RFP - STEP Tank Pumping

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1 Thurston County, Washington 3000 Pacific Ave SE Olympia, Washington 98501 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) 034-2023- WR-R003 STEP TANK PUMPING Pre-Proposal Conference /Site Visit There will be no scheduled Pre -Proposal Conference or site visits. Thurston County reserves the right to reject any and all Proposals, cancel this solicitation, and to waive any informalities or irregularities in procedure. Solicitation Documents All solicitation documents, including any addenda, are published on the Thurston County website at: https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/RFP -RFQ- RFS-Opportunities Proposal Due Date Proposals are due by 3:00 p.m. PT on September 7, 2023 Proposal Acceptance Location Sealed Proposal will only be received by: Thurston County Public Works 9605 Tilley Road S, Suite C Olympia, Washington 98512 Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday Phone: 360- 867-2300 | 2 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL 034-2023- WR-R003 STEP TANK PUMPING Table of Contents SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE ............................................................................................................................. 4 SECTION 2 - OVERVIEW OF SERVICES REQUESTED ............................................................................................................ 4 SECTION 3 - ACQUISITION TIMELINE AND GENERAL REQUIREMENTS ................................................................................ 5 SECTION 4 - PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS ........................................................................ 7 SECTION 5 - EVALUATION AND SELECTION ..................................................................................................................... 10 SECTION 6 - CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS ........................................................................................................... 12 SECTION 7 - FORMS ........................................................................................................................................................ 13 ATTACHMENTS 1. STATEMENT OF WORK 2. PROPOSAL FORM 3. RATE SCHEDULE 4. SERVICES CONTRACT (SAMPLE) 5. PAST PERFORMANCE QUESTIONNAIRE 6. SAMPLE INSPECTION FORM | Thurston County Water Resources Division STEP Tank Pumping 3 RFP NO. 034- 2023 -WR-R003 STEP TANK PUMPING ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS BoCC Board of County Commissioners County Thurston County, Washington, Department of Public Works CPI Consumer Price Index PPS Past Performance Survey PT Pacific Time RCW Revised Code of Washington RFP Request for Proposal STEP Septic Tank Effluent Pump WAC Washington Administrative Code WWTP Wastewater Treatment Plant | Thurston County Water Resources Division STEP Tank Pumping 4 RFP NO. 034- 2023- WR-R003 STEP TANK PUMPING SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE 1.1 INTRODUCTION Thurston County Public Works Department , Water Resources Division is soliciting Proposals from qualified companies to provide Septic Tank Effluent Pump ( STEP ) tank pumping, transportation, and final dispos al of septic tank septage in Washington State. 1.2 PURPOSE It is the purpose of this solicitation to secure services from a single qualified contractor to provide STEP tank pumping, transportation, and disposal of septage on a routine and continuous basis for a term of up to f ive (5) years. In addition, the contractor must be able to provide any repair necessary to pump the tank (s). 1.3 MINIMUM QUALIFICATI ONS: Following are the minimum qualifications and licensing requirements that proposing companies mu st meet in order to submit a response to this RFP. Proposals must clearly show compliance to these minimum qualifications. Proposals that are not clearly responsive to these minimum qualifications shall be rejected by the County without further consideration. A. Must be legally qualified, licensed, insured, staffed, and equipped to perform the relevant work . B. Must be able to meet the Insurance Liability Limits specified in this solicitation and sample Services Contract. C. Must have a minimum of five (5 ) years of experience in providing septic tank pumping, hauling and disposal services . D. Must not have current or past (within the last 5 ye ars) significant citation, violation, administrative order, judgment, or other enforcement action regarding improper operational, safety or environmental activity. E. Must not have had any contracts terminated for cause or terminated for default by a gov ernment agency in the five ( 5) years prior to the proposal submittal date. F. Must not have had any lawsuits with judgments against the proposer in the five (5) years prior to the proposal submittal date. 1.4 PROCUREMENT NOTIFICATION: This solicitation is a formal competitive procurement and will be advertised in 'The Olympian' and is open to all qualified co mpanies . All solicitation documents, including addenda, are published on the Thurston County website at the below link: https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/tchome/Pages/rfprfq.aspx . SECTION 2 - OVERVIEW OF SERVICES REQUESTED 2.1 DESCRIPTION The Contractor will be required to provide routine STEP tank pumping, hauling, and disposal services . The Contractor will also be required to respond to unscheduled calls for pumping services. In addition, the Contractor may be required to repair a tank i f necessary to complete the pumping process. 