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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem H MEMORANDUM September 13, 1999 TO: MAYOR YOSTAND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL FROM: KEITH TILL, CITY MANAGER SUBJECT: Response to Huntington Beach request for$4,200 to fund rail study SUMMARY OR RECOMMENDATION: Council to approve a motion declining to participate in a rail feasibility study at a cost of$4,200. BACKGROUND: Members of the West Orange County Cities Association have been considering hiring a consultant to conduct a Rail Feasibility and Alignment Study. The stated purpose is to develop a vision for West Orange County rail needs, identify preliminary rail alignment alternatives and gather supportive materials to be used in discussions with Orange County Transportation Authority as it begins to consider Phase II of the Centerline Corridor project. The cities of Buena Park, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove and Huntington Beach have formed a subcommittee of WOCCA to develop a request for proposals. The estimated budget for the study is $105,000. Seal Beach's cost, based upon a per capita percentage formula,would be $4,200. A number of cities have committed to participate financially. It isn't clear,however, whether there would be a direct benefit to Seal Beach that could not be achieved through a study performed by OCTA, without a cost to the city. It is clearly a keen interest of several of the larger cities in WOCCA, so the study may be funded with or without Seal Beach's participation. Given the cost involved and new financial problems the City is facing, it does not appear prudent to participate financially. RECOMMENDATION: City Council to approve a motion declining to participate fmancially in the West Orange County Cities Association Rail Feasibility and Alignment Study. Agenda Item 23 City Share/by Per Capita Percentage Pop % Phase I& II Phase III Total (1/97) Buena Park 73,072 11 $ 4,950 $ 6,600 $ 11,550 Cypress 47,028 7 $ 3,150 $ 4,200 $ 7,350 Fountain 54,797 8 $ 3,600 $ 4,800 $ 8,400 Valley Garden Grove 152,041 22 $ 9,900 $ 13,200 $ 23,100 Huntington 188,518 27 $ 12,150 $ 16,200 $ 28,350 Bch La Palma 15,761 2 $ 900 $ 1,200 $ 2,100 Los Alamitos 11,661 2 $ 900 $ 1,200 $ 2,100 Seal Beach 26,360 4 $ 1,800 $ 2,400 $ 4,200 Stanton 32,984 5 $ 2,250 $ 3,000 $ 5,250 Westminster 83,141 12 $ 5,400 $ 7,200 $ 12,600 Total . Q 685,363 100 $45,000 d $ 60,000 I $ 105,000 CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL for Professional Transportation Planning Consulting Services for a Rail Feasibility and Alignment Study for West Orange County Cities PROPOSAL SUBMITTALS: Responses to the Request for Proposal (RFP) are to be - submitted to: Ms. Elaine Kuhnke, Administration City of Huntington Beach City Hall 2000 Main Street P.O. Box 190 Huntington Beach, CA 92648 no later than 5:00 P. M. on September 27, 1999. Twenty (20) copies of the proposal shall be submitted in a sealed envelope and marked: "Proposal for Consultant Services, Rail Feasibility and Alignment Study for West Orange County Cities". Additionally, ten (10) copies of the consultant's fee proposal shall be submitted in a separate, sealed envelope and marked "Fee Proposal for Rail Feasibility and Alignment Study for West Orange County Cities." Proposals received after the specified time will not be accepted and will be returned unopened. Questions regarding this request may be addressed to Elaine Kuhnke at 714/374-5307. INDEX Section Page I. Introduction 2 II. Schedule of Events 2 III. Project Background 2 IV. Scope of Work 3 V. Fee Proposal Requirements 6 VI. Proposal Requirements 7 VII. General Requirements 10 IX. Consultant Evaluation & Selection Process 12 CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH Rail FeasbIy/West Orange County Cites RFP ,199 Page 2 I. INTRODUCTION The City of Huntington Beach is requesting proposals from qualified rail transportation planning firms for preparation of a Rail Feasibility and Alignment Study for the West Orange County Cities. II. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS 8/23/99 Issuance of Request for Proposals 9/27/99 Proposals due at City Hall by 5:00 P.M. 10/99 Interviews (as required, dates to be determined) 11/99 City Council Approval of Consultant Contract (estimated date) III. PROJECT BACKGROUND The West Orange County Cities Association is interested in ensuring that the urban rail planning effort in Orange County properly includes consideration of the transit needs of the West Orange County Cities (Cities). These cities include: Buena Park, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, Stanton and Westminster. The purpose of this study is not to reinvent earlier studies affecting West Orange County, but to develop the appropriate analysis for West Orange County city decision-makers to make informed decisions concerning the most appropriate rail alignment. The study will be used to form a basis for further rail development work in West Orange County. For this reason, the Cities are seeking rail transportation planning consulting services, aimed at helping the Cities