Purchasing &

Contracting Department

1117 Eisenhower Drive, Suite C, Savannah, Georgia 31406

(912) 790-1618

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

RFP NO. 23-0080-7

CHATHAM COUNTY – PHASE I HISTORIC RESOURCES

SURVEY

(project funded in whole or in part with federal funds)

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE: 10:00 A.M., MAY 23, 2023

(AUDIO AVAILABILITY ONLY)

PROPOSALS RECEIVED BY: 5:00 P.M. JUNE 8, 2023

CHATHAM COUNTY, GEORGIA

OFFICE OF THE PURCHASING DIRECTOR

1117 EISENHOWER DRIVE, SUITE C

SAVANNAH, GEORGIA 31406

(912) 790-1623

DATE: May 4, 2023 RFP NO.: 23-0080-7

GENERAL INFORMATION FOR REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

This is an invitation to submit a proposal to supply Chatham County with services as indicated herein. Proposals shall be submitted on-line on the County’s procurement portal https://chathamcountyga.bonfirehub.com/projects up to 5:00 P.M., June 8, 2023. The Purchasing

Director reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to waive formalities.

Instructions for preparation and submission of a qualification proposal are contained in the Request for Proposal package. Please note that specific forms for submission of a proposal are required.

A pre-proposal conference has been scheduled for 10:00A.M. May 23, 2023. Participants may attend by calling 1-888-585-9008, conference room code 743-636-882, to discuss the specifications and resolve any questions and/or misunderstanding that may arise. Participants attending remotely are asked to mute phones when not speaking, in consideration of others. You are encouraged to attend.

Any changes to the conditions and specifications must be in the form of a written addendum to be valid; therefore, the Purchasing Director will issue a written addendum to document approved changes. Generally, when addenda(s) are required, the proposal submission date is subject to change.

For good and sufficient reason, up to 24 hours before the advertised deadline, the County may extend the response schedule. An addendum will be issued setting forth the new date and time.

Chatham County has an equal opportunity procurement policy. Chatham County seeks to ensure that all segments of the business community have access to providing services needed by County programs. The County affirmatively works to encourage utilization of disadvantaged and minority business enterprises in our procurement activities. The County provides equal opportunity for all businesses and does not discriminate against any persons or businesses regardless of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin or handicap. The County expects its contractors to make maximum feasible use of minority businesses and qualified minority employees. The terms

"disadvantaged business", "minority business enterprise", and "minority person" are more specifically defined and explained in the Chatham County Purchasing Ordinance.

SECTION I

INSTRUCTIONS TO PROPOSERS

https://chathamcountyga.bonfirehub.com/projects

1.1 PURPOSE: The purpose of this document is to provide general and specific information for use in submitting a qualification proposal to supply Chatham County with services as described herein. All proposals are governed by the Code of Chatham County, Chapter 4, Article IV, and the laws of the State of Georgia.

1.2 HOW TO PREPARE PROPOSALS: All proposals shall be:

A. Proposers are encouraged to review carefully all provisions and attachments of this document prior to submission. Each proposal constitutes an offer and may not be withdrawn except as provided herein.

1.3 HOW TO SUBMIT PROPOSALS: All proposals shall be:

A. Submitted on-line on the County’s procurement portal at:

https://chathamcountyga.bonfirehub.com/projects.

** In submitting their proposal, the proposer certifies that he/she has carefully read all related Request for Proposal documents and agrees to comply with all provisions.

B. If a proposer is unable to submit their proposal on-line, they should notify the procurement contact for the solicitation prior to proposals being due to receive instructions. The County is seeking to conduct all solicitations on-line. The phone number for Purchasing and Contracting is 912-790-1618.

1.4 HOW TO SUBMIT AN OBJECTION: Objections from Offerors to this Request for

Proposals and/or these specifications should be brought to the attention of the County

Purchasing Director in the following manner:

A. When a pre-proposal conference is scheduled, the Proposer may object in writing any time prior to or at the pre-proposal conference.

B. When a pre-proposal conference is not scheduled, the Proposer shall object in writing not less than five (5) days prior to the Date for submission.

C. The objections contemplated must pertain to both form and substance of the

Request for Proposal documents. Failure to object in accordance with the above procedure will constitute a waiver on the part of the business to protest this Request for Proposal.

1.5 ERRORS IN PROPOSALS: Proposers or their authorized representatives are expected to fully inform themselves as to the conditions, requirements, and specifications before submitting proposals. Failure to do so will be at the Proposer's own risk.

1.6 STANDARDS FOR ACCEPTANCE OF PROPOSERS FOR CONTRACT AWARD:

The County reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals and to waive any irregularities or technicalities in Proposals received whenever such rejection or waiver is in the best interest of the County. The County reserves the right to reject the Offer of a Proposer who has previously failed to perform properly or complete on time contracts of a similar nature, whom investigation shows is not in a position to perform the contract.

