REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

2026-18

Project: Consultant Services for a Comprehensive Update to the

Dorchester County Critical Area Ordinance

Department: Planning and Zoning

Opening Date: Wednesday, November 4, 2026 Closing Date: Wednesday, December 2, 2026 at 3:00 p.m.

Questions Due By: Wednesday, November 25, 2026 at 11:00 a.m.

Proposals Opened: Wednesday, December 2, 2026, 3:00 p.m.

Room 110, County Office Building Award Date: Wednesday, December 16, 2026

SUBMIT TO:

Dorchester County Council

501 Court Lane Room 108

Cambridge, Maryland 21613

Request for Proposals Dorchester County Comprehensive Update to the Critical Area Ordinance

1. Proposal Submisstion Instruction:

The Dorchester County Council, hereinafter referred to as “County Council” or “County”, will accept sealed proposals from qualified consultants, hereinafter referred to as “Interested or Successful Consultant” for a complete update of the Dorchester County Critical Area Ordinance (County Code Chapter 68).

All questions from Interested Consultants shall be made in writing and submitted to Cassie Hoy, Dorchester Planning & Zoning via e-mail to cdyson@dorchestermd.gov no later than 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, November 25, 2026. All questions and answers will be posted on the County website (www.dorchestermd.gov) with the Request For Proposals.

Interested Consultants are required to submit an original and three (3) copies of their proposal at the time of submission. Proposals shall be submitted to the Dorchester County Council, 501 Court Lane, Room 108, Cambridge, MD 21613 no later than 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 2, 2026. All copies of the Proposal Documents will be enclosed in a sealed envelope marked “Proposal for Dorchester County Critical Area Ordinance Comprehensive Update”. If the Proposal Documents are sent by mail, the sealed envelope will be enclosed in a separate mailing envelope. Facsimile and electronic copies of proposals will not be accepted.

Interested Consultants are responsible for ensuring that their proposal is received by the County before the deadline indicated. Proposals received after the announced deadline will not be considered.

Submitted proposals must be signed by the individual or an individual authorized to bind the Interested Consultant. All proposals submitted without such signature will be deemed non-responsive and will not be considered.

The County reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals, to negotiate with any or all responsible submitters, and to waive any informality in the Request for Proposal. Interested Consultants shall be responsible for any and all expenses incurred in preparing proposals.

Accepted proposals shall be unsealed and read aloud at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 2, 2026 in the Council Chambers located at 501 Court Lane, Room 110, Cambridge, MD.

2. Background

Dorchester County is located on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and it is the fourth largest county in in the state based on land mass. The County is bordered on the north by the Choptank River, on the east by the State of Delaware, on the southeast by the Nanticoke River, and on the south and west by the Chesapeake Bay. There are several peninsulas of land surrounded by rivers, bays, and the Chesapeake Bay leading to over 1,200 linear miles of shoreline. Several tidal estuaries traverse the County leading to an abundance of lands influenced by the County’s Critical Areas Ordinance.

The County has received a grant award from the State of Maryland’s Critical Area Commission in the amount of $25,000 for a comprehensive review of the County’s local Critical Areas Program.

3. Scope of Work for the Update to the Dorchester County Critical Area Ordinance

Timetable and Project Coordination

The Successful Consultant shall include in their proposal a project timetable for completing the ordinance update, ensuring that all work is completed and the updated Critical Area Ordinance is effective by June 30, 2027.

The Planning & Zoning staff will provide all relevant project files, ordinances, resource documents, and development activity information to the best extent possible.

Task #1 – Plan Consistency

The Successful Consultant is expected to review pertinent background documents and data, including, but not necessarily limited to, the Zoning Ordinance, Comprehensive Plan, Comprehensive Water and Sewer Plan, Solid Waste Plan, and Subdivision Regulations to:

1) identify inconsistencies between these plans and the Critical Area Ordinance;

2) provide a list and description of each plan inconsistency; and

3) provide solutions to achieve consistency between the Critical Area Ordinance and other local plans, programs, and ordinances.

