26-014 Moshassuck River Urban Restoration Study

CITY OF PAWTUCKET
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
Bid #26-014
Moshassuck River Urban Restoration Study
03/23/2026

Contents:
1.0 Proposal/Solicitation Information
2.0 Instructions and Notifications to Respondents
3.0 Overview
4.0 Scope of Work
5.0 Insurance
6.0 Acknowledgement of Risk and Hold Harmless Agreement
7.0 Additional Insurance Requirements
8.0 Proposal Content and Organization
9.0 Evaluation Criteria
10.0 Miscellaneous
11.0 Proposal Form
Appendix A Anti-Kickback Acknowledgement
Appendix B City of Pawtucket General Terms and Conditions of Purchase
Appendix C City of Pawtucket Standard Form of Agreement (SAMPLE)

1.0 - Bid/Solicitation Information
Schedule
Pre- Proposal Conference: No Yes
Requests for Further Information:
April 02, 2026 @ 4:00 PM
Requests for information or clarification must be made electronically to the attention of:
Kyle McElroy, Urban Resiliency Manager
E-mail: kmcelroy@pawtucketri.gov
Please reference the RFQ / LOI number on all correspondence. Answers to questions received, if
any, will be posted on the internet as an addendum to this bid solicitation.
RFQ Submission Deadline:
April 9, 2026 at 12:00 PM
Late submittals will not be considered.
SOQs must be mailed or hand-delivered in a sealed envelope marked with the RFQ # and Project
Name to:
Pawtucket City Hall - Purchasing Office
137 Roosevelt Avenue
Pawtucket, RI 02860
Sealed proposals will be opened on April 9, 2026 at 4:00 PM at a scheduled Purchasing Board
Meeting at 100 Freight Street, Pawtucket, RI
Bonds/Surety Required
Bid Bond: No Yes
Fidelity Bond: No Yes
Performance and Payment Bond: No Yes
The successful respondent will be required to furnish all insurance documentation as outlined in
the attached General Terms & Conditions of Purchase.

Miscellaneous
The proposal process and resulting contract are subject to the General Terms and Conditions of
Purchase. Submission of a proposal in response to this solicitation is acknowledgement and
acceptance of these General Terms and Conditions of Purchase.
The City of Pawtucket reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids, and to act in its best
interest including, but not limited to, directly negotiating with any vendor who submits a
proposal in response to this RFQ and to award a contract based upon the results of those
negotiations alone. Proposals found to be technically or substantially non-responsive at any
point in the evaluation process will be rejected and not considered further. The City of
Pawtucket may, at its sole option, elect to require presentations(s) by bidders clearly in
consideration for award.

