COUNTY OF VENTURA

GENERAL SERVICES AGENCY

PROCUREMENT SERVICES

800 S. VICTORIA AVE., L#1080

VENTURA CA 93009

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

RFP 6234

for

2027 Multi-Jurisdiction Hazard Mitigation Plan Update

Issued: November 18, 2025 Due: December 12, 2025

County of Ventura RFP 6234

GSA/Procurement Services

SECTION 1.0

GENERAL INFORMATION AND SCOPE OF WORK

This Request for Proposal (RFP) has been posted on the County of Ventura Vendor Information Portal (VCVIP) aka Bonfire website (Ventura.bonfirehub.com) for your convenience. Addenda and attachments, if issued, are also posted. It is the Offeror’s responsibility to ensure that the entire RFP package, in its latest version, is reviewed prior to submittal of a proposal.

1.1 Introduction/Purpose

The County of Ventura (hereinafter referred to as County) invites your organization to submit a written proposal to provide consulting services to assist the County with the update of the Ventura County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP). Proposals shall be due no later than 5:00 p.m. on December 12, 2025 in accordance with the attached Terms and Conditions, Instructions to Offerors which by this reference are made a part hereof. Offerors shall be skilled and regularly engaged in the general class or type of work called for in the solicitation documents.

The purpose of this Request for Proposal is to obtain professional services that will guide and support the County of Ventura and its participating jurisdictions in completing the 2027 MJHMP update.

The selected consultant will provide technical expertise, project management, stakeholder engagement, and hazard analysis, as well as plan crafting and documentation necessary to produce an updated MJHMP. The planning process will contemplate the current plan content and requirements, incorporate new natural hazard data, including climate-related hazards, and meet all applicable federal, state and local standards for plan approval and adoption.

1.2 Background

The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 requires state, tribal, and local governments to develop and maintain hazard mitigation plans as a condition for receiving certain types of non-emergency disaster assistance. These plans must be updated and approved by FEMA every five years to remain eligible for federal mitigation grant funding.

The County of Ventura completed its most recent Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan in 2022, with approval from FEMA through 2027. The plan was developed collaboratively with numerous cities, special districts, and other local partners. As Ventura County faces a wide range of natural and climate change-related hazards, an updated MJHMP is critical to identifying vulnerabilities, https://ventura.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=login

SECTION 1.0

GENERAL INFORMATION AND SCOPE OF WORK

assessing risks, and prioritizing mitigation strategies that enhance community resilience.

The 2027 plan update will build on prior planning efforts, integrate the latest hazard data and risk assessments, reflect changes in demographics and land use, align with other local and regional planning initiatives and prioritize robust stakeholder and public engagement. The updated plan will serve as the foundational document for reducing long-term risk, guiding mitigation investments, and maintaining eligibility for federal hazard mitigation assistance grant programs.

Offerors are advised that while this project is supported by grant funding, the total grant award encompasses multiple project components beyond this professional services contract. Offerors who have prior knowledge of the grant award amount are cautioned not to use that information to influence their pricing, but rather on the scope of work and level of effort described in this Request for Proposals. The County reserves the right to reject any proposal inconsistent with the scope of work.

1.3 Action Dates

The following is an outline of the anticipated schedule for the proposal review and contract award.

Issue Request for Proposal (RFP) Last day for questions Proposals Due Evaluation-award Start Work

November 18, 2025 December 1, 2025 December 12, 2025 December 2025 January 2026

The Contractor shall not commence work until a meeting between representatives of the contractor and the County of Ventura is held. The meeting will be held at a County of Ventura site, at a time and date to be established. The schedule set forth above is subject to change.

1.4 Questions Regarding RFP

All questions concerning this Proposal may be directed to Peter Berry, under “Messages” tab of the solicitation online at:

https://ventura.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=login .

SECTION 2.0

INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS/RULES GOVERNING COMPETITION

2.1 Submittal Deadline

Completed proposals must be submitted online through ventura.bonfirehub.com per instructions.

Offerors are allowed to submit more than one proposal with different methods of meeting the RFP requirements. When Offeror submits more than one proposal, one proposal shall be marked “Base Proposal” and the others shall be marked “Alternate Proposal 1, Alternate Proposal 2, etc.” Each base proposal and each alternate proposal shall be submitted in accordance with the terms and conditions of the RFP.

Offerors are responsible for making certain their proposals are received by GSA- Procurement on or before the Proposal Submittal Deadline listed on the RFP Details tab in the VCVIP portal. The receiving time in VCVIP will be the governing time for acceptability of proposals. No hard copy, oral, telegraphic, electronic mail, facsimile, or telephone proposals or modifications will be considered.

2.2 Proposal Response

Offerors must submit their proposals and all required information and forms by the submittal deadline. Proposals failing to provide complete information may be deemed non-responsive. Offerors should keep copies of their submittals for future reference.

