APRIL 11, 2022
SUMMARY
The City of Zebulon, Georgia (“City”) is requesting proposals from qualified individuals/firms/corporations (“Contractor” or “Contractors”) to provide contracted building plan review, permitting assistance and inspection services to the City.
The City is issuing this RFP for building code compliance services, including, but not limited to, plan review, permit issuance, residential and commercial inspections, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical inspections in accordance with State and City’s building codes, maintenance of inspection records and reports, and meeting attendance when requested.
SUBMITTAL DUE DATE
4:00 p.m. local time, Tuesday, May 3rd, 2022. There will not be a public opening for this Request for Proposals (“RFP”).
LATE PROPOSALS
Any proposal received after the time and date specified will not be considered. Contractors are responsible to assure delivery prior to the deadline.
REQUIRED SUBMITTAL
Submit one (1) digital copy in PDF format and three (3) hard copies of the proposal to the City in accordance with the instructions in the section “Proposal Requirements.” No faxed submittals will be accepted. The proposal shall be plainly labeled “City of Zebulon Building Code Compliance Services Proposal.” Proposals are to be submitted via e-mail to Larry Mitcham, City Administrator (larry@zebulonga.us).
RFP documents can be found on the City of Zebulon’s website www.cityofzebulonga.us.
INQUIRIES
Questions regarding this RFP must be sent via e-mail to Larry Mitcham at (larry@zebulonga.us) at least five (5) days before the proposal is due. Questions after this date involving the content or intent of this RFP will not be answered. All questions will be responded to via e-mail, provided to all parties requesting an RFP for which the City has contact information, and treated as an addendum to the RFP packet.
CONTACT PERSONS
Larry Mitcham
Administrator
City of Zebulon
(larry@zebulonga.us)
(770) 567-8748
NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT
The City of Zebulon does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, marital or veterans’ status, sex, national origin, disability, or any other legally protected status in the admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its services, programs or activities.
WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSALS
Proposals may be withdrawn by written notice received at any time prior to the proposal submission closing date and time. Proposals may also be withdrawn in person by an officer or by a representative of the Contractor, provided that the representative signs a receipt for return of the proposal.
LOBBYING
Prospective Contractors shall only contact the designated contacts via e-mail and are not to contact members of the Zebulon City Council, other elected and appointed officials, or members of the review committee other than the designated contact. Any lobbying by Contractors during the RFP process will result in immediate disqualification from consideration.
COMMUNITY BACKGROUND
The City of Zebulon is located in west central Georgia and is the county seat of Pike County. Zebulon is just over an hour’s drive from the Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta Airport and is also roughly an hour’s drive from Macon and Columbus. Zebulon and Pike County are experiencing rapid growth due to the outward expansion of the Atlanta metro area. Pike County is known for its great school system and excellent quality of life and is attracting small businesses and many new residents. Zebulon is located at the crossroads of US Hwy 19 and Georgia State Route 18, both of which have an ever-increasing amount of commercial truck traffic. The City has a population of 1,253 persons based on the most recent census in a four square mile area (see attachments). However, the daytime population is much larger due to the presence of the Pike County Schools, County government buildings and a majority of the commercial businesses in the county. The City is governed by a five member Council, with a Mayor elected citywide and four council members elected by districts.
CURRENT PROVIDER OF CODE COMPLIANCE SERVICES
Building inspection and permitting services are currently provide by Pike County Board of Commissioners through and Intergovernmental Agreement. Building permitting and inspection data is not readily available for the City; however, it is safe to say that there have been a number of single family new construction, single family remodeling and commercial renovation permits issued in the City in the last few years.
SCOPE OF SERVICES
It is expected that the selected Contractor will be able to effectively provide building code compliance services, including but not limited to the following, in a manner consistent with the provisions of the International Residential Code for One and Two Family Dwellings, the International Commercial Building Code, including electrical, HVAC, plumbing and other associated codes adopted by the State of Georgia and the City for all single family and multi-family dwellings, and commercial, industrial and public buildings:
- Provide high-quality customer service to residents, business owners, contractors and City staff.