Planning Staff will provide the Successful Consultant with available digital and hard copy mapped data and documents for review and analysis.

The Planning and Zoning Department utilizes ArcGIS Pro software by ESRI. All maps and GIS data created for this project will be provided to the Planning and Zoning Department in an editable and reproducible manner, and will become the property of Dorchester County.

Task #2 – Potential Map Amendments

The Successful Consultant will comprehensively review the County’s existing zoning ordinance, zoning map, and Critical Area designations to identify any potential map amendments that may be pursued by the County consistent with Natural Resources Article §8-1809.

Task #3 – Resource Inventory

The Planning and Zoning staff will request an updated Resource Inventory from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wildlife and Heritage Service, and the Successful Consultant will incorporate this document into the updated Critical Area Ordinance.

Task #4 – Growth Allocation

The Successful Consultant will work with Planning and Zoning staff and with the Critical Area Commission to determine an accurate recordation of growth allocation accounting to be incorporated into the updated Critical Area Ordinance.

Task #5 – Element Review

The Successful Consultant will comprehensively review certain elements and incorporate them into the revised Critical Area Ordinance, including, but not limited to:

A forest and woodland protection program, including provisions for the IDA A mineral resources plan An agricultural protection plan A habitat protection plan A water-dependent facilities planning process for identifying suitable areas Renewable energy plan

GIS Data

The following are requirements pertaining to GIS Data:

Provide all GIS shapefiles (.shp) and associated files used to produce maps, including attribute tables and projection information.

Data shall be delivered in a commonly used coordinate system compatible with ESRI ArcGIS or equivalent GIS software.

Files shall include metadata describing data sources, date of creation, and any processing performed.

In addition to printed maps, the Successful Consultant shall provide digital versions of the maps in PDF format suitable for electronic distribution and archving.

Project Deliverables

Draft revised Critical Area Ordinance for review by staff which reflects best practices;

the project’s goals; is clear and user-friendly for the general public, stakeholders, elected and appointed officials, and the development community; incorporates graphics, illustrations, charts, and tables; is legally sound; eliminates inconsistencies, conflicts, overlaps, redundancies, and outdated provisions; minimizes nonconformities; implements modern development standards and best practices; and improves and streamlines the County’s entitlement process to remain economically competitive.

Ensure all work and the updated ordinance is effective by June 30, 2027.

Provide GIS data as noted above.

Meetings – Successful Consultant, County Planning & Zoning Staff, Critical Area Commission

The Successful Consultant will meet with Planning and Zoning staff on at least a monthly basis, and with Critical Area Commission on at least a quarterly basis to provide updates and discuss elements of the review. For Critical Area Commission meetings, drafts of the Ordinance shall be sent to the Planning and Zoning staff at least two weeks prior to the scheduled meeting.

Dorchester County Planning and Zoning will maintain overall responsibility for the project. Staff will act as a liaison between the Successful Candidate, County Manager, County Council, County and State Agencies, and the General Public.

The Successful Consultant will be responsible for drafting all elements of the Critical Area Ordinance and associated figures and maps. Reviews shall be coordinated and comments gathered throughout the process from the Planning and Zoning staff.

Planning and Zoning staff will review all materials produced by the Successful Consultant prior to being presented at public meetings, public hearings, or work sessions.

Planning and Zoning staff will be responsible for providing logistics to include scheduling, meeting locations, advertising, and mailings.

The Successful Consultant will participate in public meetings and will advise the Planning and Zoning staff on the key points in the process when meetings are recommended. Work sessions with the County Council, Planning and Zoning, and the Successful Candidate will be open to the public for observation.

The Successful Consultant will work with the Planning and Zoning staff to create an appropriate process to receive public comment during the development of the Critical Area Ordinance update.

The Successful Consultant agrees to all terms and conditions of Appendix C of the FY27 Grant Agreement #K00P7600143 between the Critical Area Commission and Dorchester County, MD herein attached as Exhibit A.

