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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLandscape RFP - FINAL.pdf REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS CITYWIDE LANDSCAPE ASSESSMENT Professional Services Submission Deadline: 09/20/24 Citywide Landscape Assessment August 8, 2024 2 | Page 1. INTRODUCTION The City of Diamond Bar is requesting proposals from qualified consultant(s) or firm(s) to perform a comprehensive Citywide Landscape Assessment. RFP Date: Thursday, August 8, 2024 Project Name: Citywide Landscape Assessment Department: City Manager’s Office Proposal Deadline: Friday, September 20, 2024 at 2:00pm PST Proposals shall be delivered by the proposal deadline via the PlanetBids portal only. All proposals submitted in response to this RFP will become property of the City upon submittal and a matter of public record pursuant to applicable law. Late submittals will not be accepted. Proposals may be withdrawn if written notification of withdrawal of the proposal is signed by an authorized representative of the proposer and received at the City office prior to the closing time for receipt of proposals. Proposals cannot be changed or withdrawn after the time designated for receipt. Questions regarding this RFP shall be submitted via PlanetBids no later than Friday, September 6, 2024 at 2:00pm PST. Questions and responses may be made available to all potential proposers. The City will review all proposals received by the submittal deadline indicated in this RFP. Proposals that do not meet the minimum requirements of this RFP will be rejected. The City reserves the right to select the firm that best meets the overall needs and offers the best overall value to the City based on a variety of criteria, including but not limited to, experience of the consulting team performing similar fee studies, quality of work product, successful completion of similar fee studies and scope of work, and cost effectiveness, but not solely on the lowest cost of services. Citywide Landscape Assessment August 8, 2024 3 | Page Those Firms considered most responsive to this RFP may be requested to attend at least one interview with the City. The City may determine that a selection can be made without conducting interviews. Upon completion of the City's evaluation process, the most qualified Contractor shall be invited to meet with the City to negotiate compensation, terms, and conditions. If an agreement is not reached, the negotiations will be terminated, and similar interviews will then follow with the next firm. All such negotiations shall be strictly confidential, and in no case shall the compensation involving one Contractor be discussed with another or made public. The following tentative schedule has been established for the selection of a firm which is subject to change: • RFP Posting Date August 8, 2024 • Written Questions Deadline September 6, 2024 • Proposal Due Date September 20, 2024 2:00pm • Interviews w/ top ranked firms (if necessary) TBD • Award of Contract October 25, 2024 The City of Diamond Bar shall not be liable for any pre-contractual expenses incurred by any Contractor, nor shall any Contractor include any such expenses as part of the proposed cost. Pre-contractual expenses include any expense incurred by a contractor prior to the date of an executed contract, such as the cost of preparing and submitting a proposal and negotiating any terms with the City. 2. ABOUT THE CITY Diamond Bar is a scenic community located on the eastern edge of Los Angeles County, within minutes of Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. With its origin as a center for ranching perched among a landscape of rolling hills in the East San Gabriel Valley, Diamond Bar became one of the first master planned communities in Los Angeles County dating back to 1956, and has grown since that time to be known for its friendly country-living atmosphere, abundant open spaces, exceptional public facilities, well-maintained parks and hiking trails, and excellent schools. Diamond Bar was incorporated as a City in 1989, covers 14.9 square miles and is home to 57,177 residents. Citywide Landscape Assessment August 8, 2024 4 | Page Diamond Bar is bounded by the cities of Industry and Pomona to the north, Chino Hills to the east, and unincorporated Los Angeles County to the south and west. With convenient access to the SR-57 and SR-60 freeways, Diamond Bar is within 30 miles driving distance of the cities of Los Angeles, Riverside, and Irvine, making it a desirable destination to live and work. The Industry Metrolink Station lies on the City’s northern border, providing east-west transit connections to Los Angeles and Riverside. 3. PROJECT BACKGROUND The City of Diamond Bar's Citywide Landscape Assessment is a comprehensive undertaking aimed at enhancing the landscaping areas within City limits through the distribution of applicable soil amendments under the definition of “Recovered Organic Waste Product” (ROWP) set forth by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) in the Senate Bill (SB) 1383: Short- Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCP) legislation. This assessment will provide clarity as to which areas in the City can use ROWP and how much material the City can potentially procure and administer locally to not only enhance the ecological and aesthetic value but conserve water and reduce maintenance costs such as weed management and erosion control. The City currently has an agreement with a direct service provider to comply with SB 1383’s Recovered Organic Waste Product procurement targets for both 2024 and 2025 – 2,949 tons in 2024 and 4,537 tons in 2025. Compost is sent to farms within California that will be utilized for agricultural purposes, thus benefiting the larger community and contributing to California’s overall climate goals . This RFP for a landscape assessment would have the role as a supplemental resource so that the City can better understand if/how materials and services can complement and enhance the natural ecology while also reducing irrigation and maintenance costs. This requires an in-depth analysis of available landscape areas; recommended organic materials that comply with SB 1383 ROWP procurement; and costs associated with materials and labor. 