2.3 Modification of Proposals

Any Offeror who wishes to make modifications to a proposal already received by County must withdraw their proposal in order to make the modifications. All modifications must be made on-line, properly by Offeror’s authorized representative, executed, and submitted in accordance with the terms and conditions of this solicitation. It is the responsibility of Offeror to ensure that modified proposals are resubmitted before the Submittal Deadline.

Offerors may withdraw their proposals, at any time prior to the due date and time, by submitting notification of withdrawal signed by Offeror’s authorized agent.

Proposals cannot be changed or modified after the date and time designated for receipt.

2.4 Opening of Proposals

Proposals will not be opened publicly but a list of the names of Offerors submitting proposals will be available within a reasonable time after the Submittal Deadline.

Proposals will be made public and may be inspected at the time of award.

2.5 Examination of the Request for Proposal

Offerors should carefully examine the entire RFP, any addenda thereto, and all related materials and data referenced herein or otherwise available to offeror.

Offeror shall be presumed to be familiar with all specifications and requirements of this RFP. The failure or omission to examine any form, instrument or document shall in no way relieve offerors from any obligation with respect to this proposal.

2.6 Proposal Validity

Proposals submitted hereunder shall be firm for 90 calendar days from the due date unless otherwise qualified.

2.7 Proposal Content/Format

To be considered responsive, proposals should address all items identified in this section.

Please note: Some items require that the Offeror provide a detailed response and/or attachments. Failure to provide a complete response may be grounds for rejection of a proposal.

Furthermore, proposals should be prepared in such a way as to provide a straightforward and concise discussion of the Offeror’s ability to provide the services that can best satisfy the requirements herein and meet the needs of the County. Elaborate or unnecessarily lengthy responses and attachments are discouraged.

Emphasis should be concentrated on conformance to the RFP instructions, responsiveness to the RFP requirements and on completeness and clarity of content.

In order to facilitate evaluation and comparison, proposals should be submitted in the format described in this section. Format instructions must be adhered to; all requirements and requests for information must be addressed; all requested data must be supplied. Failure to comply with this requirement may be cause for rejection.

Assemble and present your proposal response in the order that the items are listed, identifying each response by the corresponding number.

a. Cover Letter/Signature on Proposal

Upload the Cover Letter through the Requested Information.

A cover letter, which shall be considered an integral part of the proposal, shall be signed by individual(s) who is/are authorized to bind offeror(s) contractually. The signature(s) must indicate the classification or position that the individual(s) holds.

The cover letter shall designate a person or persons who may be contacted during the period of evaluation with questions or contract issues. Include name(s), title(s), address(es), telephone number(s), fax number(s) and email address(es).

b. Company Profile and Qualifications

Offeror must provide company profile in Section 2 –Offerors Information Questionnaire, Question Set 1.

Information provided shall include:

1. Correct legal name as registered with the California Secretary of State.

2. Company ownership. If incorporated, the state in which the company is incorporated and the date of incorporation.

3. Location of the company offices.

4. Location of the office servicing any California account(s). What are the hours of operation of the customer service unit involved in supporting the proposed services?

5. Number of employees both locally and nationally.

6. Location(s) from which employees will be assigned.

7. Name, address, and telephone number of the Offeror’s point of contact for a contract resulting from this RFP.

8. Company background/history establishing that Offeror is qualified to provide the services described in this RFP.

9. Length of time Offeror has been providing services described in this

RFP. Please provide a brief description of such services.

Offeror must include in their proposal a complete disclosure of any alleged significant prior or ongoing contract failures, any civil or criminal litigation or investigation pending which involves the Offeror or in which the Offeror has been judged guilty or liable. Failure to comply with the terms of this provision will disqualify any proposal. County reserves the right to reject any proposal based upon Offeror’s prior history with County or with any other party, which documents, without limitation, unsatisfactory performance, adversarial or contentious demeanor, significant failure(s) to meet contract milestones or other contractual failures.

c. Personnel Qualifications

Identify key personnel and their position within the organization in Section 2 – Offerors Information Questionnaire, Question Set 2.

Provide a resume detailing the experience, level of expertise and qualifications of the representative/manager and those individuals who will directly support and be involved in meeting the day-to-day requirements of the County.

If you plan to sub-contract work, you must indicate the name and address of each subcontractor and the type of work or tasks they will perform.

Identify the personnel to be assigned, their position, qualifications, and representative experience. Provide this information in Section 2 –Offerors Information Questionnaire, Question Set 4

d. Financial Statement

This competitive solicitation has a standard requirement that all submitted proposals include the Offeror’s financial history. To comply with this requirement, all respondents are to furnish County with financial statements at the time of submittal in order to demonstrate the Offeror's financial capabilities. Failure to provide this information at the time of submittal will result in a recommendation by the Chief Procurement Officer to deem the response as non-responsive.

