STATE OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PROFESSIONAL SERVICES LETTER OF RESPONSE 375-030-22 Page 1 Advertisement No.: 16107 DOT FM Number: 43719412201, 43719412202 Project Name: Environmental Management Office (EMO) Support Consultant s Name: AIM Engineering & Surveying, Inc. Street Address: 3802 Corporex Park Drive, Suite 225 City: Tampa State: Florida Zip: 33619 Office Location: Tampa, Florida Contact person: Michael Adams, PE Phone: 813-627-4144 Contact email: madams@aimengr.com By submittal of this letter the Consultant certifies that all information provided in the letter is true and accurate. The Consultant further affirms that staff proposed are currently employed by the firm(s) identified, or the Consultant has provided a statement of when staff will become employed by the identified firm(s). Please provide the following information: Proposed approach and understanding of critical issues. Relevant project experience Similar type of work experience. Other content provided by firm. Proposed key personnel and their proposed roles (do not include resumes). Consultants: Please be aware that all font (including in graphics, tables, and captions on photos) must be standard Arial Narrow, 11 point, single line spacing with no modification of font or spacing allowed. ½ clear margin on all sides must be maintained on all pages. It is the Consultant s responsibility, due to font and format restrictions within this form, to work within the constraints of the form and its format. Character styling such as use of color, bold, and italics is allowed. Use of a table is recommended for text boxes. The page layout may be modified to add columns, tables, graphics, and photos. All graphics and photos must be created in a clean, blank word document and the text wrapping square option applied before cutting and pasting into this form. Consultants may add their logo at the top of the first page (directly underneath the header), however, the Consultant shall not extend the form beyond the pages allocated for the Letter to accommodate insertion of the logo. Consultants are not permitted to insert any other information in the header other than the logo. After pasting your letter into this form, highlight all text and ensure the font size of Arial Narrow, 11 point was retained. Once your content is inserted, delete any additional blank pages that are generated by pressing your delete key after the last word in the Letter of Response. Recreation of the form in another software application to modify the form format is not permitted. This form works best when saved with a.docx extension. *Please retain the source document as it may be requested at a later date in the procurement, to verify adherence with aforementioned restrictions. Note: You may begin typing on this page. AIM Engineering & Surveying, Inc. (AIM), in association with Atkins, N.A. (Atkins) and RK&K, is pleased to submit this letter of response for the District One Continuing Services Consultant contract. Our team of talented and experienced professionals is immediately available to provide support to the District One Environmental Management Office (DEMO) on a wide range of engineering, environmental, public involvement and management services. Many of our teammates have enjoyed the privilege of serving DEMO for more than two decades and our ability to deliver high-quality services on time and within budget is due to the experience, expertise and commitment of our staff. In addition to our primary partners, Atkins and RK&K, we have included 10 other highly qualified and experienced subconsultants whom we have worked with on multiple projects and who share our dedication and commitment to District One. Five of these firms are DBE s and one is an SBE, thus demonstrating AIM s commitment to helping the Department achieve its DBE/SBE participation goals. All team members have been selected for their reputations for client satisfaction and the solid working relationships they have developed with District One. Together, the AIM Team offers the DEMO staff strong leadership, proven technical capabilities, effective communication skills, and demonstrated responsiveness, as well as the depth and breadth of staff to handle any task work order that might be assigned. CONTRACT MANAGEMENT APPROACH: AIM s philosophy on administering this contract will remain the same as it has been for the last decade, having served as DEMO s Districtwide consultant. Namely, our role as the prime consultant is to provide qualified and experienced technical staff to assist DEMO in accomplishing their goals in a timely manner regardless of which firms this
