2026-024 RFQ KITSAP 29 UTILITY RELOCATIONS.pdf

KitsapCounty Public Works - Sewer Utility

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS 2026-024

ENGINEERING CONSULTANT SERVICES FOR:

KITSAP 29 UTILITY RELOCATIONS (PR001439)

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Table of Contents Section 1. Background

1.1 Introduction

Section 2. Project Overview

2.1 Project Locations at Culvert Sites

2.2 Project Scope

2.3 Project Budget and Funding

2.4 Project Schedule and Phasing

Section 3. Procurement Process

3.1 Communications

3.2 Procurement Schedule

3.3 Consultant Interviews

Section 4. Submission Requirements

4.1 Submittal Place and Deadline

4.2 Submission Format

4.3 Submission Content

Section 5. Evaluation and Firm Selection

5.1 General

5.2 SOQ Evaluation Criteria

5.3 Shortlist Interviews

5.4 Firm Selection and Contract Negotiation

Section 6. Attachments

Attachment A – Kitsap 29 Conflict Exhibits

Attachment B – Bangor-Keyport Force Main Evaluation Technical Memorandum (Hazen 2026)

Attachment C – Standard Professional Services Contract

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Section 1. Background

1.1 Introduction

Kitsap County Sewer Utility (County) is soliciting a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) from prospective consulting firms for professional engineering services to design and provide construction support for the Kitsap 29 Utility Relocations project (Project). The proposed project will address utility relocations required to facilitate the construction of the Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) Kitsap County Remove Fish Barriers Project (Kitsap 29), which comprises the removal of twenty-nine (29) fish barriers under several state routes within Kitsap County (SR-3, SR-104, SR-303, SR-307, and SR-308).

Section 3 - Procurement Process provides the intended timeline from solicitation to Notice of Intent to Award Contract. This RFQ invites Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) per the requirements outlined in this RFQ, including the format and content guidelines in Section 4 - Submission Requirements, and Section 5 - SOQ Evaluation and Firm Selection.

WSDOT awarded a design-build contract to Kiewit for the Kitsap 29 project and delegated certain authority over the County’s Franchise Utility Accommodation Agreement to Kiewit, in an effort to streamline coordination efforts and simplify project delivery.

Section 2. Project Overview

2.1 Project Locations at

Culvert Sites The Kitsap 29 Utility Relocations will occur where WSDOT barrier culverts overlap with the Sewer Utility’s facilities along SR-308 near Liberty Bay, SR-303 in Central Valley, and potentially along the SR-3 Strategic Highway Network (Strahnet). Currently, Kitsap County has identified conflicts at the following locations along SR-308 and SR-303, at Sites 14-17 and Sites 20, 25, and 27, respectively.

Currently, no conflicts have been identified along the SR-3 Strahnet corridor, and coordination with WSDOT’s project team is ongoing. Kitsap 29 conflict exhibits are included as Attachment A.

Figure 1. WSDOT's Barrier Locations

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2.2 Project Scope

The scope of work will require professional services in several engineering disciplines, including but not limited to civil, structural, geotechnical, environmental, and surveying. The county anticipates the project scope to include the following:

• Project management and stakeholder coordination (County, WSDOT, and Kiewit)

• Data gathering and assessment

• Topographic surveying and base mapping

• Geotechnical investigation and design recommendations

• Pump/hydraulic analyses for existing, temporary, and permanent installation of sanitary sewer force mains

• Option analyses for temporary bypassing, shoring, horizontal directional drilling (HDD), and/or pipe support systems (e.g., pipe bridge, straps, etc.)

• Temporary bypass, shoring, and/or pipe support structure design

• Preliminary opinion of probable cost, per option

• Preliminary Engineering o 30% and 60% Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E) o Preliminary Engineering Report, as applicable

• Final Engineering o 90% and 100% PS&E o Final Engineering Report, as applicable o Public bidding support

• Construction engineering support services

The proposed scope will build upon a preliminary opinion memorandum and technical memorandum prepared by the County’s on-call engineer, Hazen & Sawyer. The technical memorandum is included as Attachment B – Bangor-Keyport Force Main Evaluation Technical Memorandum.

All design work and PS&E shall be prepared in accordance with the Department of Ecology’s Criteria for Sewer Works Design (Orange Book), Kitsap County Standards, WSDOT Design Manuals, WSDOT/APWA Standard Specifications for Road Bridge and Municipal Construction, and all applicable state and federal regulations.

