REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL COMMUNITY ECONOMIC RECOVERY PLAN CITY OF JEFFERSON, WISCONSIN Distribution: November 18, 2016 Submission Deadline: December 16, 2016
City of Jefferson Request for Proposals 2017 Community Economic Recovery Plan The City of Jefferson, Wisconsin hereby requests proposals from qualified firms interested in providing consulting services to develop and prepare a comprehensive Community Economic Recovery Plan. These specifications describe the conditions, requirements, and responsibilities accepted by consultants when bidding on providing these services to the City of Jefferson. 1.1 Project Overview I. INTRODUCTION The City of Jefferson, Wisconsin has issued this Request for Proposal for the purpose of selecting a qualified consulting firm to review, assess, and provide recommendations for development of a comprehensive Community Economic Recovery Plan necessitated by the closing of the Tyson Food Prepared Meat Processing Facility in July, 2016. The Tyson Facility, located along the Rock River, has employed residents in the meat processing industry since its founding in 1875; 126 years prior to being acquired by Tyson Foods in 2001. All meat processing operations ended on July 9, 2016, eliminating 250 jobs that remained following the initial wave of layoffs. In total, the closure of the facility has created a loss of nearly 400 jobs with layoffs impacting both salaried and hourly positions. In a City of nearly 8,000 residents, the loss of jobs has had a tremendous ripple effect throughout the local economy, impacting suppliers and employees. Smaller processing facilities are unable to absorb the influx of job seekers, forcing some residents into unemployment. Additionally, Tyson Foods was a regional employer, so while Jefferson was hit hardest by the plant closure, many workers traveled to Jefferson from Janesville, Milwaukee, Watertown, and Cambridge, Wisconsin for employment. The selected respondent will be expected to address a number of local economic challenges exacerbated by the sudden closure of the Tyson Facility, including regional job loss in a major industry; need for workforce training and retooling; limited and outdated industrial infrastructure; lost municipal revenues; and the need for a near-term economic recovery strategy. The development of a comprehensive Community Economic Recovery Plan will address these issues and chart a sustainable path forward for Jefferson and the region. This Request for Proposal is intended to solicit and secure proposals from consultants with experience in developing Economic Recovery Plans in communities similar in size to Jefferson. The Project will result in an Economic Recovery Strategy Plan that is projected to have the following economic impacts: Attract and Retain Employers: The loss of major food processing businesses to the region, threaten the strength of the food processing ecosystem. A key component of this Project is to prepare a strategy for attracting new value-added businesses and provide support to critical components of the supply chain that may be at risk. 2
Strengthen and Diversify the Economy: In addition to the recent Tyson Foods closure, flooding still poses a major risk to Jefferson employers. In June, 2008 flooding along the Rock and Crawfish Rivers led to major financial loss in Jefferson to close and jobs to relocate. Through the Plan, the project team will further efforts to create a stronger economic environment by setting the stage for business development in diverse industries including renewable energy. Strengthen Workforce: The Project will create and retain high-quality jobs by strategizing ways to leverage public and private investment in order to provide training and jobs-driven skills development to workers impacted by closures in the region. Promote Sustainability: Through the Project, Jefferson will prioritize environmentally sustainable development. Restore Urban Waters: The project team will analyze opportunities to expand urban greenways along the Rock River in Jefferson s downtown, and concentrate future development and jobs outside the flood zone. 1.2 Minimum Qualifications Proposals will be accepted from firms who meet the following minimum qualifications. Individuals or consultants that do not meet the minimum qualifications shall be deemed non-responsive and will not receive further consideration. A. Possess necessary certifications, licensing and qualifications to perform the work proposed. B. Possess applicable certificates of insurance coverage for the following: a. Professional Liability and Property Insurance The consultant shall procure and maintain Professional Liability Insurance in an amount not less than $2,000,000 on account for each accident; and in an amount not less than $1,000,000 for each accident for damage to property. b. Automobile Insurance The consultant shall procure and maintain Automobile Insurance in accordance with all applicable statues of the State of Wisconsin. c. Workers compensation Insurance The consultant shall procure and maintain Workers Compensation Insurance in accordance with all applicable statues of the State of Wisconsin. d. Additionally Insured The consultant shall include and name the City of Jefferson, including all elected and appointed officials, all employees and volunteers, all boards, commissions and/or authorities and their board members, employees, and volunteers. 3