Page 2 may involve. Although a good Continuing Services Consultant must be able to work independently with minimal supervision by the client, AIM recognizes that this type of working relationship requires an open line of communication on a regular basis. The AIM Team s Contract Manager, Mike Adams, PE, is a highly effective communicator and recognizes the benefits of being proactive. Mike has over 26 years of experience and has managed multiple District One Districtwide contracts, including Districtwide DEMO contracts. He has also personally worked with Marlon Bizerra and Gwen Pipkin for more than 20 years on some of the District s toughest challenges. His primary responsibilities will be to facilitate the communication and coordination of the AIM Team with the DEMO staff and keep the DEMO staff apprised of the current status of all on-going task assignments including any issues that may need to be resolved. Mike will coordinate with the DEMO staff to make sure the necessary resources are available and allocated to each task assignment. We are committed to providing the personnel requested by DEMO to ensure that the specific capabilities of the staff match the specific needs of each assignment. Mr. Adams also serves as AIM s Quality Assurance Manager and therefore, will ensure that AIM s Quality Control process is followed for every assignment issued. Sean Donahoo, PE, will serve as AIM s Deputy Contract Manager. Sean has over 17 years of experience dedicated to District One PD&E studies and is serving as AIM s Contract Manager on our current Districtwide DEMO contract. In addition, Sean is also currently managing AIM s US 92 PD&E study in Polk County. He has managed or worked on over 50 PD&E studies and several more reevaluations. Mike and Sean have worked together on District One projects for over 15 years and they understand the specific needs of the DEMO staff as well as the unique characteristics associated with task work order based contracts. KEY STAFF: In addition to Mike and Sean s involvement, DEMO will benefit from AIM s qualified associates and subconsultants. Erik Fleming, PE, has served District One for more than a decade as the engineering lead under several Districtwide DEMO contracts, as well as on numerous PD&E studies. He has developed geometric improvement concepts for freeways, interchanges, overpasses, arterials, and intersections (including roundabouts). Erik also has extensive experience preparing preliminary construction cost estimates for PD&E studies very quickly and at a level of detail comparable to an FDOT Long Range Estimate (LRE). Greg Root will provide travel demand and traffic operations analysis support as requested. Greg has over 27 years of experience dedicated to FDOT projects and has provided traffic support to District One (both DEMO and Planning) for more than two decades. Greg has worked with Mike, Sean and Erik for more than 15 years and is well respected in District One for his commitment to thoroughness, accuracy and quality reports. Jennifer Marshall, PE, serves as AIM s public involvement lead under our current Districtwide DEMO contract, as well as on the US 98 and US 92 PD&E studies, and is a regular in the District One headquarters. Currently, Jennifer works in AIM s Bartow office; however, she could be assigned to the District One office on a regularly scheduled basis if needed. Jennifer has been responsible for 14 public workshops/hearings and has considerable hands-on experience preparing all types of public involvement materials. Karen Miracola has recently joined AIM after a 25-year career working for District One in the Southwest Area Office (SWAO). Karen has extensive experience with JPA s and LAP agreements, as well as numerous state grant programs. She also has excellent working relationships with all 12 counties within District One. Currently, Karen works in AIM s Lehigh Acres office just minutes from the SWAO. Karen is available to work in the SWAO on an as-needed basis to provide support to the DEMO staff, as well as SWAO Director Carmen Monroy. We are pleased that Atkins and RK&K have partnered with AIM. Atkins key professionals, including Kim Warren, Randy Cimini, Dan Doebler, Doug Reed, PE, Gordon Mullen, and Rebecca Spain Schwarz, AIA, have a long history of providing support to the DEMO staff as a District One General Engineering Consultant (GEC) for many years, while many of the key staff at RK&K including Dick Combs, Bryan Williams, Richard Oujevolk (OJ), PE, Chris Piazza, PE and Charles Bleam had lengthy careers as District One employees. These key individuals also share AIM s understanding of the demands that are placed on the DEMO staff