TITLE
Consider a memorandum/resolution to approve a list of pre-qualified professional service consultants for various municipal projects.
SUMMARY
DATE: June 20, 2017
TO: Ronald L. Olson, City Manager
FROM: David Olson, Executive Director of Public Works
SUBJECT: Approve a list of pre-qualified professional service consultants for various municipal projects (RFQ 17-10)
BACKGROUND AND FINDINGS:
On April 23, 2017, the City of Killeen issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to solicit interest from entities qualified in the areas of municipal planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and emergency response for various municipal projects. This solicitation (RFQ 17-10) outlines a process to identify a group of firms and joint ventures from which the City may negotiate future professional service agreements for various major capital improvement projects, minor capital improvement projects, master planning services, regulatory compliance assistance, and emergency response services. Responses to the RFQ were reviewed by City staff to assess the qualifications and competency of such entities. The firms and joint ventures listed in this memorandum are recommended to be considered “pre-qualified” for professional service needs for specific municipal projects that may arise over the next five-year period.
On May 17, 2017, the City of Killeen received forty-two responses to RFQ 17-10 for upcoming municipal projects requiring professional services over the next three-year to five-year planning period. An entity responding to this broad-based RFQ must demonstrate an ability to execute and complete projects similar to those discussed in the solicitation, as well as those contemplated in the City’s adopted and anticipated master plans, other capital improvement programs, and storm water management plan. Elements of typical municipal projects may include site investigation, engineering analysis, facility design, contract administration, construction management, operation and maintenance, environmental compliance, and quality control within the following project disciplines: Transportation, Water and Wastewater, Drainage/Storm Water, Solid Waste Management, and Environmental Services, and Other Professional Services.
The minimum elements requested to be provided in response to the RFQ included:
• A Letter of Transmittal affirming an understanding of the RFQ and a commitment to perform the range of services offered by the respondent;
• An Executive Summary;
• A Statement of Work outlining the scope of services the respondent proposes to offer to the City, the approach to performing all or portions of the Scope of Services outlined in the RFQ, the extent to which the respondent has a place of business within the City, and the existence of or potential for any conflicts of interest with the City;
• A Project Organization identifying the lead firm (or joint venture) and any project sub-consultants, the proposed project manager(s) and key personnel to be committed to specific project disciplines, and resumes of key personnel demonstrating competencies directly related to the Scope of Services outlined in the RFQ;
• A discussion of Project Methodologies and Management Plans describing how the lead firm (or joint venture) proposes to manage projects, how each firm controls the quality of its work on projects, and how the respondent proposes to communicate with City staff and project stakeholders;
• An outline of Project Schedules and Costing defining approaches to design and construction resource scheduling, value engineering, and cost estimating;
• A summary of Technical Resources describing the software and data management systems that would be used to accomplish projects;
• A list of Past Project Experience summarizing representative projects (per discipline) completed by the respondent similar to the Scope of Services outlined in the RFQ;
• A Certificate of Insurance evidencing minimum coverage for the types of limits of liability specified in the RFQ;
• A Financial Statement in audited form for the lead firm (or joint venture); and
• A Litigation Summary of current or past project-necessitated legal action pursued by or brought against the respondent in the previous five years.
• Completed conflict of interest forms
In evaluating the RFQ submittals, emphasis is placed on entities demonstrating competent, timely, functional, and cost effective methods to accomplish the range of professional services described in the RFQ. The RFQ response must include project-specific summaries clearly identifying past and proposed roles and responsibilities and present strategies to deliver the best projects for the City, with sufficient detail for City staff to evaluate the “most qualified and competent” firms.