develop: (1) a clear vision of the West Orange County area's rail transit needs; (2) a strategy for meeting those needs, and; (3) viable rail alignment alternatives, along with appropriate documentation and analysis, which could be used in future planning efforts with the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA). This rail planning effort should be coordinated with and take into consideration the existing and proposed transportation improvements for the region. The rail planning effort must also consider ridership, cost effectiveness, and political consensus. CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH Rail Fe rty/West Orange County Cities RFP ,199 Page 3 Urban rail planning in Orange County is currently defined by the 1991 Transit Master Plan, the 1993 Urban Rail Project Definition Study, and the 1997 Central Corridor Major Investment Study. These policy documents focus the initial stage of urban rail in the 28-mile corridor between Fullerton and Irvine. OCTA is finalizing conceptual layouts for light rail between Disneyland and John Wayne Airport. Future extensions include connections from the Centerline corridor to Los Angeles, to both the Blue Line in Long Beach and the Green Line in Norwalk. These extensions are currently unfunded and are not planned in much detail. The OCTA is also conducting a preliminary study of the transportation needs of the 1-405 corridor. IV. SCOPE OF WORK In general, the consultant shall conduct a rail transit feasibility and needs assessment for the West Orange County Cities. It is the intent of the Cities to complete Phases I and II within a four month period. A Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) comprised of three (3) different City representatives will direct the study. The remaining Cities will participate by contributing to, reviewing, and approving the key work products produced at each phase of the project. As part of the project the consultant will interview all participating cities on such key items as: goals, objectives, and criteria for assessing alternatives; transportation needs and deficiencies, potential community issues, and preferred alternatives. The scope of work should detail the number and timing of meetings proposed between the consultant and the TAC, as well as with each of the Cities. The scope of work includes three (3) phases. Phases I and II will be completed as part of this study. Phase III will be completed.only upon the recommendation of the TAC, based on the findings of Phases I and II. It should be noted, however, that the Fee Proposal to be submitted as part of the RFP should include the consultant's best estimate for all three (3) phases. The scope of work for the respective phases of the consultant's services shall include, but not be limited to, the following tasks as described below. The consultant may move key tasks among phases when detailing a proposed scope of work and methodology. However, all tasks should be addressed within the proposal. CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH Rail Feasibility/West Orange County Cies RFP ,199 Page 4 Phase I: Vision and Needs Assessment As part of Phase I, the consultant shall: 1.1 Conduct a transportation needs assessment which evaluates the fit between the existing and programmed roadway and transit improvements (including transit centers) in the West Orange County Area, the 2020 population and employment projections, and existing and future land use and activity patterns planned for the area.- Work Product: Technical Memorandum#1 1.2 Identify the location, nature, and magnitude of potential transportation deficiencies in the West Orange County area. Potential types of transportation deficiencies may include, but are not limited to, a need for: a) additional inter-county commuter service, b) a connection to the. Centerline urban rail system, and c) inter or intra-city circulator systems serving visitors to the beach or employment centers. 1.3 Identify the types of deficiencies best served by rail verses other modes of transportation. Work Product: Technical Memorandum #2 1.4 Define the types of rail services the Cities should consider, such as light rail, heavy rail, or commuter rail. 1.5 Define the major origins and destinations to be served. 1.6 Develop consensus among the TAC on the transportation goals, objectives, and criteria for assessing improvement alternatives for the area. Work Product: Technical Memorandum #3 CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH Rail Feasbirty/West Orange County Cities RFP ,199 Page 5 1.7 Develop an area vision for a future transportation system for the area. 1.8 Identify potential community issues (e.g. political, business, residential, etc) 1.9 Identify potential funding sources, resources, and constraints. WORK PRODUCT: Preliminary Summary Report, Tasks 1.1 — 1.9 Phase-II: Development and Preliminary Evaluation of Alternatives As part of Phase II, the consultant shall: 2.1 Identify a range of rail options/alignments and preliminary ridership forecasts for serving the needs identified in Phase I. This should include identification of possible alignments at a conceptual level of detail. Possible alignments for consideration may include, but not be limited to: Pacific Coast Highway, 1-405, the Pacific Electric right-of-way, existing railway rights-of-way, Katella Avenue, and the Santa Ana River Corridor. 