e. All insurance, as described above, shall include an endorsement stating the following: Thirty (30) Days Advanced Written Notice of Cancellation or Non-Renewal, shall be sent to: City of Jefferson Attn: City Administrator 317 S. Main Street Jefferson, Wisconsin 53115 f. The successful bidder will be required to enter into a professional service contract with the City of Jefferson. 1.3 Community Profile On December 18, 1836, at the close of the Blackhawk War, the first settlers came to a place they later named Jefferson. At the time of its incorporation as a City in 1878, Jefferson had a population of just under 3,000. As of 2016, Jefferson s population had grown to approximately 8,000. Early settlers to Jefferson were of English descent and came from New York and other eastern states. Soon thereafter, immigrants came primarily from Germany and Easter Europe. The ethnic heritage of the community is still apparent in festivals and local Gemuetlichkeit pride. The City of Jefferson is the county seat for Jefferson County and is located at the confluence of the Rock and Crawfish Rivers which support many recreational and business opportunities. The State Highway 26 By-Pass, completed in 2010, has re-routed significant amount of semi-trailer traffic around the City, providing for a more pedestrian friendly historic central business district. Jefferson is located at the intersection of two major state highways (STH 26 and STH 18) and is approximately seven miles south of the I-94 corridor. Average daily car traffic through the City on both state highways is approximately 8,000 vehicles and provides many opportunities for encouraging visitors to visit and spend time in Jefferson. 1.4 Funding This project is funded in part by a matching grant from the Economic Development Administration. The City of Jefferson Common Council has appropriated the funds necessary to satisfy the local funds match requirement. 1.5 Period of Performance The period of performance of any contract resulting from this Request for Proposal is tentatively scheduled to begin on or about February 1, 2017 and conclude on or about July 31, 2017. 4
II. GENERAL INFORMATION FOR CONSULTANTS 2.1 Project Administrator The Project Administrator is the sole point of contact for this procurement. All communication between prospective bidders and the City upon receipt of this Request for Proposal shall be with the Co-Project Administrators, as follow: Mr. Timothy J. Freitag Administrator City of Jefferson 317 S. Main Street Jefferson, Wisconsin 53115 Telephone: 920-674-7700 E-mail: Tfreitag@jeffersonwis.com Ms. Tanya Stewart Finance Director City of Jefferson 317 S. Main Street Jefferson, Wisconsin 53115 Telephone: 920-674-7700 E-mail: Tanya@jeffersonwis.com Prospective bidders are to rely on written statements issued by the Project Administrator. Any other communication will be considered unofficial and non-binding on the City. Communications directed to parties other than the Project Administrator may result in disqualification of the prospective bidder. 2.2 Estimated Schedule of Procurement Activities Issue Request for Proposal November 18, 2016 Proposals due December 16, 2016 Committee evaluates proposals and conducts interviews January, 2017 (TBD) City Council authorizes contract January 17, 2017 Begin contract work February 1, 2017 Contract work to be completed July 31, 2017 5
2.3 Submission of Proposals Responding firms are required to submit their Request for Proposal with seven hard copies and one electronic copy in PDF format, which must have original signatures. Proposals, whether mailed or hand delivered, must arrive no later than 4:00 p.m. (central time) on July 31, 2017. Proposals must include all information as outlined in Section 4 of this document. Proposals are to be sent to: Mr. Timothy J. Freitag Administrator City of Jefferson Jefferson, Wisconsin 53549 Tfreitag@jeffersonwis.com For mailed or hand delivered copies the envelope should be clearly marked Jefferson Economic Recovery Plan. Bidders who mail proposals should allow normal mail delivery time to ensure timely receipt of their proposals. The City assumes no responsibility for delays caused by any delivery service. Late proposals will not be accepted and will be automatically disqualified from further consideration. All proposals and any accompanying documentation become the property of the City and will not be returned. 2.4 Proprietary Information and Public Disclosure Materials submitted in response to this competitive procurement shall become the property of the City. All proposals received shall remain confidential until the deadline for submission of bids or proposals has expired, as defined by Wisconsin statutes. 2.5 Revisions to the Request for Proposals In the event it becomes necessary to revise any part of this Request for Proposal, addenda will be reduced to writing and submitted to all prospective bidders known to the City. For this purpose, the published questions and answers and any other pertinent information will be considered an addendum to the Request for Proposal and will be provided to prospective bidders. The City reserves the right to cancel or to reissue the Request for Proposal in whole or in part, prior to execution of a contract. 2.6 Acceptance Period Proposals must provide 60 days for acceptance by City from due date for receipt of proposals. 6
2.7 Responsiveness All proposals will be reviewed by the Project Administrator to determine compliance with administrative requirements and instruction specified in this Request for Proposal. Failure to comply with any part of the Request for Proposal may result in rejection of the proposal as non-responsive. The City also reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to waive minor administrative irregularities. 2.8 Most Favorable Terms The City reserves the right to make an award without further discussion of the proposal submitted. Therefore, the proposal should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms that the respondent could propose. There will be no best and final offer procedure. The City does reserve the right to contact a respondent for clarification of its proposal. 2.9 Costs of Proposal The City will not be liable for any costs incurred by the respondent in preparation of a proposal submitted in response to this Request for Proposal, in conduct of a presentation, or any other activities related to responding to the Request for Proposal. 2.10 No Obligation Contract This Request for Proposal does not obligate the Jefferson City Council to award a contract for services specified herein. 2.11 Rejection of Proposals The City reserves the right at its sole discretion to reject any and all proposals received without penalty and not to issue a contract as a result of the Request for Proposal. 2.12 Failure to Comply The respondent is specifically notified that failure to comply with any part of the Request for Proposal may result in rejection of the proposal as non-responsive. 2.13 Commitment of Funds The Jefferson Common Council or their delegates are the only individuals who may legally commit the City to the expenditures of funds for a contract resulting from this Request for Proposal. No cost chargeable to the proposed contract may be incurred before receipt of a fully executed contract. 7