2.2 B ACKGROUND INFORMATION A. Thurston County owns and operates approximately 250 STEP tanks in the Boston Harbor and Olympic View communities. T hurston County pumps these tanks on a rotating schedule consisting of approximately 60 tanks annually | Thurston County Water Resources Division STEP Tank Pumping 5 (approximately 70,000 gallons pumped annually). In addition, periodic unscheduled pumping may be required. B. Thurston County owns and operates sewer collection and treatment systems in the Grand Mound and Tamoshan communities. These systems contain gravity sewer, pressure sewer, and vacuum sewer components. Thurston County also requires occasional pumping services to maintain these assets. 2.3 STATEMENT OF WORK See Attachment 1 Statement of Work which provides the scope of services to be provided. 2.4 CONTRACT PERIOD AND BUDGET The County anticipates the C ontract will be for a maximum duration of five (5) years with an initial one-year term and four one -year renewal options. Option renewals will be exercised at the sole discretion of the County. The Contract value will be for a maximum of $350,000.00. Th e contract may be increased to meet the ongoing needs of the County for the services requested up through the C ontract period of performance. The County does not guarantee a minimum purchase amount. 2.5 COMPENSATION A. Mandatory Scope: P ayment to Contractor will be based on the negotiated rate schedule and actual quantity (gallons) pumped or hours for other services . B. Rates shall include all direct and indirect costs and profit. C. Rates may be adjusted no more than once annually at time of the option renewal. Compensation will be adjusted by no more than 80% of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) - W Seattle -Tacoma -Bellevue (August to August) or as agreed to by the parties. D. The completed R ate Schedule in Attachment 3 will be incorporated into the executed Services Contract. SECTION 3 - ACQUISITION TIMELINE AND GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 3.1 PROCUREMENT SCHEDULE Following is the procurement schedule for this RFP. The dates shown below are estimated, are provi ded for information only, and are subject to change at the sole discretion of the County. Table 1: Solicitation and Anticipated Award Schedule ACTIVITY EST. DATE RFP Issuance 8/17/2023 Pre-Proposal Inquiries Due 9/01/2023 Proposal Due 9/07/2023 Proposal Evaluations /Negotiations 9/14/2023 Executed Contract 10/10/2023 3.2 PRE -PROPOSAL CONFERENCE/SITE VISIT There will be no scheduled Pre -Proposal Conference or tour of the sites. Proposers may request a site visit by contacting Kevin Patching at kevin.patching@co.thurston.wa.us. 3.3 PRE -PROPOSAL INQUIRIES AND ADDENDUM It is the responsibility of each Proposer to examine the entire RFP and, as necessary, seek clarification ( pre-proposal inquiries or PPIs ). This RFP may only be modified by a written addendum issued by the County. Proposer shall not rely on verbal responses to inquiries. A verbal reply to an inquiry does not constitute a modification of the RFP. | Thurston County Water Resources Division STEP Tank Pumping 6 All pre-proposal inquiries (PPIs) regarding this RFP shall be directed in writing (mail or e-mail) to Thurston County Public Works, to the attention of: Dawn Ashton, Procurement /Contract Specialist Thurston County Public Works 9605 Tilley Road S., Suite C Olympia , WA 9851 2 Dawn.Ashton@co.thurston.wa.us All PPIs must clearly identify the name of the inquiring contractor or person and the RFP number, title, and section/page number. The deadline for receipt of PPIs from Proposer is 3:00 p.m. (PT) on September 1 , 2023 . No communication regarding this RFP should be directed to any other County official or employee. All PPIs will be responded to in the form of a written addenda. 