Stillhouse wastewater treatment plant expansion phase 2 RFQ 2026-0003.pdf

CITY OF GATESVILLE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

Request For Qualifications (RFQ) for Stillhouse Wastewater Treatment Expansion Phase 2 - Engineering, Permitting, Bidding, & Construction Phase Services RFQ 2026-0003. Please submit via the City’s webpage through Beaconbid. RFQ’s are accepted until Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at 2:00 P.M., after that time, the names of the engineering firms will be read aloud at City Hall - 803 E Main St. Gatesville TX 76528.

Brief Description: The Engineer will support the Owner through bidding, permitting, and construction by preparing bid documents, securing permits, monitoring progress and quality, reviewing submittals and payments, advising on materials and changes, conducting final inspections, and providing record drawings.

Respondents must provide Equal Opportunity in Employment - All qualified Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, or handicap. Respondent shall carry out applicable requirements of 40 CFR Part 33 in the award and administration of contracts awarded under TWDB financial assistance agreements. Failure by the contractor to carry out these requirements is a material breach, which may result in the termination of the awarded financial assistance.

The City reserves the right to negotiate with any and all firms that submit qualifications, as per the Texas Professional Services Procurement Act, Texas Government Code Section 2254.004 and Texas Local Government Code Section 271.118. The City of Gatesville will evaluate the Statements of Qualifications of the firms on the basis of technical ability, experience, and ability to perform the work.

The City of Gatesville does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability in employment or provision of services, programs or activities.

The City of Gatesville reserves the right to refuse and reject any or all qualifications and to waive any or all formalities or technicalities or to accept the qualification to be the best and most advantageous to the City, and hold the qualification for a period of 90 days without taking action. Qualifications submitted past the aforementioned date and time will not be accepted.

CITY OF GATESVILLE

REQUEST FOR SEALED QUALIFICATIONS FOR Stillhouse Wastewater Treatment Expansion Phase 2 –

ENGINEERING, PERMITTING, BIDDING, & CONSTRUCTION PHASE SERVICES

PURPOSE OF REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ)

The City of Gatesville, Texas, invites the submittal of responses to this Request for Qualifications (RFQ) from qualified firm(s) interested in providing Engineering, Permitting, Bidding, & Construction Phase Services for Stillhouse Wastewater Treatment Expansion Phase 2.

OBJECTIVE

The City proposes to retain a highly qualified, capable firm(s) to act as the engineering firm during the completion of Stillhouse Wastewater Treatment Expansion Phase 2. Firm(s) who participate in this RFQ process are sometimes referred to as "Respondents”. The City will give prime consideration to the Professional Engineering Firm(s) with demonstrated significant, current experience in the Engineering, Permitting, Bidding, & Construction Phase Services of municipal wastewater projects.

CITY CONTACT

All contact information is available through the BeaconBid system on the City’s website.

Any non-written representations, explanations, or instructions given by City Staff are not binding and do not form a part of, or alter in any way, the RFQ, a written agreement pertinent to the RFQ, or the awarding of the contract.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Respondent agrees that they will not discriminate in hiring, promotion, treatment, or other terms and conditions of employment based on race, sex, national origin, age, disability, or in any way violate Title VII of 1964 Civil Rights Act and amendments, except as permitted by said laws.

CONFIDENTIALITY OF RESPONSE CONTENT

All submittals offered in response to this RFQ shall be held confidential until an agreement is awarded. Following the agreement award, submittals are subject to release as public information unless the submittal or specific parts of the submittal can be shown with their legal counsel regarding disclosure issues and take the appropriate precautions to safeguard trade secrets or any other proprietary information. The City assumes no obligation or responsibility for asserting legal arguments on behalf of potential responders.

COMMUNICATION /ANTI-LOBBY

Respondents or their representatives are prohibited from communicating with any City of Gatesville officials to include City Council members.

Respondents or their representatives are prohibited from communicating with City employees regarding this RFQ, except as provided under “Technical Questions,” from the time the solicitation is released until the contract is awarded.

Violation of this provision by the Respondent and/or their agent may lead to disqualification of the Respondent’s SOQ from consideration.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Effective March 1, 2006, Chapter 176 of the Texas Local Government Code (House Bill 914) requires that any vendor or person considering doing business with a local government entity disclose the vendor or person's affiliation or business relationship that might cause a conflict of interest with a local government entity. The Conflict Of Interest Questionnaire form is available from the Texas Ethics Commission at www.ethics.state.tx.us.

Any attempt to intentionally or unintentionally conceal or obfuscate a conflict of interest may automatically result in the disqualification of the vendor's submittal.