1.7 PROPOSER: Whenever the term "Proposer" is used, it shall encompass the "person", "business", "firm", or other party submitting a proposal to Chatham County in such capacity before a contract has been entered into between such party and the County.

1.8 COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS: The Proposer shall obtain and maintain all licenses, permits, liability insurance, workman's compensation insurance and comply with any and all other standards or regulations required by Federal, State or County statute, ordinances and rules during the performance of any contract between the Proposer and the County.

Any such requirement specifically set forth in any contract document between the Proposer and the County shall be supplementary to this section and not in substitution thereof.

1.9 CONSULTANT: Consultant or subconsultant means any person, firm, or business having a contract with Chatham County. The Consultant certifies that the firm will follow equal employment opportunity practices in connection with the awarded contract as more fully specified in the contract documents.

1.10 DEBARRED FIRMS AND PENDING LITIGATION: Any potential proposer/firm listed on the Federal or State of Georgia Excluded Parties Listing (Barred from doing business) will not be considered for contract award. It is the proposer’s responsibility to inform the County should the proposer/firm be placed on the Federal or State of Georgia

Excluded Parties Listing during the proposal process. Proposers shall disclose any record of pending criminal violations (Indictment) and/or convictions, pending lawsuits, etc., and any actions that may be a conflict of interest occurring within the past five (5) years. Any proposer/firm previously defaulting or terminating a contract with the County will not be considered. Successful proposers with whom the County enters into a contract with for goods or services will notify the County if they become debarred during the course of the contract.

** All bidders or proposers are to read and complete the Disclosure of Responsibility

Statement. Failure to do so may result in your solicitation response being rejected as non-responsive.

Bidder acknowledges that in performing contract work for the Board, bidder shall not utilize any firms that have been a party to any of the above actions. If bidder has engaged any firm to work on this contract or project that is later debarred, Bidder shall sever its relationship with that firm with respect to Board contract.

1.12 PERFORMANCE EVALUATION: On April 11, 2008, the Chatham County Board of

Commissioners approved a change to the County Purchasing Ordinance requiring

Contractor/Consultant Performance Evaluations, at a minimum, annually, prior to contract anniversary date.

Should Contractor/Consultant performance be unsatisfactory, the appointed County

Project Manager for the contract may prepare a Contractor/Consultant Complaint Form or a Performance Evaluation to the County Purchasing Director.

SECTION II

PROPOSAL CONDITIONS

2.1 SPECIFICATIONS: Any obvious error or omission in specifications shall not inure to the benefit of the bidder but shall put the Proposer on notice to inquire of or identify the same to the County.

2.2 MULTIPLE PROPOSALS: No Proposer will be allowed to submit more than one offer.

Any alternate proposals must be brought to the Purchasing Director's attention during the

Pre-proposal Conference or submitted in writing at least five (5) days preceding the date for submission of proposals.

2.3 OFFERS TO BE FIRM: The Proposer warrants that terms and conditions quoted in his offer will be firm for acceptance for a period of sixty (60) days from bid date submitted, unless otherwise stated in the proposal. When requested to provide a fee proposal, fees quoted must also be firm for a sixty-day period.

2.4 COMPLETENESS: All information required by the Request for Proposals must be completed and submitted to constitute a proper proposal.

2.5 LIABILITY PROVISIONS: Where Proposers are required to enter or go into Chatham

County property to take measurements or gather other information in order to prepare the proposal as requested by the County, the Proposer shall be liable for any injury, damage or loss occasioned by negligence of the Proposer, his agent, or any person the Proposer has designated to prepare the Offer and shall indemnify and hold harmless Chatham County from any liability arising therefrom. The contract document specifies the liability provisions required of the successful Proposer in order to be awarded a contract with

Chatham County.

2.6 CERTIFICATION OF INDEPENDENT PRICE DETERMINATION: By submission of this Offer, the Proposer certifies, and in the case of a joint offer, each party thereto certifies as to its own organization, that in connection with this procurement:

(1) The prices in this offer have been arrived at independently, without consultation, communication, or agreement, for the purpose of restricting competition, as to any matter relating to such prices with any other competitor.

(2) Unless otherwise required by law, the prices which have been quoted in this offer have not been knowingly disclosed by the Proposer and will not knowingly be disclosed by the Proposer prior to opening, directly or indirectly to any other competitor; and

(3) No attempt has been made or will be made by the Proposer to induce any other person or firm to submit or not submit an offer for the purpose of restricting competition.

2.7 AWARD OF CONTRACT: The contract, if awarded, will be awarded to that responsible

Proposer whose proposal will be most advantageous to Chatham County, price and other factors considered. The Board of Commissioners will make the determination as to which proposal best serves the interest of Chatham County.

2.8 PROCUREMENT PROTESTS: Objections and protests to any portion of the procurement process or actions of the County staff may be filed with the Purchasing

Director for review and resolution. The Chatham County Purchasing Ordinance – Part 9 –

Vendor Disputes shall govern the review and resolution of all protests.

