RFP for Construction Rehabilitation Advisor 2.docx

River Valley Regional Commission Construction Rehabilitation Advisor/Technical Assistance Services

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

October 29, 2024 Contents I. Announcement II. Purpose III. Proposal Guidelines IV. Contractual Agreements V. RFP Submission Requirements

I. ANNOUNCEMENT

River Valley Regional Commission Construction Rehabilitation Advisor/Technical Assistance Services

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Date: October 29, 2024

A. The River Valley Regional Commission (RVRC) seeks to acquire the services of a home inspection firm or residential construction firm to serve as the Construction Rehabilitation Advisor (CRA) for single-family housing rehabilitation and construction projects. These services are needed for communities in our 16-county region that are applying for or have been awarded funds through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Community HOME Investment Program (CHIP) or any other funding source for housing. Our service area includes all local governments within the following counties: Chattahoochee, Clay, Crisp, Dooly, Harris, Macon, Marion, Muscogee, Quitman, Randolph, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taylor, and Webster.

Responding firms should be technically qualified and licensed to provide these services for local, state, and federally funded projects.

Procedures for selection of an individual/firm will be in accordance with the RFP package and local procurement requirements, as well as the requirements of the Uniform Administration Requirements (“the common rule”) 24 CFR Part 85.36 and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) CDBG and CHIP Recipient’s Manuals. These manuals can be accessed at http://www.dca.ga.gov.

Interested parties are invited to secure a Request for Proposal package from Ian Perry, Regional Planner, River Valley Regional Commission, 710 Front Avenue, Suite A, Columbus, GA 31901, iperry@rivervalleyrc.org or 706-256-2910. For consideration, all interested parties must submit their response to the RVRC no later than 2:00 p.m. on December 2, 2024. The RVRC reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals. The RVRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

II. Purpose

The River Valley Regional Commission (RVRC) seeks to acquire the services of a home inspection firm or residential construction firm to serve as the Construction Rehabilitation Advisor (CRA) for single-family, housing rehabilitation and construction projects.

Responding firms should be technically qualified and licensed to provide inspection services for local, state, and federally funded projects. The CRA responsibilities include but are not limited to:

· Prefunding rehabilitation work write-up with cost estimates. These write ups shall consist of a comprehensive review narrative describing all of the deficiencies that are found to not meet current international building standard codes. Each deficiency should be documented with photos. The narrative should also explain how the deficiencies will be corrected and a detailed cost analysis of the work needed should be included. Cost estimates should be provided using RS Means Residential Cost Data or a similar accepted construction method.

· Initial rehabilitation work write-up with cost estimates review/ update. The prefunding work write up and cost estimates should be reevaluated and updated if needed before any solicitation for general contractor bids for rehabilitation work are issued. Cost estimates should be provided using RS Means Residential Cost Data or a similar accepted construction method.

· Bid specifications. The CRA shall produce bid specifications using the updated work write up and cost estimates. This shall be used to solicit general contractor bids for rehabilitation work.

· Pre-bid construction walk-through with contractors wishing to bid on said rehabilitation property.

· A minimum of two inspections performed during the rehabilitation to ensure that all work complies with the International Building Codes and DCA CDBG and CHIP rehabilitation guidelines. These are performed at 50 percent and 100 percent completion of work. This includes verifying pay requests submitted by the construction rehabilitation contractor for accuracy to ensure all work items have been completed.

· A punch-list completion inspection performed as needed.

· The approval of any change orders as needed. Ensure that the change orders are necessary for the completion of the property and that costs are reasonable.

· Available to the construction contractor during the construction period to answer questions that arise.

· The provision of new construction housing specifications when needed.

· Preconstruction conference attendance on an as-needed basis.

· Perform Lead-Based Paint Inspection on all homes built prior to 1978. If lead is present, a Risk Assessment will be conducted to determine the presence, type, severity, and location of lead-based paint hazards (including lead hazards in paint, dust, and soil). The risk assessment will provide project designs to control the lead hazard with an estimated cost of work. If lead control work is performed, the CRA will provide a lead clearance report with all supporting documentation. Anyone performing this task must be Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) Certified Lead-Based Paint Inspectors, Risk Assessors, and Project Designers. All lead-based paint hazards are governed by the following regulations:

· HUD implementing regulations (24 CFR Part 35).

· The Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1993 (PL 102-550).

· The GA EPD Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rules. More information about the Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule can be found at the following website: http://www.hud.gov/offices/lead/training/rrp/rrp.cfm.

· The Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 U.S.C. 4831-5 et al)

· Asbestos testing as needed. If asbestos is found, the CRA will provide an asbestos clearance report once the asbestos has been removed. Any firm conducting asbestos testing must be GA EPD Certified Asbestos Testing Firm.

NOTE: Not all firms applying may have said services in-house. However, any responding firm must be able to subcontract out the work to a contractor that meets all the above requirements.

Proposal: Respondents must complete the attached application and provide all information requested in Section III: Proposal Guidelines of this RFP.

Evaluation Procedures All RFP submissions will be reviewed to determine if they meet the mandatory Proposal requirements. Those RFP submissions not meeting the mandatory requirements will be deemed “non-responsive.” The “responsive” RFP submittals will be evaluated and ranked. Selected Home Inspection Firms may be contacted by the RVRC for an interview.

