Boston Public Health Commission Request for Proposals (RFP) April 10, 2017 April 10, 2019 (Plus third year optional) Lease of Tillable Roof Garden Medium Urban Farm, Roof Level 35 Northampton Street Facilities Project # NS-050-1719 Prepared by Belkis Roman Property Management Revised March 14, 2017
BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION PROPERTY MANAGEMENT DIVISION ADVERTISEMENT Lease of Tillable Roof Garden April 10, 2017 April 10, 2019 (Plus third year optional) INVITATION TO INTERESTED, RESPONSIBLE AND COMPETENT PERSONS, FIRMS OR ENTITES TO APPLY AND QUALIFY FOR CONTRACTS WITH THE BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION The Boston Public Health Commission, acting through its Property Management Division invites competent persons, firms or corporations to submit a Request For Proposals and thereafter, if selected enter into a contract for the performance of Food Production. Copies of the RFP application and related contact documents may be obtained via e-mail at: broman@bphc.org on or after March 15, 2017. APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED DIRECTLY TO: PROPERTY MANAGEMENT DIVISION OF THE BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION 1010 Massachusetts Avenue, 2 nd floor, Boston, MA 02118. RFP s must be submitted in a sealed envelope. The front of the envelope must be labeled Roof Garden Lease April 10, 2017 April 10, 2019. Applications submissions will be accepted until 1:00 p.m. on April 5, 2017. The Boston Public Health Commission (the Commission) will require a Contract Information Session for contractors interested in participating in the RFP process. The informational session will be held on March 22, 2017 10:00 A.M. at 35 Northampton Street, Boston, MA. Interested applicants will meet the Project Managers and ask questions about the RFP process as well as the site conditions. The Boston Public Health Commission and the Awarding Authority reserve the right to award a contract to the most advantageous proposals to BPHC and its programs and in accordance with those applications as the Awarding Authority determines to be in the best interest of the Boston Public Health Commission. Page 1 of 11
Table of Content Advertisement 1 1. Summary 3 2. Conditions 3 3. Description of Available Asset 4 4. Required Components of Proposals 4 5. Submission 4 6. Evaluation Criteria and Scoring 5 7. Selection Process 6 8. Award 6 9. Questions 6 10. Timeline 6 11. Format for Proposals 7 12. Supplemental Information 8-10 Page 2 of 11
1. Summary The Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) hereby requests proposals for the lease of the property commonly known as the Roof Garden located at 35 Northampton Street, Boston, MA 02118. The area consists of approximately 12,138 square feet of tillable area. Per Article 89 Urban Agriculture of the BPDA (former BRA); and defined as an Urban Farm, Roof Level, Medium, meaning a roof level urban farm with a farm area greater than or equal to five-thousand (5,000) square feet but no greater than one (1) acre that is used for urban agriculture for commercial purposes, whether for profit or non profit. The primary and allowed activity to be performed on an Urban Farm, shall be the cultivation of plants; other activities are strictly prohibited or subject to permitting by the Boston Public Health Commission. Chicken coops and bee hives are expressly forbidden. It is the sole responsibility of the respondents to visit, inspect, identify and understand the area sought to be leased and attend the mandatory site visit scheduled for March 22, 2017 at 10:00 AM. The initial term of the lease will be for two years, with renewal options for an additional year as described within the proposal. It is expected that the proposals that are submitted will vary in scope and interest. In addition to price, in determining the winning bidder, the following shall be considered: The ability, capacity, and skill of the bidder to perform in accordance with the terms of the lease; the character, integrity, reputation, judgment, experience and efficiency of the bidder; the quality of the performance in previous or existing urban farm operations; the financial resources of the bidder. The BPHC reserve the right to waive any and all formalities and to reject any or all bids in their sole discretion. 2. Conditions It is the BPHC goal to partner with an entity that will use roof garden area for organic farming practices and produce within our urban setting. We will highly consider those entities that would donate at least ½ of the produce to the BPHC commercial kitchen which directly services the Homeless shelters. The BPHC will negotiate final lease terms upon selection. The posting of this RFP in no way creates any obligations on the part of BPHC to actually finalized a lease if, in the sole discretion of the BPHC, the proposals fail to meet the expectations of the awarding authority or the criteria within this RFP. Page 3 of 11