2.9 QUALIFICATION OF BUSINESS (RESPONSIBLE PROPOSER): A responsible

Proposer is defined as one who meets, or by the date of the acceptance can meet, all requirements for licensing, insurance, and service contained within this Request for

Proposals. Chatham County has the right to require any or all Proposers to submit documentation of the ability to perform the service requested.

Chatham County has the right to disqualify the proposal of any Proposer as being unresponsive or unresponsible whenever such Proposer cannot document the ability to deliver the requested service.

2.10 COUNTY TAX CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENT: A current Chatham County or municipal business license (within the State of Georgia) is required unless otherwise specified. A firm need not have a Chatham County Business License prior to submitting a proposal. However, a license must be obtained by the successful firm prior to execution of a contract. Being registered with the Georgia Secretary of State is not a substitute for a business license/tax certificate.

Please contact the Chatham County Department of Building Safety and Regulatory Services at (912) 201-4300 for additional information.

NOTE: No contract shall be awarded unless all real and personal property taxes have been paid by the successful consultant and/or subconsultant as adopted by the Board of

Commissioners on 8 April 1994.

2.11 INSURANCE PROVISIONS, GENERAL: The selected CONSULTANT shall be required to procure and maintain for the duration of the contract insurance against claims for injuries to persons or damages to property, which may arise from or in connection with the performance of the work, hereunder by the Consultant, his agents, representatives, employees or subconsultants. The cost of such insurance shall be included in the Bid.

It is every Consultant’s responsibility to provide the County Purchasing and Contracting

Division current and up-to-date Certificates of Insurance and Declaration Sheets for multiple year contracts before the end of each term. Failure to do so may be cause for termination of contract.

2.11.1 General Information that shall appear on a Certificate of Insurance:

I. Name of the Producer (Consultant’s insurance Broker/Agent).

II. Companies affording coverage (there may be several).

III. Name and Address of the Insured (this should be the Company or Parent of the firm Chatham County is contracting with).

IV. Summary of all current insurance for the insured (includes effective dates of coverage).

V. A brief description of the operations to be performed, the specific job to be performed, or contract number.

VI. Certificate Holder (This is to always include Chatham County).

Chatham County as an “Additional Insured”: Chatham County invokes the defense of “sovereign immunity.” In order not to jeopardize the use of this defense, the County is not to be included as an “Additional Insured” on insurance contracts.

2.11.2 Minimum Limits of Insurance to be maintained for the duration of the contract:

A. Commercial General Liability: Provides protection against bodily injury and property damage claims arising from operations of a Consultant or

Tenant. This policy coverage includes premises and operations, use of independent consultants, products/completed operations, personal injury, contractual, broad form property damage, and underground, explosion and collapse hazards. Minimum limits: $1,000,000 bodily injury and property damage per occurrence and annual aggregate.

B. Worker's Compensation and Employer’s Liability: Provides statutory protection against bodily injury, sickness or disease sustained by employees of the Consultant while performing within the scope of their duties.

Employer’s Liability coverage is usually included in Worker’s

Compensation policies and insures common law claims of injured employees made in lieu of or in addition to a Worker’s Compensation claim.

Minimum limits: $500,000 for each accident, disease policy limit, each employee and Statutory Worker’s Compensation limit.

C. Business Automobile Liability: Coverage insures against liability claims arising out of the Consultant’s use of automobiles. Minimum limit:

$1,000,000 combined single limit per accident for bodily injury and property damage. Coverage should be written on an “Any Auto” basis.

D. Fidelity Bond/Professional Liability: $3,000,000 covers loss due to crime or dishonesty by employee of/or the CONSULTANT.

2.11.3 Special Requirements:

Claims-Made Coverage: The limits of liability shall remain the same as the occurrence basis, however, the Retroactive date shall be prior to the coincident with the date of any contract, and the Certificate of Insurance shall state the coverage is claims-made. The Retroactive date shall also be specifically stated on the Certificate of Insurance.

A. Extended Reporting Periods: The Consultant shall provide the County with a notice of the election to initiate any Supplemental Extended

Reporting Period and the reason(s) for invoking this option.

B. Reporting Provisions: Any failure to comply with reporting provisions of the policies shall not affect coverage provided in relation to this request.

C. Cancellation: Each insurance policy that applies to this request shall be endorsed to state that it shall not be suspended, voided, or canceled, except after thirty (30) days prior to written notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, has been given to the County.

D. Proof of Insurance: Chatham County shall be furnished with certificates of insurance and with original endorsements affecting coverage required by this request. The certificates and endorsements are to be signed by a person authorized by the insurer to bind coverage on its behalf. All certificates of insurance are to be submitted prior to, and approved by, the County before services are rendered. The Consultant must ensure Certificate of Insurance are updated for the entire term of the County Contract.

