NOTICE TO BID

(RFQ # 2026-005)

Posted: 09/10/2026

The City of Mercedes is requesting sealed qualifications (RFQ) from qualified individuals/firms interested in providing

ENGINEERING SERVICES. Qualified applicants are invited to submit qualifications and proposals for the provision of these services. In order to be considered, proposals must address each of the requests for information included in this document.

All addenda, notices, additional information, etc. will be posted on the City of Mercedes website at www.cityofmercedes.com.

One (1) unbound original, and one (1) electronic copy must be sealed and returned to the City of Mercedes, City Hall, no later than

3:00 P.M. CST on Thursday, October 8, 2026, to the attention of:

City Secretary

Mercedes City Hall

400 S. Ohio Ave.

Mercedes, TX 78570

All proposals must be clearly marked with “RFQ 2026-005 – ENGINEERING SERVICES.” Proposer is responsible for delivery of response by the date and time set for the closing of the proposal acceptance. Responses received after the date and time set for the closing will not be considered.

Proposals will be publicly opened and acknowledged after the submission deadline. The contract award is anticipated to be made on

Tuesday, October 20, 2026, during a regular meeting of the Mercedes City Commission.

All bidders must be bonded in accordance with state and local requirements.

All questions regarding the specifications or scope of work must be submitted in writing no later than September 24, 2026 at 5:00

P.M. to the City of Mercedes at:

Joselynn Castillo, City Secretary

400 S. Ohio Ave.

Mercedes, TX 78570

Phone: (956) 565-3114 jcastillo@cityofmercedes.com

The City of Mercedes reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and waive informalities in proposals received.

Joselynn Castillo

City Secretary http://www.cityofmercedes.com/ mailto:jcastillo@cityofmercedes.com

CITY OF MERCEDES, TEXAS | RFQ – GENERAL AND ON-CALL ENGINEERING SERVICES

City of Mercedes, Texas 2

CITY OF MERCEDES, TEXAS

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

GENERAL AND ON-CALL PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES

RFQ No. 2026-005

Issue Date September 10, 2026

SOQ Due Date October 8, 2026

SOQ Due Time 3:00 P.M.

Contract Term November 1, 2026 to October 31, 2029

Prepared for the City of Mercedes, Texas

City of Mercedes, Texas 3

1. NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

The City of Mercedes, Texas (“City”) is requesting Statements of Qualifications (“SOQs”) from qualified professional engineering firms to provide general municipal engineering, on-call engineering, development review, infrastructure evaluation, surveying coordination, and related professional services on an as-needed basis.

The intent of this RFQ is to establish a limited group of highly qualified engineering firms capable of providing timely and responsive professional services across the principal engineering needs of the City.

• General municipal and civil engineering;

• Development and subdivision review;

• Water distribution and treatment systems;

• Wastewater collection and treatment systems;

• Streets, paving, sidewalks, and transportation infrastructure;

• Stormwater and drainage;

• Mechanical and municipal facility systems;

• Surveying and related professional services;

• Infrastructure assessment and cost estimating;

• Construction administration and inspection;

• Regulatory and technical assistance; and

• Other engineering services associated with municipal operations.

The City does not intend through this RFQ to automatically assign major capital improvement projects to selected firms.

Large, complex, grant-funded, or specialized projects may be separately procured when determined appropriate or required by applicable law, funding agencies, or the City Commission.

The City anticipates selecting a limited number of firms rather than maintaining an unnecessarily large engineering pool.

The exact number will be determined after evaluation of the SOQs based upon the City's actual needs and the qualifications received.

2. PROCUREMENT METHOD

This procurement is for professional engineering services and is intended to comply with the Texas Professional

Services Procurement Act, Texas Government Code Chapter 2254, and all other applicable federal, state, and local requirements.

Selection shall be based upon demonstrated competence and qualifications.

Respondents shall not include proposed fees, hourly rates, retainers, multipliers, or other pricing information in their SOQ unless specifically requested by the City after qualifications have been evaluated.

