Request for Proposals Aspen Water Integrated Resource Plan Strategic Consulting Services – Phase One Project Number 2019-079 Due Date: 2 PM, August 30, 2019 130 South Galena Street Aspen, CO 81611 (970)920-5079 www.cityofaspen.com Rebecca.Hodgson@cityofaspen.com City of Aspen Request for Proposals REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Sealed proposals will be received by the City of Aspen Purchasing Department through the Bidnet Direct website, www.bidnetdirect.com, until 2:00p.m., August 30, 2019 at which time the proposals will be opened and reviewed, for the following City of Aspen project: Aspen Water Integrated Resource Plan Strategic Consulting Services – Phase One The project will include, but is not limited to: This project is Phase One of an effort by the City of Aspen Utilities Department to develop an Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) to provide a roadmap for the City’s long-term water strategy. The consultant will engage staff and stakeholders in the development of an IRP strategy and use this input to develop a robust Scope of Work (SOW) for the development of an IRP. The City desires to have a completed SOW for the IRP work by early 2020. Complete proposal packages are available to download or from www.bidnetdirect.com Vendors must be registered to view the bid packages. There is no charge to register. Call 1-800-835-4603 if you need assistance registering. To submit, an electronic copy of the Proposal as a PDF or Word file, must uploaded to the Bidnet Direct website, www.bidnetdirect.com. The file name must include the City’s project number and offeror’s name. The City reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals or accept what is, in its judgment, the Proposal which is in the City's best interest. The City further reserves the right, in the best interests of the City, to accept a late submittal or to waive any technical defects or irregularities in any and all Proposals submitted. Pursuant to the Colorado Open Records Act, C.R.S. Section 24-72-200.1 (CORA), any and all of the documents that are submitted to the City of Aspen may be deemed public records subject to examination and inspection by third parties. The City of Aspen reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to release for inspection or copying any document, plan, specification, proposal or other writing submitted pursuant to this request. Discussion may be conducted with responsible Offerors who submit Proposals determined to be reasonably susceptible to be selected for award for purpose of clarification to assure full understanding of, and responsiveness to the solicitation requirements. In addition to price, the criteria set forth in the Instruction to Offerors and any specific criteria listed below, may be considered in judging which Proposal is in the best interests of the City: • Firm Experience: 25% • Public Awareness: 15% • Team Experience: 30% • Project understanding: 20% • Costs: 10% ______________________________________________________________________ BY ORDER OF THE CITY OF ASPEN, COLORADO Rebecca Hodgson, Purchasing City of Aspen Request for Proposals Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction......................................................................................................................................... 4 1.1 Project Description and Background....................................................................................... 4 1.2 Project Goals and Objectives...................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. 2.0 RFP Process ....................................................................................................................................... 4 2.1 Communication.............................................................................................................................. 4 2.2 Pre-Proposal Meeting ….………………………………………………………………………………………………..………..4 2.3 Proposal Submission ……….……………….………………………………………..………………………………………….4 2.4 Schedule .......................................................................................................................................... 5 2.5 Selection Criteria and Evaluation.............................................................................................. 5 3.0 Scope of the Work .. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.0 Proposal Format ............................................................................................................................... 6 5.0 Legal ..................................................................................................................................................... 7 5.1 Interests of the City of Aspen ..................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. 6.0 Exhibits ................................................................................................................................................ 8 City of Aspen Request for Proposals 1.0 Introduction The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to solicit professional services for the development of a Scope of Work (SOW) for an Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) for the City’s Water Utility. 