HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-03-16 - Request for Qualifications - On-Call Geotechnical Engineering ServicesCITY OF TUKWILA
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
Due: Thursday, March 16, 2023, by 5:00 PM (PST)
Notice is hereby given that Statements of Qualifications will be received by the City of Tukwila,
Washington, for:
ON-CALL GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING SERVICES
The purpose of this request is to solicit Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) from qualified
consultants to assist the City in providing on-call geotechnical engineering services and peer
review for development within the City of Tukwila. This work will be on-call, ongoing and as
needed on a 2 -year basis.
Please review the full RFQ following this notice for details
Interested firms must submit their SOQ no later than 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 16, 2023.
SOQ responses shall include one pdf file of the proposal submitted via email to:
Cherie Du, Development Review Engineer
Cherie. Du@tukwilawa.gov
Submittals must be received at the above email address by the deadline. No submittal will be
accepted after this date and time. The City will not be liable for delays in delivery of proposals
due to any technological issues. Please reference the RFQ title on all communication and
subject lines. Any questions regarding this project should be directed to Cherie Du,
Development Review Engineer, Department of Community Development at
Cherie.Du@TukwilaWA.gov. Only email inquiries will be accepted.
Published Seattle Times: March 2, 2023 and March 9, 2023
Published Daily Journal of Commerce: March 2, 2023 and March 9, 2023
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
ON-CALL GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING SERVICES
Due: Thursday, March 16, 2023, by 5:00 PM
Section 1. General Information
A. General Information
The City of Tukwila (the "City") is requesting Statements of Qualifications (SOQs)
from a qualified multidisciplinary consultant team (which may be a single firm or a
consultant team consisting of individuals and/or firms with specialized expertise)
to provide on-call geotechnical engineer services for development within the City.
The work will be on-call on a biennial basis (2 -year on-call contract).
It is the City's intent to select a geotechnical consulting team based on
qualifications, abilities, past performance, and availability to complete the on-call
work within a reasonable amount of time that aligns with the City's permit
processing schedule. Once the City has reviewed the qualifications, one or more
firms may be requested to provide additional information and/or participate in an
interview process. Review of the SOQs and the final selection will be performed
by a committee comprised of City staff.
For any questions, contact Cherie Du via email at Cherie.Du(a�TukwilaWA.gov.
B. Background
The Department of Community Development is responsible for reviewing and
issuing permits pertaining to any residential, commercial, industrial and right-of-
way development to adhere to all local, state, and federal requirements. If the
development is on or adjacent to classified critical areas, applicants are required
to provide a geotechnical report with recommendations on how to safely develop
their site. For the more complex sites, the City may use their discretion to require
a peer review of these geotechnical reports by the on-call geotechnical engineer
before the permit can be issued. Additionally, the City may issue a stop work
order on permitted development experiencing excessive erosion and other forms
of soil instability during construction. In these cases, the on-call geotechnical
March 2, 2023
1
engineer would perform services with the applicant's geotechnical engineer to
determine the cause, perform necessary testing, and provide short- and long-
term solutions.
C. Summary of Required Services
• Provide peer review of proposed development before permit issuance to
start work, as well as during a stop work order after it has been identified
that it is not safe for the applicant to proceed with permitted work
• Review applicant's plans, reports (geotechnical, drainage, etc.), and
inspection reports to become familiar with proposed development
• Perform field investigations and characterization of site to understand
preexisting and existing conditions
• Provide on-site monitoring with use of instrumentation for unstable sites
• Provide feasibility analyses or studies and recommendations, as well as
site stabilization for proposed work
• General consultation
• Emergency response
D. Communications — Requests for Information, Clarifications, and Addenda
Questions regarding the submittal process and/or the technical aspects of the
required services should be directed to the City's Development Review Engineer
listed below in Section 1.E. Only email inquiries will be accepted. Please place
"On -Call Geotechnical Engineering Services" in the subject line. Any oral
communications will be considered unofficial and non-binding on the City.
Responses will be provided via email by the City's Development Review
Engineer and will be shared with all firms who contact the Development Review
Engineer at Cherie.Du@TukwilaWA.gov. Responses will be circulated to all as
received and answered. Questions submitted after March 9, 2023, may not
receive a response.
