RFP 10114 Biological Monitoring Services .pdf

RFP 10114 Biological Monitoring Services

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

RFP 10114 BIOLOGICAL MONITORING SERVICES

RFP DUE: 3:00 PM MT (Mountain Time), March 31st, 2025

The City of Fort Collins is requesting proposals from qualified Service Providers to conduct biological monitoring of macroinvertebrate and fish communities and their physical habitat within the Cache la Poudre Watershed.

As part of the City’s commitment to sustainability, proposals must be submitted online through the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System (RMEPS) at http://www.bidnetdirect.com/colorado/city-of-fort-collins. Note: please ensure adequate time to submit proposals through RMEPS. Proposals not submitted by the designated Opening Date and Time will not be accepted by RMEPS.

All questions should be submitted, in writing via email, to Moutaz Badawi, Buyer II at abadawi@fcgov.com, no later than 3:00 PM MT on March 14th, 2025. Please format your e-mail to include: RFP 10114 Biological Monitoring Services in the subject line. Questions received after this deadline may not be answered. Responses to all questions submitted before the deadline will be addressed in an addendum and posted on the on the Rocky Mountain E- Purchasing System webpage. A copy of the RFP may be obtained at http://www.bidnetdirect.com/colorado/city-of-fort-collins.

Prohibition of Unlawful Discrimination: The City of Fort Collins, in accordance with the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252, 42 US.C. §§ 2000d to 2000d-

4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all bidders 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.

The City strictly prohibits unlawful discrimination based on an individual’s gender (regardless of gender identity or gender expression), race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, age 40 years or older, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, or other characteristics protected by law. For the purpose of this policy “sexual orientation” means a person’s actual or perceived orientation toward heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality.

The City also strictly prohibits unlawful harassment in the workplace, including sexual harassment. Further, the City strictly prohibits unlawful retaliation against a person who engages in protected activity. Protected activity includes an employee complaining that he or she has been discriminated against in violation of the above policy or participating in an employment discrimination proceeding.

The City requires its Service Providers to comply with the City’s policy for equal employment opportunity and to prohibit unlawful discrimination, harassment and retaliation. This requirement applies to all third-party Service Providers and their subcontractors/subconsultants at every tier.

Public Viewing Copy: The City is a governmental entity subject to the Colorado Open Records Act, C.R.S. §§ 24-72-200.1 et seq. (“CORA”). Any proposals submitted hereunder are subject to public disclosure by the City pursuant to CORA and City ordinances. Service Providers may

Financial Services Purchasing Division 215 N. Mason St. 2nd Floor PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522

970.221.6775 970.221.6707 fcgov.com/purchasing http://www.bidnetdirect.com/colorado/city-of-fort-collins submit one (1) additional complete proposal clearly marked “FOR PUBLIC VIEWING.” In this version of the proposal, Service Providers may redact text and/or data that it deems confidential or proprietary pursuant to CORA. All pricing will be considered public records subject to disclosure under CORA and as such pricing cannot be redacted from the “FOR PUBLIC VIEWING” version of the proposal. Failure to provide a public viewing copy will be considered a waiver of any claim of confidentiality under CORA without regard to how the applicant’s proposal or certain pages of the proposal are marked confidential, proprietary, or similar. Such statement does not necessarily exempt such documentation from public disclosure if required by CORA, by order of a court of appropriate jurisdiction, or other applicable law. Generally, under CORA, trade secrets, confidential commercial and financial data information man not be disclosed by the City.

Proposals may not be marked “Confidential” or ‘Proprietary’ in their entirety. By responding to this RFP, Service Providers hereby waives any and all claims for damages against the City for the City’s good faith compliance with CORA. All provisions of any contract resulting from this request for proposal will be public information.

Service Providers Registration: The City requires new Service Providers receiving awards from the City to submit IRS form W-9 and requires all Service Providers to accept Direct Deposit (Electronic) payment. If needed, the W-9 form and the Vendor Direct Deposit Authorization Form can be found on the City’s Purchasing website at www.fcgov.com/purchasing under Vendor Reference Documents. Please do not submit these documents with your proposal, however, if you take exception to participating in Direct Deposit (Electronic) payments please clearly note such in your proposal as an exception. The City may waive the requirement to participate in Direct Deposit (Electronic) payments at its sole discretion.

Sales Prohibited/Conflict of Interest: No officer, employee, or member of City Council, shall have a financial interest in the sale to the City of any real or personal property, equipment, material, supplies or services where such officer or employee exercises directly or indirectly any decision-making authority concerning such sale or any supervisory authority over the services to be rendered. This rule also applies to subcontracts with the City. Soliciting or accepting any gift, gratuity favor, entertainment, kickback or any items of monetary value from any person who has or is seeking to do business with the City of Fort Collins is prohibited.

Collusive or Sham Proposals: Any proposal deemed to be collusive or a sham proposal will be rejected and reported to authorities as such. Your authorized signature of this proposal assures that such proposal is genuine and is not a collusive or sham proposal. The City of Fort Collins reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to waive any irregularities or informalities.

