Black Forest Together Inc. (BFT) 11590 Black Forest Road, Suite 30 Colorado Springs, CO 80908 719-495-2445 (office) Request for Proposal (RFP) Black Forest Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) Update Issue Date: October 26, 2015 Proposals due by: November 20, 2015, 5:00 PM MT RFP Contents: Project Description Project Schedule Statement of Work CWPP Plan Components Project Management Consultant Expectations Bid Submittal Requirements Consultant Selection Criteria Questions Appendix 1: Liability Insurance Requirements Appendix 2: Indemnification Waiver Project Description Black Forest Together (BFT) is requesting proposals from qualified consultants to update the 2006 Black Forest Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). The updated CWPP will serve as a framework for a comprehensive long-term resiliency plan for the geographic Black Forest community. It will be used to prioritize future wildfire hazard protection in the Black Forest community and foster a regional collaborative approach in northern El Paso County, aligning with neighboring fire districts and municipalities to reduce wildfire risk and hazards in the Pikes Peak area. This CWPP will develop a plan to identify and prioritize fuel reduction treatment, wildfire hazard mitigation, restoration projects and provide a methodology for monitoring progress and accomplishments. The plan will establish current baseline conditions after the Black Forest Fire and identify proposed actions and policies for both shortterm recovery and long-term forest and watershed health. The CWPP update will be based on the current Black Forest CWPP completed in 2006. It can be located at: http://blackforest-co.com/bfcwpp/. The updated plan will align with the El Paso County CWPP and neighboring fire districts including the City of Colorado Springs, Donald Wescott, Tri-Lakes and Falcon (currently in progress) and others as applicable.
Project Schedule The following represents the tentative schedule for this project. Any change in the scheduled dates or content will be advertised in the form of an addendum to this RFP. Proposal Submission Deadline November 20, 2015 Evaluation of Proposals November 20-27, 2015 Interviews (optional) November 20-27, 2015 Award Notification and Subsequent Contract Negotiations December 1 15, 2015 Project Start Date January 1, 2016 Statement of Work and Minimum Deliverables 1. Project plan with documented deliverables and due dates, including periodic milestone approval process, for approval with project stakeholders 2. Regularly scheduled written progress reports per plan and timely identification of issues 3. Identification, establishment and coordination of a Black Forest regional, collaborative CWPP team, including stakeholder committee, organizations and individuals to provide input to the CWPP and community outreach, including neighboring fire districts and municipalities and Colorado State Forest Service s technical oversight 4. Development and documentation of data gathering approach 5. Completion of data gathering and update of community base map; Reference GIS mapping and photos as appropriate 6. Development of a community risk assessment that includes as a minimum, fuel hazards, risk of wildfire occurrence and community values to be protected both in the immediate vicinity as well as in the surrounding at-risk areas 7. Development and completion of community/stakeholder workshops and reviews 8. Establishment of community priorities, culture considerations and recommendations; recommendations for culture shift as needed 9. Development of an action plan and assessment strategy 10. Completion of the CWPP with revisions as needed through iterative reviews with stakeholders and involved parties; final report in a professional, press ready format CWPP Plan Components will include but are not limited to: 1. A description, map and narrative of the community s Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI), including prioritization of high risk areas to address resident and first responder safety; high level mapping to be agreed upon with stakeholders 2. Identification of fuels treatment priorities and methods of treatment, including ways to reduce structural ignitability and defensible space 3. Regional emergency evacuation route planning on a north/south and east/west corridors, with identification and alignment with neighboring fire districts and municipalities 4. Identification and prioritization of secondary and private roads for safe ingress/egress, including fire and flood risks 5. Evacuation plan and recommendations for resident emergency evacuation; to include special needs population such as assisted living facilities, elderly, physically challenged and pets/livestock 6. Identification and proactive planning for water resource availability for fire suppression access
