REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS NEW YORK-NEW JERSEY HARBOR & ESTUARY PROGRAM Planning and Technical Support for Incorporating Green Infrastructure in Long Term Control Plans February 19, 2016 The New York-New Jersey Harbor & Estuary Program is requesting proposals to document the benefits of green infrastructure and an integrated approach to Long Term Control Plans and stormwater management for one or more specific catchment areas in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. A total of $90,000 is available for this approximately 18-month project. This Request for Proposals (RFP) includes the following information: I. Program Background II. Project Background III. Project Goals, Objectives, Outputs and Outcomes IV. Additional considerations V. Notice of Intent, Questions, and Proposal Content VI. General Guidelines for Applicants VII. Submission Process VIII. Appendix A: Quality Assurance Project Plans IX. Appendix B: Evaluation Criteria X. Appendix C: Title Page XI. Appendix D and E: Budget Forms I. Program Background Designated as an Estuary of National Significance under the Clean Water Act, the New York- New Jersey Harbor Estuary is a complex ecological system in the midst of a major urban center. The New York-New Jersey Harbor & Estuary Program (HEP) was authorized in 1987 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at the requests of the Governors of New Jersey and New York State and is one of 28 National Estuary Programs in the country. HEP is an ongoing effort to protect, conserve, and restore the estuary though a management conference composed of representatives from local, state, and federal government; scientists; business; and civic organizations.
The Hudson River Foundation (Foundation) seeks to make science integral to decisionmaking with regard to the Hudson River and its watershed and to support competent stewardship of this extraordinary resource. This purpose is pursued through support of scientific research; communication to expand knowledge about the river among the scientific community, policy makers, and the public at large; initiatives to enhance management of the Hudson ecosystem; education about the River; and physical improvements to the riverfront. The Hudson River Foundation is the host of HEP and the Foundation will be the contracting entity for this RFP. II. Project Background Pathogens and nutrients continue to limit public use and enjoyment of the estuary. Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) and stormwater are the dominant sources of pathogens into our waterways and EPA, the states, municipalities, and dischargers are working to address these through the Long Term Control Plans (LTCP) and MS4 permit programs. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) issued new individual permits for 25 municipalities and utilities with CSOs or receiving flows from CSOs in March 2015. Plans developed by the municipalities must include system improvements and designs for new sewer and stormwater infrastructure that will meet Clean Water Act requirements, and must provide a schedule for funding and implementation. Final plans must be submitted in three to five years. Similarly, municipalities around the region are formulating their responses to MS4 permits for separate and unsewered stormwater flows. The overall cost of compliance, and the reduction of risk to people and improvement of ecosystem health, may be tens of billions of dollars. EPA and the states have identified green infrastructure as an important means of helping reduce CSO events and manage stormwater while creating additional ecological and social benefits, including helping minimize flooding during rain events. EPA has encouraged the states and municipalities to take an integrated approach to solving these problems, addressing multiple clean water goals through coordinated action. But implementing these innovative solutions will be difficult given capacity constraints, administrative and other barriers to innovation, and competing local priorities. HEP is part of Perth Amboy SWIM, a collaboration of the City of Perth Amboy, Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program (Rutgers), NY/NJ Baykeeper, and other stakeholders (http://water.rutgers.edu/water_pages/enewsletters/e-newsletter_v20_20150630.pdf). Part of the collaboration s mission is to work together to incorporate green infrastructure to generate multiple benefits derived from stormwater management techniques. This includes assisting the City in incorporating green infrastructure in CSO permit compliance and its LTCP by strategically implementing green infrastructure projects throughout the City and advocating for policies and programs that scale up green infrastructure implementation. This is being done in concert with the overall LTCP effort as well as other Clean Water requirements and community goals under an integrated approach. 2