Following ranking, the City may negotiate the scope, contract structure, compensation, hourly rates, retainer arrangements, task-order pricing, or other appropriate compensation with the selected firm or firms in accordance with applicable law.

The City reserves the right to obtain legal review of the procurement and resulting contracts before award.

3. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The City of Mercedes requires engineering assistance across numerous municipal functions, including development, planning, public works, utilities, streets, drainage, parks, facilities, and infrastructure.

The City has historically maintained multiple engineering firms under professional service arrangements. The City

Commission has determined that a more focused approach is appropriate.

1. Establish access to qualified engineering professionals who can respond promptly to City needs;

2. Reduce delays associated with locating an engineer each time a smaller engineering need arises;

3. Provide the City with independent professional engineering advice and technical review;

4. Improve consistency in development and subdivision review;

5. Provide additional engineering capacity when multiple development or infrastructure matters occur simultaneously;

City of Mercedes, Texas 4

6. Match assignments to firms with appropriate technical expertise;

7. Avoid an unnecessarily large pool of engineering firms that the City does not realistically intend to utilize;

8. Establish clear accountability, responsiveness, and performance expectations;

9. Improve the City's ability to develop reliable scopes and cost estimates before undertaking infrastructure work;

10. Assist City staff in evaluating proposals, designs, infrastructure alternatives, and technical recommendations submitted by third parties; and

11. Provide engineering resources that function in the best interests of the City and its residents.

4. INTENDED ENGINEERING SERVICES MODEL

The City is considering a flexible engineering services structure.

A. Primary General/Development Engineer

One firm may serve as the City's primary resource for routine municipal engineering and development-related services, including:

• Development review;

• Subdivision review;

• Plat-related engineering review;

• Utility availability and infrastructure review;

• Routine technical questions;

• General municipal engineering consultation;

• Preliminary infrastructure evaluations;

• Cost estimates;

• Meetings with City staff and developers;

• Technical review of third-party recommendations; and

• Coordination of specialized engineering assistance when needed.

The City may negotiate a monthly retainer, defined number of professional hours, hourly arrangement, task-order structure, or other legally permissible compensation method following qualifications-based selection.

B. Specialized/Secondary Engineering Firms

The City may also select additional firms with particular strengths in areas such as water, wastewater, drainage, streets and paving, mechanical systems, surveying, construction inspection, or other specialized municipal infrastructure.

These firms may provide supplemental capacity when the primary engineer is unavailable, has a conflict, lacks the necessary specialty, or when workload requires concurrent assignments.

C. Assignment of Work

Selection under this RFQ does not guarantee any minimum amount of work. The City may establish procedures for assignment of work based upon factors permitted by law and the resulting contracts, including:

• Required professional discipline;

• Qualifications for the particular assignment;

• Availability;

• Current workload;

• Response time;

• Continuity with previous work;

• Conflicts of interest;

• Specialized expertise; and

• Equitable distribution of appropriate assignments when practicable.

The City does not intend for the engineering pool to become so large that firms are selected but rarely or never utilized.

City of Mercedes, Texas 5

5. SCOPE OF SERVICES

• Consultation with the City Manager, Assistant City Manager, department directors, Planning Department, Public

Works Department, Utility Department, and other City personnel;

• Attendance at City Commission, Planning and Zoning Commission, development, preconstruction, or staff meetings when requested;

• Engineering research and recommendations;

• Preliminary engineering evaluations;

• Infrastructure condition assessments;

• Technical memoranda;

• Opinions and recommendations regarding infrastructure;

• Preliminary feasibility evaluations;

• Review of engineering reports and studies prepared by others;

• Review of proposed infrastructure improvements;

• Assistance with development of scopes of work;

• Preparation of conceptual designs;

• Opinions of probable construction cost;

• Capital improvement planning assistance;

• Technical assistance during emergencies; and

• Other routine municipal engineering services.

6. DEVELOPMENT AND SUBDIVISION REVIEW

This is a significant component of the anticipated services. The City expects development reviews to be performed promptly so that engineering review does not unnecessarily delay responsible development.