2.14 Signatures The proposal must be signed and dated by a person authorized to legally bind the respondent to a contractual relationship, e.g. the President or Executive Director if a corporation, the managing partner, or the proprietor if a sole proprietorship. III. SCOPE OF WORK 3.1 Project Deliverables Several previously completed community plans set a course for Jefferson s future growth, however, the loss of a major employer has forced the City to reassess priorities and opportunities. This project will build upon past efforts and develop an action-oriented plan that will address current conditions and recommend a strategy for moving the community forward. Step One: Tyson Closing Impact Analysis The project team will analyze the impact of the Tyson Plant closure on regional jobs and supplier networks and access lost Ladders of Opportunity caused by unemployment inhibiting the upward mobility of former plant works and their families. The team will also analyze the impact of potential flood activity on the businesses, buildings, and infrastructure that remains in the flood zone. Tasks that support this effort will include: Engaging employers potentially impacted by the closure with specific focus on businesses in the food processing industry or supply chain. Gathering data on the impact and the extent of unemployment caused by the closure. Generating an up-to-date accounting of the businesses at risk for flood activity. The purpose of this scope element is to understand the impact of the Tyson closure on jobs in the City and region, and its impact on the supplier networks in the regional food processing industry. This task will also assess the businesses, building and infrastructure remaining in the flood zone and/or the impact of flood activity. The results of this task will be a clear understanding of the challenges the Economic Recovery Analysis should address and identification of the businesses most at risk and in need of assistance. Step Two: Opportunity Analysis The project team will prepare an opportunity analysis the will incorporate the catalytic, site-specific recommendations and concept plans into an Economic Recovery Plan. The Opportunity Analysis will consider existing economic assets and prepare recommendations to build off of these assets to define an economic development vision and guide redevelopment in the City of Jefferson. This effort will consider existing and potential City of Jefferson employers and developers. The plan will emphasize how the catalytic elements can serve as a stimulant to initiate expanded private 8
development in Jefferson while balancing that interest with important considerations such as public access to the urban river, infrastructure improvements and changes, high-quality job creation, and sustainability. Key steps to achieving this deliverable include: Conducting high level community economic assets and opportunities analysis to be summarized in two assets and opportunities maps for the City that identify key sites with growth potential consistent with local goals and objectives. Identify potential business targets and growth opportunities where Jefferson could focus its economic development efforts and include ideas for how to cultivate these businesses locally in additional to attracting development from outside. Conduct a detailed analysis of the potential for food processing cluster advancement due to existing strength in agriculture and food processing and proximity to Milwaukee, Madison, and Chicago markets. Develop concepts for critical reuse/redevelopment, and economic positioning to include: i. An evaluation of the reuse opportunities for municipally-owned properties in order to identify and prioritize near-term redevelopment targets. ii. Preparation of marketing materials or visioning concepts to attract potential brokers, buyers, developers, and businesses for parcels that the City controls in order to quickly and efficiently catalyze development. iii. Identify the opportunities for new industrial sites in the City, including and furthering the Green Economy Initiative Concept in order to spark industry growth, and diversify the economy. This task will specifically include a preliminary site selection analysis for the next City industrial park. iv. Analysis of City infrastructure and utility systems in order to identify the capacity for new users. v. Development of informational graphics that will communicate technical information to diverse audiences to include business and property owner, residents, and the local workforce. vi. Development of ordinances that the City can implement to protect the community s interest in target areas, ensure development is of the highest and best use, and ensure future development is in line with sustainability and job growth goals. vii. An environmental/flood plain analysis that identifies high-risk establishments in the flood zone, and outlines the relevant regulations and zoning controls. This step will develop the analysis that will form the bulk of the content for the Plan. The outcome of this effort is an Asset & Opportunity map, identifications of critical reuse targets, and provide recommendations. Step Three: Update Jefferson Downtown Plan Economic Recovery Plan The Economic Recovery Plan document will provide a complete assessment of the existing economic challenges, threats, assets, and opportunities for the City of Jefferson. Over the course of the project, 9
