Request for Proposals Chatham County Conservation Implementation Plan

Introduction

Chatham County is seeking proposals from qualified consulting firms to prepare an implementation plan for achieving the remaining conservation goals established in the 2017 Comprehensive Plan, Plan Chatham. The consulting firm will utilize the newly released Conservation Dashboard to highlight the components of Plan Chatham that have not been achieved and develop a detailed implementation plan that focuses on feasibility, recommended steps, and funding strategies. In addition, the consultant will build a conservation prioritization mapping tool that assists in determining high-priority conservation areas in the County. Firms submitting proposals must have proven track record in preparing implementation plans with government entities. The project is expected to take no more than 12 months. The selected consultants will be required to provide a specific timeline for all tasks.

Purpose

Plan Chatham, the County’s 2017 comprehensive plan, establishes a vision and goals for the future growth of the County. Among those vision and goals are significant strides towards further conservation efforts. County leaders worked alongside a Steering Committee, topic specific focus groups, and the community in establishing goals to ensure that natural resources and the benefits they provide are preserved, while encouraging sustainable and equitable growth.

Though Plan Chatham has created an invaluable roadmap to guide the County in policy decisions and work towards a sustainable future, no central method existed for coordinating and tracking progress towards achieving the outlined goals.

Chatham County is at a critical point in its history. The County has experienced exceptional commercial and residential growth in recent years while also trying to balance the goals of Plan Chatham in order to maintain a rural lifestyle and preserve natural resources. The County harbors 49 rare, threatened, or endangered species, 13 impaired bodies of water, and a growing concern over groundwater availability for agriculture which are impacted by new development.

This project will focus on a plan for achieving the components of the Comprehensive Plan that relate to conservation. When this proposal references “components” of Plan Chatham, it refers to the various categories that the overarching goals of the Comprehensive Plan are broken down into: Plan Elements, Big Ideas, Recommendations, Policies, etc. The County has researched and selected consensus-based metrics for tracking progress towards the conservation components of Plan Chatham and utilized those metrics to create an online, public dashboard that displays the progress towards these goals.

Coordination of this project will be led by the Project Manager from the Chatham County Planning Department with key input from the Chatham County Conservation Working Group (CWG), a collection of appointed staff from different departments who contribute to conservation efforts.

https://www.chathamcountync.gov/government/departments-programs-i-z/planning/adopted-plans/comprehensive-plan https://conservationdashboard-chathamncgis.hub.arcgis.com/

The goals of this project will be to utilize the new dashboard in identifying what conservation-based components of the Comprehensive Plan have yet to be achieved, establish implementation strategies that are feasible, establish consensus among County departments regarding responsibilities and timelines for these strategies, determine capacity needs for full implementation, and provide funding avenues to complete these next steps. As part of this project, the consultant will also develop a conservation prioritization mapping tool. This tool will assist with Plan Chatham’s Natural Resources Element, specifically the “Big Idea” of permanently protecting an additional 20,0000 acres in the County by 2040. This portion of the project would rank parcels based on a variety of factors that could include but are not limited to proximity to other perpetually conserved areas, other protected or managed areas, Natural Heritage Program Natural areas, species, habitat, or other relevant elements.

Community Brief

Chatham County has a population of 85,111, is approximately 707 square miles, and contains five municipalities: Pittsboro, Siler City, Goldston, Cary, and Apex. The County is located in the Triangle region of North Carolina and is adjacent to three metropolitan centers: Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. The proximity to these metropolitan centers and the Research Triangle Park has influenced and fostered growth in northeastern Chatham County, specifically along the US 15/501 corridor. The County also contains three major highways listed in the NC Department of Transportation’s Strategic Transportation Corridors Plan (US 1, US 421, and US 64) and is situated within commuting distance of the Piedmont Triad Region.

Chatham County's growth has been emerging rapidly over the course of the past decade. The recent growth has been heavily influenced and accelerated by residential developments. Chatham is also seeing commercial growth, with industry and infrastructure increasing in the County and surrounding areas. These large-scale projects will create the need for more housing and services.

Chatham County has abundant natural resources with three major rivers, the Haw River, the Deep River, and the Rocky River, that converge in the southeastern corner of the County to form the Cape Fear River. The majority of the 47,000-acre B. Everett Jordan Lake, and the surrounding US Army Corps federal protected land, is located in the eastern side of the County.