• Review of subdivision construction plans;

• Review of plats from an engineering perspective;

• Review of proposed water, wastewater, drainage, paving, and related infrastructure;

• Review of utility extensions;

• Review of easements and infrastructure locations;

• Review of fire-flow and water-system considerations in coordination with appropriate City officials;

• Review of drainage calculations and plans;

• Review of street and pavement designs;

• Review of proposed public infrastructure for compliance with City standards;

• Review of engineering reports submitted by developers;

• Preparation of written comments;

• Follow-up review of revised plans;

• Participation in meetings with developers and their engineers;

• Recommendations concerning acceptance of public infrastructure;

• Identification of deficiencies requiring correction before acceptance; and

• Technical assistance to Planning and City Administration.

7. WATER SYSTEM ENGINEERING

• Water distribution system evaluations;

• Water main sizing;

• Water line extensions;

• Hydraulic considerations;

• Water pressure evaluations;

• Fire-flow analysis;

• Water treatment infrastructure;

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• Groundwater facilities;

• Surface-water facilities;

• Wells;

• Pumps;

• Pump stations;

• Ground and elevated storage facilities;

• Valves and hydrants;

• Water main replacement;

• Water system looping;

• Dead-end line evaluations;

• Utility easements;

• Water system capacity evaluations;

• Preliminary design;

• Construction plans and specifications when assigned;

• Construction administration;

• TCEQ-related engineering assistance; and

• Coordination with City utility operations staff.

8. WASTEWATER ENGINEERING

• Wastewater collection system evaluation;

• Gravity sewer design and evaluation;

• Force mains;

• Lift stations;

• Pump selection;

• Wet wells;

• Wastewater treatment facilities;

• Collection-system rehabilitation;

• Infiltration and inflow considerations;

• Capacity evaluations;

• Wastewater flow projections;

• Development impact evaluations;

• Sewer line extensions;

• Manhole rehabilitation;

• Preliminary engineering reports;

• Construction plans and specifications when assigned;

• Construction administration;

• TCEQ-related engineering assistance; and

• Coordination with City wastewater operations personnel.

9. STREETS, PAVING AND TRANSPORTATION

• Street condition assessments;

• Pavement evaluations;

• Asphalt overlay recommendations;

• Full-depth reconstruction recommendations;

• Roadway widening;

• Base repair;

• Pavement design;

• Sidewalks;

• ADA-related infrastructure;

• Curbs and gutters;

• Street reconstruction;

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• Preliminary cost estimates;

• Quantity calculations;

• Development of street improvement priorities;

• Assistance with annual street programs;

• Construction plans and specifications;

• Construction administration;

• Review of contractor proposals; and

• Technical assistance for work performed by City crews.

The City may specifically request engineering assistance in determining whether proposed street improvements should consist of maintenance, overlay, rehabilitation, or complete reconstruction.

10. DRAINAGE AND STORMWATER

• Local drainage evaluations;

• Storm sewer systems;

• Culverts;

• Inlets;

• Channels;

• Detention and retention;

• Drainage calculations;

• Development drainage review;

• Flood-related infrastructure considerations;

• Preliminary drainage studies;

• Corrective drainage recommendations;

• Construction plans and specifications;

• Stormwater infrastructure assessment;

• MS4-related technical engineering assistance when appropriate; and

• Coordination with drainage districts and other governmental entities.

11. MECHANICAL AND MUNICIPAL FACILITY ENGINEERING

• Pumps;

• Motors;

• Mechanical equipment;

• Municipal buildings;

• Parks;

• Irrigation systems;

• Water and wastewater facilities;

• HVAC-related engineering;

• Building utility systems;

• Equipment replacement evaluations;

• Energy or operational efficiency;

• Technical equipment specifications; and

• Other mechanical systems encountered in City operations.

A respondent is not required to perform all mechanical engineering internally but shall clearly identify whether these capabilities are provided by employees, subconsultants, or teaming partners.

12. SURVEYING AND RELATED SERVICES

• Boundary surveying;

• Topographic surveying;

• Utility surveying;

City of Mercedes, Texas 8

• Construction staking;

• Easement preparation;

• Right-of-way surveying;

• Existing-condition surveys;

• As-built surveys;

• Infrastructure location; and

• Other surveying necessary to support municipal projects.