Utilization of Award by Other Agencies: The City of Fort Collins reserves the right to allow other state and local governmental agencies, political subdivisions, and/or school districts to utilize the resulting award under all terms and conditions specified and upon agreement by all parties. Usage by any other entity shall not have a negative impact on the City of Fort Collins in the current term or in any future terms.

The selected Service Providers shall be required to sign the City’s Agreement prior to commencing services (see sample attached to this document).

Sincerely, Gerry Paul Purchasing Director http://www.fcgov.com/purchasing

Official Purchasing Document Last updated 5/2024

I. BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE

A. Objective The City of Fort Collins (City) is requesting proposals from qualified Service Providers to conduct biological monitoring of macroinvertebrate and fish communities and their physical habitat within the Cache la Poudre Watershed.

B. Background Fort Collins is a vibrant community of approximately 170,000 located 65 miles north of Denver, at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The City is 56 square miles in size and is the northern extension of the “Colorado Front Range” urban corridor. The City’s population includes over 32,000 college students.

The City of Fort Collins Utilities (Utilities) serves more than 65,000 (both single family and multi-family) electric customers with total annual sales of approximately 1,500 gigawatt-hours. Utilities also provides water, wastewater and storm water services. More information about Fort Collins Utilities can be found at www.fcgov.com/utilities. Within this group of residential customers, approximately 26,000 single family homes also receive water services.

Fort Collins Utilities leads or otherwise participates in several water quality monitoring programs within the Cache la Poudre Watershed (see descriptions below). These programs are designed to evaluate short and long-term trends in source water quality;

address National Point Source Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit requirements; evaluate the ecological health of the Poudre River; and support permitting for the Halligan Water Supply Project. All of these programs include biological monitoring.

1. UCLP Collaborative Monitoring Program

The Upper Cache la Poudre Watershed (UCLP) is an important source of raw water for the City of Fort Collins, the City of Greeley and Soldier Canyon Water Treatment Authority. The UCLP Watershed Collaborative Monitoring Program (https://www.fcgov.com/utilities/what-we-do/water/water-quality/source-water-monitoring) was established in 2008 and consists of The City of Fort Collins, City of Greeley, Northern Water Conservancy District, Soldier Canyon Water Treatment Authority and the City of Thornton. Water quality monitoring is conducted from April through November at strategically located sites throughout the UCLP. Macroinvertebrate sampling is conducted once per year at five study sites (Exhibit A).

2. Lower Poudre River Monitoring Alliance (LPRMA)

The Lower Cache la Poudre River Monitoring Alliance (LPRMA) is a group that operates a collaborative Water Quality Monitoring Program (Program) among entities that operate NPDES-permitted wastewater treatment facilities, and is focused on NPDES permit compliance, among other goals and objectives. The parties currently participating in this program include City of Fort Collins, City of Greeley, Town of Windsor, Boxelder Sanitation District, South Fort Collins Sanitation District, Front Range Energy and Leprino Foods. Each of these parties operates one or more NPDES-permitted wastewater http://www.fcgov.com/utilities treatment facilities along the lower Cache la Poudre River. Benefits of this collaborative program to each participating party include but are not necessarily limited to reduced water quality monitoring costs; access to certain water quality data collected pursuant to this Agreement; and an open forum for data and information exchange and communication between the Parties. Study sites are situated along the Cache la Poudre River from approximately Linden Street in Fort Collins downstream to Fern Avenue in Greeley. Macroinvertebrate samples are collected twice per year and fish samples once per year at four study sites as part of this program (see Exhibit A).

3. State of the Poudre: A River Health Assessment and Report Card (RHAF)

The City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Department and Utilities Watershed Program developed the RHAF in 2016 as the first holistic ecological assessment of Poudre River from the canyon mouth downstream to I-25. Six key indicator groups were used to evaluate the river: streamflow, sediment, river channel, water quality, aquatic life and riparian corridor. The River Health Report Card provides A-F letter grades (https://www.fcgov.com/poudrereportcard/pdf/sopr2016.pdf) and a mapping tool is also available: https://gisweb.fcgov.com/Html5Viewer/index.html?viewer=poudre%20 score%20card. The aquatic life indicator group is evaluated using macroinvertebrate data collected as part of the UCLP, LPRMA monitoring programs and additional sites specific to the RHAF that are listed in Exhibit A.

4. Halligan Water Supply Project

Halligan Reservoir is located about 25 miles northwest of Fort Collins on the North Fork of the Cache la Poudre River (“North Fork”) in Larimer County. The Halligan Water Supply Project will enlarge Halligan Reservoir and add an additional storage capacity of approximately 8,100 ac-ft to target storage of 14, 525 acre-feet to the existing reservoir.

The Halligan Project is necessary to meet water demand of future Fort Collins Utilities’ customers with a secondary benefit of added reliability for current customers.

The City of Fort Collins is working toward a 401 Water Quality Certification for this project with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Water Quality Control Division (WQCD). Physical, chemical and biological water quality data are being collected as part of this process, including macroinvertebrate and pebble count data at several sites on the North Fork Poudre River (see Exhibit A).