Each respondent shall submit their most recent two (2) years of annual financial statements for review that shall include the following: 1) Income Statement, and 2) Balance Sheet. County’s preference is that financials be submitted in a comparative format, meaning that the two (2) most recent years are shown side by side. The financial statements are not required to be audited financial statements. If Offeror has been in business for less than the required number of years, then Offeror must disclose for all years of the required period that Offeror has been in business, including any partial year-to-date financial statements. County, during evaluation, may consider the unavailability of the most recent year’s financial statements and whether

Offeror acted in good faith in disclosing their financial documents.

Upload the Financial Statement through the Requested Information.

e. References

Offers must provide a minimum of three (3) references from similar projects in Section 2 -Offerors Information Questionnaire, Question Set 3

Offerors should provide a minimum of three (3) references from similar projects performed within the last three years. In addition include all local government (Southern California) references. Information provided shall include:

1. Client name;

2. Project description;

3. Project dates (starting and ending);

4. Dollar value

5. Staff assigned to reference engagement that will be designated for work per this RFP;

6. Client project manager name and telephone number.

f. Offeror Understanding

Offerors may include an understanding of the County's needs or any other information, deemed necessary, which may not be required in any other section of the RFP. This should be uploaded to “Miscellaneous Information”.

g. Requirements

Offeror's response shall state on a point-by-point basis whether proposal is in compliance with the requirements/specifications of the RFP (Section 3). Address each item in the order given, identify each response by item number. Submit a full explanation of, and justification for, any exemptions or deviations.

Upload the response to Section 3 through the Requested Information section.

h. Compliance with County Standard Contract Terms and Conditions

Successful Contractor will be required to enter into a written contract.

Offerors shall review the County’s standard contract in Section 4, which shall form the basis for any contract entered into hereunder. Offerors must state approval of the standard contract, OR provide any comments/exceptions to this contract on a line-by-line basis. For exceptions, address each item in the order given; identify each response by item number. Any comments/exceptions to this contract must be included in your proposal. Precise substitute wording must be offered in place of the paragraph objected to. It is not sufficient to state merely that an exception is noted to a particular paragraph. Deviations considered excessive by the County may reduce or eliminate an Offeror.

PLEASE NOTE: The sample standard contract attached to this RFP is a template. Please do not attempt to insert missing information and complete the attached sample. Once a vendor is selected, Procurement will work with the selected vendor to draft a vendor-specific contract.

i. Compensation

Complete Proposal Form (ATTACHMENT B). Proposal pricing shall include everything necessary for completion and fulfillment of the contract. All other costs must be detailed. No additional charges (e.g., for transportation, out-of-pocket expenses, etc.) will be allowed unless so specified herein.

Download Attachment “B” Cost Proposal under Files tab and upload completed document under Requested Information.

j. Payment Terms

Customary terms are Net 30 for work performed in arrears of service.

Offerors shall indicate their offered payment terms. Discount for payment in less than 30 days may be considered in the evaluation.

2.8 Costs Incurred in Responding

The County of Ventura will not pay any costs incurred in proposal preparation, presentation, demonstration or negotiation, nor does it commit to procure or contract for any services. All costs of proposal preparation shall be borne by the offeror. It is understood that all proposals, inquiries, and correspondence relating to this RFP and all reports, charts, displays, schedules, exhibits, and other documentation will become the property of the County of Ventura when received by the County and may be considered public information under applicable law.

The County assumes no liability for any costs incurred by offerors throughout the entire selection process.

2.9 Addenda

The County will issue written addenda to make changes, additions, or deletions to this solicitation. Oral communications regarding this RFP will NOT be valid or binding, nor excuse the successful Offeror of any obligations hereunder, unless set forth in writing by the County. Addenda will be posted in Bonfire. Offerors must acknowledge and return all Addenda on or before the Proposal Submittal Deadline.

It is the responsibility of each Offeror to ensure the County of Ventura has their correct business name and address on file. Any prospective Offeror who obtained a copy of the RFP documents from any other source other than the County is responsible for registering on the Bonfire website to receive subsequent Addenda.

2.10 Nomenclatures

The terms “Successful Offeror, Successful Contractor, and Contractor” may be used interchangeably in these specifications and shall refer exclusively to the Offeror with whom the (Agency) enters into a contract because of this solicitation.

The terms “Proposal/Solicitation/RFP” refer to all proposal documents and related addenda produced by the County and provided to prospective Offerors.

2.11 Confidential and Proprietary Data

All materials received relative to this RFP will be kept confidential, until such time an award is made or the RFP is canceled, at which time all materials received will be made available to the public. Proposals received will be subject to Government Code §6250, the Public Information Act. Under the Act, the County may be obligated to provide a copy of any and all responses to this Request for Proposal, if such requests are made after the contract is awarded.

