REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ)

ENGINEERING CONSULTANT

Meerwood Park Storm Replacement

ST051

Response Deadline: November 20, 2026

Tiffany Tillison, PE, PROJECT MANAGER

PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

ISSAQUAH, WASHINGTON

The City of Issaquah (City) seeks to secure the services of a consulting firm with expertise in civil design and environmental permitting in support of the project described below.

Upon approval and contract execution by the City, the contract with the chosen firm will be for a period of two (2) years with an option for the City to extend the contract for additional time and/or compensation if deemed necessary by the City. It is anticipated that work will commence January 2027. The City reserves the sole right to reject any and all submittals, to not award a contract, and to cancel or modify this solicitation process at any time.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND SCOPE OF SERVICES

The existing stormwater system within Meerwood Park and the surrounding neighborhood consists of corrugated metal pipe (CMP) and catch basins. Stormwater is conveyed from uphill neighborhoods and sections of I-90. Portions of the existing system are deteriorated and are in need of replacement. The existing storm system runs between private properties within a narrow City park corridor and within City easements. Within the area of the park corridor, the City has observed private fences built over pipe segments and trees growing along the alignment of the pipe. Presently the City assumes that the pipe is deteriorated and roots are intruding or the pipe has completely collapsed. The City has not been able to CCTV sections of pipe within this park corridor. All pipe segments outfall into a bioretention swale that was constructed as part of the Meerwood Park complex in the 1990’s. The City has performed a preliminary evaluation and determined that the bioretention swale has converted into wetland. The proposed project consists of replacing deteriorated stormwater pipes and catch basins that discharge to this bioretention swale, and rehabilitation of the swale within Meerwood Park. The proposed improvements may require work within or adjacent to regulated critical areas.

The City has a topographic survey for the project area that was completed in 2022, as well as CCTV of a few pipe segments that were not submerged. The selected Consultant will be responsible for reviewing available survey information and determining if additional survey may be required to support the design, permitting, and construction documents.

The selected Consultant will be responsible for developing the project from preliminary evaluation through final design, permitting, bidding, and construction support.

Scope for the project includes, but is not limited to the following:

• Review available City information and 2022 survey; perform field verification to establish existing conditions and identify additional survey needs;

• Evaluate existing stormwater system, provide preliminary modeling to ensure hydraulic capacity and provide design for replacement of deteriorated storm pipes and catch basins;

• Revise private fence alignments to ensure the park property/open space remains in the City’s ownership.

• Support the City in outreach with neighboring property owners that will be impacted by the design.

• Review available environmental information and perform wetland delineation and/or verification, identify wetland buffers, critical areas, and other environmental constraints that may affect the project;

• Provide a design to rehabilitate the bioretention swale within the Meerwood Park to ensure the system is providing water quality benefits. Collaborate with public works and parks staff on the final design to ensure a system is constructed that is sustainable and can be maintained by City maintenance staff.

• Identify and coordinate the federal, state, and local permits and approvals required for proposed improvements including preparing and submitting permit applications and supporting documentation through the permitting process;

• Prepare plans, specifications, necessary technical reports, and construction cost estimates necessary to bid and construct proposed improvements;

• Provide assistance during bidding and construction, including responses to contractor questions, review of submittals and RFIs, design clarifications, site visits, and assistance with construction-related issues as authorized by City staff;

• Coordinate with City staff and applicable regulatory agencies, property owners, utility providers, and any other identified stakeholders necessary to complete the project.

Attachments include:

• Topographic Survey

• Schematic defining project limits

• Meerwood Park record drawings

PROJECT FUNDING

Funding for services comes from the City’s stormwater budget. The available budget is $107,000 for the design and permitting support for this project. The City will pay for all permitting fees for this project.

PROJECT SCHEDULE

The proposed project is anticipated to be designed in 2027 with construction to be completed in summer 2028.

ANTICIPATED SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES

The following schedule has been established for the submission and evaluation of the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) and selection of the successful Consultant(s). These are tentative dates only and the City reserves the right to adjust these dates at its sole discretion.

• RFQ posted: November 4, 2026

• Deadline for questions: November 11, 2026, 5:00pm

• Question responses returned by: November 13, 2026

• RFQ submittal deadline: November 20, 2026, 5:00pm

• Evaluation period: November 20, 2026 through December 4, 2026

• Contract award: December 7, 2026

SUBMITTAL GUIDELINES

The City of Issaquah uses a shared electronic roster, Public Purchase, for soliciting materials as well as contractors, engineering, architecture, and consultant services for small public works and construction projects. To receive automatic notification of our City projects and requests for proposals (RFPs)/requests for qualifications (RFQs), vendors must register with Public Purchase.