4. SCOPE OF WORK AND DELIVERABLES To be considered, proposals shall identify each of the following tasks and describe how the firm will meet each item. At a minimum, all recommended materials need Citywide Landscape Assessment August 8, 2024 5 | Page to comply with Senate Bill (SB) 1383’s Recovered Organic Waste Product (ROWP) procurement; Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO); and any other State regulations, guidance and associated materials that can impact soil and waterways. Tasks shall include the following areas of service: Part I – Area Assessment 1) Initiate kickoff meeting with City staff to review project criteria, objectives, procedures and schedules; 2) Collect existing and available data by administering in-person and/or virtual interviews with City’s Public Works and Information Systems (IS) teams; 3) Develop an initial list of public rights of way (PROWs) and locations which include but are not limited to parks, streetscapes, and medians; 4) Prepare base map of all landscape areas by reviewing GIS database and Google Earth; 5) Perform in-person site visits in selected areas to verify landscape areas in the GIS database, particularly sloped areas, and identify other challenges unique to the targeted area, such weeds, erosion, and reduced moisture levels; 6) Compile a report of data and maps of all locations (addresses) and square footage within City limits that have vegetation and landscaping; and 7) Present data to City to review and provide comments. Part 2 – Material Recommendation & Budget 8) Determine appropriate organic materials (soil amendments) best used for each landscape area’s particular needs and unique characteristics. Determine a preferred plan of work that includes material blend, application thickness, timing of application, site preparation requirements, recommended methods of securing material in sloped areas, and operational and maintenance; Citywide Landscape Assessment August 8, 2024 6 | Page 9) Engage in discussions with various suppliers to discuss logistics, time frames, material costs, and labor costs to deliver and distribute materials and determine how this may be different from the optimal or preferred plan of work; 10) Prepare a document with clear costs distinction between type(s) of organic material; material costs; and labor costs – broken down by each location (parks, districts, medians) as identified in Attachment A; and 11) Meet with the City to review the project’s entirety and obtain any direction on final requests or actions. Part 3 – Final Report Compilation 12) Prepare an electronic and 1 hardcopy of the final comprehensive report with a Summary of Findings as well as all geo-spatial and GIS-layer data and analyses, from Parts 1 and 2: a. Map of all landscape areas within City limits including location addresses and square footage, depth and other relevant information identified by the Consultant; b. Analysis of landscape conditions, SB 1383-approved organic materials that would be most suitable for the respective locations and tonnage of materials needed; and c. Estimated labor cost for distribution of organic materials by area and soil blend. 5. FORMAT AND CONTENTS OF PROPOSAL The Consultant’s proposal shall contain the following information and shall be organized as follows: A. Cover Letter A brief cover letter summarizing key points of the Proposal that must be signed by an individual with authority to bind the Contractor and should Citywide Landscape Assessment August 8, 2024 7 | Page state all conditions proposed are valid for a period of at least ninety (90) calendar days. B. Project Team An organization chart indicating principals and key project team members, resumes or copies of licenses or professional certificates of the key personnel involved with this contract, including personnel from subcontractors (if any). Identify the experience of the personnel assigned and briefly outline the responsibilities of each member. If any changes in personnel or subcontractors occur during the contract period, the Consultant shall notify the City and furnish the same required information for review and approval. C. Firm's Experience/References Provide a list of at least three (3) references who may be contacted to discuss their experience working with the proposer’s team on similar projects. References shall include: contact information including Organization, Name, Title, Address, Phone, Email, Project Name and Date of Completion. D. Methodology/Project Understanding Describe the approach and methods that will be used to meet the Scope of Work. Identify any datasets the City will be required to provide. Also, identify any potential concerns or problems that your firm anticipates during the term of this contract. E. Cost for Services Provide a detailed not-to-exceed cost proposal to accomplish the services requested. Identify the hourly allocation of resources by discipline and by each task identified in the Scope of Work, include billing rates for personnel, printing, attendance at public meetings, and any other cost anticipated. Clearly highlight any additional or recommended tasks and associated costs that are included, such as transportation or out-of-pocket expenses. Should Consultant determine