RFP 26-010 - Climate Action Plan Development Services.pdf

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Climate Action Plan (CAP) Development Services

RFP #26-010

Prepared By:

Columbia County Central Services | Columbia County Planning

401 State Street, Hudson, NY 12534

Phone: 518-828-2031

Marissa.hogencamp@columbiacountyny.gov

Donald.meltz@columbiacountyny.gov

Patrice.perry@columbiacountyny.gov

Date: September 22, 2026 mailto:Marissa.hogencamp@columbiacountyny.gov mailto:Donald.meltz@columbiacountyny.gov

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LEGAL NOTICE

COUNTY OF COLUMBIA

NOTICE TO VENDORS

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that sealed bids will be received for

Climate Action Plan (CAP) Development Services at the office of Columbia County Central Services, 401 State St., Hudson, New York 12534 until

2:00 P.M., Thursday, October 29, 2026. Bids shall be contained in a sealed envelope, clearly marked “Climate Action Plan (CAP) Development Services Bid”. Bids will be publicly opened and read at the Columbia County Office Building, Committee Room, 401 State Street, Hudson, New York, at 2:15 P.M., Thursday, October 29, 2026.

Bid packages can be obtained by any bidder at the Columbia County Department of Central

Services, 401 State Street, Hudson, New York, and shall be prepared in accordance with the forms contained in the bid package.

No bid may be withdrawn for a period of forty-five (45) days from the date of the bid opening.

The County of Columbia reserves the right to reject any and all bids.

RFP#: 26-010

Dated: September 22, 2026

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GENERAL

1. The date, time and place of bid opening will be given in the Notice to Vendors.

2. All bids must be submitted in accordance with instructions provided in the bid package. All bids received that are not in accordance with these instructions will NOT be considered.

3. All bids received after the time stated in the Notice to Vendors will NOT be considered. The

Bidder assumes the risk of any delay in the mail or in the handling of the mail by employees of

Columbia County.

4. All information required by the Notice to Vendors, Instructions to Bidders, Specifications, or otherwise throughout the Bid Package, must be given to constitute a bid. Incomplete bids will be rejected.

5. All addenda issued subsequent to the original issuance of the bid shall become a part of the total bid package.

6. Those submitting bids do so entirely at their own expense. There is no express or implied obligation by the County to reimburse any entity, firm or individual for any costs incurred in preparing or submitting a bid, preparing or submitting additional information requested by the

County, or participating in any selection interviews.

7. Vendors are limited to 1 (one) bid. Prices and information required must be legible. Illegible or vague bids may be rejected. All signatures must be written. Facsimile, printed, or typewritten signatures are not acceptable.

8. Purchases by the County of Columbia for its use are not subject to any sales, use or federal excise taxes, and exemption certificates will be executed upon request.

9. Purchases by the County of Columbia shall not be subject to any late or interest charges.

10. Price shall be net and shall include delivery (no fuel surcharges) of the material or item to the location(s) specified regardless of order size (no minimum order requirement). All transportation and delivery charges will be prepaid by the successful bidder to the point of delivery.

11. The County of Columbia guarantees no minimum or maximum purchases.

12. The County of Columbia reserves the right to waive any formalities or reject any and all bids, or to accept any bid which it deems in the best interest of the County of Columbia.

13. Award of the bid shall be made according to law as soon as practicable after the public opening of bids. No bidder may withdraw a bid for a period of forty-five (45) days from the date of the bid opening.

14. Any award of this bid for the services contemplated hereunder shall be conditioned on the later execution of a formal written contract. All bids are open to negotiation until a contract is executed.

The County reserves the right to revoke or rescind any award at any time prior to the full execution of a formal written contract.

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GENERAL (CONT’D)

15. The Bidder’s Certification of Compliance with Iran Divestment Act, pursuant to Section 103-g of the General Municipal Law, must accompany each bid.

16. The Non-Collusive Bidding Certificate as required by Chapter 956 of the Laws of New York

State, pursuant to Section 103-d of the General Municipal Law, must accompany each bid.

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SOLICITATION AVENUES

The solicitation of bids shall occur on http://www.columbiacountyny.gov/, https://www.bidnetdirect.com/new-york/ columbiacountyny, New York State Contract Reporter, NY

Upstate APA: https://www.nyupstateplanning.org/rfps-rfqs, in the Register Star Newspaper and through direct emailing to known providers.

SUBMISSION OF BIDS

An original, one (1) copy, and one (1) USB Flash drive in PDF format of each bid response is to be submitted at the date, time, and location specified in the Notice to Vendors. All bids received after the time stated in the Notice to Vendors will NOT be considered. The Bidder assumes the risk of any delay in the mail or in the handling of the mail by employees of Columbia County. All required forms MUST be submitted in the original bid package.

BID FORMAT

Included in each bid submission should be the following:

Statement of Qualifications, including resumes and references

Description of Proposed Services & Demonstrated Understanding of Project

Cost Proposal

MWBE/SDVOB Certification, if applicable

Exceptions, if applicable

Alternatives, if applicable

Non-Collusive Bidding Certificate

Certification of Compliance with Iran Divestment Act

Addenda Page

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Columbia County, New York is developing a Climate Action Plan (CAP) for both government operations and the broader community. The goal is to identify and prioritize actions that will reduce our future greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, thereby reducing the impacts of climate change on our residents, our economy, and the environment.