To assist this effort in Perth Amboy, and create a model for other CSO communities in the Estuary, HEP and the Foundation are issuing this RFP. While HEP and the Foundation will execute and manage the contract with the successful respondent, representatives from the City of Perth Amboy, EPA Region 2, NJ DEP, Middlesex County, Rutgers, NYNJ Baykeeper, Jersey Water Works, New Jersey Harbor Dischargers Group, and others will serve as an advisory committee for the project and provide substantive direction. III. Project Goals, Objectives, Outputs and Outcomes The project is designed to advance goals and objectives relevant to the City of Perth Amboy as well as the broader Harbor Estuary: Address pathogen, nutrient, and other pollution reduction goals in surface waters within the City of Perth Amboy, and by extension the broader Harbor Estuary, by providing information that can inform and contribute to the City s Long Term Control Plan green infrastructure investigation and alternatives analysis in keeping with permit requirements and available guidance from EPA and NJ DEP. Document the benefits of green infrastructure and an integrated approach to stormwater management by identifying potential installations across two representative catchment areas in the City of Perth Amboy and modeling their likely contributions to water quality and LTCP permit requirements as well as co-benefits such as enhanced property values, provision of greenspace, air quality, green jobs, and other social benefits. Identify critical organizational, partnership and funding requirements for large-scale implementation and maintenance of green infrastructure. In particular, identifying how scaling up from pilot projects to a system wide approach and implementation requires new strategies and offers additional opportunities. Identify needed metrics and monitoring systems to ensure that green infrastructure projects will, in aggregate, achieve the targeted benefits. Encourage adoption of green infrastructure technology and practices by communicating findings to a broad range of stakeholders in the City and across the Estuary. To address these goals and objectives, several sets of specific outputs and outcomes are expected: 1. A screening of potential sites and a preliminary assessment of the value and viability of implementing specific green infrastructure 1 source controls (such as permeable pavements, flow detention, downspout disconnection, bioswales, and infiltration-based practices) for existing buildings, redevelopment projects, parks, and streetscapes within at least two specific catchment areas. 1 For definitions and examples of green infrastructure please visit EPA s (http://www.epa.gov/greeninfrastructure/what-green-infrastructure) and NJ DEP s (http://www.nj.gov/dep/gi/) websites. 3
The catchment areas will be selected at the start of the project in consultation with the consultant and advisory committee but are anticipated to include at least one catchment area that is largely commercial and/or industrial and composed of impervious surfaces and one catchment area that is largely residential with substantial areas of pervious lawns and park space. The anticipated size of each catchment is about 40 acres. The drainage areas should be in portions of the CSO system that do not have significant flows from upstream combined or separate sewers. The screening should include the physical factors (such as soils, topography, and impervious surface); potential importance of water quality improvements (such as annual CSO and stormwater volumes, frequency of CSO events, water quality standards, presence of environmentally sensitive areas, gray infrastructure or management alternatives to achieving LTCP permit goals); economic factors (such as land ownership and rates of development and redevelopment); and social/regulatory factors (such as current public uses; potential cobenefits such as community greening, property enhancements, shade and air quality improvements, habitat; landowner/locality/partner support) and project feasibility (such as site control; degree of engineering difficulty; estimated capital and management costs; level of effort required for implementation; potential sources of funding for specific technologies). The screening should use field verification as well as existing mapped data. The use of a standard and publicly available decision support tool is anticipated but not required. Rutgers has already conducted a preliminary screening of possible sites in the City and has identified and is advancing several specific green infrastructure projects within the City of Perth Amboy. It is anticipated that the requested screening will build on Rutgers s efforts by re-examining the feasibility of other possible projects with the specific drainage areas. The outcome of this task will be the identification, assessment, and prioritization of green infrastructure controls for the two catchment areas that will help the City of Perth Amboy and the rest of the Team identify specific green infrastructure priorities. The process should serve as a model for what might be possible in other catchment areas in Perth Amboy and other urban communities. 