General_Engineering_Services_XV.pdf

2025-RFP-089

GENERAL ENGINEERING SERVICES XV

City of Cleveland

Department of Public Utilities

601 Lakeside Ave

Cleveland, OH 44114

RELEASE DATE: May 12, 2025

DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS: June 2, 2025

RESPONSE DEADLINE: June 10, 2025, 12:00 pm

RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO:

https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/clevelandoh

City of Cleveland

General Engineering Services XV

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

II. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

III. SCOPE OF SERVICES, PROJECT SCHEDULE AND

DELIVERABLES

IV. THE CITY’S RIGHTS AND REQUIREMENTS

V. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY REQUIREMENTS

VI. PROPOSAL EVALUATION AND CRITERIA

VII. PROPOSAL SUBMITTALS

Attachments:

A - Cover Letter_ GES XV

B - Appendix A_Sample Agreement

C - Appendix B_Staff Proximity Table and Questions

D - Appendix C_Fee Tables

E - Appendix D_Reimbursables Policy 2025

F - Appendix E_Previous GES Contract Tasks

#2025-RFP-089

Title: General Engineering Services XV

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

1.1. Summary

The purpose of this contract is to supplement the engineering staff at CWD, and it is not possible at this stage to define the exact nature of engineering tasks that may have to be handled.

The scope may require services of all engineering disciplines and the work products developed by these disciplines, whether identified or not in this RFP.

1.2. Contact Information

Eboni Watters Administrative Manager 1201 Lakeside 4th Floor South Cleveland, OH 44114 Email: eboni_watters@clevelandwater.com Phone: (216) 563-7875

Department:

Public Utilities

Department Head:

Martin J. Keane Director

1.3. Timeline

Release Project Date May 12, 2025

Pre-Proposal Conference (Non-

Mandatory)

May 20, 2025, 10:00am

Via Microsoft Teams, https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_OTM3NjQxMjItMDYzZC00Z mIxLTgwNDMtZTc0ODJkNDliZTcx%40thread.v2

/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2266c1aa9e-

806c-4110-b5e7-

1a016d9e1893%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22cba34 ac6-bda8-4405-a17c-fdb78b35b3b0%22%7d

Meeting ID: 291 070 544 045 5 Passcode: 9Ct6XL6Z Dial in by phone +1 929-352-1743, 997482177# United States, New

York City mailto:eboni_watters@clevelandwater.com tel:(216)563-7875 https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_OTM3NjQxMjItMDYzZC00ZmIxLTgwNDMtZTc0ODJkNDliZTcx%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2266c1aa9e-806c-4110-b5e7-1a016d9e1893%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22cba34ac6-bda8-4405-a17c-fdb78b35b3b0%22%7d https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_OTM3NjQxMjItMDYzZC00ZmIxLTgwNDMtZTc0ODJkNDliZTcx%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2266c1aa9e-806c-4110-b5e7-1a016d9e1893%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22cba34ac6-bda8-4405-a17c-fdb78b35b3b0%22%7d https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_OTM3NjQxMjItMDYzZC00ZmIxLTgwNDMtZTc0ODJkNDliZTcx%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2266c1aa9e-806c-4110-b5e7-1a016d9e1893%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22cba34ac6-bda8-4405-a17c-fdb78b35b3b0%22%7d https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_OTM3NjQxMjItMDYzZC00ZmIxLTgwNDMtZTc0ODJkNDliZTcx%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2266c1aa9e-806c-4110-b5e7-1a016d9e1893%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22cba34ac6-bda8-4405-a17c-fdb78b35b3b0%22%7d https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_OTM3NjQxMjItMDYzZC00ZmIxLTgwNDMtZTc0ODJkNDliZTcx%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2266c1aa9e-806c-4110-b5e7-1a016d9e1893%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22cba34ac6-bda8-4405-a17c-fdb78b35b3b0%22%7d https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_OTM3NjQxMjItMDYzZC00ZmIxLTgwNDMtZTc0ODJkNDliZTcx%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2266c1aa9e-806c-4110-b5e7-1a016d9e1893%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22cba34ac6-bda8-4405-a17c-fdb78b35b3b0%22%7d https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_OTM3NjQxMjItMDYzZC00ZmIxLTgwNDMtZTc0ODJkNDliZTcx%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2266c1aa9e-806c-4110-b5e7-1a016d9e1893%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22cba34ac6-bda8-4405-a17c-fdb78b35b3b0%22%7d

Question Submission Deadline June 2, 2025, 12:00pm

Proposal Submission Deadline June 10, 2025, 12:00pm

2. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

The City of Cleveland (City), Division of Water (CWD) through its Director of Public Utilities (Director), is soliciting proposals from qualified firms interested in providing general engineering services (GES). It is necessary that the consultant has considerable experience in providing engineering services for potable water distribution systems and facilities.

CWD is a major regional utility, which supplies water to more than 1.5 million residents in

Cuyahoga, Medina, Summit, Geauga, and Lake Counties. CWD services approximately 430,000 retail accounts in the City and 63 suburbs. CWD sells water on a wholesale basis to four suburban communities on a continuous basis, and to five other communities on an emergency or temporary basis.