II. SCOPE OF PROPOSAL

C. Scope of Work

1. Fish Monitoring

Utilities would like qualified Service Providers to conduct annual biological monitoring of fish communities at four study sites within the lower Cache la Poudre Watershed, see Exhibit A. Survey dates will be updated each year in an annual operating plan for the LPRMA program, but generally will occur during the first week of November each year. It is important to note, however, that Utilities reserves the right to add or remove sites and/or change site locations or dates between annual monitoring events. The Service Provider shall conduct all aspects of biological monitoring and analyses including, but https://www.fcgov.com/poudrereportcard/pdf/sopr2016.pdf https://gisweb.fcgov.com/Html5Viewer/index.html?viewer=poudre%20score%20card https://gisweb.fcgov.com/Html5Viewer/index.html?viewer=poudre%20score%20card not limited to scheduling sampling dates, surveying study sites prior to sampling, collecting fish samples, measuring and weighing individual fish samples and identifying taxa to the lowest practical taxonomic level, and analyzing resultant taxonomic data.

a. Habitat Assessment The habitat characteristics of each study site will be surveyed and recorded prior to fish sampling. The Rapid Bio Habitat Assessment (RBA) methodology used by the U.S.

Geological Survey and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Mapping and Assessment Protocol (EMAP) will be used to assess habitat characteristics at each study site. As part of the habitat assessment, GPS coordinates will be taken, and photographs will document the upstream and downstream boundaries of each study site. Field notes and photographs will also be used to record any other relevant observations.

b. Fish Community Surveys

Study reaches will be 200 meters in length, including 100 meters upstream and downstream of the study site. To ensure no fish can escape or enter a study reach, the downstream and upstream extents will be blocked with 3/16-inch mesh block nets. Three biologists will survey each reach with a backpack electroshocker, dip nets and/or a seine.

The habitat type (depth) and water conductivity will determine if the shocker or seine is used (i.e., too high or too low for shocking effectiveness). In both cases, surveys will begin at the downstream end of the reach and proceed in an upstream direction so that the current will carry fish towards the sampling gear and disturbed sediment flows behind the biologist.

c. Electroshocking

When electroshocking, two biologists will use dip nets to collect stunned fish behind the biologist operating the electroshocker. The electroshocker will be set at the lowest possible setting to turn fish (stun fish long enough to lose equilibrium and turn sideways for easy capture) without shocking them enough to cause injury. Shocking will stop at the end of each targeted habitat type or if the aerated bucket is reaching holding capacity. Electroshocking effort will be recorded in seconds and Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) of shocking will be recorded as fish per hour, the standard unit for electroshocking.

d. Seine

In the event that the conductivity of the water in a selected reach is too high or too low for shocking to be effective or if a riffle is too shallow to shock effectively, a 5-m long x 1-m high seine with 3/16-inch mesh seine will be used. Pool and run habitat will be sampled by pulling the seine upstream through the habitat and into a clear bank to capture fish. Shallow riffle habitat will be surveyed by holding the seine across the downstream end and kicking from the upstream end to the seine to drive any fish into the seine. CPUE of the seine will be calculated by catch per area, which is the length and height of the seine multiplied by the distance the seine is pulled. These metrics will be recorded into the tablet at each sampling event to ensure accuracy.

e. Fish Care

Utmost care will be taken while handling fish during surveys so that they may be returned to the stream in good health. The Service Provider will use aerated buckets, cooled with ice bags if water temperatures exceed 65º F (24º C) to avoid lethal stress to cold water species. In addition, the electroshocker will be set at the lowest power needed to stun fish for effective sampling. All fish will be processed in the shade.

f. Fish Population and Community Metrics

All captured fish will be identified to species and total length (mm) and weight (grams) will be measured. Shocking time (seconds) and seine haul area will be recorded in order to calculate CPUE. Any observations of diseased or deformed fish will also be recorded during sampling. All data will be stored in an electronic database for analyses. Field forms ensure data is complete and accurate and include GPS location with every entry and photograph taken. Metrics will be calculated and included in an electronic format along with the raw fisheries data. Fish population and community metrics that will be calculated include species diversity, abundance, relative abundance, biomass, CPUE, and length-frequency histograms.

2. Macroinvertebrate Monitoring

The Service Provider shall provide annual macroinvertebrate monitoring, including scheduling sampling dates, surveying study sites prior to sampling, collecting macroinvertebrate samples, sorting samples and identifying taxa, and analyzing resultant taxonomic data using water quality-focused and ecological community metrics.

Monitoring shall occur at sites that are currently part of the three collaborative programs described above, see Exhibit A. Survey dates will be updated each year in annual operating plan for each program. It is important to note, however, that Utilities reserves the right to add or remove sites and/or change site locations between scheduled monitoring events.

