Request for Proposals
For Consulting Services to Assist with
the Update and Approval of Alameda’s Climate Plan
City of Alameda
Important Dates
Request for Proposal Issued: Wednesday, December 6, 2017
Voluntary Pre-bid Meeting: Monday, December 18, 2017 from 2:00pm-3:30 p.m.
Proposal Updates Posted: https://alamedaca.gov/business/bids/5556
Due Date: Thursday, January 11, 2018 at 2 p.m.
Notification of Short List Status: Thursday, January 18, 2018
Interviews: Thursday, January 25, 2018
Projected Start Date: Thursday, February 15, 2018
I. Background
The latest science confirms that climate change is well underway. We already are seeing these impacts: rising seas, warmer climate and more extreme weather events. Alameda is vulnerable to climate change impacts including sea-level rise, more extreme weather such as droughts, flooding from storm events and heatwaves and public health risks such as epidemics, insect-borne diseases or food shortages. Sea-level rise alone is of great concern to the City. End-of-century estimates range from one foot to seven feet, depending on how quickly we reduce our carbon emissions among other factors.
According to the City’s Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, the following City facilities are within the 16 inch sea level rise zone: Neptune Park, Chuck Corica Golf Course, Bay Fairway Recreation Hall and Godfrey Park. Additional sea level rise at 55 inches would impact more facilities such as Krusi Park, Rittler Park, Towata Park, City Hall West, Alameda Point Gym, O’Club, Housing Authority, Animal Shelter/Pound, Maintenance Center, Central Equipment Garage, Bay Farm Island Branch Library, Leydecker Park and Godfrey Park. Seven feet of sea-level rise – toward the upper end of estimates for 2100 – would inundate large swaths of Alameda Island and almost all of Bay Farm if we do not implement adaptation measures. Given Alameda’s vulnerability to climate impacts, and that climate change mitigation currently is led by cities and states in the United States, it is in the City’s best interest to implement a strong plan for climate action and adaptation.
In February 2008, Alameda’s City Council approved the City’s Local Action Plan for Climate Protection with a greenhouse gas emission reduction goal of 25 percent by 2020 from 2005 baseline. The City of Alameda has made progress towards this goal as described in the April 16, 2013 City Council meeting, workshops on May 23 and October 5, 2017, and the City Council meeting on December 5, 2017; however, the City still has work to do to reach the climate plan’s goals.
Thus, the City of Alameda is updating its climate plan to show how Alamedans can both adapt to climate change impacts and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The adaptation component includes identifying climate risks and opportunities, assessing options such as wetlands and levees, and implementing the most sustainable course of action that can be phased in as climate change impacts evolve.
II. Objective
The City of Alameda seeks to retain a consultant in developing a Climate Plan Update that covers adaptation and meets or exceeds California and international greenhouse gas reduction goals, and to do so in ways that improve quality of life, build prosperity and increase resilience for our community and future generations. The plan will consider the following focus areas:
· Climate Adaptation and Other Hazards
· Transportation
· Buildings
· Land Use
· Waste
· Healthy Natural Environments
· Electricity
· Water
· Natural Gas
· Green Economy
· Education
Each focus area should be considered through a lens of equity, sustainability, and economy. The Climate Action Plan Update will integrate with and make use of recently-released or soon-to-be-released plans including but not limited to: Transportation Choices Plan, Bicycle Plan, Pedestrian Plan, Green Infrastructure Plan, Zero Waste Plan Update, Economic Development Strategic Plan and Alameda Municipal Power’s Strategic Plan.
The City of Alameda is seeking a consultant team to assist with the update and approval of a Climate Plan Update that sets aspirational goals for the years 2030 and 2050, and contains action plans to achieve those goals. The City also seeks strategies that can be implemented to meet our current climate plan’s goal. The planning process should include community and staff outreach, plan draft development, and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) compliance. For more information, relevant maps and graphs on the Plan update, please refer to the project web page (https://alamedaca.gov/go-green-public-works/local-action-plan-climate-protection) and Public Works key documents webpage (https://alamedaca.gov/public-works/public-works-key-documents).
III. Consultant Role
The Climate Plan Update will be completed by a team composed of City staff, Community Action for a Sustainable Alameda (CASA) representatives and technical consultants. The consultants will provide technical expertise, best practices, high-end graphics and specialized engineering. City staff’s role will be to provide institutional knowledge, oversee the work of the consultants to ensure decisions are made to keep the project on schedule, finalize drafts, and otherwise support the project. Consultants will manage the project, run meetings, create draft work products, run the public outreach and process, and make presentations. The planning process should include community, CASA and staff outreach, draft plan development, and CEQA compliance. The work scope – Attachment A – includes development of a new roadmap to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and establishment of a new climate action goal beyond 2020. In addition to GHG emission reduction strategies, the draft work scope includes a climate awareness campaign, a public opinion survey, and adaptation. For adaptation, staff is recommending that the Climate Plan Update identify climate risks, vulnerabilities and opportunities, and then assess options for the City to adapt to rising seas. The consultant team will be able to build their work on the 2016 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, the 2014 Oakland/Alameda Resilience Study by Adapting to Rising Tides, and a preliminary vulnerability assessment conducted by 427 Solutions to be released in January 2018.
