HENNEPIN COUNTY Department of Public Works Transportation Department / Housing, Community Works and Transit
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL Lowry Avenue Northeast Corridor Plan
June 11, 2013
Proposals due by 3:00 p.m. Central Daylight Savings Time on Wednesday, July 9, 2013
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.
Introduction 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Pre-Proposal Conference 1.3 Interviews
2.
Instruction to Proposers 2.1 General Rules 2.2 Estimated Timeline and Extension of Time 2.3 Proposal Submission 2.4 Inquiries and Communication Restrictions 2.5 Addenda 2.6 County’s Right to Withdraw, Cancel, Suspend or Modify RFP 2.7 Proposer’s Right to Withdraw or Modify RFP 2.8 Proposals Will Not Be Returned 2.9 Public Disclosure of Proposal Documents 2.10 Proposer’s Costs 2.11 Collusion 2.12 Conflict of Interest
3.
Scope of Services 3.1 Desired Outcomes, Description of Work, Expected Deliverables and Anticipated content of the plan (Attachment 1)
4.
Contents of Proposal 4.1 Proposer Signature 4.2 Technical Proposal 4.3 Detailed Proposal Cost 4.4 Key Personnel and Sub-consultants 4.5 Conflict of Interest Disclosure 4.6 Exceptions to Hennepin County’s Terms and Conditions (Attachment 2)
5.
Evaluation and Selection 5.1 Proposal Evaluation and Recommendation for Selection 5.2 Evaluation of Responsiveness 5.3 Evaluation Criteria 5.4 Execution of Contract
6.
Attachments Attachment 1 - Technical Requirements Attachment 2 - Hennepin County Terms and Conditions
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Request for Proposal 1.
Introduction
1.1
Introduction
The County of Hennepin, State of Minnesota (“County”) is soliciting proposals from professional consulting firms to create a corridor plan for the segment of the Lowry Avenue Corridor in Northeast Minneapolis, Minnesota between Marshall Street NE and Stinson Boulevard. The planning process will develop a conceptual roadway layout, intersection designs, a stormwater plan, and redevelopment scenarios. Teams with experience in land use planning, market assessment, transportation design, stormwater planning, streetscape design, urban master planning, and community participation are encouraged to submit a proposal. The consultant team should include an artist with community experience and/or knowledge of Northeast Minneapolis. Lowry Avenue Corridor Community Works Project History Lowry Avenue, County State Aid Highway 153, is five-mile thoroughfare that crosses Minneapolis north of the downtown area connecting Stinson Boulevard on the east with Theodore Wirth parkway on the west. It is a regional connector--one of the few streets in this area of the city that crosses the Mississippi River with its recently reconstructed Lowry Avenue Bridge. In 1999, a Hennepin County Board Resolution designated Lowry Avenue as a Hennepin Community Works project. The Hennepin Community Works program is based upon the premise that carefully designed and integrated public works projects sustain and enhance the long-term tax base and viability of neighborhoods and businesses, while enhancing the quality of life. Hennepin Community Works projects are guided by the following principles: Stimulate employment development Strengthen communities through connections Build bridges for effective planning and implementation Maintain and improve natural systems; and Enhance the tax base.
In 2001, Hennepin County undertook a comprehensive study of the Lowry Avenue corridor, identifying infrastructure improvements and redevelopment opportunities. The study culminated in the Lowry Avenue Corridor Plan. The objectives and vision reflected in the corridor plan were determined through community input, visioning exercises, ratification of previous studies, as well as new analysis and ideas. Significant neighborhood input from community meetings identified the need for a more pedestrian friendly environment with more greenery and renovation or removal of blighted properties. The plan recommended wider sidewalks, landscaped boulevards, roadway and intersection improvements, and the consolidation of services, retail and office space at transit centers/nodes. The Lowry Avenue Corridor Plan can be found on the Hennepin County website, www.hennepin.us, keyword search “Lowry Avenue Corridor Plan”. Between 2006 and 2009, the Lowry Avenue roadway between 4th Street and Theodore Wirth Parkway in North Minneapolis (west of the Mississippi River) was reconstructed with on-street bicycle lanes, landscaped boulevards, wide sidewalks, and intersection improvements. Artist designed streetscape elements (banners, bicycle racks, bus/bike shelter and monuments) were integral part of the reconstruction. Following the reconstruction of this segment of Lowry Avenue, Hennepin County pursued the purchase of foreclosed, for sale, or tax forfeited properties adjacent to residual vacant rightof-way property to create adequately sized development sites.
