RFP - Thurston County Lake Management Districts Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Control

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1 RFP Combined Lakes Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Control Thurston County, Washington Public Health and Social Services Department Environmental Health Program 3000 Pacific Ave SE , Suite 225 Olympia, Washington 98501 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) THURSTON COUNTY LAKE MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Control 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 RFP Issuance Date: December 12 , 2023 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: 4:00 p.m. PST on February 15, 2024 Proposal Acceptance Location Proposals will be received by: Thurston County Public Health and Social Services Environmental Health Division 3000 Pacific Ave SE (Suite 225) Olympia, Washington 98501 Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday email : EH_LMD@co.thurston.wa.us or stuart.whitford @co.thurston.wa.us Phone: 360-867-2535 | 2 RFP Combined Lakes Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Control Thurston County Lake Management Districts Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Control TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE ...................................................................... 3 SECTION 2 - OVERVIEW OF SERVICES REQUESTED ...................................................... 3 SECTION 3 - ACQUISITION TIMELINE AND GENERAL REQUIREMENTS ...................... 4-6 SECTION 4 - PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS ............... 6-9 SECTION 5 - PROPOSAL EVALUATION .................................................................... 9-11 SECTION 6 - CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS ............................................... 11-12 List of Attachments Attachment 1 Rate Schedule Attachment 2 Statement of Work (SOW) dated 11/28/2023 Attachment 3 Sample Professional Services Contract Attachment 4 Relevant Experience/Past Performance Attachment 5 Key Personnel Resume Format Attachment 6 Certification | 3 RFP Combined Lakes Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Control SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE 1.1 INTRODUCTION Thurston County Department of Public Health and Social Services Department is seeking a qualified and commercially licensed aquatic pesticide applicator to treat submerged aquatic vegetation in some or all of the following County Lake Management Districts including Long, Lawrence, Pattison , and Offut lakes and follow all posting and notification requirements under the Ecology Aquatic Plant and Algae Management Permit. Anticipated aquatic herbicides to be utilized include fluridone, Galleon SC and endothall dipotassium salt. Additional herbicides may be requested, including any products approved by the Thurston County Board of He alth. For more information on approved herbicides in Thurston County please review ( http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/health/ehipm/aquaticreview.html ). 1.2 PURPOSE The goal of the project is to reduce noxious weeds and to control nuisance plants to tolerable levels on a routine and continuous basis for a term of f ive (5) years . It is anticipated the period of performance will begin March 2024 and end December 2028. 1.3 MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS Contractor shall have documented current licenses, endorsements, qualifications, insurance, and p roven experience in aquatic plant management which must include familiarity with the above referenced County -allowed aquatic herbicides. References will be required for consideration of Contract award. 1.4 PROCUREMENT NOTIFICATION This project is a formal competitive procurement and will be advertised in 'The Olympian' and is open to all qualified companies . All solicitation documents, including any addenda, are published on the Thurston County Public Health and Social Services website at https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/RFP -RFQ-RFS-Opportunities . SECTION 2 - OVERVIEW OF SERVICES REQUESTED 2.1 PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Contractor will provide all management, materials, equipment, labor, and other items necessary for herbicide application to submerged aquatic vegetation in Long, Lawrence, Pattison , and Offut lakes and complete required notifications, shoreline posting, and reporting documentation. 2.2 BACKGROUND INFORMATION Each of the lakes are eutrophic lake system s with frequent high biomass of nuisance weeds during the growing season. Nuisance plants which may require control include Curly Leaf Pondweed ( Potamogeton crispus ), Water Nymph ( Najas flexilis ), Sago Pondweed ( Stukenia pectinata), Tape Grass ( Vallisneria americana), Common Waterweed ( Elodea canadensis ), Big -Leaf Pondweed (Potamogeton amplifolius ), and other Pondweed species. 2.3 STATEMENT OF WORK See Attachment 2 Statement of Work. | 4 RFP Combined Lakes Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Control 2.4 CONTRACT PERIOD AND BUDGET The County anticipates the Contract will be for a maximum duration of approximately five (5) years . The contract value will be for a maximum of $1,500,000.00 for the five year period . The contract may be increased to meet the ongoing needs of the County for the services requested up through the contract period of performance. 