The water system consists of nine hydraulic districts that cover an area of 620 square miles and include

5,300 miles of water mains. Each district operates under a different hydraulic grade. Within each district, pressure-regulated sub-zones may exist. In addition, CWD has agreements to supply water to a new developing area to the South, which will require the creation of another new district.

The water system contains treatment plants, primary and secondary pump stations, reservoirs, elevated towers, water mains, etc. The distribution system is presently recorded on paper-based mapping systems and on a geographic information system (GIS). The pumping operations are controlled and monitored through SCADA, PCCS and other control systems.

CWD purifies water at four treatment plants. Finished water storage reservoirs exist at each plant. The primary pump stations of the system are located at or near the treatment plants and are part of the plants’ operations. The treatment plants are Crown, Morgan, Baldwin, and Nottingham. Baldwin utilizes the

Fairmount finished water and the Kirtland raw lake water pump stations.

The secondary pump stations are located throughout the distribution system. The distribution system is divided into hydraulic grade levels or high services. The secondary stations receive water either from First, Second, or Boosted Second High service and pump into higher hydraulic grades. The secondary stations are operated remotely via a SCADA telemetry system from a Control Center in Parma

Heights, OH. CWD maintains and operates 17 secondary storage facilities.

CWD needs the services of an engineering firm to assist our engineering staff. Due to the nature of the engineering activities, it is expected that the selected consulting firm will need to acquire the services of sub-consultants specializing in various disciplines in order to successfully complete the contract tasks. A list of possible services and engineering disciplines is included in, Scope of Services.

Tasks may require services such as design, plan review, GIS, hydraulic modeling, planning, project and construction monitoring, inspection, environmental site assessments, assets management, identification of surface and subsurface conditions, preparation of reports for regulatory agencies, specialized technical assistance, lead project design services, construction administration services, field services and database programming.

Activities for all tasks shall be coordinated by the consulting firm with CWD’s GES contract manager.

It is anticipated that two contracts will be awarded to two engineering firms for this proposed general engineering services contracts. The fee shall be based on compensation for 20,000 hours of engineering work to be performed in approximately two years plus other direct expenses (reimbursables). The firm shall specify its fee for services of various labor categories as described in the Fee Table included in the

RFP document.

The City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals or portions of them, to waive irregularities, informalities, and technicalities, to re-issue or to proceed to obtain the service(s) desired otherwise, at any time or in any manner considered in the City’s best interests. The Director may, at his/her sole discretion, modify or amend any provision of this notice or the RFP.

3. SCOPE OF SERVICES, PROJECT SCHEDULE AND

DELIVERABLES

3.1. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

A/E Architect/Engineer

BoD Basis of Design

CTC Conformed to Contract

CSB Cleveland – area Small Business

CSI Construction Specifications Institute

CWD Cleveland Water Department (aka Division of Water)

DDM Detailed Design Memorandum

DP Design Professional firm or its representatives

DPU Department of Public Utilities

EEO Equal Employment Opportunity

EV Earned Value

FBE Female Business Enterprise

HVAC Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning

MBE Minority Business Enterprise

NTP Notice to Proceed

OEO Office of Equal Opportunity

RFI Request for Information

RFP Request for Proposal

TM Technical Memorandum

TRFP Task Request for Proposal

(Refer to Appendix A, Sample Agreement for definition of specific contract-related terms.)

3.2. SCOPE OF SERVICES

This list of potential services is intended to provide a general overview of the work anticipated to be performed under this contract. The purpose of this contract is to supplement the engineering staff at CWD, and it is not possible at this stage to define the exact nature of engineering tasks that may have to be handled.

The scope may require services of all engineering disciplines and the work products developed by these disciplines, whether identified or not in this RFP.

GES TASK Proposal Negotiation and Authorization

A typical CWD GES contract comprises of a number of small to large sized engineering tasks, including planning, performing studies or analysis and providing engineering design plus maintenance assistance.

When a task is initiated, CWD’s contract manager provides task background, schedule, existing documents

(such as plans) and deliverable requirements.

The consultant takes the information presented in the request and prepares an estimate of level of effort, disciplines needed, staff to be provided, final schedule and maximum cost. CWD’s expectation is that the time frame for a detailed written task proposal shall not exceed 10 calendar days from the date of task initiation for complex tasks and shorter for simpler tasks. Proposers are expected to demonstrate how this will be accomplished during the proposal evaluation process.

A task authorization is issued after negotiations between the consultant and CWD with a total not-to-exceed funding cap. Revisions are permitted with a follow-up authorization in case of scope changes.