IV. Timeline
The consultant is expected to draw up a timeline for the project. An example timeline is given below. However, proposers are encouraged to incorporate considerable City Council and community member interest in an expedited timeline.
· March 2018: Kickoff meeting with consultant and stakeholders.
· February - June 2018: Task 1 (Scoping, Benchmarking, and Vulnerability Assessment).
· July - August 2018: Task 2 (Vision, Goals, Objectives) and first round of outreach; begin Climate Awareness Campaign.
· September - December 2018: Tasks 3 (Reducing Carbon Footprint) and 4 (Climate Adaptation) and second round of outreach; public input survey; six-month report-back to City Council
· January - March 2019: Task 5 (Draft Plan); conclude Climate Awareness campaign; complete recommendations for community education and empowerment.
· April 2019: Present Draft to City Council and relevant City boards and task forces.
· June 2019: All details of every task are complete including final draft of Climate Plan Update.
V. Submittal Requirements
The City is requesting 5 double-sided hard copies and 1 pdf copy of the proposal, which must contain the following information:
1. Letter of Interest and Approach (5-page maximum): Please include a letter expressing the Consultant’s interest in being considered for the project. Please include a statement regarding the Consultant’s ability to dedicate time, support staff and resources to this effort. As part of the letter, please also describe your understanding of the proposed work and your approach to completing the Climate Plan Update.
2. Consultant Team Experience (10-page maximum): Please provide information about the specific relevant experience for the Consultant team, and include web links to reports and presentations, especially where those links help show the consultant team’s role in developing and presenting a climate plan to a public body. Please provide references for each example cited including the phone number and email address of contacts. Please include resumes as an attachment that will not be considered part of the page limit. Identify team members who will take a lead role in running meetings (internal and public) and making presentations.
3. Scope and Budget (15-page maximum): Based on the proposed Scope of Work in Attachment A, please develop a work scope and budget.
4. Comments/Questions on the City Standard Consultant Agreement: The City standard consultant agreement is attached for your consideration (see Attachment B, “City Standard Consultant Agreement”). If the Consultant has any questions/concerns related to any provisions of the standard form contract, please submit them in writing with your response to this Request for Proposals.
VI. Submittal Instructions
Responses – including 5 double-sided hard copies and 1 pdf copy - should be submitted by mail or in person by 2:00 PM on Thursday, January 11, 2018 to:
Patrick Pelegri-O’Day
Climate Fellow
City of Alameda Public Works Department
950 West Mall Square, Room 110
Alameda, CA 94501
Submittals shall be clearly marked on the outside cover or envelope "Response to Request for Proposals: Consulting Services to Assist with the Update and Approval of Alameda’s Climate Plan."
Interviews of selected consultants are scheduled for Thursday, January 25, 2018 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. City staff is expected to choose the Consultant teams to interview by Thursday, January 18, 2018.
VII. Selection Process
Based on the submitted proposals, the selection team will choose a preferred Consultant team. The City intends to complete the contract with the selected Consultant team in a timely manner so that the Consultant can commence work in February 2018.
The final selection will be based on the following criteria:
A. Understanding of the work to be done. (25 percent)
B. Experience with similar kinds of work and the quality of those work products. (20 percent)
C. Quality of staff for work to be done. (15 percent)
D. Capability of developing innovative or advanced techniques. (10 percent)
E. Familiarity with regional, state and federal procedures. (10 percent)
F. Financial responsibility. (10 percent)
G. Demonstrated technical ability. (10 percent)
Total: 100 percent
The City will not discriminate against any interested firm or individual on the grounds of race, creed, color, sex, age, disability or national origin in the contract award. The City reserves the right to reject any and all proposals at its discretion, including not awarding the contract to any firm.
Questions
Patrick Pelegri-O’Day, Climate Fellow, City of Alameda Public Works Department: PPelegriODay@alamedaca.gov or 510-747-7944, is available to answer questions and respond to requests for additional information. All questions must be submitted in writing.
For additional background and key documents, refer to the City webpage for the Climate Plan: https://alamedaca.gov/go-green-public-works/local-action-plan-climate-pr....
Attachments
Attachment A: Proposed Scope of Work
Attachment B: City Standard Consultant Agreement
Attachment C: Working Groups
Attachment D: Sign-in sheet from pre-bid meeting
Attachment E: Pre-bid Q&A