2.5 COMPENSATION A. Payment to Contractor will be based on the negotiated rate schedule and actual quantit ies/labor hours incurred as verified by work order/herbicide application record. B. Rates may be adjusted no more than once annually and will be tied to the CPI for the Seattle- Tacoma -Bellevue area or as agreed to by the parties . Requests for Rate Adjustments must be submitted prior to December 31st of each year for the following year with sufficient justification submitted to substantiate any proposed increase . C. The negotiated rate schedule will be incorporated into the executed Professional 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 provided for information only, and are subject to change at the sole discretion of the County. Table 1: Solicitation and Anticipated Award Schedule Date Activity 12/12 /2023 RFP Issuance 01/02/2024 Written Pre-proposal Inquiries Due 01/16/2024 Responses to Pre-proposal Inquires Published on Website 02/15/2024 Proposal Due Date 02/22/2024 Proposal Evaluation and Contractor Selection 03/13/2024 Execute Contract 3.2 PRE -PROPOSAL CONFERENCE/SITE VISIT There will be no scheduled Pre -proposal Conference or tour of the site. 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. All pre-proposal inquiries (PPIs) regarding this RFP shall be directed in writing (hand delivered, mail or e-mail) to Thurston County Public Health and Social Services , to the attention of: Stuart Whitford Environmental Health Division Thurston County Public Health and Social Services | 5 RFP Combined Lakes Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Control 3000 Pacific Ave SE (Suite 225) Olympia, WA 98501 EH_LMD@co.thurston.wa.us All PPIs must clearly identify the name of the inquiring company or person and the RFP number, title, and section/page number. The deadline for receipt of PPIs from Proposer is 4 :00 p.m. (P ST) on February 15 , 2024 . 3.4 EXAMINATION BY PROPOSER Each Proposer is responsible for examining the RFP, including the sample Professional Services Contract, 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 under 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 researc h 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 which 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., 4:00 p.m. PST 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 th e time of closing (i.e., 4 :00 p.m. P ST on the Proposal Due Date) and for ninety (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 Departments to use any of the proposed services until a valid written contract is awarded and approved by the appropriate authorities. 3.10 EXPENSES INCURRED The County will not be responsib le for any costs associated with participation in this RFP to include, but | 6 RFP Combined Lakes Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Control not limited to, preparation, submission, or presentation; interviews, if held; negotiation process; and contract execution. All expenses related to the Proposal are entirely the sol e responsibility of the Proposer. 3.11 NONDISCRIMINATION Thurston County hereby notifies all Proposers that it will affirmatively ensure all will be afforded full opportunity to submit a Proposal 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 49.60.4 00. 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 SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS 4.1 PROPOSAL DUE DATE AND TIME A. Proposers shall submit their Proposal to Stuart Whitford using one of the following methods : (1) email at EH_LMD @co.thurston.wa.us, (2) postal service to the address in the cover sheet, or (3) hand delivery to the address in the cover sheet. (1) Proposals submitted via email shall clearly identify the RFP Project Title in the subject line. The email must be received in the EH_LMD electronic in -box by the due date and time specified in the RFP. Proposers are responsible for verifying receipt. The Proposal shall be in a single PDF document. (2) Proposals which are hand carried or mailed using postal service shall be submitted in a sealed envelope clearly marked with the RFP Project Title and the statement 'Sealed Proposal', 'DO NOT OPEN' . Proposers are responsible for timely delivery of their Proposal. B. Proposal is due no later than February 15, 2024 at 4:00 p.m. local time. Proposals received after the deadline will not be considered for award. 4.2 PROPOSAL FORMAT : 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 sh all be avoided. B. The use of at least thirty percent (30%) recycled content paper is encouraged. C. All pages of the Proposal 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 presentations beyond those sufficient to pre sent a complete and effective response to this solicitation are neither necessary nor desired. 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, | 7 RFP Combined Lakes Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Control security markings, and page numbers should fall within the defined margin area. F. Proposals shall be assembled in accordance with the format specified below. Failure on the part of the Proposer to clearly and completely provide all the content and information requested below may result in the County's rejection of the Proposal as nonresponsive. However, the County reserves the right to waive minor informalities and irregularities in the format of a Proposal 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 which exceed the maximum page count for a given section will be removed from that section and not considered. Proposal covers, table of contents , tabs, forms, and any attachments which 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 ARE AS FOLLOWS : Outside Covers The front cover shall be of plain white stock with text and graphics limited to the RFP name/title; Proposal date; Proposer's name and business address, email address, telephone number, web address, and contact person's name. The back cover shall be of wh ite cover stock and entirely blank. Cover Letter Include a cover letter , no longer than 2 pages, signed by an authorized official of the company including the following: A. Company name, Tax ID Number (TIN), address, telephone number and contact person with title and email address . If the name of the principal owner or the company has changed within the last three years, provide all prior names. B. Evidence of meeting minimum qualifications as stated under paragraph 1.3 above. C. Statement the contractor has made its own examination, investigation, and research regarding the proper method of doing the work under the 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. D. Statement as to whether or not the Proposer accepts, or has exceptions, revisions, or additions to the standard Professional Services Contract Terms and Conditions presented in Attachment 3 of this Solicitation. Include an explanation as to why such except ion, revision, or addition is requested. 