A current list of City of Gatesville officers is available in the office of the City of Gatesville City Secretary, City Hall or on the City's website. If you are considering doing business with the City of Gatesville and have an http://www.ethics.state.tx.us/ affiliation or business relationship that requires you to submit a completed Form CIQ, it must be filed with the records administrator (City Secretary) of the City of Gatesville not later than the 7th business day after the date you become aware of facts that require the form to be filed. See Section 176.006, Texas Local Government Code. It is a Class C misdemeanor to violate this provision.

By Submitting a response to a City of Gatesville Request for Proposals, Request for Bids, or Request for Qualifications or by conducting business with the City, you are representing that you are in compliance with the requirements of Chapter 176 of the Texas Local Government Code.

For more information or to obtain Questionnaire CIQ go to the Texas Ethics Commission web page at www.ethics.state.tx.us/forms/CIQ.pdf.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT COMPLIANCE, PLEASE CONSULT YOUR OWN LEGAL COUNSEL.

COMPLIANCE IS THE INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH PERSON OR AGENT OF A PERSON WHO IS SUBJECT TO THE

FILING REQUIREMENT. AN OFFENSE UNDER CHAPTER 176 IS A CLASS “C” MISDEMEANOR.

DISQUALIFICATION

The applicant may be disqualified for any of the following reasons:

The applicant is involved in any litigation against the City of Gatesville;

The applicant is in arrears on any existing contract or has defaulted on a previous contract with the City;

The applicant is debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participation in State or Federal assistance programs.

FORM 1295 CERTIFICATE OF INTERESTED PARTIES

Certificate of Interested Parties: In 2015, the Texas Legislature adopted House Bill 1295, which added section

2252.908 of the Government Code. The law states that a governmental entity or state agency may not enter into certain contracts with a business entity unless the business entity submits a disclosure of interested parties to the governmental entity or state agency at the time the business entity submits the signed contract to the governmental entity or state agency. The law applies only to a contract of a governmental entity or state agency that either (1) requires an action or vote by the governing body of the entity or agency before the contract may be signed or (2) has a value of at least $1 million. The disclosure requirement applies to a contract entered into on or after January 1, 2016. Please go to the Texas Ethics Commission webpage (www.ethics.state.tx.us) for full instructions and to complete the required steps for creation of Form 1295. Once the form is completed online, include a scanned signed form with your RFQ submission.

DISCLOSURE OF LITIGATION

Each responder shall include in its submittal a complete disclosure of any civil or criminal litigation or investigation pending which involves the responder or in which the responder has been judged guilty.

EX PARTE COMMUNICATION

Please note that to insure proper and fair evaluation of a submittal, the City prohibits ex parte communication (e.g., unsolicited) initiated by the responder to the Mayor, City Commission, or City Staff to make inquiries about the progress of this selection process. Respondents will be contacted when it is appropriate to do so.

INDEMNIFICATION

The successful responder shall indemnify, save harmless and exempt the City, its officers, agents, servants, and employees from and against any and all suits, actions, legal proceedings, claims, demands, damages, costs, or fees incident to any work done as a result of this response and arising out of a willful or negligent act or omission of the successful responder, its officers, agents, servants, and employees; provided however, that the successful responder shall not be liable for any suits, actions, legal proceedings, claims, demands, damages, costs, expenses and attorney fees arising out of a willful or negligent act or omission of the City, its officers, agents, servants and employees, or http://www.ethics.state.tx.us/forms/CIQ.pdf third parties.

LEGAL REQUIREMENTS

All parties offering submittals shall comply with federal, state and local laws and mandates relative to the preparation of submittals and the services to be provided and all applicable federal laws and regulations. Specifically the services to be provided are expected to be in compliance with the: American with Disabilities Act (ADA); Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA); Consolidated Ominbus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA); Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA); Health Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPPA) and all applicable federal and state requirements, including without limitation, ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code and its Act of 1994 (USERRA), insurance laws and regulations, and state anti- discrimination requirements. All submittals will be presumed to be in compliance with all applicable laws.

SUBMITTAL CONTENTS

The contents of the response submittal by the successful firm and this RFQ will become part of any contract award. The successful firm shall be expected to sign a contract with the City. The response and this RFQ shall be incorporated by reference into the contract as though fully set forth therein.

RIGHT OF RETENTION

The City of Gatesville reserves the right to retain all responses submitted and to use any ideas in a submittal regardless of whether that submittal is selected. Submission of a response indicates acceptance by the firm of the conditions contained in this RFQ, unless clearly and specifically noted in the response and confirmed in the contract between the City of Gatesville and the firm selected. Under no circumstances shall a responder whose submittal has not been accepted be entitled to any claims for compensation. The City reserves the right to hold an RFQ for 90 days without taking any action.

