative design must be able to meet effluent limits criteria outlined in the Report of Waste Discharge document prepared by Stantec and included in the attachments to this RFP. The schedule of any proposed design shall be consistent with that outlined in Section VII of this RFP. The Consultant shall develop a design level topographic survey from the topographic information included in the attachments. The Consultant shall complete the preparation of plans and specifications suitable for bidding for the construction of the planned facilities identified in the Design Report, or a proposed alternative. A detailed engineering cost estimate shall also be completed. These plans, specifications and engineering cost estimate documents (PSE) are to be consistent with any requirements of the Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan program. As part of the preparation of the PSE, the Consultant is expected to provide a submittal at each of the 35%, 65% and 90 % completion levels. Each submittal shall include: Page 4 of 12
One hard copy and one electronic copy (Adobe Acrobat PDF format) of draft PSE Written responses to all comments (not required at the first submittal) Equipment list that includes catalog cut sheets for all equipment valued at $10,000 or greater Updated reports as completed by the Consultant; for example, it is anticipated that an updated geotechnical report will be required for the final design Anticipated construction schedule and sequencing plan The consultant shall include design review meetings with City staff at the beginning of the project, and at each of the above specified completion levels. These meetings shall provide the City staff an opportunity to provide input into the selection of equipment and design of facilities that the City will operate and maintain. The City shall provide comments, including City staff and peer review, to the Consultant. The PSE shall include, but is not limited to, the following: Civil site plan showing the facility layout, all surface and subsurface improvements, and site drainage Civil yard piping plan showing all anticipated process piping Architectural floor plans showing the proposed layout of rooms and spaces, building elevations showing proposed finishes and materials, and code requirements Mechanical plans showing the proposed equipment layout and interconnecting piping Electrical plans showing the proposed electrical equipment layout Estimated construction schedule and sequencing plan Engineering During Construction Bidding: The Consultant shall assist City staff in preparation of responses to bid questions, preparation of bid addendums, review of contractor bids and preparation of conformed contract documents. Conformed documents shall include all necessary changes to the PSE based on the bid process. Engineering During Construction: The Consultant shall provide engineering services during construction of the Project. These services shall include the following: Preparation of conformed contract documents as required. Attendance at regular construction meetings as required by the City. Consultant shall assume the number of meetings is 1.5 times the estimated number of months of the Project construction. Review of contractor submittals as required by the City. Response to requests for information and clarification. Assistance in the preparation of construction contract change orders. Attendance at factory tests for certain equipment and on site testing of other equipment as required by the City. Assistance with final construction inspections. Preparation of record drawings. Services After Construction: The Consultant shall provide training to City staff on process control and equipment use for a period of six months upon City acceptance of construction of the Page 5 of 12
Project. The Consultant shall also prepare of an Operations and Maintenance (O&M)/ Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) Manual that conforms with EPA published guidelines. Peer Review (optional): In the event that the Consultant is not selected for the scope of services noted above, the Consultant may be selected to provide an independent peer review of the PSE and provide review comments to the City. The peer review shall take place at the 35%, 65% and 90% completion levels. The Consultant shall attend one meeting during each review if required by the City. This scope of services is optional; refer to Section IV for further information. For all scope of services, the Consultant shall maintain professional, responsible and responsive working relationships with customers, City staff, advisors, consultants, regulatory agencies and other entities with which the City may have dealings. The City expects the highest level of ethical conduct from the Consultant, including adherence to all applicable laws and local ordinances regarding ethical behavior. If the Consultant has any exceptions, conditions, additions or clarifications to the Scope of Services or to any other provision that is stated in this RFP, they must be noted in detail as an attachment in the Proposal. VI. PROCUREMENT PROCESS A. Procurement Schedule The anticipated schedule for selection process is as follows: PROJECT BENCHMARKS DATE Request for Proposals available December 20, 2013 Optional Pre Proposal Meeting January 7, 2014 RFP Questions due to the City January 9, 2014 Proposals due to the City January 30, 2014 Proposal Evaluation January 31 February 6, 2014 Consultant Short List (Top 3) February 7, 2014 Consultant Interview February 11, 2014 Selection of Successful Consultant February 12, 2014 Agreement Negotiation February 13 24, 2014 Council Award March 11, 2014 Finalize/Execute Agreement March 12 21, 2014 Notice to Proceed no later than March 24, 2014 Interested parties should note particularly that an optional pre proposal meeting is scheduled for the date shown in the above schedule, and will be held at the City of Dixon Wastewater Treatment Facility located at 6915 Pedrick Road, Dixon. A tour of the existing facility will be given, and attendees will be given the opportunity to ask questions. The meeting will begin at Page 6 of 12
9:00 am. If necessary, the City shall issue an addendum to this RFP based upon input from the meeting. B. Information Provided by the City of Dixon Proposers are solely responsible for conducting their own independent research, due diligence or any other work or investigation necessary for the preparation of a Proposal. The City of Dixon takes no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any information, either oral or written, provided during this procurement process. Should a Proposer find discrepancies or omissions in this RFP or other information provided by the City of Dixon, the Proposer shall notify the City immediately in writing. If the City believes the information in question is inaccurate or the point in question is not clear, the City will prepare a written addendum to the RFP and post to the City website. Before submitting a Proposal, Proposers are encouraged to attend the pre proposal meeting, review the facilities and/or read available reference documents included as attachments to this RFP. C. Submission of Proposals All Proposals, including fee estimates in a separate sealed envelope, must be received by the City of Dixon, at the address below, by 5:00 pm, on the date specified in the schedule shown in Section VII of this RFP. For firms interested in providing Peer Review services, a fee estimate for such services shall also be submitted in a separate sealed envelope. Proposals received after that time will not be accepted. A reproducible original and six (6) bound copies of the Proposal shall be submitted, along with an electronic version (Adobe Acrobat PDF) of the Proposal, to: City of Dixon City Engineer/ Public Works Department 171 South Fifth Street Dixon, CA 95620 Attention: Chris Gioia, Associate Civil Engineer After a Proposal is received by the City, a Proposer may not correct, modify or withdraw any aspect of the Proposal without the approval of the City of Dixon, except that the City may waive minor informalities or allow these to be corrected by the Proposer. A Proposal may be modified or withdrawn in person at any time before the scheduled due date and time of Proposals provided a receipt for the withdrawn Proposal is signed by the Proposer s authorized representative. D. Submission of Questions Any questions must be received in writing or electronically by the date specified in the schedule shown in Section VI of this RFP to: Page 7 of 12
City of Dixon 600 East A Street Dixon, CA 95620 Attention: Chris Gioia cgioia@ci.dixon.ca.us FAXes will be accepted at 707 678 7039. VII. PROPOSAL FORMAT Proposals shall have no page limitations, except that a cover letter shall not exceed two (2) pages and Section 6, Related Project Experience, shall be limited to five (5) pages. The Proposal shall contain the following sections: SECTION 1 IDENTIFICATION OF PROPOSER: The Proposal shall include the names, offices, addresses, email addresses and phone numbers for Consultant and subconsultant staff that are proposed to be involved in the project. The Proposal shall identify in which office(s) the majority of production will occur. SECTION 2 PROJECT OVERVIEW: The Proposal shall include a description of the Consultant s understanding of the Project. The Proposal shall include a statement acknowledging the Scope of Services. To demonstrate an understanding of the Scope of Services, the Consultant shall develop an outline description of project deliverables and include it as an appendix to the Proposal. As a minimum, this should include a description of proposed technical memoranda, report deliverables, and a preliminary list of drawings. The lists of deliverables and drawings are to be appended to the Proposal and will not be counted in the page limit. SECTION 3 PROJECT APPROACH: The Proposal shall provide a detailed description of the proposed approach to the Project as described above. The description shall include details to implement the tasks described in the Scope of Services. The Consultant is encouraged to provide comments and enhancements to the scope provided in the RFP. The Proposal shall include a discussion regarding the Project s technical issues and the Consultant s approach to handling these issues. The Consultant shall also explain how technical memos, workshops, and/or design review meetings will be used, working with the framework of the Scope of Services, to achieve consensus in design details. Emphasis should be placed on how the Consultant s technical approach will promote the Project s success. SECTION 4 MANAGEMENT APPROACH: The Proposal shall include a discussion regarding the Consultant s management approach, including coordination and monitoring of project schedule, cost, risk, scope, communications, quality, resources, and other management issues that the Consultant feels should be addressed. Emphasis should be placed on how the Consultant s management approach will promote the Project s success. The Consultant approach to quality control in the preparation of construction documents shall be clearly described in this section as well. Page 8 of 12
SECTION 5 STAFF QUALIFICATIONS: The Proposal shall include a team member organizational chart and a listing and biography of key individuals proposed to be assigned to the project. Each individual s proposed position/responsibility shall be indicated. Special emphasis shall be provided on the individual s backgrounds, qualifications, certifications, experience on related and/or similar projects, and the location from where their work will be performed. The Proposal shall clearly indicate who will be in responsible charge of the project. At least three client references, including name, description of past working relationship, and current contact information, shall be listed for each key individual who is proposed in the organizational chart. The Proposal shall identify staff who will be assigned to the project for construction support, which will be negotiated later. Consultant/Subconsultant affiliation, and professional engineering licenses, including discipline and state of licensure, shall be designated for each individual. Full resumes, sorted first by firm, then by last name, shall be included as an appendix to the Proposal. SECTION 6 RELATED PROJECT EXPERIENCE: The Proposal shall include profiles of similar projects that the firm(s) and proposed team members have completed design in the last fifteen (15) years including project name, date, description and capacity of project, location, design and construction cost, and client reference including phone number. The firm's role in the project should also be described (preliminary design, design construction management, etc., and prime Consultant, subconsultant, etc.). For each project, indicate which proposed team members worked on the project and describe the role/work they performed and their levels of involvement. This section shall be limited to five (5) pages. SECTION 7 PROJECT SCHEDULE: The Consultant shall confirm that the work can be done within the schedule planned by the City, using the resources proposed by the Consultant, describe how the proposed staff will meet the resource requirements of the project. The Consultant shall prepare a schedule conforming to the City s, with no exceptions, showing all major project tasks, milestones, and deliverables required to complete all work. The anticipated schedule for the design and construction process is as follows: PROJECT BENCHMARKS DATE Design Notice to Proceed no later than March 24, 2014 100% Completion of PSE October 24. 2014 Project Construction Bid Advertisement November 3, 2014 Project Construction Bid Opening December 18, 2014 Project Award January 13, 2015 Construction Notice to Proceed March 31, 2015 Construction Completion October 31, 2016 Any Proposals deviating from this schedule shall be disqualified, unless strong justification of deviation from the schedule is given. SECTION 8 FEE ESTIMATE: A fee estimate for the project shall be provided in a separate sealed envelope. The envelope for the selected firm will be opened for the purpose of negotiating a contract through bid phase services. For firms interested in providing Peer Review services per Page 9 of 12
Section IV of this RFP, a fee estimate for Peer Review services shall be submitted in a separate sealed envelope. The estimate shall include an estimate of labor hours to conduct and complete each task of the Scope of Services, broken out by each Consultant classification that will be assigned to the Project. A matrix format showing hours and charge rates per personnel classification (management, engineering, technical, drafting, and support personnel) for each task shall be used. Compensation will be on a time and materials basis. information: The estimate shall include the following Hourly rate listing for those staff to be billed to the project. Billing increments shall not be less than 0.25 hour. Estimated fee by task Types and estimated amount of direct (non labor) costs to be billed to the project Adjustments in rates predicted to occur during the project Allowable markups will be 5% on subconsultants and other direct costs (ODCs). ODC s shall not include meals or refreshments. VIII. REVIEW AND EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS A. Overview The firm whose Proposal is most advantageous to the City, at its sole discretion, will be selected for contract negotiation. The City of Dixon may, in its sole discretion: Reject any Proposal or portion of a Proposal Modify the RFP by addendum Cancel the RFP Issue a new RFP Determine which Proposers are responsible and qualified to provide the subject services Negotiate and enter into an agreement outside of the RFP process Extend any aspect of the anticipated Procurement Schedule Conduct additional interviews with representatives of one or more Proposers Request additional information to support the Proposal Request clarifications and additional information throughout the evaluation process Contact references provided by the Proposer and such other references as the City of Dixon may determine appropriate Investigate the qualifications of any Proposer (including proposed subconsultants) Interview and hold discussions with any Proposer at any time after receipt of Proposals. Approve or disapprove of subconsultants in the Proposal Discontinue negotiations with any Proposer Engage in simultaneous or sequential negotiations with more than one Proposer Page 10 of 12
Enter into a final agreement with a Proposer with terms that may vary from those contained in the RFP or the Proposal Evaluate Proposals based upon the best interests of the City, including but not limited to, the evaluation criteria contained in this RFP) Accept other than the lowest cost Proposal based upon an evaluation of other aspects of the Proposal Waive minor informalities, technical inconsistencies or irregularities in any Proposal Delete any item/requirement from this RFP when deemed to be in City s best interest Select the Proposal which it finds most advantageous. All Proposals become the property of the City and will not be returned. Neither the City of Dixon, it s City Council, officers, employees, agents, representatives, nor any of its consultants will be liable for any claim or damages resulting from the RFP process. This RFP does not obligate the City of Dixon to pay any costs incurred by a Proposer or other interested party for any activity involved in the preparation and submission of Proposals or any other aspect of this RFP process or negotiation of a contract. By submitting a Proposal in response to this RFP, the Proposer accepts the evaluation process and acknowledges and accepts that determination will require subjective judgments by the City. All information, documentation, and other materials submitted in response to this solicitation are considered non confidential and/or non proprietary and are subject to public disclosure after the solicitation is completed. B. Evaluation Criteria An independent review panel composed of non City staff and/or others will evaluate and rate each Proposal based on the following items: Identification of Proposer (Pass/ Fail) Project Overview (10%) Project Approach (30%) Management Approach (20%) Staff Qualifications (30%) Related Project Experience (10%) Project Schedule (Pass/ Fail) Fee Estimate (Pass/ Fail) C. Evaluation Procedure A tentative schedule of the evaluation and selection procedure is included in Section VII of this RFP, subject to revision at the discretion of the City. An independent review panel will evaluate the Proposals submitted and establish a list of three finalists based on the Evaluation Criteria outlined above. The finalists shall be invited to an interview per the tentative schedule to clarify Proposals and qualifications. Sixty minutes will be allowed for the oral interview, including the question and answer period. The proposed Project Page 11 of 12
Manager and staff shall be present at the interview. IX. AWARD A tentative schedule of award is included in Section VII of this RFP, subject to revision at the discretion of the City. The successful Proposer will be asked to enter into an agreement with the City reflecting the terms and conditions of the Proposal based on the City's Standard Professional Services Agreement (Agreement) requirements. A copy of the Agreement is included in the attachments to this RFP. Proposals should include a list of any proposed modifications to the Agreement by the Consultant. Award of an agreement is subject to approval by the City Council of the City of Dixon. Page 12 of 12