NASSAU COUNTY

FLORIDA

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

WATERSHED MASTER PLANS FOR

NASSAU RIVER BASIN & ST. MARY’S RIVER BASIN

RFP NO. NC26-015-RFP

PROPOSALS ARE DUE NOT LATER THAN

October 7, 2026 at 10:00 A.M. ET

NC26-015-RFP Watershed Master Plans

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 1 GENERAL INFORMATION

SECTION 2 SCOPE OF WORK

SECTION 3 INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS

SECTION 4 PROPOSAL CONTENT

SECTION 5 PROPOSAL EVALUATION/SELECTION CRITERIA

SECTION 6 CONTRACT PROCEDURES

SECTION 7 STANDARD CONTRACT TERMS FOR SERVICES

APPENDIX “A” SCOPE OF WORK

(1) NASSAU RIVER BASIN

(2) ST. MARY’S RIVER BASIN

APPENDIX “B” INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

APPENDIX “C” DRAFT CONTRACT

APPENDIX “D” NASSAU COUNTY NASSAU RIVER BASIN WATERSHED MASTER

PLAN – GRANT AGREEMENT

APPENDIX “E” NASSAU COUNTY ST. MARY’S RIVER BASIN WATERSHED MASTER

PLAN – GRANT AGREEMENT

APPENDIX “F” GRANT ATTACHMENT J – MANDATORY CONTRACT PROVISIONS

APPENDIX “G” GRANT ATTACHMENT H – CERTIFICATION REGARDING

DEBARMENT, SUSPENSION, INELIGIBILITY AND VOLUNTARY

EXCLUSION

FORM “A” PUBLIC ENTITY CRIMES SWORN STATEMENT

FORM “B” RESPONDENT QUESTIONNAIRE

FORM “C” DRUG FREE WORKPLACE CERTIFICATE

FORM “D” E-VERIFY AFFIDAVIT

FORM “E” ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING AFFIDAVIT AND CONTRACTING WITH

FOREIGN ENTITIES AFFIDAVIT

SECTION 1: GENERAL INFORMATION

1.1 INTRODUCTION:

Nassau County Board of County Commissioners (hereinafter referred to as the “County”) is seeking proposals from qualified agencies to provide watershed planning services for the development of Watershed Master Plans for the Nassau River Basin and St. Mary’s River Basin. These projects are funded through the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and administered in accordance with applicable Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requirements. The grant agreements for both projects are attached to and incorporated into this solicitation herein by reference, as “APPENDIX D” and “APPENDIX E”.

The awarded Bidder shall provide all professional services, technical analyses, hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, mapping, public and stakeholder coordination, reporting, and associated deliverables necessary to develop Watershed Master Plans that satisfy the approved grant Scope of Work and applicable FDEM, FEMA, and Community Rating System (“CRS”) requirements.

The Watershed Master Plans are intended to serve as comprehensive planning tools that identify existing and future flood risks, evaluate watershed conditions, assess the impacts of future development, climate change, and sea level rise, and recommend mitigation strategies to improve community resilience. The County seeks a Bidder with demonstrated expertise in watershed planning, flood risk assessment, CRS compliance, and federally funded mitigation projects.

The County's objective is to develop Watershed Master Plans that meet all grant requirements, maximize opportunities for CRS credit and classification improvement, support future mitigation and capital improvement planning efforts, and provide long-term benefits to Nassau County residents and infrastructure.

1.2 PROCUREMENT METHOD:

This solicitation is being conducted in accordance with all applicable provisions of the County Code of Ordinances. The specific method of source selection for the services required in this RFP is Code Section 1-141, Competitive Purchasing Methods.

1.3 COMPETITIVE PROCESS:

Any Bidder that meets the requirements specified in this RFP may participate in the competitive process.

1.4 PROPOSAL DOCUMENTS:

This document and subsequent addendums, if any, can be downloaded from PlanetBids, through the Nassau County Procurement webpage https://www.nassaucountyfl.com/280/Procurement-Contracts-Management under current bid opportunities.

https://www.nassaucountyfl.com/280/Procurement-Contracts-Management

1.5 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE:

The term of the Contract with the awarded Bidder shall commence upon execution by all parties.

The awarded Bidder shall complete and submit all required Scope of Work tasks, deliverables, and associated project documentation to the County no later than February 29, 2028, to allow sufficient time for County review and approval prior to the expiration of the applicable grant term.

The applicable grant term expires May 30, 2028. Any extension to the deliverable deadline beyond February 29, 2028 does not extend the applicable grant term.

The Contract shall remain in effect through August 31, 2028, to allow for revisions, corrections, supplemental documentation, technical support, responses to audit inquiries, and other reasonable assistance necessary to support grant reimbursement, monitoring, grant closeout, audit activities, post-award compliance reviews, or other services that may be required as a result of County review, State review, grant compliance requirements, or other matters related to the completed Scope of Work or grant closeout.

Please refer to the Project Schedule and Grant Term section for additional information regarding project deadlines, grant requirements, and required deliverables.