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Project Approach Hennepin County is interested in refining the aging Lowry Avenue Corridor Plan for the corridor segment east of the Mississippi River in a manner that reflects the current needs of the residents and businesses and the county’s limited financial resources. The following Lowry Avenue intersections: Marshall Street NE, Second Street NE, University Avenue NE, Monroe Street NE, Washington Street NE and Central Avenue NE will be more intensely studied as part of the planning process and are referred to as “study intersections” throughout this request for proposal. The project team foresees the following major study components for the Lowry Avenue Northeast Plan: 1. Refine the Lowry Avenue Northeast vision recommended in the 2002 Lowry Avenue Corridor Plan to reflect community desires that are economically feasible; 2. Create a cost-effective, community engagement strategy; 3. With artist assistance, develop a streetscape tool set, studying both those parts of the Lowry Avenue streetscape constructed in North Minneapolis that could be carried into the design of Lowry Avenue Northeast streetscape and new approaches specific to Northeast Lowry Avenue; 4. Develop a conceptual roadway layout (15%-20% design) for the entire Lowry Avenue Northeast Corridor from Marshall Avenue to Stinson Boulevard that reflects capacity, safety and nonmotorized transportation needs; 5. Design the study intersections (30% design), as needed; 6. Identify redevelopment opportunities for each of the study intersections and create redevelopment scenarios for each study intersection, as needed; and 7. Develop a conceptual stormwater management plan for both the roadway and potential redevelopment sites within the corridor segment between Marshall Avenue and Stinson Boulevard. 1.2
Pre-Proposal Conference Proposers are strongly encouraged to attend a pre-proposal conference to help familiarize them with the project. The pre-proposal conference will be held on Wednesday, June 19, 2013 at 11:00 am at A-1730, Government Center, 300 South 6th Street, Minneapolis MN 55487. Proposers are encouraged to ask questions, however the County’s answers given during the preproposal conference are non-binding. Following the pre-proposal conference, the County shall review the questions and answers and may issue an addendum that shall be binding to the Proposers. The closing date for the receipt of all questions will be Wednesday, June 21 at 3:00 p.m. Responses to questions may be placed in an addendum and posted on the county RFP webpage.
1.3
Interviews Hennepin County may, at its discretion, request interviews with some or all perspective proposers. If needed, these interviews will likely be scheduled for late-July. Interviews will be held at the Hennepin County, 701 Fourth Avenue South, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415. Webinar or conference call type interview formats may be available for out-of-town consulting firms if requested.
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2.
Instruction to Proposers
2.1
General Rules This Request for Proposals ("RFP") is an invitation for Proposers to submit a proposal to the county. It is not to be construed as an official and customary request for bids, but as a means by which the county can facilitate the acquisition of information related to the purchase of services. Any proposal submitted as provided herein constitutes a suggestion to negotiate and NOT A BID.
2.2
Estimated Timeline and Extension of Time Note – all quoted times are local time in Hennepin County, Minnesota. June 11, 2013 Wednesday, June 19, 2013 Wednesday, June 21, 2013 Wednesday, July 9, 2013
Release of RFP Pre-Proposal Conference, 11:00 a.m. Closing date for all questions, 3:00 p.m. Final due date for receiving proposals, 3:00 p.m.
These dates are subject to revision or cancellation by the county in its sole and absolute discretion. 2.3
Proposal Submission Proposals are to be prepared on standard 8.5" by 11" paper and should not exceed 20 total pages. Fold-outs containing charts, spreadsheets, and oversize exhibits are permissible. Proposers must submit one electronic copy (on disc or USB drive), one original, and ten complete copies of the written proposal to the address listed below. Hard copies must be unbound, with only paper or binder clips attached. Double sided documents are strongly preferred. The fee schedule to provide the planning services should be submitted in a separate envelope with the proposed work plan. The County must receive proposals no later than 3:00 p.m., Central Standard Time (CST), July 9, 2013 at the following address: Hennepin County Purchasing and Contract Services Jacki Boeke, Senior Contract Services Analyst A-1705 Hennepin County Government Center 300 South Sixth Street Minneapolis, Minnesota 55487-0175 The County will not accept proposals submitted by electronic mail, telegraph or facsimile. The County is not responsible for delays or losses caused by the U.S. Postal Service or any other carrier or delivery service. The County reserves the right to accept proposals after the date specified above. Failure to submit a proposal on time may be grounds for rejection of the proposal; however, the county reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to accept proposals after the time and date specified.
2.4
Inquiries and Communication Restrictions Inquiries concerning any aspect of this RFP and contract award should be emailed to:
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Carol Anderson Hennepin County Housing, Community Works and Transit Department E-Mail:
[email protected] Copy to: Jacki Boeke, Senior Contract Services Analyst Hennepin County Purchasing and Contract Services E-Mail:
[email protected] Telephone calls will not be accepted. The closing date for receipt of written questions will be on June 21, by 3:00 p.m., CST. Proposers may not have communications, verbal or otherwise, concerning this RFP with any other personnel or boards from Hennepin County. This restriction may be suspended or removed by the authority and direction of the contact persons listed above. If any Proposer attempts or completes any unauthorized communication, Hennepin County may, in its sole and absolute discretion, reject the Proposer’s proposal. 2.5
Addenda The county reserves the right to modify the RFP at any time prior to the proposal due date. If the RFP is modified, addenda to the RFP will be posted online and provided to all Proposers known to have received a copy of the RFP. It is the responsibility of each prospective Proposer to assure receipt of all addenda. The county will modify the RFP only by formal written or electronic addenda. Proposer’s proposal should be based on the specifications herein and any formal written addenda from the county, not oral or other interpretations or clarifications, including those occurring at pre-Proposal meetings, site visits, etc.
2.6
County’s Right to Withdraw, Cancel, Suspend and/or Modify RFP The county reserves the right to withdraw, cancel, suspend, and/or modify this RFP for any reason and at any time with no liability to any prospective Proposer for any costs or expenses incurred in connection with the RFP or otherwise.
2.7
Proposer’s Right to Withdraw or Modify RFP A proposal may be withdrawn on written or electronic request of the Proposer prior to the proposal due date. Prior to the proposal due date, changes may be made, provided the change is submitted in writing or electronically and signed by an officer or authorized representative of the Proposer. No verbal modifications will be accepted.
2.8
Proposals Will Not Be Returned Upon submission, proposals will not be returned.
2.9
Public Disclosure of Proposal Documents Under Minnesota law, proposals are private and nonpublic until the proposals are opened on the proposal due date. Once the proposals are opened, the name of the Proposer becomes public. All other data in the proposal is private or nonpublic data until completion of the evaluation process. The evaluation process is completed when the county enters into a contract with a Proposer. At that
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time, all remaining data submitted by all Proposers is public with the exception of data exempted under Minn. Stat. Section 13.37 of the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act. If the Proposer believes non-public data is included in its proposal, Proposer shall clearly identify the data and cite the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act exemption(s). However, the Proposer agrees, as a condition of submitting a proposal, the county will not be liable or accountable for any loss or damage which may result from a breach of confidentiality, as may be related to the proposal. Pricing, fees, and costs are public data. The Proposer agrees to indemnify and hold the county, its officials, agents, and employees harmless from all claims arising out of, resulting from, or in any manner attributable to any violation of any provision of the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, including legal fees and disbursements paid or incurred to enforce this provision. 2.10 Proposer’s Costs The county shall not be responsible for any costs incurred by Proposer in connection with this RFP. Proposer shall bear all costs associated with proposal preparation, submission, and attendance at pre-proposal meeting, presentation interviews, or any other activity associated with this RFP or otherwise. 2.11 Collusion If the county determines that collusion has occurred among Proposers, none of the Proposals of the participants in such collusion shall be considered. The county’s determination shall be final. 2.12 Conflict of Interest The Proposer affirms that, to the best of its knowledge, its proposal does not present a conflict of interest with any party or entity, which may be affected by the terms of a contract resulting from this RFP. The Proposer agrees that, should any conflict or potential conflict of interest become known, it will immediately notify the county of the conflict or potential conflict, and will advise the county whether it will or will not resign from the other engagement or representation. Further, the county may make reasonable efforts to avoid, mitigate, or neutralize an organizational conflict of interest by a Proposer in all competitive procurements. To avoid an organizational conflict of interest by a Proposer, the county may utilize methods including disqualifying a Proposer from eligibility for a contract award or canceling the contract if the conflict is discovered after a contract has been issued. To mitigate or neutralize an organizational conflict of interest by a Proposer, the county may use methods such as revising the scope of work to be conducted, allowing Proposers to propose the exclusion of task areas that create a conflict, or providing information to all Proposers to assure that all facts are known to all Proposers. The county may, at its sole and absolute discretion, waive any conflict of interest.
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3.
Scope of Services The Scope of Services is included as Attachment 1.
4.
