R-1325 Engineering Services for Site Planning and Final Design Documents

of Everist Reservoir

City of Aurora

Internal Services Department
Purchasing Services, Suite 4400
15151 E. Alameda Parkway
Aurora, Colorado80012
Phone: 303-739-7100
Fax: 303-739-7509
/
Request for Proposal: R-1325

Class/Item: 906-94, 906-38

Date: October 2, 2007

Proposal Deadline: 3:00 p.m., October 17, 2007, in the Office of Purchasing Services

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The City of Aurora Utilities Department is requesting written proposals from qualified firms to provide engineering services for preliminary design, site and infrastructure planning and final design documents for the City’s Everist (FortLupton) storage facility, a 6,500 acre-foot (approximate) reservoir complex. Additional project details are provided in Section I, Scope of Services.

Interested firms are required to submitsix (6) copies of their technical proposal, and one (1) copy of their detailed cost estimate for the work. The cost estimate is to be submitted in a separate sealed envelope. This required information will be accepted at the Office of Purchasing Services, 15151 East Alameda Parkway, Suite 4400, Aurora, Colorado80012,until 3:00 p.m., October 17, 2007. No late proposals will be considered. Additional proposal requirements are provided in Section II, Proposal Submittal Requirements.

Proposals shall consist of:

ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR SITE PLANNING AND FINAL DESIGN DOCUMENTS FOR THE EVERIST RESERVOIR PROJECT

Pre-Proposal Conference

A pre-proposal conference is scheduled for October 10, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. in the Elk Conference Room at the Office of Purchasing Services, 15151 East Alameda Parkway, Suite 4400, Aurora, Colorado80012. The purpose of the pre-proposal conference is to provide assistance to prospective consultants in the interpretation of the Request for Proposals, Scope of Services, Sample Contract, and other technical and contractual matters. Attendance at the pre-proposal conference is not mandatory, but is highly recommended. Specific requirements for this project are contained in the attached Scope of Services.

A TENTATIVE SCHEDULE of key dates for the project has been established as follows:

October 10, 2007 / Pre-proposal conference at 10:00 a.m.
October 11, 2007 / Technical questions regarding RFP due by 12:00 p.m.
October 17, 2007 / Proposals due by 3:00 p.m.
October 25, 2007 / Short-listed firms notified of interview, if interview is necessary
Week of October 29, 2007 / Interviews of top rated consultants, if necessary
Week of November 5, 2007 / Negotiations with top ranked consultant
December 10, 2007 / Council Approval of Award
December 21, 2007 / Award Actions Complete

Solicitation Process

The Request for Proposals is being solicited under a three-phase procurement procedure. The first phase requires all interested firms to submit technical proposals addressing only those items cited in Section II, Proposal Submittal Requirements, of this Request for Proposals. Proposals will be evaluated and ranked using as a basis the general evaluation criteria outlined in Section III, Proposal Evaluation, to select a short list of firms for further evaluation. Only those firms who are placed on the short list on the basis of the evaluation criteria will be considered during the second phase.

During the second phase, interviews with the short list of firms will be conducted. If, upon review of the submitted proposals and subsequent ranking by the selection committee, justification for a direct-selection of a consultant can be made, based on the unanimous findings of the committee, interviews will be waived. During the third phase, the scope and fee proposal of the firm ranked highest by the selection committee will be opened and reviewed and affirmed by Water Resources and Capital Projects staff, and negotiations will be held with that firm. Once an agreement is reached with the top ranked firm on the details associated with scope, schedule and budget, the selection committee’s recommendation will be sent to City Council for approval. City Council approval will be subject to successful negotiation of the final terms associated with scope, schedule and budget. Once Council approval of the award is obtained, the contract is signed, and work may begin. Should the City be unable to reach agreement with the top ranked firm, negotiations will commence with the second ranked firm. This process will continue until a satisfactory contract is negotiated, or the City exercises its right to reject all proposals.

Confidentiality

Proposals submitted to the City of Aurora for consideration shall be subject to the Colorado Open Records Act and Colorado Statute C.R.S Sec 24-92-103(4) after award is made. Any confidential information in your proposal shall be identified as such. Firms will be notified before information is released. Proposals submitted and terms and conditions specified in each firm’s response shall remain the property of the City of Aurora.

Licenses

The successful offeror, without additional expense to the City, shall be responsible for obtaining any necessary licenses and for complying with any applicable federal, state, and municipal laws, codes and regulations in connection with the prosecution of the services. The successful offeror and any subcontractors, if applicable, will be required to obtain an Aurora Business License. The successful offeror shall provide the Aurora Business License number(s) to R B Simmons, Senior Procurement Agent, within thirty (30) days of contract award.

Amendments to the Request for Proposal

The City of Aurora reserves the right to amend this Request for Proposal by an addendum at any time prior to the date set for receipt of proposals. Addenda or amendments will be posted on the City of Aurora web site as soon as available and shall be the responsibility of the offeror to obtain all addenda. Offerors registered for the paid bidding notification service shall be notified either by fax or email depending on the service that they have subscribed to. If revisions are of such a magnitude to warrant, in the City of Aurora’s opinion, the postponement of the date for receipt of proposals, an addendum will be issued announcing the new date.