1.6 PUBLIC ENTITY CRIMES:

A person or affiliate who has been placed on the Convicted Vendor List following a conviction for public entity crime may not submit a proposal on a contract to provide any goods or services to a public entity, may not submit a proposal on a contract with a public entity for the construction or repair of a public building or public work, may not submit proposals on leases of real property to public entity, may not be awarded or perform work as a contactor, supplier, subcontractor, or Bidder under a contract with any public entity, and may not transact business with any public entity in excess of the threshold amount provided in Florida Statutes, Section 287.017, for Category Two for a period of thirty-six

(36) months from the date of being placed on the Convicted Vendor List. By signing this solicitation and confirmation on the attached form, the Bidder certifies that they are qualified to do business with Nassau County in accordance with Section 287.133, Florida Statutes.

1.7 CONFLICT OF INTEREST:

The Bidder, by submission of their proposal, warrants that he or she has not employed or retained any company or person, other than a bona fide employee working solely for the Bidder to solicit or secure this agreement and that he or she has not paid or agreed to pay any person, company, corporation, individual, or Bidder other than a bona fide employee working solely for the Bidder any fee, commission, percentage, gift, or other consideration contingent upon or resulting from the award or making of this agreement. For the breach or violation of this provision, the County shall have the right to terminate the agreement without liability and, at its discretion, to deduct from the contract price, or otherwise recover, the full amount of such fee, commission, percentage, gift, or consideration.

1.8 PROHIBITION AGAINST CONSIDERING SOCIAL, POLITICAL, OR IDEOLOGICAL

INTERESTS IN GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING:

Bidder is hereby notified that pursuant to Section 287.05701, Florida Statutes, the County may not request documentation of or consider a Bidder's social, political, or ideological interests when determining if the Bidder is a responsible Bidder and may not give preference to a Bidder based on the Bidder’s social, political, or ideological interests.

1.9 DEBARRED BIDDERS:

The County reserves the right to withhold award, rescind an award, or forego award to any Bidder who is found to have been debarred from doing business with the State of Florida or any other public entity. It shall be County’s sole determination as to the desirability of contracting with a Bidder who has been barred from doing business with a public entity.

1.10 EQUAL OPPORTUNITY:

The County recognizes fair and open competition as a basic tenet of public procurement and encourages participation by veteran-, minority-, and woman-owned businesses. Such businesses are to be afforded a full opportunity to participate in any procurement by the County and will not be subject to discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender, disability, political affiliation, or national origin.

The County is an equal opportunity employer. The County is committed to equal employment opportunities and expects firms that do business with the County to do the same.

1.11 MINIMUM STANDARD:

Specifications listed herein describe the expected minimum standard. These specifications are intended to be descriptive in nature and are not intended to eliminate, discourage, impede, or otherwise prevent any Bidder from submitting a proposal.

1.12 EXPERIENCE OF BIDDER:

Bidder must be qualified to perform the services outlined in the Scope of Services and meet all applicable code and Florida Statute requirements.

1.13 APPENDICES/ATTACHMENTS/FORMS:

All appendices, attachments, and forms are incorporated into and made an essential part of this solicitation.

1.14 BID BOND (IF APPLICABLE): INTENTIONALLY DELETED

1.15 PERFORMANCE/PAYMENT BOND (IF APPLICABLE): INTENTIONALLY DELETED

1.16 The County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, with or without cause, without recourse, or to waive technicalities or to accept Bids which, in its sole judgment, best serves the interests of the County. Response to this solicitation is considered an operational cost of the Bidder and shall not be passed on to or borne by the County. The County also reserves the right to reject the response of a Bidder who has previously failed to perform properly, completely, on-time and/or on-cost, contracts of a similar nature, or that are not, in the County’s sole discretion, in a position to perform the contract.

1.17 The County may consider, including but not limited to the following as sufficient for the disqualification of a Bidder and the rejection of its submittal:

(a) Submission of more than one Bid for the same work by an individual, firm, partnership, or corporation under the same or different names;

(b) Evidence of collusion among Bidders, or previous participation in collusive bidding or proposing on work for the County;

(c) Any material misrepresentation;

(d) Uncompleted work for which the Bidder is committed by contract which, in the judgment of the County, might hinder or prevent the prompt completion of the work under the contract if awarded to Bidder;

(e) Violations of the Cone of Silence as provided for herein;

(f) Actual or potential conflict of interest as provided for in Section 112.313(3), Florida

Statutes; or

(g) Conviction for a public entity crime as provided for in Section 287.133, Florida Statutes.

1.18 PUBLIC RECORDS REQUIREMENT:

The County is a public agency subject to Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. IF THE

BIDDER HAS QUESTIONS REGARDING THE APPLICATION OF CHAPTER

119, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO THE BIDDER’S DUTY TO PROVIDE PUBLIC

RECORDS RELATING TO THE CONTRACT, CONTACT THE CUSTODIAN OF

PUBLIC RECORDS AT (904) 530-6090,

RECORDS@NASSAUCOUNTYFL.COM, 96135 NASSAU PLACE, SUITE 6,

YULEE, FLORIDA 32097.

