26-99602 RFP for Design Services for 2027 Street Preservation - Oneota to Lakeside-Lester Park Addendum No. 1

Purchasing Division, Finance Department
218-730-5340 | purchasing@duluthmn.gov
Room 120 | 411 West First Street | Duluth, Minnesota 55802
www.duluthmn.gov
City of Duluth Request for Proposals
2027 STREET PRESERVATION PROJECT- ONEOTA TO LAKESIDE-LESTERPARK
Project No.: 2404
Design Phase
RFP Number 26-99602
Issued: July 22 2026
Proposals due: August 5, 2026 at 3:00 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. Introduction and project Summary. The City is seeking proposals from consultants to provide
design services through bidding for the 2027 Street Preservation Project- Oneota to Lakeside-Lester
Park, Project Number 2404. If construction services are required, the additional work will be
contracted by amendment. Additional details are provided in Part IV of this RFP.
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 August 3, 2026 by
purchasing@duluthmn.gov 4:00 PM CT
Answers to questions will be posted to the City website no later August 4, 2026 by
than this date. 4:00 PM CT
Proposals must be received in the Purchasing Office by 2:00 PM August 5, 2026 by
on this date. 3:00 PM CT
I-3. Questions & Answers. Any questions regarding this RFP must be submitted by e-mail to the
Purchasing Office at purchasing@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-4. 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 Bidder's responsibility to periodically check the website for any new information. Any
addenda issued must be acknowledged on the Proposal Sheet attached as Appendix A.
I-5. 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 Bidder incurs in
preparation and submission of its proposal, in participating in the RFP process or in anticipation of
award of the contract.
I-6. Small Diverse Business Information. The City encourages participation by minority, women, 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-7. Agreement. The awarded proposer will be required to sign the agreement attached as Appendix
B. Questions about the agreement should be submitted to purchasing@duluthmn.gov by the question
deadline in the calendar of events.

I-8. Award. The agreement award amount will be based on the time and materials submitted in the
proposal, but will be a lump-sum, not-to-exceed agreement.
I-9. Term of Contract. The term of the contract will begin once the contract is fully executed and is
anticipated to end by May 31, 2027. The selected Bidder shall not start the performance of any work
nor shall the City be liable to pay the selected Bidder for any service or work performed or expenses
incurred before the contract is executed.
I-10. Mandatory Disclosures. By submitting a proposal, each Bidder understands, represents, and
acknowledges that:
A. Their proposal has been developed by the Bidder 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
Bidder or its employees or agents to any person not an employee or agent of the Bidder.
B. There is no conflict of interest. A conflict of interest exists if a Bidder 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-11. Notification of Selection. Bidders whose proposals are not selected will be notified in writing.
PART II - PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
II-1. Proposal Submission. To be considered, hard copies of proposals must be submitted to the
Purchasing department at 411 W 1st Street, Room 120, Duluth MN 55802, on or before the time and
date specified on the 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. Terms of the awarded proposal as stated must be valid for the
project length of time.
Please submit 1 (one) unbound paper copy of the Technical Submittal and 1 (one) unbound paper
copy of the Cost Submittal. The Cost Submittal should be in a separate sealed envelope.

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.
II-2. Proposal Content.
The proposal shall be submitted in the following format broken into the 5 sections identified below.
The proposal shall be limited to 10 pages plus a cover letter (The page limit includes all resumes.
Proposals that exceed this limit will not be reviewed. Dividers and covers are not included in the page
limitation). The proposal format shall be as follows:
1) Goals and Objectives
A restatement of the goals and objectives and the project tasks to demonstrate the responder's
view and understanding of the project.
2) Knowledge, Experience, and Personnel
An outline of the responder's background and experience with similar projects. Project
descriptions shall include a list of key staff and their role. Include a description of the firm's
knowledge of City of Duluth street and utility standards. Within the experience, the consultant
should demonstrate and provide proof of competency in the following areas:
i) Road Design and Construction, including knowledge of reclamation and milling projects
ii) Planning for effective Public Participation
iii) Cost estimating and cost control
iv) Project management experience and dealing effectively with residents
v) Erosion/Stormwater management for design of SWPPP for the project
Identify personnel to conduct the project and detail their training, certifications and licenses,
and work experience. Identify how personnel proposed for this project were involved with the
projects listed as experience. Identify a professional engineer registered in the State of
Minnesota who will oversee the overall project. No change in personnel assigned to the project
will be permitted without approval of the City.
3) Work Plan
Include a detailed work plan identifying the work tasks to be accomplished and the budget
hours to be expended on each task and subtask for roadway design. The work plan shall be in
spreadsheet format and shall list each task and the number of hours for each staff person on
that task. The work plan shall also identify the deliverables at key milestones in the project as
well as any other services to be provided by the City. Do NOT include any costs in the work
plan.
4) Work Schedule
An anticipated work schedule shall also be provided. The work schedule shall identify all key
milestone dates.
5) References
A listing of names, addresses, and telephone numbers of at least three (3) references for
whom the respondent has performed similar street and utility construction services.

