CITYWIDE_CLIMATE_RESILIENCE_PLAN_(Addendum_#2_Revision).pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

PEX01426A

CITYWIDE CLIMATE RESILIENCE PLAN

CITY OF BRIDGEPORT

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC PURCHASES

999 BROAD STREET

BRIDGEPORT CT 06604

Submission Deadline:

Wednesday, November 12, 2025 by 2:00 pm

Table Of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Scope of Work

3. Evaluations

4. Evaluation Criteria

5. Submission Guidelines

6. Selection Process

7. Terms and Conditions

Attachments:

A - MetroCOG_NaturalHazardMitigationPlan_2024

B - PlanBridgeport

C - Waterfront_Bridgeport_Plan_2017

1. Introduction

The City of Bridgeport has secured funding through CT DEEP’s Climate Resilience Fund grant program[1] to create a citywide Climate Resilience Plan.

Acting through its Office of Planning and Economic Development (OPED), the City is requesting proposals to provide a range of services for this project. Services shall include, but not be limited to, data analysis, community engagement, and plan compilation.

The plan will take a neighborhood-focused approach, ensuring that all neighborhoods of

Bridgeport are represented in the analysis and recommendations. The plan will also include actionable items across four major themes: infrastructure, social, environmental, and economic resilience.

[1] DEEP Climate Resilience Fund: https://portal.ct.gov/connecticutclimateaction/executive-order/deep-climate-resilience-fund

1.1. City Background

Bridgeport is the most populous city in Connecticut. The US Census Bureau's American Community Survey estimates the city's 2024 population to be 151,616. Located at the mouth of the Pequonnock River on Long Island Sound, the compact city encompasses a total of 16 square miles. With 24 miles of waterfront, the city offers significant opportunities for waterfront development, recreation, and commerce. It is located 60 miles from Manhattan and 40 miles from The Bronx, forming part of the New York metropolitan area. The city borders Trumbull to the north, Fairfield to the west, and Stratford to the east and serves as a key economic and transportation hub within the Greater Bridgeport region and the Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk- Danbury metropolitan statistical area, the second largest in Connecticut.

Bridgeport offers excellent transportation infrastructure, by rail, road, and even sea. Located directly on I-95, the city is also connected to New England and New York via Route 8 and the Merritt Parkway. The city’s regional transit center offers direct passenger rail service from Amtrak, from the Metro-North commuter line to New York, and from the Shoreline East commuter service to New Haven and New London (with connections to Hartford and Springfield, MA). The transit center, in addition to serving the Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority’s regional bus lines, also hosts national bus service from Greyhound. Additionally, the Bridgeport-Port Jefferson Ferry sails year-round, providing interstate auto-ferry service between Connecticut and New York.

The city is also home to several higher education institutions, including the University of Bridgeport, Housatonic Community College, Paier College, Fairfield University's Bellarmine Campus, and Sacred Heart University Center for Healthcare Education.

Nicknamed the "Park City," Bridgeport boasts 35 public parks spanning 1,300 acres, including Seaside Park and Beardsley Park, both designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. The city is also home to major cultural and entertainment venues, including Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, the Barnum Museum, Total Mortgage Arena, and Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater, which attract residents and visitors alike.

https://portal.ct.gov/connecticutclimateaction/executive-order/deep-climate-resilience-fund https://portal.ct.gov/connecticutclimateaction/executive-order/deep-climate-resilience-fund

Bridgeport is currently in the midst of a public arts renaissance, with dozens of murals going up across the city. These efforts are viewable at the below linked story map:

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/086ae6d42c294a5c8dc8311aa910495d

1.2. Project Overview and Summary

The City of Bridgeport is developing a citywide Climate Resilience Plan, funded through the

Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) Climate

Resilience Fund. Managed by the Office of Planning and Economic Development (OPED), the plan will serve as a roadmap for preparing the city and its residents for current and future climate challenges, looking ahead to 2035 and beyond.

