Walton_County_Vulnerability_Assessment_Including_Municipalities_(Addendum_#2_Revision).pdf

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS,

WALTON COUNTY, FLORIDA

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

For

Walton County Vulnerability

Assessment Including

Municipalities

RFP NO: RFP 24-28

Introduction

The County is seeking to complete a County-wide (including the municipalities) Vulnerability

Assessment (VA) to identify critical assets and develop a climate adaptation plan in accordance with the scope of services as outlined herein. The VA will allow the County to judge the vulnerability of its infrastructure and critical facilities resulting in the development of mitigation and adaptation strategies for existing infrastructure. The climate adaptation plan shall include recommendations to be considered for future County critical facilities. The County’s goal is to ensure that the assessment is in accordance with applicable laws including § 380.093, F.S., which will ensure that the County is in compliance with State Statutes.

The County was awarded a Vulnerability Assessment Grant (Agreement #23PLN70) by Florida

Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) through the Resilient Florida Program

(Program) in 2023. The scope of this planning grant includes activities to complete a County-wide VA in compliance with § 380.093, F.S. The updated VA will include: public outreach meetings and community engagement, data collection including GIS database details provided by the County, review of publicly available information, inundation mapping and modeling, critical asset evaluation, peril of flood comprehensive plan amendments as required by law, and a

VA report to be submitted to FDEP in compliance with § 380.093, F.S. and the Certification

Checklist required by FDEP.

In 2021, the Florida Legislature recognized the impacts from increased frequency and duration of rain events, storm surge, and sea level rise and introduced Senate Bill 1954 which was signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis (§ 380.093, F.S.). This law develops a coordinated statewide approach to improve Florida’s flood and sea level rise resiliency. Through several provisions, the

FDEP's Program was established, and was tasked with developing a comprehensive flood vulnerability and sea level rise dataset that identifies critical and regionally significant assets, as well as a comprehensive statewide flood vulnerability and sea level rise assessment. One goal of the Program is to distribute grant funding to Florida communities to conduct a community-wide flood and sea level rise VA that addresses at-risk assets or areas. To-date, funding has been made available to all 67 Florida’s counties and many municipalities.

The project will support local and regional adaptation planning efforts on the transportation system as well as inform climate change components of the County’s Local Mitigation Strategy

Plan. The VA will identify direct risks to our community and guide the creation of an adaptation policy for an updated safety element compliant with § 380.093, F.S. An innovative public engagement process will collaborate with stakeholders.

This project requires public outreach and consideration of public input and values while developing the VA. Several similar assessments may be underway within overlapping borders of

Walton County. Award of this contract requires coordination and communication with other project leads to prevent duplication of effort and maintain continuity between potentially overlapping components.

Scope of Work

Project Description

Section 380.093, F.S. prescribes minimum requirements for state-funded VA's. The Program has developed a standardized scope of services that assists awardees with ensuring the VA is compliant with statutory requirements.

The proposer selected for award of the contract resulting from this RFP is bound by the terms and conditions of the FDEP Vulnerability Assessment Grant Agreement No. 23PLN70 attached hereto as Exhibit A.

Tasks and Deliverables

The selected proposer (Consultant) will produce a comprehensive Vulnerability Assessment

(VA) pursuant to Section 380.093, Florida Statute consistent with the Florida Adaptation

Planning Guidebook and Walton County’s direct needs. Guidance materials, including a

Standard Vulnerability Assessment: Scope of Work Guidance document, an Adaptation Planning

Guidebook, and § 380.093, F.S. can be downloaded at:

https://floridadep.gov/rcp/resilient-florida-program/documents/standard-vulnerability-assessment-scope-work-guidance https://floridadep.gov/rcp/florida-resilient-coastlines-program/documents/adaptationplanningguidebook http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&UR

L=0300-0399/0380/Sections/0380.093.html

The tasks necessary for VA completion must be coordinated with staff from the Walton County

Vulnerability Assessment Team and must include:

Task 1: Kick Off Meeting

Description: The Consultant will develop an overall project management plan and address initial actions and then conduct a kick-off meeting for the project. Meeting attendees will discuss the project scope, project goals, schedule, key milestones, and deliverables in order to develop a consistent project approach.

Deliverables: The Consultant will provide the following:

• 1.1: Meeting agenda to include location, date, and time of meeting;

• 1.2: Meeting sign-in sheets or attendance records with attendee names and affiliation;

• 1.3: A copy of the presentation(s) and any materials created for distribution at the meeting, as applicable; and

• 1.4: Kick-off meeting minutes, which document all decisions and agreed upon outcomes of the meeting.

Task 2: Public Outreach Meeting #1

Description: The Consultant will conduct at least two public outreach meetings during the project. The purpose of the first meeting is to allow the public to provide input during the initial data collection stages, to include input on preferred methodologies, data for analyzing potential sea level rise impacts and/or flooding, guiding factors to consider, and critical assets important to the community. The Consultant will prepare all social media notifications, meeting invitations, meeting materials, presentations, and graphics utilized during the meeting, as applicable.