All inquiries regarding this RFQ must be submitted through Public Purchase. Material questions received by the deadline for questions listed above will be answered through Public Purchase by the question response date indicated above. No verbal answers to questions by City personnel will be binding on the City.

Submittals shall be submitted in a PDF format via Public Purchase. Only Public Purchase submittals will be accepted.

FORMAT, STYLE, AND LENGTH

In order to assure uniformity of the submittals received in response to this RFQ and to facilitate the evaluation process, all submittals should be organized following the outline below:

1. One-page introductory letter, signed by a principal or officer of the firm authorized to execute contracts or other similar documents on the firm’s behalf, including the following:

a. Expression of interest in the work;

b. Contact name and key personnel;

http://www.publicpurchase.com/

c. List of each subconsultant, their work tasks, and a contact name and telephone number;

d. Statement that the firm will comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations;

e. Statement that, if selected, the firm shall complete services in accordance with the City’s quality, budget, and schedule expectations;

f. Statement acknowledging receipt of all RFQ addenda, if any are issued;

and

g. Statement acknowledging that the firm has read and agrees to sign the City’s Professional Services Agreement without modification unless such requested modifications are included in the submission. No request for modifications to any provision required for compliance with any applicable statute or the indemnification or insurance provisions of these documents will be considered.

2. Demonstration of the firm’s qualifications and ability to successfully perform the services detailed in this RFQ.

3. Outline of previous work experience that demonstrates the firm and its team members have the expertise required to successfully perform the services detailed in this RFQ.

4. Description of the firm’s work plan, project scheduling approach, and method for measuring outcomes and performance for success.

5. Resumes (Project Manager and any staff anticipated to provide technical services).

6. A list of three (3) business references for whom work has been accomplished and brief descriptions of the services provided. Do not include current City staff as references.

7. Copy of Firm’s Applicable State of Washington Business License(s)

Writing styles should be concise and straightforward. The length of the submittal document shall not exceed 10 pages (single-sided) using 12-point letter font for the main text. Pages shall be 8 ½ x 11 inches, with minimum of ½” margins. The required file format is PDF. The file size should not exceed 20MB. Consultants not conforming to the criteria may be considered non-responsive. The introductory letter and resumes (to be attached as an appendix) are not included in the determination of total page count.

SELECTION CRITERIA AND PROCESS

The City reserves the right to award a contract for the services sought to one or more consultants based on the qualifications received and needs of the City. A selection committee comprised of city staff will review all qualifications, select finalists prior to making the final selection of the consultant.

Qualified firms will be evaluated and weighted based on the criteria below:

Evaluation Criteria Weight Qualifications for services (ability and depth to perform work as outlined in the scope of work)

30 pts

Experience (past experience and success of performing similar types of services)

20 pts

Key Staff (availability, competency and experience of the Project Manager and key staff that will be performing services)

20 pts

Effective project management (ability to manage task orders effectively, efficiently in a responsive and timely manner)

10 pts

Familiarity with City and external permit requirements 10 pts Responsiveness (responsiveness to this RFQ and project references)

10 pts

Total 100 pts

Following selection of the most qualified Consultant, the City will then negotiate a fair and reasonable price with the selected Consultant(s). If a contract with the first selected Consultant(s) cannot be executed within thirty (30) days after selection, the City may in its sole discretion terminate negotiations with said Consultant(s) and open negotiations with the second ranked Consultant(s).

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) INFORMATION

The City of Issaquah, in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), commits to nondiscrimination based on disability, in all of its programs and activities. This material can be made available in an alternate format by emailing tiffany.tillison@issaquahwa.gov or by calling (425)754-3473.

TITLE VI COMPLIANCE

The City of Issaquah in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 78 Stat.

252, 42 USC 2000d to 2000d-4 and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Department mailto:emailname@issaquahwa.gov of Transportation, Subtitle A, Office of the Secretary, Part 21, Nondiscrimination in Federally-Assisted Programs of the Department of Transportation issued pursuant to such Act, hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises as defined at 49 CFR Part 26 will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, national origin, or sex in consideration for an award.

CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

The Consultant and the City will execute a City-provided Professional Services Agreement (a form of which is included as Attachment A). Consultant(s) must provide a Certificate of Insurance with endorsement pages naming the City of Issaquah as additional insured demonstrating compliance with the City’s insurance requirements (included as Attachment B). Additionally, prior to award, Consultant(s) must obtain a City of Issaquah Business License.