On behalf of the Columbia County Board of Supervisors, the impacts of climate change are currently being addressed through the County’s Climate Smart Task Force and Coordinator. This Request for

Proposals (RFP) seeks to identify an experienced planning consultant to assist the County in a stakeholder-driven planning process to develop a CAP. This process will develop goals and strategies to reduce GHG emissions that best respond to the particular challenges and needs of our County, local governments, residents, businesses, and non-governmental organizations.

The Columbia County CAP will identify the baseline of current GHG emissions by both County government operations and the Columbia County community as a whole based on the GHG inventories being developed by the County Planning Department and the Capital District Regional Planning

Commission (CDRPC). The CAP will recommend policies and other actions that will reduce these emissions over time. The consultant shall also work with the Climate Smart Task Force’s Land Use

Subcommittee to enhance and expand on sources and sinks of GHG emissions from agriculture and forest land-uses in the County identified in CDRPC’s community GHG inventory. The inventory can be found http://www.columbiacountyny.gov/ https://www.nyupstateplanning.org/rfps-rfqs

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https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/d6e83ce87edf4d43adc20834389c190a.

We expect our selected consultant, in collaboration with CSC Task Force CAP Committee, will lead stakeholder outreach, analyze GHG emission sources and sinks, and propose policy recommendations that lead to long-term GHG reductions. The result will be a plan that includes implementation strategies for both County government operations and the broader Columbia County community. The CAP will also identify the resources required and potential funding sources available to implement a prioritized list of strategies.

The initial contract term for this proposal is for two (2) years and it is the County’s intention to complete the development of the CAP within eighteen to twenty-four (18-24) months from the date that contract is entered into by both parties. It is expected that the consultant will be available to work on the CAP during this entire period, and during any extensions of the contract period.

FUNDING SOURCE AND REQUIREMENTS

This project is being funded in part by The Climate Smart Community Grant Program, Title 15 of the

Environmental Protection Fund through the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. As such, it must include completion of the minimum requirements for the PE02 certification actions: Government

Operations GHG Inventory, Community GHG Inventory, Government Operations Climate Action Plan, and Community Climate Action Plan as described in the CSC certification portal website:

https://climatesmart.ny.gov/actions-certification/actions. Specifically:

• The Community Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory must include:

o Evidence it has been published and released to the public.

o Alignment with Columbia County’s boundary and include Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions.

o A methodology section that describes how it complies with established protocols.

• The Government Operations CAP must include:

o The results of the local government operations GHG inventory.

o At least one GHG reduction target that covers Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions from government operations. The target must use the results of the government operations

GHG inventory as the baseline year.

o A set of prioritized initiatives for reducing GHG emissions from government operations.

• The Community CAP must include:

o The results of a community GHG inventory.

o At least one community-wide GHG reduction target.

o A set of prioritized initiatives for reducing GHG emissions from the community as a whole.

MWBE and SDVOB utilization:

As stipulated by the DEC Grant, this project has a total Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise

(MWBE) Utilization Goal of 30% of the total project cost (up to $18,000.00) and a total Service-Disabled

Veteran-Owned Business (SDVOB) Utilization Goal of 6% of the total project cost (up to $3,600.00).

The chosen consultant is expected to assist the County in meeting these goals, and supply documentation needed in filing the required quarterly reports.

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/d6e83ce87edf4d43adc20834389c190a https://climatesmart.ny.gov/actions-certification/actions

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NYS DEC will also require specific deliverables at specific milestones during the development of the plan. The deliverables will be developed and prepared by the consultant. Submission of deliverables to

DEC will be the responsibility of the County. See the Scope of Services, Tasks section.

With input from the Columbia County CAP Committee, the consultant will accomplish the following program objectives:

• Develop and lead a comprehensive community outreach and communications strategy to solicit input and feedback from a diverse range of stakeholders including County and local government, businesses, non-governmental organizations, and the general public.

• Review the CDRPC Community GHG Inventory and integrate additional analysis from land-uses, and the Government Operations GHG inventory to be provided by the County Planning

Department.

• Work with the County Climate Smart Coordinator and Planning Department to develop a detailed accounting of GHG emission sources and sinks from land-use and land-use change, including specifically from forests and natural lands, working lands, and development.

• Identify and define specific GHG reduction strategies, goals, and reduction targets across all sectors covered by the Government Operations and Community GHG inventories.

• Integrate stakeholder and public input to prioritize reduction strategies and develop an implementation plan.

• Develop metrics to track progress toward the GHG emission reduction targets described in the

CAP.

• Write the draft plan, incorporate feedback, make edits, and develop a final adoptable CAP document.

The Columbia County Climate Smart Communities Task Force Coordinator will be the primary contact for the following:

• Participation in CAP Committee meetings.

• Communication between the consultant team, the CAP Committee, County Planning Department, and the Board of Supervisors.

• Identification of community stakeholders and developing and implementing the communications strategy.

• Facilitation with County staff interviews, community focus groups, and other stakeholder outreach efforts.

• Assistance with the collection of additional data, and analysis of the Community GHG inventory regarding farm and forestry land uses.

• Organization and documentation of all deliverables supplied by the consultant and ensuring they are shared with the CAP Committee, Board of Supervisors (BOS), NYS DEC, and the public.

• Management and reporting of in-kind services and other grant requirements.

• Assisting the consultant and CAP Committee in other ways to ensure the successful completion of the CAP project.

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SCOPE OF SERVICES

The Consultant, in collaboration with the County’s CAP Committee, will develop a Community GHG

Inventory, and a Government Operations and Community Climate Action Plan that includes the following elements and tasks:

Tasks

1) Project kickoff meeting with the CAP Committee and DEC

a) Initial meeting to review the tasks outlined in the grant contract with DEC

b) Deliverables

i) Summary of meeting and timeline/plan for completing the scope of work, developed by the consultant, submitted to DEC by County staff

2) Develop a comprehensive communications and engagement strategy

a) Establish a schedule to meet with County Staff

i) Engage with County department heads and staff as needed to get feedback and input on planning aspects that impact the various County departments

b) Establish a community engagement strategy

i) Develop list of relevant stakeholders to be included in the planning project including but not limited to: students; elderly; advocacy groups; neighborhood associations; chambers of commerce; low income, minority, and vulnerable populations; and disadvantaged community census tracts. Develop outreach materials and a meeting schedule, and facilitate engagement events

ii) Outreach materials should include a combination of print and digital, and may include email, online, website, blog, and social media posts

iii) Coordinate and facilitate initial kick-off meetings and tasks, intermediate publicity events throughout the duration of the project, and provide ample opportunity for stakeholder feedback during the final drafting phase of the plan

c) Coordinate invitations to local officials, staff, advisory agencies, and the public for public hearings and meetings, and provide an opportunity for written and oral comments, as described below:

i) Assist the County in hosting one (1) in-person public meeting to kick off and introduce the

CAP project using visual aids to present general information and CAP benefits to the public

ii) Near the completion of this project, the County and Consultant team will hold at least one (1) public hearing on the final draft of the CAP

iii) All public meetings must be properly noticed within proper time frames

d) Deliverables

i) A written, shareable document that outlines the CAP Committee’s proposed communication and engagement strategy for the duration of the project which includes:

(1) List of identified stakeholders

(2) Copy of the public outreach and engagement plan including proposed meeting schedule

(3) Copies of all committee, workshop, and public meeting materials, pictures, graphics, tables, charts, maps, articles, presentations, and notes developed for the communications and engagement strategy should be provided in a format suitable for use on the Columbia

County Climate Smart Task Force’s (Task Force’s) website

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(4) Any video recordings of meetings, workshops, webinars, and focus groups conducted during the planning process should be provided in a format suitable for uploading to

Columbia County’s YouTube channel

ii) Deliverables will be developed and prepared by the consultant. Submission of deliverables to

DEC will be the responsibility of County staff.

3) Assemble, update, and integrate the Government Operations and Community GHG inventories

a) Review GHG emissions for the community

i) Using the regional Community GHG Inventory developed by CDRPC, extract data pertinent to Columbia County. Generate a community GHG emissions inventory for Columbia County.

Data should include Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions.

ii) Work with the CAP Committee to develop a detailed accounting of GHG emission sources and sinks from land-use and land-use change, including specifically from forests and natural lands, working lands, and development

iii) Complete and analyze baseline assessments that comply with the ICLEI U.S. Community

Protocol for Accounting and Reporting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (US Community

Protocol - https://icleiusa.org/us-community-protocol).

b) Review the GHG emissions from County government operations developed by County staff.

Note - the DEC grant does not include provision for developing a Government Operations GHG

Inventory. Columbia County will provide the consultant with its Government Operations GHG

Inventory for inclusion in the final CAP documents.

i) Analyze baseline assessments of the County Government Operations GHG Inventory

ii) Propose a formalized, ongoing process that may be used in the future to generate an annual

County operations energy and GHG emissions report to be included in the final CAP document.

c) Deliverables:

i) Summary of findings (emissions data) for government operations, and for the community.

ii) Draft Community GHG Inventory including the GHG accounting tool used, and its corresponding emission factors. (Submitted to DEC by the County for review)

iii) Final community GHG Inventory report (Submitted to DEC by the County for review). The report must include Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions, corresponding emission factors, and a section describing the methodology and how it complies with established protocols (ICLEI’s US Community Protocol - https://icleiusa.org/us-community-protocol).

iv) County staff will upload the final community report to the CSCC Portal with evidence it has been released to the public.

v) Deliverables will be developed and prepared by the consultant. Submission of deliverables to

DEC will be the responsibility of the County.