Deliverables: The Consultant will provide the following:

• 2.1: Meeting agendas to include location, date, and time of meeting;

• 2.2: Meeting sign-in sheets with attendee names and affiliation (i.e. local stakeholder, resident, steering committee member, local government staff);

• 2.3: A copy of the presentation(s) and any materials created in preparation of or for distribution at the meeting (i.e. social media posts, public announcements, graphics), as applicable;

• 2.4: A copy of the file or weblink of the video or audio recording from the meeting, if applicable; and

• 2.5: A summary report including attendee input and meeting outcomes.

Task 3: Acquire Background Data and Municipal Outreach https://floridadep.gov/rcp/resilient-florida-program/documents/standard-vulnerability-assessment-scope-work-guidance https://floridadep.gov/rcp/resilient-florida-program/documents/standard-vulnerability-assessment-scope-work-guidance https://floridadep.gov/rcp/florida-resilient-coastlines-program/documents/adaptationplanningguidebook https://floridadep.gov/rcp/florida-resilient-coastlines-program/documents/adaptationplanningguidebook http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0300-0399/0380/Sections/0380.093.html http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0300-0399/0380/Sections/0380.093.html

Description: The Consultant will research and compile the data needed to perform the VA based on the requirements as defined in § 380.093, F.S. The Consultant will, in coordination with the

State of Florida, Department of Environmental Protection (Department), identify municipalities within the County without a statutorily compliant VA and work to collect municipal data for inclusion in the County-based VA. Three main categories of data are required to perform a VA:

1) critical and regionally significant asset inventory, 2) topographic data, and 3) flood scenario-related data. GIS metadata should incorporate a layer for each of the four asset classes as defined in § 380.093(2)(a)1-4, F.S. GIS files and associated metadata must adhere to the Resilient

Florida Program’s GIS Data Standards, and raw data sources shall be defined within the associated metadata. Sea level rise projection data shall include the 2017 National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) intermediate-high and intermediate-low projections for

2040 and 2070, at a minimum. Other projections can be used at the County's discretion. Storm surge data used must be equal to or exceed the 100-year return period (1% annual chance) flood event. In the process of researching background data, the Consultant shall identify data gaps, where missing data or low-quality information may limit the VA’s extent or reduce the accuracy of the results. The Consultant shall rectify any gaps of necessary data.

Deliverables: The Consultant will provide the following:

• 3.1: A technical report to outline the data compiled and findings of the gap analysis;

• 3.2: A summary report to include recommendations to address the identified data gaps and actions taken to rectify them, if applicable;

• 3.3: GIS files with appropriate metadata of the data compiled, to include locations of critical assets owned or maintained either by the County or municipalities included within the county as well as regionally significant assets that are classified and as defined in § 380.093(2)(a)1-4, F.S.;

and

• 3.4: All records or requests for data from municipalities without statutorily compliant VA.

Task 4: Exposure Analysis

Description: The Consultant will perform an exposure analysis to identify the depth of water caused by each sea level rise, storm surge, and/or flood scenario. The water surface depths (i.e.

flood scenarios) used to evaluate assets shall include the following data: tidal flooding, current and future storm surge flooding, rainfall-induced flooding, and compound flooding, all as applicable, as well as the scenarios and standards used for the exposure analysis shall be pursuant to § 380.093, F.S. GIS files and associated metadata must adhere to the Resilient Florida

Program’s GIS Data Standards, and raw data sources shall be defined within the associated metadata.

Deliverables: The Consultant will provide the following:

• 4.1: A draft VA report that provides details on the modeling process, type of models utilized, and resulting tables and maps illustrating flood depths for each flood scenario; and

• 4.2: GIS files with results of the exposure analysis for each flood scenario as well as the appropriate metadata that identifies the methods used to create the flood layers.

Task 5: Sensitivity Analysis

Description: The Consultant will perform the sensitivity analysis to measure the impact of flooding on assets and to apply the data from the exposure analysis to the inventory of critical assets created in the Acquire Background Data Task. The sensitivity analysis should include an evaluation of the impact of flood severity on each asset class and at each flood scenario and assign a risk level based on percentages of land area inundated and number of critical assets affected.

Deliverables: The Consultant will provide the following:

• 5.1: An updated draft VA report that provides details on the findings of the exposure analysis and the sensitivity analysis, and includes visual presentation of the data via maps and tables, based on the statutorily required scenarios and standards; and

• 5.2: An initial list of critical and regionally significant assets that are impacted by flooding. The list of critical and regionally significant assets must be prioritized by area or immediate need and must identify which flood scenario(s) impacts each asset.