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. TAB SECTION # 1 - Technical Submission: A. Summary of Company 's Qualifications and Experience : Include the following information in this section, which shall not exceed five (5) pages. Provide a narrative with general information about the Company including: | 8 RFP Combined Lakes Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Control * A description and history of the Company including general expertise and experience, size, facility, resources (staffing and equipment ), and service locations. * A list of relevant technologies and trained staff for enabling adequate and accurate applicatio n of herbicides to designated treatment areas and the electronic recording of same. * A list of current applicable state and federal permits, licenses, certifications, accreditations, and/or credentials for the C ompany and Company 's employees or other entiti es that demonstrate competency for the work which will be performed under the C ontract. * A list of infractions or violations cited by the Washington State Departments of Ecology or Agriculture , and any other regulatory agency over the past five years for the C ompany, principal, and applicators. The thoroughness of the list will be verified with the d epartment's records. Any error or omission may be used as a basis for disqualification. * A co py of the Company 's Certificate of Insurance. * Any additional information the Proposer feels is relevant to the general qualifications of the Proposal. B. Relevant Experience/Past Performance (References) : Include the following information in this section, which shall not exceed one (1) page per reference for a total of three (3) pages . Information to be submitted on Attachment 4 - RELEVANT EXPERIENCE/PAST PERFORMANCE FORM. (1) COMPANY 'S EXPERIENCE: Submit three (3) recent, relevant service projects by completing Attachment 4, Page 1 for each project. Recent is defined as projects which are on -going or have been completed within the last 5 years as of the date of issuance of this RFP and h ave been executed by the Proposer 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. Specifically , similar projects are characterized as nuisance and nox ious aquatic plant control projects for private and public clients and experience in the use of aquatic herbicides on the County - Approved List (http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/health/ehipm/aquaticreview.html). (2) COMPANY 'S PAST PERFORMANCE: Proposer will submit a completed Past Performance Survey (PPS) on each of the three (3) service projects submitted under paragraph (1) above. Proposer shall have the project owner/reference complete Attachment 4 , Page 2 of the form using the adjectival rating prescribed in Attachment 4 , Page 3. Proposers should ensure correct phone numbers and email addresses are provided for the client point of contact. If the Proposer is unable to obtain a completed PP S from a client prior to the Proposal due date, submit the PP S with the Proposal indicating attempts to obtain the information . Note: Thurston County reserves the right to contact other references. C. Key Personnel: Submit r esumes of all personnel to be assigned to the team in support of this Contract and individual projects . Resumes shall be limited to 2 pages per resume and include at a minimum : * Job titles * Years of Experience * Years with the Company * Education * Professional Certifications (attach certificates not included in page count ) including WSDA Pesticide License number | 9 RFP Combined Lakes Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Control * Role/Responsibility on this project * Experience on previous similar projects Resumes may be submitted on Attachment 5 - Key Personnel Resume Format or similar format. D. Proposed Work Plan: Include the following in this section which shall not exceed ten (10) pages: (1) Describe approach to the work for targeted species, including product, application, and method for calculating estimated application rates and herbicide quantities. (2) Describe detailed method for distributing and posting shoreline notifications and information to inform affected parties. (3) Identify risks and how they will be mitigated (e.g., product spills) . TAB SECTION # 2 - Pricing Submission: A. Submit unit prices on Attachment 1 - Rate Schedule ( Bid Sheet ). B. Provide a detailed break -out of the costs included in each cost element. C. Complete the Proposal Certification and a cknowledge all Amendments . 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 which do not clearly meet the minimum qualifications may be considered nonresponsive and may not be further evaluated. 5.2 EVAL UATION CRITERIA The County will evaluate and score the Proposals based on the following criteria: EVALUATION CRITERIA POINTS POSSIBLE Minimum qualifications identified in Sec 1.3 have been met Pass/Fail Company's Qualifications and Experience * Company has the expertise and experience which meet the needs of the County. * Company has the expected permits, licenses, certifications, accreditations, and credentials. * Company has the appropriate facilities, size, staff, equipment, and location to efficiently provide services in a timely manner 20 Company has no infractions/violations issued by Department of Ecology or Department of Agriculture. 10 | 10 RFP Combined Lakes Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Control Relevant Experience/Past Performance (References) The Proposer has recent relevant experience and a history of good past performance. 