Olympia Sea Level Rise Monitoring RFP.pdf

Request for Proposals (RFP) City of Olympia | Capital of Washington State

Sea Level Rise Monitoring Strategy for Adaptive Management

PURPOSE

The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to enable the City of Olympia (City) to identify and engage a qualified consultant to refine and finalize a sea level rise monitoring strategy. Originally outlined in the Olympia Sea Level Rise Response Plan, the strategy was designed to support the work of the Olympia Sea Level Rise Response Collaborative (Collaborative) and will be advanced by the selected consultant. The consultant will work closely with City, Port, and LOTT staff to assess existing monitoring processes, evaluate land subsidence (the gradual sinking of the ground over time), update sea level rise projections if updates are warranted, and define clear, measurable trigger points (pre-determined thresholds that signal when specific adaptive actions should be initiated). These trigger points will help inform when to begin planning, seek funding for, and implement capital projects. The consultant will also design a monitoring and reporting system, identify data needs, and develop tools and templates to support long-term implementation. The outcomes of this work will provide a data-driven foundation to guide decisionmakers in determining the timing and pace of sea level rise adaptation.

The City of Olympia is committed to being an inclusive, affirming, and equitable place for our community members and staff to live, play, and work. We adhere to the non-discriminatory treatment of all persons in employment and the delivery of services and resources. We strongly encourage proposals from minorities, women, and disadvantaged business enterprises.

The deadline for submission of proposals is June 2, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Earlier responses are welcome. Only electronic proposals will be accepted.

BACKGROUND

Downtown Olympia is the social, cultural, historic, and economic core of the City. While the downtown’s extensive shoreline helps make Olympia an extraordinary city, it also makes the area vulnerable to flooding. In the coming decades, sea level rise could cause flooding downtown with property damage and loss of public services. At just 12-inches of sea level rise, a 100-year flood event could occur every other year.

In March of 2019, the City of Olympia, LOTT Clean Water Alliance and the Port of Olympia completed the Olympia Sea Level Rise Response Plan. The Plan outlines a phased-adaptation strategy to protect downtown Olympia, the Port peninsula and the LOTT Budd Inlet Treatment

Plant from flooding due to predicted sea level rise. The Plan provides a comprehensive strategy for adapting to rising sea levels in both the near and long term. The Project Partners formed the Sea Level Rise Collaborative for continued action and implementation of the Plan.

Project Partners The City of Olympia is the capital of Washington State and is a cultural center of the southern Puget Sound region. It is approximately 60 miles southwest of Seattle, located on the southernmost section of the Puget Sound. The City has a resident population of approximately 55,605 according to the 2020 Census, making it the state's 23rd largest city.

The Port of Olympia has a proud history in Thurston County. In operation since 1922, the Port serves the community in a wide variety of ways, leading the way for many of the area’s economic development efforts. From the commercial center at New Market Industrial Campus to the diversified specialty Marine Terminal to the vibrant Swantown Marina and Boatworks to the strategically located Olympia Regional Airport, the Port of Olympia is committed to fostering economic growth of the South Puget Sound region and serving the needs of global customers.

The LOTT Clean Water Alliance (LOTT) owns and operates the regional wastewater treatment system that serves approximately 130,000 people across the urban areas of Lacey, Olympia, and Tumwater in north Thurston County. LOTT’s main facility – the Budd Inlet Treatment Plant

– is in downtown Olympia.

Project Objectives The Collaborative’s 2025 workplan includes refining the sea level rise monitoring strategy to provide a basis for adaptive management—an approach that supports flexible, science-based decision-making that can be adjusted as new information becomes available. The outputs will guide the timing of funding and constructing capital projects related to sea level rise adaptation. The sea level rise monitoring strategy will help the Project Partners adjust adaptation timelines based on actual sea level rise and flooding impacts.

This strategy will provide a dynamic adaptive policy pathway for regional sea level rise adaptation, given long-term planning and uncertainty (see Stephens et al., 2018). The work will offer a framework to monitor changes in sea level and flooding, provide a transparent system for warning of upcoming trigger points, and an understanding of when key decision points are reached.

Please review the following for additional background:

- Olympia Sea Level Rise Response Plan (2019) - Page 123 outlines initial monitoring strategies and action triggers, link.

- Scott A Stephens et al 2018 Environ. Res. Lett. 13 104004, “Developing signals to trigger adaptation to sea level rise”, link.

https://www.olympiawa.gov/Document_center/Community/Climate Change Response/SLR/SLR-Plan-Complete.pdf https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aadf96/pdf

PRELIMINARY SCOPE OF WORK

The outline provided below represents the preliminary scope of work. The final scope will be refined and finalized through discussions between the City and the Consultant, based on this outline and the selected firm's proposal.

The project will include refining trigger points for future actions, identifying data needs for monitoring and planning, and developing a monitoring and reporting system to track sea level rise, vertical land motion, and storm-based flooding. The outcomes of the work will establish a data-driven framework to inform adaptive management, prioritize capital projects, and support funding requests for sea level rise preparedness and adaptation.

OBJECTIVES

Refine and finalize a measurable and actionable monitoring strategy given current City, Port and LOTT resources

Identify data needs and additional resources needed for refined monitoring Provide quantifiable trigger points that will inform future action Evaluate land subsidence

TASKS

Understand Existing Workflows through Staff Interviews:

- Interview relevant staff to understand current processes, resources, and sea level rise monitoring strategy.

- Use insights from interviews to evaluate the risk tolerance of the community, assets, and infrastructure to inform trigger point development.

Assess Current Conditions of Vertical Land Motion:

- Evaluate the existing data sources on vertical land motion in the project area.

- Assess the impact of vertical land motion on sea level rise projections and regional flood risks.

- Recommend specific monitoring methods and technologies to track vertical land motion in the future.

Update Relative Local Sea Level Rise Projections:

- Review most recent reports and studies to confirm Olympia Sea Level Rise Response

Plan (2019) projections still represent current and projected rates of sea level rise

- If needed, provide updated sea level rise projections based on findings from the literature review and subsidence survey

Develop Trigger Points for Monitoring, Adaptation, and Intervention

- Identify and define trigger points or thresholds for future adaptive actions based on observed data, including sea level rise, vertical land motion, and storm-based flooding. The trigger points would include guidance on when to:

o Start planning capital projects o Seek funding for capital projects o Begin construction on capital projects o Any other important items identified and proposed by the consultant team

- Align future actions and trigger points with existing adaptation approach and strategies presented in the Olympia Sea Level Rise Response Plan.

Develop a Monitoring and Reporting System:

- Design a monitoring system that includes data on sea level rise, vertical land motion, and storm-related flooding. Advise on the frequency for monitoring.

a. Develop a “basic” monitoring system based on existing resources, process, and capacity.

b. Develop an “advanced” monitoring system that is more refined and aligns fully with best practices. Identify data and resource gaps in Task 5.

- Provide guidance on how the system can be integrated into existing processes and data collection at the City, the Port, and LOTT.

- Determine roles and responsibilities for key players in monitoring and maintaining the system.

- Develop templates to support data collection, tracking, analysis, and reporting for future decision-making and stakeholder communication.

Identify additional data needs:

- Identify additional data, equipment, and resource requirements for implementing the “advanced” monitoring system and a refined assessment of vertical land motion.

- Recommend data sources, data collection methods, equipment, and/or tools to address any gaps in current monitoring programs.

DELIVERABLES

- Memo documenting: 1) the results of staff interviews assessing current monitoring processes and resources, and 2) summary of community’s risk tolerance for sea level rise and flooding impacts

- Final report documenting the results and outcomes of this work, including, but not limited to:

a. Results of land subsidence evaluation

b. Updated sea level rise projections (if applicable)

c. Recommended trigger points and future adaptation pathways

d. Recommended “basic” and “advanced” monitoring strategy and supporting templates

e. Identified data gaps

- Presentation to Sea Level Rise Response Collaborative and relevant stakeholders

PROJECT TIMELINE

The anticipated project kick-off is July 2025. All deliverables must be completed by January 30, 2026.