Task 6: Public Outreach Meeting #2

Description: The Consultant will conduct a second public meeting to present the results from the exposure analysis, sensitivity analysis, and draft VA. The purpose of the second meeting is to allow the public to provide community-specific input on the results of the analyses and to reconsider methodologies and assumptions used in the analyses for refinement. Additionally, during this meeting, the Consultant will conduct exercises to encourage the public to prioritize focus areas of flooding, and the critical assets in preparation for the development of adaptation strategies and project development. Criteria should be established to guide the public’s input for the selection of focus areas. The Consultant will prepare all social media notifications, meeting invitations, meeting materials, presentations, and graphics utilized during the meeting, as applicable.

Deliverables: The Consultant will provide the following:

• 6.1: Meeting agendas to include location, date, and time of meeting;

• 6.2: Meeting sign-in sheets with attendee names and affiliation (i.e. local stakeholder, resident, steering committee member, local government staff);

• 6.3: A copy of the presentation(s) and any materials created in preparation of or for distribution at the meeting (i.e. social media posts, public announcements, and graphics), as applicable;

• 6.4: A copy of the file or weblink of the video or audio recording from the meeting, if applicable; and

• 6.5: A summary report including attendee input and meeting outcomes, to include defining focus areas recommended by the community.

Task 7: Final Vulnerability Assessment Report, Maps, and Tables

Description: The Consultant will finalize the VA report pursuant to the requirements in

§380.093, F.S., and based upon public outreach efforts. The final VA must include all results from the exposure and sensitivity analyses, as well as a summary of identified risks. It should contain a list of critical and regionally significant assets that are impacted by flooding and sea-level rise, specifying for each asset the flood scenario(s) impacting the asset. GIS files and associated metadata must adhere to the Resilient Florida Program’s GIS Data Standards, and raw data sources shall be defined within the associated metadata.

Deliverables: The Consultant will provide the following:

• 7.1: Final VA Report that provides details on the results and conclusions, including illustrations via maps and tables, based on the statutorily-required scenarios and standards in §380.093, F.S.;

• 7.2: A final list of critical and regionally significant assets that are impacted by flooding. The list of critical and regionally significant assets must be prioritized by area or immediate need and must identify which flood scenario(s) impacts each asset.;

• 7.3: All electronic mapping data used to illustrate flooding and sea level rise impacts identified in the VA, to include the geospatial data in an electronic file format and GIS metadata; and

• 7.4: A signed Vulnerability Assessment Compliance Checklist Certification.

Submittal Requirements

General Requirements

The purpose of the proposal is to demonstrate the qualifications, competence, capacity, and methodology of the Proposer seeking to provide the services in conformity with the requirements of this RFP. The proposal should demonstrate the combined qualifications of the Proposer and of the particular staff to be assigned to this engagement.

While the proposal shall address all the points outlined in the RFP, it should also specify an approach that will meet the RFP requirements. The proposal should be prepared simply and economically, providing a straightforward, concise description of the Proposer’s capabilities to satisfy the RFP requirements.

Format Requirements

The County requires a uniform format for all proposals. Proposals shall be organized as outlined below and include the information specified. The following format and sequence should be followed in order to provide consistency in responses and to ensure each proposal receives full consideration and is fairly evaluated.

Tab 1: Introduction Letter

Provide an introduction letter introducing Proposer, including corporate name (if applicable), physical address, telephone number, email address of principal officer, number of years in business, and size of staff. Briefly state that Proposer fully understands the scope of services, possesses the capacity and ability to perform said services, and will make a positive commitment to perform the services as described herein. The introduction letter shall be signed by an individual authorized to bind Proposer.

Tab 2: Experience of Firm / Team Members (Maximum of 40 Points)

List of Proposer's engagements as a provider of similar services to governmental entities in

Florida within the last five (5) years, include in this section a listing of at least three such engagements with a description of the services provided, the duration of the contract, contact person with contact information. In this section the Proposer will highlight the firm’s experience.

Teaming is allowed. The Proposer shall provide sufficient information clearly showing what elements may be provided by each team/member.

Tab 3: Project Understanding and Approach (Maximum of 30 Points)

In this section the Proposer will describe their understanding of the project including the

Proposer's assessment of the project’s challenges and how the Proposer is uniquely qualified to monitor and/or mitigate those challenges.

Tab 4: Acknowledgement of Coordination (Maximum of 20 Points)

In this section the Proposer will describe their familiarity or level of involvement with other identified assessments being conducted within, or outside of Walton County borders. The

Proposer shall acknowledge and describe how they anticipate coordinating with principal investigators of these listed projects in order to limit duplication of effort and maintain continuity between findings/results. If the Proposer is also performing any of those assessments listed or other vulnerability-related assessments currently underway elsewhere in Florida, the Proposer shall provide sufficient explanation of how the firm anticipates allocating adequate time towards the Walton County Vulnerability Assessment project.

Tab 5: Compensation/Fee Schedule (Maximum of 10 Points)

This is a cost reimbursement agreement. Payment requests and a detailed invoice for cost reimbursement may be submitted to the County Grants Manager upon full completion of a task(s) deliverable(s). The Grants Manager, or his/her designee, will review and approve or deny the request within ten (10) working days.

Tab 6: Additional Information & Comments

The contents under this heading are to be left to the discretion of the Proposer. Material must be pertinent to the RFP but not otherwise requested in the RFP.

Tab 7: Business Credentials and Other

Provide sufficient information to demonstrate legal authority for the Proposer and any sub-consultant to do business in the State of Florida. Indicate whether the Proposer and/or any sub-consultant are disadvantaged business enterprises. Show State of Florida licensing/registration qualifications of the Proposer and key personnel.

Tab 8: REQUIRED SUBMITTAL FORMS: Proposers shall submit the required forms listed on the Vendor Questionnaire.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated by an evaluation committee using criteria listed. The following represent the principal selection criteria, which will be considered during the evaluation process. Oral presentations may be requested, upon notification.

The committee may short list no less than three Proposers, assuming that three proposals have been received, that it deems to best satisfy the selection criteria. The committee may then conduct interviews and/or require oral presentations from the short-listed Proposers. The committee and/or the Walton County Board of County Commissioners may then conduct interviews and/or require oral presentations from the short-listed Proposers.

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Experience of Firm / Team Members List of Proposer's engagements as a provider of similar services to governmental entities in

Florida within the last five (5) years. Include in this section a listing of at least three such engagements with a description of the services provided, the duration of the contract, and contact person with contact information. In this section the Proposer will highlight the firm’s experience. Teaming is allowed. The Proposer shall provide sufficient information clearly showing what elements may be provided by each team/member.

Points Based 40 (40% of Total)

2. Project Understanding and Approach In this section the Proposer will describe their understanding of the project including the

Proposer's assessment of the project’s challenges and how the Proposer is uniquely qualified to monitor and/or mitigate those challenges.

Points Based 30 (30% of Total) https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/waltoncountyfl/projects/85251/document?section=621145

3. Acknowledgement of Coordination In this section the Proposer will describe their familiarity or level of involvement with other identified assessments being conducted within, or outside of, Walton County borders. The

Proposer shall acknowledge and describe how they anticipate coordinating with principal investigators of these listed projects in order to limit duplication of effort and maintain continuity between findings/results. If the

Proposer is also the selected firm for any of those assessments listed or other vulnerability-related assessments currently underway elsewhere in Florida, the Proposer shall provide sufficient explanation of how the firm anticipates allocating adequate time towards the

County's Vulnerability Assessment project.

Points Based 20 (20% of Total)

4. Compensation/Fee Schedule This is a cost reimbursement agreement.

Payment requests and a detailed invoice for cost reimbursement may be submitted to the

County Grants Manager upon full completion of a task(s) or deliverable(s). The Grants

Manager, or his/her designee, will review and approve or deny the request within ten (10) working days.

Points Based 10 (10% of Total)

Procurement Rules and Information

Contact Person

Jason Cutshaw

Purchasing Director

176 Motgomery Circle

DeFuniak Springs, FL, 32435

(850) 892-8176 email: cutjason@co.walton.fl.us

All questions regarding this RFP should be directed to the County's e-Procurement Portal

Question & Answer feature. Questions shall be submitted no later than 12:00 pm Thursday, July

25, 2024 . Questions submitted after that date and time will not be answered. DIRECTING

QUESTIONS TO ANY OTHER STAFF, AGENT, REPRESENTATIVE, OR EMPLOYEE

OF THE COUNTY IS PROHIBITED AND WILL RESULT IN SUBMITTAL BEING

DISQUALIFIED. The Purchasing Director and County staff will review and answer questions.

If applicable, answers citing the question(s) asked but not identifying the questioner will be published on the Walton County, Florida e-Procurement Portal. Failure to submit requests in writing by the specified time shall not be grounds for a protest. Note: Written requirements in the

RFP or its amendments are binding, but any oral communications between you and us are not.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Listed below are the important actions and dates/times by which the actions must be taken or completed. If the County finds it necessary to change any of these dates/times, it will be accomplished by addendum. All listed times are local time in DeFuniak Springs, Florida.

Advertised: July 17, 2024

Last Day for Questions: July 25, 2024, 12:00pm https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/waltoncountyfl/projects/102503 https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/waltoncountyfl/projects/102503

RFP Close Date: August 5, 2024, 2:00pm

Review of Submittals: August 6, 2024

Review Committee Ranking: August 7, 2024, 3:30pm

Central Purchasing Office, 176 Montgomery, DeFuniak Springs, FL 32435

850.635.0655, ext 261217

BCC Award: August 13, 2024

Submission of Proposal

Each proposal shall be prepared simply and economically, providing a straightforward, concise delineation of Proposer’s capabilities to satisfy the requirements of this RFP. Fancy bindings, colored displays, and promotional material are not desired. Emphasis in each proposal must be on completeness and clarity of content.