E. Insurer Acceptability: Insurance is to be placed with an insurer having an

A.M. Best’s rating of A and a five (5) year average financial rating of not less than V. If an insurer does not qualify for averaging on a five-year basis, the current total Best’s rating will be used to evaluate insurer acceptability.

F. Lapse in Coverage: A lapse in coverage shall constitute grounds for contract termination by the Chatham County Board of Commissioners.

G. Deductibles and Self-Insured Retention: Any deductibles or self-insured retention must be declared to, and approved by, the County. At the option of the County, either: the insurer shall reduce or eliminate such deductibles or self-insured retention as related to the County, its officials, officers, employees, and volunteers; or the Consultant shall procure a bond guaranteeing payment of related suits, losses, claims, and related investigation, claim administration and defense expenses.

2.12 INDEMNIFICATION: The PROPOSER agrees to protect, defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Chatham County, Georgia, its commissioners, officers, agents, and employees from and against any and all liability, damages, claims, suits, liens, and judgments, of whatever nature, including claims for contribution and/or indemnification, for injuries to or death of any person or persons, or damage to the property or other rights of any person or persons caused by the PROPOSER or its subproposers. The PROPOSER’s obligation to protect, defend, indemnify, and hold harmless, as set forth herein above shall include, but not be limited to, any matter arising out of any actual or alleged infringement of any patent, trademark, copyright, or service mark, or any actual or alleged unfair competition, disparagement of product or service, or other business tort of any type whatsoever, or any actual or alleged violation of trade regulations. PROPOSER further agrees to investigate, handle, respond to, provide defense for, and to protect, defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Chatham County, Georgia, at his sole expense, and agrees to bear all other costs and expenses related thereto, even if such claims, suits, etc., are groundless, false, or fraudulent, including any and all claims or liability for compensation under the

Worker's Compensation Act arising out of injuries sustained by any employee of the

PROPOSER or his subconsultant or anyone directly or indirectly employed by any of them.

The PROPOSER’s obligation to indemnify Chatham County under this Section shall not be limited in any way by the agreed-upon contract price, or to the scope and amount of coverage provided by any insurance maintained by the PROPOSER.

2.13 COMPLIANCE WITH SPECIFICATION - TERMS AND CONDITIONS: The

Request for Proposals, Legal Advertisement, General Conditions and Instructions to

Proposers, Specifications, Special Conditions, Proposers Offer, Addendum, and/or any other pertinent documents form a part of the Offeror's proposal and by reference are made a part hereof.

2.14 SIGNED RESPONSE CONSIDERED AN OFFER: The submitted Response shall be considered an offer on the part of the Proposer, which offer shall be deemed accepted upon approval by the Chatham County Board of Commissioners, Purchasing Director or his designee. In case of a default on the part of the Proponent after such acceptance, Chatham

County may take such action, as it deems appropriate, including legal action for damages or lack of required performance.

2.15 NOTICE TO PROCEED: The successful proposer shall not commence work under this

Request for Proposal until a written contract is awarded and the Purchasing Director or his designee issues a Notice to Proceed. If the successful Proposer does commence any work or deliver items prior to receiving official notification, he does so at his own risk.

2.16 PAYMENT TO CONSULTANT: Instructions for invoicing the County for service delivered to the County are specified in the contract document.

A. Questions regarding payment may be directed to the Finance Department at (912)

652-7905 or the County’s Project Manager as specified in the contract documents.

B. Consultant will be paid the agreed upon compensation upon satisfactory progress or completion of the work as more fully described in the contract document.

C. Upon completion of the work, the Consultant will provide the County with an affidavit certifying all suppliers, persons or businesses employed by the Consultant for the work performed for the County have been paid in full.

D. Chatham County is a tax-exempt entity. Every consultant, vendor, business or person under contract with Chatham County is required by Georgia law to pay State sales or use taxes for products purchased in Georgia or transported into Georgia and sold to Chatham County by contract. Please consult the State of Georgia, Department of Revenue, Sales and Use Tax Unit in Atlanta (404) 656-4065 for additional information.

2.17 LICENSES, PERMITS, AND TAXES: The price or prices for the service shall include full compensation for all fees that the proponent is or may be required to pay. Chatham

County is Tax Exempt. The Purchasing & Contracting Office upon request at (912) 790-

1623 will provide a Tax Exemption Certificate.

2.18 MINORITY – WOMEN BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PARTICIPATION: It is the desire of the County Board of Commissioners to increase the participation of minority (MBE) and women-owned (WBE) business in its contracting and procurement programs.

The County is committed to a policy of equitable participation for these firms by setting goals for each contract. Bidder/proposers are requested to include in their proposals a narrative describing their past accomplishments and intended actions in this area. If bidder/proposers are considering minority or women owned enterprise participation in their proposal, those firms, and their specific duties must be identified in their proposal along with the percentage(s) and dollar amount awarded to the MBE/WBE firm. Proposers may also provide demographic information regarding their employees to show their commitment to equal opportunity. If a bidder/proposer is considered for award, he/she will be asked to meet with the County Staff so that the intended MBE/WBE participation goals can be formalized and included in the subsequent contract.