3.4 EXAMINATION BY PROPOSER Each Proposer is responsible for examining the RFP, including the sample Services Contract (Attachment 4) , prior to submitting a Proposal. Failure to examine such documents and any errors made in the preparation of a Proposal are at the Proposer's own risk. The dates contained in this RFP are for informational purposes only. The County makes no warranty as to the accuracy of the dates. Each Proposer shall make its own examination, investigation and research regarding the proper method of doing the work unde r this RFP and Contract, all conditions affecting the work to be done, the necessary labor, equipment and materials, and the quantity of work to be performed. The Proposer agrees that it has satisfied itself by Proposer's own investigation and research regarding all such conditions, and that Proposer's conclusion to enter into the Contract and execution of the Contract is based upon such investigation and research, and the Proposer shall make no claim against the County because of any of the estimates, statements, or interpretations made by any officer or agent of the County that may prove to be erroneous in any respect. 3.5 MODIFICATION/WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSALS Written requests to modify or withdraw a Proposal received by the County prior to the scheduled time of closing (i.e., 3:00 p.m. PT on the Proposal Due Date) will be accepted and will be corrected after opening. No oral requests will be allowed. Requests to modify or withdraw a Proposal must be addressed and labeled in the same manner as the Proposal and marked as a MODIFICATION or WITHDRAWAL of the Proposal. Requests for withdrawal after the time of closing will be allowed at the County's sole discretion. 3.6 PROPOSAL FIRM OFFER Proposal shall remain firm and unaltered after the time of closing (i.e., 3:00 p.m. PT on the Proposal Due Date) and for nine ty (90) calendar days from such date. The County and the Proposer may mutually agree to extend the period during which the Proposal shall remain firm and unaltered. 3.7 PROPOSALS ARE PUBLIC RECORD If your Proposal contains information considered to be exempt from the Public Records Act, Section 42.56 Revised Code of Washington (RCW), those items must be clearly marked as such and may be returned to you upon request once Contract award has been determined. 3.8 CANCELLATION This RFP may be cancelled at any time and all Proposals may be rejected in whole or in part if the County determined such action to be in the best interest of Thurston County. 3.9 NO OBLIGATION This solicitation in no manner obligates Thurston County or any of its d epartments to use any of the proposed services until a valid written contract is awarded and approved by the appropriate authorities. | Thurston County Water Resources Division STEP Tank Pumping 7 3.10 EXPENSES INCURRED The County will not be responsible for any costs associated with participation in this RFP to include, but not limited to, pr eparation, submission, or presentation; interviews, if held; negotiation process; and contract execution. All expenses related to the P roposal are entirely the sole responsibility of the P roposer. 3.11 NONDISCRIMINATION Thurston County hereby notifies a ll Proposers that it will affirmatively ensure that all will be afforded full opportunity to submit a P roposal in response to this solicitation and will not be discriminated against because of race, color, creed, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, veteran or military status, sexual orientation or the presence of any disability. Implementation of this policy shall be consistent with RCW 49.60.400. 3.12 PRIME CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES The prime Contractor is solely responsible for fulfillment of any Contract with the County awarded under this RFP and for all performance whether or not subcontractors are used. The County will make Contract payments to the prime Contractor only. SECTION 4 - PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND S UBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS 4.1 PROPOSAL DUE DATE AND TIME A. Proposals prepared in accordance with the RFP will be received by the County at the address below, until 3:00 p.m., PT on the Proposal Due Date. Sealed Proposals must be delivered via certified mail, express delivery, or courier to the address below. Submissions sent by fax or electronically (e.g., email) will not be accepted. Late Proposals will not be considered for selection and will be returned to the Proposer unopened. The County is not responsible for late or misdirected delivery of Proposals. B. A Proposer must submit in a sealed package one (1) original, one (1) duplicate copy set, and one (1) electronic copy of the Proposal and A ttachments . The original shall be marked ORIGINAL, and all other hard copies marked COPY. Proposer shall submit with its Proposal, an exact duplicate of the original Proposal on USB Flash Drive in Adobe AcrobatTM format Version 7.0 or higher. If multiple flash drives are used, Proposer shall label the content on each disk/drive. Each package shall be clearly marked on the outside with the following label: REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO. 