REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
The Town of (Town) acting by and through its Board of Health (the Board) pursuant to a delegation of authority under G.L. c. 30B, § 19, will accept written proposals by interested applicants for the position of Health Agent. The purpose of this request for proposals (RFP) is to make the position available on a fair and competitive basis but in a manner that will ensure the highest possible quality of service for the Town.
1. Procedure for Obtaining RFP and Submitting Proposals.
1.1 Copies of this RFP may be obtained by requesting a copy by telephone, fax , mail or email [insert email address] from the Board at the address given below.
1.2 All proposals must be submitted to the [TOWN] Board of Health at the following address:
XX Board of Health
XX Street
Town
Attn: BOH Chairman
on or before [time/date]. Proposals should be clearly marked “Health Agent Proposal” on the outside of the envelope.
1.2 Written questions concerning this RFP may be submitted to the Board, at the address given above, no later than 7 days before the deadline for submission of proposals. The Town will endeavor but shall not be required to answer any such request for information. If it does, the answer shall be provided to all persons who have obtained copies of this RFP and filed applications in the Board of Health Office.
1.4: Proposals will be opened and recorded in a register in the presence of witnesses on [DATE] as a part of the regular Board of Health meeting starting at 5:30 PM. The contents of the responses to the RFP are not public information during the evaluation process. The Town will evaluate the proposals based on the criteria listed in section 2 by [DATE]. Successful applicants will be required to execute a contract for the position in a form acceptable to the Town [or substantially in the Form attached hereto as Exhibit C], within thirty days from the date of notice of acceptance of a proposal, or within such further time as the Board of Health agrees.
2. Evaluation Criteria.
All proposals must comply with the requirements listed in section 5. The most advantageous proposal which complies with those requirements will be chosen, based on the sum of monthly payments payable to the Proposer for the three-year period of the contract as discussed in Exhibit B, and evaluation of the criteria in Section 5.
3. Instructions and Conditions for Bidders.
3.1 Each applicant shall submit 6 copies of its proposal.
3.2 Each applicant shall answer all questions contained in Exhibit B, shall agree to execute a contract in a form satisfactory to the Town [or substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit C], and shall execute the certificates attached hereto as Exhibit D. All proposals shall be unconditional; no proposal that purports to impose conditions not included in this RFP will be deemed responsive. The Town may, however, waive minor informalities and omissions in the proposal if it decides, in its sole discretion, that such informality or omission is not prejudicial to the interests of the Town or to fair competition.
3.3 The Town reserves the right to interview or to seek additional information relating to criteria already in the RFP from any candidate after opening of bids but before entering into a contract, to reject any proposal if it deems it to be in the best interests of the Town, and to award a contract to the next qualified applicant. The Town reserves the right to check references identified by any candidate or associated with any previous employer of any candidate. Consistent with the provisions of G.L. c. 30B, § 6, the Town reserves the right to award the contract based on considerations other than price
3.4 All proposals shall be deemed to be public records within the meaning of G.L. c. 4, § 7(26). If an applicant believes that the RFP requires the disclosure of technical, proprietary, or trade secret information that the Applicant is not willing to make public, such information should not be submitted. No part of the proposal may be designated as confidential.
3.5 Proposals may be corrected, modified, or withdrawn prior to the deadline for submission of proposals by submitting the required number of copies of such correction, modification, withdrawal or a new submission, clearly marked on the outside envelope with the appropriate heading, by the deadline listed in section 1. Proposals may not be withdrawn or modified for a period of [60] days after the opening of proposals.
4. General Description and Services to be provided:
4.1 Scope of Services
The Board requires a qualified environmental engineer/agent to provide review, inspection and enforcement services for state and Board of Health regulations for the following:
• Review of on-site wastewater disposal and treatment systems, including soil testing, design plans, and inspection of installation, construction for new systems and upgrades and repairs;
• Review of on-site well permit proposal plans, water quality and quantity test results, and treatment units;.
• Review of site plan, subdivision and other project plans including plans for treatment of wastewater equal to or in excess of 10,000 gallons per day;
• Board of Health compliance review for building permits, complaint investigation regarding wastewater treatment flows, illegal dumping, hazardous waste, and such other environmental services as the Board may require;
• General Consultation to the Board of Health; and
• Assistance to the Board in preparation of regulations.