One exception, to this required disclosure, is information which fits within the definition of a confidential trade secret [Government Code section 6254(k)] or contains other technical, financial or other data whose public disclosure could cause injury to the proposer’s competitive position. If any proposer believes that information contained in its response to this Request for Proposal should be protected from disclosure, the proposer MUST specifically mark the pages of the response that contains the information.

The County will not honor any attempt by the Offeror to designate its entire proposal as proprietary.

2.12 Commitments, Warranty and Representations

The proposal submitted in response to this RFP will be included as part of the final contract. Offerors are cautioned that if a contract is awarded as a result of this procurement process, any written commitment by an offeror within the scope of this procurement shall be binding upon the offeror whether or not incorporated into a contract document. Failure of the vendor to fulfill any such commitment shall render the offeror liable for liquidated or other damages due the County under the terms of the Contract. For the purpose of this procurement, a commitment by a offeror includes:

• Any modification of, or affirmation or representation as to the above, which is made by an offeror in or during the course of negotiation.

• Any representation by an offeror in a proposal, supporting document, or negotiations subsequent thereto as to services to be performed, regardless of the fact that the duration of such commitment may exceed the duration of the contract.

2.13 Proposal Validation/Evaluation/Award

a. Validation

Proposals will be checked for the information required to conform with this RFP. Absence of required information may be cause for rejection.

b. Evaluation

The successful offeror shall be chosen in accordance with, but not limited to, the following criteria:

1. Proven Performance

The offeror’s background, experience, and stability of their company will be assessed. The evaluation will focus on the Offeror’s record of successful service and support to accounts of comparable size and environment. The ability of the offeror will be evaluated in terms of technical resources, staffing, staff experience and facilities.

Client references will be contacted and their responses will become a part of the award/review process.

2. Compliance with Contract Terms and Conditions

The Proposals will be evaluated on the ability to comply with the County’s Contract terms and conditions in Section 4 - Contract Compliance.

3. Requirement/Specifications

The ability to meet the requirements/specifications outlined herein.

Must complete all plan activities and deliver an updated and complete 2027 MJHMP ready for adoption by April 01, 2027.

4. Cost

The Proposals will be evaluated on the basis of the offeror’s reasonableness of cost.

c. Award

Award will be made to the Offeror offering the most advantageous proposal after considerations of all evaluation criteria set forth herein. The criteria are not listed in any order of preference. An Evaluation Committee will be established by the County. The Committee will evaluate all proposals received in accordance with the evaluation criteria.

The Evaluation Committee may also contact and evaluate the Offeror’s and subcontractor’s references; contact any Offeror to clarify any response;

contact any current users of an Offeror’s services; solicit information from any available source concerning any aspect of a proposal; and seek and review any other information deemed pertinent to the evaluation process.

The County reserves the right to establish weight factors that will be applied to the criteria depending upon order of importance. Weight factors and summary of evaluation scores will not be released until after award of proposal. The County shall not be obligated to accept the lowest priced proposal, but will make an award in the best interests of the County after all factors have been evaluated.

While the County intends to enter a contract for these services, it will not be bound to do so. The County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals.

The County shall be the sole judge of the successful offers hereunder. The County reserves the right to award a contract to other than the offeror submitting the lowest total price and to negotiate with any or all Offerors.

Offerors are advised that it is possible that an award may be made without discussion or any contact concerning the proposals received. Accordingly, proposals should contain the most favorable terms from a price and technical standpoint, which the vendor can submit to the County. DO NOT ASSUME that you will be contacted or afforded an opportunity to clarify, discuss, or revise your proposal.

Award will be by means of a written contract with the successful Offeror. A Notification of Intent to Award may be sent to any Offeror selected. Award is contingent upon the successful negotiation of final contract terms.

Negotiations shall be confidential and not subject to disclosure to competing Offerors unless an agreement is reached. If contract negotiations cannot be concluded successfully, the County may negotiate with the next highest scoring Offeror or withdraw the RFP.

The County Board of Supervisors must approve all contracts resulting from this Request for Proposal if services exceed $200,000.

2.14 Presentations

Offerors may be invited to make oral presentations to County personnel.

2.15 Site Visits

The County reserves the right to schedule site visits to offeror’s facilities or a current operational site in order to assess the capability and ability of the offeror to fulfill the contract.

2.16 Additional information

If during the evaluation process, the County is unable to determine an offeror's ability to perform, the County has the option of requesting any additional information which the County deems necessary to determine the offeror’s ability.

The offeror will be notified and permitted five working days to comply with any such request.

2.17 Errors/Defects in Proposals

If discrepancies between sections or other errors are found in a proposal, the County may reject the proposal; however, the County may, at its sole option, correct any arithmetical errors in price.

The County may waive any immaterial deviation or defect in a proposal. The County’s waiver of an immaterial deviation or defect shall in no way modify the RFP documents or excuse the offeror from full compliance with the RFP requirements, if awarded a contract.