To the extent that the selected Bidder(s) provide(s) goods and/or services to the County, and pursuant to Florida Statute 119.0701, the Bidder(s) shall:

(a) Keep and maintain public records required by the public agency to perform the service,

(b) Upon request from the public agency’s custodian of public records, provide the public agency with a copy of the requested records or allow the records to be inspected or copied within a reasonable time at a cost that does not exceed the cost provided in this chapter or as otherwise provided by law,

(c) Ensure that public records that are exempt or confidential and exempt from public records disclosure requirements are not disclosed except as authorized by law for the duration of the contract term and following completion of the contract if the Bidder does not transfer the records to the public agency, and

(d) Upon completion of the contract, transfer, at no cost, to the public agency all public records in possession of the Bidder or keep and maintain public records required by the public agency to perform the service. If the Bidder transfers all public records to the public agency upon completion of the contract, the Bidder shall destroy any duplicate public records that are exempt or confidential and exempt from public records disclosure requirements. If the Bidder keeps and maintains public records upon completion of the contract, the Bidder shall meet all applicable requirements for retaining public records. All records stored electronically must be provided to the public agency, upon request from the public agency’s custodian of public records, in a format that is compatible with the information technology systems of the public agency. If a Bidder does not comply with a public records request, the County shall enforce the contract provisions in accordance with the contract.

SECTION 2: SCOPE OF WORK

2.1 SCOPE OF WORK:

Bidders shall provide all services and items incidental thereto necessary to complete the Watershed Master Plans for the Nassau River Basin and St. Mary's River Basin in accordance with the Scope of Work set forth in APPENDIX “A”, the applicable grant agreements, and all federal, state, and local requirements governing the project.

The awarded Bidder shall not alter, expand, reduce, or otherwise modify the approved Scope of Work without prior written approval from the County. Bidders acknowledge that proposed changes may require review and approval by FDEM and FEMA.

2.2 DATA AND INFORMATION AVAILABLE

The County has completed Vulnerability Assessments (Phases I, II, III, and IV), and an Adaptation Plan in accordance with regulatory requirements. Collected data will be available for the awarded Bidder to utilize in completing the Scope of Work, and so it is anticipated that very little (if any) data collection will be necessary as part of the project.

SECTION 3: INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS

3.1 RFP SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

Listed below are the dates and times by which stated actions will be taken or completed.

The County may determine, in its sole discretion, that it is necessary to change any of these dates and times. All listed times are based on local (eastern) time.

Event Date Time Advertisement RFP Available on PlanetBids September 8, 2026

Deadline for Questions September 28, 2026 by 2:00 p.m.

County’s Responses to Questions Posted to PlanetBids October 2, 2026

RFP Responses Due Date/Time and RFP Opening Date/Time October 7, 2026 by 10:00 a.m.

Evaluation Committee (Evaluate/Rank Firms)

Week of Month __, 2026 TBD

Shortlist Interviews (If required) TBD TBD

BOCC Award/Approval TBD

Solicitation responses, tabulation and award will be made public in accordance with Section 119.071, Florida Statues, and Section 286.0113, Florida Statutes.

3.2 PRE-PROPOSAL MEETING: INTENTIONALLY DELETED

3.3 SUBMISSION OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP):

All proposals must be submitted electronically via the County’s electronic bidding platform (PlanetBids), which is accessible via the County’s website or using the following link:

https://pbsystem.planetbids.com/portal/49083/bo/bo-search.

It is the Bidder’s responsibility to ensure that proposals are received in the County’s electronic bidding platform before the due date and time referenced in Section 3.1 of this RFP. The platform will not allow Proposals to be submitted after the cut-off time

EVEN IF YOU ARE IN THE PROCESS OF SUBMITTING YOUR PROPOSAL WHEN

THE CUT-OFF TIME ARRIVES. Please plan your submittal timing accordingly. No mailed, facsimile, or emailed proposals will be considered.

3.4. Any proposals received after the due date and time referenced in Section 3.1 of this RFP will be rejected and considered non-responsive. Proposals will be publicly read and recorded at the office of the Ex-Officio Clerk, Nassau County on date and time specified in Section 3.1. By submitting a response, Bidder represents that it has thoroughly examined and is familiar with the work required under this RFP and that it is capable of performing quality work to achieve the County’s objectives, as described in the Scope of Work and the Bidder is prepared to comply with all statutes and regulations applicable to the services to be performed.

• Nassau County reserves the right to amend, withdraw or cancel this RFP at any time without prior notice, and it makes no representations that any contract will be awarded to any Bidder responding to this RFP.

• Nassau County reserves the right at its sole discretion to modify this RFP should Nassau County deem that it is in the best interests to do so.

• All proposals received by Nassau County are subject to Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, and are public records law and will be made available to any person upon request, after

NC26-015-RFP Watershed Master Plans https://pbsystem.planetbids.com/portal/49083/bo/bo-search the entire proposal evaluation process has been completed. Bidder shall provide all bid documents/in a readable/printable format.

3.5 SUBMISSION OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP):

The following person has been designated the County Point of Contact for this RFP:

Evelyn J. Burton Sr. Procurement Specialist

Nassau County 96135 Nassau Place, Suite 2

Yulee, FL 32097 Ph: 904-530-6040

3.6 QUESTIONS/CLARIFICATIONS:

Bidders to this RFP, or persons acting on their behalf shall not contact any employee or officer of the County or external agents or consultants concerning any aspect of this RFP, except in writing to the authorized County Point of Contact identified in Section 3.5 herein, between the time RFP is released and the end of the seventy-two (72) hour period (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and County holidays) following the County’s posting of notice of recommendation of award (the “Cone of Silence”). Violation of this provision may be grounds for rejecting the violator’s proposal submitted for this RFP.