TYPICAL TASKS

A. General Engineering Work

• Conceptual planning

• Feasibility studies

• Development of Standards

• Process studies

• Environmental studies

• Economic analysis

• Architectural designs

• Water treatment facilities design

• Water transmission and distribution facilities design

• Water main extension, replacement and rehabilitation design

• Any other facility related to the operations of large metropolitan water systems design

• Distribution water main drawing reviews

• Design review

• Shop drawing review

• Drafting (CAD)

• Working drawings preparation

• Construction cost estimates

• Contract document and specification preparation

• Bid and award services

• Construction inspection

• Construction administration

• Project closeout

• Water treatment processes, including:

• Filtration

• Disinfection

• Organic and inorganic removal from raw water

• Pathogen removal

• Corrosion Control, including:

• Methods of corrosion control in storage tanks

• Methods of corrosion control in water mains

• Cathodic protection

• Cathodic protection testing, including

• Geotechnical survey

• Structure-to-soil potential tests

• Electrical continuity testing

• Dielectric isolation tests

• Post installation survey

• Anode current outputs

• Continuity tests

• Energization

• Water quality

• Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

• Water storage tanks and towers rehabilitation

• Repainting/recoating surfaces containing lead paint

• SCADA instrumentation and control systems

• Design of water treatment laboratories

• Pump station design

• Right-Of-Way assessment or study

• Data collection

• Material testing

• Expert witnessing

• Design review and comments

• General engineering services, including:

• Civil

• Structural

• Mechanical

• Forensic

• Electrical

• Geotechnical

• Environmental

• Programming in:

• Visual Basic

• Database

• Web Page/Java

• Crystal Reports

• MS Project

• Record drawings

• Operations and maintenance manuals

• Start-up assistance

• Training

• Value engineering

• QA/QC

• Any other items deemed necessary

B. Distribution System Reviews and Inspections

Provide engineering services for preparation of plans and specifications for cleaning and cement-mortar or structural lining or replacement/installation of distribution water mains.

C. Review of Service Connection Applications

Check plans for proper arrangement of connections, meters, and backflow prevention devices as per CWD policies.

Size meter connections on domestic lines as per the AWWA M22 manual, with the intent of capturing as much flow as possible, while providing trouble free service to the customer.

Size meter connections to provide, at a minimum, the pressure requested by customer. If unable to provide this minimal pressure, consult with customer and recommend private booster pumps.

Size fire connections to meet required fire flow and check availability of the system.

Connection Inspection

Inspect the installation of service connections 2” in diameter or less. Inspector must monitor for the use of proper materials as well as proper installation procedures and workmanship. CWD standard details and policies shall be used as a reference for said materials, installation procedures, and workmanship. Inspector shall coordinate all inspection work through CWD, Inspection Enforcement Unit, and shall inform the engineering staff of any work not in compliance with CWD standards. Inspectors will also be responsible for furnishing as-built information and connection measurement in a format pre-approved by CWD.

Review of Water Main Extension Projects

Check for and enforce easement procurement for mains outside of public rights of way.

Check system for flow availability and pressure as per CWD criteria.

Review construction procedure to check for conflicts and maintenance hazards.

Review for compliance with CWD standards.

Plan Reviews of Third Party Projects

Check all state, county, and municipal projects for necessity for water work.

Ensure proper procedures are taken to minimize outages.

Maintain integrity of distribution system as per City ordinances and service agreements between CWD and various municipalities and counties.

Review construction procedure to check for conflicts and maintenance hazards.

Review hydraulic impacts of project.

Appendix F lists tasks performed by consultants during previous general engineering service contracts. This information is being provided to convey the nature of work and the variety of services that are required under a CWD GES contract.

The City reserves the right to modify the scope of services at any time before execution of a contract to add, delete, or otherwise amend any item(s), as it deems necessary, in its sole judgment, and in the best interest of the City.

3.3. PROJECT SCHEDULE AND DELIVERABLES

It is expected that a contract shall be signed with the selected firm in 2025. The GES contract is kept open till all funds in the contract are exhausted, and the typical duration is two years. However, this term may be shorter or longer depending on the contract burn rate, or individual task duration.

CWD has established the following list of reports that the consultant will be required to provide as deliverables. CWD reserves the right to modify the list of deliverables at any time before execution of a contract to add, delete, or otherwise amend any report or other deliverable, as it deems necessary, in its sole judgment, and in the best interest of CWD.

All work by the EP shall conform to CWD standards. After the EP has completed the activities as authorized in each task, they shall submit, in hard copy and, where applicable, in electronic form (in the latest versions of MS Wordâ, AutoCADâ, MS Excelâ or Adobe), the following items to CWD:

• Collected information.

• Design notes and calculation.

• Design drawings.

• Specifications.

• Shop drawing approvals.

• Inspection reports.

• All task correspondence.

• All other defined deliverables.

CWD reserves the right to add related services as needed.

Unless otherwise expressly provided, the term of the agreement shall begin upon its date of execution and, unless extended by City or unless sooner canceled or terminated under the provisions of the agreement, shall expire when all required deliverables have been submitted to and approved by the Director and all other services have been satisfactorily performed and accepted by the Director.

3.4. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

A. Submission of Proposal

Each proposer shall submit its proposal in the number, form, and manner, and by the date and time and at the location required in the section, Introduction and Background, above.

1. Each proposer shall provide all information requested in this RFP. The proposer must organize its proposal package to address each of the elements in this RFP in the order listed in the section, Proposal Contents. The proposer should carefully read all instructions and requirements and furnish all information requested. If a proposal does not comply with all terms, conditions, and requirements for submittal, the City may consider it unacceptable and may reject it without further consideration.