COST PROPOSAL CONTENTS
Provide, in separate envelope, one copy of the cost proposal, clearly marked on the outside "Cost
Proposal" along with the responder's official business name and address. Terms of the proposal as
stated must be valid for the project length of time.
The consultant must include a not to exceed total project cost, as well as subtotals for design services
and bidding and any sub consultant fees. The cost proposal shall include all of the following:
A cover/transmittal letter.
A breakdown of the hours by task for each employee. This shall be in the same format as the work
plan in the Qualifications proposal with the addition of costs.
Hourly rates for each specific employee proposed. (not general rates by category).
Identification of anticipated direct expenses and rates for miscellaneous charges such as mileage
and copies.
Identification of any assumption made while developing this cost proposal.
Identification of any cost information related to additional services or tasks. Include this in the cost
proposal but identify it as additional costs and do not make it part of the total project cost.
The Consultant must have the cost proposal/cover letter/transmittal signed in ink by an authorized
member of the firm.
The consultant must not include any cost information within the body of the RFP qualification
proposal response.
PART III - CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
The proposals will be reviewed by City Staff. The intent of the selection process is to review
proposals and make an award based upon qualifications as described therein. A 100-point scale will
be used to create the final evaluation recommendations. The factors and weighing percent on which
proposals will be judged are:
Goals and Objectives 10%
Knowledge, Experience, and Personnel 20%
Work Plan 20%
Work Schedule 20%
Project Cost or Fees 30%
Proposals will be evaluated on a best value basis with 70% qualifications and 30% cost
consideration. The review committee will not open the cost proposal until after the qualification points
have been awarded.
LIMITATIONS
This Request for Proposal does not commit the City of Duluth to award a contract or pay costs
incurred in the preparation of the proposal, or to procure a contract for services or supplies.

The Proposal shall not in any way include any restrictions on the City of Duluth. The Consultant shall
NOT provide proposed contract language.
The City of Duluth specifically reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals, to negotiate
with any qualified source, to cancel in part or in its entirety the Request for Proposal, to waive any
requirements, to investigate the qualifications of any proposal, to obtain new proposals, or proceed to
have the service provided in any way as necessary to serve the best interests of the City of Duluth.
The selected consultant must sign the City of Duluth standard Professional Engineering Services
Agreement. Any questions concerning this agreement should be asked PRIOR to proposal submittal.
These questions should be directed to the Purchasing Office and purchasing@duluthmn.gov.
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.
Prior to entering into an agreement with the City, the consultant shall furnish proof that it has all legal
requirements for transacting business in the State of Minnesota.
PART IV - PROJECT DETAIL
Overview of neighborhood, route and termini, mileage, and preliminary construction type:
Approx. Preliminary
Neighborhood Route and Termini
Mileage Construction Type
West Michigan Street, from 40th Avenue West
Oneota 0.45 miles Mill & Overlay
to 46th Avenue West
Lincoln Park Drive, from West 7th
Lincoln Park 0.37 miles Reclaim
Street/Lincoln Parkway to West 10th Street
North 7th Avenue East, from 2nd Street to 10th
East Hillside 0.56 miles Mill & Overlay
Street
North 9th Avenue East, from Superior Street
East Hillside 0.63 miles Mill & Overlay
to 9th Street
North 10th Avenue East, from 5th Street to 9th
East Hillside 0.28 miles Mill & Overlay
Street

