Issued: June 27, 2016

Request for Proposals 19-18

Consultant Engineering Services September 1, 2019 to August 31, 2023

Issued: May 30, 2019 Closing: July 4, 2019

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Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 2

1 Instructions to Bidders .......................................................................................................................... 3

1.1 Proposal Submission ..................................................................................................................... 3

1.2 Engineering Services Procurement Process .................................................................................. 3

1.3 Consultant Conduct Statement ..................................................................................................... 3

1.4 Notices .......................................................................................................................................... 3

1.5 Award of Contract ......................................................................................................................... 4

1.6 RFP Timeline .................................................................................................................................. 5

1.7 RFP Administration ....................................................................................................................... 5

1.8 Disqualification for Inappropriate Contact ................................................................................... 6

1.9 Addenda ........................................................................................................................................ 6

1.10 Confidentiality ............................................................................................................................... 6

1.11 Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy ...................................................................... 6

1.12 Level of Effort and Municipal Support .......................................................................................... 6

1.13 Conflict of Interest ........................................................................................................................ 6

2 Background ........................................................................................................................................... 7

2.1 Procurement Policy ....................................................................................................................... 7

2.2 Municipal Operations.................................................................................................................... 7

3 Scope of Work ....................................................................................................................................... 8

3.1 Advisory and Specialist Services ................................................................................................... 8

3.2 Design Services .............................................................................................................................. 8

3.3 Construction Implementation Services ......................................................................................... 8

3.4 Post Construction Services ............................................................................................................ 9

4 Proposal Submission Requirements ................................................................................................... 10

4.1 Proposal Submission ................................................................................................................... 10

4.2 Consultant Responsibilities ......................................................................................................... 10

4.3 Amendment or Withdrawal of Proposals ................................................................................... 10

4.4 Technical Proposal Content ........................................................................................................ 11

5 Proposal Evaluation ............................................................................................................................ 12

5.1 Evaluation Process ...................................................................................................................... 12

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5.2 Evaluation Criteria ....................................................................................................................... 12

Appendix A – Municipal Policy Documents

Appendix B – EPW Organizational Chart

Appendix C – General Terms and Conditions

Consultant Engineering Services September 1, 2019 to August 31, 2023 Issued: May 30, 2019

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Introduction The Municipality of the County of Kings (Municipality) is seeking proposals to pre-qualify engineering consulting firms (Consultants) for the provision of engineering services to the Municipality. Up to three pre-qualified Consultants and up to two Special Service Vendors, in accordance with Policy EPW-04-010 Engineering Services Procurement (Policy), will be pre-qualified based on the scope of services described in this Request for Proposals (RFP) for a four (4) year period. Except in certain situations as described in this RFP, only the pre-qualified Consultants will be asked to submit proposals for Municipal projects during the four (4) year period. The objective of this RFP is to retain engineering firms to provide professional services in support of the Municipality’s ongoing operational and capital improvement programs. The services to be provided are generally described in this RFP. The specific scope of services to be provided shall be determined on a “project to project” basis based on this RFP.

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1 Instructions to Bidders 1.1 Proposal Submission Proposals must be received before 2:00 pm local time Thursday July 4, 2019 in order to be considered. Proponents applying as a Special Service Vendor must indicate so in their proposal submission. Refer to Part 4 for a detailed breakdown of the proposal submission requirements. 1.2 Engineering Services Procurement Process Except in situations listed in Section 6.7 of the Policy, only the Pre-Qualified Consultants and Special Service Vendors will be asked to submit proposals for Municipal projects during the pre-qualification period. These subsequent proposals will be based on an abbreviated, project specific scope of work. Pre-Qualified Consultants and Special Service Vendors (as applicable) will then respond with a technical memo proposal (or in certain cases an email proposal). Proposals will generally be evaluated based on both technical and cost criteria. The terms and conditions herein shall apply to all RFPs issued during the pre-qualification period. Pre-Qualified Consultants and Special Service Vendors shall provide the Municipality annual proof of insurance, Worker’s Compensation Board Clearance, Certificate of Good Standing from Engineers Nova Scotia, and any other certification required under this RFP. 1.3 Consultant Conduct Statement The Municipality expects employees and contractors in its employ to conduct themselves appropriately, particularly with regards to Human Rights, Health and Safety, and Environmental Stewardship. A number of our policies and operating procedures incorporate these expectations. We draw Consultants’ attention to the following documents in Appendix A.