ANY QUESTIONS FROM BIDDERS MUST BE RECEIVED VIA THE COUNTY’S

electronic bidding platform (PlanetBids). Failure to comply with this requirement may result in disqualification of your proposal and egregious and/or repeated violations may result in debarment from future solicitations, contracts, or other business with the County.

Questions received will be formatted by the Procurement department and issued to all interested parties in the form of an addendum. THE COUNTY WILL NOT ENTERTAIN

ANY VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS REGARDING THIS OR ANY OTHER

SOLICITATION. All questions regarding this solicitation must be received by the date and time specified in Section 3.1 of this RFP. Questions received after this date will not be reviewed.

Inquiries or requests for clarification must specify the relevant section(s), subsection(s), paragraph(s), and page number(s) of the competitive solicitation being questioned by the Bidder.

The County will consider the Bidder’s lack of inquiries or requests for clarification prior to the Deadline for Questions to constitute the Bidder’s acceptance of all of the terms, conditions, and requirements as stated in this solicitation and any addenda or amendments thereto.

It will be the responsibility of the Bidder to visit the County’s electronic bidding platform (PlanetBids), prior to submitting a proposal, to ascertain if any addenda have been issued and to review those addenda, if applicable. Bidders must complete and return the enclosed Addenda Acknowledgement Form with their proposal. Failure to comply may result in disqualification of the proposal.

3.7 VERBAL INSTRUCTIONS:

No negotiations, decisions, or actions shall be initiated or executed by the Bidder as a result of any discussions with any County officer or employee. Only those written communications that are issued from the County’s Procurement Department shall be considered as duly authorized expressions on behalf of the County.

ALL QUESTIONS FROM BIDDERS MUST BE ADDRESSED IN WRITING AND

SUBMITTED TO THE NASSAU COUNTY’S EPROCUREMENT SYSTEM, PLANETBIDS

VENDOR PORTAL.

3.8 PROPOSALS AND PRESENTATION COST: The County will not be liable in any way for any cost incurred by the Bidder in the preparation of their proposal in response to this RFP nor for the presentation of their proposals or participation in any discussions or negotiations.

3.9 COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS

The Bidder shall comply with all applicable regulatory requirements including federal, state, and local laws, rules regulations, codes, orders criteria and standards.

3.10 INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS: Bidders to this RFP shall submit proof of insurance coverage that meets or exceeds the insurance requirement listed in APPENDIX “B.” Proof of Insurance must be in the form of a Certificate of Insurance or a copy of the policy declarations page.

SECTION 4: PROPOSAL CONTENT

4.1 RESPONSE FORMAT: To facilitate and expedite review, all Bidders shall follow the response format outlined below. Failure to submit your response in the format requested may result in the reduction of your overall evaluation score. To assist you in preparing your response, the County’s selection procedures are also described herein. Failure to abide by the requirements set forth herein may lead to rejection of your proposal.

TAB 1 – Cover Letter

Provide a cover letter no longer than two (2) pages in length, signed by an authorized representative of the firm that can legally bind the company and provide his/her title, address, phone number, and email address. Provide a positive commitment to perform the required scope of work. The Bidder should also provide the primary contact person for this solicitation along with his/her title, phone number, and email address.

TAB 2 – Table of Contents

Provide a table of contents clearly identifying the material included in the proposal by page number.

TAB 3 – Experience and Qualifications

• A brief description of organization, structure and philosophy.

https://pbsystem.planetbids.com/portal/49083/portal-home https://pbsystem.planetbids.com/portal/49083/portal-home

• Demonstrated direct experience developing Watershed Master Plans that meet requirements of FEMA CRS Activity and support CRS credit acquisition and classification improvement.

• Experience with watershed planning, stormwater master planning, flood mitigation, and watershed management for local governments including hydrologic/hydraulic modeling, GIS, and drainage infrastructure.

• Demonstrated success obtaining CRS credit or supporting communities in achieving CRS classification improvements through watershed planning initiatives.

• Experience with projects of similar size, geographic scale, complexity and scope.

• Demonstrated experience performing current conditions, future land use, and fully developed watershed analyses.

• Knowledge of applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, permitting requirements, and grant-funded project requirements identified in the Scope of Work.

• Demonstrated experience with FDEM, FEMA, HMGP, or other grant-funded mitigation projects.

• Qualifications and experience of the personnel assigned to Nassau County, including identification of the Project Manager, lead technical staff, modeling staff, GIS specialists, and grant compliance personnel.

• Demonstrated experience working with local governments similar in size, scope, and operational characteristics to Nassau County.

• At least three relevant references from similar projects that have been completed within the past five years.

TAB 4 – Understanding of Scope & Technical Project Approach

• Demonstrated understanding of the County’s grant-approved Scope of Work and desired project outcomes.

• Approach for preparing documentation necessary to support CRS Activity compliance and ISO/CRS review.

• Demonstrated approach for coordinating with the Local Mitigation Strategy (LMS) Working Group and supporting submission of the completed Watershed Master Plan to ISO/CRS.

• Proposed methodology for completing each major task and deliverable.

• Approach to watershed assessment, drainage infrastructure evaluation, flood risk, water quality considerations, and watershed vulnerabilities.

• Approach to GIS, data collection, field assessment, modeling, evaluation of existing studies, and identification of data gaps.