034-2023-WR-R003 STEP TANK PUMPING RFP Opening Date & Time Proposer's name and address shall be on the outside of the envelope or container. Deliver responses to: Thurston County Public Works 9605 Tilley Road S., Suite C Olympia, Washington 98512 ATTN: Dawn Ashton, Procurement/Contract Specialist 4.2 PROPOSAL FORMAT - GENERAL A. The use of covers or binders shall be limited, and if used, shall be recyclable, made from recycled materials, and/or easily removable to allow for copying or recycling of pages. Plastic covers or dividers shall be avoided. B. The use of at least thirty percent (30%) recycled content paper is encouraged . C. All pages of the P roposal shall be numbered sequentially, and any side of paper with printed text or content shall be considered a page. Pages shall be double -sided whenever practicable. D. Unnecessary attachments or documents not specifically asked for in this solicitation should be avoided. Elaborate or expensive artwork, paper, bindings, and visual and other present ations beyond those sufficient to present a complete and effective response to this solicitation are neither necessary nor desired. | Thurston County Water Resources Division STEP Tank Pumping 8 E. Format: Page Size will be 8 -1/2" X 11" with at least 1/2 margins all around. Typeface should be Times New Roman 12. Narratives shall be single spaced. All text shall be legible and easily read. Propriety statements, security markings, and page numbers should fall within the defined margin area. F. Proposals shall be assembled in accordance with the format specified b elow. Failure on the part of the P roposer to clearly and completely provide all the content and information requested below may result in the County's rejection of the P roposal as nonresponsive. However, the County reserves the right to waive minor informalities and irregularities in the format of a P roposal at its sole discretion. G. Proposers shall adhere to the maximum page counts for the contents indicated below. Note that one (1) side of a piece of paper with printing of any kind shall be counted as one (1) page; one (1) piece of paper with printing on both sides shall be counted as two (2) pages . Any and all pages that exceed the maximum page count for a g iven section will be removed from that section and not considered. Proposal covers, table of contents, tabs, forms, and any attachments that are required contents are not limited as to the number of pages but must not be excessive and must be directly related to the specific content requested. 4.3 PROPOSAL CONTENTS THE REQUIRED PROPOSAL CONTENTS AND ORDER OF THE CONTENTS FOR THE PROPOSAL SHALL BE AS FOLLOWS. Outside Covers The front cover shall be of plain white stock with text and graphics limited to: the RFP number; RFP name/title; Proposal date; P roposer's name and business address, email address, telephone number, web address, and contact person's name. The back cover s hall be of white cover stock and entirely blank. Proposal Form Include one (1) fully executed copy of the Proposal Form that is provided in Attachment 2 - FORMS of this solicitation . The executed original of the Proposal Form shall have an original longhand signature in blue ink and shall be included in the hard- copy Proposal that is marked "Original." The additional required P roposal copies may include photocopies of the original executed Proposal Form. Failure to include a fully completed Proposal Form using the form provided in this solicitation shall be cause for rejection of the entire P roposal. The Proposal Form must be signed by a person authorized to legally bind the Proposer. TABBED SECTION #1: Minimum Qualifications Summary Provide a single page that clearly lists each of the Minimum Qualifications in Section 1.3 of this solicitation and provide a detailed statement as to how the P roposer meets each requirement. The County's determination as to whether a P roposer meets the Minimum Qualifications shall be made from this P roposal page . TABBED SECTION #2: Contract Terms and Conditions Include a single page with a statement as to whet her or not the P roposer accepts, or has exceptions, revisions, or additions to, the standard Service Contract Terms and Conditions presented in Attachment 4 of this solicitation. The Proposer shall include an explanation as to why such exception, revision, or addition is requested. Failure by the Proposer to identify an exception, revision, or addition waives any later objections by the P roposer to the standard contract terms and conditions provided herein. It will be up to the discretion of the County whether or not to accept changes to the standard contract terms and conditions requested if no objections are included. TABBED SECTION #3: C ontractor Qualifications and Experience Include the following information in this section: A. General Information - Provide a narrative with general information about