Respondents shall identify whether surveying is performed internally or through a subconsultant and shall identify the

Texas Registered Professional Land Surveyor responsible for such services when applicable.

13. CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION AND INSPECTION

• Preconstruction meetings;

• Review of submittals;

• Review of requests for information;

• Periodic construction observation;

• Construction inspection;

• Review of contractor pay applications;

• Review of change-order requests;

• Verification of quantities;

• Substantial completion inspections;

• Final inspections;

• Punch lists;

• Record drawings;

• Project closeout;

• Warranty inspections; and

• Recommendations concerning acceptance of infrastructure.

The engineer shall promptly advise the City of material deviations from approved plans, specifications, schedules, budgets, or applicable requirements.

14. COST ESTIMATING AND PROJECT DEVELOPMENT

• Develop conceptual scopes;

• Develop preliminary quantities;

• Prepare opinions of probable construction cost;

• Identify reasonable contingencies;

• Identify utility relocation requirements;

• Separate construction, material, engineering, inspection, and other major cost components when requested;

• Identify assumptions;

• Identify significant project risks;

• Compare rehabilitation and replacement alternatives;

• Assist the City in establishing realistic project budgets; and

• Update estimates as projects progress.

15. THIRD-PARTY TECHNICAL REVIEW

The City may request that selected engineers provide an independent technical review of proposals submitted to the

City by developers, contractors, vendors, consultants, utility providers, equipment manufacturers, or other third parties.

The purpose of such review is to provide the City with independent professional advice regarding technical feasibility, infrastructure impacts, estimated costs, risks, alternatives, and whether a proposed approach appears consistent with sound engineering practice.

City of Mercedes, Texas 9

16. MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECTS

This RFQ is primarily intended for general municipal, on-call, development, infrastructure evaluation, and smaller professional engineering assignments. Selection under this RFQ shall not guarantee assignment of major capital improvement projects.

• Major water treatment projects;

• Major wastewater treatment projects;

• Major roadway or drainage projects;

• Large grant-funded projects;

• Federally funded projects;

• TWDB-funded projects;

• Projects requiring specialized procurement procedures;

• Projects of unusual complexity or magnitude; or

• Any project for which the City determines a separate qualifications-based selection is in its best interest or legally required.

A firm selected under this RFQ may submit qualifications for separately advertised projects unless prohibited by law, funding requirements, contractual conflict, or the applicable solicitation.

17. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND INDEPENDENCE

The City expects its engineers to provide independent professional advice in the City's best interest. Respondents shall disclose:

• Current engineering relationships with developers actively developing within Mercedes;

• Current relationships with major contractors performing work for the City;

• Current relationships with entities having significant matters before the City;

• Any known actual or potential conflict of interest;

• Any circumstances that could materially impair independent professional judgment; and

• Procedures used by the firm to identify and manage conflicts.

A selected firm shall promptly disclose any actual or potential conflict arising during the contract. The City reserves the right to assign a matter to another selected engineer whenever a conflict exists or the City determines independent review is appropriate.

18. RESPONSIVENESS AND AVAILABILITY

Responsiveness is a significant consideration for the City. Respondents shall describe their ability to provide routine telephone/email response, development plan review, emergency consultation, on-site response, attendance at City meetings, concurrent review of multiple assignments, and backup personnel when the primary engineer is unavailable.

The City expects selected firms to acknowledge routine requests within one business day, unless otherwise agreed.

Respondents should identify realistic anticipated turnaround times for routine engineering questions, development plan reviews, revised development plan reviews, preliminary cost estimates, field evaluations, and emergency matters.

19. KEY PERSONNEL

The respondent shall identify the individual proposed to serve as the City's Principal Engineer and Primary Day-to-Day

Contact. The City places significant importance on the qualifications and availability of the individuals who will actually perform the work.

Substitution of key personnel after award may require City approval. At least one individual assigned responsibility for engineering services shall be a Professional Engineer licensed to practice engineering in the State of Texas.