North 3rd Avenue East, from 1st Street Alley to
CBD 0.07 miles Mill & Overlay
2nd Street Alley
North 3rd Avenue East, from 4th Street to 8th
Central Hillside 0.28 miles Mill & Overlay
Street
North 5th Avenue East, from 4th Street to 7th
Central Hillside 0.21 miles Mill & Overlay
Street
North 10th Avenue West, from 3rd Street to
Central Hillside 0.33 miles Mill & Overlay
Skyline Parkway
North 9th Avenue West, from 3rd Street to 6th
Central Hillside 0.21 miles Mill & Overlay
Street
Chester North 19th Avenue East, from 8th Street to
0.46 miles Overlay
Park/UMD College Street
North 40th Avenue East, from Superior Street
Lakeside 0.64 miles Reclaim
to Dodge Street
Street construction work may include but is not limited to; material removal, reclamation, milling,
bituminous paving, storm water drainage improvements, ditching, partial curb and gutter replacement,
replacement or improvement of pedestrian ramps, partial sidewalk replacement, turf establishment in
all disturbed areas, and pavement markings if present at this time.
The project will be funded through City of Duluth Sales Tax Funding, levy funds, and storm water
funds (all local funds).
The City of Duluth will provide the following:
All available street and utility drawings from previous projects.
Typical sections where available.
Borings performed by City.
Televising records of pipes televised by City to be reviewed by consultant.
Aerial photography and utility layers in ESRI shape files from the cities GIS system.
Typical plan sheets from the 2025 or 2026 Street Preservation Project (Attached). To provide
an example of plan layout and sheet format.

Assistance in obtaining other related information in City files pertaining to the project if needed.
List of known monuments on project to be preserved.
List of known lead services, including which will be replaced by the City and those that will
have restoration included in the drawings.
GENERAL PROJECT SCOPE
Consulting Engineering Services are expected to include all work necessary to provide final design
including survey, plans and specifications, and bidding services.
All work shall be performed in accordance with the most recent version of the City Standard
Construction Specifications and the Engineering Guidelines (available on the City of Duluth website),
as well as current MNDOT specifications. Note that the City updated the Construction Specifications
in 2026. The bid documents will need to incorporate this updated version.
SCOPE OF SERVICES
1) Initial Site Visit and Consultations
a) The Consultant shall meet with City of Duluth staff to review project scope and complexity,
design criteria, related requirements, view existing conditions, gather data from the City
engineering files and previously prepared reports. Additional consultations shall, where
necessary, clarify the technical requirements and objectives of the contract and may be in the
form of letters, emails and/or telephone conversations. At a minimum, weekly Teams meetings
are required.
b) The Consultant shall provide documentation (meeting notes) of meetings and data provided.
c) The Consultant shall ascertain the applicability of information provided, review data for
completeness, and notify the City of any additional data required. It shall be the responsibility
of the Consultant to determine, by site inspection procedures, the reliability of all the existing
topographic survey. If information is found to be missing, the City will determine if this
information should be collected as additional work.
d) Consultant will need to prepare preliminary plan sheets to be used for site/street visits.
Consultant must record City comments on these preliminary sheets and provide copies to the
City at end of initial street review.
2) Public Participation
a) The Consultant should plan two neighborhood meetings to coordinate and communicate the
project with residents. These are in addition to any meetings held prior to the award of the
contract. Each meeting will be held virtually, and later in evening, in person. Coordinate these
meetings with the City Transportation Planner.
3) Reconnaissance, Field Surveys & Geotechnical Exploration
a) The Consultant shall perform survey as necessary for driveways, curbs, road and drainage
work, including all manhole and valve locations. A different construction type will require
different levels of survey. Refer to the street list for initial recommendation of construction type

