RFQ 25306 - Impact fees development - update FINAL.pdf

TOWN OF SMITHFIELD, RI

64 FARNUM PIKE

SMITHFIELD, RI 02917

Request for Qualifications

RFQ Number – 25306

Development/ Update - Impact Fees - Fee Schedule

SPECIFICATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

RFQ Number – 25306

Table of Contents

Page 1 Cover

Page 2 Table of Contents & Brief Introduction

Page 3 Request for Qualifications

Page 4 Introduction & Background

Pages 5 - 7 Scope of Work

Page 8 Reference Documents Listing

INTRODUCTION:

The Town is seeking proposals from qualified consultants to study, update, and amend the Town’s Needs Assessment and Development Impact Fee Report and the impact fee schedule. Both shall reflect the demand for new and expanded services, required by the Town Government, due to new developments.

I. REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

Notice is hereby given that sealed proposals will be received at the Town Hall to the attention of the Procurement Agent, who is located in the Finance Office, until 10:00 a.m., Thursday, April 3, 2025, local time, for furnishing all labor, materials and equipment, and performing all work necessary and incidental to: Development Impact Fees-Fee Schedule Update in accordance with the specifications listed within.

Documents are available on the Town of Smithfield, RI website;

https://www.beaconbid.com/solicitations/town-of-smithfield/open and on the Beacon Bids website;

https://www.beaconbid.com/agency/solicitations/open , and Bidnet Direct (new name is SOVRA) website, https://www.bidnetdirect.com/private/buyer/solicitations?target=clear or at the Town Hall finance office.

Proposals shall be delivered and addressed to the Town Procurement Agent, Smithfield Town Hall, 64 Farnum Pike, Smithfield, RI 02917 and shall be labeled RFQ Number – 25306, by 10:00 AM Thursday, April 3, 2025. Proposals will be opened and read aloud at that time in the Town Council Chambers, 2nd floor of Town Hall. Any Proposer who wishes his proposal to be considered is responsible for making certain that his proposal is received in the Finance Office by the proper time.

No oral, telegraphic, electronic, facsimile, or telephonic proposals or modifications will be considered unless specified. Proposals received after the scheduled submittal deadline will not be accepted and may be returned unopened. Proposals must bear original signatures and figures.

There will be no pre-proposal meeting. All questions regarding this RFP must be submitted in writing by 4:00 pm on Friday, March 26, 2025. Questions received after that time will not be addressed. Questions shall be emailed to the Town Procurement Agent at: csantos@smithfieldri.gov. All submitted questions and the town’s written response to each will be available as an addendum on or before Friday, March 28, 2025. Potential bidders are responsible for contacting the Town Procurement agent to request a copy of the addendum. Bidders must acknowledge receipt of all addenda on the town proposal form which will be submitted with the proposal package.

https://www.beaconbid.com/solicitations/town-of-smithfield/open https://www.beaconbid.com/agency/solicitations/open https://www.bidnetdirect.com/private/buyer/solicitations?target=clear mailto:csantos@smithfieldri.gov

Introduction Authority to impose impact fees is derived from the Town’s Development Impact Fees ordinance (sections 193-8 through 193-12 of the 2014 Code of Ordinances Article X (Fair Share Development Impact Fees) of Chapter 36 (Taxation) of the Town of Smithfield Code of Ordinances. The Town is seeking proposals from qualified consultants to study, update, and amend the Town’s Needs Assessment and Development Impact Fee Report and the impact fee schedule. Both shall reflect the demand for new and expanded services, required by the Town Government, due to new developments.

Background Pursuant to G.L. 1956, Chapter 45-22.4, the Rhode Island Development Impact Fee Act, Smithfield’s Town Council determined that a fair and effective program was necessary to plan and finance public facilities to accommodate new growth and development in the Town, with the aim of safeguarding the public health, safety, and general welfare of Smithfield’s citizens.