QUESTIONS

For questions about this RFP, please contact the RFP Coordinator via email at nweiss@ci.olympia.wa.us. The email subject line should contain the verbiage “Questions regarding the Sea Level Rise Monitoring Strategy for Adaptive Management”. Questions via telephone will not be accepted. All questions to this proposal must be sent to the RFP Coordinator via email by May 19, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time (PDT). Questions received after this date may not be answered.

All questions will be answered via an addendum posted on the City of Olympia website.

To Make Public Records Request: To obtain records related to this RFP via a public records request, please visit our Public Records webpage. Public records fees apply.

SCHEDULE

The following schedule is to inform respondents of the estimated timetable of the proposal preparation, evaluation, and award. Please note the following dates when preparing your proposal. The City reserves the right to modify this schedule at its discretion; deadlines for questions and proposal submissions will never shorten.

https://www.olympiawa.gov/publicrecords https://www.olympiawa.gov/government/contracts___purchasing/rfps_rfqs.php

SCHEDULE DATES DATE

Issuance of Request for Proposal (RFP) May 5, 2025

Deadline for questions from Proposers May 19, 2025

Issuance of responses to questions with Question & Answer addendum from City

May 22, 2025

Proposal responses due June 2, 2025

Finalist(s) selected and notified (Tentative) June 16, 2025

Finalist(s) Interviews (Tentative) June 23, 2025

Selection Notification (Tentative) June 30, 2025

FINALIST INTERVIEWS

If deemed necessary, finalist interviews are expected to be held the week of June 23, 2025. This schedule is subject to change.

CONTRACT AWARD AMOUNT

The City anticipates awarding a contract to the successful respondent for an amount not to exceed $75,000.

PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

Proposals must be submitted as a PDF file. Proposals shall be limited to a total of 10-12 pages, not including the following forms attached as Exhibit “A”:

Statement of Compliance with Nondiscrimination Requirement Form Equal Benefits Compliance Declaration Form Proposal Signature Sheet

The proposal must include the following:

1. Name of firm, including legal name and dba.

2. Contact information for key staff, including full names, titles, mailing addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers.

3. Qualifications:

a. Qualifications of Firm

b. Qualifications of Key Personnel – Including Applicable Licensing and a description of their role on the project.

4. Relevant experience, including examples of work on similar projects

a. List a minimum of three relevant projects, currently in process or performed in the past 5 years, containing similar projects to this RFP.

b. For each project listed, include a brief description, date services were performed, scope of work, estimated project cost, and the name, address, and telephone number of the current and/or previous client contact.

5. Explanation of approach to the project:

a. State approach to meeting objectives, accomplishing tasks, and providing deliverables within the Scope of Work

b. Availability to begin work on project and/or response time for a request for service

c. Anticipated timeline for project completion

6. References:

a. Firm References

b. References for Key Staff members

7. A detailed price proposal that includes a breakdown of all costs that may be incurred by the City.

Please note that any additional charges not included in the proposal may not be accepted on future invoices, unless the charges are the result of changes requested by the City and approved before said charges are incurred.

8. The following forms (attached as Exhibit “A” to this RFP).

a. Compliance with Nondiscrimination Requirement Form

b. Equal Benefits Compliance Form

c. Proposal Signature Sheet

PROPOSAL EVALUATION

The scoring for the proposal requirements is as follows:

Criteria Maximum Points

Understanding of objectives – Demonstrates a clear understanding of the purpose of the monitoring strategy, its connection to adaptive management, long-term planning, and informing the timing of capital projects and funding needs.

Approach to key tasks – Clearly describes how each major task will be accomplished, including staff interviews, land subsidence evaluation, projection updates, and trigger point development.

Monitoring system design – Describes how both a “basic” and “advanced” monitoring and reporting system will be developed, including integration with partner resources and identification of data gaps.

Approach to deliverables and reporting – Explains how the consultant will produce useful, complete, and decision-maker-friendly deliverables including the interview summary memo, final report, templates, and the stakeholder presentation.