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20. STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENTS

Section 1 – Cover Letter

Firm name; address; primary contact; telephone; email; years in business; authorized representative; and statement confirming interest.

Section 2 – Executive Summary

Why the firm is qualified; principal municipal engineering strengths; service categories proposed; and approach to responsive engineering assistance.

Section 3 – Firm Qualifications

Firm history; office locations; number of professional engineers and technical/support personnel; Texas registrations;

municipal experience; and resources.

Section 4 – Proposed Team

Organizational chart; principal engineer; project manager; professional engineers; surveyors; inspectors; technical staff;

subconsultants; relevant licenses; and office locations.

Section 5 – Municipal Experience

Comparable work for Texas municipalities, particularly communities with similar infrastructure and staffing needs.

Section 6 – Development Review Experience

Experience with subdivisions, plats, water/sewer extensions, drainage, street plans, easements, and developer-prepared plans; include review process.

Section 7 – Water/Wastewater Experience

Municipal water systems, treatment, distribution, storage, pumps, wastewater collection, lift stations, force mains, treatment, and TCEQ requirements.

Section 8 – Streets and Drainage Experience

Asphalt overlays, reconstruction, pavement evaluation, roadway design, drainage, storm sewer, culverts, flooding, and street programs.

Section 9 – Availability and Responsiveness

Current workload, availability, response times, simultaneous assignments, emergency response, and backup staffing.

Section 10 – Project Management Approach

Assignment intake, scope, communication, tracking, schedule, budget, documentation, subconsultants, problem identification, and closeout.

Section 11 – Quality Assurance/Quality Control

Firm QA/QC procedures.

Section 12 – Conflicts of Interest

Disclosures required by this RFQ.

Section 13 – References

At least five municipal or governmental references, preferably Texas municipalities, with contact and service information.

City of Mercedes, Texas 11

Section 14 – Claims and Contract History

To the extent legally permissible, identify relevant terminations for cause, material professional liability claims, professional misconduct findings, debarments/suspensions, and material municipal contract disputes during the prior five years.

Section 15 – Required Forms and Certifications

Applicable City forms including conflict, non-collusion, debarment, statutory certifications, Public Information Act acknowledgment, W-9, insurance acknowledgment, and other forms required by the City Attorney or Purchasing

Department.

21. SERVICE CATEGORY MATRIX

Service Category Prime Firm Capability

Subconsultant Not Offered

General Municipal Engineering ___ ___ ___

Development/Subdivision Review ___ ___ ___

Water Distribution ___ ___ ___

Water Treatment ___ ___ ___

Wastewater Collection ___ ___ ___

Wastewater Treatment ___ ___ ___

Lift Stations/Force Mains ___ ___ ___

Streets/Paving ___ ___ ___

Drainage/Stormwater ___ ___ ___

Mechanical Engineering ___ ___ ___

Surveying/RPLS ___ ___ ___

Construction Administration ___ ___ ___

Construction Inspection ___ ___ ___

Cost Estimating ___ ___ ___

Grant/Funding Technical Support ___ ___ ___

Regulatory Engineering Support ___ ___ ___

Respondents are not required to provide every service category to be considered. The City may select firms with broad capabilities and/or firms demonstrating exceptional qualifications in specialized categories.

22. EVALUATION CRITERIA

Evaluation Factor Points

Municipal engineering experience and demonstrated competence 20

Qualifications and experience of proposed key personnel 20

Development/subdivision review experience 15

Water, wastewater, streets, drainage, and infrastructure capabilities 15

Availability, responsiveness, and capacity 15

Experience with comparable Texas municipalities 10

Project management and QA/QC approach 5

TOTAL 100

Price shall not be used as an evaluation criterion for initial qualifications-based selection of professional engineering services.

City of Mercedes, Texas 12

23. INTERVIEWS

The City may interview one or more highly qualified firms. Interviews may address proposed staffing, availability, development review procedures, municipal engineering philosophy, conflict management, communication, technical capabilities, comparable municipal experience, hypothetical municipal engineering situations, and ability to function as an extension of City staff.