The original needs assessment reports were adopted as part of the impact fee ordinance in 2001 and 2005:

• The Louis Berger Group, Inc., Town of Smithfield, Rhode Island. Phase II Impact Fee Study, June, 2001

• Kleinschmidt Associates and Anthony W. Lachowicz, Needs, Assessment and Growth Study, Town of Smithfield, Rhode Island, Final Report, February 2005.

The original ordinance included a fee for Park, Recreation and Historic Facility improvements, Libraries, Schools, Road Improvements, and Open Space and Conservation Areas. These initial reports and impact fee schedule were updated in May 2015 by Mason & Associates, Inc. The updated report and impact fee schedule, entitled, “Smithfield Impact Fee Update – 2015, Town of Smithfield, Rhode Island was adopted on May 19, 2015. The updated impact fee ordinance saw the addition and elimination of certain categories of facilities that would benefit from impact fees. The current impact fees schedule saw the addition of Police Facilities and the elimination of Schools and Open Space from the list of public facilities that could justify the imposition of a fee. The current Impact fee table is shown below.

Type of Residential Open Parks and Police Proposed Dwelling Unit Library Schools Roads Space Recreation Facilities____ Total____

Single family detached $709.19 $0 $2,604.12 $0 $1,819.42 $1,440.60 $6,573.33 Two- and three-family $730.71 $0 $1,575.14 $0 $1,824.00 $1,466.55 $5,596.39 Condominium $730.71 $0 $1,575.14 $0 $1,824.00 $1,466.55 $5,596.39 Multi-household $754.63 $0 $1,852.48 $0 $1,535.25 $1,252.11 $5,394.48

The Town of Smithfield is seeking qualifications from experienced consultants to study, revise, and update the Town's Development Impact Fee Report, including its needs assessment and impact fee schedule. As the population of Smithfield grows, the need arises for expanded services to new residents, including police, fire, roads, public schools, libraries, parks and recreation land and facilities, open space, utilities, and other public infrastructure. This update will ensure that the Town's impact fees accurately reflect the growing demand for essential public services and infrastructure needed to support the continued development of Smithfield.

Scope of Work Study of the Development Impact Fee Report The Town’s Development Impact Fee Report from 2001-05 had fees concentrated on schools and open space. The 2015 Update found that school enrollment was flat and there were no capacity issues within the system that would justify a fee. Likewise, the Town had added a significant amount of open space since the initial study and had achieved its goal of providing 15% of the Town’s area as protected open space. As a result the School and Open Space fee categories had no associated fee. The need for an updated Police Station resulted in the addition of Police Facilities fee being added. Given that the Mason & Associates Updated Report is ten (10) years old, the Town is seeking a comprehensive study of the report to address the following:

• Identify the current state of public services and infrastructure in the Town.

• Identify the capital needs and costs associated with anticipated growth.

• Review annual projections of population, employment, housing, commercial, industrial, and other nonresidential square footage data for at least 10 years.

• Study the demand factors that generate the need for new capital facilities. Evaluate existing levels of service.

Update of the Development Impact Fee Report The updated report must explicitly demonstrate that the methodology used to calculate the impact fees is in accordance Rhode Island General Laws Chapter 45-22.4. The updated Impact Fee Report should utilize the findings from the study and, at a minimum, include the following:

• Executive summary.

• Detailed description of methodologies used during the study.

• Detailed description of all public services/infrastructure, their cost factor, and the rationale behind the cost/impact fee calculation.

o The needs assessment should accurately reflecting the cost of the increased need for police, fire, roads, public schools, libraries, recreation land and facilities, open space, utilities, and other public facilities as defined in the Rhode Island Development Impact Fee Act.

• Detailed schedule of all proposed fees for each category of public facilities.

o A defensible fee schedule should be produced for each of the applicable public facilities as defined in the State statute.

• Other information which explains and justifies the recommended fee schedule.

Meetings The consultant will attend one (1) public meeting before the Town Council to present and explain the analyses and conclusions contained in the report. Additionally, the consultant will meet with or otherwise communicate with town staff as necessary during the course of the project. At a minimum there will be a project kick-off meeting and a meeting with staff to review initial findings prior to completion of the final report.

