CONNECT TRANSIT

Gulf Coast Center (GCC)

4352 E.F. Lowry Expressway

Texas City, Texas 77591

REQUEST FOR STATEMENTS OF INTEREST AND QUALIFICATIONS

NO. 2014-TRANSIT-002

For Public Transportation Consulting Including Planning, Design, and Construction Phase Services

Issue Request for Qualifications: May 23, 2014

Deadline for Written Questions:May 30, 2014 at 5:00 P.M. CDT

Issue Responses to Questions/Final Addendum:June 6, 2014 at 5:00 P.M. CDT

RFQ Response Due:June 20, 2014 by 3:00 P.M. CDT

GENERAL

Purpose

Gulf Coast Center (GCC) is seeking the services of a consultant or consultant team (Respondent) to assist with a variety of financial, planning, design, and project development activities. GCC anticipates contracting for a five (5) year service period from the date of contract execution.

Background

GCC is a regional Mental Health, IDD and Recovery Services Center and was established in Galveston County in 1966 and Brazoria County in the mid 1970’s. GCC provides various services to individuals coping with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, battling addiction, and/or living with HIV. The organization is overseen by an executive management team along with a Board of Trustees comprised of Galveston and Brazoria county representatives.

Connect Transit is the public transportation division of GCC serving Texas City and Lake Jackson, as well rural communities throughout Galveston and Brazoria counties. Connect Transit has operated in Galveston and Brazoria counties since 1985. Services include:

  • Demand response service throughout Galveston and Brazoria counties, excluding the city of Galveston;
  • Fixed route service provided by Connect Transit’s Mainland Transit and Southern Brazoria County Transit systems; and
  • Commuter bus service provided by Island Connect from the Mall of the Mainland and Victory Lakes Park and Rides.

Historically, Connect Transit only operated demand response service. Its core mission was to deliver service to all individuals who schedule a ride, including individuals with disabilities. Most destinations were within Galveston and Brazoria counties but some trips occurred outside the counties, for example the Texas Medical Center (TMC) in Harris County. In 2008, ConnectTransit started fixed-route service. It has since expanded to seven municipalities spanning two diverse urbanized areas and into the rural unincorporated communities of San Leon and Bacliff in Galveston County. The growth of ridership and service has been dramatic; ridership has grown well over 700% since 2008.

Connect Transit also offers commuter bus service. In 2009, Connect Transit started the Mall of the Mainland (MOM) Park and Ride between Texas City and Galveston. The MOM generates approximately 30,000 annual unlinked passenger trips. In 2012, Connect Transit started the Victory Lakes (VL) Park and Ride between League City and Galveston. The VL Park and Ride has been very successful since its launch in May 2012. In just six months of operation, the service met its expected demand. Both park and ride services are branded Island Connect, which are operated by Island Transit under contract with GCC.

Contract Priorities

Over the next 5 years, GCC plans to build upon its successful fixed route, commuter bus and demand response services.GCC anticipates activities which support operations such as enhancing existing services, procuring new rolling stock and related equipment, ensuring compliance with federal guidelines and pursuing a variety of funding opportunities. GCC also plans to pursue the design and construction of various capital projects. Identified projects include the corridor access management improvements, Kemah Transportation Center, Texas City Park and Ride/Administrative Facility, Pearland Park and Ride, Victory Lakes Park and Ride expansion and other capital projects as needed. A brief summary of the four facilities is outlined below:

The Kemah Transportation Center will be amixed-use facility and structured park and ride to include 500 parking spaces, visitor information kiosks, accommodations for cyclists and pedestrians, and aesthetic community improvements.

The Texas City Park and Ride and Administrative Facility will serve as the new headquarters for Connect Transit. A potential site has been identified at 1401 33rd Street in Texas City. The facility’s building program is approximately 7,000 square feet, but may expand an additional ~3,000 square feet to accommodate other compatible uses. The park and ride will need an estimated 300 spaces. Employee and visitor parking areestimated at 75 spaces. Fleet parking is estimated at 50 spaces. The ability to accommodate light maintenance (oil changes, tires, etc.) on site will be necessary. A fueling station may need to be incorporated into the design.