Riffle habitat must be targeted for sampling at all study sites. Study sites should be surveyed prior to any sample collection to evaluate site characteristics and to identify representative sample riffle(s). The same sample riffle(s) should be sampled at each sampling event each year unless it is necessary to change the location. Samples should generally be collected within or near the thalweg and riffle margins should be avoided.

Photographs of the sample riffle(s), coordinates and any relevant field notes should be recorded during the initial site survey as well as during each subsequent sampling event.

Any additional field sampling recommendations should be described in sufficient detail within proposals.

Three (3) replicate Hess samples will be taken from representative riffle habitat at each location during each sampling event. Substrate within each sample will be thoroughly agitated and individual rocks scrubbed by hand to dislodge benthic organisms. All macroinvertebrates will be rinsed into sample jars and preserved in 80% ethanol solution before they are transported to the Service Provider’s lab. All components of the Hess Sampler and sieves used in this study will be restricted to 500μm mesh. Each sample jar will be labeled on the inside and outside of the container with the date, location, and sample ID number. Coordinates of site locations will be verified during field work, and photographs and field notes will be taken at each site and on each sampling occasion.

Samples will be stored and analyzed under conditions that prevent tampering by non-laboratory personnel.

The sorting process will involve separating debris from macroinvertebrates in each sample in the laboratory. All macroinvertebrates will be removed from each sample and separated into coarse taxonomic groups. Identification and enumeration will be conducted for each sample in its entirety. Macroinvertebrates will be identified to a taxonomic level that is (at least) consistent with the Operational Taxonomic Unit (OTU) established by the CDPHE. Taxa in the family Chironomidae will also be identified to the genus level. When physical characteristics and species keys permit, some benthic macroinvertebrates may be identified to lower taxonomic levels. All organisms are to be identified to the “lowest practical taxonomic level”, which will generally be genus or species; however, identifications to family may be necessary for immature or damaged specimens.

All organisms are to be identified to the “lowest practical taxonomic level”, which will generally be genus or species; however, identifications to family may be necessary for immature or damaged specimens. The Service Provider shall ensure that all sorted macroinvertebrate samples will be checked by a qualified taxonomist, and a qualified individual will check identifications in approximately 10% of the samples and be consulted to confirm identifications in all cases where the identification of a specimen that is difficult or questionable. Proposals should include a sufficiently detailed description of all field and laboratory quality assurance and quality control procedures.

Proposals should include a list of suggested macroinvertebrate metrics for the three programs described above and a brief description of the usefulness of each. CDPHE’s Multimetric Index must be included in analyses.

3. Pebble Counts

Pebble count studies at four sites on the North Fork Poudre River will be conducted according to the CDPHE Standard Operating Procedures for Pebble Counts. Each sampling location/reach will be divided into 21 transects where pebbles will be collected.

The reach will be determined by calculating the average wetted width of the stream based on the measured width at 3 to 5 locations. This value will be multiplied by 40, then divided into 21 transects that are separated by a roughly equal distance. Sites will be positioned around established macroinvertebrate sampling locations. At each transect, one pebble will be collected at five sampling points located at the 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 percent positions which will be determined using a measuring tape. The 0 and 100 percent positions will represent the right and left banks of the wetted channel. The pebbles collected at each sampling point will be determined by placing a measuring point perpendicular to the measuring tape and dropping it into the substrate. All pebbles will be measured using a Gravelometer based on the width of the intermediate axis and using the ‘smaller than’ approach. All 105 pebbles will be recorded using the pebble count data sheet created by the CDPHE. Field work will be performed by properly trained field personnel to collect all data according to Standard Operating Procedures outlined by the

CDPHE.

4. Data Analysis

a. Fish

Length-frequency histograms reflect the population structure of a fish species, assuming the capture techniques can capture all size classes of the fish. The histograms show the distribution of size (length) groups and can be compared over time to assist in understanding the dynamics of a population as it reflects the interaction of rates of reproduction, recruitment, growth, and mortality of the measured population. CPUE will be used as an index of population density. The basic assumption is CPUE is proportional to stock density, as true population densities are rarely known. Changes in CPUE are an indicator of changes in species abundance as long as methodologies are standardized (replication of gear type, location, and timing of effort). CPUE does not typically follow a normal distribution curve unless species are caught in high densities.

To compensate for this limitation, the 50th percentile (median) is the best descriptive statistic. Service Provider will show CPUE as fish/time for shocking, and fish/unit area for seining.

b. Macroinvertebrates

Data entry will consist of the construction of a “species list” that will be specific to each site and sampling date. Macroinvertebrate data analysis will include:

• Calculation of the Multi-Metric Index (MMI) that has been adopted by the Colorado Water Quality Control Division (WQCD). Metrics used by the WQCD for site classes 1 and 3 (Colorado transition zone and plains zone) currently include:

Percent Non-Insect Taxa, EP Taxa, Percent Chironomidae, Percent Sensitive Plains Families, Predator-Shredder Taxa, Clinger Taxa, Insect Taxa, Percent Dominant Taxa, and Sprawler Taxa. These metrics will be employed at the specified site locations to assist in the evaluation of these data.

