county of mchenry ackman road improvement project 26-9223.pdf

McHenry County Procurement 2200 N Seminary Avenue, Woodstock, IL 60098

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

RFQ 26-9223

ACKMAN ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

Introduction

The County of McHenry, Illinois, hereby solicits qualified and interested firms to submit statements of qualifications (“Qualifications”) for providing all services, supervision, labor and equipment necessary to provide the County with Phase I Preliminary Engineering Services with the option for Phase II Design

Engineering Services for the Ackman Road Improvement Project located within the County of McHenry and do so in accordance with federal, state and local laws and regulations (both current and as amended).

Contact Information:

Geoffrey Bauernfeind, Email: gwbauernfeind@mchenrycountyil.gov

The attention of bidders is directed to the McHenry County Purchasing Ordinance, revised March 30, 2026. This

Ordinance is incorporated by reference into this bid as if it were contained herein. Should there be a conflict between any instruction or information and the Purchasing Ordinance, the Purchasing Ordinance will take precedence.

Any communication regarding this solicitation between the date of issue and date of award is required to go through the County Procurement Department Only. Unauthorized contact with other McHenry County staff, officers, or

Engineering firms is strictly forbidden. ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS REQUIRED.

Bids/Proposals/Qualifications shall be SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY (scan your bid file-Upload PDF and separate Excel file) using the menu link, titled "Submit Your RFP, RFQ, or Bid". All RFP, RFQ and Bids must clearly include the Bidder Name, Bid Number & Title.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

May 19, 2026 Solicitation Available on County Website

May 22, 2026 All Questions regarding RFQ due no later than 12:00PM (CST) Submit by Email to gwbauernfeind@mchenrycountyil.gov

May 26, 2026 All Questions Answered via Addendum & Posted to the County Website no later than 4:00PM (CST)

June 2, 2026 Submissions due no later than 9:00AM (CST)

June 16, 2026 Evaluations & Short Listing of Firms

June 23, 2026 Presentation/Interview

August 26, 2026 Transportation Committee Approval

September 15, 2026 County Board Approval

October 1, 2026 Anticipated Notice to Proceed

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Definition: Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is a method of procurement permitting discussions with responsible Professionals prior to negotiation of a contract. Qualifications will be opened and evaluated in private. Selection will be based on the criteria set forth herein.

Digital Materials: All digital and printed public-facing materials and engagement events produced for this project must meet the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Web Content Accessibility Guide (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA.

Receipt and Handling of Qualifications: Qualifications shall be opened in private by the Evaluation Committee to avoid disclosure of contents to competing Professionals.

Evaluation of Submittal: The Qualifications submitted by Professionals shall be evaluated solely in accordance with the criteria set forth in the RFQ.

McHenry County will use the following criteria in evaluating proposals received in response to this RFQ. The evaluation of proposals and the selection of the successful proposal will be based on the information provided by the Professional in its proposal, including, without limitation, responses to the Professional’s qualifications.

Evaluation of Qualifications will be done by the County staff. Qualifications will be evaluated on experience in doing projects of a similar nature and adherence to specifications. These criteria are to be utilized in the evaluation of qualifications for development of the short list of Professionals to be considered for interviews and/or potential negotiations. Individual criteria may in all probability be assigned varying weights at the County’s discretion to reflect relative importance. Professionals are required to address each evaluation criteria in the order listed and to be specific in presenting their qualifications.

1. Technical Approach: Proposed methodology, QA/QC procedures, etc. Demonstrated quality assurance procedures and schedule to ensure a timely, effective and professional provision of services.

(Weighted at 25%)

2. Firm Experience: The Firm’s general experience, stability, and history of performance on projects similar to the one under consideration. Three (3) similar projects shall be provided. Key staff and their role on the Firm’s similar projects shall be identified. (Weighted at 20%)

3. Specialized Expertise: Staff/Firm expertise (i.e. Drainage, Structural, Traffic, etc.) as it relates to the project under consideration. References on key staff and project resumes to awards received by the firm or staff, technical papers authored by key staff, and other forms of indications of specialized expertise will be considered in this category. (Weighted at 25%)

4. Staff Capabilities: The education, experience, and expertise of the Firm’s key employees as they relate to the proposed scope of services and to the degree to which the services meet the needs of the County.