the contractor , including: * A description and history of the contractor including general expertise and experience, size, facility , service locations and resources (staff and equipment) . (Not to exceed 5 pages) | Thurston County Water Resources Division STEP Tank Pumping 9 * A list of current applicable state and federal permits, licenses, certifications, accreditations, and/or credential s for the contractor and contractor's employees or other entities ( e.g., subcontractors) that demonstrate competency for the work that will be performed under the C ontract . (No page limit) * Describe experience working with local government and knowledge of Washington State laws and statutes. (Not to exceed 2 pages). * Any additional information the P roposer feels is relevant to the general qualifications of the Proposal. (Not to exceed 2 pages) TABBED SECTION #4: R elevant Experience /Past Performance Include the following information in this section, which shall not exceed t wo (2) page s per reference for a total of six (6) pages . Information to be submitted on Attachment 5 - RELEVANT EXPERIENCE/PAST PERFORMANCE FORM. A. CONTRACTOR'S EXPERIENCE: Submit three (3) recent, relevant service projects by completing Attachment 5 , Page 1. Recent is defined as projects that are on -going or have been completed within the last three (3) years of the date of issuance of this RFP that have been executed by the Pr oposer and its team members as a prime contractor. Relevant is defined as projects of similar size, scope, and complexity to the services in this solicitation . B. CONTRACTOR 'S PA ST PERFORMANCE: Proposer will submit a completed Past Performance Survey (PPS) on each of the three (3) service projects submitted under paragraph A above. Proposer shall have the project owner/reference complete Attachment 5, Page 2 of the form using the adjectival rating prescribed in Attachment 5 , Page 3. Proposers should ensure correct phone numbers and email addresses are provided for the client point of contact. If the P roposer is unable to obtain a completed PP S from a client prior to the Proposal due date, submit the PPS with the Proposal indicating attempts to obtain the information. Note: Thurston County reserves the right to contact other references. TABBED SECTION # 5: Technical Approach Include the following information in this section, which shall not exceed t hree (3) pages for items A & B. No page limit on Items C and D . A. Describe how the prog ram will be organized and managed. B. Provide a Work Plan (1) Describe the staffing and provide specifics on the transport vehicle(s) to be used for collection and transport of material. (2) Describe plan of operation for site access, pumping, hauling, and disposal of septage, sewage or other material from STEP tanks or other structures. (3) Identify challenges and risks and how they will be mitigated. C. Provide a sample of the invoicing and documentation procedures your company would use if awarded a contract . D. Provide a copy of your company' s Driver Training Program, and your company 's transportation and driver safety record. TABBED SECTION #6: S ustainability | Thurston County Water Resources Division STEP Tank Pumping 10 A. Provide an estimate of the combined mileage from (a) the Contractor's base of operations to the Boston Harbor community to the disposal facility and (b) from the Contractor's base of operations to the Olympic View communit y to the disposal facility. B. Provide documentation of any national or local sus tainability initiatives in which the Contractor has participated. TABBED SECTION # 7: Rates A. Complete the Rate Schedule in Attachment 3 - STEP Tank Pumping Rate Schedule . (1) Propose for each community site a per gallon rate to include pumping , hauling, unloading , fees, taxes, and all associated work as well as C ontractor reporting and administrative costs. (2) Propose a standby fee/charge . (3) Propose a minimum gallon charge. B. Propose fully burdened labor rates for repairs that may be necessary to complete pumping services. Rates shall include direct salary, overhead and profit. Note: prevailing wages are applicable for repair work. SECTION 5 - EVALUATION AND SELECTION This section describes the method the County will use to evaluate Proposals received in response to this solicitation. 5.1 INITIAL SCREENING OF PROPOSALS All Proposals will be initially screened for responsiveness and the minimum qualifications outlined in this solicitation. Those Proposals that do not clearly meet the minimum qualifications may be considered nonresponsive and may not be further evaluated. 