2. Analysis of how creation of green infrastructure source controls at potential sites in each catchment area will reduce the volumes, peak flows, and pollutant loads entering the collection system and contribute to achieving Perth Amboy s LTCP requirements, other clean water goals, and other community and environmental benefits. This analysis should be accomplished using EPA SWMM, Infoworks WinSLAMM, or another readily available water flow and quality modeling tool. Whatever specific methodology is proposed, it is anticipated that the analysis will incorporate local rain gauge data, the condition of existing sewer systems including infiltration rates; existing pipe and drainage networks (both mapped and unmapped), proposed investments in gray infrastructure and/or improved management of the existing system. The analysis will consider impacts of GI projects to groundwater levels and infiltration rates into the sewer system and how any needed improvements to the sewer system would relate to timing/implementation of GI projects. It will evaluate adequacy of existing flow monitoring data for hydraulic modeling 4
and provide recommendations for Post Construction Compliance Monitoring needed for validation of the model in the future and evaluation of predicted vs actual reductions in stormwater/cso flows. The analysis may also include documenting the relative contribution of avoided CSO discharges to reducing separate stormwater discharges in the receiving body and the benefits of an integrated approach. Several runs of the model using different green infrastructure scenarios will enable the consultant and team understand the dynamics of the system and alternative treatment scenarios. It is anticipated that this analysis will utilize sewer system flow and other data generated as part of Perth Amboy s City s LTCP System Characterization Work Plan. A model has been approved by NJ DEP and is now being calibrated to meet the requirements of the LTCP permit. In addition to this quantitative assessment of water quality and local flooding benefits, other co-benefits including but not limited to enhanced property values, provision of greenspace, improved air quality, public health, green jobs, other social benefits, will also be documented. The methodology for documenting these co-benefits on a quantitative or qualitative basis is expected to rely on one or more available tools and methodologies that have been shown to be acceptable to EPA, NJ DEP and others. The outcome of this analysis will be the documentation of the water quality and other benefits of green infrastructure investment in the two specific catchment areas. The results and the methodology will serve to generally illustrate for other communities the benefits of urban green infrastructure and help define best practice for green infrastructure planning. It is anticipated that this task will require the majority of resources allocated to this project. 3. Identification of one or more recommended sets of green infrastructure investments/ projects for each of the two catchment areas that would, if implemented fully, result in a significant reduction in sewer flows from the drainage area during a wet weather event, and a plan for how this preferred set of actions could be implemented over time. The recommendations must provide: a planning level cost analysis for the design and capital cost of each investment and the total for the drainage area; a planning level cost analysis for the long-term maintenance of the set of investments; an evaluation of the work load involved in implementation of each set of investments; and an evaluation of the existing and necessary institutional capacity of the SWIM collaborative s members and other organizations to implement green infrastructure projects at scale. It will consider impacts of GI projects to groundwater levels and infiltration rates into sewer system. It will identify any needed improvements to sewer system, suggest how needed improvements to sewer system should be made in relation to timing/implementation of GI projects. This final set of deliverables should be summarized in a report and digital slide presentation describing the preferred set of green infrastructure projects in each catchment area, a summary of their benefits and costs as compared to known or projected alternatives; steps needed for implementation, including potential inclusion in the LTCP, changes in land use plans and ordinances, integration with city and county capital programs and other funding opportunities; recommended post-construction compliance and monitoring and adaptive management techniques; identification of partners and other means of community support. 5
This assessment should build on the tasks undertaken to achieve Outputs 1 and 2. References for benefit-cost calculations and adaptive management techniques should be based on comparable projects and costs from similar urban communities within or close to northern New Jersey. Differentiation of short term and longer term priorities is anticipated. This output will be completed in close cooperation with the SWIM collaborative and project advisory committee. The outcome of will be the advancement green infrastructure planning, implementation and maintenance in Perth Amboy and elsewhere. The report and digital visual presentation (e.g., PowerPoint, Visio) will be the principal means of conveying the project results to other urban communities. IV. Additional considerations The selected consultant should anticipate attending a monthly meeting with the Team to report on progress and receive comments on draft materials. The consultant should anticipate making two or more presentations to local and state-wide audiences describing the project methodology and the results of the analysis. Projects selected for funding that involve the collection, analysis, or manipulation of environmental data will require an EPA and NJ DEP--approved Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP). This includes both data collected as part of this project or previously collected, whether by the applicant or other entities such as, but not limited to: historical data, databases, models, and surveys. QAPP preparation is intended to facilitate the project planning and development process and to assure that the data used or provided are of known and adequate quality. See Appendix A for more details. The consultant s work must be consistent with the State s CSO permit requirements, as described and clarified by NJDEP guidance. V. Notice of Intent, Questions about the RFP, and Proposal Content Notice of intent to apply (optional, due March 1) To aid in the review planning process and answer any questions relevant to this request, please submit a very brief notice of intent to apply including your expected project team and lead, contact information including email, and brief (one-two paragraph) statement on how the general experience of your team will be used to address the question. This statement is not required for submittal of a full proposal, but is strongly recommended. Please send the Notice of intent to Greeninfrastructure@hudsonriver.org by March 1, 2016. Questions about the RFP (optional, due March 1) You may submit any questions about the RFP via e-mail. Please send the questions to Greeninfrastructure@hudsonriver.org by March 1, 2016. Questions will be answered via email to all 6
firms filing notice of intents and will be posted on www.harborestuary.org by March 10 2016. Proposal content (due March 24, 2016) Each package should not exceed the equivalent of 20 single spaced pages (12-point standard font and one inch margins). The Proposal Narrative should be no more than eight pages. No more than three pages of printed materials describing comparable projects should be included. The proposal must include the following information: 1. Cover Letter. Please include a cover letter, printed on official letterhead and signed by an authorized representative of the lead organization that is applying. 2. Title Page. The title page must adhere to the format provided in Appendix C and include all of the following information, using a maximum of one page. Project Title, as it appears throughout the proposal. Project Leader: Provide the name, title, affiliation and complete contact information (mailing address, phone and fax numbers, and email address) of the individual leading the project. Project Support: Provide the names, titles, affiliations, and complete contact information for each of the additional investigators or support staff who will significantly contribute to the project. Project Partners: Provide the names and contact information for notable partners, if applicable. Project Cost: Provide the total funding requested from HEP and total project match (if any). Federal Tax Identification Number (FID): Provide the sponsor s FID. DUNS Number: Contractors must provide a DUNS number. Individual consultants are exempt from this requirement. If you do not have a DUNS number at the time of applying, please indicate if you are in the process of obtaining one. Abstract: The abstract must accurately describe the project being proposed and any important details, such as objectives, methodology, and expected outputs and outcomes. The abstract must fit within the title page. 3. Proposal Narrative. Please start the proposal narrative on a new page. It must not exceed eight pages and must include the following information: Professional merits and experience: describe the relevant work experience of the project team and reference projects conducted in the last five years. References or a client list for these projects is recommended. Define the roles of the project manager and partners in the project. Work Plan. Incorporate the following tasks and clearly describe how you will carry out the work (identifying the team member responsible, where appropriate): o Attend a kick-off meeting with the advisory committee. o Develop a Quality Assurance Project Plan. For more information, see Appendix A. o Overall approach and expected results and timeline for the project. 7