2.18 Rejection of Proposals

County reserves the right to reject the proposal of any offeror who:

• previously failed to perform adequately for County or any other governmental agency within the previous twelve (12) months.

• submits false, incomplete, or unresponsive statements in a proposal;

• is in default on the payment of taxes, licenses or other monies due County;

• containing errors or discrepancies.

2.19 Cancellation of RFP

The County reserves the right to cancel this solicitation at any time, prior to the submittal deadline.

2.20 Protest Procedures

To be considered, protests must be made in writing, signed by Offeror’s authorized representative, and delivered to the County of Ventura Chief Procurement Officer, GSA/Procurement, 800 S. Victoria Ave., Ventura, CA 93009-1080.

The following conditions apply to proposal protest:

a. Before Proposal Submittal Deadline. Protests of specifications, terms, conditions or any other aspects of the solicitation must be made before the Proposal Submittal Deadline.

b. After Proposal Submittal Deadline. Protest of award must be made, by Offeror, no later than five (5) calendar days after the notice of intent to award. All protests must include the following information:

1) The name, address, and telephone number of the protestor;

2) The signature of the protestor, or protestor’s authorized representative;

3) The solicitation or contract number; and

4) A detail statement of the legal and/or factual grounds for the protest.

The Chief Procurement Officer reserves the right to refuse to hear protestors who have not followed the above procedures.

The requirements described herein are considered reasonable to meet the County’s needs. Offeror having alternate proposals to meet these needs, may, after responding to the minimum requirements hereunder, offer alternate service levels for consideration by the County.

3.1 Scope of Work

The Scope of Work for the 2027 MJHMP involves several phases integral to the planning process. The successful offeror will outline the method for completing each phase. The proposal should reference how each activity fulfills the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) and California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) planning guidelines. Offerors should note the planning guidelines have been updated since the 2022 MJHMP was adopted. Resources that may be of assistance to offerors submitting a proposal include:

• 44 CFR Part 201

• FEMA’s: Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide (2022)

• California State Hazard Mitigation Plan Volumes 1 & 2 (2023)

• Local Mitigation Planning Handbook (2023)

• Tribal Mitigation Plan Review Guide (2017)

• Tribal Mitigation Planning Handbook (2019)

Deliverable: The final deliverable will be a FEMA- approved hazard mitigation plan, adopted by the County of Ventura and all participating jurisdictions.

3.1.1 Planning Process

The County of Ventura will update the current MJLHMP; approved by FEMA on July 12, 2022, expiring on August 16, 2027. This planning process will address only natural hazards and climate change (to comply with the requirements of SB 379 and SB 1000). The final deliverable will be a FEMA- approved hazard mitigation plan, adopted by the County of Ventura and all participating jurisdictions, and will be in compliance with FEMA’s mitigation planning requirements as set forth in 44 CFR Part 201, and FEMA’s: Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide (2022), Local Mitigation Planning Handbook (2023), [Tribal Mitigation Plan Review Guide (2017), and Tribal Mitigation Planning Handbook (2019)]. An emergency manager from Ventura County Office of Emergency Services (VCOES) will lead the local planning team, comprised of representatives from approximately 35 jurisdictions, including emergency services, fire, planning, building code facilitators, city management, public works, school districts, special districts and other key stakeholders. The consultant will perform as the lead author, while project management will be shared between the consultant and the VCOES. The planning process will document which existing plans, studies, reports and technical information were reviewed and how they were incorporated. For jurisdictions with structures for which National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) coverage is available, regulatory flood mapping products are required to be incorporated. (A4-a). Changes in the identified hazard-prone areas will be described; specifically, how they have increased or decreased the vulnerability of each participating jurisdiction. Mitigation actions and priorities will be addressed, as well as any changes, for each participating jurisdiction (E2-a). The consultant will lead all participants to review the previous mitigation actions and provide a status update, including whether the action is ongoing, completed, stopped (with explanation), or whether it is being carried over to the new MJLHMP (E2-b).

The consultant will explain on behalf of the participating jurisdictions how the last MJLHMP update was used after FEMA approval. This explanation will include integrating the information from the MJLHMP into other planning mechanisms, as a demonstration of progress in local hazard mitigation efforts.

Deliverable: A well-researched and inclusive planning method that carefully incorporates the most current state and local hazard mitigation guidance, and NFIP where appropriate. With respect to the County and returning jurisdictions, the planning method will document review and updates from the existing plan and development of jurisdictional annexes; to include a baseline hazard review, risk assessment and mitigation priorities for jurisdictions new to the planning process.

The County anticipates that completion of this activity will require approximately 150 to 250 hours of labor. The Offeror is responsible for proposing an appropriate level of effort and schedule consistent with this estimate and for identifying any assumptions that may affect the total hours required.

