ESBD_492724_1774357917033_Addendum 3 - RFP 2026-P04.pdf

ADDENDUM #2

RFP 2026-P04 Eastside Campus – Commissioning Agent (CxA)

HAYS COUNTY PURCHASING OFFICE

Stephanie Hunt, CPPB - Purchasing Agent

712 S. Stagecoach Trail, Ste. 1012 San Marcos, Texas 78666

512-393-2267 ● purchasing@hayscountytx.gov

March 24, 2026

Please find attached Addendum #2 to RFP 2026-P04 Eastside Campus – Commissioning Agent (CxA). All questions were answered by Hays County staff and Kitchell CEM, Inc.

Included in Addendum 2:

1. Questions & Answers

2. Attachment B – Preliminary HDR Design Narrative (separate)

Acknowledge receipt of this addendum by signing and returning this page with your proposal.

Signature

Company Name Date mailto:purchasing@hayscountytx.gov

ADDENDUM #2

Questions & Answers

Questions:

1. The “Qualifications” for the Hays County RFP 2026-P04 require that personnel from submitting agencies “possess certification as a commissioning agent authority by the Building Commissioning Association” (CCP certification), “the Association of [Energy] Engineers” (CBCP certification), or “in the County’s sole judgment, a comparable certifying organization”. Will the County accept ASHRAE’s BCxP certification as a comparable certification?

• Yes.

2. ASHRAE is a reputable and prevalent organization in the building construction industry.

ASHRAE’s BCxP certification has nearly identical, and in some cases more stringent, eligibility requirements as the CCP and CBCP certifications (e.g., PE license and 3 years experience, 5 years experience if 4-year degree but no license, 8 years experience if 2-year degree, etc.).

Additionally, the BCxP certification, like the CCP certification, is an ANAB-accredited personnel certification program under ISO/IEC 17024, and, like both the CCP and CBCP, the BCxP certification is recognized by the US Department of Energy. In our understanding, the BCxP is a comparable certification to the two certifications listed in the Hays County RFP 2026-P04.

• See Question 1.

3. We reviewed the recent RFP posted for "Eastside Campus - Mass Timber Office Building" and have a quick question. If known, when is this project expected to go to bid for contractors and what is the expected start date for construction?

• The Construction Manager at Risk procurement is currently being reviewed and will be awarded in April.

• Construction start date will be later this year, after design plans are finalized.

4. Can you please provide the Pre-Submittal Conference location for the 2026-P03 Cx project?

• The Pre-Bid Meeting was held on Teams on March 11, 2026, at 11:00 AM.

5. Is the pre-submittal meeting virtual or in person on March 11th?

• See Question 4.

6. Could you please provide details regarding the pre-bid meeting scheduled for March 11, 2026, at 11:00 am regarding the RFP 2026-P04 Eastside Campus project as I didn’t locate any details in the RFP document.

• See Question 4.

7. We are interested in submitting our proposal for this Commissioning project for Hays County and are in possession of the RFP. We understand there are HUB participation requirements, but are not clear on the percentage. Will you clarify?

• There are no HUB requirements.

8. Based on our experience responding to Request for Proposal’s, the typical evaluation process starts with submitting a Statement of Qualification package. Once firms are selected based on qualifications, we are then notified to proceed to the next step, which involves providing a pricing quote. Would the County consider removing the request for pricing until firms are selected based on their qualifications and experience, and then request pricing quotes at that stage?

• This is not a Request for Qualifications it is a Request for Proposals, which do include pricing. F

• The evaluation criteria is listed in the procurement and Firms are being evaluated on capacity to perform, experience of the company, proposed cost, and contract methodology, as stated on page 21 of the solicitation documents.

9. I. Submittal Checklist, Page 4: Confirm that the forms under "Required Forms by Hays County in Order to Execute a Contract" are not required for Proposal submission.

• Those are not required for proposal submission, but it is preferred by the County that these be submitted with your proposal at the deadline.

10. Will divider pages be excluded from the page count?

• See III. Specifications: H. Proposal Requirements: “Items that count towards the 40-page limit.”

• If it is not listed there, then it does not count towards the page limit.

11. Is the AABC Commissioning Group (ACG) CxA Certification acceptable for the Certified Commissioning Agents?

• Yes. The AABC Commissioning Group’s Certified Commissioning Authority (CxA) credential is widely recognized and accepted, as it is ANAB-accredited (ANSI National Accreditation Board) and recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy.

12. Please confirm that you only need the whole-building blower door testing?

• Per 2021 IECC code.

13. The proposal references 2021 IECC Section C402.5 (air barriers). Is a design review, site observations, and final report required for Envelope testing?

• Yes.

14. Is only the Prime Firm required to complete the forms requested? If no, please identify which forms the subcontractor would have to complete

• Hays County is only contracting with the company that submits the proposal. We will not execute a contract with any subcontractors.

• If a prime wishes to use a subcontractor, that must be communicated and approved by

Hays County.

15. Page 18 of the RFP lists the work to be included, specifically the following systems under number 9) Electrical Systems: a. Electrical utility equipment, b. Electrical distribution equipment.

These two are not required to be commissioned by IECC 2021, only the lighting control systems components listed in this section. Does the county want the whole building electrical distribution system and its equipment commissioned?

• Per 2021 IECC code.

16. Will the designer be establishing outdoor air intake requirements?

• Yes.

17. Will the designer be establishing air flow rates for exhaust systems?

• Yes.

18. Is it preferred to provide whole building air leakage testing or third party verification?

• Third-party verification via installation site visits will be required.

19. The solicitation requests proposers to provide pricing in the form of a fixed, lump-sum total cost to accomplish the work for the following phases: design, construction, acceptance, and post-construction phases. However, professional engineering and related consulting services in Texas are subject to the Texas Professional Services Procurement Act Chapter 2254, Texas

Government Code and the PE&LS Board, which prohibit us from providing any consulting service fee information prior to selection. Given these state requirements, can the County advise on an acceptable approach for proposers to respond to the pricing portion of this solicitation while remaining compliant with the Texas Professional Services Procurement Act?

• See Question 8.

20. Will drawings/specs be available to assist with pricing? If not, can a narrative of the MEP systems be provided?

• Yes, see the attached HDR Preliminary Design Narrative.

21. Which design submittal iterations will the CxA be required to review?

• The Commissioning Authority (CxA) will be required to review design submittals at the

Design Development (DD) and Construction Documents (CD) phases, at a minimum.

22. How many design review meetings will the CxA be required to attend?

• The number of design review meetings the Commissioning Authority (CxA) will be required to attend shall be as directed by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). At a minimum, it is recommended that the CxA attend two (2) design review meetings, corresponding to the Design Development (DD) and Construction Documents (CD) phases.

23. Under systems to be commissioned, can systems for this building be clarified? For example, systems noted included electrical utility and distribution equipment. This equipment is not required to be commissioned in IECC C408.

• See question 15.

24. For the air-barrier testing, will the CxA be required to conduct the ASTM E779 testing or will the testing be the responsibility of the installing contractor with the CxA observing and documenting the testing?

• Correct, the installing CMAR/Sub-Contractor will be responsible for conducting the ASTM E779 testing, and the CxA Agent will be observing and documenting the testing.