Previous project experience on similar projects 25 Qualifications, knowledge, and expertise of key staff identified in the Proposal, including familiarity with the region and subject area

Readiness, availability, and proposed timeline of project completion 5 Response of references 10 Proposal pricing 5

Total possible score 100

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

Proposals shall be submitted to the City by email to Natalie Weiss, RFP Coordinator, at nweiss@ci.olympia.wa.us. Only emailed submissions will be accepted.

The deadline for submission of proposal is June 2, 2025. The timestamp of the City of Olympia email system will be considered the official time of submittal. Proposals submitted after this deadline will not be accepted. Any errors discovered after RFP submission deadline must remain and cannot be adjusted.

CONTRACT

The City anticipates awarding one (1) contract to a successful respondent for a duration of one and a half years.

The City of Olympia’s Professional Service Agreement will be the contract document for these services. It is expected that firms are familiar with and willing to agree to the terms of the agreement when submitting a proposal. The executed agreement shall reflect the specifications stated in this RFP, the proposal of the chosen respondent, and the agreed upon pricing and scope of work between the City and the selected firm. The City will not sign any company’s service agreement, contract or any other form of agreement. The City does reserve the right to extract certain language from a company’s agreement and incorporate it into the City contract, if agreed upon by both parties. The Agreement may be amended upon the mutual written agreement of the City and the respondent.

These contracts are subject to certification of equal benefits provided to all employees. All respondents are advised that Statement of Compliance with Nondiscrimination Requirement Form (Exhibit “B” of the Professional Service Agreement), and when applicable, the Equal https://www.olympiawa.gov/Document_center/Government/Contracts & Purchasing/PSA-Template 5.2.22.pdf

Benefits Compliance Declaration Form (Exhibit “C” of the Professional Service Agreement) will be used on this project.

PAYMENT FOR SERVICES

Payment for services will be made in accordance with the fee schedule/milestone payment schedule agreed upon in the contract and a voucher or invoice is submitted in the form specified in the contract, and the same is approved by the appropriate City representative.

Payment shall be made on a monthly basis, within thirty (30) days after receipt of such voucher or invoice.

INSURANCE

The selected firm must procure and maintain for the duration of this Agreement insurance that meets or exceeds the following limits:

Automobile Liability insurance with a minimum combined single limit for bodily injury and property damage of $1,000,000 per accident.

Commercial General Liability insurance shall be written with limits no less than $2,000,000 each occurrence and $2,000,000 general aggregate.

Professional Liability insurance shall be written with limits no less than $1,000,000 per claim and $1,000,000 policy aggregate limit.

Workers’ Compensation coverage as required by the Industrial Insurance laws of the State of Washington.

The City of Olympia, its officers, officials, employees, and volunteers must be included as additional insureds on the policy.

A Certificate of Insurance and corresponding Additional Insured Endorsement form(s) must be provided to and approved by the City before work can begin.

The cost of such insurance shall be paid by the Vendor.

Please refer to Section 11 the Professional Services Agreement to review the full insurance requirements.

TITLE VI

The City of Olympia, in accordance with the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all respondents that it will affirmatively ensure that any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. All submittals will be reviewed by the City to determine compliance with the requirements of this RFP. The City reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to waive minor irregularities deemed immaterial, request additional information, reject any or all proposals, or negotiate the terms and conditions of any resulting agreement. Failure to comply with any part of this RFP may result in rejection as non-responsive.

2. Response to this RFP does not commit the City to pay any costs incurred in the preparation, submission, demonstration, or other activities related to the proposal.

3. The City reserves the right to revise or amend the RFP prior to the proposal due date by written addenda.

4. It is the sole responsibility of the respondent to ensure they have received the most current RFP and any issued addenda.

5. It shall be the responsibility of each respondent to call to the attention of the City any apparent discrepancies in the RFP or questions of interpretation. Failure to do so constitutes acceptance of the RFP as written.

6. The proposal, as presented, must remain valid for a period of ninety (90) days from the proposal due date.

7. All proposals and accompanying documentation become the property of the City and are public records subject to disclosure under Washington State law. Submittals will not be returned.