3.1.2 Hazard Identification Phase

The County of Ventura will update the current 2022 FEMA-approved MJLHMP to incorporate a thorough review of identification of hazards, resulting in a FEMA-approved 2027 MJLHMP plan. The plan will define the geographic area covered by the plan, following the jurisdictional boundaries of the County, including the participating annex jurisdictions. The plan will also cover existing and any newly identified hazards, including sub-hazards, evaluated in a manner that considers variation across neighborhoods or geographies. Identification will include for each hazard a summary of past events that have impacted the planning area, geographic areas most affected by the hazard, event frequency estimates, severity descriptions and warning time likely to be available for response. Hazard probabilities will be considered by the planning team when evaluating hazards and identifying which hazards are considered to be significant for inclusion in the plan. The current FEMA-approved MJLHMP, as well as the State Hazard Mitigation Plan will be used to form the hazard identification process in conjunction with online tools, including FEMA's National Risk Index Tool, Cal OES's MY Hazards Tool and NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information Storm Events Database. Geographical Information System (GIS) mapping will be used to conduct risk assessments to show the spatial extent and locations of hazards where available. The FEMA GIS-based Hazus program will be utilized to identify areas that face high risk from earthquakes, file:///C:/Users/132722/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/06OO39XV/(https:/www.caloes.ca.gov/office-of-the-director/operations/recovery-directorate/hazard-mitigation/state-mitigation-planning/) hurricanes, floods, and tsunamis by estimating losses. Hazus provides a wide range of inventory data, such as demographics, building stock, critical facilities, transportation and utility infrastructure, and multiple models to estimate potential losses from natural disasters. Hazard profiles will be developed through web-based research and review of previously developed reports and plans, including community general plans and state and local hazard mitigation plans. Frequency and severity indicators will include past events and the expert opinions of geologists, emergency management specialists, and others. Public and stakeholder outreach and feedback will be utilized to inform and engage the community on hazard identification.

Deliverable: A planning section that includes thorough review of new and existing natural and climate-related hazards specific to Ventura County for each of the participating jurisdictions. The research will include past events, frequency, impacts for existing hazards by jurisdiction and build profiles for each new hazard.

The County anticipates that completion of this activity will require approximately 150 to 175 hours of labor. The Offeror is responsible for proposing an appropriate level of effort and schedule consistent with this estimate and for identifying any

3.1.3 Risk Assessment Phase

approved 2027 MJLHMP plan. During the risk assessment phase, each identified hazard will be profiled to describe the hazard history, probability, vulnerability, and impacts. The following information will be considered for each hazard:

• Location, extent, history, probability, vulnerability, and impacts for each identified hazard. Describe the vulnerability of each community asset, system, and population to hazards. Assess damage estimates for each hazard to assets in the hazard area.

• Description of how population affects risk.

• Demonstration or description of how climate change affects current risk and future conditions and risk.

• Address standing of repetitively flooded NFIP insured structures by estimated number and type for jurisdictions participating in the Community Rating System.

• Inclusion of an assessment of land uses and development trends in identified hazard areas.

• Emphasis on community risk to socially vulnerable populations.

Hazard probabilities will be considered by the planning team when evaluating hazards and identifying which hazards are significant for inclusion in the plan. To determine vulnerability and impacts, the plan will overlay an inventory of structures, facilities, and systems to decide which of them would be exposed to each hazard.

The plan will consider HAZUS Level 2 analysis for risk assessment. The plan will also include development of GIS files and hazard overview to update to the hazard mapper tool linked to the public-facing preparedness website www.ready.venturacounty.gov. The hazard map may be viewed at https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/f3abbf7ed4624a81ab6238fee0caee26/pa ge/Introduction.

Deliverable: A comprehensive planning section devoted to thorough risk assessment of new and existing hazards for each jurisdiction, with special attention to vulnerability impacts. An updated hazard map for the public-facing preparedness website.

The County anticipates that completion of this activity will require approximately 300 to 350 hours of labor. The Offeror is responsible for proposing an appropriate level

3.1.4 Hazard Mitigation Strategy

approved 2027 MJLHMP plan. The 2027 MJLHMP will establish and promote a comprehensive mitigation strategy and efforts to equitably reduce risk and increase the resiliency of the community and environment from natural hazards. The results of the risk assessment will be used to inform the mitigation strategy, resulting in a full spectrum of possible mitigation actions to be evaluated and prioritized. The plan will establish goals and objectives to measure the effectiveness of a mitigation actions. Risk assessment will identify vulnerabilities from which they will develop an analysis of a comprehensive range of actions and projects that would address those vulnerabilities. The actions will include mitigation actions that benefit undeserved communities in socially vulnerable populations. All actions considered will be documented in the plan and will be as specific as possible and clearly link back to the vulnerabilities and impacts identified in the risk assessment. The 2027 MJLHMP will include a review of previous mitigation actions and their status. The plan will reflect any changes in development in the planning area that may have increased or decreased the vulnerability of a jurisdiction to hazards since the last plan was approved to ensure that the mitigation strategy addresses the risk and vulnerability of existing and potential development, as well as taking into consideration possible future conditions that could affect vulnerability. The mitigation strategy development process will include an assessment of local capabilities, which will identify opportunities to integrate mitigation plans with other jurisdictional planning/regulatory capabilities to improve the quality and feasibility of completing those plans. Mitigation strategies for NFIP requirements will be coordinated with a local qualified designee. Each jurisdiction’s part of 2027 MJLHMP will contain a discrete mitigation strategy, to include risk-reducing projects, local plans and http://www.ready.venturacounty.gov/ https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/f3abbf7ed4624a81ab6238fee0caee26/page/Introduction https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/f3abbf7ed4624a81ab6238fee0caee26/page/Introduction regulations, structure and infrastructure projects, protection of natural resources and systems, and education and awareness programs, as well as be integrated into other local plans and capital improvement programs. Integral to the planning process will be mindfulness of the whole community planning concept. Public outreach methods and events will be carefully documented and likely include stakeholder planning meetings, public surveys, public forum events such as community meetings/town halls.

Deliverable: A comprehensive mitigation strategy section, with documented past, present and future activities focused on the equitable reduction of risk and increased community resilience from natural and climate-related hazards. The risk assessment will identify goals and objectives to measure the effectiveness of mitigation actions, including actions that benefit undeserved communities in socially vulnerable populations.

The County anticipates that completion of this activity will require approximately 200 to 250 hours of labor. The Offeror is responsible for proposing an appropriate level

3.1.5 Plan Preparation and Drafting

approved 2027 MJLHMP plan. The 2027 MJLHMP will establish and promote a comprehensive mitigation strategy and efforts to equitably reduce risk and increase the resiliency of the community and environment from natural hazards. The plan will be drafted using state and federal guidance such as the Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide and Local Mitigation Planning Handbook referenced throughout the Scope of Work, as well as any additional supporting documents released by both Cal OES and FEMA. The purpose of this step is to create a draft MJLHMP that meets state and federal criteria. An emergency manager from Ventura County Sheriff’s Emergency Services will lead the local planning team, comprised of representatives from approximately 35 jurisdictions, including emergency services, fire, planning, building code facilitators, city management, public works, school districts, special districts and other key stakeholders. The consultant will perform as the lead author will collect all research on hazard identification, risk assessment, capability assessments, mitigation plans and updates, while project management will be shared between the consultant and the emergency manager. The consultant will lead all jurisdiction participants through the planning phases, including individualized capability assessments, NFIP compliance, adaptive capacity through improvement of other capabilities, future integration opportunities, jurisdiction-specific vulnerabilities assessment and mitigation best practices. All of the input from these phases will be captured by the consultant and incorporated into the draft plan. The strategy for involving the public in this plan update will emphasize the following elements:

• Identify and involve planning area stakeholders

• Open Steering Committee meetings to members of the public for ongoing input

• Use a survey to evaluate the public’s perception of risk

• Invite public participation in outreach meetings and utilization of varied media sources.

The consultant will be responsible for collecting and incorporating comments from the planning team, the public and stakeholders at each phase of the planning process. The draft MJLHMP will be submitted to Cal OES for review and comment.

The planning team will incorporate Cal OES comments, and a final draft will be submitted back through Cal OES for FEMA for review.

Deliverable: A plan draft aligned with the most up-to-date state and federal hazard mitigation guidance that will successfully endure the rigorous state and federal review process, incorporate revisions as needed and result in a completed approvable plan. Paper and digital copies of the plan will be provided by consultant.

County and participating jurisdictions will retain all GIS and like products developed by consultant.

The County anticipates that completion of this activity will require approximately 200 to 250 hours of labor. The Offeror is responsible for proposing an appropriate level

3.1.6 Public Outreach, Meetings and Public Comment

incorporate a thorough review of identification of hazards, resulting in a FEMA-approved 2027 MJLHMP plan. The consultant will be responsible for documenting each step of the public outreach planning process, which includes but is not limited to what meetings were held, who attended, what was discussed, and what outcomes were decided upon. For key planning team members, including those who may want to annex into the plan later, the plan will clearly show the list of representatives of everyone who participated in the planning process and how they were involved such meetings they attended. Stakeholders will be provided the opportunity to be involved in the planning process with documentation of how each of the following stakeholders (as applicable) were presented the opportunity. Including these stakeholders will serve as a significant component of public involvement activities:

• Ventura County and local jurisdiction departments relevant for hazard mitigation planning

• Members of the academic community

• Community representatives, including vulnerable populations

• Representatives of humanitarian aid and access and functional needs (AFN) support services

• Tribal representatives

• Local special-purpose districts

• Local businesses and business interests

• Local environmental organizations

Broad public participation in the planning process helps ensure that diverse points of view about the planning area’s needs are considered and addressed. The public must have opportunities to comment on disaster mitigation plans during the drafting stages and prior to plan approval (44 CFR, Section 201.6(b)(1)). Public and stakeholder input will be documented and incorporated into the 2027 MJHMP plan.