1.1 Project Description and Background Aspen (the City) seeks to develop an IRP to analyze its water rights portfolio and develop a robust plan to provide a safe, legal and reliable water supply to its customers through 2065, while respecting the City’s commitment to environmental stewardship. Aspen operates an Integrated Water Supply System, which includes surface water, groundwater, ditch water, reclaimed water and mine water rights. The current system has limited raw water storage, with less than a day’s worth of storage, above the water treatment plant. The City desires to move its existing conditional storage rights, which are located on Maroon and Castle Creeks, to other more environmentally compatible sites. Utility staff have researched several strategies for developing an IRP and desire consulting services to identify the most appropriate method for the City. It is important to include other City departments, City leaders and the community during the IRP strategy development. The IRP work will be broken into two phases. Phase I - consultant to engage City staff and stakeholders in the development of the IRP strategy and use this input to develop a robust SOW for the development of an IRP. The City desires to have a completed SOW for the IRP work by early 2020. Phase II –the SOW developed in Phase I will be implemented, resulting in a detailed IRP that will serve as a roadmap for the City’s long-term water strategy. This request for proposal seeks to engage a consultant team to deliver Phase I of the project to the City. At the conclusion of Phase I work, the City will select a consultant to deliver Phase II of the project. The consultant team that successfully wins the contract for Phase I work will be eligible to work on Phase II of this project. 2.0 RFP Process 2.1 Communication Questions must be posted on the Bidnet Direct website, www.bidnetdirect.com. Answers are posted online for all Offerors to review and consider. It is the Vendor’s responsibility to check the website for Q&As, addendums, and other important information. Vendors may contact Rebecca Hodgson at Rebecca.Hodgson@cityofaspen.com or 970-9205079 for questions regarding the procurement process or uploading proposals. 2.3 Proposal Submission Electronic submission is to be uploaded on the Bidnet Direct website, www.bidnetdirect.com. The electronic submission must be compiled into a single pdf or Word document. The name of the document must contain the City project number and firm’s name. The deadline for submitting responses to this RFP is 2:00pm, August 30, 2019. City of Aspen Request for Proposals 2.4 Schedule The proposal, evaluation and selection schedule is as follows: • • • • • • Date: Final Questions Due August 16, 2019 Date: Proposal Packages Due by 2:00PM August 30 Date: Interviews in Aspen September 16 and 17 Date: Selection Announced September 20 Date: Signed Contracts Due September 26 Date: Council Approval October 8 2.5 Selection Criteria The criteria for selection shall include but may not be limited to the following: • Firm Experience: 25% • Experience with similar Integrated Resource Plans outside of City of Aspen • Experience with Colorado water planning projects • Experience facilitating complex public processes • Public Awareness: 15% • Sensitivity to the community • Public involvement • Sensitivity to the environment • Team Experience: 30% • Team organization • Individual team members’ experience • Team experience (IRPs) • Team experience (facilitating public processes) • Project understanding: 20% • Understanding of project scope • Knowledge of Colorado / West Slope water allocation and use • Knowledge of Colorado / West Slope infrastructure • Schedule/Approach of project • Costs: 10% The City reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals or accept what is, in its judgment, the Proposal which is in the City's best interest. The City further reserves the right, in the best interests of the City, to accept a late submittal or to waive any technical defects or irregularities in any and all Proposals submitted. Discussion may be conducted with responsible offerors who submit Proposals determined to be reasonably susceptible to be selected for award for purpose of clarification to assure full understanding of, and responsiveness to the solicitation requirements. 3.0 Scope of Work The intent of this project is to engage a consultant to assist the City in preparing the foundation for developing an Integrated Resource Plan for its water system. A consultant is needed to perform the following tasks to assist the City in creating a detailed Scope of Work for its Integrated Resource Plan. City of Aspen Request for Proposals Task 1: Gap Analysis Consultant to review the City’s current reports, documents and studies related to its water supply. A gap analysis will be provided that identifies data needs. Deliverable: Report documenting foundational documents and identified gaps and associated recommended studies and data needs. Task 2: Utility Staff Interviews Consultant will meet in-person with Utility staff to gather ideas, concerns and guidance for the IRP process. Information gathered will be used to develop conceptual ideas and a matrix will be developed to evaluate these conceptual ideas. Deliverables: Meetings in Aspen with Utility staff, compilation of relevant information and matrix of conceptual ideas for long-term planning and resource management. It is expected that the consultant team will spend two (2) days in Aspen for these meetings. Task 3: City