2.0 - Instructions and Notifications to Respondents
* It is the responsibility of the respondent to carefully review this Request for Proposals and
all associated specifications, instructions, terms, and conditions, and to comply fully with
all stated requirements. Respondents must comply with all Federal, State, and City laws,
ordinances and regulations, and meet any and all registration requirements where
required for contractors as set forth by the State of Rhode Island. Failure to make a
complete submission as described herein may result in a rejection of the SOQ.
* All costs associated with developing or submitting a SOQ in response to this Request, or
to provide oral or written clarification of its content shall be borne by the respondent.
The City of Pawtucket assumes no responsibility for these costs.
* A submittal may be withdrawn by written request to the Purchasing Agent by the
proposer prior to the stated RFQ deadline.
* Prior to the SOQ deadline established for this RFQ, changes may be made to a SOQ already
received by the City if that respondent makes a request to the Purchasing Agent, in
writing, to do so. No changes to a SOQ shall be made after the RFQ deadline.
* SOQs are considered to be irrevocable for a period of not less than ninety (90) days
following the opening date, and may not be withdrawn, except with the express written
permission of the Purchasing Agent. Should any vendor object to this condition, the
respondent must provide objection through a question and/or complaint to the
Purchasing Agent prior to the SOQ deadline.
* The respondent has full responsibility to ensure that the SOQ arrives at the Purchasing
Division Office prior to the deadline set out herein. The City assumes no responsibility for
delays caused by the U.S. Postal Service or any other delivery service. Postmarking by the
due date will not substitute for actual receipt of response by the due date. SOQs arriving
after the deadline may be returned, unopened, to the respondent, or may simply be
declared non-responsive and not subject to evaluation, at the sole discretion of the
Purchasing Agent. For the purposes of this requirement, the official time and date shall
be that of the time clock in the City of Pawtucket's Purchasing Office.
* At the time and place fixed for the opening of SOQs, the Owner will cause to be opened
and publicly read aloud every SOQ received within the time set for receiving SOQs,
irrespective of any irregularities therein. Respondents and other persons properly
interested may be present, in person or by representative.
* It is intended that an award pursuant to this Request will be made to a prime Consultant,
who will assume responsibility for all aspects of the work. Joint venture and cooperative
SOQs will not be considered, but subcontracts are permitted, provided that their use is
clearly indicated in the respondent's SOQ, and the subcontractor(s) proposed to be used
are identified in the SOQ.
* Respondents are advised that all materials submitted to the City of Pawtucket for
consideration in response to this Request for SOQs shall be considered to be public
records as defined in Title 38 Chapter 2 of the Rhode Island General Laws, without
exception, and may be released for inspection immediately upon request once an award
has been made.

* Respondents are responsible for errors and omissions in their SOQs. No such error or
omission shall diminish the vendor's obligations to the City.
* The City reserves the right to reject any or all SOQs, or portions thereof, at any time, with
no penalty. The City also has the right to waive immaterial defects and minor irregularities
in any submitted SOQ at its sole discretion. All material submitted in response to this RFQ
shall become the property of the City of Pawtucket upon delivery to the Purchasing Agent.
* SOQs will be opened publicly at a regularly scheduled purchasing board meeting, the date
of which is the same as the RFQ submission deadline provided in Section 1.0, or that
specified in an addendum to this document.
* Interpretations or Addenda: No oral interpretation will be made to any Respondent as to
the meaning of the Contract Documents or any part thereof. Every request for such an
interpretation shall be made in writing to the City of Pawtucket (hereinafter called the
"Owner"). Any inquiry received seven or more days prior to the date fixed for opening of
SOQs will be given consideration. Every interpretation made to a Respondent will be in
the form of an Addendum to the Contract Documents, and when issued, will be on file in
the office of the Owner at least five days before SOQs are opened. In addition, all
Addenda will be e-mailed to each person holding Contract Documents, but it shall be the
Respondent's responsibility to make inquiry as to the Addenda issued. All such Addenda
shall become part of the Contract and all Respondents shall be bound by such Addenda,
whether or not received by the Respondents.
* Each Respondent shall, upon request of the Owner, submit a detailed financial
statement on a form furnish by the Owner for that purpose. The Owner shall have the
right to take such steps as it deems necessary to determine the ability of the
Respondent to perform his obligations under the Contract and the Respondent shall
furnish the Owner all such information and data for this purpose as it may request. The
right is reserved to reject any SOQ where an investigation of the available evidence or
information does not satisfy the Owner that the Respondent is qualified to carry out
properly the terms of the Contract.
* Responding firms shall strive to meet the Minority-Owned Business Enterprise (MBE) /
Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) requirements listed in RIGL 37-14.1: that
fifteen percent (15%) of the dollar value of the work performed be by an MBE or WBE,
or that a waiver from this requirement is obtained from the Rhode Island Department of
Administration through a written request.