Agriculture is a major component of Chatham County’s land use, accounting for 33% of total employment and primarily located in the rural western side of the County.

Scope of Work

The following tasks encompass the project’s scope for Chatham County’s Conservation Implementation Plan:

Task I – Project Initiation & Implementation Framework

The purpose of Task I is to establish a coordinated and effective planning process, familiarize the consultant with the Conservation Dashboard & associated metrics, confirm project expectations, and determine which unfinished dashboard components will be pursued. This will keep County staff aware of the consultant’s timeline, intentions, and scope of work. The task includes an opportunity for the consultant to receive input from the CWG about which unfinished components should be carried out.

In Task I, the contractor will:

1) Conduct an introductory meeting (virtual) with project staff in the Chatham County

Planning Department to kick off the project and discuss the project background, goals, scope of work, project timeline & schedule, communication protocols, mapping needs, and expectations.

2) The contractor will review all existing dashboard components, performance metrics, and associated documents.

3) The contractor will go through the components provided and their associated metrics that have not been completed. They will determine if these components are still feasible, align with County goals, and any implementation gaps.

o Conduct 1 meeting (virtual) with the Chatham County Planning Department to finalize components.

o Conduct 1 meeting (virtual) with the CWG to build consensus around unfinished components and metrics, overarching implementation strategies, and departmental responsibilities for the goals.

4) Develop a preliminary implementation framework that outlines how recommendations will be prioritized and organized.

5) Develop a preliminary mapping framework that outlines the steps and methodologies needed to build a conservation prioritization mapping tool.

Task I Deliverables:

A) Project Management & Communication Plan B) Summary of existing dashboard assessment C) List of incomplete components and metrics and the consultant’s determination on if these will be pursued based on the meetings with the Chatham County Planning Department, CWG, and the consultant’s own experience.

D) Preliminary implementation framework describing the consultant's proposed methodology for prioritizing implementation actions.

E) Preliminary conservation mapping framework describing the consultant's proposed methodology for building a conservation prioritization model(s).

Task II – Research, Design, & Draft an Implementation Plan and Mapping Tool

Task II focuses on developing a comprehensive implementation plan for the County's remaining strategic goals. The contractor will research best practices, evaluate the feasibility of achieving metrics, determine timeframes and importance of components, establish implementation schedules, identify the departments responsible for each metric, provide funding options for larger goals, and organizational capacity needed to achieve the County’s conservation goals. In addition, the consultant will research best practices for a conservation prioritization mapping tool, begin modeling in ArcGIS, and draft a preliminary report and model(s).

In Task II, the contractor will:

1) Feasibility, Capacity, and Funding Planning – The contractor will review the dashboard and determine the needs of County departments for carrying out implementation strategies. The contractor will:

o Research best practices for implementing remaining goals.

o Determine if metrics can be achieved in short, mid, or long-term and what steps are needed for each.

o Create a schedule of completion for each metric.

o Determine which departments are involved for each metric.

Conduct 1 meeting with the Chatham County Planning Department to determine this.

o Conduct interviews/small group meetings with CWG members and their Department Heads to determine capacity needs for implementation (staff, funding, programs, resources, etc.). 13 departments are involved in the CWG, and the contractor will determine the best format for these meetings (one department at a time vs. groups of two, etc.). Based on findings in Task I interviews with all 13 may not be needed. Meetings will be virtual.

o Compile notes and summaries from the meetings.

o Determine funding strategies for larger long-term goals (e.g. Natural Resources

Big Idea – Perpetually protect an additional 20,000 acres of land by 2040).

o Conduct 2-3 meetings with the program manager to provide updates on work

(virtual).

2) Draft Implementation Plan – The draft implementation plan shall include at a minimum:

o Prioritized Implementation Matrix o Recommended implementation actions for each unfinished dashboard component o Priority ranking for each implementation action o Recommended implementation schedule o Staffing and organizational capacity needed for implementation o Funding needs and potential sources o Key implementation milestones o Performance indicators or measures o Risks and implementation barriers o Monitoring and reporting framework or guide o Each implementation recommendation shall clearly identify the corresponding

Conservation Dashboard component and metric(s) it supports

3) Develop a draft conservation prioritization mapping tool that outlines methodology and modeling criteria.

o Conduct 1-2 meetings (virtual) with the Program Manager, Chatham County GIS Department, and, if needed, nonprofit and/or government stakeholders to review modeling criteria and receive input.