RFP Opening

Proposals will be accepted until Monday, August 5, 2024, no later than 2:00 pm, and will be opened immediately thereafter.

Proposals are due at the time and date specified. Proposals received late will not be considered and will be marked as LATE.

Proposal Evaluation

The County will assemble an evaluation committee to evaluate the proposals. The evaluation committee will evaluate and rank the most advantageous proposals and make a recommendation to the County. The evaluation of the proposals will be performed based on the criteria included in this RFP. Each proposal will be evaluated individually and in the context of all other proposals. Proposals must be fully responsive to the requirements described in this RFP and to any subsequent requests for clarification or additional information made by the County through written addenda to this RFP. The County reserves the right to award the contract to the proposer submitting the best overall responsive proposal which offers the most advantageous opportunity to the County and is consistent with the evaluation criteria.

As part of the evaluation process, the County may conduct an investigation of references.

Submission of a proposal in response to this RFP constitutes acknowledgment of the investigation process and consent to the County’s investigation. The County is the sole judge in determining the Proposer’s qualifications.

Insurance Requirements

The Consultant shall purchase and maintain through the contract period workers compensation, comprehensive general liability (occurrence form), comprehensive automobile liability, professional liability, including errors and omissions coverage if applicable, builder’s risk, and other insurance as is appropriate for the project being performed hereunder by the Consultant, its employees, subcontractors, or agents. The amounts and types of workers compensation, comprehensive general liability (occurrence form), and comprehensive automobile liability insurance shall conform to the following minimum requirements:

Worker's Compensation

Coverage must apply for all employees and statutory limits in compliance with the applicable state and federal laws, unless Consultant provides a current Florida Workers Compensation exemption certificate. In addition, the policy must include the following:

• Employer's Liability with a minimum limit per accident in accordance with statutory requirements.

• Notice of Cancellation and/or Restriction. The policy must be endorsed to provide the

County with thirty (30) days’ written notice of cancellation and/or restriction.

Comprehensive General Liability

Coverage must include:

• $1,000,000 combined limit per occurrence for bodily injury, personal injury, and property damage.

• Contractual coverage applicable to this specific contract, including any hold harmless and/or indemnification agreement.

• Additional Insured. The County is to be specifically included as an additional insured.

• Notice of Cancellation and/or Restriction. The policy must be endorsed to provide the

County with thirty (30) days’ written notice of cancellation and/or restriction.

Comprehensive Automobile Liability

Coverage must be afforded on a form no more restricted than the latest edition of the

Comprehensive Automobile Liability Policy filed by the Insurance Services Office and must include:

• $300,000 combined single limit per accident for bodily injury and property damage.

• Owned Vehicles.

• Hired and Non-Owned Vehicles.

• Employee Non-Ownership.

• Additional Insured. County is to be specifically included as an additional insured.

• Notice of Cancellation and/or Restriction. The policy must be endorsed to provide the

County with thirty (30) days’ written notice of cancellation and/or restriction.

Professional Liability Coverage must include:

• Minimum limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence and in the aggregate for claims of malpractice, negligence, and errors and omissions.

• Notice of Cancellation and/or Restriction. The policy must be endorsed to provide the

County with thirty (30) days’ prior notice of cancellation and/or restriction of coverage by changed exclusion.

Certificates of Insurance evidencing the insurance coverage specified in this Article shall be submitted to the County with the executed contract. The Certificates of Insurance shall be filed with the County before this contract is deemed approved by the County. The required

Certificates of Insurance not only shall name types of policies provided, but also shall refer specifically to this contract and shall list the certificate holder as "Walton County Board of

County Commissioners." All the policies of insurance so required of Consultant shall be endorsed to include as additional insured the County, its officers, employees, and agents, except for Worker's Compensation. If the initial insurance policy expires prior to contract expiration or termination, renewal Certificates of Insurance shall be furnished thirty (30) days prior to the date of the policy expiration.

The purchase of any of the above-referenced insurance policies shall not release Consultant or any Surety created by this contract from any obligation, warranty, or guarantee provided in this contract.

The Insurance Company(ies) shall be authorized to conduct business in the State of Florida. Any risk of loss of completed work on the project, or work in progress on the project shall be borne by the Consultant through the date of contract expiration or termination.

Cost for Preparing Proposals

The County is not liable for any costs incurred by the Proposer in responding to this RFP, including those for oral presentations.

Disposal of Proposals

All proposals become the property of the County and will be a matter of record. The County shall have the right to use all ideas, or adaptations of those ideas, contained in any proposal received in response to this RFP. Selection or rejection of this proposal will not affect this right.

Rules for Withdrawal

Proposals may be modified or withdrawn prior to the submission deadline. Modifications and withdrawals shall be made via the County's e-Procurement Portal. To modify a proposal, log in to your vendor account at https://procurement.opengov.com/login, and go to your submitted proposal. Click on “Unsubmit Proposal”, make the required changes, and submit the proposal again. To withdraw a proposal, log in to your vendor account at https://procurement.opengov.com/login, and go to your submitted proposal. Click on “Unsubmit

Proposal”.