• Methodology for evaluating current conditions, future land use conditions, and fully developed watershed scenarios.

• Methodology for assessing the impacts of climate change and sea level rise, where applicable.

• Methodology for developing, evaluating, and prioritizing mitigation projects and implementation strategies.

• Approach for evaluating project feasibility, estimated costs, anticipated benefits, implementation timeframe, and potential funding opportunities.

• Integration of existing FEMA floodplain information, County data, models, studies, and mapping resources.

• Approach to stakeholder engagement, public involvement, and interagency coordination (where applicable).

• Identification of anticipated technical challenges and proposed solutions.

• Clear explanation of how final recommendations will support future capital improvement programming, future grants applications, flood mitigation planning, CRS activities, and long-term County decision-making.

TAB 5 – Community Rating System (CRS)

• Demonstrated direct experience preparing Watershed Master Plans that meet CRS Activity requirements.

• Demonstrated success assisting communities in obtaining CRS credit and/or improving CRS classification through watershed planning efforts.

• Identify the hydrologic and hydraulic modeling software proposed for use and demonstrate how the selected model will support CRS-creditable Watershed Master Plan development. All reports, GIS databases, mapping products, hydrologic and hydraulic models, technical memoranda, spreadsheets, and supporting analyses shall be provided in both final PDF format and editable native-source formats. The County shall retain full ownership and unrestricted use of all project deliverables.

• Demonstrated knowledge of the FEMA CRS program, current CRS Coordinator’s Manual, and applicable guidance related to watershed master plans.

• Demonstrated experience using the proposed modeling platform on similar projects.

• Coordination of watershed planning recommendations with applicable CRS activities to maximize CRS credit opportunities.

• Identification of documentation, analyses, mapping products, and implementation requirements necessary to obtain and maintain CRS credit.

• Demonstrate experience coordinating with ISO/CRS reviewers and supporting CRS submittals.

• Describe how project deliverables—including GIS databases, mapping products, hydrologic and hydraulic models, technical memoranda, spreadsheets, and supporting analyses—will be developed and transferred to County staff for future use and maintenance.

TAB 6 – Grant Compliance

• Demonstrated experience administering and delivering FDEM, FEMA, HMGP, or other federally funded mitigation projects.

• Understanding of applicable grant requirements, including eligible costs, documentation, invoicing, reporting, procurement, records retention, monitoring, and closeout.

• Ability to ensure all proposed work and deliverables remain consistent with the grant-approved Scope of Work.

• Procedures for identifying and addressing potential scope changes or grant compliance issues before they affect reimbursement.

• Experience with project-specific invoicing and documentation requirements necessary to support federal reimbursement requests.

• Experience preparing and maintaining records sufficient to support audits, monitoring reviews, and grant closeout requirements.

• Demonstrated understanding of 2 C.F.R. Part 200, 44 C.F.R., FEMA grant requirements, and FDEM grant administration requirements.

• Approach to supporting Nassau County with grant reporting, documentation, and reimbursement activities throughout the project

TAB 7 – Project Management Plan

• Project organization and management structure.

• Qualifications and experience of the proposed Project Manager.

• Identification of key personnel and assigned responsibilities

• Detailed project schedule and milestones demonstrating completion of all deliverables by February 29, 2028.

• Quality Assurance/Quality Control QA/QC procedures.

• Communication and coordination plan with County staff

• Budget management and schedule tracking procedures.

• Procedures for managing scope, schedule, and budget risks.

• Approach for coordinating County reviews and incorporating comments into draft and final deliverables.

• Approach for maintaining project progress and meeting grant deadlines and reporting requirements

TAB 8 – References

As part of this solicitation, Bidders are required to submit references. Bidder references are a critical aspect of this solicitation. As such, evaluators reserve the right to contact and evaluate each reference provided in response to this solicitation. Additionally, evaluators may review public sources to verify whether Bidder has listed contracts for similar work within the specified period.

To satisfy this requirement, please complete Form “B”, the Respondent Questionnaire (as referenced in the Table of Contents), and include the completed form in this section (Tab 8). The form should list the references where the Bidder has performed similar services within the past five (5) years.

TAB 9 – Forms

All forms required by this RFP shall be fully completed and executed by an authorized representative that can legally bind the Bidder.

Bidder shall submit all information in the above order. Failure to do so may diminish your score.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Grant Funding Limitation: The funding available for this project is distributed as shown in Table “A” below:

Table A Master Plan Available Funding

Nassau River Basin Watershed Master Plan $300,000.00 St. Mary’s River Basin Watershed Master Plan $332,136.30

Bidders shall develop and submit a comprehensive Watershed Master Plan for each watershed that can be completed within the available funding for the respective project as identified in Table “A”. The County will evaluate proposals based on the Bidder's ability to deliver the proposed Scope of Work and associated deliverables within the established budget demonstrated by the submission of the Project Management Plan (TAB 7).

The funding amounts identified in Table “A” represent the maximum funding available for each respective watershed. No additional grant funds or County funding will be available beyond the amounts identified above. Any costs exceeding the available funding shall be the sole responsibility of the Bidder and shall not be reimbursed by the County.