3.0 - Overview
The City of Pawtucket is seeking Statements of Qualifications from qualified firms for a watershed
planning study primarily focused on the reach of the Moshassuck River in Pawtucket to evaluate
the existing site conditions, identify flood-prone areas, assess invasive species, recommend
restoration and protection actions, and identify locations for public access.
Background/Problem & Need:
The Moshassuck River (the River) is about 10 miles long and has a watershed of approximately
23 square miles. It flows from Lincoln to Providence, where it combines with the
Woonasquatucket River and empties into Narragansett Bay. The watershed was industrialized
since at least 1675, and by the early 20th century, more than 100 mills lined its banks. Over
time, the industrialization and discharges from a combined stormwater and sanitary system
have severely degraded the River, increased localized flooding and prevented recreational
opportunities. The River also has riverbanks overgrown with invasive species, threatening
native plant species and ecosystem resilience in the face of climate change. These are on-going
challenges for the broader Moshassuck River watershed, with disproportionate effects on the
highly urbanized and Environmental Justice communities of Pawtucket, Providence, and Central
Falls. Furthermore, the increasing frequency of high intensity precipitation events that are
becoming the norm in Rhode Island is causing flooding events that damage public and private
property and strain the stormwater drainage system within this highly urbanized watershed.
Purpose
The outcome of this project will be a comprehensive watershed strategy to improve resilience,
expand public access, and enhance ecological conditions within the Moshassuck River corridor.
The project will include a structured community engagement process, consisting of
neighborhood workshops to present findings, solicit feedback, and incorporate community
priorities into recommended actions.

4.0 - Scope of Work
The proposed project will support ongoing City of Pawtucket efforts to address climate and
ecological resilience challenges in the Moshassuck River watershed. This project proposal
involves the City procuring engineering consulting services for a formal planning project that
includes conceptual designs and development of an Implementation Plan for future phases. This
project is expected to require a 12-month period and will utilize a substantial dataset of existing
information (i.e. land use, impervious cover, stormwater infrastructure, environmental
resources, climate, geological, geographical, and water quality data) for the Moshassuck River.
The focus will be on the Pawtucket reach of the Moshassuck River but may address, as
appropriate, conditions upstream and downstream. The City of Pawtucket and its consultant will
supplement this data with additional information to conduct an updated assessment of existing
conditions, which will be used to develop actions that improve the watershed, including
ecological conditions. This supplemental data may include windshield surveys and site
reconnaissance, an inventory of invasive species, verification of conditions, and more. The City
of Pawtucket and its consultant will also evaluate future precipitation data, such as the National
Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Atlas 14, and reference Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) floodplain mapping, Environmental Resource mapping
from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM), the Rhode Island
Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) Metro Bay and Narragansett Bay Special
Management Plans, and relevant municipal plans and studies (e.g. hazard mitigation plans,
community comprehensive plans, watershed studies, etc.). The assessment and Implementation
Plan will take into account increasing storm magnitudes and will anticipate mitigation of the 200-
year storm.
The City of Pawtucket and its consultant will assess the existing conditions and impacts to
prioritize actions to address them and improve the Moshassuck River watershed. The collected
data will be analyzed to identify options for stormwater best management practices (BMPs),
reduction in impervious cover, illicit discharge detection and elimination (IDDE) actions, riparian
restoration, management/removal of invasive species, and other actions. Public input will be
required to identify and prioritize implementation actions. Additional site investigations may be
needed to evaluate soil suitability and flag wetland and property edges, as needed. Alternatives
will be evaluated, and an Implementation Plan will be developed with consideration for future
changes in climate and regional precipitation patterns to promote the implementation of nature-
based solutions that enhance long-term climate resilience in addition to restoring riparian
habitat. These alternatives and plan will also be developed in a manner that considers public
access to the Moshassuck River. This can include providing access to restored riverbank from
existing public rights-of-way and identifying opportunities for future development of public
access.
Following public input, the Implementation Plan developed by this project will identify specific
action items and projects that can be funded through a multitude of additional sources. Project
success will be measured by the development of a Draft RFQ and scope of work subject to DEM
review and approval, completion of the RFQ process to procure engineering consulting services,
attendance at the neighborhood workshops, and the successful completion of project
deliverables, including an existing conditions technical memorandum, concept designs, and
Implementation Plan. After completion of this grant, the City will work to secure other sources

