Request for Proposals: Professional Consulting and Planning Services for Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Grant
Aug 28th, 2023
Posted in: Public NoticeNeighborhood Development
The City of Mobile is one of several coastal communities awarded federal disaster recovery funds for Hurricanes Sally and Zeta, which will be distributed through the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) in the coming months. This funding is intended to help some of the most vulnerable members of our community address the lingering impacts of those 2020 storms and mitigate the adverse effects that future hurricanes could have on the City of Mobile.
To help us identify and meet the community’s most pressing needs, the City of Mobile’s Neighborhood Development Department seeks a consulting partner to lead a Local Recovery Planning Program (LRPP). This program will help the City of Mobile gather valuable information from the community that will ultimately help ADECA administer the federal disaster recovery funds coming to our area.
The City of Mobile has issued a Request For Proposals (RFP) to identify potential partners to help lead the upcoming LRPP. Interested parties can learn more about the required qualifications and scope of work in the full RFP below. All proposals must be received by 4 p.m. on September 29, 2023.
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
City of Mobile
Professional Consulting and Planning Services for
Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Grant
INTRODUCTION
The City of Mobile has been awarded Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds and anticipates a subrecipient agreement from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) for administering a Local Recovery Planning Program (LRPP) within the municipal jurisdiction of the City of Mobile. The ADECA funds are being provided as part of an allocation of CDBG-DR funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in response to Hurricanes Sally and Zeta that occurred in 2020. The LRPP seeks to identify overall disaster recovery need, an analysis of long-term recovery project types and mitigation efforts that can be taken to reduce future disaster impacts, and an analysis of neighborhood architectural features to act as a developer guide during rebuild efforts.
The City of Mobile is seeking planning support for the above-referenced items. This planning support will include leading at least one planning charrette and two public meetings to gather insight from those vulnerable populations that were most likely to be affected by Hurricanes Sally and Zeta or are at most risk to be affected by a future natural disaster within the City of Mobile. These planning efforts will guide the City in developing its Local Recovery Plan (LRP) which must be submitted to ADECA prior to receiving CDBG-DR funds to implement projects identified in the LRP. It is anticipated that many of the items identified in the planning process may be funded from the City’s CDBG-DR grant from ADECA. As such, a focus of the funding should be eligible CDBG-DR programs and projects, including but not limited to Infrastructure and Housing. Housing projects must not include single-family housing activities that are eligible for funding under the ADECA-administered Home Recovery Alabama Program. The City of Mobile is seeking proposals from Proposers that have specific experience and qualifications in the areas identified in this solicitation, in particular experience with CDBG and CDBG-DR. For consideration, proposals must contain evidence of the Proposer’s experience and abilities in the specified area and other disciplines directly related to the proposed service.
QUALIFICATIONS
The Proposer must demonstrate to the complete satisfaction of the City that it has the necessary facilities, expertise, staffing, financial, and other resources to provide the services specified herein in a satisfactory manner. The Proposer must also provide its past history and references which demonstrate the Proposer’s qualifications. The City may contact references and perform additional research and inquiries deemed necessary and proper to determine the ability of the Proposer to perform the work, and the Proposer shall furnish to City all information for this purpose that may be requested. The City reserves the right to reject any offer if the evidence submitted by, or investigation of, the Proposer fails to demonstrate at the discretion of the City that the Proposer is qualified to carry out the obligations of the contract and to complete the work described therein.
SCOPE OF WORK
A. General Statement:
City of Mobile requests proposals for services providing Professional Consulting and Planning Services for Disaster Recovery and all activities related to the CDBG-DR allocations provided by ADECA to City of Mobile. This RFP is for Planning Services only pertaining to the City’s LRP. Any additional services required for the implementation of funding for future ADECA allocations of CDBG-DR will be procured under a future separate RFP, if necessary.
B. Supporting Data:
Due to nature of the CDBG-DR planning grant to the City of Mobile, there are currently no planned projects or activities that are available for review. Additional information on the project types that are program-eligible can be found in the current version of the LRPP guidelines on ADECA’s disaster recovery website at https://adeca.alabama.gov/cdbgdisaster-recovery/2020-dr-local-recovery/. As the City’s LRP is developed, potential eligible activities and project sites will be identified. It is anticipated that the LRP process should take no more than 9 months from initial contract date.
C. Specifically, City of Mobile requests the following services to be provided:
LRPP Research and Development
• Utilizing ADECA needs analysis and methodology, research disaster recovery need within the City of Mobile.
• Research the viability of CDBG-DR eligible activities, such as those related to the City’s potential future electric vehicle fleet needs for infrastructure that is resilient to future storms, immediate emergency disaster resource distribution, and blight removal to mitigate potential future storm debris.