4) Identify GHG reduction strategies, goals, and reduction targets for Government Operations.

a) Identify existing strategies that the County is already using to reduce its GHG emissions footprint

b) Identify potential strategies, initiatives, and policies to further reduce GHG emissions for all sectors including: buildings and facilities, solid waste facilities, maintenance of County owned lands, airport facilities, vehicle fleet, transit fleet, and emissions of fluorinated gases, if identified

c) Identify pathways to meet targets including but not limited to:

https://icleiusa.org/us-community-protocol https://icleiusa.org/us-community-protocol

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i) Establish a procedure for identifying energy conservation measures for each County-owned building greater than 1,000 square feet, including energy audits, and a timeline

ii) Develop a process by which each County building greater than 1,000 square feet will be assessed for on-site energy generation, energy storage, beneficial electrification, and thermal envelope improvements

iii) A list and description of the 24 currently owned County buildings greater than 1,000 square feet will be provided by the County

iv) Develop and propose strategies and a timeline for achieving transportation GHG targets including a fleet electrification strategy

v) Propose strategies and develop policies to reduce County staff commuting emissions

d) Deliverables:

i) Memo with goals and reduction targets.

ii) A list of current initiatives and additional proposed initiatives for government operations.

iii) Deliverables will be developed and prepared by the consultant. Submission of deliverables to

5) Identify GHG reduction strategies, goals, and reduction targets for the community

a) Develop and propose strategies and initiatives that community organizations, non-government agencies, businesses, and residents can follow that will result in reduced GHG emissions from their activities

b) Develop and propose strategies and initiatives that the County and local governments can pursue to facilitate community GHG emission reductions (e.g., bike trails, mass transit, electrification, education, etc.)

c) Strategies and initiatives should address the transportation, built environment, agriculture, forestry, industry, refrigerants, solid waste, and sewage treatment sectors

d) Deliverables:

i) Memo with goals and reduction targets.

ii) A list of current initiatives and additional proposed initiatives for the broader community

iii) Deliverables will be developed and prepared by the consultant. Submission of deliverables to

6) Assist in prioritizing reduction strategies and developing an implementation plan

a) Prioritize and rank emission reduction strategies for both government operations and the community considering the following:

i) Quantity of emissions reductions that will be achieved

ii) Feasibility

iii) Cost effectiveness

b) After CAP Committee and stakeholder review, a prioritized list of recommended actions and strategies will be provided in the final plan. Each recommended item should also include:

i) The person, department, agency, or entity responsible for implementation

ii) Estimated cost to complete or implement the initiative

iii) An approximate implementation timeline

iv) Intermediate milestones

v) Potential funding sources

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c) Deliverables:

i) Prioritized list of initiatives

ii) Draft plan for implementation

iii) A report, matrix, or draft chapter of the CAP that includes a prioritized list of proposed GHG emission reduction strategies, including reduction targets, cost, person or department responsible for implementation, approximate timeline, and potential funding sources

iv) Deliverables will be developed and prepared by the consultant. Submission of deliverables to

7) Develop metrics to track reductions in GHG emissions at both the government operations and community scale

a) Establish metrics for Government Operations - a way of measuring the impact of any actions taken, and any change in GHG emissions as a result of those actions

b) Establish metrics for the Columbia County Community as a whole - a way of measuring the impact of any actions taken, and any change in GHG emissions as a result of those actions

c) Deliverables:

i) Draft monitoring and metrics plan

ii) Deliverables will be developed and prepared by the consultant. Submission of deliverables to

8) Draft a Climate Action Plan, for government operations and the community, incorporating feedback, making edits, and developing a final adoptable CAP document

a) The Consultant team, with input from the CAP Committee, will prepare a draft Government

Operations and Community Climate Action Plan

b) Deliverables:

i) Draft Government Operations and Community CAP ready for NYSDEC review and comment

ii) Deliverables will be developed and prepared by the consultant. Submission of deliverables to

DEC will be the responsibility of the County.

c) The Consultant Team will incorporate NYSDEC comments into the initial draft CAP

d) Deliverables:

i) A second draft CAP for posting to the County’s website for review by local officials, advisory agencies, and the public along with a form to submit comments about the plan

ii) Comments will also be solicited at a public hearing facilitated by the consultant

e) The CAP Committee and Consultant Team will review and consider comments received in relation to the plan

f) Deliverables:

i) The consultant will prepare a final draft, incorporating any comments received, for consideration and acceptance, approval, and adoption by the BOS

ii) The CAP Committee, in coordination with the Consultant team, will facilitate publishing the final adopted plan on the County’s website

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9) Project wrap-up after adoption by the Board of Supervisors

a) Deliverables:

i) The final plan document will be provided in Word and PDF format suitable for printing and sharing publicly

ii) All pictures, graphics, tables, charts, maps, articles, presentations, included in the final plan should be provided as separate files, suitable for use on the Task Force’s website

iii) Any video recordings of meetings, workshops, webinars, and focus groups conducted during the planning process should be provided as separate file in a format suitable for uploading to the County’s YouTube channel

iv) A memo must be created for both draft CAPs including page numbers where each required and point-based element is discussed

Quarterly progress reports, MWBE reports, SDVOB reports, and reimbursement requests will be the responsibility of County staff to develop and submit to DEC.