If interviews are held, the RVRC will then award a contract. Priority will be given to those companies that are local, disadvantaged, and small businesses, or companies that partner with local, disadvantaged, and small businesses.

The following factors will be used in evaluating proposals and awarding of contract:

1. Experience

2. Record of past performance

3. Fee Schedule

4. Section 3/ DBE The RVRC reserves the right to not make a selection of an “approved” CRA should it believe that respondents to the RFP will be incapable of delivering the necessary level of services within an acceptable price range and/or time. The RVRC also reserves the right to reject any and all proposals submitted in response to the RFP and to enter into negotiations with the respondents to the RFP as may be necessary or appropriate to refine the scope of services, fee arrangements, or any other aspect of the services to be provided hereunder. The RVRC reserves the right to negotiate any line item on the Proposal.

Distribution of RFP Notice of this RFP is being distributed to individuals and firms that the RVRC believes may be interested in providing Contract Rehabilitation Advisor services.

III. Proposal Guidelines A suggested format for the response to this Request for Proposal is indicated below. These guidelines are intended to facilitate the review and evaluation of the firm’s responses. Submitting firms are required to follow the guidelines below and provide one original and two copies of the Proposal.

A. Guidelines

1. Complete the attached application and fee schedule.

2. Experience: Include firm/individual’s general background. Include a brief resume of the individuals/staff involved. Include any previous housing experience.

3. Provide a copy (ies) of business license(s).

4. Provide a copy of insurance documentation.

5. Record of Past Performance: Provide previous experience, including CDBG experience, with contact person and phone numbers for each referenced job. Include three references including contact name, email, and phone number.

6. Section 3/ DBE Include certifications if a Section 3 or DBE firm. Being a Section 3 firm or DBE does not guarantee a contract. The selected firm must meet all other qualifications.

All questions regarding this RFP should be directed to Grant Richardson, 706-256-2910, or grichardson@rivervalleyrc.org The deadline for receiving questions is November 26, 2024.

IV. Contractual Agreements The RVRC will execute the contract for these services. The following are important provisions that will be contained in the contracts:

Conflict of Interest The Contractor agrees to avoid all instances wherein he/she might have a potential and/or actual conflict of interest regarding his/her activities.

Termination for Cause The RVRC may terminate its Contract with the Contractor, for cause, upon 10 days prior written notice to the Contractor of the Contractor’s default in the performance of any term of the Contract.

Termination for Convenience The RVRC may terminate its Contract with the Contractor, for its convenience, at any time by written notice to the Contractor. In the event of the RVRC’s termination of the Contract, the Contractor will be paid for those services performed up to the point of the termination effective date. Partially completed performance of the Contract will be compensated upon a signed statement of completion submitted by the Contractor which shall itemize each element of the performance and which upon review and approval by the RVRC will be paid.

V. RFP SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

All questions or requests for additional information shall be directed to Ian Perry, Regional Planner, by email at iperry@rivervalleyrc.org. The deadline for receiving questions is November 26, 2024.

All RFPs must be received at the RVRC no later than 2:00 p.m. on December 2, 2024. Any RFP received after 2:00 p.m. will not be accepted.

Whether the RFP is sent by mail or commercial express service, the Contractor shall be responsible for the actual delivery of the RFP to the RVRC before the deadline time.

One original and two (2) copies of your RFP should be submitted. All RFPs shall be submitted in a sealed envelope/package. Envelope/package shall be addressed to Tracie Hadaway, Director of Planning and Government Services, River Valley Regional Commission, 710 Front Avenue, Suite A, Columbus, GA 31901, and the following clearly typed or printed on the outside: your company name, Construction Rehabilitation Advisor RFP Response, and the date.

Three references shall be provided as part of the RFP response. Failure to provide this information may result in RFP being deemed non-responsive.

The RVRC reserves the right to reject all RFPs, in whole or in part, to waive technicalities, and to make an award as deemed to be in the best interest of the RVRC and its member jurisdictions. The RVRC does not discriminate based on disability in the admission or access to its programs or activities.

The RVRC requires that pricing remain firm for the initial contract year. The contract will begin upon the final execution of the contract documents. The contract may be renewed for up to four (4) additional one-year periods, provided that fees are firm (or pre-approved increase as may be noted on RFP Application Form), service is Satisfactory, and both parties are willing to renew. Prior to each period of renewal, any proposed increases in renewal rates will be evaluated and compared to current market conditions and the actual rate of inflation. The full term of the contractual services could be five years if all four annual renewal options are exercised. The RVRC has sole discretion as to the renewal of this contract.

Upon award of the contract, the Construction Rehabilitation Advisor will be required to register their firm at:

(a) The System for Award Management (SAM) http://sam.gov. This is an official website of the U.S. government, and your firm must register to do business with the U.S. government.

(b) E-Verify https://www.uscis.gov/e-verify U.S. law and the State of Georgia require companies to employ only individuals who may legally work in the United States – either U.S. citizens, or foreign citizens who have the necessary authorization. E-Verify is an Internet-based system that allows businesses to determine the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States.

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