• A selection of individual metrics specifically chosen to address potential perturbations in this study area. These additional analysis tools will include the following metrics: Shannon-Weaver Diversity, EPT index, HBI, Taxa Richness, Density, and analysis of Functional Feeding Groups.

c. Sediment

There is an existing Sediment Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study for a section of the North Fork Poudre River below Halligan Reservoir. Sediment impacts to aquatic life will be evaluated each year at the four North Fork Poudre River Study sites sampled as part of the Halligan Water Quality Monitoring Program will be calculated, as described in the Colorado Department of Environmental Quality’s Policy 98-1, Section IV A, 1-5 (https://cdphe.colorado.gov/water-quality/water-quality-engagement/policy-98-1-sediment-guidance). In addition, fish spawning habitat will be evaluated for sediment impacts each year using methods described in Policy 98-1, Section IV B. These analyses will occur at one of the four North Fork Poudre River study sites where trout https://cdphe.colorado.gov/water-quality/water-quality-engagement/policy-98-1-sediment-guidance https://cdphe.colorado.gov/water-quality/water-quality-engagement/policy-98-1-sediment-guidance spawning is known to occur. The study site for these analyses will be selected in consultation with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW)and CDPHE staff to address the TMDL and Policy 98-1 requirements.

Data Transfer

The Service Provider will transfer all data including all field sheets, bench sheets, raw macroinvertebrate data, tables and figures that demonstrate the results from the applied metrics. All data and other information generated from this monitoring, as well as associated invoice(s) must be submitted to the City’s project manager within 9 months of the date a study site(s) was sampled. All data and other information must be submitted in electronic format, such as Microsoft Excel, Word or PDF and sent via email.

Reporting Analytical results from each sampling event will be provided in brief technical memos that summarize findings and include tables and figures that describe results.

Additional Information The Service Provider shall assume:

• City staff would arrange access to sampling locations on private property prior to the Service Provider beginning field work. Once initial access agreements are in place, the Service Provider will be responsible for as-needed coordination with property owners such as passage through locked gates, etc.

• Service Provider will provide regular sampling schedule, access, and status updates to the City via email, phone, or meetings.

• Service Provider is responsible for obtaining any necessary sampling permit(s).

• Service Provider should follow rigorous health and safety protocols and incorporate these into the health and safety plan. Please note that some sample collection sites are in remote areas that may involve limited communication services, rough 4WD roads, hiking, rugged conditions, wildlife, and variable weather including wind, snow, rain, and temperature fluctuations.

• The Service Provider is responsible for providing the appropriate remote-site safety and sampling equipment such as high-visibility vests, hard hats, waders, waterproof boots, personal floatation devices, GPS, sample collection equipment and containers, and field data sheets/logbooks.

The City would like the Service Provider to support a range of biological services and projects to complete the goals and mission of the City’s Utilities program. During the term of this contract, the City may have additional, unanticipated biological monitoring services that may be needed that are beyond the projects currently listed in this scope of work.

D. Deliverables All data and other information generated from this monitoring as well as summary memos must be submitted to the City’s Project Manager in electronic format such as Microsoft Excel, Word, or PDF within nine (9) months of the date of sampling.

E. Minimum Qualifications Minimum of three (3) years of experience with biological monitoring and assessment.

F. Anticipated Schedule The following represents the City’s target schedule for the RFP. The City reserves the right to amend the target schedule at any time. ]

• RFP issuance: February 28th, 2025

• Question deadline: 3:00 PM MT on March 14th, 2025

• Final Addendum Issued: March 21st, 2025

• Proposal due date: 3:00 PM MT on March 31st, 2025

G. Interviews In addition to submitting a written proposal, the top-rated Service Providers may be interviewed by the RFP assessment team and asked to participate in an oral presentation to provide an overview of the company, approach to the project and to address questions.

The evaluation criteria for the oral interviews will be the same as the criteria for the written evaluations and is included in Section IV.

H. Award

The initial term of the Agreement will be for one (1) year and may be extended for additional one (1) year periods not to exceed two (2) additional one year periods. In subsequent years, rates shall be escalated no more than three percent (3%) per year.

I. Travel & Expenses Subject to the terms of the applicable Work Order, reasonable expenses may be reimbursable per the current rates found at www.gsa.gov. Service Provider will be required to provide original receipts to the City for all travel expenses.

J. Subcontractors/Subconsultants Service Provider will be responsible for identifying any subcontractors and/or subconsultants in their proposal. Please note that the City will contract solely with the awarded Service Provider(s); therefore, subcontractors and/or subconsultants will be the responsibility of the Service Provider.

K. Current standards All work and/or materials must meet current standards in force by recognized technical and professional societies, trade and materials supply associations, institutes and organizations, bureaus and testing laboratories, and national, federal, state, county, and local laws, codes and ordinances.

L. Fees, Licenses, Permits The successful Service Provider shall be responsible for obtaining any necessary licenses, fees or permits without additional expense to the City. All vehicles and equipment shall be properly licensed and insured, carry the appropriate permits and be placarded as required by law.