All other deliverables will be the responsibility of the consultant to develop, while County staff will take responsibility for submitting these deliverables to DEC when required.

Consultants are free to propose additional or alternative elements or timing of tasks to this scope provided the reasoning for such alternatives and the impact on the cost structure of the proposal is included. For additional details please refer to “ALTERNATIVES”.

REFERENCE MATERIALS

Proposers may want to familiarize themselves with Columbia County’s current Climate work by reviewing the following websites and documents:

Columbia County Climate Smart Communities Website:

https://www.columbiacountyny.gov/645/Climate-Smart-CommunitiesSpecifically, Task

Force Recorded Meetings and minutes:

https://www.columbiacountyny.gov/670/Meetings

The CAP Committee page:

https://www.columbiacountyny.gov/662/Climate-Action-Plan

And the CSC Task Force Annual Progress Report:

https://www.columbiacountyny.gov/672/Progress-Reports

Columbia County Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan and Appendix:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10zOFrQopGkBFdJ2oHNlnhcCbipOL05Bl/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/10boeLLvSiD1l-qeXeaS7six85S6nsqzz/view?usp=sharing

Columbia County DEC approved work plan for CAP grant#_C02914:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F9CGCFiDVx4lCr_4-umOUJU6PbUC1fLT/view?usp=sharing https://www.columbiacountyny.gov/645/Climate-Smart-Communities https://drive.google.com/file/d/10zOFrQopGkBFdJ2oHNlnhcCbipOL05Bl/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/10boeLLvSiD1l-qeXeaS7six85S6nsqzz/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F9CGCFiDVx4lCr_4-umOUJU6PbUC1fLT/view?usp=sharing

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CONSULTANT QUESTIONS

Questions regarding this RFP must be provided in writing only to Marissa Hogencamp, Patrice Perry &

Donald Meltz by emailing mailto:marissa.hogencamp@columbiacountyny.gov, patrice.perry@columbiacountyny.gov & donald.meltz@columbiacountyny.gov no later than 4:00pm on

Monday, October 5, 2026. All questions must make specific reference to the section(s) from this RFP where applicable. Only answers issued in formal written Addenda will be binding. Oral or other interpretations or clarifications will be without legal effect. Issued Addenda will be sent directly via email to all known potential respondents as well as being posted publicly on the Columbia County Website, NYS Contract Reporter, & BidNet.

The County reserves the right to amend the RFP based on questions and issues raised at any time prior to the RFP submission deadline.

CONSULTANT QUALIFICATIONS

Each proposal shall provide a Statement of Qualifications, including resumes, not to exceed 10 pages, not including the proposal itself. The Statement of Qualifications shall include:

• The Project Manager/Primary Contact

• A brief history and description of the team

• Identification of all professional staff members who will be working on the project including qualifications, years and type of experience, education, certifications, and accomplishments.

• A list of any other NYS DEC funded projects or CAPs that your company has completed.

• At least three (3) references

• Any additional information which would distinguish the entity from other applicants, including capabilities to perform services on a remote basis.

COST PROPOSAL

Columbia County has allocated up to $90,000 for the services rendered under this RFP. Proposals are expected to stay within this budgeted amount with a “not-to-exceed” clause in the contract.

Comprehensive Cost Proposals should include a breakout of team members assigned to each task, the estimated cost of each task, and amount of time allocated to perform each major task described within this

RFP under “SCOPE OF SERVICES”.

The award of a Proposal will not be based solely on a monetary evaluation. Please refer to

“EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS” for more detailed information.

MWBE & SDVOB UTILIZATION

As stipulated by the DEC Grant, this project has a total Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise

(MWBE) Utilization Goal of 30% and a total Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business (SDVOB)

Utilization Goal of 6%. All consultants submitting as a MWBE or SDVOB shall provide their certification/s with their proposals.

mailto:marissa.hogencamp@columbiacountyny.gov mailto:patrice.perry@columbiacountyny.gov mailto:donald.meltz@columbiacountyny.gov

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The chosen consultant is expected to assist the County in meeting these goals, and supply documentation needed in filing the required quarterly reports.

COUNTY INQUIRIES

The County may make such inquiries it deems necessary to determine the ability of each Consultant to provide the products and perform the services required and outlined within this Request for Proposal.

Consultants shall promptly furnish all information and data for this purpose as may be subsequently requested by the County.

EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS

The CAP Committee will evaluate proposals against the following weighted criteria. Each area of the evaluation criteria must be addressed within the proposal, in one of the sections listed under BID FORMAT above.

• Statement of Qualifications, including resumes and references

• Description of Proposed Services & Demonstrated Understanding of Project

• Cost Proposal

• MWBE/SDVOB Certification, if applicable

Weight Evaluation Criteria

10 Points Previous experience with GHG inventories, climate action planning, and mitigation strategies, including examples of work completed

10 Points Previous experience with communications and community engagement strategies including identifying and soliciting feedback from stakeholders and hard to reach populations

10 Points Technical capability including industry knowledge, preparation of plans, understanding of modeling, and other digital capabilities

10 Points Demonstrated knowledge of rural communities similar to Columbia County

10 Points Demonstrated understanding of agriculture and forestry land uses, and their contributions to GHG emissions and sequestration.