An MBE/WBE is a for-profit small business concern where minorities or female owners have at least a 51% interest and also control management and daily business operations. A

Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) is considered an M/WBE in most of its procurement documents unless the County is using federal or state funding sources.

If the awarded consultant is claiming minority status, the consultant shall apply for certification by Chatham County, Georgia to the Office of Minority Business Coordinator.

The Minority Business Coordinator will provide documentation of application status once approved or disapproved by Chatham County. Certification by any other government entity is acceptable if current copy of the certification is provided with this solicitation. For additional information concerning Chatham County’s M/WBE Coordinator, please contact Connell Heyward, at (912) 652-7860, or cheyward@chathamcounty.org.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

GENERAL CONDITIONS

mailto:cheyward@chathamcounty.org

SECTION III

3.1 DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES: Chatham County Board of Commissioners is soliciting proposals from a qualified consultant to perform a historic resource survey, as described in full through this Request for Proposals (RFP). Respondents to this RFP as well as the selected Consultant (“Consultant”) will be bound through a mutually executed contract (“Contract”) to the terms and conditions of this RFP. The County presents this

“Request for Proposal” to describe its needs and those criteria which will be used to determine the selection of a consultant.

3.2 METHODOLOGY: The procurement described herein may be conducted in a two-step process.

STEP ONE- ACCEPTANCE AND EVALUATION OF QUALIFICATION

PROPOSALS: All technical requirements, unless otherwise specified, must be met by the proponent or such proposal may be disqualified as being non-responsive. Proposals that are deemed incomplete as to substance and content may be returned without consideration. A shortlist of qualified firms will be developed and ranked.

The evaluation committee will make the selection of the firm which it believes is best qualified to provide the services, cost proposal and other qualitative factors considered. It is emphasized that the firm which offers the lowest cost proposal will not necessarily be the firm selected. The selection will be made of that firm which provides the best proposal.

“Best” is defined as the best combination of qualitative factors and cost proposal.

An evaluation committee will review all proposals received by the due date and time as part of a documented evaluation process. The Committee will evaluate proposals according to but not limited to the following criteria:

• Experience and qualifications of the consultant

• Project Understanding/Methodology to perform the work

• Minority and Woman Owned Business Participation

• References and samples of similar work

• Fee proposal

The Evaluation Committee reserves the right to determine the suitability of proposals on the basis of all of these criteria.

STEP 2 – INTERVIEWS/PRESENTATION: The evaluation committee may request interview from any or all proposers. It is the sole responsibility of the evaluation committee to determine if interviews will be required. It will be at the discretion of the evaluation committee on the number of firms that will interview. The interviews will be scored, and the points added to the total score.

3.3 WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSAL: Any proposal submitted before the deadline may be withdrawn by written request received by the County before the time fixed for receipt of proposals. Withdrawal of any proposal will not prejudice the right of a proponent to submit a new or amended proposal as long as Chatham County receives it by the deadline as provided herein.

3.4 CONFIDENTIALITY OF DOCUMENTS: Upon receipt of a proposal by the County, the proposal shall become the property of the County without compensation to the proponent, for disposition or usage by the County at its discretion (except for as provided by Georgia law for proprietary information). The details of the proposal documents will remain confidential until final award or rejection of proposals and/or protected under the restraints of law. Only final points and ranking of proposals will be openly disclosed prior to approval by the Board of Commissioners. Proponent shall have no contact with any

Department Representative or Evaluation Committee Member during the solicitation process and evaluation phase. Any information contained in the proposal that is considered by the Proponent as “proprietary” to remain confidential shall be clearly identified and justified.

3.5 CONE OF SILENCE: Lobbying of Procurement Evaluation Committee members, County Government employees, and elected officials regarding this product or service solicitation, Invitation to Bid (ITB) or Request for Proposal (RFP) or contract by any member of a proposer’s staff, or those people employed by any legal entity affiliated with an organization that is responding to the solicitation is strictly prohibited. Negative campaigning through the mass media about the current service delivery is strictly prohibited. Such actions may cause your proposal to be rejected.

3.6 FORMAT OF RESPONSES: To be considered, proponents must submit a complete response to the Request for Proposal. The format provided in this Section is not negotiable.

To assure a uniform review process and obtain the maximum degree of comparability, each proposal shall include the following content and shall be presented in the following order:

A. Introduction/Cover Letter

B. Experience and Qualifications

C. Project Understanding/Methodology

D. MBE/WBE Participation

E. Fee Proposal - Submit using the Fee Proposal Form

F. References

3.7 COMPENSATION: The County has attempted in SECTION V to provide as much information about the project as possible to enable firms to structure their offer.