- Provide Assistance to re-establish the building permit application process, including forms, tables and other documentation to allow City staff to review applications, calculate building permit fees, and issue permits.
- Perform commercial building plan review.
- Perform field inspections (preferably within 24 hours of the requested inspection, but in no instance more than 48 hours later than the requested inspection, not including weekends and City holidays), including but not limited to:
a. Footing inspections
b. Foundation inspections
c. Basement floor inspections
d. Erosion control inspections
e. Construction inspections (rough)
f. Plumbing inspections (rough)
g. Heating, ventilating and air conditioning inspections (rough)
h. Electrical inspections (rough)
i. Final inspections for construction, plumbing, heating, ventilating and air conditioning, electrical and insulation
j. All necessary inspections of permitted activities including, but not limited to, decks, swimming pools, fences, signs, accessory buildings, and residential and commercial alterations and additions
k. Inspections necessary for the issuance of occupancy permits
l. Inspections necessary for licensing for the City - Administrative functions, including:
a. Maintaining records of all, inspections performed, work approved and other official actions
b. Providing a monthly summary report of, inspections performed, work approved and other official actions in an electronic format to the City Administrator for presentation to the City Council.
c. Maintaining availability to the public and City staff by telephone, e-mail and other means during normal work hours to promptly respond to inquiries and provide and receive information.
d. Answering general questions regarding building permit requirements and assisting City staff with inquiries.
e. Attending meetings as needed with the appropriate City elected/appointed officials and City staff to coordinate issues related to building/development projects, as well as other meetings, as requested by the City Administrator.
f. Developing recommendations regarding building code amendments, building permit fee structures, and permit forms; proposing solutions to any issues encountered in the administration of the City’s building codes.
g. Maintaining all required certifications in the disciplines of residential and commercial construction, residential and commercial plumbing, residential and commercial electrical, energy conservation and heating, ventilating, and air conditioning.
h. Obtaining hard copy or electronic access to all adopted building codes and amendments or updates that are required to be administered - Assist the City in ensuring compliance by:
a. Assisting with any required audits of building permitting policies, practices, and records - Performing other duties as assigned or delegated.
PROPOSAL AND SELECTION
The Contractor responding to this RFP shall provide a single proposal to the City for the services requested. To be considered for this engagement, the Contractor must meet the qualifications and satisfy the requirements set forth in this RFP. The evaluation and selection of a qualified Contractor will be based on the information submitted in the Contractor’s proposal, references, and any required oral presentations/interviews. A response may be rejected if it fails to meet each of the requirements of the RFP.
The contract may be awarded to the most responsible Contractor whose proposal will be, on an overall basis, the most advantageous to the City. Qualifications, experience, performance, and cost factors will be considered as elements of a responsible proposal at the discretion of the City. Cost alone shall not be the determining factor.
ANTICIPATED SELECTION SCHEDULE
The proposal submission deadline is 4:00 p.m., local time, on Tuesday, May 3rd, 2022. It is anticipated that the selected Contractor will be under contract by June 1, 2022. The City anticipates the Contractor starting with the permitting setup processes after the execution of the contract for services. The City will need to provide notice to the current provider of inspection services and to establish a transition plan for active permits. Therefore, we anticipate that the inspection portion of the contract will not become active until September 1, 2022. Final dates and milestones will be established with the selected Contractor.
METHOD OF SELECTION
- An initial screening of submitted proposals will be conducted by the City Administrator to establish a short list of qualified Contractors. This short list will be provided in alphabetical order without any ranking whatsoever to the Selection Committee.
- The Selection Committee will consist of the Mayor, City Administrator and the City Attorney.
