REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (“RFP”)

 

The City of Kent, Washington (“City”) is seeking proposals for litter removal and disposal within Kent Right-of-Way (ROW) along various routes throughout the City. The Public Works department maintains local ROW routes, including but not limited to, those shown in the attached list and maps. The list consists of ROW routes that need to be cleaned on a regular basis, though it may change over time as directed by City staff. The routes highlighted on the maps are a representative sample of potential clean-up locations.

 

Responses to this RFP must not be more than eight pages in length (four double-sided or eight single-sided pages) excluding Exhibit A. All qualifications (business and personnel) count towards the eight-page limit.

 

Emailed proposals must be in PDF format. They must include “RFP – Kent ROW Litter Removal and Disposal” in the subject line.

 

If submitting a paper proposal, the original plus two copies of all proposals in printed form must be submitted in a sealed envelope or box with the following words clearly marked on the outside of the envelope “RFP – Kent ROW Litter Removal and Disposal”.

 

The name of the Proposer and its address must also be clearly indicated on the envelope.

 

Proposals shall be delivered and received, regardless of the delivery method (e.g., hard copy, email, U.S. mail, etc.) to the City Clerk’s Office, 220 Fourth Avenue South, Kent, WA 98032-5895 or CityClerk@kentwa.gov, no later than 3 p.m. (PST) on April 22, 2024.

 

1.0 DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSALS SOUGHT

Proposals are sought for removal and disposal services to clean and remove general garbage and other waste related to littering along various City ROW areas through December 2026.

Clean Up Approach: All identified ROW routes are to be cleaned in their entirety twice per month. The initial clean-up of all identified routes shall occur in the first two weeks of the month. The second clean-up shall occur in the second two weeks of the month. In no case shall the routes be cleaned up more than twice per month. All garbage collected on these clean-ups will be removed at the end of each clean-up day and disposed of at a King County transfer station. The contractor will continue this cycle through December 2026, unless otherwise notified by the City. At the beginning of the contract, the selected contractor shall meet with City staff to jointly review the identified routes, clean-up, and disposal standards.

Route conditions: Route conditions vary at each location. Some ROW areas may or may not have sidewalks. Each area may contain a variety of garbage and discarded littered items. These items may contain hazardous materials including bio-hazards, used needles, human waste, garbage, general debris, shopping carts, tires, wooden pallets, and a wide variety of other items.

Location Access: Access to each route varies. Some routes have formal parking lots, other routes may be less developed and more difficult to access.

Communication with City: When starting a route, the contractor shall inform the City which route(s) will be serviced that day. Once a route has been completed, the contractor shall notify the City of its completion and identify the next route to be serviced. Upon completion of a route, the contractor shall provide a photo of all bags, debris, and an approximation of the weight collected.

At the conclusion of the month, the contractor shall submit an invoice to the City and include all appropriate dumping receipts, from which the City will pay.

2.0 DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

It is preferred that Proposers have the following experience:

1. Three years of experience with trash removal and debris hauling.
2. Experience handling and removing of hazardous waste.
3. Experience removing trash from steep slopes and sensitive areas.
4. Experience working in settings with the public in close proximity.

3.0 GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF RFP PROCESS

 

3.1 Revisions to RFP. If it becomes necessary to revise any part of this RFP, addenda will be distributed to all known potential Proposers who have provided a valid email address. City staff are prohibited from speaking with potential Proposers about the project during the RFP review process. Please direct all questions in writing to the identified RFP Coordinator.
 

3.2 Costs to Propose. The Proposer is solely responsible for any and all costs incurred in responding to this RFP or during the RFP review process.

 

3.3 Most Favorable Terms. The City reserves the right to make an award without further discussion of the proposal submitted. Therefore, the proposal should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms that the Proposer can propose. There will be no best and final offer procedure. The City reserves the right to contact a Proposer for clarification of its proposal during the evaluation process. In addition, if the Proposer is selected as the apparent successful Proposer, the City reserves the right to enter into contract negotiations, which may include discussion regarding the terms of the proposal. Contract negotiations may result in incorporation of some, all, or none of the Proposer's proposal. The Proposer must accept this RFP for incorporation into any resulting contract.

 

3.4 Acceptance Period. Proposals must provide 60 days for acceptance by the City from the due date for receipt of proposals.

 

3.5 Rejection of Proposals and Waiver of Informalities. The City reserves the right at its sole discretion to reject any or all proposals that the City receives without penalty, and to waive irregularities and informalities with respect to any proposal.