4.2 Service Requirements
The successful candidate will be required to execute a contract including the following duties and requirements:
A. Inspection schedule: 2 days per week (Tuesdays and Thursdays preferred)
B. Attendance at board meetings – evening of second and fourth Mondays each month
generally starting at 6:30 PM
C. Office conferences and /or meetings
⋅ available for private consults by appointment
⋅ daily consultation with Board of Health office
⋅ available for emergency including weekends
D. Equipment and Communications
The applicant should have:
⋅ telephone with 24 hour answering machine or voice mail, cellular phone
⋅ fax machine
⋅ computer, office and technical software and printer compatible with BOH office equipment
⋅ E-mail and Internet access
⋅ own transportation
⋅ field and office equipment required to perform all duties
5. Qualifications
5.1 Minimum Evaluation Criteria
No proposer shall be considered to be responsive or responsible unless he or she possesses the following education, training and experience:
(a) Masters degree in civil or environmental engineering;
(b) Registration as a Professional Engineer in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts;
(c) Certification as an Inspector and Soil Evaluator under 310 CMR 15.000 (Title 5); and
(d) At least five (5) years experience working for a Massachusetts board or department of health in a city or town in which fewer than 50% of properties are served by a sewer system.
Experience with a board or department of health may be either in the capacity of a full-time employee, or an equivalent number of hours served in a part-time or private consulting capacity.
5.2 Comparative Evaluation Criteria
All proposers will be evaluated by an Evaluation Committee appointed by the Board, according to the following criteria and standards. (Where nothing is indicated as “not advantageous,” proposals meeting minimum criteria shall be deemed at least “advantageous”):
| Criterion | Not Advantageous | Advantageous | Highly Advantageous |
| Duration of Experience and Equivalency of Experience | less than five years service, or duties in other municipalities substantially more limited in scope than specified in Section 4 of this RFP | Between five and ten years service; some experience in substantially all areas specified in Section 4. | In excess of ten years service; some experience in substantially all areas specified in Section 4. |
| Title 5 Experience – Education and Training | Proposer meets minimum criteria, i.e. training sufficient to obtain state Title 5 certifications | Proposer demonstrates participation in educational programs on Title 5 (as student or instructor) substantially beyond minimum criteria. | |
| Title 5 – design, construction and maintenance | Proposer meets minimum criteria | Proposer has substantial experience in the design, construction and/or maintenance of sewage disposal systems. | |
| Experience with systems with design capacities in excess of 10,000 gpd | No experience | Some experience and familiarity with state groundwater discharge permit regulations | Proposer has experience with the design, construction and/or maintenance of such systems |
| Innovative/ Alternative Systems | Proposer is not generally familiar with such systems, their features and components | Proposer demonstrates knowledge of the types of systems currently approved by DEP and their application | Proposer has experience with the design, construction and/or maintenance of such systems |
| Drinking Water Supplies | Proposer has limited knowledge of, or experience in, installation of wells or testing of potable water supplies | Proposer has some experience installing or inspecting on-site well installation, and is familiar with water quality and quantity requirements for such installation. | Proposer has both such experience and familiarity, and has received additional training or education in toxicology and/or hydrogeology |
| Stormwater Management | Proposer has little or no experience in implementation of state Stormwater Management Policy or similar regulations | Proposer has such experience | Proposer has such experience and additional education or training in hydrology and experience in modeling groundwater flows |
| Drafting of Regulations | Proposer has little or no experience in drafting regulations or policies | Proposer has experience preparing local regulations | Proposer has substantial experience in development and drafting of state, local and or statewide model policies and regulations |
| Service Plan | Proposer meets minimum qualifications | Proposer offers availability and accessibility to Board members and to the public substantially greater than this RFP requires | |
| References | Negative references given regarding expertise, diligence in performing job functions, or relations with employers or public | Proposer receives no negative references | Excellent references |
| Registered Land Surveyor | Proposer meets minimum qualifications | Proposer is a registered land surveyor in the Commonwealth |
6. Available Funds
The Board of Health has budgeted $25,000 for these contracted services in FY2002. The amount is to be paid in equal monthly payments. See Exhibit B for additional details.
7. Method of Selection
An Evaluation Committee appointed by the Board will review all applications received and may conduct interviews for all qualified applicants. Proposers should submit proposed salary/compensation requirements in a separate sealed envelope, marked “Price Proposal”, which should be submitted along with the remainder of the proposal. The price proposal will be removed from the package before the remainder of the proposal is submitted to the Evaluation Committee. Once the Evaluation Committee ranks the candidates, the Board will award the contract based on those rankings and consideration of the price proposal.