Action Plan for Ending Racism and Discrimination in the Municipality of the County of Kings (2012)

Policy EPW-04-010 Engineering Services Procurement

Policy FIN-05-006 Procurement

Municipality of the County of Kings 2019/20 Budget Please note that conduct detrimental to the Municipality by a Consultant or any of its employees, agents, contractors, or representatives may lead to disqualification or removal from pre-qualification process. 1.4 Notices

a. The Municipality reserves the right to modify the terms of this RFP at any time at its sole discretion.

b. The information contained in this RFP is supplied solely as a guideline for consultants. While every reasonable attempt has been made to ensure its accuracy, the Municipality does not guarantee or warrant its accuracy, nor is it necessarily comprehensive.

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c. By submitting a response to the RFP, the Consultant represents and warrants that such bid is genuine and not false or collusive or made in the interest or on behalf of any person not therein named, and that the Consultant has not, directly or indirectly, induced or solicited any other Consultant to put in a false bid, or any other person, firm or corporation to refrain from bidding, and that the Consultant has not in any manner sought by collusion to secure to the Consultant an advantage over any other consultant.

d. If at any time it shall be found that the person, firm or corporation to whom a contract has been awarded has in presenting any bid or bids, colluded with any other party or parties, then the contract so awarded shall be liable to the Municipality for all loss or damage which the Municipality may suffer thereby; and the Municipality may advertise for a new contract and for said labour, supplies, materials, equipment or service.

e. The submission of a proposal shall be considered an agreement to all the terms and conditions provided herein. Any proposal containing exceptions to the terms and conditions of the RFP or the resulting contract may be rejected by the Municipality for non-compliance. Any request for changes to the terms and conditions of the RFP or resulting contract must be made in writing prior to the date of closing. Only if the Municipality issues a formal addendum to the RFP will

any changes to the RFP or resulting contract be effective. f. The Consultant, by submitting a bid, shall represent and warrant that they have sufficiently

informed themselves in all matters affecting the performance of the work or the furnishing of the labour, supplies, materials, equipment, or service called for in the quotation documents; that they have checked their bid for errors and omissions; that the amounts stated in their bid are correct; that they are familiar with and will abide by all Federal and Provincial laws and regulations and all bylaws and policies of the Municipality that may affect the performance of the Service or persons engaged or employed in the performance of the Services

g. If a written contract including the terms and conditions set out in Appendix C cannot be negotiated within 15 business days of notification to the consultant initially selected, the Municipality may, at its discretion, terminate negotiations with that consultant and either negotiate a contract with the next highest qualified consultant or cancel the RFP process and not enter into a contract with anyone regarding the RFP.

h. In cases of dispute as to whether or not an item or service proposed meets the RFP requirements, the decision of the Municipality shall be final and binding.

i. Proposals must be received before 2:00 pm local time Thursday July 4, 2019 in order to be considered.

j. Prior to award of the contract the successful Consultant is required to be registered to conduct business in the Province of Nova Scotia. The Contractor shall remain so registered for the duration of the Contract.

1.5 Award of Contract a. The Municipality reserves the right to suspend or cancel any RFP at any time for any reason

without penalty. b. The Municipality reserves the right to reject any and all bids or accept any bid or part thereof

and may award all or a portion of the work to one or more Consultants. c. The Municipality reserves the right to accept other than the highest scoring proposal or any

proposal. The Municipality reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to award the

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contract in its entirety, or in part, whichever, in its opinion, best serves the interests of the Municipality.

d. The Municipality reserves the right to award a contract on the basis of the initial offers received, without discussions or requests for best or final offers.

e. The Municipality reserves the right to waive any informalities, formalities, technicalities or to reject any or all RFPs based on incomplete bids, the Consultant’s lack of proven experience, performance on similar projects or the suitability of proceeding with the execution of the work.

f. In the event that a number of suppliers submits bids in substantially the same amount or score, the Municipality may, at its discretion, call upon those Consultants to submit further bids.

g. The Municipality reserves the right to inspect any products supplied as a result of this quotation, either during or after manufacture and delivery, and shall be the sole judge as to whether product supplied meets specifications.

h. The Municipality reserves the right to reject the bid of any Consultant if after an investigation of the information submitted by the Consultant fails to satisfy the Municipality that the Consultant is properly qualified to carry out the obligations of the contract and to complete the work contemplated therein.

i. No term or condition shall be implied, based upon any industry or trade practice or custom, any practice or policy of the Municipality or otherwise, which are inconsistent with the provisions

contained herein. 1.6 RFP Timeline The Municipality expects the following timeline for the RFP process.