4. Dorchester County Critical Area Ordinance Update Adoption

Public comments will be gathered on the Dorchester County Critical Area Ordinance Comprehensive Update by the County Council who must hold a public hearing, facilitated by the Planning and Zoning staff with input and participation from the Successful Candidate.

Following a public comment period, final edits to the Ordinance Update shall be timely executed by the Successful Consultant with concurrence from the Planning and Zoning staff.

The final adopted document preparation will be the responsibility of the Successful Consultant who will supply 10 paper copies and an electronic .pdf version.

5. Project Payments

Monthly itemized invoices from the Successful Consultant shall be approved by the County based on a percentage of completion of the approved delivery schedule, less 10% retainage to be paid at the completion of the project upon receipt of all deliverables.

6. Projected Award Timetable

The following projected schedule is included for planning purposes. The County reserves the right to adjust this schedule as required during the course of the RFP process:

Event Date Bid Opening Date Wednesday, November 4, 2026

Deadline for Questions Wednesday, November 25, 2026, 11:00 p.m.

Proposals Due Wednesday, December 2, 2026, 3:00 p.m.

To ensure a fair and competitive process, all questions related to this RFP must be submitted in writing to the Dorchester County Planning and Zoning office at:

cdyson@dorchestermd.gov by 11:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 25, 2026.

Questions and responses will be posted no later than five days prior to the proposal deadline on the County website at www.dorchestercountymd.com under How Do I?> Bid Invitations. It is the responsibility of interested parties to check the website on a regular basis for updates.

It is fully the responsibility of the Vendor to insure that the proposal is received on time.

7. County’s Responsibilities

The Planning and Zoning Department will provide the Successful Consultant with the following information:

a. All information in the possession of the County as referenced in the Scope of Work of this RFP;

b. Examine all information submitted and presented;

c. Advertise any public notices, at the County’s expense, associated with public review of the Draft Comprehensive Critical Area Ordinance Update;

d. Susan Webb, Planning and Zoning Director, and Cassie Dyson Hoy, Staff Planner, (410-228-3234) are the primary County contacts once the contract has been awarded for this project.

8. Request For Proposals Content

Interested Consultants are to submit written proposals which present qualifications and understanding of the work to be performed. Each Interested Consultant’s proposal shall provide all information for the project which responds to the Scope of Work, Submittal Requirements, and Evaluation Criteria described herein.

The body of the proposal should be limited to no more than ten (10) pages. Cover Letters, Table of Contents, Attachments and Appendices will not county towards the ten page limit.

Provide information documenting the Interested Consultant’s, and any anticipated subcontractor’s, qualifications and experience, including its ability, capacity, and numbers of years of experience in providing planning and consulting services. Interested Consultants should specify if they have performed other Critical Area Ordinance updates for other municipalities in Maryland within the last five (5) years.

Provide a description of the Interested Consultant’s approach to the project and a proposed work plan and schedule.

Cost proposal with a lump sum rate.

A list of key staff to be assigned to the project.

Acknowledgement of Any Past or Present Lawsuits – Include a statement concerning whether lawsuits have been filed against the Interested Consultant, its principals or any joint venture partner for misfeasance or malfeasance with respect to professional services and, if so, a detailed listing of the adverse action, cause, number, jurisdiction in which filed, and current status.

9. Evaluation Criteria

Planning and Zoning Staff and other County Staff will read, review, and evaluate each proposal for technical merit and selection will be made primarily on the basis of the criteria listed below. The evaluation criteria are as follows:

DESCRIPTION POINTS AWARDED

Scope and quality of services provided and the demonstrated ability of the Interested Consultant to provide all services identified in this RFP. This includes the ability to accurately produce the Ordinance update documents in accordance with State and County requirements.

Past experience with Critical Area Ordinance updates for other Maryland counties.

Interested Consultant’s current total workload and capacity to complete the work by the stated deadline.

The cost to complete this work. 20 Responsiveness of the firm to the submittal format instructions contained in this RFP, including the correct number of copies, Cost Proposal, acknowledgements, and other attachments as noted.