It should be noted that the evaluation criteria are designed to evaluate individuals and not companies. If the applicant is a company, whose staff will collectively fulfill the requirements, the company should submit qualifications of each individual that will be working on behalf of the Town of Wrentham. Proposals, where the work is done under supervision of a qualified individual, will be deemed non-responsive.
After the applicants are ranked, the Board will award a contract for professional services to the candidate offering the most advantageous combination of outstanding qualifications and a competitive price. If the Board is unable to successfully award a contract to this individual, the Board will attempt to award a contract to the next most highly ranked candidate, etc., until the position is filled.
The Board of Health reserves the right to readvertise for this position if no suitable candidate is found.
8. Time Schedule
The Board of Health would like to enter into a contract for services on or before [DATE]
EXHIBIT A
APPLICATION FORM
All candidates shall submit information in this format for evaluation by the Board of Health and the Evaluation Board: Additional pages may be added if necessary.
A. Education Qualifications:
Degrees Institution Year of graduation Comments
B. Experience (List all experience since graduation in chronological order). Under “Responsibilities and duties performed” refer to Comparative Evaluation Criteria to ensure that you cover each category that will be used in the evaluation. Use a separate sheet is necessary.
Duration Employer Job title Responsibilities and duties performed
(from mo/yr
to mo/yr)
C. Licenses and Certifications and Other Professional Training such as professional seminars in relevant areas.
Certificate/Training Certifying authority Year Comments
D. Specific Design Experience (Experience relating to design of Title 5 systems, large waste water systems, innovative systems)
E. Experience in the Public health arena: List and discuss public health-related experience such as experience in drafting regulations and experience in interpreting regulations
G. Other Information: List other information such as a list of publications, memberships in professional associations, awards, etc.
F. References (Submit names, addresses and phone numbers of at least three professional references who are familiar with your work and comment critically on it)
G. Service Plan
In your own words, on a separate sheet, provide a narrative of how you will address the Board’s needs for the services listed in Section 4.
The Board will consider additional information provided by the Applicant in another format such as a Resumé or a Curriculum Vitae.
EXHIBIT B
PRICE PROPOSAL FORM
The Environmental Engineer/Agent’s work for the work described in this RFP is compensated for in three ways:
A. Services for large projects
For services described as follows under “Scope of Services”
“Review of site plan, subdivision and other project plans including plans for treatment of wastewater equal to or in excess of 10,000 gallons per day;”
the Engineer/Agent is paid by the developer proposing such projects to evaluate the project on behalf of the Board of Health under a separate contract, which is based on an hourly fee. For the purposes of the cost proposal, the Applicant should state the hourly fee (or hourly fees on a sliding scale) to be charged for these services. (For the Applicant’s planning purposes, work of this type is generally available at the rate of about 100 hours per year.
B. Other services specified in the Scope of Services for the Board
For other services listed under “Scope of Services”, the Board will entertain a fixed price proposal for providing these services. As noted in the RFP, the budget for these services for FY 2002 is $25,000.
C. Other services for the Board outside the Scope of Services
The applicant should assume that a maximum of 10 hours will be available in this category, although there have been no billings under this category in recent years. The applicant should provide an hourly rate for this work.
The price proposal shall be in a separate sealed envelope attached to the application. The Price proposal envelope should be marked “Price Proposal” on the outside along with the Applicant’s name.
Evaluation of Cost Proposal: The different elements of the cost proposal will be evaluated as follows: The lowest total will be considered most advantageous, all else equal.
a) 100 hours* $____ per hour = _____________
b) Fixed price annual contract = _____________
c) 10 hours * $ ____ per hour = _____________
TOTAL _____________
EXHIBIT C
PROPOSED CONTRACT FORMAT
PUBLIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ENGINEER/AGENT
THIS IS AN AGREEMENT between the Town of Wrentham, a municipal corporation in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, acting by its Board of Health (hereinafter referred to as the “BOARD”) and ___________________________ (hereinafter referred to as the “AGENT”), for the provision of Public and Environmental Health Engineer/Agent services for the period of July 1, 2001 through June 30, 2004 as follows:
I. SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED
1. Services required to enforce the Local, State, and Federal public and environmental health laws and regulations that are the responsibility of the BOARD. This does not include the Right to Know Laws, Lead Paint / Asbestos Detection Services, Housing Inspection, Food Establishment Inspections, Expert Witness or Court Enforcement Services. This does include:
A. Review of subsurface sewage disposal systems, including soil evaluation, design plans, and inspection of construction.
B. Review of on-site well permit proposals, water quality and quantity test results, and treatment units.
C. Review of Building Permit applications for compliance with Board of Health requirements in accordance with the policies set forth by the BOARD.
D. Investigation of complaints regarding wastewater overflows, illegal dumping, hazardous waste, and the like.
2. General Consultation to the BOARD
3. General Guidance to concerned parties needing services within the jurisdiction of the Board of Health insofar as regulatory requirements are concerned.
4. Attendance at BOARD regular meetings when necessary as requested by the Board of Health.
5. Attendance at BOARD special meetings when possible and when special circumstances require.
6. Perform all work requested by the BOARD that falls under the go normal duties of a Public and Environmental Health Agent. This does not include general clerical/secretarial services.
7. Perform all work for the BOARD that is compensated as provided by Chapter 593 of the Acts of 1989, M.G.L. Chapter 44, Section 53F, as provided by the Board of Health regulations. This shall include review of Site Plans, Subdivision Plans, Gravel Removal Plans, MEPA submittal reviews and any other projects as directed by the BOARD.
II. PERIOD OF SERVICE AND PAYMENT TO AGENT
1. The work will be compensated in the following manner:
For work that is compensated from the Board of Health annual budget, the BOARD agrees to pay an annual fee, to be paid in one-twelth increments through each year at the end of each month, according to the following schedule.
$________ for the period July 1, 2001 to June 30, 2002,
$________ for the period July 1, 2002 to June 30, 2003,
$________ for the period July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004.
For work for the BOARD performed outside the scope of this contract, compensation shall be on an hourly rate basis. The billing rate shall be:
$______ per hour for the period July 1, 2001 to June 30, 2002,
$______ per hour for the period July 1, 2002 to June 30, 2003,
$______ per hour for the period July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004.
For work performed that is compensated as provided by Chapter 593 of the Acts of 1989, M.G.L. Chapter 44, Section 53F, compensation shall be on an hourly basis. The billing rate shall be:
$______ per hour for the period July 1, 2001 to June 30, 2002,
$______ per hour for the period July 1, 2002 to June 30, 2003,
$______ per hour for the period July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004.
2. At no time will any provision of this agreement make the BOARD liable for payment for performance of work under this agreement in excess of the amounts which have been appropriated by Town Meeting and designated by the BOARD for expenditure for the purpose of this agreement.
The AGENT will not incur any expenses exceeding the allotted amount unless and until the BOARD has notified the AGENT in writing that such allotted amount has been increased and has specified in such notice an increased amount constituting the total amount allotted for this work.
In the event that the AGENT expects the allotted amount will be exceeded by the performance of the required work, the AGENT shall notify the BOARD in writing as soon as such situation is anticipated.
If the Applicant submits substantially different prices for different years, these prices will be adjusted to current year using Net Present Value (NPV) techniques.
III. INDEMNITY
The agent shall indemnify, and save the BOARD, harmless from and against any and all costs (including but not limited to litigation expenses and attorney’s fees), liability, fines, claims, penalties, damages, suits or proceedings whatsoever for injury to persons (including death) or damage to property due to the negligence by acts or omissions of the AGENT, provided however, the AGENT’S obligations hereunder shall not apply when such injury or damage to the extent such injury or damage may be determined to be the sole negligence of the BOARD.
This contract may be cancelled by either party provided written notice is given at least four (4) weeks in advance of the cancellation date to the non-breaching party.
In witness whereof, the parties hereto have made and executed this Agreement as of the day and year set forth below.
TOWN WRENTHAM BOARD OF HEALTH
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
ACCEPTED BY AGENT
_____________________________________ DATE _____________
EXHIBIT D
CERTIFICATIONS
CERTIFICATE OF NON-COLLUSION
The undersigned certifies under penalties of perjury that this bid or proposal has been made and submitted in good faith and without collusion or fraud with any other person. As used in this certification, the word “person” shall mean any natural person, business, partnership, corporation, union, committee, club, or other organization, entity, or group of individuals.
___________________________________________
Signature of individual submitting bid or proposal
___________________________________________
Name of business
TAX COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATION
Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 62C, §49A, I certify under the penalties of perjury that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, I am in compliance with all laws of the Commonwealth relating to taxes, reporting of employees and contractors, and withholding and remitting child support.
___________________________________________
Signature of person submitting bid or proposal
___________________________________________
Name of business