Additional Information

Proposals will be considered only from firms or individuals that are firmly established in an appropriate business, who are financially responsible, and who have the resources and ability to offer services in a professional and expedient manner. The City may request additional information as deemed necessary. Failure to provide such information may result in the proposal being considered non-responsive.

Six (6) copies of the technical proposals will be required. The technical proposals shall be retained by the City of Aurora and cannot be returned.

The City of Aurora reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, to waive any informalities in the proposals received, and to accept the proposal deemed most advantageous to the best interest of the City.

Questions regarding this Request for Proposals may be addressed to R B Simmons, Senior Procurement Agent, Office of Purchasing Services, 15151 East Alameda Parkway, Suite 4400,Aurora, Colorado80012 or by calling (303) 739-7343. Technical questions may be directed to Richard Marsicek, P.E., Senior Water Resources Engineer, by calling (303) 739-7362, or by e-mail, to . Technical questions received after 12:00 p.m., October 11, 2007will not be addressed. NO OTHER CONTACT SHALL BE MADE REGARDING THIS REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL WITH ANY OTHER CITY OF AURORA STAFF. DURING THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL PHASE NO CONTACT SHALL BE MADE REGARDING THIS PROJECT WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF OTHER CITY, COUNTY, REGIONAL, OR FEDERAL AGENCIES. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS REQUIREMENT WILL RESULT IN THE OFFENDING FIRM BEING REMOVED FROM CONSIDERATION.

Consultant Acceptance of the Request for Proposals

By submitting a proposal in response to this Request for Proposals, the Consultant accepts all of the conditions described in this Request for Proposals, including the Professional Services Agreement and agrees to abide by all final decisions made by the City.

Respectfully,

R B Simmons

Senior Procurement Agent

Attachments:Section IScope of Services

Section IIProposal Submittal Requirements

Section IIIProposal Evaluation

Section IVSpecial Conditions

Section VSample Professional Design Services Agreement

SECTION I

SCOPE OF SERVICES

CITY OF AURORA UTILITIES DEPARTMENT

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

AURORA WATER – EVERIST RESERVOIR FACILITY

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The City of Aurora (COA) Utilities Department is requesting written proposals from qualified firms to provide engineering services for the preliminary engineering design, site and infrastructure planning, and final design documents of a 6,500 acre-feet (approximate) storage facility. Everist Reservoir (also known as the Everist-Fort Lupton site) covers approximately 300 acres and is located north of Fort Lupton, Colorado in WeldCounty and will be part of the City’s overall raw water storage system (see attached site map).

Aurora Water purchased this site in February 2007.The site will be mined in sequential cells by L.G. Everist, the operator of the site. The site has permits, mining schedule, and reclamation plan in place. The site mining design currently consists of six cells. The site will be incorporated into the City’s raw water supply system, and will be used for augmentation, exchange and supply repayment purposes. It is anticipated that the first cell, the Golden Pit, will be delivered as early as July 2009 with an anticipated capacity of 635 acre-feet.

The preliminary design includes preparing a preliminary design report that includes at least two inlet design alternatives and a recommended design based on past experience and discussions with Aurora Water staff. The report should identify required phasing of infrastructure as well as any additional means by which raw water supply could be transported or exchanged to the site.

The site planning phase for the reservoir should include federal, state and local permitting considerations. The site analysis and final site plan for submittal should encompass the planning process to construction plan development. The design phase should include the inlet and outlet works designs, cell interconnects, the site plan for necessary pump station(s) and design of additional infrastructure required to fully utilize this site. Modification of the reclamation plan, including site grading, site access roads, planting/erosion control, etc. may be incorporated as part of the design through discussions with City staff and the mining operator. The final design for the Golden Pit and associated infrastructure should include preparation of construction documents. These detailed plans and specifications should be suitable for competitive bidding and construction. The final design must be approved through the City's Water Resources and Capital Projects Divisions. The proposal should include bidding support and services during construction, including production of plans and specifications, response to Requests for Information, attendance at the Pre-bid meeting(s), review and evaluation of received construction bids, and approval of shop drawing submittals for selected portions of the design.

Due to the time constraint of initial cell delivery, the proposed infrastructure, including inlet and outlet works and interconnect design, should be phased to accommodate the site development plan. The design and construction schedule of this reservoir and its appurtenant structures may be further refined through negotiations with the mining operator and City staff. The successful reservoir design, including site coordination and planning, should allow for this flexibility.

During the proposal phase, the following documents are available for review at the City of Aurora Capital Projects Division office located at 14707 E. 2nd Ave. #150, Aurora, Colorado. Please contact Ms. Penny Bennerat 720-859-4357 to coordinate a review time.

  • Purchase and Sale Contract
  • Mining Plan and Site Plan
  • ALTA Survey

SCOPE OF SERVICES

The scope of services for the project entails preliminary design, site planning, and preparation of design documents for the reservoir described above. General scope elements associated with the project are cited below. This is not an all-inclusive list. During the proposal phase each qualified firm is encouraged to identify, define, and address specific issues related to the design and construction.

PROJECT SCHEDULE

The selected firm shall complete all construction design drawings, specifications and contract documents up to and including the 100% design/bid package for the inlet/outlet/pump station(s)by no later thanOctober 1, 2008. The above time includes time for review and approval by the City and specifications. The firm will determine and include in project schedule review times needed by other agencies. The firm is encouraged to provide an accelerated and/or phased schedule to allow for delivery of water to/from the Golden Pit as early as July of 2009.

ELEMENTS OF THE SCOPE OF SERVICES

Project Management

As a part of their project management philosophy, the consultant will, at a minimum, regularly schedule meetings and coordinate with Aurora Water staff project team and, as appropriate, entities outside of the City; identify and facilitate milestone meetings and workshops; and submit monthly schedule, budget, and project status reports. Status reports shall be submitted in hard copy as well as electronically. Schedules shall be prepared and submitted in Microsoft Project (.mpp) format.

The consultant will also prepare a Project Management Plan (PMP) to include, at a minimum, the following elements:

  • Scope
  • Budget
  • Construction sequencing and coordination with L.G. Everist
  • Permitting requirements
  • Outside agency coordination
  • Schedule – tasks, meetings, milestones, delivery dates
  • Regular monthly meetings and milestones (pre-design, 30%, 60%, and 90% design)
  • Expectations of City (City input, documents to be provided, coordination required, etc.)
  • Team structure, including subconsultants
  • Team member contact information
  • QA/QC plan, including specific names and locations of technical reviewers
Site Planning / Pre-Design

The selected firm will prepare the necessary documents to be included in the pre-design phase.

Site planning shall address the layout for the reservoir’s inlet and outlet works, interconnects and pump station site(s), including elevations and site piping (including capacity and size verification). This will entail coordination with the mining operator and Water Resources, Capital Projects and the Operations Divisions, as needed.

Utilizing existing City resources, planning documents, development plans, and implementing consultant-specific tools and insight, prepare a preliminary design report (15% Design) submitted in a Draft and Final form. The preliminary design report should include, but not be limited to, two design alternatives and a recommendation based on past experience and discussions with City of Aurora staff. The preliminary design report will not include preliminary construction documents, but should include a list of required drawings and specifications. Furthermore, the report should identify required phasing of infrastructure.

The Consultant will propose two (2) alternatives for architectural design of the pump station(s). Provide the site plan for review by the City and local agencies for each alternative.

A project construction schedule and projection of construction costs will be required in the pre-design phase as well as the subsequent 30%, 60%, and 90% design phases.

Design

30% and 60% designs shall be completed for the entire reservoir complex including, but not limited to, inlet/outlet works, pump station(s), interconnects, grading, and phasing. 90% and Construction Bid packages will be completed only for the Golden Pit including, but not limited to, inlet/outlet works, pump station(s), grading. 90% design for the remainder of the site is not included in this request for proposal.

Construction Plans and Specifications

The selected firm shall prepare all design documentation including drawings, plans, specifications, contract documents necessary for bidding and constructing the project and other related project documentation. A submittal of preliminary plans and specifications shall be submitted to the City for review at 30%, 60%, and 90% design completion. The design shall include all facilities, appurtenances, and SCADA in accordance with accepted engineering practices and compatible with existing facilities and systems within the City. Control system is to be designed for unattended, remote operation. Opinion of probable construction costs shall be submitted with each review based on Capital Projects Division standards.

The construction documents must include the security requirements in accordance with Aurora Water standards.

Technical specifications and standard details shall be prepared based on WeldCounty and/or the City of Aurora standards and specifications (to be determined by selected firm in consultation with Aurora Water staff).

The consultant shall obtain all necessary approvals and permits from WeldCounty to construct and operate the storage site.

Consultant shall provide all calculations used during the design of the facilities. Design calculations and notes, including cutsheets, sketches and modeling outputs shall be submitted to the City in a 3-ring binder format at the conclusion of the project.

Design Standards

All drawings and designs shall be in accordance with Weld County Standards and Specifications and/or the City's Public Utility Improvements, Rules and Regulations Regarding Standards and Specifications, latest edition.

The drawings shall include all plans and profiles, cross-sections, survey control, construction details, construction phasing, traffic control, quantity summary, and other information as required in Section 3 of the City Standards. Drawings must provide a complete presentation of the necessary work to allow accurate bidding. The Utilities’ Instrumentation and Control Design Guidelines shall be followed.

Field Surveys

Vertical control shall be obtained by the process of differential leveling to an order of precision not less than 0.035 M. Horizontal control shall be obtained using EDM equipment and one-second theodolite, to an order of precision not less than 1/10,000. The consultant shall include in its scope of work a surveying scope item under which the consultant would provide all necessary design surveys for the this project.

The selected firm will identify survey line and grade requirements prior to the survey. Survey datums to be used for this project are NAD83 and NAVD88. The information on the survey datums used shall appear on each sheet of the construction drawings.