Milestone Anticipated Completion Date

RFP issued May 30, 2019

Closing date for proposal submissions July 4, 2019

Short list approved by CAO August 16, 2019

Final approval of pre-qualified firms by Council September 3, 2019

1.7 RFP Administration

a. All questions concerning this RFP shall be directed to:

Primary Contact Alternate Contact

Scott Quinn, P. Eng. Director of Engineering & Public Works, Lands & Parks Services Ph: 902 690-6194 Fax: 902-679-3472 E-mail: squinn@countyofkings.ca

Tim Bouter, P. Eng. Manager of Engineering Services Ph: 902 690-2219 Fax: 902-679-3472 E-mail: tbouter@countyofkings.ca

b. All requests for clarification must be received in writing at least four (4) working days prior to

the closing date to allow written clarification to be issued to all respondents. Verbal responses are only binding when confirmed by written addenda.

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Refer to Part 4 for a complete breakdown of the proposal submission requirements. 1.8 Disqualification for Inappropriate Contact Any attempt by the Consultant or any of its employees, agents, contractors, or representatives to contact members of Municipal Council, Municipal staff, or members of the Review Panel not identified in this RFP with respect to this RFP or the Services prior to Council approving the list of pre-qualified consultants may lead to disqualification. 1.9 Addenda

a. Written addenda will be posted on the Municipality’s procurement website — http://www.countyofkings.ca/business/tenders.aspx — no later than 48 hours before RPF Closing. The Municipality will not maintain a plan takers’ list; prospective bidders shall be responsible to review the website for any addenda that have been issued.

b. The submission of a proposal shall be deemed to indicate that the proponent has read, understood and considered all addenda issued prior to the closing date and time.

1.10 Confidentiality All documents provided during the RFP process may not be used for any purpose other than the submission of a proposal. Consultants shall not use information obtained through the RFP process without written permission from the Municipality. 1.11 Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy The Consultant agrees to public disclosure of the contents of its submission in response to the RFP subject to the provisions of the Municipal Government Act relating to Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy. Anything in the submission that the Consultant considers to be “personal information” or “confidential information” of a proprietary nature should be marked confidential and will be subject to appropriate consideration of the Municipal Government Act as noted above. The work described in this RFP is being conducted with public funds, and the fees and expenses proposed in the Consultant’s submission will be made public. 1.12 Level of Effort and Municipal Support

Consultants are advised that Municipal staff will try to be available for interviews throughout the proposal call as schedules permit. The proposal should be all-inclusive, and Consultants should not rely on Municipal staff for any purpose other than reporting and direction. 1.13 Conflict of Interest Consultants and its employees shall take all reasonable steps to ensure avoidance of all direct or indirect conflicts of interest between any of their individual interests and those of the Municipality. If the Contractor or any one of its personnel becomes aware of any reasonable possibility of any such conflicts, then the Contractor shall promptly disclose to the Municipality the facts and circumstances pertaining to same.

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2 Background 2.1 Procurement Policy Municipal Council adopted Policy FIN-05-006 Procurement in 2011 which establishes the guidelines for purchasing goods and services for the Municipality. Under this Policy, engineering services are to be obtained through a pre-qualified roster of consultants selected via a public RFP process. Policy EPW-04-010 Engineering Services Procurement was adopted by Municipal Council in 2013 and revised in 2016. Policy EPW-04-010 prescribes the RFP procedures to be following in selecting pre-qualified Consultants. A copy of both policies is included in Appendix A.