Project Schedule and Grant Term: The grant award term for this project expires on May 31, 2028. However, to allow sufficient time for County review, acceptance, reporting, and closeout activities required under the grant, the County requires all Scope of Work tasks, deliverables, and final project documentation to be completed no later than February 29, 2028. Bidders shall propose a project schedule that demonstrates the ability to meet this required completion date.

No extensions to the deliverable completion date are anticipated.

In addition to the Grant Deliverables the following will be required:

1. A completed Activity 452 checklist that coincides with the finished product.

2. Per storm event studied, the flood map depth grids are to be provided

Grant Compliance Requirements: The Nassau River Basin Watershed Master Plan Grant Agreement (Project No. 4673-305-P09) and the St. Mary's River Basin Watershed Master Plan Grant Agreement (Project No. 4673-305-P10) are attached to and incorporated into this solicitation by reference. Bidders shall review all grant requirements, conditions, deliverables, milestones, and compliance obligations prior to submitting a proposal. The awarded Bidder shall perform all services in accordance with the grant agreements and any resulting contract.

The awarded Bidder shall comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, executive orders, policies, and requirements governing the performance of the services contemplated under this solicitation and any resulting agreement.

The awarded Bidder shall comply with all applicable grant requirements, including but not limited to the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards codified at 2 CFR Part 200, and Emergency Management and Assistance regulations codified at 44 CFR. as amended, the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) requirements, all applicable grant terms and conditions, and any guidance issued by FEMA, FDEM, or other applicable funding agencies. The awarded Bidder shall perform all services in a manner that maintains the County's compliance with the grant agreements and eligibility for reimbursement of grant-funded costs.

The awarded Bidder acknowledges that funding for this project is provided through a grant program and agrees to comply with all grant-specific requirements, terms, conditions, certifications, reporting requirements, and programmatic obligations associated with the award.

In addition, the awarded Bidder shall comply with all Mandatory Contract Provisions (Grant Attachment J) applicable to the grant and incorporated into this solicitation as APPENDIX “F”.

APPENDIX “F” is hereby incorporated by reference into any resulting agreement as if fully set forth therein. The Bidder is responsible for reviewing and understanding all requirements contained in APPENDIX “F” prior to submitting a proposal.

Failure to comply with applicable federal, state, local, and grant-specific requirements, including the Mandatory Contract Provisions contained in APPENDIX “F”, may constitute a material breach of the resulting agreement and may result in termination, withholding of payments, disallowance of costs, or other remedies available to the County.

Deliverables Acceptance: Payment shall be contingent upon acceptance of deliverables by the County. Deliverables shall not be considered complete until reviewed and accepted by the County and determined to meet applicable grant requirements.

Project-Specific Invoicing and Documentation: The awarded Bidder shall submit invoices that are specific to this project and clearly identify the tasks performed, dates of service, personnel performing the work, hours worked, deliverables completed, and associated costs. All invoices shall be supported by sufficient documentation to demonstrate that the services are eligible, allowable, reasonable, and directly related to the approved Scope of Work. The County reserves the right to request additional supporting documentation necessary to satisfy FDEM, FEMA, 2 C.F.R. Part 200, 44 C.F.R., audit, reimbursement, monitoring, and closeout requirements.

Separate Billing by Grant Project: Because this solicitation is funded through two separate grant awards, all invoices, supporting documentation, progress reports, and deliverables shall clearly identify and separately account for work performed under the Nassau River Basin Watershed Master Plan (Project No. 4673-305-P09) and the St. Mary's River Basin Watershed Master Plan (Project No. 4673-305-P10). Costs shall be allocated and invoiced by project to support grant administration, reimbursement, monitoring, audit, and closeout requirements.

SECTION 5: PROPOSAL EVALUATION AND SELECTION CRITERIA

5.1 PROPOSAL EVALUATION: The County will review all qualified responses to this RFP and select the proposal that is determined to be in the best public interest in accordance with the intent of this RFP. All proposals will first be screened for adherence to the requirements of this RFP. The County will not consider any non-responsive proposals. A non-responsive proposal is a proposal that was not timely submitted or fails to meet the material terms and conditions of this RFP as determined by the County.

The County reserves the right to waive any informality in any proposal and to accept any proposal which it considers to be in the best public interest, and to reject any or all proposals. The decision of the County shall be final.

Solicitation responses, tabulation and award will be made public in accordance with Florida Statute 119.071 and Florida Statute 286.0113.

5.2 EVALUATION/SELECTION COMMITTEE: The Procurement Staff will facilitate the evaluation process. The Evaluation/Selection Committee will be responsible for evaluating and ranking each Bidder based upon the proposal submitted.

5.3 The Evaluation/Selection Committee shall evaluate the responses to this RFP and rank the Bidder’s based on the evaluation criteria contained herein. THE COUNTY RESERVES

THE RIGHT TO ISSUE MULTIPLE AWARDS.

5.4 EVALUATION CRITERIA: A one hundred (100) point formula scoring system will be utilized based upon the following criteria:

Evaluation Criteria Maximum Points Experience / Qualifications / References 25 Understanding of Scope & Technical Project Approach 35 Community Rating System (CRS) 15 Grant Compliance 15 Project Management 10

TOTAL POINTS 100

5.5 The County reserves the right to make selections based on the submittals only or to request oral presentations or questions/answer sessions with the top ranked firms before determining the final ranking.