additional work may be necessary beyond Citywide Landscape Assessment August 8, 2024 8 | Page the scope of work outlined in the City’s RFP, those work items shall be included in the cost proposal listed as “Optional.” F. Insurance Proof of insurance requirements addressed in the professional services agreement of this Request for Proposal shall be submitted by the selected Consultant upon execution of the agreement. The selected Consultant must submit a "Statement Certifying Insurance Coverage" certifying that the required insurance coverage will be obtained by the Consultant, and that the Consultant understands said coverage is prerequisite for entering into an agreement with the City. The Consultant is required to confirm with its insurance carrier that it can meet all the requirements for insurance. Failure to meet the insurance regulations as set forth shall result in proposer’s disqualification. G. Consultant Services Agreement Provide a statement certifying that you agree to the City’s Consultant Services Agreement terms and conditions. Any proposed edits to the agreement shall be submitted with the proposal for City staff review and consideration. 6. SUBCONTRACTING The Contractor may utilize the service of specialty subcontractors on those parts of the work which, under normal contracting practices, are performed by specialty subcontractors. Unless a specific subcontractor is listed by the Contractor, Contractor is representing to City that Contractor has all appropriate licenses, certifications, and registrations to perform the work hereunder. After submission of the Proposal, the Contractor shall not award work to any unlisted Subcontractor(s) without prior written approval of the City. The Contractor shall be fully responsible to the City for the performance of the Subcontractors, and of persons either directly or indirectly employed by them. Nothing contained herein shall create any contractual relation between any Subcontractor and the City. Citywide Landscape Assessment August 8, 2024 9 | Page 7. RIGHT TO REJECT ALL PROPOSALS The City reserves the right to withdraw, reduce, or revise elements of the scope of work prior to the award of any contract. Furthermore, the City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals submitted; and no representation is made hereby that any contract will be awarded pursuant to this Request for Proposal, or otherwise. All costs incurred in the preparation of the proposal, in the submission of additional information and/or in any other aspect of a proposal prior to the award of a written contract will be borne by the proposer. The City shall only provide the staff assistance and documentation specifically referred to herein and shall not be responsible for any other cost of obligation of any kind which may be incurred by the proposing firm. The City may investigate the qualifications of any proposer under consideration, require confirmation of information furnished by a proposer, and require additional evidence of qualifications to perform the services described in this RFP. In addition to the rights described above, the City reserves the right to: • Issue subsequent Requests for Proposals. • Cancel the entire Request for Proposal. • Remedy technical errors in the Request for Proposal process. • Appoint evaluation committees to review proposals. • Seek the assistance of outside technical experts in proposal evaluations. • Approve or disapprove the use of particular subcontractors. • Establish a short list of Proposers eligible for discussions after review of written proposals. • Negotiate with any, all, or none of the Proposers. • Solicit best and final offers from any or all Proposers. • Award a contract to one or more Proposers. • Accept other than the lowest offer. • Waive informalities and irregularities in proposals. 8. CONFLICT OF INTERESTS Consultant covenants that the company, its officers, employees and/or agents presently have no interest, and shall not acquire any interest, direct or indirect, Citywide Landscape Assessment August 8, 2024 10 | Page financial or otherwise, which would conflict in any manner or degree with the performance of the services requested herein by the City. Consultant further covenants that, in the performance of any contract or agreement resulting from this RFP, no subcontractor or person having such an interest shall be employed. Consultant certifies that to the best of Consultant’s knowledge, no one who has or will have any financial interest under any contract or agreement resulting from this RFP is an officer or employee of the City. 9. PUBLIC RECORDS ACT Responses to this RFP become the exclusive property of the City and subject to the California Public Records Act. Those elements in each proposal which are trade secrets as that term is defined in Civil Code section 3426.1(d) or otherwise exempt by law from disclosure and which are prominently marked as "TRADE SECRET,” "CONFIDENTIAL,” or "PROPRIETARY" may not be subject to disclosure. The CITY shall not in any way be liable or responsible for the disclosure of any such records including, without limitation, those so marked if disclosure is deemed to be required by law or by an order of the Court. Proposers which indiscriminately identify all or most of their proposal as exempt from disclosure without justification may be deemed non-responsive. In the event the CITY is required to defend an action on a Public Records Act request for any of the contents of a proposal marked "confidential", "proprietary", or "trade secret", Proposer agrees, upon submission of its proposal for City's consideration, to defend and indemnify the City from all costs and expenses, including attorney’s fees, in any action or liability arising under the Public Records Act.