24. SELECTION AND NEGOTIATION

Following evaluation, the City will rank firms according to demonstrated competence and qualifications in accordance with applicable Texas law. The City may identify firms for one or more service categories.

After qualifications-based ranking, the City may negotiate appropriate professional service agreements addressing detailed scope, responsibilities, deliverables, performance standards, contract term, hourly rates, staffing classifications, reimbursable expenses, retainer structures, task-order procedures, maximum authorized amounts, review turnaround times, emergency services, invoicing, reporting, and other contractual matters.

Nothing in this RFQ guarantees that negotiations will result in a contract.

25. POTENTIAL RETAINER ARRANGEMENT

After selection based solely upon qualifications, the City may consider negotiating a retainer arrangement with a primary engineering firm. Such an arrangement could include a defined level of routine services such as general engineering consultation, routine staff meetings, development/subdivision review, preliminary infrastructure review, limited field evaluations, technical advice, preliminary cost estimating, and coordination with other selected engineering firms.

The final structure and compensation, if any, shall be negotiated after selection in compliance with applicable procurement law.

26. TASK ORDERS AND AUTHORIZATION OF WORK

No work shall commence without authorization from the City in the manner established by the final contract. The City may require a task order identifying scope, deliverables, responsible personnel, schedule, compensation, not-to-exceed amount, and City authorization.

The selected firm shall immediately notify the City if it believes an assignment will exceed its authorized scope, schedule, or amount. Work performed without required authorization may be considered non-compensable to the extent permitted by law and contract.

27. PROJECT-SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS

The purpose of the on-call arrangement is not to automatically convert every future City project into an assignment for a selected firm. The City may establish project-value, engineering-fee, complexity, funding-source, or other thresholds in the resulting contracts or administrative procedures to determine when a separate procurement should be considered.

The City expressly reserves the right to separately procure engineering services for any project.

28. PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS

• Act in the City's best interests;

• Provide objective professional advice;

• Respond promptly;

• Maintain adequate staffing;

• Meet agreed schedules;

• Provide clear written recommendations;

• Provide reasonable and supportable cost estimates;

• Identify risks before they become significant problems;

• Coordinate effectively with City personnel;

City of Mercedes, Texas 13

• Avoid unnecessary delays;

• Maintain accurate records;

• Properly manage subconsultants;

• Disclose conflicts;

• Maintain required professional licenses; and

• Comply with applicable laws and professional standards.

29. PERFORMANCE REVIEW

The City may periodically evaluate engineering firms based upon responsiveness, quality of work, accuracy, timeliness, communication, development review turnaround, cost-estimate reliability, construction administration, ability to meet authorized budgets, staff availability, conflict management, professional judgment, and overall performance.

Performance may be considered when determining future assignments, contract renewals, or future qualifications-based selections to the extent permitted by law.

30. TERM

The City anticipates an initial contract term of three (3) years, with two (2) optional renewal period(s) of one (1) year, subject to City Commission approval, availability of funds, satisfactory performance, continued need, applicable procurement law, and any limitations contained in the final agreement. Selection does not guarantee renewal.

31. INSURANCE

Prior to execution of a contract, selected firms shall provide insurance acceptable to the City. Anticipated coverage may include Professional Liability/Errors and Omissions, Commercial General Liability, Automobile Liability, Workers'

Compensation as required by law, and Employer's Liability. Final limits shall be established in the contract documents and reviewed by the City Attorney and appropriate City personnel.

32. OWNERSHIP OF WORK PRODUCT

Unless otherwise provided by law or contract, reports, studies, calculations, drawings, specifications, GIS information, surveys, electronic files, cost estimates, technical memoranda, and other deliverables specifically prepared for and paid for by the City shall be provided to the City in accordance with the professional services agreement.

The final contract shall address ownership, professional reliance, reuse, electronic files, and applicable professional responsibility requirements.

33. PUBLIC INFORMATION

Respondents are advised that information submitted to the City may be subject to disclosure under the Texas Public

Information Act. Respondents shall clearly identify information they believe is confidential or proprietary; however, the

City cannot guarantee that information marked confidential will be withheld if disclosure is required by law.