2. If you find discrepancies or omissions in this RFP or if the intended meaning of any part of this RFP is unclear or in doubt, send a written request for clarification or interpretation to the Questions/Answers tab via the OpenGov web portal by the last day for questions as spelled out in the cover letter.

B. The City’s Rights and Requirements

A. The Director, at his/her sole discretion, may require any Proposer to augment or supplement its proposal or to meet with the City’s designated representatives for interview or presentation to further describe the Proposer’s qualifications and capabilities. The requested information, interview, meeting, or presentation shall be submitted or conducted, as appropriate, at a time and place the Director specifies.

B. The City reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to reject any proposal that is incomplete or unresponsive to the requests or requirements of this RFP. The City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive and accept any informality or discrepancy in the proposal or the process as may be in the City’s best interest.

C. Proposal as a Public Record.

Under the laws of the State of Ohio, all parts of a proposal, other than trade secret or proprietary information and the fee proposal, may be considered a public record which, if properly requested, the City must make available to the requester for inspection and copying. Therefore, to protect trade secret or proprietary information, the Proposer should clearly mark each page - but only that page - of its proposal that contains that information. The City will notify the proposer if such information in its proposal is requested, but cannot, however, guarantee the confidentiality of any proprietary or otherwise sensitive information in or with the proposal. Blanket marking of the entire proposal as “proprietary” or “trade secret” will not protect an entire proposal and is not acceptable.

D. CLEVELAND AREA BUSINESS CODE

Requirements. During performance of this Agreement, Contractor shall comply with all applicable requirements of the Cleveland Area Business Code, Chapter

187 of the Codified Ordinances of Cleveland, Ohio, 1976 (“C.O.”), and any

Regulations promulgated under the Code, which Code and Regulations are incorporated into and made part of this RFP by this reference as fully as if rewritten in it or attached. Specifically, compliance under any resulting agreement shall include, but not be limited to, the Contractor’s:

• Compliance with its proposal representations regarding CSB, MBE, and/or FBE participation in performance of the Agreement;

• Compliance and cooperation with Project Monitors, whether from the Mayor’s

Office of Equal Opportunity (the “OEO”) or the contracting department;

• Accurate, complete, and on-time submission of all reports, forms, and documents including, but not limited to, employment reports, certified payrolls, monitoring forms, and other information the Director of the OEO may require, whether in printed or electronic form, to ascertain and verify Contractor’s compliance; and

• Attendance at and participation in all required project meetings, including OEO compliance meetings, and progress meetings called by the contracting department director(s) at key intervals during performance of the contract services (e.g. 25% completion, 50% completion, 75% completion).

Failure to Comply. When determining the contractor’s future eligibility for a City contract, the City shall consider a contractor’s failure to comply with the representations of its proposal and the requirements under the Code as a failure to faithfully perform a contract.

1. Under the Cleveland Area Business Code, the City of Cleveland is firmly committed to assisting Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), Female Business Enterprises (FBEs), and

Cleveland- area small businesses (CSBs) by providing and enhancing economic opportunities to participate in City contracts. The successful proposer for a contract will be a firm that shares that commitment. Accordingly, a proposer is strongly encouraged to utilize the services of qualified

MBE/FBE/CSB sub-consultants that are certified by the Mayor’s Office of Equal Opportunity (the

“OEO”) in its proposal.

2. The standard subcontracting goal for professional services contracts is 10% Cleveland Area

Small Business (“CSB”) subcontractor participation. Please review the attached Office of Equal

Opportunity documents to ascertain the goal for the proposed contract. Proposers are required to make a good-faith effort to subcontract portions of the work to certified Minority Business Enterprise

(“MBE”), Female Business Enterprise (“FBE”), and CSB firms, consistent with the subcontracting goal(s) applicable to this RFP.

3. To document its good-faith effort to utilize certified MBE, FBE and CSB sub-consultants, each proposer must complete Schedules 1 through 4 found in the Cleveland Area Business Code - Notice to Bidders and Schedules. These schedules identify the Proposer’s proposed use of MBE, FBE and

CSB sub-consultants on the project, which evidences the proposer’s good-faith effort to obtain the participation of certified sub-consultants. The Proposer shall submit the completed forms with its proposal and they will be forwarded to the City’s Office of Equal Opportunity for evaluation. Failure to submit complete schedules may result in the rejection of a proposal

Proposers may obtain a listing of firms certified by the OEO as CSBs, MBEs and

FBEs by checking the City’s website at https://cleveland.diversitycompliance.com. On the home page, select “Search

Certified Directory” under "Vendor Certification."

Proposers are responsible for obtaining the most current list and for contacting potential CSB/MBE/FBE sub-consultants. The City assumes no responsibility for matching prime consultants with qualified, certified MBE, FBE, and/or CSB sub-consultants.

The City Office of Equal Opportunity will monitor participation of MBE, FBE, and/or CSB sub-consultants throughout the duration of the engagement or project. The successful proposer, as contractor, will be responsible for providing the OEO with all information necessary to facilitate this monitoring.