5.2 EVALUATION CRITERIA The County will evaluate and score the Proposals based on the following criteria: EVALUATION CRITERIA POINTS Minimum Qualifications identified in para 1.3 have been met Go/No Go Contractor Qualifications and Experience Contractor has the expertise and experience that meet the needs of the County. Contractor has the appropriate facilities, size, resources ( equipment and staff) , and location for efficiently providing services. Contractor has the appropriate licenses, credential s, etc . that demonstrate competency in completion of the work . Contractor has experience working with local government and knowledge/understanding of Washington State laws and statutes. 20 | Thurston County Water Resources Division STEP Tank Pumping 11 Relevant Experience and Past Performance Contractor has demonstrated recent relevant experience for similar services with other clients. Contractor received positive evaluations on performance in terms of Quality , Timeliness, Cost /Budget, Management/Business Relations, Regulatory and Overall Customer Satisfaction from R eferences. 15 Technical Approach The management approach is practical and efficient . The work plan demonstrates a basic understanding of the services being requested and the C ontractor's capacity to accomplish the work . Resources are adequate and transport vehicles for collection and hauling are appropriate. Challenges and risks were realistic with a reasonable mitigation plan. Invoice procedures demonstrate accuracy in billing. Driver Training Program is effective, and the Contractor has a good safety record. 10 Sustainability This criterion will be evaluated based on the details on the technical approach provided by the Contractor. Preference will be shown for proposals that minimize vehicle miles driven for hauling of septage. Proposing Contractor has participated in national and local sustainability initiatives and practices. 5 Rates/Offerings Proposed rates are realistic and reasonable . Preference will be shown for Proposals that include other appropriate cost -effective means and methods . 50 TOTAL 100 Interview 5.3 INTERVIEWS Interviews will be held at the sole option of the County . Proposers selected for interviews will be selected at the sole discretion of the County. If interviews are conducted, the selected Proposer should plan to have the identified key personnel assigned to the project team make the presentation. Selected Proposers may be asked to provide supplemental or additional information for review by the evaluation committee prior to the interviews. The interviews may be conducted electronically. 5.4 EVALUATION PROCESS The County will evaluate and rank the Proposals according to the evaluation criteria in Section 5.2. If interviews are held, then the County will score the firms interviewed and conduct a final evaluation and ranking of the P roposers based on the criteria listed in Section 5.2 and interviews . 5.5 SELECTION AND NEGOTIATION The County will select the highest -ranked qualified Proposer based on the criteria and evaluation process outlined | Thurston County Water Resources Division STEP Tank Pumping 12 above. The County will initiate negotiations (as necessary) with the P roposer who, in the sole opinion of the County, best meets the County's needs as outlined in this solicitation. The County intends to award without discussions/negotiations based on the pricing submitted with the Proposal but reserves the right to hold di scussions/negotiations with the highest ranked P roposer on any aspect of the contract and/or fee schedule for purposes of executing the contract. Although the County may open discussions with the highest -ranked Proposer, consideration or negotiations resulting in a contract are not guaranteed. If the County is unsuccessful in negotiating with the selected P roposer or if negotiations do not proceed i n a timely fashion, the County reserves the option to terminate negotiations and proceed with the next -highest ranked P roposer, and so on, until an agreement is reached with one of the P roposers or the process is terminated. 5.6 BOARD APPROVAL AND CONTR ACT EXECUTION The County will be required to make a recommendation to , and obtain approval from , the Board of County Commissioners prior to any contract award. Once the County has finalized and issued a contract for signature, the successful contractor must sign the contract and provide any outstanding documents, including, but not limited to, certificates of insurance and W -9 (or equivalent). The County will sign the contract only upon receipt of all required documents. SECTION 6 - CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS Attachment 4 is a sample of the Service C ontract that will be entered into between Thurston County and the successful Proposer with incomplete information to be added based upon the final negotiations between the C ounty and the successful P roposer. Proposers who want additional or modified contract terms must include the requested change(s) in their initial P roposal in order for the change(s) to be subsequently considered. Note that any contract negoti

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