The Pearland Park and Ridewill provide~750 surface parking spaces with passenger waiting amenities, restrooms, and some mixed-use space.

The existing Victory Lakes Park & Ride facility is a 450-space surface lot located on the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) Victory Lakes medical campus in League City, TX. Continued build-out of the campus will necessitate moving the park and ride from its current location to a to-be-constructed parking garage. Current UTMB plans reflect a garage capacity of approximately 3,200 spaces, of which approximately 800 spaces would be dedicated for park & ride use.

Communication

The RFQ Coordinator is the sole point of contact for this procurement from advertisement through award. All Communications between the Respondent/Contractor and GCC upon release of this RFQ shall be with the RFQ Coordinator, Mr. James Hollis, Transportation Director, at .

Any other communication will be considered unofficial and non-binding on GCC. No authority is intended or implied that specifications may be amended or alterations accepted prior to response opening without written approval of the RFQ Coordinator. Respondents are to rely on written statements issued by the RFQ Coordinator only.

To insure the fair evaluation of the solicitation, GCC prohibits unsolicited communication initiated by the Respondent to a GCC representative after the deadline for proposals. All communication between Respondent and GCC may be initiated by the RFQ Coordinator to obtain information or clarification about the Respondent’s proposal. Unsolicited communication may be grounds for disqualifying the offending Respondent from consideration for award.

Exhibits

Attachments A through I herein are made a part of this solicitation

Exhibit A – Minimum Insurance Requirements

Exhibit B – GCC’s Business Code of Conduct

Exhibit C – Conflict of Interest Questionnaire Form

Exhibit D – Federally Required Contract Clauses

Exhibit E – Acknowledgement of Addenda

Exhibit F – Lobbying Certification

Exhibit G – Government-Wide Suspension and Debarment Certification

Exhibit H – DBE Form 1 – Respondent/Contractor Certification

Exhibit I – DBE Form 2 – DBE and SBE Subcontractor Certification

Insurance

The Respondent shall meet or exceed ALL insurance requirements set forth in Exhibit A, Minimum Insurance Requirements.

GCC Business Code of Conduct

GCC employees, contract providers and volunteers will exhibit behavior based on honesty, integrity and sense of fairness. It is the responsibility of these individuals to maintain the highest standard of legal and ethical behavior. This includes complying with all local, state and federal laws and regulations designed to assure adequate and appropriate care and taking timely and responsive positive action to prevent or correct any improper or inappropriate acts. GCC’s Board of Trustees and Management are committed to providing avenue through which ethical issues may be raised, reviewed and resolved openly and honestly. The successful Respondent shall comply with the GCC’s Business Code of Conduct in Exhibit B.

Conflict of Interest

Effective January 1, 2006, Chapter 176 of the Texas Local Government Code (House Bill 914) requires that any vendor or person considering doing business with a local government entity disclose the vendor or person’s affiliation or business relationship that might cause a conflict of interest with a local government entity. The Conflict of Interest Questionnaire form is Exhibit C. Any attempt to intentionally or unintentionally conceal or obfuscate a conflict of interest may automatically result in the disqualification of the vendor’s offer.

Federally Required Contract Clauses

The project may be funded, in part, by the US Department of Transportation (DOT) through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). As a result, the successful Respondent shall comply with all clauses in Exhibit D, Federally Required Contract Clauses.

Disadvatanged Business Enterprise (DBE)

GCC encouragestheutilizationofDBEs intheprosecutionofitstransportationprogram. Accordingly,GCC isseeking lead firms that encourage the inclusion of DBEsand/or Small Business Enterprises (SBEs) inthe undertakingoftheTechnical Expertise areas outlined above. GCC has set a race-neutral goal of 3.44% DBE participation for the program. There is no set goal for SBEs, but participation is encouraged. It is the policy of GCC to practice nondiscrimination based on race, color, sex, or national origin in the award or performance of this contract.