Involvement Consultant will work with staff to develop a strategy for engaging the Mayor, City Council, City Manager, and City Departments in the IRP effort. Deliverables: Meetings in Aspen with City leaders to discuss IRP process. Memo summarizing key points from meetings. It is expected that the consultant team will spend one (1) day in Aspen for these meetings. Task 4: Community Involvement Consultant will work with staff to develop a Community Involvement and Outreach SOW. This SOW needs to provide appropriate levels of engagement and identify professional services needed to successfully address community interests. It is expected that the consultant team will spend two (2) days in Aspen for these meetings. Deliverable: Detailed SOW for Community Involvement efforts to be included in the IRP SOW. Task 5: Develop Project Goals for IRP process Consultant will use input from staff and community to develop project goals for the IRP. Deliverable: Statement of project goals for staff review and approval. Task 6: Develop timeline for IRP process Consultant will develop a timeline for the IRP process. Deliverable: Timeline with IRP process, leading to a complete IRP ready for implementation. Task 7: Develop budget for IRP process Consultant will develop an estimated budget for the IRP process. Deliverable: Budget for IRP process, including estimated costs per key items and estimated overall fee. Task 8: Develop SOW for IRP Consultant will develop a detailed SOW for an IRP ready for implementation. This SOW will include: I. Project Goals II. IRP strategy and approach III. Data Needs IV. Community Outreach Goals V. Timeline Deliverable: Detailed SOW ready for implementation. City of Aspen Request for Proposals 4.0 Proposal Format All proposals will follow the format as outlined below. Failure to do so may result in disqualification. Section 1 Introduction Introduce firm and staff who would be assigned to this project. The consultant team needs to identify key staff, including the Project Manager, that will have direct interaction with City staff and attend meetings. It is vital to the success of the project that the team is committed to the project, and that the individual team members proposed will remain part of the project team through the duration of the project. Include contact person name, phone number and email address for purposes of this procurement process. Section 2 Qualifications and Experience List firm’s and individual team members’ previous experience with similar projects. Include the name, address and email for outside consultants who will be retained to work on this project with you. Section 3 Approach and Process Explain proposed approach and process to be used to attain the objectives of this request. Include a complete SOW and schedule that includes special considerations for the project and any alternatives that can be identified. Include any other work to complete the project objectives, not specifically listed in this RFP that you feel necessary. Section 4 Timeline Completion schedule including milestones and deliverable submission dates. Section 5 Corporate Commitment A signed commitment letter from the responsible parties committing the key staff to the work described in this proposal. If selected for this project, the consultant team is committing to providing the resources necessary to complete the work on-time, with the team proposed. In the event that a key staff member is no longer able to work on the project, provide a description of the process for replacing this key staff, including how the City will be notified and involved in the replacement decision. Section 6 References Include a minimum of five references that include project name, year work on completed, contact name, phone number and email address. Section 7 Fee Proposal Include costs detailing hourly rates, fee per task and contingency. 5.0 Legal 5.1 The City reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals or accept what is, in its judgment, the Proposal which is in the City's best interest. The City further reserves the right, in the best interests of the City, to accept a late submittal or to waive any technical defects or irregularities in any and all Proposals submitted. City of Aspen Request for Proposals 5.2 Pursuant to the Colorado Open Records Act, C.R.S. Section 24-72-200.1 (CORA), any and all of the documents that are submitted to the City of Aspen may be deemed public records subject to examination and inspection by third parties. The City of Aspen reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to release for inspection or copying any document, plan, specification, proposal or other writing submitted pursuant to this request. 5.3 In order to fully understand the legal parameters of the City’s procurement process and contractual requirements, Respondents must review Exhibit A Instructions for Offerors of Professional Services and Exhibit B Professional Services Agreement. 5.4 By participating in the City’s procurement process, you are agreeing to the terms and conditions of the procurement process and the legal parameters of doing business with the City without change. 6.0 Exhibits The following files are attached for your use and reference as needed to properly respond to the RFP request: • Exhibit A – Instructions to Offerors of Professional Services • Exhibit B – Professional Services Agreement