Task II Deliverables:

A) Draft Implementation Plan Shall Include:

a. Executive Summary

b. Prioritized Action Matrix

c. Departmental Responsibilities

d. Capacity Assessment

e. Funding Strategies

f. Implementation Framework or Guide

g. Monitoring and Reporting Framework

B) Draft Conservation Prioritization Mapping Tool shall include:

a. Report with sections including Background, Data Preparation, Methodology, Model Criteria, Model(s), and Results.

C) Meeting Summary Memorandum: Documentation summarizing all project meetings that include findings and recommendations.

Task III – Final Implementation Plan and Conservation Prioritization Mapping Tool

In Task III the contractor will develop a final, comprehensive implementation plan that integrates implementation strategies with departmental responsibilities, capacity needs, and next steps. The contractor will also develop a final conservation prioritization mapping tool and report. The process includes presenting the draft plan to the CWG as well as a presentation of the final plan to the Chatham County Board of Commissioners.

In Task III, the contractor will:

1) The contractor will present a draft Implementation Plan and Conservation Prioritization Mapping Tool:

o Conduct 1 meeting (virtual) to present the draft final plan and mapping tool to the CWG to solicit feedback and build consensus around implementation responsibilities.

o Conduct 1 meeting (virtual) with the Program Manager, Chatham County GIS Department, and, if needed, nonprofit and/or government stakeholders to explain how to run the model for future use and solicit feedback.

o Revise the Draft Implementation Plan based on CWG and Project Manager feedback.

o Revise the Draft Conservation Prioritization Mapping Tool based on Project Manager, Chatham County GIS Department, and stakeholder feedback.

2) The contractor will present a Final Implementation Plan and Conservation Prioritization Mapping Tool:

o Recommend an implementation management framework that enables departments to coordinate implementation, monitor progress, update metrics, and report progress over time.

o Develop an implementation action matrix in an editable and user-friendly format that County staff can use to assign responsibilities, monitor progress, or other management tools. This could include ArcGIS integration with Conservation Dashboard, if appropriate.

o Present the final plan and mapping tool to the Board of Commissioners. This will be an in-person meeting.

o Work with the project manager to share all meeting notes, drafts, deliverables, final implementation plan documents, and final conservation prioritization mapping tool documents and GIS products/data.

Task III Deliverables:

A) Final Implementation Plan Shall Include:

a. Executive Summary

b. Prioritized Action Matrix

c. Departmental Responsibilities

d. Capacity Assessment

e. Funding Strategies

f. Implementation Framework or Guide

g. Monitoring & Reporting Framework

B) Implementation Toolkit

a. Prioritized Action Matrix (Excel)

b. Editable Word Document of Plan

c. Presentation Materials

d. Any ArcGIS or supporting documentation and/or data created during the project

C) A Final Conservation Prioritization Mapping Tool shall include:

a. A final Report with Background, Data Preparation, Methodology, Model Criteria, Model(s), and Results.

b. All ArcGIS layers, tools, data, and/or supporting documentation created during the project that are needed for the County to run the tool independently from the consultant after the project period has ended.

D) Board of Commissioners Presentation

a. A presentation summarizing the project history, implementation priorities, government organization recommendations, funding opportunities, and next steps.

E) Final Project Documentation

a. Complete meeting summary that includes notes, draft documents, and final project files.

Guideline Timeline

The project is anticipated to take no more than 12 months. The selected consultant will be required to provide a specific timeline for all tasks. Below is a guideline that provides a schedule of required tasks and example timeframes.

Task Summary Example Timeline Task I - Preparation Meet with the CWG and the

Chatham County Planning Department to determine which incomplete components and their associated metrics will be pursued. Develop frameworks for the implementation plan and conservation prioritization mapping tool.

3 Months

Task II – Research & Design Research how to complete the chosen components and metrics. Determine the schedule, time-based goals, departments, and capacity needed to achieve the remaining Plan Chatham conservation goals. Research methodologies for conservation mapping and meet with stakeholders.

Provide a draft plan and draft conservation prioritization mapping tool.