The County reserves the right to reject the Proposal Documents of any Vendor who has previously failed to perform properly in any way or complete on time contracts of a similar nature; or a Proposal Document from a Vendor who, investigation shows, is not in a position to perform the Contract; or Proposal Documents from any person, firm, or corporation which is in arrears or in default to the County for any debt or contract.

Completed proposals from entities debarred from doing business with the State of Maryland or the Federal Government will not be accepted.

The County will have the right to reject any and all Proposal Documents, where applicable to accept in whole or in part, to add or delete quantities, to waive any informalities or irregularities in the Proposal Document received, to reject a Proposal Document not accompanied by required Bid security or other data required by the Proposal Documents, and to accept or reject any Proposal Document which deviates from specifications when in the best interest of the County. Irrespective of any of the foregoing, the County will have the right to award the Contract in its own best interests.

10. Indemnification

The Contractor will indemnify the County, its officers, agents, and employees from all liability, penalties, costs, losses, damages, expenses, causes of action, claims, or judgments (including Attorney's fees) resulting from injury to or death of any person or damage to property of any kind, which injury, death, or damage arises out of, or is in any way connected with the performance of the work or failure to perform its obligations under this Contract.

This obligation applies to any acts, omissions, or negligent conduct, including acts or omissions of Contractor's agents or employees, except that it is not applicable to injury, death, or damage to the property arising from the sole negligence of Dorchester County, its officers, agents, or employees.

11. Insurance

Contractor must obtain and keep in effect Commercial General Liability Insurance in the amounts listed below for its activities and operations. The insurance must include coverage for personal injury, discrimination, and civil rights violation claims. All insurance must name Dorchester County, its employees, and agents as "Additional Insured". A copy of the certificate of insurance must be filed with the County prior to the time this Contract is executed, providing coverage in the amount of $1,000,000 per occurrence, $2,000,000 general aggregate, and $500,000 for property damage. Coverage must be written on an occurrence form.

Contractor must obtain and keep in effect, automobile insurance on all vehicles used in this Contract to protect Contractor against claims for damages resulting from bodily injury, including wrongful death, and property damage that may arise from the operations of any owned or hired automobiles used by Contractor in connection with the Contract. All insurance must name County, its employees, and agents as "Additional Insured".

Contractor must provide the County with a certification of Workers' Compensation Insurance, with employer's liability in the minimum amount required by Maryland law in effect for each year of this Contract.

All insurance policies must have a minimum 30 days’ notice of cancellation. The County must be notified immediately upon cancellation or restriction by the insurance company of any insurance policy referred to in this section.

When insurance coverage is renewed, Contractor must provide new certificates of insurance prior to expiration of current policies.

COST PROPOSAL

We hereby submit our Proposal Documents for “Comprehensive Update to the Dorchester County Critical Area Ordinance” as indicated in the Proposal Documents. Having carefully examined the Proposal Documents and having received clarification on all items of conflict or upon which any doubt arose, the undersigned hereby requests consideration of our firm for award of the referenced Proposal.

ITEM DESCRIPTION

LUMP SUM

COST

1 Preparation of a Comprehensive Update to the Dorchester County Critical Area Ordinance

The Vendor agrees that the proposal will be good for at least ninety (90) days unless otherwise indicated in the proposal specifications.

Is your company currently involved in any active litigation? (Yes)______ (No)______CHECK one.

Have you included your certificate of good standing with the State of Maryland?

(Yes)_____ (No)______CHECK one.

Is your company currently involved in any mergers or acquisitions?

(Yes)_____ (No)_______ CHECK one.

NOTE: THIS PROPOSAL FORM MUST BE SIGNED BY AN OFFICER OF YOUR COMPANY OR

AN AUTHORIZED AGENT FOR THIS PROPOSAL TO BE CONSIDERED VALID BY THE

COUNTY.

Signature Printed Name

Title Email

EXHIBIT A