M. Laws and Regulations http://www.gsa.gov/

The Service Provider agrees to comply fully with all applicable local, State of Colorado and Federal laws and regulations and municipal ordinances to include American Disabilities Act (ADA).

N. Work Orders The awarded Service Provider(s) will be required to sign the City’s Work Order Type Agreement, a sample of which is attached as Section VI for reference purposes. In the event that the City has agreements with multiple Service Providers for the Work, the City reserves the right to request proposals for individual Work Order assignments from the awarded Service Providers or assign Work Orders directly to a Service Provider at its sole discretion. Selection for individual Work Orders may be based on, but not limited to, availability, approach, prior experience, firm capability, and cost.

Individual Work assignments will be requested and agreed to utilizing the City’s Work Order (included in the Agreement). Each Work Order must include a start and completion date, total cost and a Scope of Work. Subsequent supporting documentation pages may include a project schedule, deliverables, hours, cost detail supporting total cost, and personnel details. Fees outlined in the Work Order will conform with those stated in the Agreement.

No Work Order will be considered valid until signed, at a minimum, by the Service Provider, project manager and Purchasing Department representative. Depending on the cost and nature of the Work, additional signature authorization may be required. Any changes to the dates, cost or scope of any Work Order must be agreed upon in writing utilizing the City’s Change Order (included in the Agreement) and will not be considered valid until signed, at a minimum, by the Service Provider, project manager and Purchasing Department representative.

O. Invoicing and Payment Invoices should be emailed monthly to invoices@fcgov.com with a copy to the project manager. The cost of the work completed shall be paid to the Service Provider each month following the submittal of a correct invoice by the Service Provider indicating the project name, Purchase Order number, task description, hours worked, personnel/work type category, hourly rate for each employee/work type category, date of the work performed specific to the task, percentage of that work that has been completed by task, 3rd party supporting documentation with the same detail and a brief progress report.

Payments will be made using the prices stated in the Work Order and Agreement. In the event a service is requested which is not stated in the Work Order and/or Agreement, the Service Provider and the City will negotiate an appropriate unit price for the service prior to the Service Provider initiating such work.

The City pays invoices on Net 30 terms.

III. PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL

Please limit the total length of your proposal to a maximum of thirty (30) 8 ½ x 11” pages (excluding cover pages, table of contents, dividers and Authorization form). Font shall be a minimum of 10 Arial and margins are limited to no less than .5” for sides and top/bottom.

Extended page sizes, such as 11” x 17”, count as a single page and may be used for detailed pricing. Links to other files or websites shall not be permitted. Proposals that do not conform to these requirements may be rejected.

mailto:invoices@fcgov.com

Service Providers are required to provide detailed written responses to the following items in the order outlined below. The responses shall be considered technical offers of what Service Providers propose to provide and shall be incorporated in the contract award as deemed appropriate by the City. A proposal that does not include all the information required may be deemed non-responsive and subject to rejection.

Responses must include all the items in the order listed below. It is suggested that the Service Providers include each of the City’s questions with their response.

The City of Fort Collins shall not reimburse any firm for costs incurred in the preparation and presentation of their proposal.

A. Cover Letter / Executive Summary The Executive Summary should highlight the content of the proposal and features of the program offered, including a general description of the program and any unique aspects or benefits provided by your firm.

Indicate your availability to participate in the interviews on the proposed dates as stated in the Schedule section.

B. Service Provider Information

1. Describe the Service Provider’s business and background

2. Number of years in the business

3. Details about ownership

4. An overview of services offered and qualifications

5. Size of the firm

6. Location(s) of offices. If multiple, please identify which will be the primary for our account.

7. Primary contact information for the company including contact name(s) and title(s), mailing address(s), phone number(s), and email address(s).

C. Scope of Proposal

1. Provide a detailed narrative of the services proposed if awarded the contract per the scope above. The narrative should include any options that may be beneficial for the City to consider.

2. Describe how the project would be managed and who would have primary responsibility for its timely and professional completion.

3. Briefly describe the approach to execute the scope of work to include the methods and assumptions used, and any exceptions and/or risks.

4. Describe the methods and timeline of communication your firm will use with the City’s project manager and other parties.

5. Include a description of the software and other analysis tools to be used.

6. Identify what portion of work, if any, may be subcontracted or outsourced to subconsultants. Include all applicable information herein requested for each subconsultant.

D. Firm Capability and Assigned Personnel Provide relevant information regarding previous experience related to this or similar projects, to include the following:

1. Provide an Organization Chart/Proposed Project Team: An organization chart containing the names of all key personnel and subconsultants with titles and their specific task assignment for this Agreement shall be provided in this section.

2. Provide resumes for each professional and technical person to be assigned to the project, including partners, subconsultants, and subcontractors. Please limit resumes to one page. The résumés shall include at least three individual references from previous assignments.

3. A list of qualifications for your firm and qualifications and experience of the specific staff members proposed to perform the services described above.

