Rail and Port Plan

Lake Providence Port Commission

The Lake Providence Port Commission (LPPC) is soliciting proposals from qualified consulting firms to develop and implement a comprehensive master plan on behalf of the Northeast Louisiana River Coalition (NLPC), which is made up of LPPC, Tensas Parish Port, Harbor & Terminal District, Vidalia Port Commission, and the Northeast Louisiana Multimodal District. This plan will serve as a strategic roadmap for the future growth, development, and enhancement of the NLPC and surrounding communities. The purpose of this RFP is to identify a consulting firm with the experience, expertise, and innovative thinking necessary to assist in the development of the Master Plan

It is expected that the plan process will take 12 to 18 months.

Background

The NLPC members are situated within what is known as the North Louisiana Delta, an area well known for being one of the poorest regions in the State of Louisiana and thus one of the poorest regions in the entire country. A significant driver in economic disparity for the region arises from the lack of economic diversity. The North Louisiana Delta has developed a terrestrial growth centered around its natural resources – the vast Mississippi Alluvial Plain, rich in fertile soils and water. Such characteristics have promoted and sustained valuable agricultural and forestry in the region, however, there are economic setbacks resulting from this forced reliance on these two predominantly rural industries. This situation has been further exacerbated by the lack of basic infrastructure (ports, railroad, etc) to facilitate diversified industrial growth, or more importantly, the ability to attract the same.

Despite these concerns, there continues to be tremendous opportunity in the region. Northeast Louisiana sits along the nation's most valuable inland resource, the Mississippi River. In the last decade, the Lake Providence Port Commission has entered into a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement with the Tensas Parish Port, Harbor & Terminal District and Vidalia Port Commission to centralize the management of assets for the region. In the past year, the region has created a Northeast Louisiana Multimodal District to resurrect an abandoned railroad, giving the region both land and water access to a majority of the US and international markets.

In 2023, LPPC secured two federal grants to help funds NLPC's study and development of a Master Plan. The preliminary "goal" to be achieved from this Master Plan includes the "establishment of an evolving long-term strategy for the future development of the NLRC to help generate a sustainable workforce and tax basis for the region."

As part of its grant applications, LPPC has proposed the initial recruitment of a working group to help develop the objectives and task priorities to accomplish this underlying goal. These working group members will also serve as subject matter experts throughout the planning process, utilizing a series of group and breakout sessions with each respective discipline.

Scope of Work

LPPC has outlined the anticipated scope of work for this procurement below. However, please note, LPPC welcomes recommended adjustments to this Master Plan development process from those firms specializing in such planning activities. We ask that any adjustments to this scope of work be clearly identified within the proposal with alignment to the cost proposal.

• Initial Review of Existing Conditions:
  
  1. Planning Grant Review:
     
     • Evaluate and analyze the terms and conditions of the planning grant to ensure compliance and alignment with project objectives.
     • Port and Railroad organizational framework.
     • Conduct a thorough assessment of the existing organizational structure of the port and railroad entities.
     • Identify strengths and weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in the current organizational framework.
  2. Strategic Alignment:
     
     • Review existing strategic plans and documents to ensure alignment with the overall goals and objectives of the Port and Railroad Master Plan.
  3. Working Group Recruitment:
     
     • Develop criteria for working group participation.
     • Identify and recruit key stakeholders to form working groups.
  4. Solicit Working Group Participants:
     
     • Issues invitations to potential working group participants.
     • Provide information on the purpose, scope, and expected commitments of working group involvement.
  5. Interview Participants:
     
     • Conduct interviews with key stakeholders, including representatives from the port, railroad, and relevant authorities.
     • Gather insights, expectations, and concern to inform the master plan development.
• Master Plan Study:
  1. Collective Group Meetings:
     
     • Organize initial, collective group meetings to introduce the project, establish communications channels, and discuss overarching goals.
  2. Breakout Working Group Meetings:
     
     • Facilitate separate working group meetings to delve into specific areas of focus such as Capital Improvement Plans, Energy Demand Studies, etc.
  3. Potential Individual Studies:
     
     • Identify and initiate potential individual studies as needed to support the master plan development process.
• Plan Development:
  
  1. Initial Draft:
     
     • Develop an initial draft of the Port and Railroad Master Plan based on insights gathered from collective and working group meetings.
  2. Feedback and Revisions:
     
     • Distribute the initial draft to stakeholders for feedback.
     • Conduct feedback sessions and incorporate relevant suggestions and revisions.
• Final Approval:
  1. Final Approval:
     
     • Present the revised master plan to the relevant authorities for final approval.
     • Address any outstanding concerns or considerations raised during the feedback and revision phase.

Proposal Submission

Interested consulting firms are invited to submit their proposals, including:

1. Qualifications:
   
   • Background statement describing the firm(s), capabilities, principles, staff availability, and location.
   • Resumes with relevant project experience, including at least three (3) similar projects with references.
2. Project Approach:
   
   • Proposed approach and methodology for the comprehensive plan based on the provided scope of work.
3. Schedule:
   
   • Work plan with detailed breakdown of tasks, milestones, and timeline.
4. Proposed Team:
   
   • Organization chart defining team member roles.
   • Resumes of all key personnel (limited to one page)
5. Project Budget:
   
   • Submit a not-to-exceed (fixed price) cost for the project, with estimated cost, by task.
   • Include all costs associated with the project, including travel and material expenses.
6. Appendices:
   
   • Anti-Lobbying Certificate (Appendix 1)
   • Federal Grant Mandatory Clauses (Appendix 2)

Evaluation Criteria

The Lake Providence Port Commission retains the right to reject all proposals and to re-solicit if deemed to be in the best interest of the NLRC.

The Respondents will be evaluated based on the written material submitted and according to the following criteria:

• Experience of the firm with this particular type of project — 25 pts
• Proposed approach and methodology — 25 pts
• Capacity to begin work immediately and complete the project in a timely manner — 20 pts
• Competitive Pricing — 25 pts
• Firms' individual certification or planned use of minority and/or women-owned enterprises — 5 pts

Proposer Questions

Interested firms may submit questions to this RFP by emailing bryantkillen@gmail.com on or before February 12, 2024. Responses shall be posted to the following link: http://bit.ly/48YgdwJ

Timeline and Submission Deadline

Proposals must be submitted electronically in PDF format to bryantkillen@gmail.com no later than 5:00 P.M. on February 22nd, 2024. Late submissions will not be considered.

Milestone Schedule

RFP Released — January 22nd, 2024

Questions Due to LPCC &m dash; February 12th, 2024

Responses Posted in Google Drive Link — February 16th, 2024

Proposals Due to LPPC — February 22nd, 2024, no later than 5:00 P.M.

Award Posted — TBD

Instructions for Responding

Please provide one (1) copy of the proposal. The submittal must be submitted via email in PDF format to bryantkillen@gmail.com .

Contact Information

For inquiries or clarifications, please contact:

Bryant Killen
bryantkillen@gmail.com

We look forward to receiving your proposal and partnering with a qualified consulting firm to shape the future of the NLRC.

Lake Providence Port Commission – Lake Providence, LA

Tensas Parish Port, Harbor & Terminal District – St. Joseph, LA

Vidalia Port Commission – Vidalia, LA

Northeast Louisiana Multimodal District – St. Joseph, LA

Sincerely,

Bryant Killen, IMPE

Deputy Director

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