3.8 REJECTING PROPOSALS: The County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and is not bound to accept any proposal if that proposal is contrary to the best interest of

Chatham County. Similarly, the County is not bound to accept the lowest dollar proposal if the offer is not considered in the County's best interest.

3.9 COST TO PREPARE RESPONSES: The County assumes no responsibility or obligation to the respondents and will make no payment for any costs associated with the preparation or submission of the proposal.

3.10 INQUIRIES: Direct any questions related to this RFP to Ms. Robin Maurer, Asst.

Purchasing Director, and submit all questions through the County’s procurement portal https://chathamcountyga.bonfirehub.com/projects Q&A section. Include the RFP number, page, and paragraph number as a reference to each question. DEADLINE FOR ALL

QUESTIONS IS ten days prior to due date.

THE ONLY OFFICIAL ANSWER OR POSITION OF CHATHAM COUNTY WILL BE

THE ONE STATED IN WRITING.

3.11 METHOD OF SOURCE SELECTION: Chatham County is using the Competitive

Sealed Proposal method of source selection, as authorized by Part 3, Section I, B. of the

Chatham County Purchasing Ordinance for this procurement.

An award, if made, will be made to the responsible offeror whose proposal is most advantageous to Chatham County, taking into consideration price and other factors set forth in this Request for Proposal (RFP). The County will not use any other factors or criteria in the evaluation of the proposals received.

3.12 EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: During the performance of this contract, the COMPANY agrees as follows:

The COMPANY will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, creed, color, sex, age, national origin, place of birth, physical handicap, or marital status.

SECTION IV

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

4.1 PENDING LITIGATION: Proposals will not be accepted from any company, firm, person, or party, parent subsidiary, against which Chatham County has an outstanding claim, or a financial dispute relating to prior contract performance. If the County, at any time, discovers such a dispute during any point of evaluation, the proposal will not be considered further.

4.2 EVALUATION FACTORS: Factors such as proponents’ overall capability, specialized experience, reputation, past performance on similar projects, technical competence, financial stability, ability to meet program goals, delivery under the contract terms, and cost schedule will be considered in the award recommendation. Commitment in the level of involvement of local MBE/WBE firms, consultants and employees will also be considered in the evaluation of proposals.

4.3 SELECTION PROCESS: Proposals will be evaluated initially based on the written document. Thus, the proposal must be complete, concise, and clear as to the intent of the respondent. Further evaluation may include an oral presentation which would be scheduled after receipt of the written proposal.

4.4 CONTRACT: The successful respondent will be expected to execute a contract within

30 days of notice of award. Upon award of the contract, the proponent shall be bound to deliver services on the terms and conditions of this document and any negotiations which may occur. As well, the County shall be bound on the said terms and conditions to procure the services described and remit payment to the proponent when services are completed and accepted.

4.5 PROPOSALS MUST BE RESPONSIVE TO:

4.5.1 INTRODUCTION/COVER LETTER (SECTION A): You should provide no more than a two (2) page letter of introduction. The letter should highlight or summarize whatever information you deem appropriate as a cover letter, as a minimum, this section should include the name, address, telephone number and fax number of one (1) contact to whom any correspondence should be directed. This section should include a clear statement of the Proposer’s understanding of this RFP and the contract requirements, and how the Proposer intends to meet the RFP requirements.

4.5.2 EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS - TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: 30

(SECTION B):

1. List of two (2) successful previous historical and/or cultural resource survey projects you have performed and provide copies similar to this RFP performed with a brief narrative of each project, client, services provided by consultant, value of services, current status on date of completion, project management, client’s project manager, and phone number. Include a statement as to why it is considered a similar project. List of key personnel including project manager along with resumes. Identify the person who on a day-by-day basis will be responsible for the work. Identify the key personnel necessary for implementing the project. Describe how key personnel will be involved in this project. Describe availability of project manager and key personnel for this project.

2. Basis of Evaluation:

a. Relationship of Experience to this project as it relates to size, quality, and relevance.

b. Quality and relevant experience to project and the County goals.

c. Does description include all categories and how personnel function within categories?

d. Information should be complete and in a clear and concise manner.

4.5.3 PROJECT UNDERSTANDING/METHODOLOGY - TOTAL POSSIBLE

POINTS: 20 (SECTION C):

1. List key elements of project and how each will be addressed. Discuss your methodology in detail that will provide improvement in the County’s understanding of its historic and cultural resources.

2. Basis of Evaluation

a. Is the project discussion and schedule reasonable?

b. Is the methodology reasonable and achievable?

c. Discuss method and timing of implementing project.

4.5.4 MBE/WBE PARTICIPATION - TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: 15

(SECTION E): Disadvantaged Firm Involvement. Commitment in the level of local MBE/WBE firms, subcontractors, consultants and employees.

Approach to meeting and exceeding the MBE/WBE requirements. History of

Minority-owned, Women-owned business utilization. Narrative describing past accomplishment in this area. Proposers may also provide their company’s employee demographic information regarding their company’s commitment to equal opportunity.