o Specific approach and methodology for selecting the study catchment areas, screening potential sites and conducting the preliminary assessment of the value and viability of creating green infrastructure source controls in the two selected catchment areas. Identify and describe deliverables. o Specific approach and methodology for analyzing how creation of green infrastructure source controls at potential sites in each catchment area will reduce the volumes, peak flows, and pollutant loads entering the collection system and receiving waters and contribute to achieving Perth Amboy s LTCP permit, other clean water goals, and delivering other community and environmental benefits. Identify and describe deliverables. o Specific approach and methodology for identifying the recommended set of green infrastructure investments for each of the two catchment areas and preparing a plan for how this preferred set of actions could be implemented over time including approaches for management, funding, maintenance, and monitoring. Identify and describe deliverables. o Specific approach for producing a report and digital slide presentation detailing the methodology, results, recommendations for Perth Amboy and implications for other urban communities, and sharing this information with stakeholders in Perth Amboy and elsewhere in New Jersey. Identify and describe deliverables. o At least five in person meetings with the advisory committee following the kickoff meeting, and incorporating their feedback into the approach and final report. Project Timeline: Develop a timeline for meeting project objectives and tasks and deliverables identified in the workplan. The anticipated project period is June 1, 2016 to November 30, 2017. However all timelines should be stated in terms of Month #1, #2, #4, etc. rather than specific dates. Please be sure to budget sufficient time for the QAPP, which can take four months to draft and gain approval from EPA. Project Budget Description: Please provide a brief narrative summary of the information on the Budget Form (see Appendix D and E). Include any relevant details including work performed by consultants or subcontractors, whether any matching funds or in-kind services are in-hand or being sought, and whether your project is part of an ongoing program or project. 4. Attachments. Please include the following: Budget Forms: provide an itemized budget in the table format provided in Appendix D. Please indicate the source of any matching funds or in-kind services. If matching funds are included, please specify if these have been secured or are being sought. Also, prepare a budget that is broken down by project tasks and anticipated time of completion as shown in Appendix D of this document. Letters of Partnership and/or Support: Please include any letters documenting contributions from major partnering organizations. The letter(s) should clearly explain the roles and contributions of your partner(s). Letters of support from partners in recent relevant work can also be included. There is no limit on 8
partnership or support letters. Descriptions of Comparable Projects: Please include up to three pages of printed materials describing comparable projects that your firm has undertaken. VI. General Guidelines for Applicants Eligibility A total of $90,000 is available for the project. Any non-federal public agency, institution, business, or non profit entity is eligible to apply. No matching funds are required, but contribution of outside funds, in-kind services, or other match will be favorably reviewed and should be indicated. Grant Awards The Foundation expects to provide award notification to applicants on or about April 15, 2016. Award recipients will be asked to submit a final work plan, timeline, and budget at this time. Projects cannot start until the contract is signed by both parties. No environmental data collection activities may begin until the QAPP has been approved by US EPA. Payment for costs incurred will be on a reimbursement basis and contingent upon completion of quarterly progress reports and project deliverables. HEP and the Foundation reserve the right to modify, postpone or cancel this solicitation and to reject all applications. Evaluation criteria All proposals will be reviewed and evaluated by an external Review Panel. Applications will be evaluated based solely on the project s merits as outlined in Appendix B. After all proposals have been reviewed separately and as a group, revisions may be required before or after reaching a final decision before a contract may be executed. Criteria for project evaluation include: Understanding of the Goals and Objectives of this Request for Proposals Technical Approach to the Project and Specific Tasks Ability to Meet Schedule Professional Merits and Relevant Experience Cost Effectiveness Schedule February 19, 2016 RFP Announced March 1, 2016 5:00 pm Notice of intent to apply and submission of written questions (optional) March 10, 2016 HEP/HRF Response to questions March 24, 2016 5:00 pm Full proposals due April 15, 2016 Approximate selection date June 1, 2016-November 30, 2017 Expected project period Deliverables and Conditions The funding recipient will be required to submit quarterly progress reports and a final project 9
report. Guidelines for these reports will be distributed with the grant award. HEP expects to make the reports and online data display publicly available by posting on its website and/or other means of distribution. VII. Submission Process Optional Notices of Intent and any Questions should be submitted by 5:00 PM March 1, 2016 to greeninfrastructure@harborestuary.org. Proposals must be submitted by no later than 5:00 PM March 24 to greeninfrastructure@harborestuary.org as a single PDF document. The file name should be in the following format: NY-NJ HEP Green Infrastructure RFP_NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION. You will receive an email confirming your submission with the subject line RFP Submission Confirmation. 10