3. Description of Available Assets Plot available to be leased: Approximately 12,138 square feet located at the roof top of the 35 Northampton Street Public Parking Garage. The plot has access to water through a spigot however; candidate must agree to cover for the costs of a Neptune water sub-meter, prior to planting any crop. The installation of a Neptune water meter will be required for two purposes: 1) Quantify the water usage and bill lessee accordingly and, 2) Obtain a Sewer rebate from BWSC. 4. Required Components of the Proposals Each bid shall include, but not limited to, the following: 1) The proposed annual lease cost; 2) A management plan which defines: a. The proposed agricultural use; b. Field operations, including the policies and practices regarding soil conservation, water use, nutrient management and manure use, pest management and storage; 3) The length of time anticipated to begin operations at full capacity as proposed once the lease agreement is executed; 4) A description of qualifications, which shall include but not be limited to: a. A personal profile that identifies the length of time in business and locations of prior or current operations that are similar in nature; b. A description of your current farming operations (if any), including number of total acres or square footages managed, purposed of operations (vegetables, herbs, other) and management practices regarding soil conservation, soil fertility and nutrient management, pest management, etc. c. A description of your experience (if any) as lessee and/or operator of land for any type of farming operation, and if applicable, current reference information from your lessor(s). 5) A current financial statement; 6) A statement regarding your interest, if any, in a lease term beyond the initial term of two years, and if applicable, a description of the long term goal(s) over the proposed operations. 5. Submission Proposal must be submitted on or before April 5, 2017, in order to be considered, with the subject title Roof Garden lease Proposal. Proposals may be submitted via e-mail to: broman@bphc.org Proposals must be converted to pfd documents prior to submission. Hard copies may be hand delivered or mail to: Boston Public Health Commission, c/o Belkis Roman, 1010 Massachusetts Avenue, 2 nd floor, Boston MA 02118. Page 4 of 11
6. Evaluation Criteria and Scoring Proposals that meet the requirements, as stated herein, will be evaluated with the following criteria: 10 pts. Suitability of the Proposal The proposed lease agreement meets the needs and criteria set forth in the RFP. 15 pts. Alignment to current BPHC programs Willingness of candidate to donate ½ of produce to the Commercial kitchen which currently services three meals a day for over 700 homeless individuals and/or willingness to partner with BAHEC or Summer School programs to foster education among teenagers. 10 pts. Management Practices The successful applicant shall demonstrate a commitment to sound land stewardship by following accepted practices that protect soil, water and other resources. 15 pts. Proposed annual lease cost The financial benefit of the BPHC. 10 pts. Candidate Profile and Experience Candidate has successfully managed similar operations and has the qualifications necessary to conduct the intended activities. The character, integrity, reputation, and judgment of the candidate shall also be considered. 10 pts. Capacity Candidate has appropriate staff to successfully manage operation. Candidates have adequate financial resources to successfully start-up and sustain the operation. 10 pts. Public Value Adding Value to the greater community will be viewed favorably. Examples may include farming operations and facilities that are accessible to the public or BPHC employees and clients or programs; A positive and meaningful contribution to the local economy and/or contribution to local food security. 10 pts. Long-term Goals / Plans A clear articulation of a viable goal which continues to demonstrate sensitivity to the stewardship of the land, social justice through food security. The soundness and completeness of the submission, regarding the candidate long term plans as described in Section 4, Required Components of the Proposals 10 pts. Proposal / Presentation The information is presented in a clear, logical manner and is well organized. Total Points Page 5 of 11
7. Selection Process The designated awarding authority will review all proposals, evaluate and score proposals based on Section 6 Evaluation Criteria and Scoring. The tree highest scores will be shortlisted. The awarding authority may conduct interviews and will make recommendations on which proposal to accept for purposes of lease negotiations. 8. Award The lease agreement will be offered to the most advantageous proposal, taking into consideration all evaluation criteria as well as price. The BPHC will notify the successful bidder in writing within a reasonable time and will receive BPHC s contractual documents within five (5) working days after notification. The BPHC reserves the right to waive any informality and accept or reject any and all bids at its sole discretion. 9. Questions Prospective applicants may contact Belkis Roman at broman@bphc.org or 617-534-2716 with requests for clarifications or questions. Responses to all requests for clarifications and questions will be distributed via e-mail to all RFP form recipients. All clarifications and questions are due by March 27 th, 2017. 10. Timeline March 15, 2017 Release and distribution of RFP March 22, 2017 @ 10:00 AM Compulsory site visit for all interested parties. March 27, 2017 Deadline for all questions related to the RFP April 5, 2017 @ 1:00 PM Proposals Due. (no proposals will be accepted after this time, no exceptions.) April 6, 2017 (tentative) Interviews will be completed April 7, 2017 Evaluation and scoring will be completed. Timeframe subject to change Page 6 of 11