The Texas Attorney General, rather than the respondent or City staff, may ultimately determine whether requested information is subject to disclosure.

34. RESERVATION OF RIGHTS

• Reject any or all SOQs;

• Cancel or amend this RFQ;

• Request clarification or additional information;

• Conduct interviews;

• Verify references;

• Select one or multiple firms;

• Select different firms for different service categories;

• Negotiate appropriate contracts following qualifications-based selection;

• Decline to negotiate a retainer;

City of Mercedes, Texas 14

• Make no award;

• Issue separate RFQs for specific projects;

• Terminate negotiations when permitted by law;

• Re-solicit services; and

• Take any action determined to be in the City's best interest and consistent with applicable law.

35. NO GUARANTEE OF WORK

Selection under this RFQ does not guarantee a minimum dollar amount, minimum number of assignments, minimum number of hours, a specific capital project, exclusivity, or renewal. Work will be authorized only when needed and properly approved.

36. QUESTIONS

Questions regarding this RFQ shall be submitted in writing to:

City of Mercedes

Attn: City Secretary’s Office

400 S. Ohio Avenue

Mercedes, Texas 78570

Email: jcastillo@cityofmercedes.com

Deadline for Questions: September 24, 2026 at 5:00 P.M.

Responses or addenda determined necessary by the City will be issued in accordance with the City's procurement procedures. Respondents shall not attempt to circumvent the designated procurement contact by seeking commitments concerning this solicitation from individual City officials or employees.

37. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Respondents shall submit 3 hard copies and 1 electronic copy/copies in a sealed package clearly marked:

RFQ 2026-005 – ENGINEERING SERVICES

DO NOT OPEN UNTIL: October 8, 2026 at 3:00 P.M.

Deliver to:

City of Mercedes

400 S. Ohio Avenue

Mercedes, Texas 78570

Attention: City Secretary’s Office

SOQs must be received no later than:

Date: October 8, 2026

Time: 3:00 P.M.

Late submissions may be rejected in accordance with City policy.

38. SOQ FORMAT

12. Cover Letter

13. Executive Summary

14. Firm Qualifications

15. Proposed Team

16. Municipal Experience

17. Development/Subdivision Experience

18. Water/Wastewater Experience

19. Streets/Drainage Experience

20. Availability and Responsiveness

21. Project Management Approach

22. QA/QC

City of Mercedes, Texas 15

23. Conflicts Disclosure

24. References

25. Claims/Contract History

26. Service Category Matrix

27. Required Forms

Respondents should emphasize relevant information rather than generic marketing material.

39. CERTIFICATION OF QUALIFICATIONS

28. The information submitted is accurate to the best of its knowledge;

29. The individuals identified as key personnel are reasonably expected to be available to perform the services;

30. The respondent possesses or will obtain all professional licenses required to perform assigned services;

31. The respondent will disclose actual or potential conflicts of interest;

32. The respondent understands that selection does not guarantee work;

33. The respondent understands that professional engineering services will be selected on qualifications before compensation is negotiated; and

34. The respondent agrees to comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws.

Firm: ___________________________________

Authorized Representative: ___________________________________

Title: ___________________________________

Signature: ___________________________________

Date: ___________________________________

City of Mercedes, Texas 16

EXHIBIT A – SERVICE CATEGORY IDENTIFICATION

☐ Primary General Municipal Engineering

☐ Development/Subdivision Review

☐ Water Distribution

☐ Water Treatment

☐ Wastewater Collection

☐ Wastewater Treatment

☐ Lift Stations/Force Mains

☐ Streets/Paving

☐ Drainage/Stormwater

☐ Mechanical Engineering

☐ Municipal Facilities

☐ Surveying/RPLS

☐ Construction Administration

☐ Construction Inspection

☐ Cost Estimating

☐ Regulatory Engineering Assistance

☐ Other: ______________________________

City of Mercedes, Texas 17

EXHIBIT B – KEY PERSONNEL

Principal Engineer

Name: __________________________

Texas PE No.: __________________

Years Experience: ______________

Office Location: _______________

Primary Project Manager

Name: __________________________

Title: _________________________

Years Experience: ______________

Office Location: _______________

RPLS, if applicable

Name: __________________________

Texas RPLS No.: ________________

Other Key Personnel:

City of Mercedes, Texas 18

EXHIBIT C – AVAILABILITY AND RESPONSE COMMITMENT

Request Anticipated Response

Routine City engineering question __________

Initial subdivision/development review __________

Revised plan review __________

Field visit __________

Preliminary cost estimate __________

City Commission/Staff meeting __________

Urgent infrastructure matter __________

Emergency consultation __________

Ability to manage multiple simultaneous assignments:

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EXHIBIT D – CONFLICT DISCLOSURE

List developers, contractors, consultants, utilities, or other entities currently represented by the firm that may reasonably create an actual or potential conflict involving City matters:

☐ No known conflicts to disclose at this time.

Describe the firm's conflict-checking procedures:

City of Mercedes, Texas 20

EXHIBIT E – MUNICIPAL REFERENCES

Reference 1

Municipality/Entity: ______________________________

Contact: ________________________________________

Title: __________________________________________

Telephone: ______________________________________

Email: __________________________________________

Services: _______________________________________

Reference 2

Municipality/Entity: ______________________________

Contact: ________________________________________

Title: __________________________________________

Telephone: ______________________________________

Email: __________________________________________

Services: _______________________________________

Reference 3

Municipality/Entity: ______________________________

Contact: ________________________________________

Title: __________________________________________

Telephone: ______________________________________

Email: __________________________________________

Services: _______________________________________

Reference 4

Municipality/Entity: ______________________________

Contact: ________________________________________

Title: __________________________________________

Telephone: ______________________________________

Email: __________________________________________

Services: _______________________________________

Reference 5

Municipality/Entity: ______________________________

Contact: ________________________________________

Title: __________________________________________

Telephone: ______________________________________

Email: __________________________________________

Services: _______________________________________

City of Mercedes, Texas 21

EXHIBIT F – EVALUATION SHEET – CITY USE

Firm: ___________________________________

Criterion Maximum Score

Municipal engineering experience and competence 20 ___

Key personnel 20 ___

Development/subdivision review 15 ___

Infrastructure capabilities 15 ___

Availability/responsiveness 15 ___

Comparable Texas municipal experience 10 ___

Project management/QA-QC 5 ___

TOTAL 100 ___

Evaluator Comments

Strengths:

Concerns:

Recommended Service Categories:

Interview Recommended: Yes / No

Evaluator: __________________________ Date: __________________

City of Mercedes, Texas 22

EXHIBIT G – PROPOSED POST-SELECTION NEGOTIATION ITEMS

THIS EXHIBIT IS FOR CITY USE AFTER QUALIFICATIONS-BASED SELECTION AND SHALL NOT BE

COMPLETED BY RESPONDENTS AS PART OF THE SOQ.

• Monthly retainer;

• Services included in retainer;

• Number of professional hours included;

• PE hourly rate;

• Project manager hourly rate;

• Engineer/EIT hourly rate;

• RPLS/survey crew rates;

• Inspector rates;

• Technician/CAD rates;

• Administrative rates, if applicable;

• Reimbursable expenses;

• Travel;

• Emergency response;

• Development review structure;

• Not-to-exceed task orders;

• Annual escalation, if any;

• Additional services; and

• Other compensation terms.

The City's objective is to obtain a fair and reasonable arrangement that provides dependable engineering access while controlling the City's overall professional engineering expenditures.

CITY'S INTENDED RESULT

Through this RFQ, the City of Mercedes intends to move away from maintaining a large engineering pool without a clearly defined purpose and toward a smaller, accountable, responsive, and strategically selected group of professional engineers.

The resulting engineering structure should provide the City with a primary source of dependable municipal engineering advice, sufficient specialized backup capacity, rapid development review, strong water/wastewater and infrastructure expertise, reliable cost estimating, and independent professional judgment while preserving the City's ability to separately procure engineering services for major capital projects.