7. Information on the community s current preparedness to respond to a wildland fire, the desired state of preparedness, the gap analysis between the two and a detailed action plan to close the gaps 8. Recommendations of road right-of-way and easements collaboration with property owners, county, state and utilities for fuels reduction and long-term mitigation maintenance and any recommended ordinance changes 9. Alignment and integration plan with neighboring fire districts and municipalities, including consistency in approach, regional evacuation route planning, reciprocal response agreements 10. Review and update as necessary of existing GIS data, including El Paso/Teller County 911 roads information 11. Incorporation of existing layers, but not limited to historical fires, existing fuel breaks, infrastructure, fire roads, streets, sensitive habitat and vegetation Project Management This project will be project managed by Black Forest Together (BFT) and the Black Forest Fire/Rescue Protection District (BFFRPD), with technical assistance and oversight from the Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS). Final project payment and closure of contract will be dependent upon approval of project deliverables by the Stakeholder Committee as formed by BFT, and the CSFS. Tactical project management including detailed project planning and reporting, data gathering, reviews, etc. will be the responsibility of the chosen consultant, with coordination from BFT. Consultant Expectations The chosen contractor is expected to: 1. Carry liability insurance as required in the Bid Submittal Requirements. Sign an Indemnification Waiver, provide a Duns and Bradstreet identification #, complete a W-9, and provide other provisions as legally required under Federal and Colorado law, as well as any additional terms of the CDBG-DR funding grant for this project 2. Work closely with BFT, BFFRPD and other stakeholders in all aspects of this project; provide periodic status reports and participate in status/review meetings as agreed upon between BFT and consultant 3. Maintain and submit in writing, as requested, project plan, schedule and other deliverables. Implement project according the agreed upon Project Implementation Plan and complete the project within the allotted timeframe and budget 4. Communicate any problems with project promptly to the BFT Project Manager 5. Meet BFT/BFFRPD/CSFS requirements before job completion and contract closure Bid Submittal Requirements A qualifying proposal must address all of the following points and shall be in the format outlined in this section: 1. Project Title 2. Applicant or Company Name 3. Applicant Qualifications a. Type of organization, size, professional registration and affiliations, website if applicable. b. Names and qualifications of personnel to be assigned to this project c. Qualifications of consultants, and subcontractors, if appropriate d. Work experience from recent similar projects
e. Client references from above referenced projects, including name, address and phone number of individual to contact for referral; high level outline and scope of these projects and whether projects were completed on-time and within budget 4. Understanding of and Approach to the Project a. Summary of approach to be taken b. Description of any outside organizations, municipalities and/or individuals that would be part of the project collaboration, alignment and input c. Description of the individual/organization and staffing to be used for the project d. Indication of time frame necessary to complete the plan review once a Notice to Proceed is issued 5. Deliverables - include all deliverables to be included as part of this project with respective milestone dates; indicate each deliverable format 6. Cost line item budget, including deliverables, services and any other related costs 7. Documentation of current liability insurance 8. Documentation of current Workman s Compensation Insurance 9. Tax I.D. Number 10. Duns Number (if applicable) It is expected that the qualified consultant will be able to bring with them the breadth and depth of knowledge from previous experience developing CWPPs or other similar wildfire hazard mitigation documents and possess strong coordination skills in working with impacted organizations and the public. Applicant must be prepared to enter a Professional Services Agreement with BFT. The selected consultant will hold a contract directly with BFT and may subcontract out work to other professionals if needed to complete the effort, with BFT approval. BFT reserves the right to enter into separate contracts with consultants supplying specialized services, use qualified staff to provide services, or direct the integration of qualified staff into the project team. The consultant may be required to work with and coordinate efforts with other consultants under separate contracts. BFT also reserves the right to disregard all proposals and process a new RFP if it so chooses. BFT retains all rights to refuse any and all bids for any reason. All CWPP deliverables will be the property of BFT and BFFRPD. This work effort is planned for a January 1, 2016 start date with completion of the CWPP by October 31, 2016. A budgeted amount of no more than $20,000 is available for this and other contracts necessary to complete the final CWPP deliverables. It is BFT s intention to stay within this limit, and bidders are strongly encouraged to submit competitive bids below this amount. Bids must be received by BFT on or before November 20, 2015 before 5:00 PM MT to be considered. Electronic copies of the Bid Proposal may be emailed to ntrosper.bft@gmail.com Hard copies may be mailed or dropped off in person at the BFT Resource Center at: Black Forest Together RE: CWPP Proposal 11590 Black Forest Road Suite 30 Colorado Springs, CO 80908