5.6 If the County requests oral presentations from the top ranked firms, a separate evaluation process will be conducted. The evaluation criteria and scoring that will be used for the ranking of the oral presentations will be provided prior to the presentation date.

SECTION 6: CONTRACT PROCEDURES

6.1 PRESENTATION TO THE BOARD:

The County’s Stormwater and Drainage Management Department shall submit an agenda item for presentation to the Nassau County Board of County Commissioners requesting consideration and approval to award based on the recommendation of the Evaluation/Selection Committee according to the overall ranking and authorization to award a contract with the top-ranked firm.

The award of a contract does not constitute an order or a Notice to Proceed. Before any services can be performed, the successful Bidder must receive written authorization from the County.

SECTION 7: STANDARD CONTRACT TERMS FOR SERVICES

A draft template of the contract that the County intends to use for award is attached as APPENDIX “C”. The successful Bidder will be required to enter into an agreement which will include the requirements of this RFP as well as the terms and conditions of the draft contract, APPENDIX “C”. Any exceptions to the standard terms and conditions must be stated in the proposal. Any submission of a proposal without objection to the standard terms and conditions indicates understanding and intention to comply with the standard terms and conditions. If there is a term or condition that the firm intends to negotiate, it must be stated in the proposal. The successful Bidder will not be entitled to any changes or modifications unless they were first stated in the proposal. The County reserves the right to reject any proposal(s) containing exceptions or modifications to the standard terms and conditions. The County may revise the stated standard terms and conditions prior to execution.

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE:

The Florida Division of Emergency Management’s (the Division) Bureau of Mitigation prioritizes flood risk management as an integral part of its mission. The goals of this project are to assist local communities in developing a Watershed Master Plan for the purposes of moving up in the Community Rating System (CRS) of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and to increase resiliency in Florida communities.

This project is funded through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) DR-4673-305-P09, as approved by the Division and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to create and update Watershed Master Plans (WMPs) throughout the state of Florida.

The Sub-Recipient, Nassau County BOCC, agrees to administer and complete the project per scope of work as submitted by the Sub-Recipient and subsequently approved by the Division and FEMA. The Sub- Recipient shall complete the work in accordance with all applicable Federal, State and Local Laws, Regulations, and Codes.

PROJECT OVERVIEW:

The Scope of Work for this Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) Watershed Planning Program project, the Division shall coordinate with eligible Florida entities (Sub-Recipients) to produce a Watershed Master Plan (WMP) for credit under Community Rating System (CRS). This project is preceded by the WMP Pilot Program, which consisted of research and the creation of guidance materials to ensure a consistent statewide approach to WMP development.

The purpose of a Watershed Master Plan (WMP) is to equip communities with a decision-making tool aimed at reducing the risk of increased flooding from future conditions, such as new development, redevelopment, and the impacts of climate change and sea level rise, across a watershed or community.

WMP’s enable communities to understand current watershed behavior and flooding issues while proactively planning for future challenges driven by growth and climate-related factors.

This project shall result in the development of Watershed Master Plans (WMPs) for National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) participating communities throughout Florida. These plans shall be conducted and developed in accordance with FEMA’s standard practices for mitigation planning, ensuring maximum public engagement throughout the process.

The Sub-Recipient shall follow the Credit Criteria for Element WMP under CRS Activity 452.b (refer to the CRS Coordinator’s Manual1 and additional guidance materials). WMPs will be developed in alignment with the 2021 Addendum and the 2017 National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System Coordinator’s Manual2, among other requirements. The Sub-Recipient shall finalize the process by submitting their WMP to ISO/CRS for review and providing the Division with a signed letter from their applicable county’s Local Mitigation Strategy (LMS) Chairperson attesting that the WMP shall be adopted in the Sub-Recipient’s next LMS update.

Guidance materials produced in the WMP Pilot Program can be found at:

https://www.floridadisaster.org/dem/mitigation/watershed-planning/.

TASKS & DELIVERABLES:

1 https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_community-rating-system_coordinators-manual_2017.pdf;

2CRS Coordinator's Manual

APPENDIX "A" (1)

Watershed Master Planning Program Nassau County BOCC – Nassau River Basin Watershed Master

Plan Budget and Scope of Work

A. TASKS

1. Create Preliminary Project Plan based on Initial Flood Modeling and Submit Draft Watershed Master Plan.

The Sub-Recipient shall create a preliminary Watershed Master Plan (WMP), which is a narrative detailing how the initial flood modeling has sufficient detail on the data that went into the model, model specifications, and possible solutions for addressing flood risks that the model identified. There shall be enough detail in the preliminary WMP to verify the required analysis has been completed. Specifically, the required analysis for the preliminary WMP shall include all the Minimum Criteria required for a creditable WMP under the two categories of Data Inventory and Collection and Initial Flood Modeling as follows:

Data Inventory and Collection:

1. Data inventory (used for initial flood modeling):

a. Inventory of ground characteristics (e.g., soil type, impervious surfaces, wetlands)

b. Inventory of existing drainage system

c. Inventory of data availability

2. Locations of:

a. critical facilities, cultural/historical, and other places/areas of interest

b. vulnerable areas and their descriptions

c. natural and constructed drainage systems and channels

3. Existing regulations and plans in place for reducing flood risks

Initial Flood Modeling (highly recommended to use an ISO accepted flood model to receive CRS credit)

4. For current/existing conditions land use, future land use, and the fully developed watershed scenarios:

a. Evaluations of the existing drainage system’s runoff response from design storms using a hydrologic and hydraulic study with a hydrograph approach under current and predicted future land use conditions with assessments of the impacts of climate change and sea level rise for 10- , 25- & 100-year storm events.

b. For currently fully developed watersheds: studies of existing development and the potential impact of any redevelopment.

c. Evaluations of different management scenarios for at least the 100-year rainfall event for a fully developed watershed at a scale sufficient to determine local problems.

d. Determinations of the change in runoff from current to future, fully developed conditions.

e. Recommendations for managing at least the 10-year and the 25-year rainfall events.

5. For communities impacted by sea level rise:

a. evaluations of the impacts of the NOAA Intermediate 2100 sea level rise scenario on the 100-year rainfall event.

b. It is highly recommended to include 2 other scenarios up to 2100, which could be based on sea level for 2-time frames into the future or any number of feet of sea level rise within this timeframe.

6. The plan must include a strategy and action plan to address the results of the studies for:

a. controlling the timing of peak flows to prevent or minimize problems for the entire watershed due to new development, redevelopment, and fully developed conditions.

b. the impact of climate change and sea level rise on fully developed conditions.

CM4204NC26-015-RFP Watershed Master Plans

c. at least the 25-year rainfall event in fully developed conditions, with a list of possible solutions for addressing at least the 25-year rainfall event.

d. at least one event larger than the 25-year rainfall event, with a list of possible solutions for addressing this event.

e. ensuring that flood hazards from the 10-year and the 25-year events are not increased by future development (the 2-year storm is also recommended).

7. The community must adopt the final plan.

8. If applicable, WMP plans more than 5 years old must be evaluated to ensure that they remain applicable to current conditions. For instance, previous assumptions on hydrology, sea level rise and future land use, are still applicable.

TASK 1 DELIVERABLES

Deliverable submittals shall be electronic documents and be submitted to the Division via email to the Divisions Grant Manager for review no later than the established due date before payment shall be processed. The Sub-Recipient shall submit following Task 1 deliverables to the Division:

a) An electronic copy of the preliminary Watershed Master Plan (WMP).

b) A separate electronic document listing how and where in the preliminary WMP the Minimum Criteria listed under Task 1 are met.

c) A separate electronic document clarifying the Sub-Recipient’s existing data inventory at the time of contract execution, how the data are used, and which tasks and efforts have already been completed prior to contract execution.

d) A separate electronic document with all comments between the Sub-Recipient Staff and contractor from their review of the WMP, and

e) Submit previous WMP or if no previous WMP exists submit a letter stating as such.

Reimbursement / Payment for Task 1 shall occur once the Sub-Recipient has received feedback from the Division confirming that their preliminary WMP and Task 1 Deliverables have been approved. To be approved, the preliminary WMP shall show how all the listed Minimum Criteria required for a creditable WMP are intended to be met.

2. Revise Draft Watershed Master Plan and Submit Completed Watershed Master Plan.

After receiving feedback from the Division on the preliminary Watershed Master Plan (WMP), from Task 1 (per Task 1 Deliverables), the Sub-Recipient shall finalize the flood modeling process and submit their completed WMP. At a minimum, the modeling and WMP must meet the Minimum Criteria required for a creditable WMP shown above. The Sub-Recipient shall update their WMP, if revisions are necessary based on the Division’s feedback, and submit the completed WMP to the Division for review.

The Sub-Recipient shall coordinate, throughout the activities for Task 2, with the applicable Local Mitigation Strategy (LMS) working group to ensure that the working group shall adopt the WMP as an annex in the next LMS update and use the data to inform the risk assessment and mitigation strategy.

TASK 2 DELIVERABLES

Deliverable submittals shall be electronic documents and be submitted to the Division via email to the Divisions Grant Manager, for review no later than the established due date before payment shall be processed. The Sub-Recipient shall submit the following Task 2 deliverables to the Division:

a) An electronic copy of the completed WMP (after incorporating comments from the Division, if applicable).

b) A signed letter from the applicable county’s Local Mitigation Strategy (LMS) Chairperson attesting that the completed WMP shall be adopted and used to update the risk assessment and mitigation strategy during the next LMS plan update; and

c) Provide documentation of WMP submittal to ISO/CRS.

Reimbursement / Payment for Task 2 shall occur once the Sub-Recipient has received feedback from the Division confirming that their completed WMP and Task 2 Deliverables have been approved. To be approved, the completed WMP shall show how all the listed Minimum Criteria required for a creditable WMP have been met.

3. Grant Management Tasks:

The Sub-Recipient shall select the qualified, licensed Florida contractor in accordance with the Sub- Recipient’s procurement policy as well as all Federal and State Laws and Regulations. All procurement activities shall contain sufficient source documentation and be in accordance with all applicable regulations.

The Sub-Recipient shall be responsible for furnishing or contracting all labor, materials, equipment, tools, transportation and supervision and performing all work plans presented to the Division by the Sub- Recipient and subsequently approved by the Division and FEMA.

The Sub-Recipient shall ensure that no contractors or subcontractors are debarred or suspended from participating in federally funded projects.

The Sub-Recipient shall provide documentation demonstrating the results of the procurement process.

This shall include a rationale for the method of…