2.2 Conduct a preliminary screening of the alternatives to identify those alternatives which merit more detailed study. The screening methodology should relate to the goals, objectives, and criteria established during Phase I. The consultant is further expected to clarify if the proposed alignments involve street grade, elevated, or other type. The TAC will serve as the body in assisting to build local consensus regarding the proposed preliminary alternatives. Work Product: Preliminary Summary Report, Tasks 2.1 - 2.2 (OPTIONAL) Phase III: Detailed Evaluation of Alternatives Based on the results of Tasks 2.1 — 2.2, the TAC will recommend whether the study should proceed to Phase III and direct the consultant to complete further detailed evaluation of a short list of only the most viable rail alternatives. It should be noted that based on the results of Phase 1 & II, Phase III may be more fully defined. CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH Ra�1FeasiiTIty/West Orange County Cities RFP ,199 Page 6 As part of Phase III, the consultant shall: 3.1 Conduct a more detailed evaluation of the most viable short-list of alternatives as recommended by the TAC. The evaluation shall provide sufficient information to allow the Cities to select a viable, preferred rail alternative. As appropriate, the evaluation shall fit with the goals and • objectives of the Cities (including any goals and objectives related to future land uses), be acceptable to the community, and fit with the OCTA's regional transportation plans. The evaluation shall also provide preliminary peak and off-peak patronage estimates for each short-listed alternative. 3.2 Prepare order-of-magnitude cost estimate for short list of alternatives. Work Product: Final Report, Phases I, II, Ill V. FEE PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS In preparing the fee proposal for this project the consultant shall take into consideration the following: 1. Compensation for services provided in completing Phase I, Vision and Needs Assessment, shall be based on a time and materials not-to-exceed basis. 2. Compensation for Phase II, Development and Preliminary Evaluation of Alternatives, shall be based on a time and materials not-to-exceed basis. 3. Compensation for Phase III, Detailed Evaluation of Alternatives, shall be based on a time and materials not-to-exceed basis. 4. A work plan together with a breakdown of labor hours by employee billing classification together with the cost of non-labor and subconsultant services shall be included with the fee proposal. The labor breakdown shall be compiled by project phases and be based on a listing of work tasks that correlates with the consultant's defined scope of work for the project proposal. This information will be used by City staff to evaluate CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH Rail Fea rty/WestOrangeCountyCiiiesRFP ,199 Page7 the reasonableness of the fee proposal and will be used in negotiating the final fee amounts for the contract agreement. 5. The consultant shall state in the Fee Proposal the number of hours allotted in the fee amount for Phases I-Ill for attending meetings. Should the amount of hours expended during these phases exceed the amount included in the fee quote, the consultant may be authorized to invoice the city for the additional hours upon first notifying the city that the budget limit for meetings has been reached. The city shall then determine whether additional hours for meetings will be authorized. 6. The consultant's standard billing rates for all classifications of staff likely to be involved in the project shall be included with the fee proposal along with the mark-up rate for any non-labor expenses and subconsultants. VI. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS Although no specific format is required by the City, this section is intended to provide guidelines to the consultant regarding features which the City will look for and expect to be included in the proposal. 1. Content & Format The City requests that proposals submitted be organized and presented in a neat and logical format and are relevant to these services. Consultant's proposals shall be clear, accurate, and comprehensive. Excessive or irrelevant material will not be favorably received. Proposals shall contain no more than 30 typed pages using a 10 point minimum font size, including transmittal/offer letter and resumes of key people, but excluding Index/Table of Contents, tables, charts, and graphic exhibits. The purpose of these restrictions is to minimize the costs of proposal preparation and to ensure that the response to the RFP is fully relevant to the project. The separately submitted Fee Proposal should contain only enough pages to clearly respond with the information that is requested in the RFP. CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH RalPety/West Orange County CmesRFP ,199 Page 8 The proposal shall include the following: • Transmittal/offer letter. • Page numbering. • Index/Table of Contents. • Team Organization including an organizational chart. • Approach to the Project. • Scope of Services. • Descriptions of similar projects by key staff to be used on this assignment. • Brief resumes of key staff. • Project schedule. 