11. Proposal Form Please use the following as a guideline to format your proposal: Document format All digital submissions must be pdf documents. Length and font size - Please use fonts no smaller than 12 points. Maximum proposal length including title page, cover letter, and proposal should not exceed 15 pages. Title Page Boston Public Health Commission Roof Garden ; Project No. NS-050-1719; your company name; Address; Web site address; Telephone number; Fax number; E-mail address and primary person. Cover Letter Signed by the person or persons authorized to sign on behalf of the organization. Proposal Discuss your proposed lease agreement and provide the information outlined in Section 4 Required Components of the Proposals. Attachment Include references in his section along with other attachments. Page 7 of 11
12. Supplemental Information Below a Bird s Eye view of 35 Northampton Street Complex. Bordering the North with Harrison Avenue, bordering the East with Massachusetts Avenue & the Yawkey building of the Boston Medical Center, bordering South with Albany Street and bordering West with Nortampton Street. a. Northampton Street Complex Page 8 of 11
b. Designated, Tillable roof Garden area for lease. 102 feet 119 feet c. BPHC Programs overview for alignment opportunities: i. BAHEC or Summer Program The Boston Area Health Education Center (BAHEC) is a youth pathway to health careers program in the Division of Child and Adolescent Health at the Boston Public Health Commission. Founded in 1978 and the first program of its kind in the city of Boston, BAHEC's mission is to increase racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity among Boston's healthcare workforce by raising the proportion of youth from underserved populations who successfully pursue careers in health and public health. BAHEC does this by developing, implementing, disseminating, and evaluating enrichment programs to middle and high school aged youth in Boston. Through its programming, BAHEC works to fulfill the Boston Public Health Commission's mission to "protect, preserve, and promote the health and well-being of all Boston residents, particularly the most vulnerable." Page 9 of 11
BAHEC is part of the Massachusetts Area Health Education Center (MassAHEC) Network, a statewide system to address health disparities with a focus on workforce development. BAHEC accepts students entering the 9th to 12th grade. Students must reside in Boston to be eligible to apply for the program. Accepted students receive a stipend to participate in the program. The BAHEC program has 3 components: a summer enrichment program, an in-school academic year program, and an after-school academic year program ii. Homeless Job Training Program The Homeless Services Bureau of the Boston Public Health Commission has two paid, hands-on job-training programs, The Work Experience Program and The Serving Ourselves Program. The Homeless Services Bureau also has an educational and employment program, Project Lighthouse, which is available to program clients and emergency shelter guests. Each program recognizes an individual s needs and struggles and seeks to support clients in moving beyond shelter. Clients graduate by first re-entering the workforce and gaining new skills, and then finding independent employment. iii. For more information about BPHC programs visit www.bphc.org d. Insurance Requirements Candidate shall maintain at a minimum General Liability, Property Damage, Employers Liability, Worker s Compensation and Motor Vehicle Liability (personal Injury and Property Damage) and such other liability insurance coverage as may be required hereunder sufficient to protect Contractor and BPHC from any risks or claims which may be associated with this Contract and as are customary in Contractor s business and shall provide BPHC with evidence of such coverage. For general liability insurance, coverage will be at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 in the aggregate. In the event any changes occur in such liability coverage during the period of performance, Contractor shall notify BPHC of such changes and shall provide BPHC with new evidence of coverage. For this lease agreement, BPHC will require that BPHC be named as an Additional Insured on any applicable policies. End of Document Page 10 of 11