Any submitted proposal shall remain valid for 60 days after the submission date, but the County at its sole discretion may release any proposal.

Rejection of Proposal

The County reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal as may be deemed necessary by the County to be in its best interest. The County further reserves the right to waive any and all formalities, and reserves the right to reject all nonconforming, unresponsive statements of qualifications. The County reserves the right to reject the proposal of any Proposer if the County believes that it would not be in the best interest of the County to make an award to the Proposer, because the proposal is not responsive or responsible, or the Proposer is unqualified or of doubtful financial ability, or fails to meet any other pertinent standard or criteria established by the County.

Verbal Instructions

No negotiations, decisions, or actions shall be initiated or executed by the Proposer as a result of any discussion with any County employee. Only those communications from Proposers, which are signed and in writing, will be recognized by the County as duly authorized expressions on behalf of the Proposer. Any and all communication with County Commissioners or County staff other than the Office of Central Purchasing is prohibited during the time of the RFP advertising.

https://procurement.opengov.com/login https://procurement.opengov.com/login

Proposers directing questions or communications to anyone other than staff at the Office of

Central Purchasing shall be disqualified.

Sales and Use Tax

The Proposer agrees that all applicable federal, state, and local sales and use taxes that are incurred by the Proposer are included in the stated proposal price for the project. The County is tax exempt from federal excise and state sales tax.

Public Entity Crimes

The Proposer must sign and complete a Public Entity Crime Sworn Statement as defined under §

287.133(3)(a), F.S. A person or affiliate who has been placed on the convicted vendor list following a conviction of a public entity crime may not submit a proposal on a contract to provide any goods or services to a public entity, may not submit a proposal on a contract with a public entity for the construction or repair of a public building or public work, may not submit proposals on leases of real property to a public entity, may not be awarded or perform work as a consultant, supplier, or subcontractor, under a contract with any public entity, and may not transact business with any public entity in excess of the threshold amount provided in § 287.017, F.S. for Category Two for a period of 36 months from the date of being placed on the convicted vendor list.

Drug Free Workplace

The Proposer must complete the County’s Drug Free Workplace Certification form, attached and made a part of the RFP. According to Walton County policy, preference shall be given to businesses with drug-free workplace programs. Whenever two or more proposals, which are equal with respect to price, quality, and service, are received by the state or by any political subdivision for the procurement of commodities or contractual services, a proposal received from a business that certified that it has implemented a drug-free work place program shall be given preference in the award process. Established procedures for processing tie proposals will be followed if none of the tied Proposers have a drug-free workplace program.

Addendums

The County may issue addendums to modify the RFP as deemed appropriate. Addendums and clarification to this RFP will be posted online on the County's e-Procurement portal. The

Addendum Acknowledgement shall be submitted via the County's e-Procurement portal with each Proposer's submittal responsive to this RFP.

Notices

Any notices to be given under a contract shall be given by United States Mail, addressed to the

Consultant at its address stated therein, and to the County at its address stated therein. Additional notice may also be given by email in which case it shall be deemed that notice was provided on the date said email was received. The party providing notice by email shall confirm that the email was received by the other party.

Protest

Any person or entity whose proposal is rejected, in whole or in part, or who submits a proposal but is not awarded the contract, may protest such decision. Written notice of intent to file a protest must be submitted to the Purchasing Director or Chief Financial Officer within twenty-four (24) hours after the Board’s declaration of its intention with regard to an award. Written protest must be submitted to the Purchasing Director or Chief Financial Officer within ten calendar days after filing written notice of intent. Each written protest must be accompanied by a protest bond in the form of a certified check, cashier’s check or money order made payable to the

Walton County Board of County Commissioners, in an amount equal to 1% of the protestor’s proposal received by the County, but in no case less than $500.00. The condition of the protest bond shall be that, should the protest be determined to be without merit and non-valid, the bond shall be forfeited to the County in its entirety.

Blackout Period

The period between the beginning of the advertisement for the Request for Proposals and the contract award, or any resulting bid protest is resolved, or the solicitation is otherwise canceled is referred to as the Blackout Period. During the Blackout Period, any communication regarding the aforementioned solicitations is prohibited between the Proposer (or its agents or representatives) or other entity with the potential for a financial interest in the award (or their respective agents or representatives) regarding such competitive solicitation, and any County

Commissioner or County employee, selection committee member or other persons authorized to act on behalf of the County including the County’s architect, engineer or their subconsultants, or anyone designated to provide a recommendation to award a particular contract, other than

Purchasing Division staff. Each competitive solicitation shall provide notice of the Blackout

Period.

Exceptions to the Blackout Period

The Blackout Period shall not apply to:

A. Communications at any public proceeding or meeting, including pre-proposal conferences, selection committee presentations, or pre-award meetings.