2.2 Municipal Operations The following synopsis is intended to give Consultants an overview of the scope and magnitude of operations and infrastructure owned and managed by the Municipality. The Municipality owns and operates the Greenwood Water Utility, which currently serves approximately 600 residential and commercial customers in the Village of Greenwood and parts of CFB Greenwood. Water is supplied from two production wells and is stored in elevated storage tanks. The GWU also services a regulated water supply system in Aylesford with 16 service connections. The Municipality also provides water utility management services to the Canning Water Utility which currently services approximately 450 customers in Canning and Kingsport. The Municipality owns and operates eight Sewage Treatment Facilities, including the Kings Regional Sewer System, which serves sixteen communities. The Kings Regional Sewage System provides sewage transmission and treatment services to private and public customers in the Wolfville/Coldbrook corridor including the Village of New Minas and the Town of Kentville. In all, Municipally owned treatment facilities consist of six aerated lagoon plants, one extended aeration (activated sludge) plant, and one sequential batch reactor (activated sludge) plant. The various collection systems are comprised of approximately 72 pumping stations, SCADA system, and approximately 210 km of buried pipe. The Municipality also operates a central laboratory which provides in-house compliance monitoring for municipal sewer operations. The Municipality owns and operates a septic waste treatment facility, which treats septic tank and holding tank effluent for all of Kings County. This facility consists of a primary settling pond, and a secondary aerated pond to treat decanted effluent prior to discharge to an adjacent municipal treatment plant. The Municipality also owns and maintains approximately 25km of subdivision roads in the Municipality (listed since 1995 as part of the Municipal Reform Act), 18km of sidewalks and a number of storm drainage systems in existing subdivisions in the Municipality. The Municipality maintains the former Meadowview Landfill, which ceased solid waste operations in 2003. Site maintenance and environmental monitoring are still ongoing per the facility’s Closure/Post-Closure Plans as approved by Nova Scotia Environment. Additional information is available on our website at www.countyofkings.ca.

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3 Scope of Work Pre-qualification of Consultants under this RFP shall be valid for four (4) years, from September 1, 2019 to August 31, 2023. The Municipality’s 2019/20 Capital Budget, which includes a 5 year expenditure plan, is included in Appendix A. The services to be provided during the pre-qualification period are summarized in the following subsections. 3.1 Advisory and Specialist Services

General consultation and advice;

Feasibility and technical reports including storm water management plans, pollution abatement studies, transportation studies, and other studies related to Municipal Operations;

Technical research and investigation;

Environmental investigations including, but not limited to: o Receiving Water Assessments (environmental risk assessments for water bodies

receiving municipal wastewater effluent as per Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment recommended practices);

o Archaeological Impact Assessments; o Environmental Audits; o Geo-technical studies and investigations; o Facility audits including air quality monitoring; o Preliminary inspection, testing, data analysis and interpretation, including groundwater

monitoring. 3.2 Design Services

o Pre-design & design briefs; o Development of design alternatives and subsequent evaluation and recommendations; o Liaison with regulatory agencies; o Preparation of detailed drawings; o Preparation of contract documents including tenders and pre purchasing/pre-qualification

documents; o Preparation of technical specifications; o Preparation of capital and operating cost estimates.

3.3 Construction Implementation Services Construction implementation services include contract administration and resident inspection, although services required will vary greatly depending on the nature of the project or facility. Construction Implementation services can include, but are not limited to, the following: o Tender call services including:

o preparation of tender/bid documents; o evaluation/compliance determination of bids and subsequent recommendation

regarding award (legal costs associated with the recommendation to be absorbed by the consultant):

o conducting tender calls and issuing addenda as required; o Assisting in obtaining regulatory approvals;

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o Site inspection and compliance monitoring, including final start-up and commissioning of facilities;

o Maintaining quality assurance programs, including monitoring and approving test procedures;

o On site liaison with project stake-holders, public, regulatory agencies, etc.; o Contract administration, including review of insurance, contract security, warrantees and

other requirements for compliance with contract documents; o Shop drawing review; o Services related to the work in progress, including but not limited to:

o recording contractors’ progress and maintaining project logs and other records; o monitoring construction methods and techniques; o recording details of construction and preparation of record drawings;

o Reviewing and approving certificates related to payment and completion; o Substantial and Total Completion inspections including preparation of deficiency lists and

approving corrections; o Monitoring of contract warranties; o Negotiations and recommendations relating to change orders.

3.4 Post Construction Services

o Scheduling and monitoring commissioning of facilities; o Preparation of O&M Manuals; o Operator training and consultation after completion; o Monitoring facilities and operations during warranty period.

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4 Proposal Submission Requirements

4.1 Proposal Submission a. Proposals must be received before 2:00 pm local time Thursday July 4, 2019 in order to be

considered. b. Proposals must be signed by an authorized signatory of the Consultant. c. Five (5) bound hard copies and one electronic copy (pdf format on usb drive) of the total

proposal submittal shall be submitted in a sealed opaque envelope marked “Proposal – Consultant Services, 2016-20 Engineering Services Pre-Qualification.” The total proposal submittal shall consist of the following items:

i. Technical proposal; and ii. A copy of their current Certificate of Good Standing from Engineers Nova Scotia and

other applicable licensing boards with their proposal. d. If delivered by mail address to: Municipality of the County of Kings, Attn: Scott Quinn, P. Eng.