The plan will take a neighborhood-focused approach to ensure every community in Bridgeport is represented. It will address four key categories of vulnerability: infrastructure, social, environmental, and economic. Using data analysis, community engagement, and technical expertise, the plan will strengthen resilience capacity and guide investments in projects— particularly nature-based solutions—that reduce risks while delivering multiple co-benefits. The

City also intends to incorporate recommended policy changes into the plan, aligning long-term municipal practices with the City’s resilience goals.

2. Scope of Work

2.1. Project Description

The selected firm (the “Consultant”) shall be required to undertake the following tasks and provide the following services:

Task 1: Coordination

A. Attend biweekly core project team meetings to provide project updates.

o Relevant stakeholders, including CT DOT, MetroCOG, City departments

(Engineering, Public Facilities, Health), and community organizations, will be invited on an as-needed basis.

B. Participate in all calls/meetings required or requested by CT DEEP.

Task 2: Data Collection, Analysis, and Projections

A. Compile Bridgeport-Specific Information o Determine Hazards: Including: extreme precipitation; flooding from riverine, stormwater, tidal sources, or a combination; sea level rise, including groundwater impacts; extreme temperatures (heat and cold); extreme weather (winter storms, nor’easters, severe thunderstorms, tornadoes); tropical storms and hurricanes, windstorms, fire, and drought.

o Determine Locations and Scales of Vulnerable Populations and their Adaptive

Capacity: Vulnerable populations include: communities of color, children and https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/086ae6d42c294a5c8dc8311aa910495d https://ctmetro.org/regional-planning/environmental-planning/ seniors, low-income communities, people with disabilities, pregnant people, people with limited English proficiency (LEP), other historically disadvantaged people, People impacted by the social determinants of health, and Populations identified by the American Public Health Association. Additional populations may be added during the project’s duration.

o Additionally, examine social vulnerabilities

B. Determine Resilience Capacity

• Evaluate the community's ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from climate impacts.

C. Determine Co-Benefits o List co-benefits, including, but not limited to: reducing emissions, reducing social vulnerabilities, and solving current and anticipated community issues and inequities.

D. Project future climate scenarios o Utilize relevant sources such as UConn CIRCA, FEMA’s Threat and Hazard

Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) , and others to project changes in these conditions in years 2035, 2050, 2075, and 2100 o Threats with shared motivators, such as hurricanes and sea level rise, will be looked at concurrently to understand their cumulative vulnerabilities and the resilience capacity to combined threats.

E. Determine Emergency Response for Hazards o Map critical facilities, community lifelines, brownfields, and potential resiliency centers. Determine impacts on and around these facilities during events.

F. Create list of actions o Identify and understand key hazards, vulnerabilities, strengths, and priority action items across four vulnerability categories (infrastructure, societal, environmental, and economic)

▪ Solutions will include areas of shared and escalating risk to determine appropriate resiliency interventions and priorities, increase resilience capacity, and reduce vulnerability across infrastructure, social, environmental, and economic lines.

o Determine short-, mid-, and long-term strategies o Prioritize nature-based solutions in each implementation scenario. Projects that reduce climate change impacts while offering the most co-benefits through nature-based solutions will be prioritized and funding opportunities and gaps will be identified.

▪ Projects will be prioritized based on climate change impacts and threats, as well as the likelihood that these threats become exacerbated or combined/multiplied.

▪ Potential partners and resources will be identified to help support the implementation and long-term success of these nature-based solutions.

https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/place-health/php/svi/svi-interactive-map.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/placeandhealth/svi/interactive_map.html https://circa.uconn.edu/ https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/national-preparedness/goal/risk-capability-assessment#thira https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/national-preparedness/goal/risk-capability-assessment#thira o Review current zoning regulations and building codes, and provide recommendations to align them with climate-resilient standards and infrastructure compliance.

Task 3: Community Engagement

A. Serve as a technical expert to discuss the plan’s development at three community outreach/engagement events. Attend one City Council and one Planning and Zoning

Commissioners meeting to adopt the plan.

