NOTICE TO CONSULTANTS

FOR CITY OF BELLINGHAM:  2025 FISH PASSAGE (EN064[JB1] )

RFQ# 59B-2024

The City of Bellingham (“City”) solicits interest from consulting firms with expertise in Civil and Structural Engineering design, fish biology and habitat requirements, cultural resources, and stream hydrology and hydraulics. This agreement will be for approximately one year in duration, beginning January 2025 and ending January 2026, with the option for the City of Bellingham to extend it for additional time and money if necessary.  Consultants will be considered for the following project.

The City of Bellingham reserves the right to amend terms of this “Request for Qualifications” (RFQ) to circulate various addenda, or to withdraw the RFQ at any time, regardless of how much time and effort consultants have spent on their responses.

Project Description

The work to be performed by the CONSULTANT consists of preparing conceptual plans and 30% engineering design plans for up to three (3) fish passage barrier improvements as identified by City of Bellingham, Nooksack Indian Tribe, Lummi Nation, and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) as part of their work on the voluntary 2022 Fish Barrier Culvert Remediation Project MOA (www.cob.org/culverts). The exact location of these projects is to be determined, but they will be on Squalicum, Whatcom and/or Padden Creeks in the City of Bellingham, Washington. Exact barriers will be determined by the City prior to contracting.

The City will also require survey for base maps, topography and existing utilities, geotechnical evaluation, hydrologic and hydraulic analysis, and fish passage evaluation. Other future services may include riparian landscape design, cultural resources survey, habitat analysis, environmental permitting, right-of-way support, final design, construction management, public outreach, etc.   The City will be the lead for the right-of-way acquisition, if needed, as well as the public outreach efforts for this project. [FAK2] [JB3] This project will continue to bid-ready plans, specifications, permitting, and estimate of costs for some or all the barriers as funding becomes available. The City of Bellingham reserves the right to retain the services of the successful firm(s) for any subsequent phases (Final Design, audit assistance, construction and post-construction support services) associated with these projects.

NOAA’s Restoring Fish Passage through Barrier Removal granted $300,000 to the Nooksack Indian Tribe and will contribute to the overall costs for this stage of the project. This project is likely to receive federal funding and subject to federal requirements[FAK4] [JB5] outlined in the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), and Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board (FBRB) design standards.

The major features of the project are as follows:

• Feasibility and Alternatives Analysis Report.
• Generate electronic base map and digital terrain model from field survey information using AutoCAD Civil 3D in accordance with City of Bellingham CAD Standards - https://www.cob.org/gov/rules/standards/Pages/CAD-Standards.aspx
• Surveying of project area as needed for design by a registered land surveyor licensed in the State of Washington. The survey must be completed using NAVD88 datum.
• Cultural resources survey.
• Prepare Conceptual Plan
• Design Reports
• Prepare 30% design plans, specifications, and cost estimates.
• Hydrologic and hydraulic analysis.
• Geotechnical analysis.
• FUTURE: Assist the City in applying for and obtaining federal, State, local, and environmental permits.
• FUTURE: Provide public outreach support.
• FUTURE: Cultural resources surveying.
• FUTURE: Prepare final design plans, specifications, and cost estimates.

Due to the complexity of this project, work may include all, some or none, of the items listed above. There is no guarantee as to the amount or extent of work under this contract. 

Consultants shall have expertise in the following:

• NOAA Fisheries Restoring Tribal Priority Fish Passage through Barrier Removal Grant
• US Department of Commerce Financial Assistance requirements
• Brian Abbott FBRB Manual 22 and grant requirements
• Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) standards
• WSDOT Local Agency Guidelines (LAG) Manual
• Washington’s Stream Habitat Restoration Guidelines (2012)
• WDFW Water Crossing Design Guidelines
• City of Bellingham Development Guidelines and Improvement Standards, and the Bellingham Municipal Code
• City of Bellingham and Department of Ecology standards for storm water management, per the most recently adopted version of the SWMMWW.
• Fish biology and habitat requirements
• Landscape design of riparian and aquatic resources
• Stream hydrology and hydraulics
• Design of structures within public Rights-of-Way
• Structural design for culverts and bridges
• Geotechnical analysis
• Cultural resource compliance
• Traffic control measures and methodologies that accommodate multi-modal uses
• Permitting of similar projects at the local, state, and federal levels
• Public outreach and engagement

Evaluation Criteria                                                                100 Points Total

Submittals will be evaluated and ranked based on the following criteria:

1. Qualification of Key Personnel                                          15 points
2. Qualifications/Expertise of Team                                      15 points
3. Ability to meet schedule                                                    10 points
4. Approach to project                                                          15 points
5. Familiarity with WSDOT/FHWA/FBRB standards              15 points
6. Past Performance/References                                          15 points
7. Approach to meet the DBE/SBE goal (Participation Plan) 15 points

Submittal

Submittals shall include a signed cover letter including the following information: Firm name, phone, fax numbers, email; Name of Principal-in-Charge and Project Manager; and Number of employees in each firm proposed to project. Additional project information is included in the supplemental information which can be found at https://cob.procureware.com/home.  Submittal Information Forms for each Prime and Subconsultant listed in submittal should be included on WSDOT Form 140-565 and Form 140-566, respectively.

Submittals shall be limited to a maximum of sixteen 8-1/2" by 11" pages (sixteen single-sided or eight pages double-sided), not including the title page (limited to one page), table of contents (limited to one page), resumes (limited to one page for each individual) and forms 140-565 and 140-566 (limited to one per company). Submittals over the maximum page size limit will not be considered.

The City invites all interested parties to respond to this RFQ by submitting their Request for Qualification (RFQ) documents on the City of Bellingham website at https://cob.procureware.com/. Questions can be addressed to the Purchasing Office at the above address or by email Bids@cob.org.

The Purchasing Office 210 Lottie Street Bellingham, WA 98225 must receive the electronic bids/quotes/proposals no later than 11:00 AM on September 24th, 2024. The sealed electronic bids/quotes/proposals will be opened and read after the 11:00 AM deadline. The City reserves the right to postpone making the award for a reasonable length of time, to reject all bids/quotes/proposals or parts of bids/quotes/proposals as may be in the best interest of the City.

Estimated Procurement Schedule