The selected consultant(s) will be required to execute the City’s standard contract form.

In no event is a Consultant to submit its own standard contract terms and conditions in response to this solicitation. Any consultant submitting in response to this RFQ verifies that they have reviewed the City’s Professional Services Agreement, and specifically the insurance and indemnification requirements, which are non-negotiable. No request for modifications to any provision required for compliance with any applicable statute or the indemnification or insurance provisions of these documents will be considered. If the Consultant wishes to request an exemption to other contract terms or conditions, they must submit their proposed exceptions as part of their submittal; otherwise the standard contract shall be deemed accepted as attached. The Consultant shall state in their introductory letter that their firm has read and agrees to sign the City’s professional services contract.

ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

A. The Consultant shall comply with all applicable State, Federal and City laws, ordinances, regulations, and codes.

B. The City reserves the right to reject any and all statements of qualifications and to waive minor irregularities in any submittal.

C. Proposers responding to this RFQ must follow the procedures and requirements stated in the RFQ document. Adherence to the procedures and requirements of this RFQ will ensure a fair and objective analysis of your qualifications. Failure to comply with or complete any part of this RFQ will result in rejection of your submittal as non-responsive.

D. The City reserves the right to request clarification of information submitted and to request additional information on any submission.

E. Any submittal may be withdrawn up to the date and time set above for opening of the submittals by submitting a written request for its withdrawal to the City’s representative for this RFQ. Consultant may thereafter submit a new or modified submittal prior to the opening deadline. Submittals received after the deadline will not be considered and will be returned unopened.

F. In no event shall the City or any of their respective agents, representatives, consultants, directors, officers, or employees be liable for, or otherwise obligated to reimburse the costs incurred in preparation of a response to this RFQ, any related costs, or any costs incurred due to any subsequent requirements of the consultant selection and contract negotiation processes, including any required interviews. The prospective consultant teams shall wholly absorb all such costs incurred.

G. Any material submitted by a proposer shall become the property of the City.

Materials submitted after a contract is signed will be subject to the ownership provision of the executed contract.

H. The City reserves the right not to award any portion or all of the project in its sole discretion. The City reserves the right to modify the scope of work and award portions of this RFQ to the selected consultant. The City reserves the right to award this work to multiple consultants if the scope of work would be best completed by multiple consultants and their associated experience.

I. It is essential that the Consultant provide an adequate staff of experienced personnel or subconsultants capable of and devoted to the successful accomplishment of work to be performed under the contract. The specific individuals or subconsultants listed in the submittal, including Project Manager, shall be assigned to key positions, and shall not be removed or replaced without the prior written approval of the City of Issaquah. Replacement personnel submitted for approval must have at least equal qualifications, experience, and expertise as those listed in the submittal.

COOPERATIVE PURCHASING

Chapter 39.34 RCW allows cooperative purchasing between public agencies in the State of Washington. Public agencies which have filed an Intergovernmental Cooperative Purchasing Agreement with the City may purchase from City contracts, provided that the consultant agrees to participate. The City does not accept any responsibility for contracts issued by other public agencies, however.

PUBLIC DISCLOSURE

Once submitted to the City, all submittals shall become the property of the City and shall be deemed a public record as defined in "The Public Records Act," chapter 42 section 56 of the RCW. Any qualification containing language which copyrights the submission, declares the entire submission to be confidential, declares that the document is the exclusive property of the proposer, or is any way contrary to state public disclosure laws or this RFQ, could be removed from consideration. The City will not accept the liability of determining what the proposer considers proprietary or not. Therefore, any information in the qualification that the proposer claims as proprietary and exempt from disclosure under the provisions of RCW 42.56.270 must be clearly designated as described in the “Proprietary Material Submitted” section above. It must also include the exemption(s) from disclosure upon which the proposer is making the claim, and the page it is found on must be identified. With the exception of lists of prospective proposers, the City will not disclose RFQ qualifications until a bid selection is made. At that time, all information about the competitive procurement will be available with the exception of proprietary/confidential portion(s) of the qualification(s), until the proposer has an adequate opportunity to seek a court order preventing disclosure. The City will consider a proposer’s request for exemption from disclosure; however, the City will make a decision predicated upon RCW 42.56.

DBE PARTICIPATION

The City encourages DBE firms to submit qualifications and encourages all firms to team with DBE firms in their pursuit of this project.

DEBARMENT

Consultant certifies that it is not suspended, debarred, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible or otherwise excluded from contracting with the federal government, or from receiving contracts paid for with federal funds.