- The Selection Committee may use any the following selection criteria to evaluate proposals and identify preferred candidates:
• That the Contractor adheres to the instructions in this RFP and prepares and submits a complete and thorough proposal
• Sufficient certifications, licenses, bonds, and insurance
• Overall qualifications, experience, and competence of staff
• Experience providing building inspection and plan review services to a municipality of similar size and with comparable characteristics
• Existing municipal workload of the Contractor
• An ability to ensure regular inspection coverage so that permits or inspections are not delayed due to illnesses, vacations, or other disruptions
• Experience working with the public
• Proposed compensation for services
• Reference checks demonstrating a high level of competence providing building inspection services for municipal clients and evidence of positive client interaction/service from previous or existing municipal clients
• Written and visual quality and accuracy of the proposal
• Physical location of the Contractor’s base of operations
• Visits to the Contractor’s office
• Oral presentation and/or interview that most successfully demonstrate the following:Knowledge and understanding of all applicable codes
o Familiarity with the City
o An ability to work effectively with the elected officials and staff of the City of Zebulon
o An ability to work effectively with building contractors and property owners, particularly regarding communicating code issues and assisting with permit applications/procedures - The Selection Committee will make a recommendation to the City Council identifying the Committee’s preferred Contractor(s)
- The City Council will select a preferred Contractor. At the discretion of City, Contractors submitting proposals may be requested to make oral presentations as part of this selection process if the Selection Committee cannot decide upon one preferred Contractor.
- Start of the process to formalize a contract with the selected Contractor.
During the evaluation process, the City reserves the right to request additional information or clarifications from Contractors, or to allow corrections of errors or omissions.
PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
Proposals that do not address the items listed in this RFP may be considered incomplete and be deemed non-responsive by the City at its discretion. It is the responsibility of the Contractor submitting a proposal to determine the actual efforts required to complete the project. Proposals shall include the following in this order:
- Cover letter
- General information about the Contractor, staff identification and experience, credentials/certifications, and training. Include experience performing similar work for other municipalities
- Sample inspection activity reports
- Inspector availability and methods of contact for the public and City staff
- Space, materials, equipment, or equipment access requested from the City
- If Contractor proposes to use software, list which software will be used and how the City staff may be included in the reporting of data from the software.
- Proposed division of responsibility between the Contractor and City staff regarding the scheduling of inspections
- Proposed timeline for the permitting setup and training of staff and rollout of the inspection services activity.
- Proposed compensation in accordance with the laws of the State of Georgia and invoicing, including additional charges for code enforcement, for other inspections performed on behalf of the City, to attend meetings, or for reimbursable expenses such as mileage (compensation shall be based upon a percentage of the established application/inspection fee amount).
- Proposed compensation for commercial building plan review services and for permitting set up assistance.
- List of any subcontractors and their experience, credentials/certifications, and training
- Current insurance with limits for general liability, worker’s compensation, errors and omissions coverage, and vehicle commercial, comprehensive, and collision; or statement of intent to insure and at what limits
- Three municipal references, including contact names, titles, addresses, and telephone numbers, for whom inspection services have been provided within the last three years
- A listing of all contractual obligations that the Contractor currently has in the State of Georgia
- Date when the Contractor will be available to begin providing inspection services to the City
- Any additional information that the Contractor feels necessary
- Closing statement, if desired
All Contractors submitting a proposal are welcome to tour the City and examine the above referenced specifications for the proposed work and judge for themselves the circumstances affecting the cost of the work or the time requirements for its completion. Failure to do so will not relieve the successful Contractor of the obligation to furnish and perform the work, to carry out the provisions of the contract, or complete the contemplated work for the consideration set forth in this RFP.
QUALIFICATIONS
Regardless of whether a proposal is submitted by an individual or firm, a primary contact must be assigned to perform the role of building inspector. If a proposal is submitted by an individual, the individual is assumed to be the primary contact. Information must be provided to document the minimum qualifications, knowledge, skills and abilities of the primary contact. Such information should also be provided on persons assisting with service delivery. Any contract will contain a provision requiring notification of any changes in the primary contact, with an option for the City to terminate the contract if not satisfied with the qualification of any replacement individual.