of each street. Consultant shall determine during initial design the final construction type.
Consultant shall collect all survey information on existing ditches and yard slopes as needed
for proposed sidewalks and ADA ramps. All new construction, including any retaining walls, v-
curb and ditching will need to be staked in field and will be included in the construction plans.
All staking files to perform the work in the plans will be provided to the City at the end of
design. The Consultant shall determine treatment for all monuments and their boxes that are
disturbed with the project. Coordinate monument treatments with Project Engineer and City
Surveyor and include in plan set.
b) Review all project sites (all streets listed) for physical conditions or lack of infrastructure that
contribute to poor drainage or other drainage issues- where necessary. Drainage
improvements shall be included in the plans to improve drainage on all streets where
necessary. Compile this information in an Excel spreadsheet (City can provide example),
provide to the City and coordinate any proposed storm water improvements with the City storm
water engineers, Tom Johnson or Nathan Bruno. The consultant shall assume on all streets
that selective catch basin adjustment, repairs and replacements will be required and shall
allocate design effort to include such work in the Plans. Similarly, the consultant is responsible
for reviewing the sites identified for reclamation in the preparation of their proposal and shall
assume that existing storm pipes / trenches that show evidence of settling or heaving will
require replacement and/or subgrade treatments as part of the project design. The City will
provide other known storm sewer issues to be addressed by the consultant's design and
provided in the consultant's design proposal.
c) Driveways
(1) Driveways with bituminous in the concrete gutter sections shall not be perpetuated. New
aprons along with new curb if necessary, shall be designed and included in the scope of
the project. These areas will need a new profile that can be staked in the field.
d) The pedestrian ramps will be improved to meet current ADA standards where sidewalks
currently exist. The Consultant will be required to complete preliminary design for the curb
ramps, with approval of the ramp type prior to final design by the project engineer. If the
proposed ramp is unable to meet ADA standards, the Consultant shall submit to the City an
ADA Compliance Checklist for that site in PDF format.
e) The Consultant shall be responsible for all permit applications that may be required of the City.
f) Assume the City will do all necessary geotechnical exploration to determine/verify the existing
section on the reclaim and mill/overlay sections.
g) The construction type noted for each street segment provides initial guidance to the consultant
on the project scope. However, this may be modified if different construction techniques are
selected and the final project stays within the project budget.
h) The Consultant, as part of design services, shall assume 5000 LF of pipe, 310 catch basins
and 131 manholes, will need to be reviewed and any deficiencies such as collapsed pipe,
offset joints, structures to be replaced, reconstructed or adjusted etc. will be noted in an Excel
spreadsheet to be reviewed by City Stormwater Engineer to determine what work to include on
plan. Coordinate with City staff at the beginning of the inspection process as well as during

final review of questionable structures. Pipe and structure inspections and defect and feature
coding shall be in accordance with NASSCO MACP / PACP Level 1 standards. The inspection
and all forms, reports, photos, exhibits, diagrams, required viewer software, etc. shall be
provided early in the design process so repairs and replacements can be assessed and
incorporated in the project design to meet the City's overall project schedule.
i) All traffic control plans, incorporating detours, closures and other road work scheduled by
others in the City of Duluth shall be reviewed and approved by the City Traffic Engineer.
4) Preliminary Design Recommendations and Costs
a) The Consultant shall analyze all appropriate data, then prepare recommendations and a
preliminary construction cost estimate broken down per street prior to preparing plans
and specifications.
b) The consultant shall work with City staff to provide design and cost alternatives to assist the
City in meeting the City's desired objectives and budget constraints.
c) Once the recommendations and cost estimate is prepared, meet with the project engineer to
confirm direction.
d) Full design can commence following that meeting.
5) Plans and Specifications
a) The consultant shall prepare construction drawings. These drawings shall include all details,
plans, and specifications necessary for work as required by City. On past similar locally-funded
projects, an aerial photo of the project site with the work depicted on that aerial photo is
sufficient for bidding. An SEQ with each project site in its own column will be necessary. This
will allow a contingency if bids come in over budget and scope must be decreased. Note: The
title sheet with the streets listed shall be in this order- Overlays, Mill and Overlays, and
Reclaims. In each heading the streets shall be listed east to west. The SEQ shall list the
streets in the same order. The Cost Estimates shall be in the same order and match the SEQ
layout. See sample plan or examples provided by City
b) The specification preparation shall also include appropriate sections for bidding, bonding,
agreements, general and special provisions, and other appropriate contract provisions as well.
These sections shall be developed in accordance with the City standards, which shall be made
available to the consultant.
c) The drawings shall include all necessary site maps, plans, elevations, sections, details,
drainage profiles, and notes as needed or necessary to adequately show, explain or describe
all features of the project. A full example plan set can be provided to interested consultants.
d) The contract drawing sequence shall follow the standard City of Duluth format.
e) The City will provide a .pdf document for plan production. It includes notes on how pay items
will work and how to set up SEQ/notes/tabs specifically for the Street Preservation Project.
Review with project engineer before starting plan production.
6) Cost Estimate
a) A preliminary cost estimate (broken down by street in Excel and .pdf) is required prior to
preparing plans and specifications (Section 4 above). Each plan review submittal also requires
an updated cost estimate, for a total of five (5) submittals. The City will provide an example to