E. Development Review Engineer Contact Information
Cherie Du
Development Review Engineer
City of Tukwila Department of Community Development
6300 Southcenter Boulevard, Suite 100
Tukwila, Washington 98188
Cherie.Du@TukwilaWA.gov, 206/431-2448
March 2, 2023
2
F. Due Date, Time, Location, and Quantities
The City must receive Statements of Qualification no later than 5:00 PM on
Thursday, March 16, 2023. SOQ responses shall include one electronic copy
(in pdf file format) to Cherie Du at cherie.du@tukwilawa.gov.
No submittal will be accepted after this date and time. The City will not be liable
for delays in delivery of proposals due to any technological issues. Please
reference the RFQ title on all communications. Please plan accordingly to meet
the submittal deadline.
Upon submittal of each Statement to Qualifications, the system will automatically
send a receipt email bearing the time/date stamp of when the SOQ was
received.
G. Size Limitation on the Qualifications
The Qualifications (in electronic format) may not exceed 15 single -sided pages,
exclusive of covers, section dividers, or appendices. The Qualifications may be
printed with double -sided pages, but no more than the first 15 sides of text and
graphics will be considered (see also Section 3.a). The Qualifications must be in
a single file. The Qualifications may be presented in either portrait or landscape
orientation. Except for charts, exhibits and other illustrative and graphical
information, all information must be sized for 8.5" x 11" paper. Charts, exhibits
and other illustrative and graphical information may be sized for 8.5" x 14" or 11"
x 17" paper. With the exception of charts and graphs, all text must be in an 11 -
point font size or larger with margins no less than 1". Text within charts and/or
graphs may be smaller than 11 point but must be an easily readable size font
and type.
The front cover of each copy of the Qualifications must be labeled with the name
and address of the lead Consultant, along with the title: "On -Call Geotechnical
Engineering Services" and the date of submittal.
H. Terms and Conditions
The City reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel this RFQ, issue a new
Request for Qualifications, reject any or all Qualifications, seek or obtain data
from any source that has the potential to improve the understanding and
evaluation of the responses to this RFQ, seek and receive clarifications to
Qualifications, and waive any informalities in considering and evaluating the
Qualifications.
This RFQ does not commit the City to enter into a contract. The City assumes no
obligations, responsibilities, and liabilities, fiscal or otherwise, to reimburse all or
part of the costs incurred by the parties responding to this RFQ. All such costs
shall be borne solely by each Submitter.
March 2, 2023
3
Materials submitted in response to this competitive procurement shall become
the property of the City and will not be returned. These materials will become
public documents subject to public disclosure with limited exceptions. The
Washington State Public Disclosure Act (RCW 42.17) requires public agencies in
Washington to promptly make public records available for inspection and copying
unless they fall within the specified exemptions contained in the act or is
otherwise privileged. Qualifications submitted under the SOQ process shall be
considered public documents and with limited exceptions, submittals that are
recommended for contract award will be available for inspection and copying by
the public. All submittals received will remain confidential until the City and the
successful Submitter sign the agreements resulting from this advertisement.
The City of Tukwila, in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
(Section 504) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), commits to
nondiscrimination on the basis of disability, in all its programs and activities. This
material can be made available in an alternate format by emailing Cherie Du at
Cherie.DuATukwilaWA.gov or by calling 206-431-2448.
Section 2. Schedule of Process
A. Preliminary Schedule
The City anticipates the following milestone dates. This schedule is subject to
revision at any time.
Event
Date
RFP Release
March 2, 2023
Submittals Due
March 16, 2023
Submittal Evaluation Complete
March 17, 2023
Finalist Interviews (if necessary)
March 18, 2023
Selection
March 22, 2023
Contract scope and budget development
March 22, 2023
Director authorizes contract execution
March 22, 2023
1) If the City awards a firm the contract to provide on-call geotechnical
engineering services, the successful firm shall be issued a written Notice of
Intent to Award. The successful firm shall execute an agreement acceptable
to the City within thirty (30) days from the date of Notice of Intent to Award.
Failure by the successful firm to execute an agreement within the stipulated
30 -day period shall constitute non-conformance with the SOQ, allowing the
City to unilaterally withdraw and terminate such intent to award, unless there
is a negotiated and written extension of the period.
2) The City reserves the right to award the contract to the next most qualified
firm if the successful firm does not execute a contract within the 30 days from
the date of the Notice of Intent to Award.
March 2, 2023
4
Section 3. Qualifications and Selection Process
This section describes specific information that must be included in the
Qualifications. Qualifications must follow the outline presented below. Provide
brief, concise information that addresses the required services consistent with
the evaluation criteria described in this RFQ.