4. References. Provide a minimum of three (3) similar projects with public agencies (not to include the City of Fort Collins) in the last 5 years that have involved the staff and subcontractors/subconsultants proposed to work on this project. Include the owner’s name, title of project, beginning price, ending price, contact name, email and phone number, subconsultants on the team and a brief description of the work and any change orders. The Service Provider authorizes the City to verify any and all information contained herein and hereby releases all those concerned providing information as a reference from any liability in connection with any information provided.

5. Provide any information that distinguishes Service Provider from its competition and any additional information applicable to this RFP that might be valuable in assessing Service Provider’s proposal.

E. Sustainability/TBL Methodology In concise terms (no more than two pages), please describe your organization’s commitment to sustainability and supporting values.

Each element of the TBL sustainability criteria will receive equal consideration in determining the final Sustainability/TBL score.

1. Address how your firm strives to incorporate all three aspects (social, environmental, and economic) of Triple Bottom Line (TBL) sustainable practices into the workplace. Provide examples along with any metrics used to measure success within your firm.

2. Also provide examples of how your firm has incorporated all three aspects of TBL sustainable practices in previous similar projects on which your firm has been the prime Service Provider.

Some examples are provided below:

a. Environmental – Experience delivering projects / programs focused on environmental health priorities in the areas of climate resiliency, water quality and watershed protection, regulatory performance, management systems, air quality, renewable energy, sustainable building and design, construction materials management, and solid waste reduction.

b. Economic – Experience working and delivering projects with an emphasis on strategic financial planning, job creation, business development, asset management, various project delivery methods, value engineering, regional partnerships, transparency, stakeholder engagement, strategic investments, aging infrastructure, repurposing of existing facilities, and competing financial priorities.

c. Social - Experience working and delivering projects, programs, and/or initiatives that support Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion throughout your firm’s workplace, including leadership, and supply chain. Examples of this may be demonstration of working within cultural and language gaps, development of diversity programs, diverse project teams, equitable opportunity vendor supply chain, and how your firm has applied an equity lens to processes such as recruitment, hiring, purchasing, career pathways, salaries, and staff engagement.

F. Cost and Work Hours In your response to this proposal, please provide the following:

1. Estimated Hours by Task: Provide estimated hours for each proposed task by job title and employee name, including the time required for meetings, conference calls, etc.

2. Cost by Task: Provide the cost of each task identified in the Scope of Proposal section.

Provide a total not to exceed cost for the Scope of Proposal. Price all additional services/deliverables separately.

3. Schedule of Rates: Provide a schedule of billing rates by category of employee and job title to be used during the term of the Agreement. This fee schedule will be firm for at least one (1) year from the date of the Agreement. The fee schedule will be used as a basis for determining fees should additional services be necessary. A fee schedule for subconsultants/subcontractors, if used, shall be included.

4. All direct costs (i.e., travel, printing, postage, etc.) specifically attributed to the project and not included in the billing rates must be identified. Reasonable expenses may be reimbursable as per the current rates found at www.gsa.gov. Service Provider will be required to provide original receipts to the City for all travel expenses.

5. The preference is that there are no markups, but if markups are necessary, no greater than 7.5% markup will be allowed on direct costs or subcontractors.

G. Sample Agreement Included with this request for proposals is a sample Agreement that the City intends to use for obtaining the services of the Service Provider. The Service Provider is required to review this Agreement and indicate any objections to the terms of the contract. If revisions to the contractual terms are requested, provide suggested revisions.

H. Acknowledgement The Acknowledgement form is attached as Section V. Complete the attached form indicating the Service Provider hereby acknowledges receipt of the City of Fort Collins Request for Proposal and acknowledges that the Service Provider has read and agrees to be fully bound by all of the terms, conditions and other provisions set forth in the RFP.

http://www.gsa.gov/

IV. REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

A. Proposal and Interview Criteria Service Providers will be evaluated on the following criteria. This set of criteria will be the basis for review and assessment of the written proposals and optional interview session.

At the discretion of the City, interviews of the top-rated Service Providers may be conducted.

The rating scale shall be from 1 to 10, a rating of 1 doesn’t meet minimum requirements, a rating of 5 means the category fulfills the minimum requirements, and 10 exceeds minimum requirements in that category.

CRITERIA

NUMBER

CRITERIA WEIGHTING FACTOR

1 FIRM CAPABILITY AND EXPIERENCE 45%

2 COST AND WORK HOURS 30%

3 PROJECT APPROACH 20%

4 SUSTAINABILITY/TBL METHODOLOGY 5%

V. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Service Provider hereby acknowledges receipt of the City of Fort Collins Request for Proposal and acknowledges that it has read and agrees to be fully bound by all of the terms, conditions and other provisions set forth in the RFP 10114 Biological Monitoring Services and sample Agreement except as otherwise noted. Additionally, Service Provider hereby makes the following representations to City:

a. All of the statements and representations made in this proposal are true to the best of the

Service Provider’s knowledge and belief.

b. Service Provider commits that it is able to meet the terms provided in this proposal.