Director of Engineering, Public Works, Lands & Parks Services, 181 Coldbrook Village Park Drive, Coldbrook, Nova Scotia, B4R 1B9. Please note the change in address from the Municipality’s former location.

e. If delivered by hand, deliver to the Financial Services reception area, Municipal Office at 181 Coldbrook Village Park Drive, Coldbrook, Nova Scotia for deposit in the Tender Box until the opening.

f. Proposals will be publicly opened, only for the purposes of identifying respondents to the RFP, in the Vineyards Room of the Municipality, immediately following the proposal closing.

g. Late proposals shall be returned unopened. h. All proposals shall be and remain irrevocable unless withdrawn prior to the designated closing

time. 4.2 Consultant Responsibilities

a) The proposal must be signed by the person(s) authorized to sign on behalf of the Consultant or company and binds the Consultant to the statements made in the proposal.

b) The Consultant is entitled to amend or withdraw its proposal at any time before the closing time. After the closing time, the Consultant will not change the wording or content of its proposal and no words will be added to or deleted from the proposal, including changing the intent or content of the presentation of the proposal, unless requested by the Municipality.

c) The Consultant shall not assign responsibility to meet any part of the obligations of the contract to a third party without the written consent of the Municipality

d) Consultants are solely responsible for their own expenses in preparing the proposal, presentation of the proposal, and any travel costs incurred in presentation and/or interviews and negotiating a contract.

e) It is the Consultant’s responsibility to ensure that their submission is complete and is delivered to the Municipality by the date and time indicated. Proposals submitted after the above noted time shall be returned unopened.

4.3 Amendment or Withdrawal of Proposals a. Proposals may only be amended or withdrawn by using the same method as proposal

submission prior to the time of RFP Closing. Amendments or withdrawals submitted by fax shall not be accepted.

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b. Head amendment or withdrawal as follows: “(Amendment)/ (Withdrawal) of Proposal for Consultant Services New Municipal Complex”. Sign as required for Proposal, and submit at address given for receipt of Proposals prior to time of RFP Closing. All submissions must be received prior to RFP Closing.

4.4 Technical Proposal Content Proposals should be detailed enough to demonstrate how the Consultant’s expertise, staff, and resources best meets the needs of the Municipality as described in this RFP. The proposal shall, at a minimum, include the following information:

Corporate background;

Corporate procedures;

Current total staffing and clients;

Corporate Organizational Chart;

Related municipal experience (including specific projects with consulting fee value, construction value if applicable and references);

Current Certificate of Good Standing from the Engineers Nova Scotia and other applicable licensing boards;

CV of all principal staff;

CV of staff and resources that are proposed to have direct responsibility to principal staff (maximum one page per person);

Individual fee scale in tabular form. All CV’s shall, at a minimum, contain the following information:

Name and credentials;

Training and Experience;

Position in Firm;

Proposed relationship with client;

Anticipated general field of activity with the Municipality;

Area of practice in the firm;

Back up personnel to support principal staff during absence or staff turnover. The proposal should generally demonstrate their ability to provide the services requested either as a Pre-Qualified Consultant or Special Services Vendor. However, Consultants are encouraged to prepare a proposal that will provide the best possible product given the range of services. Service(s) that do not directly meet the specific services requested, but which the Consultant feels will benefit the Municipality’s strategic or operational objectives should be submitted under “Additional Services”.

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5 Proposal Evaluation 5.1 Evaluation Process All submissions received prior to closing will be evaluated using the process outlined in Policy EPW 04-010 Engineering Services Procurement (see Appendix A). 5.2 Evaluation Criteria Proposals will be evaluated and ranked according to the following scoring system:

i. Corporate – 25 Points

managerial ability

corporate stability

professional integrity

quality control procedures

unique/innovative corporate features

ii. Technical Ability – 40 points

Experience with similar projects

Proven ability with similar projects

Description of similar projects and references

iii. Project Team – 30 Points

What experience does team have with similar projects?

Qualifications of key personnel, including back up personnel

Communications and reporting

iv. Quality of Proposal – 5 points

Level of effort

Presentation

Thoroughness

Appendix A Municipal Policy Documents

Action Plan for Ending Racism and Discrimination in the Municipality of the County of Kings Engineering Services Procurement Policy EPW-04-010 Procurement Policy FIN-05-006 Municipality of the County of Kings 2019/20 Budget

Appendix B EPW Organizational Chart

Appendix C General Terms and Conditions