1. Event 1: Community Mapping

2. Event 2: Draft Actions

3. Event 3: Draft Plan

4. Event 4: Planning and Zoning Commission

5. Event 5: City Council Presentation to Adopt Plan

B. Collaborate with the Community Outreach Coordinator to plan and brainstorm engagement format of community outreach events and materials.

C. Work with the project team to incorporate community feedback into the plan.

The overall outcomes of this plan will be:

(1) A comprehensive understanding of the locations and risks of Bridgeport’s various vulnerabilities;

(2) A prioritized list of strategies, actions, and projects informed and supported by community input and data gathering to address these vulnerabilities;

(3) An adequate emergency response strategy based on these priorities;

(4) An assessment of available funding opportunities complete with municipal match funding capacity and strategies for implementation.

This plan development will include a prioritized list of areas and neighborhoods for comprehensive resilience capacity-building interventions to immediately begin bolstering the resilience capacity of vulnerable neighborhoods focusing on nature-based solutions. This process will examine all current federal and state opportunities to fund and support the resilience-building effort and will perform a gap analysis of funding priorities and needs that do not currently align with federal and state grant opportunities.

Task 4: Prepare Draft and Final Plans

A. Develop a Climate Resilience Action Plan that accomplishes the following:

o Establishes baseline condition measurements, informed by findings from relevant studies and ongoing work (see Attachment 1), community input, and guidance from the project team.

o Identifies key hazards, vulnerabilities, and strengths to infrastructure, social, environmental, and economic categories to determine residents’ resilience capacity o Projects scenarios of climate change to 2035, 2050, 2075, and 2100 o Examines what infrastructure, social, environmental, and economic areas are most impacted in current and future scenarios.

o Create a prioritized list of strategies, actions, and projects informed and supported by community input and data gathering to address these vulnerabilities

1. Analyze co-benefits and potential to reduce vulnerabilities, lessen mitigation impacts, and increase resilience capacity.

2. Prioritize nature-based solutions in each implementation scenario as feasible.

o Create an adequate emergency response strategy based on these priorities o Determine funding strategy for each action.

1. City of Bridgeport Staff will lead an assessment of available funding opportunities, City match needs, and strategies for implementation. This will include examining all current opportunities to fund and support the resilience-building effort and will perform a gap analysis of funding priorities and needs that do not currently align grant opportunities. The consultant will be asked to review this draft as part of the draft plan compilation.

B. Submit Draft Resilience Plan to core project team.

C. Submit Draft Resilience Plan to CT DEEP.

D. Respond to CT DEEP comments within 30 days of receipt.

E. Submit Final Resilience Plan per CT DEEP feedback.

F. Present Plan for City Council approval.

2.2. Key Deliverables

In conjunction with the performance of the foregoing Services, the Consultant shall provide the following deliverables to the City:

A. All underlying data files.

B. Draft Resilience Plan – submit to CT DEEP August/September 2026

C. Final Resilience Plan – submit to CT DEEP before expiration of contract on 04/01/2027

D. All community presentations, including the final plan presentation to City Council.

2.3. Form of Proposals

The Consultant shall submit the following information within their proposal:

A. Identify its key project team members.

B. Provide a detailed scope of services broken out by service task/subtask.

C. Provide cost estimates broken out by service task/subtask.

D. Provide an estimated project schedule broken out by service task/subtask.

E. Provide at least three examples of similar and relevant projects.

3. Evaluations

The City shall convene a selection committee consisting of representatives from OPED, a representative from the City’s Engineering or Public Facilities Department, and a representative from MetroCOG.

The City will evaluate whether each proposal submitted is responsive to the information and materials required pursuant to this document, and will consider the proposer’s qualifications, experience, and capability as demonstrated through the proposal submission. The costs and proposed project schedule will also be evaluated to ensure the City remains within the grant’s budget and timeline requirements.

4. Evaluation Criteria

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Relevant Experience

Demonstrated expertise in specialized design and technical competencies relevant to the project.

Points Based 40 (40% of Total)

2. Soundness of Approach

Capacity and the capability to perform the work within the specified timeframe.