4 Months

Task III – Implementation Plan

Meet with CWG to review the draft plan and conservation prioritization mapping tool. Meet with stakeholders to review the mapping tool. Update the plan based on feedback and present the final plan and conservation prioritization mapping tool to the Chatham County Board of Commissioners.

3 Months

Consultant Qualifications & Experience

The County seeks a firm with demonstrated experience in developing implementation plans for local governments, particularly those involving conservation, resilience, environmental policy, and long-range planning.

The consultant team should demonstrate experience in the following areas:

• Developing implementation plans that augment from comprehensive plans, conservation plans, or specialized plans into actionable work programs and projects.

• Facilitating cross-departmental coordination and organizational planning within local governments.

• Identifying funding strategies that include grant opportunities, budgeted programs, and public-private partnerships.

• Developing ArcGIS tools, in particular prioritization models and/or environmental models.

The consultant team should include at a minimum, expertise in:

• Project Management

• Long Range Planning

• Conservation & Resilience Planning

• Strategic Implementation Planning

• Performance Measurement

• Funding Strategy or Grant Development

• North Carolina Local Government Experience

• Geospatial Modeling & Analysis

Proposal Instructions

A. Proposal Deadline: Proposals must be received by Chatham County no later than September 18, 2026, at 5:00pm.

B. Submission of Proposals: Vendors must submit both an electronic PDF version of the proposal (excluding any materials that are non-electronic) and three hard copies with all attachments, including signatory pages, which should be received by the deadline above.

The hard copies must be sent to one of the following delivery addresses:

a. Postal Address: Michele Peluso, Chatham County Finance Office P.O. Box 608, Pittsboro, NC 27312

b. Street Address: Michele Peluso, County Finance Office, Courthouse Annex 12 East, Pittsboro, NC 27312

The electronic PDF version of the proposal (excluding non-electronic materials) must be submitted by the deadline above to purchasing@chathamcountync.gov or may be included in the proposal packet on digital media.

C. Withdrawal of Proposals: Proposing vendors may withdraw their proposal any time before the deadline for submission on September 18, 2026, by 5:00pm. The withdrawal must be submitted in writing and signed by the proposing vendor.

mailto:purchasing@chathamcountync.gov

D. Inquiries and Corrections: All inquiries relating to this request should be in writing and addressed to:

i. Michele Peluso, Chatham County Finance Office

ii. P.O. Box 608, Pittsboro, NC 27312

b. They may also be faxed to 919-545-4261 or emailed to:

purchasing@chathamcountync.gov

c. If a proposing vendor finds discrepancies in or omissions from the specifications or should require additional clarification of any part, a written request for interpretation shall be submitted to Michele Peluso. Any interpretation of or changes made to the RFP will be made by written addendum to each proposing consultant and shall become part of the request for any contract awarded. The County will not be responsible for the accuracy of any other oral explanations, interpretations, or representations. All inquiries must be submitted by 5:00pm on September 4, 2026. It shall be the responsibility of each proposing organization or individual to verify that every addendum has been received prior to submitting proposals. Addenda will be posted to the County’s Bids and RFP Opportunities at www.chathamcountync.gov/bidsandopportunities

E. Vendor Certification: The submission of a proposal shall be deemed a representation and certification that the proposing vendor:

a. Has carefully read and fully understands the information provided by Chatham County in this RFP;

b. Is financially solvent and has the capability to successfully undertake and complete the responsibilities and obligations of the proposal submitted;

c. Represents that all of the information contained in the submitted proposal is true and correct;

d. Did not in any way collude or conspire with any other parties, directly or indirectly, in regard to the amount, terms, or conditions of this proposal;

e. Acknowledges that Chatham County has the right to make any inquiry it deems appropriate to substantiate or supplement information provided by proposing vendors and hereby grants Chatham County permission to make these inquiries;

and

f. Acknowledges that any proposal cannot be modified after its submission for any reason.

F. Format and Deadline of Proposals: Late proposals will not be accepted under any circumstance and will not be opened or reviewed. We will not accept proposals by fax or any method other than is outlined under item B of Proposal Instructions. The sender must allow ample delivery time for the selected shipment or transmission methods.

G. Definition and Context: Unless otherwise specified in this document, all words shall have a common meaning unless the context in which they are used clearly requires a different meaning. Words in the singular number include the plural, and in the plural include the singular.

mailto:purchasing@chathamcountync.gov http://www.chathamcountync.gov/bidsandopportunities

RFP Schedule

• The deadline for submitting questions in writing (mail, email, or fax) is September 4, 2026, at 5:00 pm.

• The RFP deadline for receipt of proposals by the County is September 18, 2026, at

5:00 pm.

• The RFP Committee will review proposals beginning September 21, 2026.

• We expect to conclude the evaluation by October 2, 2026.

• Contract executed and work to begin around October 26, 2026.

Proposal Contents

These instructions cover the format, content, and development of proposals. Only information that is deemed essential to convey the proposing vendor’s understanding of the County’s requirements for this RFP should be submitted. Items not listed below and not explicitly related to the RFP (i.e. general marketing materials and examples of unrelated work) will not be considered in the review process.

All proposals should include the following items in the order listed:

Section 1 - Proposal Summary – A cover letter identifying the firm or firms proposed the project and a short description of the consultant’s perception of the project requirements.

Section 2 - Qualifications – Submittals must include a firm overview and brief description of the firm’s history including company name, address, year established, and size of company and staff.

A project organizational chart and description may be included. Key members of the project team should be included in the organizational chart. Clearly identify the prime contractor and any sub-contractors, if relevant, and the general roles of each on the project.

Section 3 - Relevant Experience – Briefly describe the firm’s experience in developing implementation plans. Provide summary examples of past projects for local governments with which the firm has worked. Preference will be given to projects involving implementation planning and/or conservation planning for local governments.

Section 4 - Project Approach – Provide an explanation of how the consultant will adhere to the scope of work including a proposed work timeline that appropriately meets the goals of this project. This narrative should include an explanation of the following:

o Description of the scope of services to be provided with a detailed description of how the work will be performed. This section should include any assistance or responsibilities requested from the County or subcontractors.

o Descriptions of similar projects that the firm has completed.

Section 5 - Project Management – Provide an identification of the roles and responsibilities of all team members with the firm including:

o Team organization including an identification of the lead consultant and project manager, key personnel that will be working on the project, the role of any proposed consultants, etc.

o A statement of qualifications for all team members including resumes and educational background. One-page resumes of all key personnel should be provided (one page per person). The office locations of each team member should be specified on the resume.

The submittal should, as a part of the information provided for subcontractors, include the names, locations, and general roles of the project team members.

o A description of the current workload for identified individuals.

Section 6 - References – A minimum of three references for similar projects including:

o The name and date of the project o The location of the client o A contact name including relevant contact information o At least one of these references should be able to describe the proposed project manager’s experience and qualifications.

Chatham County may contact these references, and the information obtained may be considered in the evaluation of the proposal.

Section 7 - Pricing – Cost breakdown divided by the three tasks listed above and by each deliverable within said task. Also provide information about which firm team member or subconsultant is providing the work associated with budget cost.

Section 8 - Vendor Information and Signature Form – This form is provided as Attachment A.

The form should be completed and signed by the person with authority to approve contracts.

Proposal Selection Process

Proposals will be reviewed by a Selection Committee comprised of relevant staff members. The Committee reserves the right to request more information from consultants submitting proposals.

Chatham County shall award the contract to the most qualified firm and reserves the right to reject any of and all proposals. The following criteria will be considered in evaluation of the proposal:

• The firm’s general approach and demonstrated understanding of the project.

• Capabilities and previous experience in comparable projects and specialized experience and technical competence of the consultant.

• Evaluation of past projects with special attention paid to comparable projects and ones conducted with local government. Factors evaluated will include quality of work, cost control, and ability to meet scheduled deadlines.

• Project cost and the capacity of the candidate to perform the work in a timely manner.

• Familiarity with Chatham County and the surrounding region.

• Qualifications of individuals who will have direct involvement in tasks on this project.

The above listing does not indicate the order of importance. The selection committee shall establish a priority ranking for the final list of criteria for the project.