5 Key Personnel The qualificati ons of the Proposer, any subcontractors, resources including technical resources, and key personnel assigned to this project meets/exceeds the needs of the County. 15 Approach to Work The Proposer's approach to the work demonstrates an understanding of the scope of work, including compliance requirements, awareness of risks, and other related matters. 25 Cost The Proposer's cost for the work is reasonable, reflects an understanding of the scope and is an exceptional value for the appr oach to the work. 25 Total Points 100 5.3 INTERVIEWS Interviews may be held at the sole discretion of the County. Proposers selected for interviews will be selected at the sole discretion of the County. If interviews are conducted, 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 Lake Management District (LMD) Point of Contact (POC) with at least one Steering Committee (SC) member from each LMD will evaluate and rank the Proposals according to the evaluation criteria in Section 5.2. If interviews are held, then the County LMD POC and SC members will score the compani es interviewed and conduct a final evaluation and ranking of the Proposers based on the criteria listed in Section 5.2 and interviews. 5.5 SELECTION AND NEGOTIATION The County LMD POC and S C members will select the highest- ranked qualified Proposer based on the criteria and evaluation process outlined above. The County will initiate negotiations (as necessary) with the Proposer 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 discussions/negotiations with the highest ranked Proposer on any aspect of the contract and/or fee schedule for purposes of executing the C ontract. 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 Proposer 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 Proposer, and so on, until an agreement is reached with one of the Proposers or the process is terminated. | 11 RFP Combined Lakes Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Control 5.6 BOARD APPROVAL AND CONTRAC T EXECUTION The County will be required to make a recommendation to and obtain approval from the Board of County Commissioners prior to any C ontract 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 3 is a sample of the Professional Services C ontract which will be entered into between Thurston County and the successful Proposer with incomplete information to be added based upon the final negotiations between the County and the successful Proposer. Proposers who want additional or modified contract terms must include the requested change(s) in their initial Proposal in order for the change(s) to be subsequently considered. Note that any Contract negotiated between the Co unty and a successful Proposer is subject to review by a County attorney from the Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney's Office and approval by the Board of County Commissioners prior to being submitted to that Proposer for signature and final execution by the County. 6.1 INSURANCE Contractor will be required to maintain at their own expense during the term of service provision the following insurance (minimum requirements): TYPE LIMIT Workman's Compensation Statutory Professional Liability Insurance $2,000,000 each occurrence Commercial General Liability (combined bodily injury/property damage) $1,000,000 each occurrence $2,000,000 aggregate Automobile Liability (combined bodily injury/property damage) $500, 000 each accident Pollution /Environmental Liability $2,000,000 per claim and aggregate A Certificate of Insurance executed on the appropriate form must be submitted prior to execution of the C ontract. Certificate of I nsurance will name as additional insured Thurston County employees, officers, commissioners , volunteers and LMD Steering Commi ttee members. 6.2 COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS All work must be performed in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations. This includes, but is not limited to, all transportation, environmental, health, and safety regulations. 6.3 RECORDS Contractor must agree at such time and in such form as the County may require , to furnish the County reasonable periodic reports and documents as it may request pertaining to the work or services undertaken pursuant to the Contract Agreement, the c osts and obligations incurred or to be incurred in connection therewith, and any other matter covered by the Agreement. Contractor will maintain accounting records in accordance with accepted accounting principles and practices to substantiate all invoiced amounts. | 12 RFP Combined Lakes Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Control SECTION 7 - FORMS The following forms must be completed by the Proposer for inclusion in the Proposal. Attachment 1 Rate Schedule Form - The Rate Schedule for Combined Lake Management Districts Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Control must be completed in its entirety. Attachment 4 Relevant Experience/Past Performance Survey Form - Relevant Experience Form must be completed by the Proposer for each reference and the Past Performance Survey must be completed by each reference (project owner) identified by the Proposer or provide a statement of the attempts to obtain the survey. Attachment 5 Key Personnel Resume Form - The use of the Key Personnel Resume form is optional. An alternative form/format may be used provided it contains the same information. | 13 RFP Combined Lakes Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Control ATTACHMENT 1 - RATE SCHEDULE Thurston County Lake Management Districts Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Control Submerged Aquatic Herbicide Applications Cost Proposal Categories Fixed c osts for one project Cost per product for 10 S.A. Cost per product for 20 S.A. Cost per product for 30 S.A.

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