c. This proposal is a firm and binding offer, for a period of 90 days from the date hereof.

d. Service Provider further agrees that the method of award is acceptable.

e. Service Provider also agrees to complete the proposed Agreement with the City of Fort

Collins within 10 days of notice of award. If contract is not completed and signed within 10 days, City reserves the right to cancel and award to the next highest rated firm.

f. Service Provider acknowledges receipt of addenda.

g. Service Provider acknowledges no conflict of interest.

h. The City is a governmental entity subject to the Colorado Open Records Act, C.R.S. §§ 24-72-200.1 et seq. (“CORA”). Any proposals submitted hereunder are subject to public disclosure by the City pursuant to CORA and City ordinances. Professionals may submit one (1) additional complete proposal clearly marked “FOR PUBLIC VIEWING.” In this version of the proposal, Professionals may redact text and/or data that it deems confidential or proprietary pursuant to CORA. All pricing will be considered public records subject to disclosure under CORA and as such pricing cannot be redacted from the “FOR PUBLIC VIEWING” version of the proposal. Failure to provide a public viewing copy will be considered a waiver of any claim of confidentiality under CORA without regard to how the applicant’s proposal or certain pages of the proposal are marked confidential, proprietary, or similar. Such statement does not necessarily exempt such documentation from public disclosure if required by CORA, by order of a court of appropriate jurisdiction, or other applicable law. Generally, under CORA, trade secrets, confidential commercial information and financial data information may not be disclosed by the City. Proposals may not be marked “Confidential” or ‘Proprietary’ in their entirety. By responding to this RFP, Professionals hereby waives any and all claims for damages against the City for the City’s good faith compliance with CORA. All provisions and pricing of any contract resulting from this request for proposal will be public information.

Legal Firm Name:

Physical Address:

Remit to Address:

Phone:

Name of Authorized Agent of Firm:

Signature of Authorized Agent:

Email of Authorized Agent: ____________________________________________

Primary Contact for Project:

Title: Email Address:

Phone: Cell Phone:

NOTE: ACKNOWLEDGMENT IS TO BE SIGNED & RETURNED WITH YOUR PROPOSAL.

MASTER SERVICES AGREEMENT

WORK ORDER TYPE

THIS MASTER SERVICES AGREEMENT (AGREEMENT) made and entered into the day and year set forth in the Agreement Period section below, by and between THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS, COLORADO, a Colorado Municipal Corporation (CITY) and , a(n) (ENTER STATE) [business type], (SERVICE PROVIDER).

WITNESSETH:

In consideration of the mutual covenants and obligations herein expressed, it is agreed by and between the parties hereto as follows:

1. Scope of Service. The SERVICE PROVIDER agrees to provide Services in accordance with any project Work Orders for , issued by the CITY. Such Work Orders will be incorporated into this Agreement. A blank sample of a Work Order is attached hereto as Exhibit A, consisting of [# of Pages] and incorporated herein. A general Scope of Services is attached hereto as Exhibit B, consisting of [# of Pages] and incorporated herein. The CITY reserves the right to independently solicit any project rather than issuing a Work Order to the SERVICE PROVIDER for the same pursuant to this AGREEMENT. Irrespective of references to certain named third parties within this AGREEMENT or any Work Order, the SERVICE PROVIDER shall be solely responsible for performance of all duties hereunder.

The term Service as used in this AGREEMENT shall include the Services and deliverables contained in any Work Order issued by the CITY.

The CITY may, at any time during the term of a particular Work Order and without invalidating the Work Order, make changes to the scope of the particular Service. Changes shall be agreed upon in writing by the parties by Change Order, a sample of which is attached hereto as Exhibit C, consisting of [# of Pages] and incorporated herein.

2. Work Order Schedule. The Services to be performed pursuant to this AGREEMENT shall be initiated as specified on each Work Order. Time is of the essence. Any change in schedule must be agreed upon in writing by the parties via a Change Order.

3. Changes. The CITY may, at any time during the term of the AGREEMENT, make changes to the AGREEMENT. Such changes shall be agreed upon in writing by the parties.

4. Agreement Period. This AGREEMENT shall commence , 20 (the Effective Date) and shall continue in full force and effect until , 20 , unless sooner terminated as herein provided. In addition, at the option of the CITY, the AGREEMENT may be extended for additional one (1) year periods not to exceed [choose one] additional one-year period(s). Renewals and pricing changes shall be negotiated by and agreed to by the parties only at the time of renewal. [Any price changes shall not exceed percent (%) per annual renewal]. Written notice of renewal shall be provided to the SERVICE PROVIDER no later than thirty (30) days before AGREEMENT end. Should written notice of renewal be delayed, the parties agree that this AGREEMENT may automatically extend on a month-to-month basis until a renewal is completed. Upon expiration of the final renewal term, the AGREEMENT may continue but not to exceed one (1) year if required to complete any active Work Orders in accordance with Section 8-186 of City Code.

5. Early Termination by CITY. Notwithstanding the time periods contained herein, the CITY may terminate this…