10 Points Thoroughness of the proposed plan, process, tasks, strategy development methodology, project timeline, deliverables, and use of resources

5 Points Cost Proposal, the total cost and individual costs of the proposed tasks

10 Points References and client testimonials

5 Points Ability to contribute toward MWBE/SDVOB participation requirements

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AWARD

Award of the bid shall be made by the Columbia County Board of Supervisors after approval is received from the NYS DEC. The award shall be made on the most advantageous bid, on a quality versus price basis, taking into consideration those elements provided for under “EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS”.

Failure on the part of the successful bidder to comply with all terms of the Contract and Specifications as set forth herein may result in disqualification of the bidder from future bidding, and/or termination of the

Contract.

Columbia County reserves the right to award the RFP in whole to one Consultant.

PROTEST PROCEDURES

Any Contractor who makes a claim that Columbia County violated general law concerning this procurement and subsequent award may file a protest with the Columbia County Attorney. Protests must be filed in writing within five (5) days following the day the Award Letter is provided to the unsuccessful

Contractor/s.

The County Attorney shall issue a written determination no later than seven (7) days after receipt of a written protest. The decision of the County Attorney shall be considered final.

EXCEPTIONS

Unless explicitly stated in the RFP response, the County shall assume that all responses are in full compliance with all specifications, without exception. All items or services in the response that are not in full compliance or that vary from any of the specifications shall be clearly defined as exceptions. Specific reference to the relevant section(s) in the RFP Package and the precise nature of the variance or non-compliance shall be clearly stated in the RFP response.

The County reserves the right to accept any and/or all/none of the exceptions(s) substitution(s) deemed to be in the best interest of the County.

Non-compliance or variance with any items in the specifications shall not necessarily result in rejection of a proposal.

ALTERNATIVES

Proposals may include alternative matters or items not specified or requested in this RFP. However, all such alternative matters or items proposed must be listed separately from the requested Proposal scope and the cost(s) thereof must be separate and itemized (not included within “COST PROPOSAL”). Such alternative matters or items proposed must not exceed the allocated $90,000.00 when added to that of the submitted “COST PROPOSAL”. A basis for such alternative matters or items being proposed must be included with each itemized offering.

CONTRACT

The Contract shall bind the successful bidder on their part to furnish and deliver services at the prices and in accordance with the conditions of their proposals.

A copy of Columbia County’s General Contract Form is available upon request

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NOTICE: It is mutually understood and agreed that the successful bidder shall not assign, transfer, convey, sublet or otherwise dispose of the Contract or his right, title, or interest therein, or his power to execute such contract, to any other person, company, or corporation, without consent of Columbia

County.

CONTRACT PERIOD

The contract period will be for two (2) years with an option for two (2) six (6)-month extensions, commencing on the date a contract is signed between the Consultant and the County.

CONTRACT EXTENSION

The County shall have the option to renew its contract with the successful Consultant for two (2) six

(6) – month periods subject to negotiation and agreement between both parties. If the Consultant wishes not to renew the contract or wishes to negotiate any contract terms it shall submit in writing their intention no later than ninety (90) days before the end of the contract period.

INVOICING

On a monthly basis, the Contractor will provide Columbia County with a detailed invoice. Each invoice shall itemize the services rendered, hours worked, as well as the team member for which the work was completed. Columbia County will then file all reports and applications as required by

NYSDEC.

Columbia County will pay the Contractor, upon receipt and approval of a complete and accurate invoice, within the County's prescribed Contractor payment schedule. All invoices shall be signed by the chief financial officer of the Contractor's company so as to guarantee authenticity of the stated request. Columbia County may, at any time, conduct an audit of any and/or all records kept by the

Contractor of this service. Any overpayment uncovered in such an audit may be charged against the

Contractor's future invoices.

TERMINATION

(a) Without Cause. The County may terminate this Contract upon (10) days’ prior written notice to the Contractor of its intent to terminate without cause.

(b) With Cause. The County may terminate this Contract effective immediately, with subsequent written notice to be given to the Contractor of termination with cause.

NEW YORK LAW AND VENUE

The contract/agreement resulting from this Bid shall be construed under the laws of the State of New

York. All claims, actions, proceedings, and lawsuits brought in connection with, arising out of, related to, or seeking enforcement of this contract/agreement shall be brought in the Supreme Court of New York, Columbia County.

In addition, all County contractors not incorporated in the State of New York shall produce a Certificate to Do Business in the State of New York from the New York Secretary of State prior to executing their contract with the County.

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INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

The successful company must furnish the County with Certificates of Insurance upon Notice of Award and prior to Contract execution. The required coverage shall not be less than the following:

• Workers Compensation Statutory Requirements

• New York State Disability Coverage Statutory Requirements

• Commercial General Liability insurance with minimum limits of $2,000,000.00 per occurrence, subject to a $5,000,000.00 annual aggregate. Coverage shall include bodily injury, property damage, personal injury, and blanket contractual liability.