RFQ Schedule RFQ Issued: March 19, 2025 Last Day for Questions: March 26, 2025 Qualifications Due: April 3, 2025 Interviews: Week of April 7, 2025 Possible Town Council Award: April 15, 2025

Proposal Requirements A successful proposal response will include the following:

Introduction Provide a cover letter and introduction including the name and contact information of the person authorized to represent the firm. Include a summary that includes an overview of the proposal, its highlights, and the firms proposed approach to successfully providing the services solicited.

Firm Information and Qualifications Provide an outline of the firm’s background, qualifications, and ability to perform the services requested.

Personnel Information and Qualifications Provide the qualifications and resumes of key personnel, including any professional registrations or certifications and experience providing similar services.

Relevant Experience Provide examples of projects of similar scope and complexity within the last five years.

References Provide at least three references for projects of similar scope and complexity, preferably performed within the last five years. For each reference, provide name, address, email, telephone number, year(s) and details of work performed.

Evaluation Criteria Costs are not required for this qualifications-based submittal and will therefore not be considered as part of the evaluation. The Selection Committee will rank firms and select the top finalist(s) for an interview based on the criteria outlined below.

Prior to the interviews, Selection Committee will request a cost proposal from each finalist. The Committee will re-rank the firms after the interviews. If negotiations with the top-ranked firm are unsuccessful, the process will be repeated with the next highest-ranked firm until a fair and reasonably priced contract can be awarded.

Qualifications and Experience Specialized experience is required of the company and/or the responsible individual. Proposals must clearly demonstrate full knowledge, understanding, and experience in the methods, techniques, and guidelines required for the performance of the required work. The consultant must have demonstrable experience in community and land use planning, municipal finance, land use law, and impact fee methodologies.

Project Understanding

The bidder must demonstrate a comprehension of the role and function of this contract in meeting the needs of the Town.

1. Response to all elements requested in the RFQ.

2. Clarity of the submittal.

3. Understanding of the project scope of work.

Performance Record of Firm A list of references with similar projects must be provided and include company name, contact name, and telephone number. References must give an exemplary recommendation of the firm.

Public Presentations and Outreach Demonstrated ability to make effective public presentations and conduct successful community education and outreach. Examples from other projects must be provided.

Project Schedule Realistic schedule that comports with the work plan.

Proposal Deadline Proposals must be submitted in sealed envelopes clearly marked “RFQ 25306 - Impact Fee Report Review and Fee Schedule Update” and delivered to the following address: Smithfield Town Hall 64 Farnum Pike, Smithfield, RI 02917

Sealed proposals will be accepted until 10:00 A.M. local time on Monday, April 3, 2025. Any proposals received after the specified time will not be accepted. Please submit three (3) hard copies of your proposal, along with a .pdf (thumb Drive) version.

Questions or Addendum Questions concerning this RFQ should be emailed to Carlos Santos, Procurement Agent at:

csantos@smithfieldri.gov . All questions must be received by 4:30 P.M. on Wednesday, March 36, 2025 to be considered. Responses to all questions, and any changes made to this RFQ, will be posted as an addendum on the following webpages: https://www.beaconbid.com/solicitations/town-of-smithfield/open and on the Beacon Bids website;

https://www.beaconbid.com/agency/solicitations/open , and Bidnet Direct (new name is SOVRA) website, https://www.bidnetdirect.com/private/buyer/solicitations?target=clear .

mailto:csantos@smithfieldri.gov https://www.beaconbid.com/solicitations/town-of-smithfield/open https://www.beaconbid.com/solicitations/town-of-smithfield/open https://www.beaconbid.com/agency/solicitations/open https://www.bidnetdirect.com/private/buyer/solicitations?target=clear

Available Reference Documents

Three (3) PDF files will be included for reference:

2001 – LBG Phase II impact fee study

2005 – Needs assessment 3 25 3

Smithfield Impact Fee Update – 20 March 2015