• Evaluate cost benefit of eligible CDBG-DR activities.
• Assist the City in categorizing viable eligible activities into proposed CDBG-DR projects with detailed cost analyses to determine CDBG-DR funding needs.
• Assess typical architectural styles of structures within areas of the City that contain a high percentage of residents that are part of vulnerable populations. These areas include, but are not limited to: Africatown, Campground, the Bottom, Oakdale, Maysville, Texas Hills, Hillsdale, Mobile Terrace, Baltimore, Dauphin Island Parkway, Birdville, Rickarby, and Maryvale. This assessment is projected to be used with projects for vulnerable populations so that they are consistent with the neighborhoods the projects are constructed in.
• Design a Book or Booklet for use by prospective developers of building types within neighborhoods of Mobile that have a high population of vulnerable residents.
• Utilize data to develop a City of Mobile Housing Plan to include a proposed sequence of City funded project types, primarily using CDBG-DR funds provided by ADECA, based on societal impact, economic impact, and population retention/growth.
Public Meetings
• Lead at least one charrette and two in-person planning meetings to gather public input for potential disaster and mitigation projects.
• Summarize charrette and planning meetings and present results to the City of Mobile, with verification of attendees (sign-in sheet or other).
Presentation of Findings and Submittal of Drafts/Final Product
• Submit information gathered and draft reports for City of Mobile to review monthly.
• Present findings to the City of Mobile in a format consistent with LRPP requirements.
• Present to the Mayor the final plan, including a summary of the recommended projects.
TIMELINE
It is expected that the Professional Consulting and Planning Services for Disaster Recovery process will begin in November 2023.
• RFP Issued: August 25, 2023
• RFP Responses due: September 29, 2023 by 4:00 p.m.
• Selection of Consultant: October 20, 2023
The City of Mobile reserves the right to make adjustments as needed to the above schedule. If the RFP response due date is modified, it will be formally published via addendum at least 72 hours prior to the new date.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
A consultant, firm, or combination thereof wishing to submit a proposal must include the following in their response:
• A brief history of the proposing entity, including general background, knowledge of housing, knowledge of disaster recovery, and experience working with relevant agencies.
• A listing of the personnel to be assigned to the project, including organizational structure and each person’s area of responsibility. Resumes for each professional assigned to this project are also required. Responders must have sufficient and qualified staff immediately available to contract solicitations and to enter into and manage any components targeted by the RFPA statement substantiating the resources of the proposing entity and the ability to carry out the scope of work requested within the proposed timeline.
• Proposed fee structure, including billing rates, hourly rates, reimbursable expenses, etc. Preferences will be given to firm fixed pricing. • References including contact information for at least three organizations.
• At least one (1) example of work.
• A statement of conflicts (if any) the proposing entity or key employees may have regarding these services. The statement should include conflicts, as well as any working relationships that may be perceived by disinterested parties as a conflict. If no potential conflicts of interests are identified, please state so.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Evaluation of the Proposer’s qualifications shall include:
A. Capacity: The ability, capacity, skill, financial, and other necessary resources to perform the work or provide the service required; and
B. Work Proposal: The ability to accomplish the items referenced in this RFP through an 4 assessment of work hours proposed, skill of assigned staff, approach to be taken in completing scope of work, and previous experience with similar funding types; and
C. Cost: Presentation to the City that the fee proposed is of a reasonable and acceptable nature for the services to be performed; and
D. Timely Performance: The ability to perform the work or provide the services promptly or within the time specified, without delay or interference; and E. Past Performance: The quality of performance of previous contracts or services, including judgment, ability, skill, and presentation.
SCORING CRITERIA
Proposals will be reviewed and evaluated by staff.
Criteria for evaluation will include:
25% Capacity to perform the services established
25% Proposal for accomplishing the tasks listed in Scope of Work
25% Cost
15% Ability to perform the work or provide the service in the timeframe provided
10% References
QUESTIONS
Please direct all questions to: James.Roberts@CityofMobile.org. All questions should be submitted at least 72 hours prior to the response deadline for this RFP.
RFP SUBMISSION PROCESS
Proposal deadline: Proposals must be received no later than September 29, 2023 by 4:00 p.m. Sealed proposals must be received in the City of Mobile’s Neighborhood Development Department at the address referenced below. Submittals should include three hard copies including signatures. No proposals received by fax or e-mail transmission will be accepted.
NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
Room 508 – 5th Floor, South Tower
Government Plaza 205 Government Street Mobile, Alabama 36602
Proposing entities must note on the outside of their proposal package:
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
CITY OF MOBILE NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
CDBG-DR PLANNING SERVICES