The Cleveland Area Business Code, any Regulations promulgated under the

Code, and the OEO Notice to Bidders & Schedules are, by this reference, incorporated in and made part of this solicitation and any resulting contract as fully as if written in it or attached.

4. The successful proposer, as contractor, will be required to comply with all terms, conditions, and requirements imposed on a “contractor” in the following Equal Opportunity Clause, Section http://www.city.cleveland.oh.us/

187.22(b) of the Cleveland Codified Ordinances, and shall make the Clause part of every subcontract or agreement entered into for services or goods and binding on all persons and firms with which the proposer may deal, as follows: No Contractor shall discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, ethnic group or Vietnam-era or disabled veteran status. Contractors shall take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed and that employees are treated during employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, ethnic group or Vietnam-era or disabled veteran status. As used in this chapter, “treated” means and includes without limitation the following: recruited whether by advertising or other means;

compensated, whether in the form of rates of pay or other forms of compensation; selected for training, including apprenticeship, promoted, upgraded, demoted, transferred, laid off and terminated. Contractors shall post in conspicuous places available to employees and applicants for employment, notices to be provided by the hiring representative of contractors setting forth the provisions of this nondiscrimination clause.

5. Within 60 calendar days after entering into a contract, the successful Proposer, as Contractor, shall file a written affirmative action program with the OEO containing standards and procedures and representations assuring that the Contractor affords all qualified employees and applicants for employment equal opportunities in the Contractor’s recruitment, selection, and advancement processes.

E. Term of Proposal’s Effectiveness.

By submission of a proposal, the Proposer agrees that its proposal will remain effective and eligible for acceptance by the City until the earlier of the execution of a final contract or 180 calendar days after the proposal submission deadline

(the “Proposal Expiration Date”).

vi Execution of a Contract.

The Successful Proposer shall, within ten (10) business days after receipt of a contract prepared by the City Director of Law, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, execute and return the contract to the City together with evidence of proper insurance and intent to conform to all requirements of the contract attached hereto or which are a part hereof and all applicable federal, state and local laws and ordinances prior to or at the time of execution of the contract.

vii. “Short-listing”.

The City reserves the right to select a limited number (a “short list”) of

Proposers to make an oral presentation of their qualifications, proposed services, and capabilities. The City will notify the Proposers selected for oral presentations in writing.

viii. Proposer’s Familiarity with RFP; Responsibility for Proposal

By submission of a proposal, the Proposer acknowledges that it is aware of and understands all requirements, provisions, and conditions in and of this RFP and that its failure to become familiar with all the requirements, provisions, conditions, and information either in this RFP or disseminated either at a pre-proposal conference or by addendum issued prior to the proposal submission deadline, and all circumstances and conditions affecting performance of the services to be rendered by the successful proposer will not relieve it from responsibility for all parts of its Proposal and, if selected for contract, its complete performance of the contract in compliance with its terms. Proposer acknowledges that the City has no responsibility for any conclusions or interpretations made by Proposer on the basis of information made available by the City. The City does not guarantee the accuracy of any information provided and Proposer expressly waives any right to a claim against the City arising from or based upon any incorrect, inaccurate, or incomplete information or information not otherwise conforming to represented or actual conditions.

C. Interpretation

The City is not responsible for any explanation, clarification, interpretation, representation or approval made concerning this RFP or a Proposal or given in any manner, except by written addendum. The City will mail, e-mail, or otherwise deliver one copy of each addendum issued, if any, to each individual or firm that requested and received a RFP. Any addendum is a part of and incorporated in this RFP as fully as if originally written herein.

3.5. QUALIFICATION FOR PROPOSAL

A. Each prime proposer, regardless of the form of its business entity, must meet the following requirements. Failure to meet all requirements may be cause for rejection of a proposal. If proposer is a partnership or a joint venture, at least one general partner or constituent member must meet the requirements. Each proposer must:

i. Provide evidence that it has a minimum of 10 years of experience in providing engineering services.

ii. Be authorized to conduct business in the State of Ohio, County of Cuyahoga and the City of Cleveland.

iii. Possess or demonstrate it qualifies for all applicable licenses, certificates, permits, or other authorizations required by any governmental authority, including the City, having jurisdiction over the operations of the successful proposer and the proposed services.

iv. Submit with its proposal at least three written, verifiable, references dated within the last three months from clients for which the proposer has rendered services substantially similar to those sought by this RFP, and recommending proposer for selection for such services. City of Cleveland employees may not be used as references.

B. Insurance: The Successful Proposer, at its expense, shall at all times during the term of the contract resulting from this RFP, maintain the following insurance coverage. The insurance company(ies) providing the required insurance shall be authorized by the Ohio Department of Insurance to do business in Ohio and rated “A” or above by A. M. Best Company or equivalent. The Successful

Proposer, as contractor, shall provide a copy of the policy or policies and any necessary endorsements, or a substitute for them satisfactory to and approved by the Director of Law, evidencing the required insurances upon execution of the contract.

i. Professional liability insurance with limits of not less than $2,000,000.00 for the prime and $1,000,000 for a sub-consultant for each occurrence shall be maintained for not less than two (2) years after satisfactory completion and written acceptance of the services under the contract.

ii. Workers’ compensation and employer’s liability insurance as provided under the laws of the State of Ohio.

iii. Statutory unemployment insurance protection for all of its employees.

iv. Such other insurance coverage(s) as the City may reasonably require.

v. The City will not negotiate the “Limits of Liability”.