4.5.5 FEE PROPOSAL - TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: 20 (SECTION F): As outline on fee proposal page.

4.5.6 REFERENCES – TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: 5 (SECTION G): Please provide at least three (3) references from clients for whom you’ve performed similar work. Provide the client’s name, address, phone number and the name of the contact person.

4.5.7 INTERVIEWS (IF REQUIRED) – TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: 30

4.6 ASSIGNMENT: The PROPOSER shall not assign or transfer any interest of the contract without prior written consent of the County.

SECTION V

SCOPE OF WORK

5.1 The Consultant will conduct a Phase I comprehensive Historic Resources Survey of an estimated two hundred forty-one (241) resources (or as many as funds will allow), which will include buildings, structures, sites, and objects, constructed before 1982, and located within the unincorporated area of Chatham County. The survey area will include areas west of I-95 and south of Quacco Road and east of the Savannah-Ogeechee Canal, which is defined on the map at the end of this document.

5.2 All project work shall conform to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Archaeology and Historic Preservation, which include the Standards for Evaluation, Identification, and

Registration. The project work will be prepared in accordance with (a) National Register

Bulletin: Guidelines for Local Surveys: A Basis for Preservation Planning; (b) the Historic

Preservation Division’s guidance materials for identifying and documenting Georgia’s historic resources, including the “Georgia Historic Resources Manual;” and (c) The

Georgia Department of Community Affair’s (DCA) “Georgia’s Natural, Archaeological, and Historic Resources Geographic Information System (GNAHRGIS)”n web-based GIS database.

5.3 The Consultant will meet professional requirements according to the Secretary of the

Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards (36 CFR Part 61) and possesses the following:

5.3.1 A thorough knowledge of and familiarity with American architectural history;

5.3.2 Demonstrated experience in researching and describing historic resources, conducting architectural surveys, and writing historic contexts;

5.3.3 A thorough knowledge of and familiarity with identifying and evaluating

Georgia’s historic resources including architectural styles and types, the

GNAHRGIS database, and survey procedures;

5.3.4 Demonstrated writing skills; and

5.3.5 Experience with digital photography.

5.4 The Consultant must be familiar with data categories and procedures for the GNAHRGIS

System.

5.5 The Consultant will enter all survey data and digital photographs in the GNAHRGIS online database within the contract period. All data groups in GNAHRGIS will be completed for each resource surveyed and a minimum of two (2) digital photographs, dating to within six

(6) months of the survey date, per surveyed resource will be uploaded. Resource information is entered and stored via the GNAHRGIS website. Printed (hard copy) resource “forms” are not required and are not reimbursable as part of this grant.

5.6 The Consultant will provide a survey area map delineating surveyed parcels. The map will indicate the survey area boundary, any relevant local or National Register of Historic

Places-listed historic district boundaries and any proposed amendments to existing boundaries, ALL addresses, legal parcels, ALL GNAHRGIS ID numbers and ALL street names, and be at a scale of 1” = 200’. The map will include a key explaining boundaries.

5.7 The Consultant will provide the County with three (3) final copies and two (2) electronic copies (CD/DVD/USB) of the survey report, and the survey map, within the contract period.

5.8 The survey report is to include at a minimum:

• Executive summary, which includes the total number of surveyed resources;

• Project description, including how the survey was funded, who sponsored the survey, the name of the surveyor, and a general description of the survey area, including a clear statement and justification of the boundaries of the Phase One area surveyed, and the total number of surveyed resources for Phase One;

• In describing the survey’s funding, include the following disclaimer:

“This (material or preservation project) has been financed with assistance from the

Historic Preservation Fund, administered by the National Park Service, U. S.

Department of Interior, through the Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia

Department of Community Affairs. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this [project/product] are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of the Interior or the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial products or consultants constitute endorsement or recommendation by these agencies. This program receives Federal financial assistance for identification and protection of historic properties. Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, the U.S. Department of the

Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, gender or disability in its federally-assisted programs. If you believe you have been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility as described above, or if you desire further information, please write to: Office for Equal Opportunity, National Park Service, 1849 C Street, N. W., Washington, D.C. 20240.”

• Summary of previous preservation projects, including previous survey efforts, local designations, National Register listings, and other historic preservation planning efforts;

• Developmental history, a brief but comprehensive written account of how the area developed over time, socially and physically, and how it reflects distinctive aspects of

Georgia’s history;

• Survey methodology, including the fieldwork techniques and research methods employed while conducting the survey references to previous surveys and any re-survey completed as part of this project;

• Recommendations for future preservation activities, including: potential National Register nominations for individual resources and/or historic districts with basic boundary justification(s) for any proposed historic districts, as applicable; potential updates and/or amendments to existing National Register historic district listings, as applicable;

designation recommendations for potential local historic districts, as applicable; and potential economic development, heritage tourism, and other preservation planning activities;

• The following disclaimer must be included in this section:

“This survey does not change the existing National Register nomination or listing in any way, including but not limited to: contributing/noncontributing status of properties, period of significance, boundaries, and/or additional documentation.