 

3.6 Contract and General Terms and Conditions. The apparent successful Proposer will be expected to enter into a contract that is substantially the same as the sample contract and its specific and general terms and conditions attached as Exhibit B. In no event may a Proposer submit its own standard contract terms and conditions in response to this RFP. The Proposer may submit exceptions as allowed in the Certifications and Assurances section in Exhibit A. The City may accept or reject submitted exceptions at its sole discretion.

 

3.7 No Obligation to Contract. This RFP does not obligate the City to contract for services specified herein. Participation in this RFP and/or submission of a proposal does not confer any legal right or entitlement to Proposers, nor create any obligation thereto on the part of the City.

 

3.8 Insurance Coverage. The successful Proposer shall, at its own expense, obtain and maintain in full force and effect during the term of the contract in the types and amounts required by Exhibit C. At the time any contract is executed, the successful Proposer shall furnish evidence of such coverage, in the form of a Certificate of Insurance and an additional insured endorsement.

 

3.9 Equal Opportunity Employer. The City is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against individuals or firms because of their race, color, creed, marital status, religion, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, or the presence of any mental, physical or sensory handicap in an otherwise qualified handicapped person.
 

3.10 Compliance with Applicable Laws. In addition to these nondiscrimination compliance requirements, the contractor ultimately awarded a contract shall comply with federal, state and local laws, statutes, regulations and ordinances relative to the execution of the services. This requirement includes, but is not limited to, protection of public and employee safety and health; disabilities; environmental protection; waste reduction and recycling; the protection of natural resources; permits; fees; taxes; and similar subjects; personal protective equipment, and sanitation requirements.

 

3.11 Public Records. All submitted proposals and evaluation materials become public information and may be reviewed by anyone requesting to do so at the conclusion of the evaluation, negotiation, and award process. This process is concluded when a contract is executed between the City and the selected Proposer.

 

3.12 Temporary Waiver of Right to Submit Public Records Request. By electing to participate in this RFP process, the Proposer agrees not to make a public records request for any documents or information submitted by any other Proposer who responds to this RFP, and to the extent allowed by law, waives its right to make such a request until contract execution is complete.

 

3.13 Conditional Proposal Invalid. A response from a Proposer which indicates that any of the information requested by the City in this RFP will be provided only if the Proposer is selected as the apparently successful Proposer is not acceptable, and, at the City’s sole discretion, the City may disqualify the proposal.

4.0 PROPOSAL CONTENTS

 

Responsive proposals should include the following:

 

4.1 A brief narrative as to how the Proposer would approach completing the litter removal and clean-up work.

4.2 Within the narrative, please include at least three references including contact information (name, entity, address, phone number, and email address).

 

4.3 One cost to fully clean each identified route, consecutively, twice per month, not including disposal fees. The selected contractor shall provide dumping tickets on each invoice, from which, the City will pay.
 

4.4 A statement that explains Proposer’s previous experience with litter removal and disposal in ROW areas. Staff qualifications should be included. Staff includes all employees who may be working on site including laborers, workers, managers/supervisors, and owners.

4.4.1 This statement should include any relevant experience the Proposer has with protocols, training, and removal of hazardous waste within ROW areas.
 

4.5 A statement that Proposer can meet the insurance and business license requirements contained in Exhibit C to the RFP.

 

4.6 The signed Certifications and Assurances, attached as Exhibit A.

5.0 SELECTION OF SUCCESSFUL PROPOSER

The City intends to select one proposer and make a single award for this work.

Proposals will be evaluated and scored solely based on the following criteria:

Evaluation Criteria & Maximum Score	Evaluation Guide	Score
Business Qualifications (10 pts)	Years in waste removal business; licenses related to hazardous waste removal or site cleanup
Staff Qualifications (20 pts)	Qualifications/certifications of key personnel currently employed; Qualifications of staff to be involved in this project
Business Experience Doing Waste Removal Work (20 pts)	Waste removal contracts/projects done before or currently; Complexity of projects
Proposers Bid (50 pts)	Review of bid as submitted
TOTAL MAXIMUM POSSIBLE SCORE		/100

The RFP Coordinator may contact the Proposer for clarification of any portion of the Proposer’s proposal submission.

 

The City reserves its unqualified right to select the Proposer it determines best meets all the needs and goals of this RFP.

 

By submitting to this RFP process, the Proposer acknowledges and accepts that the City’s decision will be made on both objective and subjective criteria.

6.0 EXHIBITS

Exhibit A – Certifications and Assurances

Exhibit B – Draft Contract

Exhibit C – Insurance Requirement

Exhibit D – Prevailing Wages

Exhibit E – Litter/Debris Picking Routes