8. By submitting a response to this RFP, the respondent waives all rights to protest or seek legal remedies regarding any aspect of this RFP.

9. The contract resulting from acceptance of a submittal shall be in a form supplied by the City and shall reflect the specifications in this RFP.

10. The required certificate of insurance, as detailed in the Professional Services Agreement template, must be submitted upon notification of award.

11. The successful respondent must comply with all applicable Federal, State, and City of Olympia statutes, codes, and labor laws relevant to the scope of work.

12. Any resulting contract shall be construed under the laws of the State of Washington. All claims or legal actions must be brought in Thurston County, Washington.

13. All selected respondents must obtain a City of Olympia business license prior to executing a contract with the City.

14. This RFP does not obligate the City to contract for services or products specified herein.

15. The selected respondent will be required, as part of the agreement, to certify that no one being directly compensated for their services has retired from the Washington State Retirement System using the 2008 Early Retirement Factors with restrictions on returning to work.

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COMPLIANCE WITH NONDISCRIMINATION REQUIREMENT FORM

The Olympia City Council has made compliance with the City’s Nondiscrimination in Delivery of City Services or Resources ordinance (OMC 1.24) a high priority, whether services are provided by City employees or through contract with other entities. It is important that all contract agencies or vendors and their employees understand and carry out the City’s nondiscrimination policy. Accordingly, each City agreement or contract for services contains language that requires an agency or vendor to agree that it shall not unlawfully discriminate against an employee or client based on any legally protected status, which includes but is not limited to: race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or the presence of any disability. Unlawful discrimination includes transphobic discrimination or harassment, including transgender exclusion policies or practices in health benefits.

Listed below are methods to ensure that this policy is communicated to your employees, if applicable.

Nondiscrimination provisions are posted on printed material with broad distribution (newsletters, brochures, etc.).

Nondiscrimination provisions are posted on applications for service.

Nondiscrimination provisions are posted on the agency’s web site.

Nondiscrimination provisions are included in human resource materials provided to job applicants and new employees.

Nondiscrimination provisions are shared during meetings.

Failure to implement at least two of the measures specified above or to comply with the City of Olympia’s nondiscrimination ordinance constitutes a breach of contract.

By signing this statement, I acknowledge compliance with the City of Olympia’s nondiscrimination ordinance by the use of at least two of the measures specified above.

(Signature) (Date)

Print Name of Person Signing

Alternative Section for Sole Proprietor: I am a sole proprietor and have reviewed the statement above. I agree not to discriminate against any client, or any future employees, based on any legally protected status.

(Sole Proprietor Signature) (Date)

EQUAL BENEFITS COMPLIANCE DECLARATION FORM

Consultants on City contracts estimated to cost $50,000 or more shall comply with the City of Olympia Municipal Code, Chapter 3.18. This provision requires that if consultants provide benefits, they do so without discrimination based on age, sex, race, creed, color, sexual orientation, national origin, or the presence of any physical, mental or sensory disability, or because of any other status protected from discrimination by law.

Consultants must have policies in place prohibiting such discrimination, prior to contracting with the City.

I hereby declare that the Consultant listed below complies with the City of Olympia Equal Benefits Ordinance, that the information provided on this form is true and correct, and that I am legally authorized to bind the Consultant.

Consultant Name

Signature Name (please print)

Date Title

PROPOSAL SIGNATURE SHEET

Solicitation Name:____________________________________________________________________

Legal Name:____________________________________________________________________

Business Name:___________________________________________________________________

Address:____________________________________________________________________

Unified Business Identifier (UBI) No.:_____________________________________________

M/W/DBE Certification No. (If Applicable):______________________________________________

For questions regarding this proposal, the City RFP manager should contact the following individual:

Name:____________________________________________________________________

Telephone No.:______________________________________________

Email Address:____________________________________________________________________

Signature of Authorized Official

The Consultant is hereby advised that by signature of this proposal, they are deemed to have acknowledged all requirements and signed all certificates contained herein.

Signature:___________________________________________

Name of Person Signing:___________________________________________

Title:___________________________________________

Date:___________________________________________

Email Address:___________________________________________