• Automobile Liability insurance with minimum limits of $1,000,000.00 each accident.

Coverage shall provide for any vicarious liability of the County of Columbia and be applicable to all owned, non-owned, hired, borrowed, or temporarily used vehicles by the

Contractor.

• Professional Liability insurance with minimum limits of $1,000,000.00 per occurrence and a $3,000,000.00 annual aggregate.

Insurance certificates shall name the County of Columbia, State of New York, and New York State

Department of Environmental Conservation as additional insured party.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION LAW (FOIL)

New York State's Freedom of Information Law (generally referred to as “FOIL”) entitles the public to access state and local government records. Any member of the public can request a government agency's records. Additionally, the Freedom of Information Law defines a record to be any information kept, held, filed, produced or reproduced by, with, or for an agency or the state legislature, in any physical form whatsoever. Under the law, all records are accessible, except records or portions of records that fall within one of nine categories of deniable records as stated in §87(2) of the Public Officer’s Law.

FALSE CLAIMS AND WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTIONS POLICY

COLUMBIA COUNTY (sometimes referred to as “Columbia County” or “the Columbia County”) is committed to prompt, complete, and accurate billing of all services provided to service recipients.

COLUMBIA COUNTY and its employees, interns and contractors shall not make or submit any false or misleading entries on any claim forms. No employee or contractor shall engage in any arrangement or participate in such arrangement at the direction of another person, including any supervisor or manager that results in the submission of a false or misleading entry on claims forms or documentation of services that result in the submission of a false claim.

This policy applies to all Board members, all employees including the Chairman of the Board, members of the Board of Supervisors, Department Heads, Managers, Supervisors and Contractors.

PARTICIPATION BY POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS

The successful bidder shall upon order by a political subdivision, fire district or district in such political subdivision, located in whole or in part within Columbia County, provide the goods or services bid upon to such upon the same terms and conditions as such bidder supplies same to Columbia County. The successful bidder shall be paid by each purchaser; and Columbia County shall not be liable to the successful bidder for any such purchases made pursuant to this paragraph. The County of Columbia shall not be liable to any purchaser for non-performance of this Agreement in any manner and for any reason.

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TITLE VI

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related statutes and regulations, as amended, require that no person in the United State shall, on the grounds of race, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity for which it receives Federal financial assistance.

NON-DISCRIMINATION & DIVERSITY REQUIREMENTS

Pursuant to Federal Laws and regulations and the New York State Executive Law 15-A, the County recognizes its obligation under the law to prevent discrimination on the grounds of race, sex, creed, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, age, disability, marital status, or English proficiency and to promote opportunities for maximum feasible participation of certified minority-and women-owned business enterprises and the employment of minority group members and women in the performance of

County contracts.

In furtherance of these rules and principals, the County highly encourages the participation of certified minority- and women-owned business enterprises (MWBE) and the employment of minority groups’ members and women in the performance of its contracts. The County hereby notifies all Contractors submitting a Proposal that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this solicitation, minority business enterprises will be afforded full opportunity to submit Proposals in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, sex, creed, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, age, disability, marital status, or English proficiency in consideration for Award.

CONTRACTOR’S ASSURANCE OF EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

The undersigned assures Columbia County that it will comply with all applicable laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination in employment on the grounds of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, sex, disability, marital status and other non-merit factors. The undersigned understands and agrees that the contract understanding or agreement to which this assurance relates can be terminated upon a finding by any governmental agency that the undersigned is in violation of applicable discrimination laws and that such finding will also disqualify the undersigned for future contracts with the County. The undersigned certifies to the County of

Columbia that there is no pending or outstanding decision, ruling or order against it finding the undersigned in violation of the laws against discrimination.

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STATEMENT OF NON-COLLUSION

By submission of this proposal, each Vendor and each person signing on behalf of any Vendor, certifies, and in the case of a joint proposal, each party thereto certifies as to its own organization, under penalty of perjury, that to the best of his knowledge and belief:

1) The prices in this proposal have been arrived at independently without collusion, consultation, communications oral agreement, for the purpose of restricting competition, as to any matter relating to such prices with any other Vendor or with any competitor;

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

3) No attempt has been made or will be made by the Vendor to induce any other person, partnership or corporation to submit or not to submit a proposal for the purpose of restricting competition.

A bid shall not be considered for award nor shall any award be made where 1), 2), 3) above have not been complied with; Provided however that if in any case the bidder(s) cannot make the forgoing certification, the bidder shall so state and shall furnish below a signed statement which sets forth in detail the reasons therefore:

[AFFIX ADDENDUM TO THIS PAGE IF SPACE IS REQUIRED FOR STATEMENT]

FIRM BY

PRINTED NAME DATE

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IRAN DIVESTMENT ACT COMPLIANCE RIDER FOR COLUMBIA COUNTY, NY

CONTRACTORS

The Iran Divestment Act of 2012, effective as of April 12, 2012, is codified at State

Finance Law (“SFL”) §165-a and General Municipal Law (“GML”) §103-g. The Iran

Divestment Act, with certain exceptions, prohibits municipalities, including the County, from entering into contracts with persons engaged in investment activities in the energy sector of Iran.

Pursuant to the terms set forth in SFL §165-a and GML §103-g, a person engages in investment activities in the energy sector of Iran if:

(a) the person provides goods or services of twenty million dollars or more in the energy sector of Iran, including a person that provides oil or liquefied natural gas tankers, or products used to construct or maintain pipelines used to transport oil or liquefied natural gas, for the energy sector of Iran; or

(b) The person is a financial institution that extends twenty million dollars or more in credit to another person, for forty-five days or more, if that person will use the credit to provide goods or services in the energy sector in Iran and is identified on a list created pursuant to paragraph (b) of subdivision three of Section 165-a of the State Finance Law and maintained by the Commissioner of the Office of

General Services.

A bid or proposal shall not be considered for award nor shall any award be made where the bidder or proposer fails to submit a signed and verified bidder’s certification.

Each bidder or proposer must certify that it is not on the list of entities engaged in investment activities in Iran created pursuant to paragraph (b) of subdivision 3 of Section 165-a of the State

Finance Law. In any case where the bidder or proposer cannot certify that they are not on such list, the bidder or proposer shall so state and shall furnish with the bid or proposal a signed statement which sets forth in detail the reasons why such statement cannot be made. The County of Columbia may award a bid to a bidder who cannot make the certification on a case by case basis if:

(1) The investment activities in Iran were made before the effective date of this section (i.e., April 12, 2012), the investment activities in Iran have not been expanded or renewed after the effective date of this section and the person has adopted, publicized and is implementing a formal plan to cease the investment activities in Iran and to refrain from engaging in any new investments in Iran:

or

(2) The County makes a determination that the goods or services are necessary for the County to perform its functions and that, absent such an exemption, the

County would be unable to obtain the goods or services for which the contract is offered. Such determination shall be made in writing and shall be a public document.

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BIDDER’S CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE WITH IRAN DIVESTMENT ACT

Pursuant to General Municipal Law §103-g, which generally prohibits the County from entering into contracts with persons engaged in investment activities in the energy sector of Iran, the bidder/proposer submits the following certification:

[Please Check One]

BIDDER’S CERTIFICATION

By submission of this bid or proposal, each bidder/proposer and each person signing on behalf of any bidder/proposer certifies, and in the case of a joint bid each party thereto certifies as to its own organization, under penalty of perjury, that to the best of its knowledge and belief, that each bidder/proposer is not on the list created pursuant to paragraph (b) of subdivision 3 of Section

165-a of the State Finance Law.

I am unable to certify that my name and the name of the bidder/proposer does not appear on the list created pursuant to paragraph (b) of subdivision 3 of

Section 165-a of the State Finance Law. I have attached a signed statement setting forth in detail why I cannot so certify.

Dated: _______________________, 20___ ______________________________

SIGNATURE

PRINTED NAME

TITLE

Sworn to before me this

______ day of _________, 20___

Notary Public

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The undersigned, being experienced and responsible for the performance of same, agrees to furnish and deliver to Columbia County at the location(s) specified herein, the following described item(s), material(s), or service(s) in accordance with the attached contract documents and Bid Specifications and described in detail within (attach additional materials to Proposal, if necessary):

Proposal: Climate Action Plan (CAP) Development Services

CONTACT PERSON PERSON, FIRM, OR CORP.

TELEPHONE EMAIL ADDRESS

ADDRESS

AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE

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ADDENDA PAGE

The bidder acknowledges receipt of the following addenda to the Documents (provide number and date of each):

Addendum No._______________________, dated_______________________

Failure to acknowledge receipt of all amendments may cause the bid to be considered not responsive, which would require rejection of the bid.

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APPENDIX A

STANDARD CLAUSES FOR NEW YORK STATE

CONTRACTS

PLEASE RETAIN THIS DOCUMENT

FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

1. Executory Clause 26

2. Non-Assignment Clause 26

3. Comptroller’s Approval 26

4. Workers’ Compensation Benefits 26

5. Non-Discrimination Requirements 26

6. Wage and Hours Provisions 27

7. Non-Collusive Bidding Certification 27

8. International Boycott Prohibition 27

9. Set-Off Rights 27

10. Records 27

11. Identifying Information and Privacy Notification 28

12. Equal Employment Opportunities For Minorities and Women 28

13. Conflicting Terms 29

14. Governing Law 29

15. Late Payment 29

16. No Arbitration 29

17. Service of Process 29

18. Prohibition on Purchase of Tropical Hardwoods 29

19. MacBride Fair Employment Principles 29

20. Omnibus Procurement Act of 1992 29-30

21. Reciprocity and Sanctions Provisions 30

22. Compliance with Breach Notification and Data Security Laws 30

23. Compliance with Consultant Disclosure Law 30

24. Procurement Lobbying 30

25. Certification of Registration to Collect Sales and Compensating Use Tax by…