The Community Rating System (CRS) expands on these requirements by making CRS credits available for optional public involvement activities. The public outreach process for this plan update will consist of a combination of general outreach and information provided during partner meetings and events. The strategy for public outreach will include, but not be limited to:

• Identify and involve planning area stakeholders

• Open meetings to members of the public for ongoing input

• Use a survey to evaluate the public’s perception of risk

• Invite public participation and engagement meetings

• Increase outreach through multiple media sources: print, website, and social media

• Publish agendas/minutes on the website

• All social media posts will be available in English and Spanish. Spanish, Mixteco, and American Sign Language translation will be provided during all meetings.

Deliverable: A completed plan with abundant documentation, evidence of considerable effort to engage the public, and incorporation of whole community guidance about addressing the hazards, risks and mitigation strategies. Paper and digital copies of the plan will be provided by consultant. County and participating jurisdictions will retain all GIS and like products developed by consultant.

The County anticipates that completion of this activity will require approximately 325 to 375 hours of labor. The Offeror is responsible for proposing an appropriate level

3.1.7 Plan Approval and Adoption

approved 2027 MJLHMP plan. Once the final draft of the plan is established, and the Local Planning Team members have agreed that the content meets 44CFR Part 201 and has followed all the steps outlined in Local Mitigation Planning Handbook and the FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy, the plan will be submitted to Cal OES for review. The planning team will stay engaged and ready to make revisions throughout the review process as needed. The County plans to allocate about 6 months within the planning period for Cal OES and FEMA approval. Once FEMA has determined that the plan is approvable pending adopting, the consultant will assist in preparing for formal adoption by the County Board of Supervisors and local governing bodies for the annexes. The Final Deliverable of the contract will be when FEMA has issued its final approval letter of the 2027 MJHMP.

Deliverable: A completed and approved plan adopted by the County of Ventura and all participating jurisdictions.

The County anticipates that completion of this activity will require approximately 50 to 75 hours of labor. The Offeror is responsible for proposing an appropriate level of effort and schedule consistent with this estimate and for identifying any assumptions that may affect the total hours required.

3.2 Term

This Contract will be in effect from January 1, 2026 through June 12, 2026 subject to all the terms and conditions set forth herein. This Contract may, upon mutual agreement, be extended..

Continuation of the contract is subject to the appropriation of funds for such purpose by the Board of Supervisors. If funds to effect such continued payment are not appropriated, County may terminate this project as thereby affected and Contractor will relieve the County of any further obligation therefore.

3.3 Permits

Unless otherwise provided herein, Contractor shall at his expense, obtain all permits and licenses and pay all charges and fees necessary for the performance of the contract, and shall give all public notices necessary for the lawful performance of the contract.

3.4 Non-Collusion

If there is reason to believe that collusion exists among the Offerors, the County may refuse to consider proposals from participants in such collusion. No person, firm, or corporation under the same or different name, shall make, file, or be interested in more than one proposal for the same work unless alternate proposals are called for.

A person, firm or corporation that has submitted a sub-proposal to an Offeror, or who has quoted prices on materials to an Offeror, is not thereby disqualified from submitting a sub-proposal or quoting prices to other Offerors. Offerors shall submit with their proposal an executed Non-Collusion Affidavit – ATTACHMENT “A”.

3.5 Exclusivity

The County is under no obligation to request, utilize or employ any certain extent or number of services, nor is the County restricted, by reason of this contract, from employing personnel for County’s incidental needs by contracting with other contractors/suppliers.

3.6 Federal Contract Requirements

i. Remedies.

(1) Standard. Contracts for more than the simplified acquisition threshold must address administrative, contractual, or legal remedies in instances where contractors violate or breach contract terms, and provide for such sanctions and penalties as appropriate. See 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Appendix II, ¶ A.

(2) Applicability. This requirement applies to all FEMA financial assistance programs in excess of $150,000, which is the current simplified acquisition threshold.

ii. Termination for Cause and Convenience.

(1) All contracts in excess of $10,000 must address termination for cause and for convenience by the NFE including the manner by which it will be effected and the basis for settlement. See 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Appendix II, ¶ B.

(2) Applicability. This requirement applies to all FEMA grant and cooperative agreement programs, in excess of $10,000.

iii. Equal Employment Opportunity.

(1) Standard. Except as otherwise provided under 41 C.F.R. Part 60, all contracts that meet the definition of “Federally assisted construction contract” in 41 C.F.R. § 60-1.3 must include the equal opportunity clause provided under 41 C.F.R. § 60-1.4(b), in accordance with Executive Order 11246, Equal Employment Opportunity (30 Fed. Reg. 12319, 12935, 3 C.F.R. Part, 1964- 1965 Comp., p.