All firms qualifying under thissolicitation are encouraged to submit responses. Award of this contract will beconditioned upon satisfying the requirements of this bid specification. Theserequirements apply to all Respondents, including those who qualify as a DBE or SBE. A DBE and SBE contract goal is not established for this contract. In addition, the Respondent is encouraged toutilize services of DBE Banks and Financial Institutions.

The Respondent will be required to submit the following information in Exhibit H, DBE Form 1 – Respondent/Contractor Certification: (1) names of all proposed subcontractors, (2) contact information, (3) description of work to be performed, (4) status as a DBE, SBE or non-DBE, (5) ethnic code of firm, (6) age of the firm, and (7) annual gross receipts of the firm. In Exhibit I, the DBE and/or SBE subcontractor will provide written confirmation that the subcontractor is participating in the contract, as provided in the commitment made in Exhibit H.

Prompt Payment Policy

In accordance with Chapter 2251, V.T.C.A., Texas Government Code, any payment tobe made by GCC to the contractor will be made within thirty (30) days of the date GCC receives goods under this Contract, the date the performance of the servicesunder this Contract are completed, or the date GCC receives a correct invoice forthe goods or services, whichever is later.

The Contractor may charge interest on an overdue payment at the “rate in effect” onSeptember 1 of the fiscal year in which the payment becomes overdue, in accordancewith V.T.C.A., Texas Government Code, Section 2251.025(b). This Prompt PaymentPolicy does not apply to payments made by GCC in the event:

  1. There is a bona fide dispute between GCC and the Contractor, subcontractor, or supplier about the goods delivered or the service performed that causes the payment to be late; or
  2. There is a bona fide dispute between the Contractor and a subcontractor or between a subcontractor and its supplier about the goods delivered or the service performed that causes the payment to be late; or
  3. The terms of a federal contract, grant, regulation, or statute prevent GCC from making a timely payment with federal funds; or
  4. The invoice is not mailed to GCC in strictaccordance with any instruction on the purchase order relating to the payment.

Delinquent State Business Tax

All Respondents shall certify that the Respondent is not delinquent in a tax owed to the State under Chapter 171, Tax Code, pursuant to the Texas Business Corporation Act, Texas Statutes, Article 2.45.

Instructions

Solicitation Schedule

Issue Request for Qualifications / May 23, 2014
Deadline for Written Questions / May 30, 2014 at 5:00 P.M. CDT
Issue Responses to Questions/Final Addendum / June 6, 2014 at 5:00 P.M. CDT
RFQ Response Due / June 20, 2014 by 3:00 P.M. CDT

GCC reserves the right to revise the above schedule. Notice of date changes will be posted to the GCC website -

All questions regarding the RFQ shall be submitted in writing by 5:00 P.M. CDT by the due date noted above. A copy of all questions submitted and GCC’s responses shall be posted on the GCC website - Questions shall be submitted to GCC’s RFQ Coordinator identified in the General Section of the RFQ.

All responses are due to GCC no later than 3:00 P.M. CDT on the date noted above. The envelope or package must show the return address, solicitation number, project title, and the following address:

The Gulf Coast Center

Attn: James Hollis

4352 E.F. Lowry Expressway

Texas City, Texas 77591

Responses

Any response that is received at the address above after the time and date established above is a late response and will not be considered. All such responses will be returned unopened to the Respondent via direct mail. Any response that is not signed is not a valid response and will not be accepted. If a response is submitted in which there is a material failure to comply with specification requirements, such response will be rejected.

GCC makes no warranty or guarantee that an award will be made as a result of this RFQ. GCC also reserves the right to waive informalities or defects in responses, excluding mandatory requirements, or to accept such responses as it shall deem to be in the best interest of GCC.