The Primary Contact shall:
• Provide verification of his/her current state certifications
• Provide a phone number and e-mail address to which building inspection inquiries may be directed
• Be available by appointment at Zebulon City Hall.
• Possess a valid Georgia driver’s license or equivalent out of state driver’s license
• Have municipal inspection experience
INSURANCE
The Contractor shall maintain liability insurance coverage to protect against claims, demands, actions, and causes of action, arising from any act or omission of the Contractor, its agents, servants, officers or employees in the execution of duties. Certificates of insurance by a company authorized to transact business in the State of Georgia shall be supplied to the City. Limits of liability shall not be less than:
Commercial General Liability:
$1,000,000/occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate
Comprehensive Automobile Liability (Including non-ownership coverage):
$1,000,000/occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate
Property Damage:
$1,000,000/occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate
Professional Liability (Errors and Omissions):
$1,000,000/occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate
Bodily Injury Liability:
$1,000,000/occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate
Worker’s Compensation:
As required by statute
Excess liability/umbrella coverage may be used to meet these minimums.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Contractor, its agents, servants, officers or employees shall indemnify and hold harmless the City, including, but not limited to, its respective elected and appointed officials, officers, employees and agents, from any and all claims brought by any person or entity whatsoever, arising from any act, error, or omission of the Contractor during the Contractor’s performance of a contract or any other agreements of the Contractor entered into by reason thereof. The Contractor shall indemnify and defend the City, including, but not limited to, its respective elected and appointed officials, officers, employees and agents, with respect to any claim arising, or alleged to have arisen from negligence and/or willful, wanton or reckless acts or omissions of the Contractor, its agents, servants, officers, or employees, and any or all losses or liabilities resulting from any such claims, including, but not limited to, damage awards, costs and reasonable attorney’s fees, etc.
COMPENSATION
The proposal shall explain the type of compensation desired for the following services:
• Building inspection services
• Re-establishment of the City’s Permitting Process
• Commercial building plan review
RIGHTS RESERVED
This RFP does not commit the City to enter into a contract, nor does it obligate the City to reimburse responding parties for any costs incurred in the preparation and/or submission of proposals in anticipation of a contract. This RFP also does not obligate or make liable the City to reimburse responding parties for any costs associated with discussions required for clarification of items related to this RFP or for attendance of an interview or oral presentation.
The City reserves the right to do the following at its discretion and without penalty:
• Make the selection based on their discretion
• Reject any and all proposals without prejudice
• Issue subsequent Requests for Proposal, whether all or in part of this RFP
• Postpone opening proposals for their own convenience
• Remedy technical errors in the proposal process
• Approve or disapprove the use of subconsultants
• Negotiate with any, all, or none of the Contractors
• Solicit best and final offers from all or some of the Contractors
• Accept other than the lowest cost offer
• Waive informalities, irregularities and non-substantive deficiencies in a proposal
• Request clarification of any information submitted
• Request additional information
The City reserves the right to retain all proposals submitted and to use any ideas in a proposal regardless of whether that proposal is selected. Submission of a proposal indicates acceptance by the Contractor of the conditions contained in this RFP, unless clearly and specifically noted in the proposal submitted and confirmed in the contract between the City and the selected Contractor.
CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITY
Interested Contractors have the responsibility of understanding what is required by this RFP. Neither City shall be held responsible for any Contractor’s lack of understanding. Contractors are responsible to assure delivery prior to the deadline.
CONTRACT
No contract shall be in effect until the City executes a signed contract agreement. The contract will be in a format agreed upon by the Mayor and Council, the City Attorney and the selected Contractor. The Contractor selected will not be permitted to assign, subcontract or transfer the work of providing building inspection services without the prior written authorization of the City.
CONTRACT AWARD
It is the expectation that the City will award a one- year contract with three one-year renewals to a qualified Contractor.
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS – BUILDING INSPECTION SERVICES
CITY OF ZEBULON
APRIL 11, 2022
ATTACHMENTS