C. Corporate Status: When filling the forms supplied in Appendix C, the firm must clarify the following:

If a corporation, provide the state of incorporation, and the full name, title, and experience of each high level corporate officer. If the proposer is not an Ohio corporation, please state whether or not the proposer is qualified to do business in the State of Ohio as a foreign corporation. A foreign corporation must provide evidence, prior to execution of a contract, that is qualified to do business in the State of Ohio or it must register with the Ohio Secretary of State.

If the proposer is a sole proprietorship, state the name of the proprietor doing business.

If a partnership, state the full name, address and other occupation, if any, of each partner;

whether the partner is a general or limited partner, and whether active or passive; state each partner’s experience and the proportionate share of the business owned by each partner.

If a joint venture, state the name of each firm participating in the joint venture and each principal officer of each firm; each officer’s experience and the proportionate share of the joint venture owned by each joint venture partner.

4. THE CITY’S RIGHTS AND REQUIREMENTS

A. The Director, at his/her sole discretion, may require any proposer to augment or supplement its proposal or to meet with the City’s designated representatives for interview or presentation to further describe the proposer’s qualifications and capabilities. The requested information, interview, meeting, or presentation shall be submitted or conducted, as appropriate, at a time and place the Director specifies.

B. The City reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to reject any proposal that is incomplete or unresponsive to the requests or requirements of this RFP. The City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive and accept any informality or discrepancy in the proposal or the process as may be in the City’s best interest.

C. Proposal as a Public Record

Under the laws of the State of Ohio, all parts of a proposal, other than trade secret or proprietary information and the fee proposal may be considered a public record which, if properly requested, the City must make available to the requester for inspection and copying. Therefore, to protect trade secret or proprietary information, the proposer should clearly mark each page - but only that page - of its proposal that contains that information. The City will notify the proposer if such information in its proposal is requested, but cannot, however, guarantee the confidentiality of any proprietary or otherwise sensitive information in or with the proposal. Blanket marking of the entire proposal as “proprietary” or “trade secret” will not protect an entire proposal and is not acceptable.

D. Cleveland Area Business Code

Requirements During performance of this Agreement, Contractor shall comply with all applicable requirements of the Cleveland Area Business Code, Chapter 187 of the Codified

Ordinances of Cleveland, Ohio, 1976 (“C.O.”), and any Regulations promulgated under the Code, which Code and Regulations are incorporated into and made part of this RFP by this reference as fully as if rewritten in it or attached. Specifically, compliance under any resulting agreement shall include, but not be limited to, the Contractor’s:

o Compliance with its proposal representations regarding CSB, MBE, and/or FBE participation in performance of the Agreement;

o Compliance and cooperation with Project Monitors, whether from the Mayor’s Office of

Equal Opportunity (the “OEO”) or the contracting department;

o Accurate, complete, and on-time submission of all reports, forms, and documents including, but not limited to, employment reports, certified payrolls, monitoring forms, and other information the Director of the OEO may require, whether in printed or electronic form, to ascertain and verify Contractor’s compliance; and o Attendance at and participation in all required project meetings, including OEO compliance meetings, and progress meetings called by the contracting department director(s) at key intervals during performance of the contract services.

Failure to Comply When determining the contractor’s future eligibility for a City contract, the City shall consider a contractor’s failure to comply with the representations of its proposal and the requirements under the Code as a failure to faithfully perform a contract.

a. Under the Cleveland Area Business Code, the City of Cleveland is firmly committed to assisting Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), Female Business Enterprises

(FBEs), and Cleveland- area small businesses (CSBs) by providing and enhancing economic opportunities to participate in City contracts. The successful proposer for a contract will be a firm that shares that commitment. Accordingly, a proposer is strongly encouraged to utilize the services of qualified MBE/FBE/CSB sub-consultants that are certified by the Mayor’s Office of Equal Opportunity (the

“OEO”) in its proposal.

b. The standard subcontracting goal for professional services contracts is 10%

Cleveland Area Small Business (“CSB”) subcontractor participation. Please review the attached Office of Equal Opportunity documents to ascertain the goal for the proposed contract. Proposers are required to make a good-faith effort to subcontract portions of the work to certified Minority Business Enterprise (“MBE”), Female

Business Enterprise (“FBE”), and CSB firms, consistent with the subcontracting goal(s) applicable to this RFP.

c. To document its good-faith effort to utilize certified MBE, FBE and CSB sub-consultants, each proposer must complete Schedules 1 through 4 found in the Cleveland Area Business Code - Notice to Bidders and Schedules. These schedules identify the proposer’s proposed use of MBE, FBE and CSB sub-consultants on the project, which evidences the proposer’s good-faith effort to obtain the participation of certified sub-consultants. The proposer shall submit the completed forms with its proposal and they will be forwarded to the City’s Office of

Equal Opportunity for evaluation. Failure to submit complete schedules may result in the rejection of a proposal.

Proposers may obtain a listing of firms certified by the OEO as CSBs, MBEs and

FBEs by checking the City’s website at http://www.city.cleveland.oh.us. On the home page, select “Office of Equal Opportunity” from the drop-down menu of City departments. On the Office of Equal Opportunity page, you will find a selection in the left-hand column for “CSB/MBE/FBE Registry”.

Proposers are responsible for obtaining the most current list and for contacting potential CSB/MBE/FBE sub-consultants. The City assumes no responsibility for matching prime consultants with qualified, certified MBE, FBE, and/or CSB sub-consultants.

The City Office of Equal Opportunity will monitor participation of MBE, FBE, http://www.city.cleveland.oh.us/ and/or CSB sub-consultants throughout the duration of the engagement or project. The successful proposer, as contractor, will be responsible for providing the

OEO with all information necessary to facilitate this monitoring.

The Cleveland Area Business Code, any Regulations promulgated under the Code, and the OEO Notice to Bidders & Schedules are, by this reference, incorporated in and made part of this solicitation and any resulting contract as fully as if written in it or attached.

d. The successful proposer, as contractor, will be required to comply with all terms, conditions, and requirements imposed on a “contractor” in the following Equal

Opportunity Clause, Section 187.22(b) of the Cleveland Codified Ordinances, and shall make the Clause part of every subcontract or agreement entered into for services or goods and binding on all persons and firms with which the proposer may deal, as follows: No Contractor shall discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, ethnic group or Vietnam-era or disabled veteran status. Contractors shall take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed and that employees are treated during employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, ethnic group or Vietnam-era or disabled veteran status. As used in this chapter, “treated” means and includes without limitation the following: recruited whether by advertising or other means;

compensated, whether in the form of rates of pay or other forms of compensation;

selected for training, including apprenticeship, promoted, upgraded, demoted, transferred, laid off and terminated. Contractors shall post in conspicuous places available to employees and applicants for employment, notices to be provided by the hiring representative of contractors setting forth the provisions of this nondiscrimination clause.

E. Term of Proposal’s Effectiveness.

By submission of a proposal, the proposer agrees that its proposal will remain effective and eligible for acceptance by the City until the earlier of the execution of a final contract or 180 calendar days after the proposal submission deadline (the “Proposal Expiration Date”).

F. Execution of a Contract.

The successful proposer shall, within ten (10) business days after receipt of a contract prepared by the City Director of Law, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, execute and return the contract to the City together with evidence of proper insurance and intent to conform to all requirements of the contract. Attached hereto or which are a part hereof and all applicable federal, state and local laws and ordinances prior to or at the time of execution of the contract.

G. Short-listing

The City reserves the right to select a limited number (a “short list”) of proposer’s to make an oral presentation of their qualifications, proposed services, and capabilities. The City will notify the proposers selected for oral presentations in writing.

H. Proposer’s Familiarity with RFP; Responsibility for Proposal

By submission of a proposal, the proposer acknowledges that it is aware of and understands all requirements, provisions, and conditions in and of this RFP and that its failure to become familiar with all the requirements, provisions, conditions, and information either in this RFP or disseminated either at a pre-proposal conference or by addendum issued prior to the proposal submission deadline, and all circumstances and conditions affecting performance of the services to be rendered by the successful proposer will not relieve it from responsibility for all parts of its

Proposal and, if selected for contract, its complete performance of the contract in compliance with its terms. Proposer acknowledges that the City has no responsibility for any conclusions or interpretations made by proposer on the basis of information made available by the City. The City does not guarantee the accuracy of any information provided and proposer expressly waives any right to a claim against the City arising from or based upon any incorrect, inaccurate, or incomplete information or information not otherwise conforming to represented or actual conditions.

I. Interpretation

The City is not responsible for any explanation, clarification, interpretation, representation or approval made concerning this RFP or a Proposal or given in any manner, except by written addendum. The City will mail, e-mail, or otherwise deliver one copy of each addendum issued, if any, to each individual or firm that requested and received a RFP. Any addendum is a part of and incorporated in this RFP as fully as if originally written herein.

5. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY REQUIREMENTS

During performance of this Agreement, Contractor shall comply with all applicable requirements of the

Cleveland Area Business Code, Chapter 187 of the Codified Ordinances of Cleveland, Ohio, 1976

(“C.O.”), and any Regulations promulgated under the Code, which Code and Regulations are incorporated into and made part of this RFP by this reference as fully as if rewritten in it or attached. Specifically, compliance under any resulting agreement shall include, but not be limited to, the

Contractor’s:

• Compliance with its proposal representations regarding CSB, MBE, and/or FBE participation in performance of the Agreement;

• Compliance and cooperation with Project Monitors, whether from the Mayor’s Office of Equal

Opportunity (the “OEO”) or the contracting department;

• Accurate, complete, and on-time submission of all reports, forms, and documents including, but not limited to, employment reports, certified payrolls, monitoring forms, and other information the Director of the OEO may require, whether in printed or electronic form, to ascertain and verify Contractor’s compliance; and

• Attendance at and participation in all required project meetings, including OEO compliance meetings, and progress meetings called by the contracting department director(s) at key intervals during performance of the contract services (e.g. 25% completion, 50% completion, 75% completion).