The opening of a response shall not be construed as GCC’s acceptance of the Respondent’s qualification or responsiveness. All Respondents shall:

  1. If applicable, be licensed, permitted and/or registered to do business in the State of Texas or provide a commitment to become licensed, permitted and/or registered in Texas within thirty (30) calendar days of being selected as the successful Respondent.
  2. Are firms, corporations, individuals or partnerships normally engaged in the qualifications specified here in.
  3. Have adequate organization, facilities, equipment and personnel to ensure prompt and efficient service to GCC.
  4. Identify any subcontractors to be used for this project including experiences, qualifications and references for each subcontractors. GCC reserves the right to approve or disapprove all subcontractors prior to any work being performed.

Addenda: GCC reserves the right to modify, waive any formalities or minor technical inconsistencies and delete any requirement, excluding mandatory requirements, from this RFQ prior to the date and time of the response deadline. Any modifications, waivers, interpretations, corrections or changes to the RFQ shall be made by written addenda. Sole issuing authority of addenda shall be vested in the RFQF Coordinator. Addenda shall be sent to all who are known to have received a copy of the RFQ. All such addenda become, upon issuance, an inseparable part of the RFQ, and must be met for the Respondent’s response to be considered. All Respondents shall acknowledge receipt of all addenda by completing Exhibit F, Acknowledgement of Addenda, and submitting the acknowledgement with Respondent’s response.

Content: Representations made by Respondent within its response will be binding. Any response that fails to comply with the requirements contained in this RFQ may be rejected by GCC.

Preparation: GCC will not be liable for any costs incurred by any Respondent in preparing a response to this RFQ. Respondents submit responses at their own risk and expense. All responses and their accompanying documentation will become the property of GCC.

CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS

In establishing a Contract as a result of the solicitation process, GCC may:

  1. Review all responses and determine which Respondents are reasonably qualified for award;
  2. Determine the Respondent whose response is most advantageous to GCC considering the evaluation criteria; or
  3. Attempt to negotiate with the most qualified Respondent a Contract at fair and reasonable terms, conditions and cost.

If negotiations are successful, enter into a Contract. If negotiations are not successful, formally end negotiations with that Respondent. GCC may then select the next most highly qualified Respondent and attempt to negotiate a Contract at fair and reasonable terms, conditions and cost with that Respondent. GCC shall continue this process until a Contract is entered into or all negotiations are terminated.

CONTRACT AWARD

The successful Respondent will be required to execute a Contract with GCC, which finalizes the terms and conditions set forth in the requirements of this RFQ and the successful Respondent’s response. No award can be made until the GCC Board of Trustees considers and approves execution of the Contract. Split awards may be made at the sole discretion of GCC.

PROTESTS

Any interested party who is aggrieved in connection with the solicitation, evaluation, or award of a Contract may file a protest with the Transportation Director of GCC (Manager) and appeal any adverse decision to the Director of Finance of GCC (Director). Such protest must be in writing and submitted to the Manager as follows:

Pre-Award Protests: Protests pertaining to the terms, conditions or proposed form of procurement must be received by the Manager within five (5) business days prior to the date established for the receipt of responses. Untimely, or late protests, will not be considered, unless the Manager concludes that the issue(s) raised by the protest involves fraud, gross abuse of the procurement process, or otherwise indicates substantial prejudice to the integrity of the procurement system.

Post-Award Protests: Protests concerning award decisions, including response evaluations, must be received by the Manager within five (5) business days after award has been made and recognized by GCC Board of Trustees. Untimely, or late protests, will not be considered, unless the Manager concludes that the issue(s) raised by the protest involves fraud, gross abuse of the procurement process, or otherwise indicates substantial prejudice to the integrity of the procurement system.

Interested Parties: For the purposes of this procedure, “interested parties” shall be defined as follows:

  1. For Pre-Award Protests concerning the terms, conditions or form of a proposed procurement, any prospective Respondent whose direct economic interest would be affected by the award, or failure to award an Contract.
  2. For Post-Award Protests concerning award decisions, only those actual Respondents, who have submitted a response to this solicitation and who, if their complaint is deemed by GCC to be meritorious, would be eligible for selection as the successful Respondent for award of a Contract.

All formal protests shall be signed, notarized and reference the following: