24-99310 RFP for Buckthorn Removal in Support of Restoration in Hartley Natural Area (due 3/28)

Agency:	City of Duluth
State:	Minnesota
Type of Government:	State & Local
NAICS Category:	541611 - Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services 541620 - Environmental Consulting Services 541690 - Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services 561210 - Facilities Support Services 561730 - Landscaping Services
Posted Date:	Feb 28, 2024
Due Date:	Mar 28, 2024
Solicitation No:	24-99310
Bid Source:	Please Login to View Page
Contact information:	Please Login to View Page
Bid Documents:	Please Login to View Page

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CITY OF DULUTH

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

BUCKTHORN REMOVAL IN

SUPPORT OF RESTORATION IN

HARTLEY NATURAL AREA,

DULUTH, MN

RFP NO. 24-99310

ISSUED FEBRUARY 28, 2024

PROPOSALS DUE MARCH 28,

2024 AT 4:00 PM

SUBMIT TO:

CITY OF DULUTH

ATTN: PURCHASING DIVISION

CITY HALL, ROOM 120

411 WEST 1ST STREET

DULUTH, MN 55802

PART I - GENERAL INFORMATION

I-1. Project Overview.

The City is soliciting proposals from qualified ecological restoration professionals to

perform dense buckthorn removal in two locations of Hartley Natural Area, Located at

3001 Woodland Avenue, Duluth, MN. The two sites, called “Stormwater BMP Site” and

“Enclosure Site” are approximately 7 acres and 3 acres respectively and are easily

accessed from a trail or road. Buckthorn in the “Stormwater BMP Site” must be cut, stump

treated and chipped by June 1, 2024. Buckthorn in the “Enclosure Site” must be cut,

stump treated and chipped by September 1, 2024.

Funding is provided by a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant through the EPA. There are

special conditions relating to the funding, which can be found in Appendix C.

I-2. Calendar of Events. The City will make every effort to adhere to the following

schedule.

Activity

Date

Deadline to submit Questions via email to

kkubiak@duluthmn.gov.

Answers to questions will be posted to the City website no

later than this date.

Proposals must be received in the Purchasing Office by

4:00 PM on this date.

March 15, 2024

March 20, 2024

March 28, 2024

I-3. Rejection of Proposals. The City reserves the right, in its sole and complete

discretion, to reject any and all proposals or cancel the request for proposals, at any time

prior to the time a contract is fully executed, when it is in its best interests. The City is not

liable for any costs the Proposer incurs in preparation and submission of its proposal, in

participating in the RFP process or in anticipation of award of the contract.

I-4. Questions & Answers. Any questions regarding this RFP must be submitted by e-

mail to Kate Kubiak at kkubiak@duluthmn.gov no later than the date indicated on the

Calendar of Events. Answers to the questions will be posted as an Addendum to the RFP.

I-5. Addenda to the RFP. If the City deems it necessary to revise any part of this RFP

before the proposal response date, the City will post an addendum to its website

http://www.duluthmn.gov/purchasing/bids-request-for-proposals/ . Although an e-mail

notification will be sent, it is the Proposer’s responsibility to periodically check the website

for any new information

I-6. Proposals. To be considered, hard copies of proposals must arrive at the City on or

before the time and date specified in the RFP Calendar of Events. The City will not accept

proposals via email or facsimile transmission. The City reserves the right to reject or to

deduct evaluation points for late proposals.

Proposals must be signed by an authorized official. If the official signs the Proposal Cover

Sheet attached as Appendix A, this requirement will be met. Proposals must remain valid

for 60 days or until a contract is fully executed.

Please submit one (1) paper copy of the Technical Submittal and one (1) paper copy of

the Cost Submittal. The Cost Submittal shall be in a separate sealed envelope. In

addition, Proposers shall submit one copy of the entire proposal (Technical and Cost

submittals, along with all requested documents) on flash drive in Microsoft Office

compatible or pdf format.

All materials submitted in response to this RFP will become property of the City and will

become public record after the evaluation process is completed and an award decision

made.

I-7. Small Diverse Business Information. The City encourages participation by

minority, women, disadvantaged, and veteran-owned businesses as prime contractors,

and encourages all prime contractors to make a significant commitment to use minority,

women, veteran-owned and other disadvantaged business entities as subcontractors and

suppliers. A list of certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprises is maintained by the

Minnesota Unified Certification Program at http://mnucp.metc.state.mn.us/ .

I-8. Form & Term of the Agreement. The awarded proposer will execute a standard city

services agreement, an example of which is attached as Appendix D. This RFP as well

as additional conditions and supplementary provisions are deemed to be part of the

executed agreement. The term of the agreement will begin once the agreement is fully

executed (anticipated by April 1, 2024) and end by December 31, 2024. The selected

Proposer shall not start the performance of any work nor shall the City be liable to pay the

selected Proposer for any service or work performed or expenses incurred before the

agreement is executed and Notice to Proceed is provided.

I-9. Mandatory Disclosures. By submitting a proposal, each Proposer understands,

represents, and acknowledges that:

A. Their proposal has been developed by the Proposer independently and has

been submitted without collusion with and without agreement,

understanding, or planned common course of action with any other vendor

or suppliers of materials, supplies, equipment, or services described in the

Request for Proposals, designed to limit independent bidding or

competition, and that the contents of the proposal have not been

communicated by the Proposer or its employees or agents to any person

not an employee or agent of the Proposer.

B. There is no conflict of interest. A conflict of interest exists if a Proposer has

any interest that would actually conflict, or has the appearance of conflicting,

in any manner or degree with the performance of work on the project. If

there are potential conflicts, identify the municipalities, developers, and

other public or private entities with whom your company is currently, or have

been, employed and which may be affected.

C. It is not currently under suspension or debarment by the State of Minnesota,

any other state or the federal government.

D. The company is either organized under Minnesota law or has a Certificate

of Authority from the Minnesota Secretary of State to do business in

Minnesota, in accordance with the requirements in M.S. 303.03.

I-10. Notification of Selection. Proposers whose proposals are not selected will be

notified in writing.

PART II - PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

Proposers must submit a complete package in order to be considered. The submission

package must include each of the sections below, in the following order:

II-1 Technical Proposal.

1. Cover letter - A letter of up to two pages highlighting the proposed project

team. The letter should indicate a single point of contact/overall project manager.

The cover letter should also include: the firm's name, e-mail address, business

address, telephone and fax number, federal I.D. number, and Minnesota tax I.D.

number (if applicable). The cover letter must state that the firm (with teamed

partners identified) has personnel with the qualifications necessary to complete

work of the project. The letter should also explain the benefits of using your

company's/team's services.

2. Relevant projects - Include a maximum of three projects that highlight the

team and/or team members' experience. The strongest package will demonstrate

direct experience collaborating with and/or working with municipalities and within

the project areas. There is no prescribed format for this section, however it will be

limited to three pages in length.

3. A proposed Work Plan with a timeline. Do not include any costs in the Work

Plan or Technical Proposal.

II-2 Cost Proposal.

The Cost Proposal must be sealed separately from the Technical Proposal and

shall include a proposed lump sum fee to perform the Work along with a Personnel

and Materials Fee Schedule.

PART III - CRITERIA FOR SELECTION

The proposals will be reviewed by an evaluation team consisting of city staff, grant

consultants and other stakeholders. The intent of the selection process is to review

proposals and make an award based upon qualifications as described therein. A 100point

scale will be used to create the final evaluation recommendations. The factors and

weighting on which proposals will be judged are:

Prior experience with similar work

Qualifications of the Proposer

Schedule

Costs

40%

10%

40%

10%

PART IV – PROJECT DETAIL

IV-1 Background

Duluth’s Natural Resource Management Program was created to protect, restore, nurture

and assess the City’s forests, watersheds and designated Natural Areas. Hartley Park is

one of three designated Natural Areas in the City. Many of this 600-acre property is

infested with invasive Glossy Buckthorn. With funding from the Great Lakes Restoration

Initiative, the City, through this RFP, is continuing its efforts to restore and enhance the

ecological values of this Natural Area by removing dense stands of Glossy Buckthorn and,

in cooperation with St. Louis County and Hartley Nature Center, restoring these areas

with native trees and shrubs. The “Stormwater BMP” site will have another entity –

Community Action Duluth – cutting buckthorn concurrently with the contractor selected

through this RFP. Both entities will be working towards the same goal at this site, which

is to have the area cleared of buckthorn by June 1, 2024, so that another project,

construction of a large stormwater infiltration structure, can commence.

IV-2 Tasks & Deliverables.

In completion of this work, time is of the essence. Glossy Buckthorn in the “Stormwater BMP Site”

must be cut, stump treated and chipped by June 1, 2024. Buckthorn in the “Enclosure Site” must

be cut, stump treated and chipped by August 31, 2024. The work must be performed under the

following conditions:

1. Buckthorn trees must be cut using chainsaws or similar technique. Large forestry mowing

equipment may not be used.

2. Stump (chemical) treatment must use glyphosate and/or tryclopir or similar chemicals and

must be applied directly to the stump, not over-sprayed.

3. Slash must be chipped on site. The City will provide a location to store the chipped

material, but the contractor must move the material to the storage site.

4. Contractor must participate in three sites visits with City staff to confirm progress

and adequate performance. These visits will occur 1.) before the work begins; 2.)

mid-way through the work; 3.) once the work is completed.

24-99310 RFP for Buckthorn Removal in Support of Restoration in Hartley Natural Area (due 3/28)

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