Any amendments, additional information, increase or decrease of boundaries must be made through the formal National Register process outlined in 36 CFR 60, as amended.”

• Survey results and architectural analysis, including the total number of surveyed resources divided into appropriate categories; a table listing all of the building types and all of the architectural styles as identified in GNAHRGIS, in addition to narrative defining the building types and architectural styles; local architectural character; some general observations (such as integrity and condition of resources, character-defining features, and apparent developmental trends), and local landmarks and eccentricities;

• Appendix 1: table listing all GNAHRGIS ID numbers associated with the survey paired with the address of the resource that each GNHARGIS ID number represents.

• Appendix 2: A survey map that delineates the survey area; existing local historic district and National Register-listed district boundaries and potential updates and/or amendments to these existing district boundaries; and the boundaries of identified potential new historic districts (this map will be in addition to the separate 1”=200’ map discussed above).

5.9 The above criteria are the minimum standards. For more detailed guidance on the survey report, please refer to the Georgia Historic Resources Survey Manual.

5.10 All project development by the County shall be reviewed by DCA. The review process includes reviewing and approving consultant selection, the consultant contract, GNAHRGIS data, first draft of the survey report and map, subsequent drafts of the survey report and map, final draft of the survey report and map, and other materials determined necessary during project development.

5.11 Prior to review by DCA, the County shall review drafts of the survey report and map. The

County shall ensure that the Consultant provides GNAHRGIS survey data point documentation at the 25% and 50% data entry due dates.

5.12 The Consultant will complete project work by the following due dates.

August 15, 2023 Approximately 25% of surveyed resource data entered into GNAHRGIS.

Documentation spreadsheet submitted with Second Activity Report.

November 15, 2023 Approximately 50% of surveyed resource data entered into GNAHRGIS.

Documentation spreadsheet submitted with Third Activity Report.

March 1, 2024 First Draft of Survey Report submitted in hard copy (1 unbound copy) or electronic format (MS Word) and map to County for review and comment.

May 15, 2024 Second Draft of Survey Report submitted in hard copy format to the County for review and comment, as necessary.

Final version of one (1) set of survey map(s) submitted for approval by

County.

August 1, 2024 Final Survey Report submitted to County in hard copy format three (3) copies and two (2) electronic copies (CD/DVD/USB).

Final Survey Map Submitted to County (1 copy).

All GNAHRGIS data and digital photographs for each resource completed.

MAP

CHATHAM COUNTY, PHASE I

HISTORIC RESOURCES SURVEY

Map delineating boundaries of FFY 2022 HPF grant-funded, historic resources survey for the

Chatham County, Phase I identified as area within red boundary lines.

If funds allow for survey of additional resources outside of these boundaries, the Consultant and the County should work with DCA to define additional survey area boundaries in a systematic manner.

NOTE ON RESURVEY OF RESOURCES

COUNTY OF CHATHAM

HISTORIC RESOURCES SURVEY

In 1993, Chatham County was surveyed, and resources documented through this survey were later entered into GNAHRGIS with varying degrees of accuracy. Therefore, this survey will likely have a high number of resurveyed resources. The below image of GNAHRGIS shows resources located within and around the proposed survey area. This means the surveyor will need to identify previously surveyed points in GNAHRGIS and link new survey data (or resurveyed resources) to the previous entry to avoid duplicate entries for the same resource.

The surveyor will need to find the previous point or GNAHRGIS ID number via an address search, by locating the resource geographically using the GNAHRGIS map, or by exporting survey data from the GNAHRGIS Public website and filtering the points to identify those within the current survey area boundary. The address search method for locating previously surveyed resources will likely be the most helpful within municipalities or when a resource’s address is clearly defined. In more rural areas of the county, where an exact address may not be immediately apparent, the method of geographically locating the resources using the GNAHRGIS map will likely be more effective.

These processes are discussed in detail in the GNAHRGIS help guides located within the web site.

Account for this process in determining time and budget allowances for this survey.

Figure 1 Screenshot of Chatham County survey area in GNAHRGIS database, 3/14/2023.

SECTION VI

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

RFP NO. 23-0080-7

FEE PROPOSAL FORM

TOTAL FEE FOR PROGRAM ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE

CHATHAM COUNTY PHASE I – HISTORIC RESOURCES SURVEY

Lump Sum Fee $________________

Lump Sum Fee is to include all fees and reimbursables to meet the requirements of RFP documents including Section V, Scope of Services.

FIRM NAME:

PROPOSER:

SIGNATURE:

ADDRESS:

CITY/STATE/ZIP:

TELEPHONE:

FAX NUMBER:

E-MAIL: