Fairway Drive.pdf

TOWN OF BOONE

REQUEST FOR LETTER OF INTEREST

THE TOWN OF BOONE DESIRES TO ENGAGE QUALIFIED PRIVATE ENGINEERING

FIRMS TO PROVIDE DESIGN, PERMITTING, BIDDING, CONSTRUCTION

ADMINISTRATION, AND INSPECTION SERVICES FOR NEW AND REPLACEMENT

PUBLIC WATER LINES.

Project Name: Fairway Drive and Hospital Area Improvements

The Town of Boone desires to engage a Private Engineering Firm (PEF) to provide design, permitting, bidding, construction administration, and inspection services for new and replacement public water lines along Fairway Drive and near Watauga Medical Center.

The Town of Boone is the official entity that will make decisions as to the selection of engineering services.

Total project budget: $1,789,650.00 Source of grant funds: North Carolina Division of Water Infrastructure

The selected firm will report directly to the Town. The selected firm is to administer the construction contract and ensure that all work is performed in accordance with the contract and permit requirements.

The PEF will be responsible for providing engineers and technicians with the appropriate skills and qualifications to ensure proper design, contract, and permit compliance. The PEF will be directly responsible for oversight of the project for the Town. The PEF shall indemnify and save harmless the Town for claims and liabilities resulting from negligence, errors, or omissions of the PEF, including, but not limited to, the engineers, technicians, or sub-consultants.

The private engineering firm must demonstrate the ability to provide construction technicians with the appropriate skills and qualifications to perform inspection, materials sampling, materials testing, surveying grade verification, documentation of pay quantities, erosion control and permit compliance, safety compliance, and claims avoidance.

Any firm wishing to be considered must be properly registered with the Office of the Secretary of State and with the North Carolina Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors. Any firm proposing to use corporate subsidiaries or subcontractors must include a statement that these companies are properly registered with the NC Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors. The Engineers performing the work and in responsible charge of the work must be registered Professional Engineers in the State of North Carolina and must have good ethical and professional standing. It will be the responsibility of the selected private firm to verify the registration of any corporate subsidiary or subcontractor prior to submitting a Letter of Interest. The firm must have the financial ability to undertake the work and assume the liability. The selected firm will be required to furnish proof of Professional Liability insurance coverage in the minimum amount of $1,000,000. The firm must have an adequate accounting system to identify costs chargeable to the project.

The proposed method of payment for this contract is lump sum.

The selection of a private engineering firm to provide the aforementioned services for this specific project will be handled in accordance with the following process:

1. Submission by the private engineering firm of a Letter of Interest (LOI).

2. The town will review qualifications from the private engineering firm’s submittals.

3. The town will select a private engineering firm to provide the services requested.

TIMING

The following are project milestone dates as set by the Division of Water Infrastructure

(DWI):

Milestone Date Apply for all Necessary Permits ASAP

Bid and Design Package Submittal to DWI January 8, 2027 Bid and Design Package Approval by DWI July 9, 2027 Advertise Project, Receive Bids, Submit Bid Information, and Receive Authority to Award

October 8, 2027

Execute Construction Contract(s) January 7, 2028

The firm should include a statement in the letter of interest regarding the firm’s ability to meet the above milestones.

EVALUATION

Firms submitting LOIs to perform the work on this specific project will be evaluated based on certain considerations. The following considerations will be utilized to select a firm from those submitting an LOI:

1. The firm's experience, knowledge, familiarity, and past performance with public water line design, modification, and construction inspection services – 40%

2. The experience of the firm's proposed staff to perform the type of work required –

30%

3. The firm’s understanding of the project-specific issues and its responsibility in delivering services for the advertised project – 30%

North Carolina firms qualified to do the required work will be given priority consideration.

A North Carolina firm is a firm that maintains an office in North Carolina staffed with an adequate number of employees judged by the Town to be capable of performing a majority of the work required.

FORMAT FOR SUBMISSION OF A

TOWN OF BOONE

LETTER OF INTEREST

All letters of interest are limited to eight pages, inclusive of the cover sheet, and shall be typed on 8 1/2” x 11” sheets, single-spaced, one-sided.

Section I - Cover/Introductory Letter

The introductory letter should be addressed to Joshua Eller, Deputy Public Works Director. Said letter is limited to two pages and should contain the following elements of information:

• Expression of the firm’s interest in the work;

• Statement regarding the firm’s possible conflict(s) of interest for the work;

• Statement regarding the firm’s ability to meet the project milestone dates listed above; and

• Summation of information contained in the letter of interest.

Section II - Evaluation Factors

This section is limited to three pages and should contain information regarding evaluation and other factors listed in the advertisement such as:

• A brief synopsis of the firm's previous experience that is focused on the type of project advertised for services (performed within the last seven years);

• The number of employees within the firm;

• A brief description of the firm's approach to water line design, modification, and construction administration, including the firm’s understanding of its responsibility concerning safety, contract administration, environmental responsibility, claims, and project delivery;

• Experience with Division of Water Infrastructure-funded projects, including record-keeping practices.

• The proposed personnel to be assigned to the work by discipline, and their availability date on the project.

• Identify project personnel qualifications and experience as related to this work;

• Unique qualifications of key team members; and

• Any innovative approaches to be used.

Section III - Supportive Information

This section is limited to three pages and should contain the following information:

• Capacity;

• Organizational chart indicating personnel to be assigned by discipline;

• The resumes of key personnel who are proposed to be assigned to the work;

• Names, classifications, and location(s) of the firms’ North Carolina employees and resources to be assigned to the advertised work;

• Other information.

SUBMISSION OF LETTER OF INTEREST

Private engineering firms are invited to submit letters of interest for furnishing engineering services to the Town by 2:00 p.m. on Friday, August 14, 2026. Letters of interest received after this deadline will not be considered. Electronic submissions are acceptable to the email address listed below.

Firms submitting letters of interest are encouraged to carefully check them for conformance to the requirements stated above.

The mailing address is:

Town of Boone Department of Public Works Attn: Joshua Eller 321 East King Street Boone, NC 28607

Or deliver to:

Town of Boone Department of Public Works Attn: Joshua Eller 321 East King Street Boone, NC 28607

Or email to: Josh.Eller@boonenc.gov

Any questions concerning the advertisement should be directed to Joshua Eller at Josh.Eller@boonenc.gov or by telephone at 828-268-6250.

If you feel the information provided is inadequate to submit a letter of interest, please contact Joshua Eller, Deputy Public Works Director.

The Town is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages small, minority, and female-owned businesses to submit qualifications.

NOTIFICATION

The firm selected will be notified by August 21, 2026. Notification will not be sent to firms not selected.

The Town reserves the right to reject any and all Letters of Interest.

mailto:psmu-411@ncdot.gov mailto:Josh.Eller@boonenc.gov