Points Based 30 (30% of Total)

3. Cost Competitiveness

Cost-effective and competitive pricing structure that aligns with the project’s budgetary requirements

Points Based 15 (15% of Total)

4. Familiarity With Procedures

Knowledge of applicable Federal, State and Municipal policies, regulations, and processes

Points Based 15 (15% of Total)

5. Submission Guidelines

5.1. Contacting the City of Bridgeport

The exclusive means by which all prospective respondents may obtain RFP packages, direct inquires, request and receive addenda and supplemental information, and submit proposals shall be through the City of Bridgeport’s bidding platform.

The City of Bridgeport has made it possible for vendors to view our solicitations, download bid packages and ask questions, free of charge.

Instructions to do so are as follows:

1. Go to https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/bridgeportct

2. Click on any bid you see. It will take you to that bid’s page.

3. On the right-hand side of the page, click on Register now for free!

4. After you register, you'll be able to view/download or ask questions on any bid you have interest in.

If you have any trouble registering, please contact OpenGov using the chat feature or send an email to procurement-support@opengov.com

Addenda Notification: Respondents are required to register on OpenGov. Once the respondent has completed registration, they will receive addenda notifications in their email. Ultimately, it is the sole responsibility of each respondent to periodically check the site for any addendums.

5.2. Electronic Submission Instructions

THIS METHOD IS PREFERRED.

Submissions are encouraged to be made electronically through the OpenGov site at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/bridgeportct no later than 2:00pm EST on

November, 5 2025.

Questions and Answers: It is the responsibility of each firm to inquire about additional information or clarification as to any aspect of the RFP or the Project by submitting questions. The City of Bridgeport will receive questions until October 22, 2025, 5:00pm EST and will promptly provide answers to such questions no later than October 28, 2025, 5:00pm them on the Procurement Portal and the All firms are obligated to become familiar with such questions and answers and to submit or revise their proposals accordingly. The City of

Bridgeport assumes no responsibility for a firm’s failure to read questions or answers and to revise their responses accordingly.

Late Submissions: City will not assume responsibility if a submission is misdirected, or its delivery is delayed. It shall be the sole responsibility of the submitter to pay for any type of delivery service charge, and to see that the Office of the Purchasing Agent receives his/her submission on time. The clock used shall be the Purchasing Agent’s official date and time stamp clock. The City does not assume financial responsibility for late deliveries by the U.S. Postal

System or any other delivery service.

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/bridgeportct mailto:procurement-support@opengov.com https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/bridgeportct

Expenses: The City shall not be responsible for and/or shall not pay any costs associated with the preparation, submission, or presentation of any submission, or costs incurred by the responding firms during the interview and negotiations phase of the solicitation process

Information and Materials: Any information or materials submitted to this RFP shall become the property of the City of Bridgeport and will not be returned. All submitted materials will be available for public review.

Dates: Please keep in mind dates are estimates only and are subject to change.

Paper Submission

Instructions

Paper submissions may also be made as follows:

ONE (1) ORIGINAL AND ONE (1) ELECTRONIC VIA THUMBDRIVE MUST BE

SUBMITTED.

Sealed submissions must be received and time-stamped by the Department of Public Purchases prior to RFP closing time. No submission received after closing time will be considered. The opening will be in the City of Bridgeport Department of Public Purchases’ Conference Room. To ensure proper handling and avoid misdirected delivery, please mark your RFP envelope as follows:

PEX01426A Citywide Climate Resilience Plan

Send your submissions to:

Ann Binkley Dept of Public Purchases 2nd Floor 999 Broad Street Bridgeport, CT 06604

Late Submissions: City will not assume responsibility if a submission is misdirected, or its delivery is delayed. It shall be the sole responsibility of the submitter to pay for any type of delivery service charge, and to see that the Department of Public Purchases receives his/her submission on time. The clock used shall be the Purchasing Agent’s official date and time stamp clock. The City does not assume financial responsibility for late deliveries by the U.S. Postal

System or any other delivery service.

Expenses: The City shall not be responsible for and/or shall not pay any costs associated with the preparation, submission, or presentation of any submission, or costs incurred by the responding firms during the interview and negotiations phase of the solicitation process

Information and Materials: Any information or materials submitted to this RFP shall become the property of the City of Bridgeport and will not be returned. All submitted materials will be available for public review.

Questions and Answers: It is the responsibility of each respondent to inquire about additional information or clarification as to any aspect of the RFP by submitting questions. The City will receive and answer questions per the schedule provided in Section 3.4 RFP Timeline. The City will provide its answers in writing on the Open Gov procurement portal. All respondents are obligated to become familiar with such questions and answers and to submit or revise their proposals accordingly. The City of Bridgeport assumes no responsibility for a respondent’s failure to read questions or answers and to revise their responses accordingly.

5.3. Timeline

Release Project Date: October 15, 2025

Question Submission Deadline: October 22, 2025, 5:00pm

Question Response Deadline: October 28, 2025, 5:00pm

Response Submission Deadline: November 12, 2025, 2:00pm

6. Selection Process

The City Selection Committee, comprised of key internal stakeholders, will review, evaluate proposals, and score them and rank the responses on a 100-point scale with any evaluation credits awarded. Upon completion of the evaluation and scoring, the City Selection Committee may conduct post-evaluation interviews with the most qualified suppliers prior to a final decision. The City of Bridgeport reserves the right to reject any or all submissions and cancel this request for proposal (RFP), without liability.

Provide a timeline for when a decision will be made and the process for how suppliers will be notified.

7. Terms and Conditions

7.1. Payment Terms

7.2. Warranty and Support

7.3. Openness of Procurement Process

Written responses, other discussions, correspondence, and all other pertinent records shall be handled as public records in compliance with State and Federal open records statutes and regulations.

7.4. Collusion

By offering a response to this RFP the suppler certifies that no attempt has been made or will be made by the consultant to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a proposal for the purpose of restricting competition. All persons interested in this project, principal or principals being named therein, and no other person have an interest in this project or in the

Agreement which they may participate in. No person or agency has been employed or retained to solicit or secure this Agreement upon an agreement or understanding for a commission, percentage, brokerage, or contingent fee, excepting legitimate employees or established commercial agencies maintained by the consultant for the purpose of doing business. All firms interested in this project (including the firm's employees, representatives, agents, lobbyists attorneys and subconsultants) will refrain, under penalty of disqualification, from direct or indirect contact for the purpose of influencing the selection or creating bias in the selection process with any person who may play a part in the selection process, including the evaluation panel and other administrative staff. The policy is intended to create a level playing field for all potential firms; assure that contract decisions are made in public and to protect the integrity of the selection process.

7.5. City of Bridgeport Reservation of Rights

This solicitation is for a “Request for Proposal (RFP) only”. This request for proposal is not to be construed as a specific proposal or an offer to buy any products or services or to engage in a property or development transaction. Notwithstanding anything else herein to the contrary, the City expressly reserves all rights in its sole discretion and in the best interests of the City at any time prior to the selection of a preferred respondent and prior to participating in a final contract, without any liability therefore, to:

• Modify any dates or other terms of the RFP upon posting notice,

• Waive any informality or non-material deficiencies in submissions,

• Reject any and/or all proposals,

• Withdraw the RFP,

• Select one, more than one, or no respondents

The City is not liable to any Respondent for damages of any type however arising.

7.6. Confidentiality of Proposals

Respondents pursue this RFP opportunity at their sole risk expense and are not entitled to make any claim against the City for costs associated with their pursuit of this RFP. Any selection(s) made pursuant to this RFP will not in and of itself confer any development rights upon the selected respondent(s). Any information submitted to the City becomes the property of the City.

Financial information or other information identified as confidential or trade secret information submitted by a respondent will be treated as confidential to the extent that the

Connecticut Freedom of Information Act recognizes such information as confidential. Any selection(s) made, and the resulting LDA, will be subject to the approval of the Bridgeport City Council. Each respondent should indicate which sections of their proposal are proprietary and/or confidential.