The chosen consultant will be notified by December 1, 2015 by 5:00 PM MT, and may start work upon execution of contract and provision of insurance documents. Consultant Selection and Evaluation Criteria: Bids for the project described herein will be evaluated on the following basis. 1. Familiarity with the project scope and work CWPPs, GIS mapping, fuels data, multijurisdictional coordination and public outreach 2. Expertise in this area of forestry and experience with similar projects 3. Track Record of delivering successful projects that are similar in scope and references 4. Implementation strategy 5. Ability to complete the project in needed timeframe 6. Project cost 7. Acceptance of contract terms and insurance requirements 8. BFT Project Manager s confidence in the consultant s ability to implement the proposed work effectively and with high quality outcomes (combination of experience and references) Bids will be weighed against these criteria, as opposed to simply accepting the lowest bid. Cost is only one factor that will be considered in awarding the contract for this project; however, cost is important. In the event that all bid proposals exceed BFT s project budget, we will use other criteria in selecting a contractor who is willing to downscale the project scope to fit BFT s budget. BFT retains all rights to refuse any and all bids for any reason. BFT will review and consider the submissions from qualified respondents to this request and rank them based on the information provided satisfying the scope of work and evaluation criteria. Following this initial submittal, BFT representatives may conduct telephone or personal interviews with the top two candidates. Following these interviews BFT intends to select one firm to negotiate a professional service agreement. Questions All questions should be submitted prior to November 20, 2015 5:00 PM MT and directed in writing to: Nancy Trosper, BFT Planning Coordinator ntrosper.bft@gmail.com BFT is an Equal Opportunity Employer and no otherwise qualified individual shall be subject to discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion or religious affiliation, sex, familial status, age, genetics, disability or national origin in any phase of employment for this position. The work to be performed under this contract is subject to the requirements of Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, as amended, 12 U.S.C. 70u (Section 3) which states that: 1) Employment, training, contracting and other economic opportunities generated by HUD assistance shall, to the greatest extent feasible, be directed to low and very low-income persons residing within the project area; and 2) Contracts for work in connection with the project be awarded to businesses which are located in, or owned substantially by persons residing in the project area. All CDBG-Dr funded projects must, to the greatest extent feasible, comply with Section 3 when contracting for professional services.
Appendix 1: Liability Insurance Requirements During the entire term of Project, the CONTRACTOR shall maintain, at its own expense, insurance in at least the following minimum amounts and classifications: Workers' Compensation/ Employer's Liability Not less than that required by statute Comprehensive General Liability (including blanket contractual liability insurance): Bodily Injury $ 500,000 each person; $1,000,000 each occurrence Property damage $ 600,000 General aggregate $ 2,000,000 Comprehensive Automobile Liability Bodily Injury $ 500,000 each person; $1,000,000 each occurrence Property damage $ 600,000 The CONTRACTOR shall furnish certificates of such insurance to a BFT representative prior to performance of this Agreement. BFT shall be named as an additional insured on all policies of liability insurance and declaration must be endorsed to be fully effective CONTRACTOR understands that no such insurance will be provided by Black Forest Together. Appendix 2: Indemnification Waiver CONTRACTOR agrees to protect, defend, indemnify and hold harmless BFT, property owner, its divisions, boards, the State of Colorado, and each of their officers, officials, employees, representatives, agents, and successors, and assigns against any and all losses, penalties, injuries, claims, fines, legal actions, damages, settlements, costs, charges, professional fees, attorney s fees or other expenses or liabilities of every kind and character incurred by said listed parties and/or arising out of or relating to any and all claims, liens, demands, obligations, actions, proceedings, or causes of action of every kind and character, in connection with, or arising directly or indirectly out of CONTRACTOR s negligence, intentional act, professional error, mistake, omission, performance or failure to perform and/or default or breach under the terms of this Agreement, or fault of CONTRACTOR during the performance of this Agreement. Without limiting the generality of this Section, in any and all such claims or actions relating to personal injury, or of any other tangible or intangible personal or property right, or actual or alleged violation of any applicable statute, ordinance, administrative order or directive, order, rule or regulation, CONTRACTOR shall respond to and defend any such claims or actions at its sole expense with counsel approved by BFT and agrees to bear all other costs and expense related thereto, and attorney s fees, even if such claim is groundless, false or fraudulent. SIGNED: DATE: