WHATCOM COUNTY NOTICE TO CONSULTANTS FOR:

WHATCOM COUNTY FISH PASSAGE RESTORATION, PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT

CRP NO. 924006, FEDERAL AID NO. CAOP-2037(123)

RFQ #24-93

Whatcom County (County) solicits interest from consulting firms with expertise in Civil and Structural Engineering design, stream hydrology and hydraulics, and cultural resources. This agreement will be for approximately 26 months in duration with the option for the County to extend it for additional time and money if necessary. Consultants will be considered for the following project.

The County 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 being performed by the CONSULTANT consists of assessment and preliminary design of 11 fish barrier culverts throughout Whatcom County. The alternatives analysis should consider applicable roadway and/or bridge design standards, Right-of-Way, stormwater, environmental, and fish passage requirements. This project has a 16% Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) goal. The major features of the project are as follows:

• Pre-design work including field investigations/research
• Geotechnical investigation
• Hydrologic and hydraulic analysis and design
• Stormwater/drainage analysis
• Environmental permitting analysis
• Preliminary Engineering
• Coordination of design with utility relocation
• Cultural resources survey
• Feasibility and Alternatives Analysis Report
• Prepare 30% design plans, specifications, and cost estimates

Consultants shall have expertise in the following:

• Fish barrier removal projects
• Structural design for culverts and bridges
• WA Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Water Crossing Design Guidelines
• WSDOT Local Programs requirements for Federally Funded projects including the Local Agency Guidelines (LAG) Manual
• DBE approach and commitment
• County, State, and Federal standards
• Environmental permitting requirements and thresholds of similar projects at the local, state, and federal levels
• Cultural resource compliance

The County reserves the right to retain the services of the successful firm(s) for any subsequent phases including but not limited to detailed design including bid-ready plans, design reports, specifications, estimates, environmental/archaeological permitting, and Right-of-Way as well as construction engineering services associated with this project.

Evaluation Criteria

Submittals will be evaluated and ranked based on the following criteria (100% total):

1. Qualification of proposed Project Manager and key personnel; 15%
2. Qualifications/expertise of firm; 15%
3. Experience with fish barrier removal projects and standards; 15%
4. Ability to meet schedule; 10%
5. Approach to project; 20%
6. Familiarity with WSDOT/FHWA standards; 10%
7. Past performance/references; 5%
8. Approach to meet the DBE goal (DBE Participation Plan); 10%

Submittal

Submittals should include the following information: Firm name, phone, and fax numbers; 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 downloaded for no charge at https://www.co.whatcom.wa.us/Bids.aspx. The total length of the RFQ shall not exceed 16 pages (16 single-sided or 8 (eight) pages double-sided), not including a cover page, table of contents page, resumes (limited to 1 (one) page per individual), and firm information forms attached as an appendix. Example Submittal Information Forms to obtain consultant qualifications for Prime and Subconsultants are WSDOT form 140-565 and Form 140-566, respectively.

Please submit one unbound paper copy of your Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) to: Attn: Sara Winger, Senior Purchasing Coordinator, Whatcom County AS-Finance/Purchasing, 311 Grand Ave., Suite #503, Bellingham, WA 98225 no later than 2:30 PM on December 10, 2024. Submittals will not be accepted after that time and date. Any questions regarding this project should be directed in writing via email to Annika Fain at .

Contract Type

Contract type (method of payment) will be Negotiated Hourly Rate utilizing WSDOT’s Local Agency A&E Professional Services Negotiated Hourly Rate Consultant Agreement. Submission of cost proposal or elements of cost shall not be submitted until selection of the most qualified consultant has concluded.

Estimated Procurement Schedule

Advertise RFQ                                                                  November 6 and 13, 2024

Deadline for questions                                                   December 3, 2024

Receive SOQs                                                                   December 10, 2024

Review and Rank SOQs                                                  December 2024

Consultant Selection Interviews                                   January 2025

Consultant Selection/Award                                         January 2025

Scoping and Contract                                                     January 2025

Begin Work                                                                      February 2025

Complete Work/End Contract                                      April 2027

Equal Opportunity Employment

All prospective consultants will be held to Federal Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) requirements. The successful consultant shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, or sex in the performance of this contract. The consultant shall carry out applicable requirements of 49 CFR Part 26 in the award and administration of USDOT-assisted contracts.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Information

Whatcom County in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), commits to nondiscrimination on the basis of disability, in all of its programs and activities. This material can be made available in an alternate format by emailing Purchasing at  or by calling collect (360) 778-5320.

Title VI Statement

Whatcom County, in accordance with the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.”

Dates of Publication

Dates of publication in the Bellingham Herald, Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce, and Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE): November 6 and 13, 2024.

All documents for this solicitation can be downloaded at no charge in PDF format; see "Related Documents" at the bottom of this webpage:

1. Click on the "View Documents" button, which will open up a form requesting basic information about your firm. The entries on this form will populate the official plan holders list. Your accuracy is important to ensure notification of any addenda or other distributed information.

2. After your completed form is accepted, scroll again to the bottom of this page, to find the link(s) for all documents related to this solicitation.

If you have downloaded the solicitation documents from the Whatcom County website, that process has already added you to the plan holders/distribution list. The Whatcom County plan holders/distribution list is created by the download process. If you received the solicitation documents from another source, to add your contact information to the Whatcom County plan holders/distribution list, you will need to access the solicitation documents from our website.

To request a current plan holders/distribution list, email [email protected]. Include the solicitation number and title in the subject line.