Contents of Proposal
4.1
Proposer’s Signature Each proposal shall be signed by a principal of the Proposer firm, or another person, who is fully authorized to act on behalf of the Proposer
4.2
Technical Proposal The Proposer shall provide its technical response to the Scope of Services in Section 3 of this RFP. Proposers are instructed to use the following format in preparing all proposals. Failure to do so may result in a reduced rating by the proposal review committee. 1) 2) 3)
4.3
Proposals should emphasize clarity and conciseness. All pages should be consecutively numbered including any attachments. The proposal should not exceed a total length of 20 pages including all related elements (cover letter, attachments, exhibits, resumes, example projects, etc.).
Detailed Proposal Cost Each proposer should provide cost for services in a separate envelope. The fee schedule should include a matrix outlining by task the estimated staff hours by staff classification and hourly rate, including any sub-consultants. Proposals must also include an estimate for reimbursable expenses, audited overhead and profit in the overall project budget. Each proposal should be submitted in the most favorable terms with respect to costs and programmatic considerations and in a complete and understandable form. This will be a cost reimbursement contract. Invoices must be submitted on a monthly basis.
4.4
Key Personnel and Sub-consultants The Proposer shall identify its key personnel and any sub-consultants for the services requested in this RFP. The Proposer shall detail the role of each key personnel and sub-consultant with their qualifications. The proposal should also include a summary of the breakdown of anticipated staff hours by task and by key personnel and any sub-consultants.
4.5
Conflict of Interest Disclosure The Proposer shall identify any and all potential conflict of interest pursuant to Section 2.12 of this RFP.
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4.6
Exceptions to Hennepin County’s Terms and Conditions (Attachment 2) The Hennepin County Terms and Conditions are included as Attachment 2 and are herein incorporated by reference. If a Proposer has a concern or objection to any of these provisions, it should so indicate in its proposal. The county reserves the right to require compliance with these provisions and to negotiate final terms, conditions, and requirements with the successful Proposer(s) that are in the county's best interest.
5.
Evaluation and Selection
5.1
Proposal Evaluation and Recommendation for Selection The RFP does not commit the county to award a contract. Submission of a proposal as provided herein shall neither obligate nor entitle a Proposer to enter into a contract with the county. The county, reserves the following rights, to be exercised in the county’s sole and absolute discretion: 1) to determine whether any aspect of a proposal satisfactorily meets the criteria established in this RFP; 2) to seek clarification or additional information from any Proposer(s); 3) to negotiate, sequentially or simultaneously, pricing and/or terms with any Proposer(s) or contractor(s) that did not submit a proposal; 4) to reject any or all proposals with or without cause; 5) to waive any irregularities or informalities in a proposal; 6) to cancel and/or amend by addenda this RFP, in part or entirely; and 6) to award multiple contracts to Proposers and/or contractors that did not submit a proposal. Evaluation of proposals by a selection committee, county staff, a technical advisory committee, or by another group, individual or entity is advisory only. The County Board or its designee may consider or reject such evaluation(s) for any or all proposals. Such evaluations are for the sole benefit of the County Board or its designee, and as such, they are not binding upon the county, nor may they be relied upon in any way by a Proposer.
5.2
Evaluation of Responsiveness The county will consider all the material submitted by the Proposer to determine whether the Proposer’s offer is in compliance with the terms and conditions set forth in this RFP. Responses that do not comply with the provisions in this RFP may be considered nonresponsive and may be rejected.
5.3
Evaluation Criteria Evaluation factors shall include, but are not limited to, the following: Relevant experience, including: Qualifications of design personnel who will supervise and implement the project; The team’s previous project experience as a working group; and History of completion of similar projects. Project understanding; Proposed planning approach, including: Analysis of existing studies and plans A creative approach to right of way design that supports multi-modal transportation An approach that evaluates and proposes re/development opportunities Quality of the proposal, including: Clarity and ease of understanding and Concise and direct Comprehensive and innovative community engagement strategies including: Strategies to reach out and engage a wide variety of stakeholders; and Strategies that engage stakeholders at key stages in the development of the plan.
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5.4
Execution of Contract Before a contract becomes effective between the county and any proposer, the contract award must be ratified and signed by the County Board or its designee. If for any reason the County Board or its designee does not ratify and sign the contract then there are no binding obligations whatsoever between the county and the proposer relative to the proposed contract.
6.
Attachments See following items attached to this RFP. Attachment 1 – Technical Requirements Attachment 2 – Hennepin County Terms and Conditions
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