B. Communications during contract negotiations between designated County employees and the intended contract awardee.

C. Communication with the Proposer initiated by a Purchasing Division employee following the opening of the solicitation submittals to clarify the Proposer's bid, proposal, or intended scope of services.

D. Communication following the filing of a protest between the protesting party and the

Purchasing Division, County Administrator’s Office, and County Attorney’s Office, during the dispute resolution process.

E. Purchases exempt from competitive selection, sole source procurements, single source procurements, and emergency procurements, as defined in Walton County Purchasing

Policy and Procedure manual.

F. Communications with existing Proposers in the performance of existing contracts.

Indemnifications

The Consultant shall indemnify and save harmless the County, its officers, agents, and employees, from all claims, suits, or actions at law or equity, damages, losses, and expenses, whether direct or indirect, or consequential, including but not limited to, charges of engineers, attorneys, and other professionals and costs of both defense and appeal, in a court of law or other tribunal, for any reason whatsoever, including but not limited to bodily injury, sickness, disease, or death of any person, including employees of the Consultant or any subcontractor, or injury to or destruction of property, including loss of use, which claims are arising out of, related to, connected with, or caused by (a) the Consultant or any subcontractor or supplier of the

Consultant, negligent performance or non-performance of the project; (b) noncompliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations by Consultant, or any subcontractor of Consultant;

or (c) the failure of Consultant, or any subcontractor of Consultant to obtain or renew the insurance coverage's required by the Contract Documents. The provisions of this indemnification agreement shall include all claims made, whether or not caused in part, by any act or omission of the County, its respective officers, agents, or employees, provided the Consultant shall not be required to indemnify the County for the County’s own negligence.

Public Access

A request to inspect or copy public records relating to this Contract must be made directly to the

County. If the County does not possess the requested records, it shall immediately notify the

Consultant of the request, and the Consultant must provide the records to the County or allow the records to be inspected or copied within a reasonable time (§119.0701(3)). If the Consultant fails to provide the public records within a reasonable time, the Consultant may be subject to penalties under §119.10, F.S.

The Consultant shall comply with the requirements of Florida’s Public Records law in accordance with § 119.0701, F.S., the Consultant shall (1) Keep and maintain public records required by the public agency to perform the service; (2) Upon request from the public agency’s custodian of public records, provide the public agency with a copy of the requested records or allow the records to be inspected or copied within a reasonable time at a cost that does not exceed the cost provided under Florida’s Public Records law or as otherwise provided by law;

(3) Ensure that public records that are exempt or confidential and exempt from public records disclosure requirements are not disclosed except as authorized by law for the duration of the contract term and following completion of this contract if the Consultant does not transfer the records to the public agency; and (4) Upon completion of the contract, transfer, at no cost, to the public agency all public records in possession of the Consultant or keep and maintain public records required by the public agency to perform the service. If the Consultant transfers all public records to the public agency upon completion of the contract, the Consultant shall destroy any duplicate public records that are exempt or confidential and exempt from public records disclosure requirements. If the Consultant keeps and maintains public records upon completion of this contract, the Consultant shall meet all applicable requirements for retaining public records. All records stored electronically must be provided to the public agency, upon request from public agency’s custodian of public records, in a format that is compatible with the information technology system of the public agency.

IF THE CONSULTANT HAS QUESTIONS REGARDING THE

APPLICATION OF CHAPTER 119, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO THE

CONSULTANT’S DUTY TO PROVIDE PUBLIC RECORDS RELATING TO

THIS AGREEMENT, CONSULTANT SHALL CONTACT THE CUSTODIAN

OF PUBLIC RECORDS AT:

Genara Roop, Records Management Liaison Officer

161 E. Sloss Avenue

DeFuniak Springs, Florida 32433

850-892-8110 publicrecords@co.walton.fl.us

Representation

The Proposer represents to the County that:

A. The Proposer is properly certified and licensed, is solvent financially, and is experienced in and competent to complete the scope of the proposal.

B. The Proposer is familiar with all federal, state, local, or other regulatory laws, ordinances, and regulations, which in any manner whatsoever, may affect the performance of the project or service requested.

Unauthorized Aliens

The County prohibits contracting with Proposers that knowingly utilize services of unauthorized aliens in the performance of contracts for goods or services with the County. Proposers shall complete and submit the attached Unauthorized Aliens Form with their proposals.

Identical Tie Proposals

In the event of a tie between identical proposals responsive to this RFP, the County shall make the final determination of the award.

E-Verify

The Consultant shall utilize the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify system to verify the employment eligibility of (a) all persons employed by the Consultant during the term of any contract resulting from award of this RFP to perform employment duties within Florida;

and (b) all persons (including subcontractors) assigned by the Consultant to perform work pursuant to the contract.

Lobbying Prohibition

No funds received pursuant to this contract may be expended for lobbying the Florida

Legislature, judicial branch, or any state agency, in accordance with § 216.347 F.S.

Prohibition Against Considering Social, Political, or Ideological Interests in Government

Contracting

Pursuant to §287.05701, F.S., the County may not request documentation of or consider a

Proposer's social, political, or ideological interests when determining if the Proposer is a responsible Consultant. Further, the County may not give preference to a Proposer based on the

Proposer's social, political, or ideological interests.

Contents of RFP

This section contains instruction regarding the format of the proposals that are to be submitted.

Contact for Contract Administration

Proposers shall return the Contact for Contract Administration Form. This shall be the

Proposer's representative for the day-to-day activities of this contract. The signer shall have the authority to bind the Proposer to the submitted proposal.

Forms

It is MANDATORY that Proposers shall submit the required forms listed on the Vendor

Questionnaire.

Term of Contract

This contract shall commence on the date of complete execution and continue thereafter contingent upon grant performance period or unless and until terminated by the County.

Award of Contract

The County will award this RFP to the MOST responsible, responsive Proposer with the best cumulative score that meets the County’s needs. In the event the Proposer with the best cumulative score is found to be non-responsive, the County may proceed to the responsible, responsive Proposer with the next best cumulative score and continue the award process.

Vendor Questionnaire

Proposal Submittal*

Upload your RFP response in accordance with Submittal Requirements.

*Response required

Proposal Fee Schedule *

*Response required

Information Sheet For Transactions and Conveyances / Corporate Identification

The following information will be provided to the Office of the County Attorney for incorporation in legal documents. It is, therefore, vital all information is accurate and complete.

Please be certain all spelling, capitalization, etc. is exactly as registered with the state or federal government.

Was this entity created in the State of Florida?* ☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

When equals "No"

In what State was it created?* *Response required

When equals "No"

Name as spelled in that State:* *Response required

What kind of entity is it?* ☐ "For Profit"

☐ "Not for Profit"

*Response required

Is the entity in good standing?* ☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

Is the entity authorized to transact business in Florida?* ☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

Florida Department of State Certificate of Authority Document Number* *Response required https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/waltoncountyfl/projects/102503/document?section=933234

Does it use a registered fictitious name?* ☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

Name of Officers:*

• President

• Vice President

• Secretary

• Treasurer

• Director

• Other

*Response required

Name of entity (as used in Florida)* Spelled exactly as it is registered with the state or federal government.

*Response required

Principal Address* Please provide post office box and street address for mail and/or express delivery; also for recorded instruments involving land.

*Response required

FEI/EIN Number* For all instruments to be recorded, taxpayer’s identification is needed.

*Response required

Name and Title of individual who will sign the instrument on behalf of the entity.* (Upon issuance of the Notice of Award, contract shall be signed by the President or Vice-

President. Any other officer shall have permission to sign via a resolution approved by the

Board of Directors on behalf of the company. Awarded contractor shall submit a copy of the resolution together with the executed contract to the Office of Central Purchasing)

(Spelled exactly as it would appear on the instrument)

*Response required

Vendor Certifications and Forms

Drug-Free Workplace Certification* Identical tie bids: preference shall be given to businesses with drug-free workplace programs.

Whenever two or more bids which are equal with respect price, quality, and service are received by the state or by any political subdivision for the procurement of commodities or contractual services, a bid received from a business that certified that it has implemented a drug-free work place program shall be given preference in the award process. Established procedures for processing tie bids will be followed in none of the tied Consultants have a drug-free workplace program. In order to have a drug-free workplace program, a business shall:

A. Publish a statement notifying employees that the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession or use of a controlled substance is prohibited in the workplace specifying the actions that will be taken against employees for violations of such prohibition.

B. Inform employees about the dangers of drug abuse in the workplace, the business’s policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace, available drug counseling, rehabilitation providing employee assistance programs, and the penalties that may be imposed upon employees for drug abuse violations.

C. Give each employee engaged in providing the commodities of contractual services that are under bid a copy of the statement specified in paragraph A above.

D. In the statement specified in paragraph A above, notify the employees that, as a condition of working on the commodities or contractual services that are under bid, the employee will abide by the terms of the statement and will notify the employer of any conviction of or pleas of guilty or no contest to, and violation of Chapter 893 or of any controlled substance law of the United States or any state, for a violation occurring in the work place no later than five (5) days after such conviction.

E. Impose a sanction on or require the satisfactory participation in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program if such is available in the employee’s community, by any employee who is so convicted.

F. Make a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of this section.

As the person authorized to sign this statement, I certify that this firm complies fully with the above requirements.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

Contact for Contract Administration* Please provide the following information for the contact:

• Name

• Title

• Company Name

• Address

• Telephone Numbers

• Fax Number

• Email

*Response required

Public Entity Crimes* Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• PUBLIC_ENTITY_CRIMES.docx

*Response required

Unauthorized Aliens* Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Unauthorized_Aliens.pdf

*Response required

Proof of Registration with State of Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz.org) * *Response required

Conflict of…