and the critical need for responsiveness, accuracy and quality service. The current staff at AIM, Atkins and RK&K has also successfully worked together on numerous District One projects, including the Central Polk Parkway PD&E study, and we are excited about the potential opportunities to collaborate again. We are also pleased that both Inwood and Scheda are exclusive subconsultants to AIM. Inwood s key staff, including Alex Hull, PE, David Dangel, PE, Renato Chuw, PE, Jason Houck, PWS, GISP, Mark Hales, PE, and Dennis Atkins, has also been serving District One through a Districtwide DEMO contract, as well as several individual PD&E studies. Scheda s key staff, including Sandy Scheda, MS, Kristin Caruso, MS, and Robert Mrykalo, MS, has provided a wide range of environmental services to District One under several GEC and Districtwide contracts. In the past year alone, they have conducted and documented sand skink and Florida bonneted bat surveys under the current GEC contract, as well as wetland delineations, cumulative impact analyses, mitigation monitoring, environmental permit support, and pond siting evaluations under the Districtwide Environmental Permit Design Support contract. In some cases these were extremely short notice assignments and Scheda staff completed the field surveys and the summary reports within the same week that the task assignment was issued. AIM has worked with both Inwood and Scheda on District One PD&E studies for more than 12 years including the SR 33, SR 29, I-75, and US 98 PD&E studies. Recognizing the wide range of specialty services that might be needed by the DEMO staff, we have included eight other subconsultants on our team. These specialty firms will be able to provide DEMO with the following services:
Page 3 Adams Traffic, Inc. Traffic data collection Archaeological Consultants, Inc. Cultural resources [including Janus Research, Inc. (Janus) Section 106 and Section 4(f)] Hardesty & Hanover, LLC Bridges (including movable) I.F. Rooks & Associates, Inc. Aerial photogrammetry Kittelson & Associates, Inc. (KAI) Roundabouts & interchanges Patel, Greene & Associates, Inc. Roadway, drainage & bridges Tierra, Inc. (Tierra) Geotechnical & contamination As with our other teammates, AIM staff has worked with all of these firms (or key individuals currently employed with these firms) and these firms have been involved in multiple District One projects, including PD&E studies. For over two decades, Janus has provided cultural resource management services to the FDOT s Central Environmental Management Office including developing the FDOT Cultural Resource Management Handbook and Part 2, Chapter 12 (Archaeological and Historical Resources) of the PD&E Manual. KAI served as the prime consultant while developing four new Innovative Intersection Informational Guides for the FHWA Safety Office. These provide state-of-the-practice guidance on planning, analysis, and design for a wide range of innovative geometric concepts including Diverging Diamond Interchanges and Displaced Left-Turn Intersections. KAI is also an industry leader in roundabout planning and design and has led the research that ultimately resulted in the creation of NCHRP Report 672 Roundabouts: An Informational Guide, as well as Chapter 21 (Roundabouts) of the 2010 Highway Capacity Manual. UNDERSTANDING OF SCOPE AND CONTRACT: From engineering data collection to preparing improvement concepts, cost estimates and Preliminary Engineering Reports, the AIM Team possesses all of the necessary knowledge and skills to conduct these types of engineering tasks. Our team can also assist DEMO by reviewing alternative improvement concepts and cost estimates prepared by other consultants or by developing independent alternatives that avoid/minimize environmental impacts and utility impacts and reduce ROW/construction costs. The AIM Team also understands the importance of being responsive to DEMO s needs with respect to environmental assignments. Our team includes eight firms with environmental professionals experienced in preparing and reviewing all types of environmental documents including Categorical Exclusions, Environmental Assessments, Environmental Impact Statements, Design Change Reevaluations, and Biological Assessments. We also have qualified staff that can assist with the relocation and monitoring of protected species. ACI and Janus will continue to be available to prepare Cultural Resource Assessment Surveys and to support DEMO s coordination with the State Historic Preservation Officer and the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer. AIM and Atkins will be available to assist Doug Zang with any level