HSR15-108_RFQ_Question___Answers.pdf

Question & Answer Request for Qualifications (RFQ) HSR15-108

Environmental Services for Fresno to Bakersfield Project Section February 4, 2016

1. We would like to know if a firm who is on Construction Package 4 as a sub consultant to the PM prime is conflicted or not conflicted from being a part of either of the subject environmental services RFQs?

Answer: In accordance with the Organizational Conflict of Interest provision in the RFQs and the Authority’s Conflict of Interest Policy (see http://hsr.ca.gov/docs/about/doing_business/Organizational_Conflict_Interest_Policy_Final915 2011.pdf), please submit a formal request to the Chief Counsel in order to fully answer your inquiry.

2. Our office is located in Southern California. Is the expectation that the “as-needed environmental and related professional services” would occur within the Merced to Fresno project area or could this work be performed elsewhere?

Answer: The consultant office location does not have to be in the Merced to Fresno Project location. However, some work, for example, coordination meetings and construction compliance would need to be in the Authority’s Fresno office, on the job site and/or Sacramento depending upon the task order/type of work being performed. Among other work items, these could include field surveys, noise measurements, etc. Some work may be done from an office that lies away from the project limits. Some of these tasks might include document preparation/ review, graphical support, GIS mapping and analyses, records review and environmental re-examinations.

3. Can a sub-contractor submit without a prime?

Answer: A sub-contractor by definition must be part of a team led by the Prime that submits a Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) to do the work advertised in the RFQ. However, any company is eligible to submit a SOQ.

4. For the page limit – is 30 sides of the page (so 15 pieces of paper) or 30 pieces of paper?

Answer: RFQ Section 6.1 General Requirements states, “A page is considered to be a single side of an 8-1/2” x 11” sheet”. Each written side is considered one page.

5. What kind of staff plan is required – extension of staff or the team to be used when needed?

Answer: The type of staffing plan required is team to be used when needed.

http://hsr.ca.gov/docs/about/doing_business/Organizational_Conflict_Interest_Policy_Final9152011.pdf http://hsr.ca.gov/docs/about/doing_business/Organizational_Conflict_Interest_Policy_Final9152011.pdf

6. Will individuals who are working on sections 2-3 be excluded from working on sections 1 and 4?

Answer: See response to question 1.

7. Can we use Authority staff as references?

Answer: Yes, Offerors may use Authority staff as references.

8. Would there be a conflict if a firm that is working for the design-build team on a different segment were to prime this RFQ?

9. Would there be a conflict between priming this RFQ and being a sub-consultant on the Westervelt mitigation contract?

10. The RFQ states PAYEE DATA RECORD FORM STD. 204: This form must be completed by all contractors that are not another state agency or other governmental entity. Is it necessary for only the Prime Contractor to provide this form or do sub consultants need to provide it as well?

Answer: Only the Prime must submit this form.

11. The RFQ states Offerors shall submit a staffing plan. The staffing plan shall be organized by the tasks listed in Exhibit A of Attachment D. The staffing plan shall provide the total number of hours needed to perform each task by position. The staffing plan will be updated as requested by the Authority to determine the staffing required for any anticipated task orders. Because the work described in Exhibit A of Attachment D will vary in level of effort by task order, how would the Authority like bidders to demonstrate in the staffing plan their ability to perform this work on a task order basis?

Answer: Offerors should provide their roster of professionals, each person’s work expertise that is requested in the SOQ related to the work and criteria. (See section 6.4.2 & 6.4.2.2 of the

RFQ).

12. The RFQ and Pre-Bid presentation indicated that the Merced to Fresno includes all of CP 1. Will work within CP1C be contracted using the Merced to Fresno environmental on-call contract or the Fresno to Bakersfield on-call environmental contract?

Answer: The resulting contract for the RFQ for Environmental Services for the Merced to Fresno Project Section will include work on that alignment, which includes Construction Package 1 (CP1). The work the Authority will request the Offeror to perform relative to CP 1 C generally should fall to the Merced to Fresno Project Section. The Authority would make this determination and be cognizant to not assign work that would present a conflict to the team.

The resulting contract for the RFQ for Environmental Services for the Fresno to Bakersfield Project Section will include work on that alignment, which includes Construction Package 2-3 (CP2-3) & Construction Package 4 (CP4).

The two project section areas should generally be mutually exclusive of each other.