APPENDIX A: QUALITY ASSURANCE PROJECT PLAN (QAPP) Projects selected for funding that involve the collection, analysis, or manipulation of environmental data will require an EPA -approved Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP). This includes both data collected as part of this project or previously collected, whether by the applicant or other entities such as, but not limited to: historical data, databases, models, and surveys. QAPP preparation is intended to facilitate the project planning and development process and to assure that the data used or provided are of known and adequate quality. This project will almost certainly require a QAPP. When a QAPP is required, applicants need to include preparation and implementation of this plan into their budgets and timelines. Keep in mind that it can take four months to complete the QAPP writing and approval process and no environmental data activity can proceed before the QAPP is approved by EPA. Once a contractor is selected, HEP will work with the contractor to set up a pre- QAPP call with EPA Region 2 Quality Assurance officers to address any questions that either the contractor or EPA may have. HEP and EPA are also available for advise/guidance throughout this process. Guidance materials are available from the EPA website (http://www.epa.gov/region02/qa/qa_documents/air_h20_qapp04.pdf and http://www.epa.gov/quality/qs-docs/g5-final.pdf) 10
APPENDIX B: EVALUATION CRITERIA Score: 0 = not likely, 1 = somewhat likely, 2 = likely, 3 = very likely. Maximum score: 48. This proposal Goals, Makes a clear case for applicant s motivation to carry out the project. objectives and rationale References and supports relevant goals and objectives. Provides a clear and well thought-out course of action, including a list of specific tasks, actions and methods. Demonstrates a clear understanding of the required technical tasks, including site screening and evaluation and modeling of water quality and other co-benefits Technical Approach to the Project and Specific Tasks Ability to Meet Schedule Professional Merits and Relevant Experience Demonstrates a clear understanding of the required planning and communication tasks, including benefit/cost analyses of preferred actions. Provides for opportunities for working with the advisory committee and sharing the results of the project with other stakeholders Has outputs and outcomes in line with those required in the RFP and the proposed course of action. The timeline for the identified tasks is realistic and likely to be met. Project is likely to be completed on or before November 30, 2017. Demonstrates relevant experience of the responding organization with green infrastructure, modeling, and analysis and presentation of benefits Demonstrates relevant experience of the project manager and project team members with green infrastructure, modeling, and analysis and presentation of benefits Demonstrates understanding of NJ DEP s Long Term Control Plan permitting process, in particular as it pertains to Perth Amboy and Middlesex County Utility Authority Demonstrates commitment and support from project team and relevant partners Includes a budget that is clearly presented and adequate to accomplish the project. Cost Has costs that are reasonable and justified. Effectiveness Provides for contribution of outside funds, in-kind services, or other match SCORE 11
APPENDIX C: TITLE PAGE FORMAT Title: Project Leader: Contact Information: Project Support: Total Funds Requested from HEP: $ Total matching funds: $ EIN/Federal Tax Identification Number: DUNS Number: If you do not yet have a DUNS number, please indicate if you are in the process of obtaining one. Project Abstract The abstract must fit within this title page, using a maximum of one single- spaced, one-sided typed 8.5" x 11" page with 12 point font and 1 margins 12
APPENDIX D: BUDGET FORM BUDGET CATEGORY (Add/remove itemizing lines below major categories as necessary, but please do NOT delete major categories) A. PERSONNEL (list individual staff member, task, and hours or % time) TOTAL: B. FRINGE BENEFITS % of (e.g., 10% of total personnel costs) TOTAL: FUNDS REQUESTED FROM HEP FUNDS FROM OTHER SOURCES* C. TRAVEL (estimate number/purpose of trips below) TOTAL: D. EQUIPMENT** (itemize below) TOTAL: E. SUPPLIES (itemize below) TOTAL: F. CONTRACTS (identify & itemize below) TOTAL: G. OTHER (identify & itemize below) TOTAL: H. TOTAL DIRECT COSTS (SUM OF A-G) I. INDIRECT COSTS % of (e.g., 10% of total direct costs) TOTAL: J. TOTAL PROJECT COST (SUM OF H+I) * Please list the source(s) of these funds and if they are in-hand or anticipated, cash or in-kind services: **Equipment refers to items that cost $5,000 or more each. Items of lesser cost are considered supplies. 13 TOTAL BUDGET
APPENDIX E: TASK-BASED BUDGET FORMAT Task Number/Name Expected Date of Completion Estimated Cost per Task 14