of funding to support the permitting and implementation of the recommended practices.
Addressing ongoing water and ecological quality of the watershed and improving opportunities
for residents is a priority for the City. The City has a long and successful track record of securing
State and Federal funding and anticipates many sources will be available for specific projects,
including Southeast New England Program (SNEP) programs, FEMA, CDBG, RIDEM, RI
Infrastructure Bank (RIIB), and other programs.
Project Objectives
Objective #1: Formation of Project Advisory Committee
The City of Pawtucket will form an advisory committee to assist and guide the project, including
representatives from the City and consultant, watershed organizations, and DEM.
The consultant shall support the formation of the Advisory Committee, including assisting with
stakeholder identification and outreach. The consultant will be responsible for developing
meeting agendas and materials, scheduling and facilitating committee meetings, and
documenting proceedings. The consultant shall prepare and distribute meeting summaries and
formal meeting notes following each session, including action items and next steps.
Deliverable(s): Roster of Project Advisory Committee members, schedule of meetings, and
meeting notes.
Objective #2: Assessment of Existing Conditions
a) Desktop Analysis and Mapping
The consultant shall compile, review, and analyze existing datasets, aerial imagery,
and historical property documentation to assess current and historical conditions
along the Pawtucket reach of the Moshassuck River. At a minimum, the analysis shall
include preparation of maps and summaries addressing:
* Land use/impervious cover map
* Available water quality data (summary and trends)
* Estimated (general) extent of wetlands
* Stormwater drainage and outfalls
* Wastewater discharges, including Combined Sewer Overflow outfalls
* Identification of areas that are significantly impacted by invasive species
* Identification of potential sources of contamination from current/historical
land use
b) Supplemental Field Survey:
Using the results of Objective 2(a) to prioritize areas with likely significant impacts,
the selected consultant will conduct field surveys along the Moshassuck River to
confirm and/or characterize those conditions. Field activities may include, but are not
limited to:

* Field assessments of invasive plants (i.e. aquatic, riparian) to determine
species composition and extent of coverage
* Documentation of stormwater outfalls to address data gaps and/or evidence
of illicit discharges
* Conducting test pits at select locations to evaluate soil conditions and
infiltration rates
c) Assessment and Documentation:
The consultant shall synthesize findings from the desktop and field analyses to identify
and categorize key issues and concerns, and utilize a spreadsheet or table that ties
key factors or impacts (i.e., stormwater management, water quality, flooding,
resiliency, habitat restoration, etc.) to the issues. The existing conditions will be
summarized in a technical memorandum submitted for review and comment by the
advisory committee before being finalized.
Deliverable(s): Draft technical memorandum that summarizes the existing conditions analysis and
the field surveys, including methodologies and outputs (e.g. maps, data files) and details
environmental concerns and identifies existing and potential future potential public access
locations.
All GIS data and associated files shall be provided in electronic format compatible with the City's
system.
Objective #3: Stakeholder engagement
The consultant shall plan, coordinate, and facilitate stakeholder engagement activities to present
findings from Task 2 and solicit input on watershed vulnerabilities and potential nature-based
solutions within the Moshassuck River corridor.
Engagement efforts shall:
* Present environmental, ecological, and stormwater findings from the existing conditions
assessment
* Solicit feedback on neighborhood-specific vulnerabilities
* Identify community priorities and preferences for potential nature-based solutions
* Ensure meaningful participation from Environmental Justice communities in Pawtucket,
Central Falls, and Providence
The consultant shall organize and facilitate a minimum of three (3) public workshops during the
project period. One (1) workshop shall focus specifically on presentation and discussion of the
Draft Implementation Plan (see Objective 5).
Responsibilities shall include:
* Development of meeting agendas, presentations, and materials
* Coordination of meeting logistics
* Facilitation of discussions
* Documentation of feedback and preparation of meeting summaries