2. Scope of Services A description of the work plan that will be undertaken shall be included in this section. It should explain the technical approach, methodology, and specific tasks and activities that will be performed to address the specific issues and work items identified in the RFP. It should also include a discussion of constraints, problems, and issues that should be anticipated during the contract, and suggestions for approaches to resolving them. Key work products associated with each phase of the project are to be clearly identified. 3. Statement of Qualifications The information requested in this section should describe the qualifications of the firm, key staff and subconsultants in performing projects within the past five years that are similar in size and scope to demonstrate competence to perform these services. The projects listed should be those that key staff named for this project were responsible for performing services. Information shall include: • Names of key staff that participated on named projects and their specific responsibilities. • The client's name, contact person, address, and telephone number. • A brief description of type and extent of services provided. • Completion dates (estimated, if not yet completed). • Total cost of the project. CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH Ra7Fy/West Orange County CitisRFP ,199 Page 9 There shall be included in the section brief resumes of key personnel who will provide these services demonstrating their qualifications and experience. Resumes should highlight education, experience, licenses, relevant experience, and specific responsibilities for services described. 4. Project Team The purpose of this section is to describe the organization of the project team including subconsultants and key staff. A project manager and an alternate project manager shall be named who shall be the primary contact and be responsible for coordinating all activities with the City. An organizational chart shall be submitted showing all key team members and illustrating the relationship between the City, the project manager, key staff, and subconsultants. There also should be a brief description of the role and responsibilities of all key staff and subconsultants identified in the team organization. 5. Project Schedule A project schedule shall be included which identifies in graphical format the timetable for completion of tasks, activities and phases of the project which correlate with the scope of work for the project. There should be a brief discussion of any key assumptions used in preparing the timetable and identification of critical tasks and/or events that could impact the overall schedule. 6. Fee Proposal A Fee Proposal shall be submitted in a separate, sealed envelope and marked as "Fee Proposal" along with the name of the project. The information and detail included in the fee proposal shall conform to the provisions of Section V, Fee Proposal Requirements, of this RFP. A work program together with a breakdown of labor hours by employee billing classification together with the cost of non-labor and subconsultant services shall be included with the fee proposal. The labor breakdown CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH Rail Feasibility/West Orange County Cities RFP ,199 Page 10 shall be compiled based on a listing of work tasks that correlates with the consultant's defined scope of work for the project proposal. This information will be used by the City staff to evaluate the reasonableness of the fee proposal and may be used in negotiating the final fee amounts for the contract agreement. The Fee Proposal of the three top ranked consultants will be opened at the conclusion of the consultant evaluation and selection process. Fees will not be used to determine the ranking of the consultants. The Fee Proposals of those consultants not ranked in the top three will be returned to them unopened upon award of a contract to the selected consultant. The city will negotiate the final fee with the top ranked consultant. Reimbursable expenses shall not be allowed unless negotiated prior to a contract. 7. Statement of Offer& Signature The Proposal and separate Fee Proposal shall each be signed by an individual authorized to bind the consultant and both shall contain a statement that the proposals are a firm offer for a 90-day period. VII. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 1. Insurance Requirements The consultant shall furnish with the proposal proof of the following minimum insurance coverage. These minimum levels of coverage are required to be maintained for the duration of the project: A. General Liability Coverage - $1,000,000 per occurrence for bodily injury and property damage. If Commercial General Liability Insurance or other form with a general limit is used, either the general aggregate limit shall apply separately to this project/location or the general aggregate limit shall be twice the required occurrence limit. B. Professional Liability Coverage - $1,000,000 per occurrence (note: A "claims made" policy is acceptable). CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH Ra�1F ' y/West Orange County Cities RFP ,199 Page 11 C. Worker's Compensation Coverage- State statutory limits. Deductibles, Self-Insurance Retentions, or Similar Forms of Coverage Limitations or Modifications, must be declared to and approved by the City of Huntington Beach. A sample certificate is included as Attachment A. The consultant is encouraged to contact its insurance carriers during the proposal preparation to ensure that the insurance requirements can be met if selected for negotiation of a contract agreement. 2. Standard Form of Agreement The consultant will enter into an agreement with the City based upon the contents of the RFP and the consultant's proposal. The City's standard form of agreement is included as Attachment B. The consultant shall carefully review the agreement, especially in regards to the indemnity and insurance provisions, and include with the proposal a description of any exceptions requested to the standard contract. If there are no exceptions, a statement to that effect shall be included in the proposal. 3. Disclaimer This RFP does not commit the City to award a contract, or to pay any costs incurred in the preparation of the proposal. The City reserves the right to extend the due date for the proposal, to accept or reject any or all proposals received as a result of this request, to negotiate with any qualified consultant, or to cancel this RFP in part or in its entirety. The City may require the selected consultant to participate in negotiations and to submit such technical, fee, or other revisions of their proposals as may result from negotiations. 4. Assigned Representatives The City will assign a responsible representative to administer the contract, and to assist the consultant in obtaining information. The consultant also CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH Rail Feasibly/West Orange County Cities RFP ,199 Page 12 shall assign a responsible representative (project manager) and an alternate, who shall be identified in the proposal. The consultant's representative shall remain in responsible charge of the consultant's duties from the notice-to- proceed through project completion. If the consultant's primary representative should be unable to continue with the project, then the alternate representative identified in the proposal shall become the project manager. Any substitution of representatives or subconsultants identified in the proposal shall first be approved in writing by the City's representative. The City reserves the right to review and approve/disapprove all key staff and subconsultant substitutions or removals, and may consider such changes not approved to be a breach of contract. VIII. CONSULTANT EVALUATION & SELECTION PROCESS The City's consultant evaluation and selection process is based on Qualifications Based Selection (QBS) for professional services. The following criteria will be used in evaluating the proposals using a point value system totaling 100 points based on the weighting indicated below. 1. Grasp of the project requirements including identification of critical elements and key issues. (10 points) 2. Technical approach and work plan for the project, including innovative approaches. (25 points) 3. Qualifications and experience of the project manager, otherkey individuals, and subconsultants. (30 points) 4. Results of reference checks. (15 points) Reference checks will only be conducted for a short list of firms or the top rated firm. 5. Clarity of proposal. (10 points) 6. Availability and commitment by the firm and the Project Manager (10 points) 7. Compliance with proposal requirements including the 30 page limitation. (pass/fail) CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH Rai Feaill y/West Orange County Ulm RFP ,199 Page 13 The City may elect to interview a short list of qualified firms or to interview only the top rated firm based on the proposals submitted for the project. The City staff will negotiate a contract with the best qualified firm for the desired consulting services at compensation which the City staff determines is fair and reasonable to the City. Should the City staff be unable to negotiate a satisfactory contract with the firm considered to be the most qualified, negotiations with that firm shall be formally terminated. Negotiations will then be undertaken with the next most qualified firm. Failing accord with the second most qualified firm, the City staff will terminate negotiations and continue the negotiation process with the next most qualified firms in order of their evaluation ranking until an agreement is reached and a firm is selected and an agreement is executed. ATTACHMENTS Attachment A---Sample Insurance Certificate Attachment B---Sample City Contract