A. Content of Qualifications Sections
Follow the outline presented below, which has been created to organize
Qualifications and facilitate the evaluation. Sections for the Qualifications shall be
as described below, numbered, and titled as follows. An appendix with full
resumes is allowed and will not be counted in the overall page count. The
appendix material may or may not be considered as part of the selection
process. The information required in the following sections will be used in the
qualitative assessment of the Qualifications.
Section 1: Introduction
The Qualifications shall include an introduction stating the business name,
address, and roles of the Submitter and any sub-consultant(s). The introduction
shall identify one contact person and his or her address, telephone numbers, and
email address. This person shall be the single point of contact on behalf of the
Submitter, responsible for correspondence to and from the organization and the
City. The City will send all RFQ communications to this one contact person.
Section 2: Team and Key Personnel Experience and Capacity
Provide information on the following:
a) Major Team Members
• A listing of all firms on your team, the type(s) of services that each Team
Member will provide, and the number of years each Team Member has
been providing those services.
• A list of up to three projects that have been completed within the last five
years that have elements that are significantly similar to the required
services, and demonstrate the expertise and experience required for the
required services. Include client/organization name(s) and contact
information, the work/services provided on the project(s), project dates.
b) Organizational Structure
• A proposed organizational chart, identifying key personnel by name, with
lines identifying participants and their reporting relationships.
c) Key Personnel
• Experience and qualifications for each proposed key person.
• Examples of work on projects that have elements that are significantly
similar to the required services.
March 2, 2023
5
• Availability of each key person sufficient to ensure capacity to meet project
milestones and deliverables.
• For the Project Manager - up to three project examples that demonstrate
her/his experience as a Project Manager with the following items:
Project schedule
Scope of work
Budget control
Successfully managing changes that arose throughout the life of the
project.
B. Selection Process and Schedule
The first step will be evaluating Consultant Qualifications. Upon completion of
the evaluation and scoring of submitted Qualifications, the City will either make a
decision or will notify Submitters of the Consultants that have been short-listed,
or of a decision not to issue a short-list or to interview. If applicable, the second
step in the selection process will be interviewing teams. The City will interview up
to three qualified Consultants that submit Qualifications.
Consultant Evaluation Criteria
Submittals will be evaluated by a Selection Committee based upon the
responsiveness of the submittal to this RFQ and how well the qualifications of the
team meet the needs of the City. Evaluations will be based on the same criteria
outlined herein, which may be weighted by the City in any manner it deems
appropriate.
• Team's experience performing geotechnical peer review of residential and
commercial development.
• Project Manager/Team Lead's overall experience managing projects and
processes of this type, and availability to immediately begin work and
work within tight deadlines.
• Past performance and references.
Evaluation of responses to this RFQ will be based only on the information
provided in the SOQ package, and if applicable, during an interview and
reference review process. Scoring from the short -listing process will be brought
forward to the final scoring of the interviewed Submitters. The following criteria
will be used to evaluate and rank responses:
Step 1: Evaluation of Qualifications
Criteria
Possible Points
Required Services Understanding and Approach 50
Qualifications/Expertise of Project Manager 20
Qualifications/Expertise of Team 30
Step 1 Total 100 points
March 2, 2023
6
Step 2: Final Selection
Score from Step 1 50%
Interview 50%
Should a tie result from the scoring process, selection of the winning Consultant
will be based on results of reference checks on past projects.
Section 4. Administrative Information
1) Minority-owned and Women -owned Business Enterprises: The City strongly
encourages minority owned and women owned businesses, socially and
economically disadvantaged business enterprises, and small businesses to
respond to this RFQ, to participate as partners, or to participate in other business
activity in response to this RFQ.
2) Basic Eligibility: Any successful firm must be licensed to do business in the State
of Washington, the City of Tukwila and must have a state Unified Business
Identifier (UBI) number. In addition, the successful firm must not be debarred,
suspended, or otherwise ineligible to contract with the City.
3) Payment Requirements: Firms should be aware that the City will only make
payments on invoices after the work being billed has been completed and will
pay reimbursable expenses to the firm only upon receipt of an itemized invoice
for the reimbursable expenses. No advance payments will be made to the firm
and the firm must have the capacity to meet all project expenses in advance of
payments by the City.
4) Approval of Consultants: The City retains the right of final approval of any
consultant of the selected firm who must inform all consultants of this provision.