County Requirements

Insurance Requirements

During the term of the contract, the Contractor at its sole cost and expense shall provide commercial insurance of such type and with such terms and limits as may be reasonably associated with the contract. As a minimum, the Contractor shall provide and maintain the following coverage and limits:

(a) Worker’s Compensation - The contractor shall provide and maintain Worker’s Compensation Insurance as required by the laws of North Carolina, as well as employer’s liability coverage with minimum limits of $500,000.00, covering all of Contractor’s employees who are engaged in any work under the contract. If any work is sublet, the Contractor shall require the subcontractor to provide the same coverage for any of his employees engaged in any work under the contract. (Non-applicable-individual.)

(b) Commercial General Liability - General Liability Coverage on a Comprehensive Broad Form on an occurrence basis in the minimum amount of $100,000 bodily injury per person, $500,000 bodily injury per occurrence, $100,000 property damage, and $1,000,000 errors and omissions and negligent performance.

(c) Automobile - Automobile Liability Insurance, to include liability coverage, covering all owned, hired, and non-owned vehicles used in performance of the contract. The minimum combined single limit shall be $250,000.00 bodily injury and $100,000 property damage.

Providing and maintaining adequate insurance coverage is a material obligation of the Contractor and is of the essence of this contract. The Contractor may meet its requirements of maintaining specified coverage and limits by demonstrating to the County that there is in force insurance with equivalent coverage and limits that will offer at least the same protection to the County. All such insurance shall meet all laws of the State of North Carolina. Such insurance coverage shall be obtained from companies that are authorized to provide such coverage and that are authorized by the Commissioner of Insurance to do business in North Carolina. The Contractor shall at all times comply with the terms of such insurance policies, and all requirements of the insurer under any such insurance policies, except as they may conflict with existing North Carolina laws or this contract. The limits of coverage under each insurance policy maintained by the Contractor shall not be interpreted as limiting the contractors.

E-Verify

Effective September 4, 2013, North Carolina local government units are prohibited from entering into certain contracts unless the contractor and the contractor’s subcontractors, if any, comply with the requirements of N.C. Gen. Stats. §64-26(a). Prior to providing any services hereunder, Contractor and Contractor’s subcontractors, if any, are subject to the provisions of N.C. Gen.

Stats. §64-26(a). Contractor agrees to fully comply with such statute and require Contractor’s subcontractors, if any, to fully comply with such statute.

Iran Divestment Act

Effective October 1, 2015, North Carolina local government units are prohibited from entering into certain contracts unless the contractor and the contractor’s subcontractors, if any, comply with the requirements of §143C-6A-5. Contractor agrees to fully comply with such statute and require Contractors subcontractors, if any, to fully comply with such statute.

Additional County Conditions

• All proposing firms or individuals shall comply with all conditions, requirements, and specifications contained herein, with any departure constituting sufficient cause for rejection of the proposals. However, Chatham County reserves the right to change the conditions, requirements, and specifications as it deems necessary.

• The proposal must be signed by a duly authorized official of the proposing organization or individual submitting the proposal.

• No proposal will be accepted from any person or organization that is in arrears for any obligation to Chatham County, or that otherwise may be deemed irresponsible or unresponsive by County staff, the Chatham County Board of Commissioners, or the Chatham County Economic Development Corporation.

• Chatham County is not obligated to enter into any contract as a result of the RFP.

• All prices quoted must be firm for a period of 90 (ninety) days following the bid deadline.

• Chatham County reserves the right to reject any and all proposals or any part thereof and to select the most responsive proposal that is deemed in the best interest of Chatham County.

• Only one proposal will be awarded as the result of the RFP.

• Chatham County may approve or disapprove the use of specific proposed subcontractors in any proposal.

• Chatham County reserves the right to enter into an agreement with another proposing vendor in the event that the originally selected vendor fails to execute a contract with the County or defaults on their contract.

• All proposals shall be prepared in a comprehensive manner as to content, but we do not require specific types of binders or promotional material for submissions. Promotional material will not be considered part of the proposal and will not affect the review of proposals.

• Chatham County reserves the right to negotiate with any, none, or all of the proposing vendors.

• All costs, including travel and expenses, incurred in the preparation of this proposal will be borne solely by the proposing company.

• The County will not return proposal materials to those submitting proposals.

• No agreements with any selected vendor shall be binding until a contract is approved, signed, and executed by the authorized County Official and authorized representatives of the vendor.

Chatham County is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of sex, marital status, race, color, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability.

Attachment A