draft versions of the Plan will be developed and opened to community input. The final plan will be modified based on the team s and community s comments Specific steps in this effort include: Update economic development strategies related to existing plans, including the Jefferson Downtown Plan, which incorporates current conditions and emerging priorities. This update will include a detailed analysis of opportunities and an implementation strategy linked to catalytic projects and initiatives. (Add link to Jefferson Downtown Plan) Complete redevelopment advancement strategies study, including development of timeline and process for site reuse strategies, seeking outside counsel on site control strategies and assistance and management of the development vision as development proposals occur. This strategy study will include detailed, step-by-step guidance to the City and its partners on how to move forward with an implementation structure and action plan in the most efficient and effective manner. The purpose of this step is to update/amend the existing plans to account for the loss of a major manufacturer and the need to address future flooding concerns. An implementation schedule for advancing these strategies will be included. Partners and the community as a whole will be engaged. IV. PROPOSAL CONTENT 4.1 Proposal Description The City of Jefferson is interested in a consultant s ability to both deliver a big picture, strategic perspective and to execute tactical detail needed to meet strategies and objectives in a timely fashion and within a budget. Successful proposals will more than likely include the following elements: 10 Goals Objectives Strategies Plan Implementation Detail Timelines Success Measurement Detailed Budget 4.2 Submittal Requirements Cover Letter. Timeline for the Project. Project Statement, describing the bidder s understanding of the goals and objectives, as well as the approach and philosophy regarding the project. Proposed Project Team Members: include a description of the organization, an organizational chart, and the primary role and responsibility of each team member. Clearly designated the team leader for this project and the responsibilities of other contributing members.
Individual experience: include information pertaining to the background of key members and detail their specific contributions to past projects, as it relates to this project. Specific Project Experience: provide examples of similar projects that were successfully executed. List of References: at least three (3) client references, for similar projects completed within the past three (3) years. Include the names and telephone number of the contact person. List services provided to each client. Project Cost: attach a separate budget proposal showing the total cost of your proposed services. Include a breakdown of cost for each deliverable, including expenses by phases. A not-to-exceed cost proposal is desired and strongly preferred. Additional information may be provided to support applicant s ability to complete this type of project. 4.3 Rights Release All proposals must include language that upon the completion and full payment of the contract, the City of Jefferson will retain sole rights for the usage of all graphics and other materials that are created as a result of this project. 5.1 Evaluation Subcommittee V. EVALUATION CRITERIA An Evaluation Committee, appointed by the Mayor of the City of Jefferson will be responsible for evaluating all proposals received in response to the Request for Proposal. Though there is no formal evaluation criteria, the Committee will focus on the following items when evaluating the proposals: Consultant understanding of the nature of the services requested by the City of Jefferson. Strategic depth and overall creativity of the proposal. Successful recent municipal economic development and economic recovery project and analysis experience. Competency of firm, including reputation and integrity. Professional background and success of key personnel assigned to this project. Ability to meet deadlines. Proposed budget and fee for services for the services requested. 5.2 Interview Information Interviews will be held in Jefferson, Wisconsin in January 2017, with specific dates and locations to be determined. 5.3 Committee Recommendation 11
The Evaluation Committee will be responsible for making recommendations on the selection of a proposal to the City of Jefferson City Council. The Jefferson City Council remains the sole body responsible for awarding a contract. The Jefferson City Council reserves the right to request additional information from the firms, including, but not limited to, formal interviews and/or firm presentations. Should a firm(s) be requested to present to the Jefferson City Council, they will receive a minimum of a 10 day notice. 5.4 Right to Reject This Request for Proposal does not constitute a commitment by the City of Jefferson to award a contract. The City reserves the right to waive any informalities and to reject any or all proposals and to cancel the Request for Proposals. The awarded contract shall be made on the proposal that serves the best interest of the City. 12
CITY OF JEFFERSON REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS City of Jefferson, Wisconsin Community Economic Recovery Plan The City of Jefferson, Wisconsin hereby requests proposals from qualified firms interested in providing Community Economic Recovery Plan Consulting Services to the Jefferson Common Council. Proposals shall be due December 16, 2016 at 4:00 p.m. (central time). Please mark the sealed envelope as Jefferson Economic Recovery Plan. A complete Request for Proposal document may be obtained at: http://www.jeffersonwis.com/community/downtownriverfront-redevelopment-plan-update/ Mr. Timothy Freitag City Administrator City of Jefferson 317 S. Main Street Jefferson, Wisconsin 53549 13