SCOPE OF WORK

The Stillhouse WWTP Phase II project continues the general Phase I Expansion / Rehabilitation Plan and consists of site improvements, influent screening improvements, addition of aeration to biological treatment process, clarifier rehabilitation, ancillary improvements (valving, RAS, sludge dewatering, etc.) and electrical, controls and SCADA improvements. During the bidding, permitting, and construction phases, the Engineer will provide comprehensive support to ensure the project’s successful execution from start to finish. This includes assisting the Owner in preparing and reviewing bid documents, evaluating contractor bids, and coordinating with permitting agencies to obtain necessary approvals. Once construction begins, the Engineer will attend pre-construction conferences, review contractor schedules, and make periodic site visits to monitor progress, quality, and conformance with the contract requirements. The Engineer will consult with the Owner on materials and workmanship, prepare and process change orders, and review contractor submittals such as samples, shop drawings, schedules, and test results for compliance with the design intent and contract documents. Additional responsibilities include arranging and interpreting material and laboratory testing, clarifying plans and specifications for all parties, reviewing monthly and final payment requests, conducting final inspections with the Owner’s representative, and verifying project completion in accordance with the design. Upon completion, the Engineer will prepare record drawings reflecting any changes made during construction and deliver them to the Owner for future reference.

PROJECT FUNDING

Project may be funded through certificates of obligation and / or grant funds.

Equal Opportunity in Employment - All qualified Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, or handicap. The contractor shall carry out applicable requirements of 40 CFR Part 33 in the award and administration of contracts awarded under TWDB financial assistance agreements. Failure by the contractor to carry out these requirements is a material breach, which may result in the termination of the awarded financial assistance.

SELECTION PROCESS

I. Evaluation Criteria - The proposal received will be evaluated and ranked according to the following criteria and using the rating formula:

Criteria Maximum

Points

Experience 60 Work Performance 25 Capacity to Perform 15 Total 100

II. For this RFQ, Respondent’s qualifications will be evaluated and the most qualified Respondent will be selected, subject to negotiation of fair and reasonable compensation.

• Upon the award of this contract, profit (either %/actual cost) must be identified and negotiated as a separate element of the price for any contract in excess of $50,000.00.

The City may use Staff to initially evaluate the submittals. The statements of qualifications received will be one part of the selection process utilized by the City to determine if a Professional Engineering contract should be pursued. Staff will recommend a firm to the City Council for their consideration.

The selected respondent will then negotiate with the City on fee and contract conditions. If a reasonable fee cannot be reached with the respondent of choice, in the opinion of the City, negotiations will proceed with the respondents designated by the City Commission ranked as their second and/or third ranked firm until a mutually agreed contract can be negotiated.

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS NOTIFICATIONS AND INFORMATION

A. No Gratuities - Respondents will not offer any gratuities, favors, or anything of monetary value to any official or employee of the City of Gatesville for the purpose of influencing the selection. Any attempt by a respondent to influence the selection process by any means other than disclosure of qualifications and credentials through the proper channels, will be grounds for exclusion from the selection process. Accordingly, contacts with members of the City Staff, which are outside of the establish process should not be initiated.

B. All Information True - By submitting a response, respondents represent and warrant to the City that all information provided in the response submitted shall be true, correct and complete. Respondents who provide false, misleading or incomplete information, whether intentional or not, in any of the documents present to the City of Gatesville for consideration in the selection process may be excluded.

C. Cost of Responses - Issuance of this SOQ does not commit the City of Gatesville, in any way, to pay any costs incurred in the preparation and submission of a SOQ. All costs related to the preparation, submission, and/or subsequent materials or presentations related to this SOQ shall be borne solely by the respondent.

D. Contract Negotiations - This RFQ is not to be construed as a contract or as a commitment of any kind. If this RFQ results in a contract offer by the City the specific scope of work, associated fees, and other contractual matters will be determined during contract negotiations. To ensure that the appropriate Staff is assigned to the Project, the City intends to make the inclusion of a "key persons" clause a part of the contract negotiations.

E. No Obligation -The City reserves the right to evaluate the responses submitted; waive any irregularities therein; select candidates for the submittal of more detailed or alternate proposals; accept any submittal or portion of submittal;

reject any or all respondents submitting responses, should it be deemed in the City's best interest; or cancel the entire process.

F. Professional Liability Insurance - The respondent shall have the appropriate liability insurance written by an insurer authorized to transact insurance in the State of Texas.

INSURANCE

Certificate of Insurance should be made to the City of Gatesville, 803 E Main Street, Gatesville, Texas 76528 and should reference the RFQ number and name.

All certificates must be received prior to commencement of service/work. All Certificates of insurance shall be approved by the Owner prior to the commencement of any work.

In the event the insurance coverage expires prior to the completion of this contract, a renewal certificate shall be issued thirty (30) days prior to said expiration date. The City must be notified at least thirty (30) days prior to any material change in and/or cancellation and/or non-renewals of such policies.