Key staff resumes shall be provided for review of qualifications, competence, and past performance.

(Weighted at 10%)

5. Workload Capacity: Present workload with attention to current and future commitments of firm, available personnel, particularly those key persons expected to be assigned to the project, and availability of adequate equipment and facilities to do the work expeditiously. (Weighted at 10%)

6. Past Performance: The firm must have demonstrated a history of professional, reliable, and dependable service to governmental entities. Firms will be evaluated on the recommendations and opinions of the Firm’s previous clients as to its ability to meet deadlines and remain within budget. Staff sense of responsibility, attitudes, concern for economy, efficiency, environment, quality of service, etc. will be taken into consideration. (Weighted at 10%)

7. In-state/Local Presence: Proximity to project. This will not be a factor in every project.

(Weighted at 0%)

The Evaluation Committee may conduct interviews with and/or require presentations, as set forth above in the Schedule of Events, of the Professionals who submit acceptable or potentially acceptable Qualifications. Such Professionals shall be accorded fair and equal treatment with respect to any opportunity for interviews. During the course of such interviews, the Evaluation Committee shall not disclose any information derived from one submittal to any other Professional.

The County shall evaluate the Professionals submitting Qualifications, taking into account qualifications, ability of professional personnel, past record and experience, performance data on file, willingness to meet time requirements, location, workload of the Professional, approach to the project, ability to furnish the required services, and such other qualification-based factors as the County may determine in writing are applicable.

Selection: On the basis of the evaluations, interviews and presentations, the County shall select no fewer than three Professionals which it determines to be the most qualified to provide services regarding the specific project. The County shall then contact the Professional ranked most preferred and attempt to negotiate a contract at a fair and reasonable compensation, taking into account the estimated value, scope, complexity, and professional nature of the services to be rendered. If fewer than three Professionals submit Qualifications and the County determines that one or both of those Professionals are so qualified, the County may proceed to negotiate a contract as set forth herein.

Selection shall be made of the Professional deemed to be fully qualified and best suited among those submitting Qualifications, on the basis of the factors involved in the RFQ.

It is the intent of the County of McHenry to select the Professional whose Qualifications meet or exceed the requirements as outlined herein. Information and/or factors gathered during interviews, presentations, negotiations and any reference checks, in addition to the evaluation criteria stated in the RFQ, and other information or factors deemed relevant by the County, shall be used in the final selection decision.

Negotiations: The County shall prepare a written description of the scope of the proposed services to be used as a basis for negotiations and shall negotiate a contract with the highest qualified Professional at compensation that the County determines in writing to be fair and reasonable. In making this decision the County shall take into account the estimated value, scope, complexity and professional nature of the services to be rendered.

If the County is unable to negotiate a satisfactory contract with the Professional which is most preferred, negotiations with that Professional shall be terminated. The County shall then begin negotiations with the firm which is next preferred. If the County is unable to negotiate a satisfactory contract with that Professional, negotiations with that Professional shall be terminated. The County shall then begin negotiations with the Professional which is next preferred.

If the County is unable to negotiate a satisfactory contract with any of the selected Professionals, the County shall re-advertise the project based on a re-evaluation of the architectural, engineering, or land surveying services requested, including the estimated value, scope, complexity, and fee requirements.

Notice of Unacceptable Submittal: When the Evaluation Committee determines a Professional’s Qualifications to be unacceptable, such Professional shall not be afforded an additional opportunity to supplement its Qualifications.

Rejection of Qualifications/RFQ’s, Waiver of Irregularities: McHenry County reserves the right to reject any or all Qualifications, to waive irregularities, and to accept that Qualification which is considered to be in the best interest of the County. Any such decision shall be considered final.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND SCOPE

McHenry County Division of Transportation desires to contract with a qualified engineering firm to assist the County of McHenry in Phase I and Phase II Engineering for the Ackman Road Improvement Project.

The Purpose of the project is to address the findings of the Ackman Road Feasibility Study Recommendation Report that can be found at https://www.mchenrycountyil.gov/departments/transportation/projects/ackmanroad

The scope of this project is Ackman Road from Lakewood Road to Golf Course Road. The project will fill in the gaps of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure along this section of the corridor and address the turning conflicts and capacity concerns at the intersections of Lakewood Road, Red Tail Drive, Swanson Road, and Huntley Road. Golf Course Road improvements beyond pedestrian and bicycle improvements will be omitted from this project. The Village of Lake in the Hills, the Village of Lakewood and the City of Crystal Lake are withing the limits of the project.

The County is looking for a firm that has a strong working relationship with IDOT District 1 Bureau of Local Roads and Street.

The County is looking for a firm who can assist with construction funding opportunities.

The County is looking for a firm that has a strong QA/QC policy and can demonstrate they can identify and address issues before the project is under construction.

The County is looking for a firm who has experience coordinating with utilities and resolving conflicts early to avoid delays during construction.

Additional information about the Ackman Road Project can be found on the project website:

https://www.mchenrycountyil.gov/departments/transportation/projects/ackmanroad

The selected engineering firm will be required to respond to McHenry County review comments in Bluebeam

Revu software. Note that the software is free to download and use in View Mode.

The selected engineering firm will be required to submit documents on the County’s Bentley ProjectWise server; federated user access is preferred.

Primary electronic project communication between the selected engineering firm and County is expected to occur over Microsoft Teams.

The County is looking for a firm who can demonstrate they have prior experience, knowledge, or a willingness to utilize Bluebeam, ProjectWise and Teams within the proposal.

The length of the contract will be approximately 24 months for a full Phase I project and 12-18 months for a Phase II project. Federal participation is anticipated for construction only.

It is the intent to solicit interest from those firms and/or their subconsultants that are prequalified by the Illinois Department of Transportation to perform this type of work:

Highways – Roads and Streets Structures – Highway: Typical Special Plans – Lighting: Typical Special Studies - Traffic Signals

SUBMITTAL FORMAT REQUIREMENT:

When preparing submittals for McHenry County, the following requirements shall be adhered to and presented in the order listed below. Each bulleted item shall be limited to one (1) separate page each unless otherwise noted.

Cover letter transmitting the proposal on the firm’s letterhead describing the composition and proposal contents, the primary point of contact, and that person’s contact information.

Table of Contents with page numbers, identifying the approach, resumes, etc.

Section 1: Project Understanding/Approach summary. Demonstrate a clear vision of the project outcome, as well as the methodologies and philosophies necessary to achieve the desired outcome.

Summary shall be limited to two (2) pages.

Section 2: Listing of key staff, presented in an overall organizational chart format, with roles and responsibilities of each.

Section 3: Key staff resumes. Project Manager/key staff members must be clearly identified in the proposal, and the resumes of the Project Manager and key staff and sub-consultant staff must be included. Resumes shall be limited to one (1) page each. All resumes shall CLEARLY differentiate between work experience gained at the current firm and work experience gained while working for other firms. Resumes should indicate the number of years of experience in the profession and number of years of experience with the firm for each project team member. Professional registration information, awards, and training shall also be provided.

Section 4: Provide a minimum of three (3) and up to four (4) ongoing or completed projects within the last five (5) years of similar scope and magnitude that demonstrate the firm or team has experience in performing work requested by the County. Project resumes shall be a half page each and be on a maximum of two (2) pages.

The following are mandatory and MUST be included with the Request for Qualification submittal:

o IDOT’s Certificate of Eligibility/IDOT Statement of Experience and Financial Condition (SEFC) o Affidavit of Availability (BC 57) (2 pages)

MANDATORY PAGE

REFERENCES & EXCEPTIONS

List three (3) references, other than McHenry County, you have done similar work, service or supplied similar products to within the last twelve (12) months. Email addresses are required.