The RFQ solicitation specified that the respondent’s qualifications would be evaluated in two stages. State One qualifications were evaluated (on a weighted percentage basis) using the following criteria outlined in the RFQ:
• Qualification package completed in accordance with RFQ solicitation (5 points);
• Demonstrated experience in planning and design of various types of municipal capital improvement projects (35 points);
• Experience in design and technology relating to various types of municipal capital improvement projects (10 points);
• Capability to perform all aspects of a project either directly or through sub-consultants (20 points);
• Key personnel professional background and experience (10 points);
• Quality and competence of work on projects previously undertaken (10points); and
• Familiarity with, and proximity to the geographic location of, the City of Killeen (10 points).
Based upon the Stage One evaluation process, City staff selected the firms and joint ventures (by specific discipline as noted) on the Evaluation Summary for further consideration. Note that Other Professional Services includes support of capital improvement projects involving, but not limited to, computer hardware and software applications; energy conservation measures; surveying and construction staking; archeological, cultural resource, environmental, and geotechnical investigations and compliance; emergency response and material disposal; specialty testing and analysis; construction-phase project administration; capital improvement program and other major project delivery systems program management; and development of procedures, details, and specifications to improve the development of project deliverables for the City.
Stage Two of the evaluation process considered the following factors:
• Specific methods of approach to the project management process to include, but not limited to, studies and reports; design and construction; cost estimates; and schedules
• Design and construction-phase project experience in relation to municipal capital improvement projects of similar scope to City of Killeen’s needs
• Knowledge and methods of approach to municipal utility, facility, and equipment design, construction, operation, and management
• Specific qualifications and experience of proposed project staff
• Specific quality of work on projects previously undertaken
• Specific familiarity with the municipal capital improvement project needs of the City of Killeen
• Demonstrated knowledge of key issues relating to municipal capital improvement projects
• Demonstrated capability to complete projects without major cost escalations or overruns
• Demonstrated understanding of the potential problems inherent with municipal capital improvement projects and methods of approach for problem resolution
• Demonstrated project availability and commitment, including an identification of respondent’s workload that will potentially run concurrent with any potential projects and could affect the firm’s ability to perform.
The RFQ evaluation committee concurred that all Stage One selected consultants had provided an acceptable response to the Stage Two evaluation criterial and should be considered “pre-qualified” for the potential negotiation of professional service agreements for specific major capital improvement project needs that may arise over the next three to five years. Further, the sub-consultants and associates identified within each “pre-qualified” full-service civil consultant’s project organization should also be deemed as pre-qualified” under the identified lead firm, or as a part of the named joint venture.
THE ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED:
The alternative to approving this pre-qualified list is to advertise a request for qualifications (RFQ) for each standard project that the City has over the same five-year period. This alternative would require more review hours by staff and increased publication expenses. Staff recommends that this pre-qualified list be approved for standard projects, and, if special circumstances arise, that a RFQ be issued accordingly.
CONFORMITY TO CITY POLICY:
This RFQ was conducted in accordance with the City’s purchasing policy.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no direct fiscal impact associated with adoption of this resolution. The creation of this final “pre-qualification” list shall not be deemed as creating any type of contractual expectancy for the award of any contracts on the part of the City. This list is being assembled for the purpose of ensuring that the City has the ability to quickly negotiate contracts with competent and qualified entities in an efficient manner when upcoming municipal capital improvement projects are deemed necessary to proceed. The City reserves the right, at its discretion, to contract with a firm not included on the final “pre-qualification” list if circumstances warrant.
The City shall not, under any circumstances, be bound by or be liable for any obligations with respect to any major municipal capital improvement project until and if a contract has been awarded and all approvals obtained in form and substance satisfactory to the City have been executed and authorized by the City, and then only to the extent of such agreements.
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council approve the enclosed list of firms and joint ventures deemed to be pre-qualified for professional services associated with Public Works and other municipal projects that may arise over the next three year to five year planning period within the City of Killeen and its extraterritorial jurisdiction.
DEPARTMENTAL CLEARANCES:
Finance
Legal
Public Works
ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
Evaluation Summary
RFQ-17-10
Notice to Firms
Addendum-1
Addendum-2
Addendum-3