of noise study and air quality analysis needed and both firms have members on FDOT s Noise Task Team. AIM and Tierra will support Jeffrey James with any Level 1 or 2 contamination assessments. Public involvement is an equally important component of this contract. We understand that the effectiveness of our interactions with public officials, local agencies and the general public is a direct reflection on the Department. The AIM Team has worked with Public Information Directors Debbie Tower and Robin Stublen on a wide range of projects and has a thorough understanding of their requirements and preferences. Our working relationships with both directors allow us to interact directly with both public information offices without burdening DEMO staff unnecessarily. AIM, Atkins and Inwood have all produced high quality newsletters, brochures, and audio/visual presentations for DEMO and we will continue to do so under this contract. Mike Adams fully understands the requirements of a Continuing Services-type contract. Many of the tasks issued require quick turnarounds. This makes it imperative to accomplish both the task authorization, as well as the task itself, in an efficient and expeditious manner. Many of the tasks also require coordination with other departments, agencies, local governments and/or consultants. AIM s key staff has good working relationships with the District One Planning, Design, Traffic Operations, Access Management, and Maintenance staff, as well as with the environmental agencies and local governments. These relationships will enhance our ability to conduct the necessary coordination in a timely manner. A primary component of the AIM Team s approach to every assignment is attention to total quality. At the start of this contract, Mike will prepare a quality control plan and submit this plan to the DEMO staff for their approval. The approved plan will then be provided to all of our partners to ensure a consistent application of the quality control process. AIM understands the need to get it right the first time and takes great pride in the effectiveness of our QC/QA process. The accuracy and quality of the documents we have provided to DEMO are a testimony to the success of our process. The depth and experience of our team will also allow us to conduct independent peer reviews where appropriate. AIM s COMMITMENT TO DEMO AND DISTRICT ONE: In closing, we believe the AIM Team is the best qualified team to serve DEMO under this contract. Specifically, our team will: Provide scopes and fee estimates quickly without burdening DEMO staff with questions; Respond quickly to all phone calls and e-mails; Deliver high quality services that exceed DEMO s expectations while minimizing the time commitments placed on DEMO staff; Meet all required schedules; and Ensure that the best interests of DEMO and District One are maintained at all times. We ask that you please select us for this contract and we thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, AIM Engineering & Surveying, Inc. Michael Adams, PE
Page 4 Prequalification of Prime Consultant and any proposed Subconsultants by advertised type(s) of work: Project Advertised Major & Minor Work Types Consultant Name 2.0 DBE SB UU Prime AIM Engineering & Surveying, Inc. Adams Traffic, Inc. Archaeological Consultants, Inc. Atkins North America, Inc. Hardesty & Hanover, LLC I.F. Rooks & Associates, Inc. Inwood Consulting Engineers, Inc. Janus Research, Inc. Kittelson & Associates, Inc. Subconsultants Patel, Greene & Associates, PLLC Rummel, Klepper & Kahl, LLP D/B/A RK&K Scheda Ecological Associates, Inc. Tierra, Inc. SB = Small Business UU = Under-utilized work type; subconsultant is fulfilling an under-utilized work type My firm has submitted a Bid Opportunity List through the Equal Opportunity Compliance System for this project.
Page 5 Prequalification of Prime Consultant and any proposed Subconsultants by advertised type(s) of work: Project Advertised Major & Minor Work Types Consultant Name Prime DBE SB UU Subconsultants SB = Small Business UU = Under-utilized work type; subconsultant is fulfilling an under-utilized work type My firm has submitted a Bid Opportunity List through the Equal Opportunity Compliance System for this project.
Page 6 Prequalification of Prime Consultant and any proposed Subconsultants by advertised type(s) of work: Project Advertised Major & Minor Work Types Consultant Name Prime DBE SB UU Subconsultants SB = Small Business UU = Under-utilized work type; subconsultant is fulfilling an under-utilized work type My firm has submitted a Bid Opportunity List through the Equal Opportunity Compliance System for this project.