It is the responsibility of the submitter to ensure references respond to the County in a timely manner.

Entity: __________________________________Contact Person: ____________________________

Address: ___________________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip Code: _________________________________________________________

Telephone Number: _________________Email Address: _________________________________

Entity: __________________________________Contact Person: ____________________________

Address: ___________________________________________________________________

Entity: __________________________________Contact Person: ____________________________

Address: ___________________________________________________________________

Exceptions to this RFQ, Standard T&C, and Purchasing Ordinance (If none, write “none”):

CERTIFICATIONS

I acknowledge there to be Seven (7) Mandatory Pages for my submission to be considered:

References & Exceptions Page, Certifications Page, Signature Page, W-9, IDOT’s Certificate of Eligibility/IDOT Statement of Experience and Financial /condition (SEFC), Affidavit of Availability (BC 57) (2 pgs.), in addition to RFQ requirements Yes

Vendor certifies it has not been barred from contracting with a unit of State or Local Government because of a violation of Section 33E-3 or 33E-4 of the Criminal Code of 1961, as amended [720 ILCS 5/33E-3 or 720 ILCS 5/33E-4]. A contractor who knowingly makes a false statement, material to the certification, commits a Class 3 felony. Yes

Vendor certifies it is aware that all contracts for the Construction of Public Works are subject to the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act (820 ILCS 130/1-12) and this Solicitation

Is Subject to, Is not Subject to the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act. Yes

Vendor acknowledges this Solicitation Is Subject to, Is not Subject to the Employment of Illinois Workers in Public Works Act (30 ILCS 570/3) and will comply with the requirements set forth in this Act. Yes

I acknowledge this Solicitation Requires, Does not Require a Bid Bond Yes

Bid Security shall be in an amount equal to at least ten percent (10%) of the amount of the Bid except for the Division of Transportation, which should be at least five percent (5%). Bid Security shall be a bond provided by a surety company authorized to do business in the State of Illinois, or a certified check, bank draft, or cashier’s check.

I acknowledge this Solicitation Requires, Does not Require

Performance & Payment Bonds Yes

Vendor understands that, in submitting this bid/proposal, it waives all right to plead any misunderstandings regarding the foregoing information presented in the Solicitation Documents, including but not limited to, the McHenry County Purchasing Ordinance, Standard Terms and Conditions, and All Addendums. Yes

SIGNATURE PAGE – AUTHORIZED NEGOTIATORS

State full names, titles and addresses of all responsible principles and/or partners below and/or Authorized

Negotiators:

Name and Title: ______________________________________________________________________

City, State and Zip Code: _______________________________________________________________

Telephone Number: _______________________ Email: ______________________________________

Name and Title: ______________________________________________________________________

City, State and Zip Code: _______________________________________________________________

Telephone Number: _______________________ Email: ______________________________________

I have carefully examined the Bid or Request, Scope of Work, Specifications, and any other documents accompanying or made a part of this Bid or Request. I hereby propose to furnish the goods or services specified.

I agree my proposal will remain firm for a period of up to 120 days from Due Date in order to allow the County time to evaluate the qualifications submitted. I verify all information contained in this proposal is truthful to the best of my knowledge and belief. I further certify I am duly authorized to submit on behalf of the firm as its act and deed, and the firm is ready, willing, and able to perform if awarded the contract. I further certify, under oath, this proposal is made without prior understanding, agreement, connection, discussion, or collusion with any other person, firm or corporation submitting a proposal for the same product or service. No officer, employee or agent of the County of McHenry or any other proposer is interested in said proposal and the Undersigned executed this Certification with full knowledge and understanding of the matters therein contained and was duly authorized to do so.

Contact Person for Solicitation Questions/Clarification: __________________________________

Email Address: ______________________________________

Individual/Company/Corporation: ________________________________________________________

Business Address: ______________________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip Code: ___________________________________________________________________

Printed Name & Title:_____________________________________________________________

Email: ______________________________________________________

Authorized Signature: ___________________________________________ Date: _______________

End of Document