2.3 Project Budget and Funding

Relocations required under a Utility Accommodation Permit or Franchise Agreement are often unforeseen and burdensome to public utility providers. Since the Project is unplanned, the Utility has not prepared preliminary engineering estimates and needs to amend the Capital Facilities Plan to include the Project and appropriate funds from the Sewer Capital Fund.

The County anticipates a rough order of magnitude for engineering and construction support services to range from $250,000 – $750,000 per phase, depending on location complexity and delivery completion schedule.

2.4 Project Schedule and Phasing

The project is anticipated to be scoped and completed in phases to align with WSDOT’s bundles, ensuring timely completion of necessary relocations. The County anticipates the Project being

KITSAP COUNTY RFQ 2026-024 | 5

completed in three phases as indicated in Table 1. The target completion dates shown are to accommodate WSDOT’s targeted construction schedule and are subject to change.

Phase 1 is the most time sensitive, with relocations and/or bypass completion requested by April 1, 2027. County staff believes this goal is achievable if pursuing a temporary bypass or protecting-in-place.

Table 1. Anticipated Phasing by Bundle Phase Location (SR and WSDOT Site) WSDOT Bundle Target Completion* 1 SR-308 Luoto Rd, Sites 16 and

Liberty Bay, Bundle 2 April 2027

2 SR-303 Waaga Way, Sites 20, 25, and 27 (additional TBD)

Central Valley, Bundle 3

3 SR-3 Strahnet, (unconfirmed) Strahnet, Bundle 1 2028

Section 3. Procurement Process

3.1 Communications

Kitsap County’s Purchasing Office will act as the sole point of contact for this RFQ and will administer the RFQ process. Respondents are requested to review this RFQ carefully and to submit any questions concerning this RFQ, the County’s requirements, or the SOQ evaluation process to the Purchasing Office.

Questions from Respondents must be received by the County’s Procurement Contact no later than the Deadline for Questions specified in Section 3.2 (Procurement Schedule). The County will provide answers to questions via Addenda.

All inquiries and SOQs may be submitted via the options below, but it is recommended that inquiries and SOQs be submitted via email:

Mail/Email Glen S. McNeill Purchasing Dept Supervisor Kitsap County Purchasing Office 614 Division Street, MS-7 Port Orchard, WA 98366 purchasing@kitsap.gov

Courier/Hand Deliver Glen S. McNeill, Purchasing Supervisor Kitsap County Administration Building Purchasing Office – 4th Floor 619 Division Street Port Orchard, WA 98366

3.2 Procurement Schedule

The following schedule has been established for the submission and evaluation of the SOQs and consultant selection. These are tentative dates only, and the County reserves the right to adjust these dates at its sole discretion:

mailto:purchasing@kitsap.gov

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• First RFQ Advertisement May 29, 2026

• Second RFQ Advertisement June 5, 2026

• Questions Due June 11, 2026, by 2:00 p.m. (PST)

• SOQ Submission Date June 16, 2026, by 2:00 p.m. (PST)

• Notice of Shortlist Selection for Interviews June 26, 2026

• Consultant Interviews July 9, 2026

• Notice of Intent to Award July 13, 2026

• Anticipated Contract Award August 24, 2026

3.3 Consultant Interviews

The County will conduct consultant interviews on the date listed in Section 3.2 (Procurement Schedule).

Interviews will be held at the Public Works Annex located at 8600 SW Imperial Way, Bremerton, WA 98312.

Each interview will last no longer than one hour. Additional information regarding time slots and format of the interview will be published with notification of shortlist selection. The County’s project manager will schedule interviews with the contact person provided in the SOQ.

Section 4. Submission Requirements

4.1 Submittal Place and Deadline

SOQ submittal packages must be received by the County no later than 2:00 p.m. on June 16, 2026, addressed to the County’s Procurement Contact in Section 3.1 (Communications).

Clearly mark submittal and any packaging (boxes or envelopes) with the name and address of the Respondent, and “Kitsap 29 Utility Relocations (PR001439), RFQ 2026-024.”

4.2 Submission Format

Provide submittal in Adobe Acrobat format (PDF) on a USB flash drive or via email submission to the County’s Purchasing email listed in Section 3.1. The PDF shall be searchable and contain bookmarks for each section listed in Section 4.3 (Submission Content).

Submittals shall be limited to a maximum of ten (10) 8½ x 11 pages, not including the Title/Cover pages (limited to two pages), Table of Contents (limited to one page), and Appendices. Submittals over the maximum page size limit will not be considered.

4.3 Submission Content

The content requirements outlined in this RFQ represent the minimum requirements for SOQ. It is the Respondent’s responsibility to include information in its SOQ to present all relevant qualifications and other materials. The SOQ, however, should not contain standard marketing or other general materials.

It is the Respondent’s responsibility to modify such materials so that only directly relevant information is included in the SOQ.

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The SOQ must include the following information in the order listed:

• Cover/Title Page (limited to one page)

• Table of Contents (limited to one page)

• Part 1 – Executive Summary

• Part 2 – Firm Profile

• Part 3 – Project Team Structure and Key Personnel

• Part 4 – Relevant Project Experience

• SOQ Appendix A (Resumes) (limited to two pages per individual)

• Back Cover (optional - limited to one page)

4.3.1 Cover/Title Page

The Cover or Title Page of the SOQ shall include the RFQ number; Project name; date; name of Respondent;

Respondent’s contact information, including the name of the contact person, address, e-mail address, and telephone number; and name of Principal in Charge.

4.3.2 Part 1 – Executive Summary

The executive summary must include a concise overview of the key elements of SOQ. The executive summary shall not be used to convey additional information not provided elsewhere in SOQ.

4.3.3 Part 2 – Firm Profile

A detailed and complete description of the Respondent’s profile information must be provided in Part 2 of the SOQ. Required information applies to the Respondent, and in the case of a joint venture, each member of the joint venture must provide requested information. The Respondent’s profile must include the following information:

• General Information. Provide general information about the Respondent, such as date of establishment, lines of business and service offerings, locations of offices, number of employees (professional and non-professional), years in business, and evidence of required license(s), and other information deemed necessary.

• Project Office(s) Location(s). Identify where the Respondent intends to maintain its project office(s) and the location where the work will be performed.

4.3.4 Part 3 – Project Team Structure and Key Personnel

Describe the structure and management of the Respondent’s Project Team.

• Include an organizational chart identifying all Key Personnel (and their firm affiliations) and showing reporting relationships of all Key Personnel (along with their firm affiliations). Minimum Key Personnel includes (alternative titles acceptable):

o Project Manager o Civil/Hydraulics Lead o Structural Lead o Traffic/MOT Lead o Geotechnical Lead o Surveying Lead o Construction Lead o Environmental/Permitting Lead o QA/QC Lead

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• Describe Key Personnel individual qualifications, including experience and technical competence, and how it aligns with their proposed roles. The level of description of Key Personnel qualifications can vary at the discretion of the Respondent. Also, indicate the extent of involvement of the individuals proposed for the Project Services and affirm that they are not committed beyond their availability for other projects.

• Provide resumes for all Key Personnel in SOQ Appendix A (Resumes). Key Personnel Roles need not be held by separate individuals; however, the Respondent must clearly identify the team members responsible for each role, especially those who will oversee compliance with applicable RCWs. Legal or code compliance experience is preferred for the QA/QC Lead. Respondents may identify additional personnel they deem to be critical to project success, but each proposed team member must be identified on the organizational chart. While the County may determine to score a select number of Key Personnel, the overall strength of the Project Team will be considered in the evaluation.

4.3.5 Part 4 – Relevant Project Experience

In general, this part of the SOQ should demonstrate Respondent’s capabilities and approach in managing, performing, and completing projects of similar scope and complexity. The description should address the Respondent’s ability to develop creative solutions to complex utility conflicts, in both temporary and permanent conditions. It should also ensure regulatory compliance, quality of work, the Respondent’s ability to meet project schedules, facilitate cooperation with other members of the project team and third-party interests, and demonstrate responsiveness to the County’s requests. Relevant project experience must mention which key personnel were involved in the project. This information should be included as a standalone figure. County staff or advisors reserve the right to contact references and obtain information on representatives and Reference Projects to confirm the information provided by Respondent. The Respondent’s score on this section may be impacted by their inability to contact and verify references.

4.3.6 SOQ Appendix A (Resumes)

SOQ Appendix A (Resumes) must include resumes for all Key Personnel in SOQ, per the requirements of Section 4.3 of this RFQ.

Section 5. Evaluation and Firm Selection

5.1 General

The County will evaluate qualifications using a two-step process. Step 1 is to evaluate responsive SOQs to determine the SOQ Score and shortlist the highest scoring Respondents (Shortlisted Respondents) to continue in the selection process. Step 2 is to conduct and score Interviews of the shortlisted candidates (which will include an assessment of experience and qualifications) and evaluate. The County intends to select the Shortlisted Respondent with the highest final score as the design Firm for this contract. The distribution of the scores for the two steps is as follows:

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• Step 1: SOQ Score – Maximum 100 points

• Step 2: Interview Score – Maximum 100 points.

The SOQs and Interview will be reviewed and evaluated by the County according to the requirements and criteria outlined in this document. During the evaluation process, written questions or requests for clarification may be submitted to one or more Respondents regarding the submitted SOQ or related matters. Failure to respond promptly to any such questions or requests may be grounds for elimination of a Respondent from further consideration.

The County shall negotiate with the highest-scoring Consultant, as determined by evaluation of the SOQ responses and interviews. If the County is unable to reach an agreement with the highest-ranked firm, it may negotiate with the second highest-ranked firm, proceeding in turn to each firm, in order of rank, until a Contract is executed. A sample of the Kitsap County Contract for Professional Services is included as Attachment A - Sample Contract Standard Provisions.

5.2 SOQ Evaluation Criteria

The County’s selection committee will evaluate the responsive SOQs that satisfy the minimum requirements by applying the comparative evaluation criteria outlined in Table 2.

Table 2. Evaluation Criteria and Points for Statements of Qualifications Evaluation Criteria Points

Cover/Title Page Evaluated for responsiveness

Part 1 – Executive Summary Evaluated for compliance

Part 2 – Firm Profile Evaluated for compliance

Part 3 – Project Team Structure and Key Personnel 30

Part 4 – Relevant Project Experience 30

Part 5 – Respondent’s Approach to Executing Project 40

SOQ Appendix A (Resumes) Scored as a portion of

Part 3 and Part 4 Total for Statement of Qualifications (Maximum SOQ Score): 100

The selection committee will determine the SOQ Score based on Table 2. Respondents with the highest SOQ Score will be selected for the Shortlist and invited to continue with Step 2 of the selection process by participating in an in-person interview. Up to three Respondents will be selected for Step 2.

5.3 Shortlist Interviews

The Interview will consist of a presentation by the Respondent and a question-and-answer session with the County’s selection committee. Prior to the Interview, the County intends to provide Shortlisted Respondents with a list of questions to respond to in the Interview.

It is anticipated that Shortlisted Respondents will be rated based on the evaluation criteria in Table 3.

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Table 3. Evaluation Criteria for Interview Criteria Description

Presentation Quality Overall quality of presentation given by Respondent, including the presentation material, adequacy of content, and organization of material.

Enhancement of Qualifications

Demonstration of tools, processes, and/or other unique components that would allow Respondent to meet project goals and objectives.

Experience and Qualifications

Summarize pertinent experience and qualifications of the firm and Key Personnel.

Specific Questions Thoroughness and insight in providing direct and clear answers to the questions asked. Consideration should also be given to responses to any questions that the Respondent was not provided in advance of the interview.

Communication Demonstration of interpersonal communications between team members and the County’s selection committee and/or Interview panel;

Quality of questions asked by the Respondent.

The Interview Score may be up to 100 points and will be added to the SOQ Score to determine a Final Score for each Shortlisted Respondent.

5.4 Firm Selection and Contract Negotiation

The Shortlisted Respondent with the highest Final Score (total possible: 200 points), resulting from the selection committee’s combined scoring of the Interview Score and SOQ Score, will be selected to enter contract negotiations with the County.

Section 6. Attachments The following attachments are included for reference and to support SOQ development:

• Attachment A: Kitsap 29 Conflict Exhibits (Kiewit 2026)

• Attachment B: Bangor-Keyport Force Main Evaluation Technical Memorandum (Hazen 2026)

• Attachment C: Kitsap County Standard Professional Services Contract

KITSAP COUNTY RFQ 2026-024

Attachment A – Kitsap 29 Conflict Exhibits

Attachment B – Bangor-Keyport Force Main Evaluation Technical Memorandum (Hazen 2026)

Attachment C – Standard Professional Services Contract