The term "City" shall include The City of Gatesville and their employees, officers, officials, agent, and volunteers in respect to the contracted services. Any failure on the part of the City to request required insurance documentation shall not constitute a waiver of the insurance requirement.

The City reserves the right to make reasonable requests or revisions pertaining to the types and limits of that coverage.

During the term of the Contract, the successful respondent/selected firm shall acquire and maintain, for the duration of the contract period the following insurances with listed minimum coverages:

A. Comprehensive Commercial General Liability: The Respondent/Selected Firm shall provide minimum limits of $1,000,000 each occurrence, $2,000,000 annual aggregate combined single limit for bodily injury and property damage liability.

This shall include premises/operations, independent contractors, products, completed operations, personal and advertising injury, and contractual liability. This insurance shall apply as primary insurance with respect to any other insurance or self-insurance programs maintained by the City and shall name the "City of Gatesville" as an additional insured with a waiver of subrogation. The policy of insurance shall be written on an "occurrence" form.

B. Business Automobile Liability: The Respondent/Selected Firm shall maintain limits of no less than $1,000,000 combined single limit per occurrence for bodily injury and property damage. Applicable as long as no fragile or perishable products are transported; otherwise, Cargo Insurance is required.

This policy of insurance shall name the "City of Gatesville" as an additional insured.

C. Workers' Compensation: The respondent/selected firm shall provide and maintain workers' compensation insurance for all employees in the full amount required by statute and full compliance with the applicable laws of the State of Texas.

Employer's Liability insurance shall be provided in amounts not less than $1,000,000 per accident for bodily injury by accident; $1,000,000 policy limit by disease; and $1,000,000 per employee for bodily injury by disease.

D. Other Provisions: The City may request a copy of the insurance policy according to the nature of the project. City reserves the right to accept or reject the insurance carrier. All Certificates of Insurance shall be provided on the Acord Form 25. All insurance requirements are imposed and must be complied with by any and all sub-contractors, and/or lower-tier sub-contractors. A copy of endorsements providing Additional Insured, Primary Insurance and Waiver of Subrogation wording shall be attached to the certificates of insurance.

To enable the City to efficiently evaluate the responses, it is important that the respondents follow the required format in preparing their responses. Responses that do not conform to the prescribed format may not be evaluated.

CONTENT OF SUBMITTAL

Each response shall be submitted as outlined in this section. Please include an outside cover and/or first page, containing the name of the Project.

A table of contents should be next, followed by dividers separating each of the following sections:

• Divider #1: Letters

The first page following the divider shall be a letter transmitting the response of the City and stating that the proposal set forth in it remains effective for a period of 90 calendar days. At least one copy of the transmittal letter shall contain the original signature of a partner, principal, or officer of the respondent.

• Divider #2: Firm Information

a. Firm name, addresses, and telephone numbers of all firm offices.

b. Structure of firm, i.e., sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, and size of firm.

c. Year's firm has been in business.

d. Name of principals in firm.

e. Primary contact.

f. Organizational description.

g. Description of firm's philosophy.

• Divider #3: General Firm History/Qualifications

a. A brief history of the engineering firm and the services routinely provided in-house on municipal (or related) street projects.

b. The resume of person to be assigned to the project with his/her prospective role.

• Divider #4: Financial and Legal Status

a. List any actions taken by any regulatory agency against or involving the firm or its agents or employees with respect to any work performed.

b. List all litigation against or involving the firm or its agents or employees with respect to any work performed.

c. All insurance coverage that the firm has which would be applicable to the work.

• Divider #5: Experience and References

a. Discussion of engineer’s experience in working with government Agencies.

b. List of all representative Municipal and Governmental Projects within the past 5 years, whether ongoing or completed, including references. Please begin with projects in Texas. For each, please provide:

i. Project name and location

ii. Year completed

iii. Short description of project

iv. Name, addresses, and phone numbers of owner and contact person tasked with daily responsibilities of project

v. Cost of Construction for project and whether or not it was completed on time

vi. Names, addresses and telephone numbers of general contractor and engineer

c. List of all projects currently under contract

• Divider #6: Management and Organizational Approach

On two pages or less, please describe your management and organization approach to the project. The following should be addressed within this description:

a. Describe your firm's understanding of the project.

b. Describe how the firm will organize to perform the services.

c. Describe how the firm will solicit in the programming and design phases the interested stakeholders. This includes community residents, city commission, staff and users.

d. Provide procedures for assisting in the development of project scheduling, coordination of consultants, quality and cost control.

e. Describe the engineering team's approach to communication with the City.

f. Description of engineer's approach to code analysis and jurisdictional approvals.