5) Documents Produced: All documents produced under contract to the City must
be submitted to the City in a digital format that meets the City's requirements
(typically, in Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat and/or AutoCAD or GIS products),
and in the event of public meeting presentation materials, as a hard copy. All
documents shall become the exclusive property of the City.
6) Civil Rights: The City of Tukwila embraces civil rights and equal opportunity. If
any events occur involving the firm or subcontractors that would violate those
rights, then the firm shall take full responsibility for said actions.
7) Insurance: Successful consultant will be expected to enter into a standard City of
Tukwila Consultant Agreement that includes the standard general insurance
requirements as follows:
The Consultant shall procure and maintain for the duration of the Agreement,
insurance against claims for injuries to persons or damage to property which may
arise from or in connection with the performance of the work hereunder by the
Consultant, its agents, representatives, or employees. Consultant's maintenance
of insurance as required by the agreement shall not be construed to limit the
March 2, 2023
7
liability of the Consultant to the coverage provided by such insurance, or
otherwise limit the City's recourse to any remedy available at law or in equity.
Minimum Amounts and Scope of Insurance: Consultant shall obtain insurance of
the types and with the limits described below:
a) Automobile Liability insurance with a minimum combined single limit for bodily
injury and property damage of $1,000,000 per accident. Automobile Liability
insurance shall cover all owned, non -owned, hired and leased vehicles.
Coverage shall be written on Insurance Services Office (ISO) form CA 00 01
or a substitute form providing equivalent liability coverage. If necessary, the
policy shall be endorsed to provide contractual liability coverage.
b) Commercial General Liability insurance with limits no less than $2,000,000
each occurrence, $2,000,000 general aggregate. Commercial General
Liability insurance shall be at least as broad as ISO occurrence form CG 00
01 and shall cover liability arising from premises, operations, stop -gap
independent contractors and personal injury and advertising injury. The City
shall be named as an additional insured under the Consultant's Commercial
General Liability insurance policy with respect to the work performed for the
City using an additional insured endorsement at least as broad as ISO
endorsement form CG 20 26.
c) Workers' Compensation coverage as required by the Industrial Insurance
laws of the State of Washington.
d) Professional Liability with limits no less than $2,000,000 per claim and
$2,000,000 policy aggregate limit. Professional Liability insurance shall be
appropriate to the Consultant's profession.
8) City Full Availability of Contractor Limits: If the Contractor maintains higher
insurance limits than the minimums shown above, the City\ shall be insured for
the full available limits of Commercial General and Excess or Umbrella liability
maintained by the Contractor, irrespective of whether such limits maintained by
the Contractor are greater than those required by this Contract or whether any
certificate of insurance furnished to the City evidences limits of liability lower than
those maintained by the Contractor.
9) Other Insurance Provision: The Consultant's Automobile Liability and
Commercial General Liability insurance policies are to contain or be endorsed to
contain that they shall be primary insurance with respect to the City. Any
Insurance, self-insurance, or insurance pool coverage maintained by the City
shall be excess of the Consultant's insurance and shall not be contributed or
combined with it.
10)Acceptability of Insurers: Insurance is to be placed with insurers with a current
A.M. Best rating of not less than A: VII.
11)Verification of Coverage: Consultant shall furnish the City with original certificates
and a copy of the amendatory endorsements, including but not necessarily
limited to the additional insured endorsement, evidencing the insurance
requirements of the Contractor before commencement of the work. Upon request
March 2, 2023
8
by the City, the Consultant shall furnish certified copies of all required insurance
policies, including endorsements, required in this Agreement and evidence of all
subcontractors' coverage.
12)Notice of Cancellation: The Consultant shall provide the City with written notice of
any policy cancellation, within two business days of their receipt of such notice.
13)Failure to Maintain Insurance: Failure on the part of the Consultant to maintain
the insurance as required shall constitute a material breach of contract, upon
which the City may, after giving five business days' notice to the Consultant to
correct the breach, immediately terminate the contract or, at its discretion,
procure or renew such insurance and pay any and all premiums in connection
therewith, with any sums so expended to be repaid to the City on demand, or at
the sole discretion of the City, offset against funds due the Consultant from the
City.
Section 5. Publication
This RFQ shall be published in Seattle Times and The Daily Journal of
Commerce.
Published Seattle Times: March 2, 2023 and March 9, 2023
Published Daily Journal of Commerce: March 2, 2023 and March 9, 2023
March 2, 2023
9