Failure to Comply- When determining the contractor’s future eligibility for a City contract, the City shall consider a contractor’s failure to comply with the representations of its proposal and the requirements under the Code as a failure to faithfully perform a contract.

• Under the Cleveland Area Business Code, the City of Cleveland is firmly committed to assisting

Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), Female Business Enterprises (FBEs), and Cleveland- area small businesses (CSBs) by providing and enhancing economic opportunities to participate in

City contracts. The successful proposer for a contract will be a firm that shares that commitment. Accordingly, a proposer is strongly encouraged to utilize the services of qualified

MBE/FBE/CSB sub consultants that are certified by the Mayor’s Office of Equal Opportunity

(the “OEO”) in its proposal.

• The standard subcontracting goal for professional services contracts is 10% Cleveland Area Small

Business (“CSB”) subcontractor participation. Please review the attached Office of Equal

Opportunity documents to ascertain the goal for the proposed contract. Proposers are required to make a good-faith effort to subcontract portions of the work to certified Minority Business

Enterprise (“MBE”), Female Business Enterprise (“FBE”), and CSB firms, consistent with the subcontracting goal(s) applicable to this RFP.

• To document its good-faith effort to utilize certified MBE, FBE and CSB sub consultants, each proposer must complete Schedules 1 through 4 found in the Cleveland Area Business Code -

Notice to Bidders and Schedules. These schedules identify the Proposer’s proposed use of MBE, FBE and CSB sub-consultants on the project, which evidences the proposer’s good-faith effort to obtain the participation of certified sub-consultants. The Proposer shall submit the completed forms with its proposal and they will be forwarded to the City’s Office of Equal Opportunity for evaluation. Failure to submit complete schedules may result in the rejection of a proposal

• Proposers may obtain a listing of firms certified by the OEO as CSBs, MBEs and FBEs by checking the City’s website at roposers are responsible for obtaining the most current list and for contacting potential CSB/MBE/FBE sub consultants. The City assumes no responsibility for matching prime consultants with qualified, certified MBE, FBE, and/or CSB sub-consultants.

• The City Office of Equal Opportunity will monitor participation of MBE, FBE, and/or CSB sub-consultants throughout the duration of the engagement or project. The successful proposer, as contractor, will be responsible for providing the OEO with all information necessary to facilitate this monitoring.

• The Cleveland Area Business Code, any Regulations promulgated under the Code, and the OEO

Notice to Bidders & Schedules are, by this reference, incorporated in and made part of this solicitation and any resulting contract as fully as if written in it or attached.

• The successful proposer, as contractor, will be required to comply with all terms, conditions, and requirements imposed on a “contractor” in the following Equal Opportunity Clause, Section

187.22(b) of the Cleveland Codified Ordinances, and shall make the Clause part of every subcontract or agreement entered into for services or goods and binding on all persons and firms with which the proposer may deal, as follows: No Contractor shall discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, ethnic group or Vietnam-era or disabled veteran status. Contractors shall take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed and that employees are treated during employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, ethnic group or Vietnam-era or disabled veteran status. As used in this chapter, “treated” means and includes without limitation the following: recruited whether by advertising or other means; compensated, whether in the form of rates of pay or other forms of compensation; selected for training, including apprenticeship, promoted, upgraded, demoted, transferred, laid off and terminated. Contractors shall post in conspicuous places available to employees and applicants for employment, notices to be provided by the hiring representative of contractors setting forth the provisions of this nondiscrimination clause.

• Within 60 calendar days after entering into a contract, the successful Proposer, as Contractor, shall file a written affirmative action program with the OEO containing standards and procedures and representations assuring that the Contractor affords all qualified employees and applicants for employment equal opportunities in the Contractor’s recruitment, selection, and advancement processes.

6. PROPOSAL EVALUATION AND CRITERIA

A. Evaluation Methodology. The City department/division issuing this RFP will evaluate each proposal submitted. The department will present its recommendations to the City Board of

Control (Board). The Board may, but shall not be obligated to, entertain formal presentations. The

Board may approve one or more contracts to one or more firms. The City will only consider proposals that are received on or before the proposal submission deadline, and which meet all the requirements of this RFP. The City reserves the right to request a “best and final offer” from proposers meeting the minimum requirements.

B. Scoring of Proposals. The City will score each proposal in each of the following categories:

1. Team experience/qualifications and past performance on similar projects and on past projects performed;

2. Proposed team organizational structure, responsibilities, management and technical approach, and utilization and qualifications of sub-consultants;

3. Response to CWD questions (scenarios);

4. Quality of written presentations. (An oral presentation by the short-listed firms may be requested by CWD);

5. Acceptance of…