(RFQ 2026-01)

City of Wadley, Georgia

Request for Qualifications

(RFQ 2026-01)

To Provide

Engineering Services

For

Clean Water Infrastructure Resilience Projects

July 2026

Solicitation No: RFQ 2026-01

Qualifications Due: August 14, 2026, 2:00 PM EST

1. General Project Information

Project Descriptions & Goals

2. Requirements

3. RFQ Schedule of Events

4. Selection Process

5. Instructions for Preparing Statements of Qualifications

A. Description and Resources of Firm

B. Experience and Qualifications

C. Statement of Suitability

6. Submittal of Questions and Requests for Clarification

7. Submittal of Statements of Qualifications

8. Additional Terms and Conditions

City of Wadley, Georgia

Request for Qualifications

Engineering Services for Clean Water Infrastructure Resilience Projects

The City of Wadley, Georgia (hereinafter "Owner" or "City") is requesting Statements of Qualifications from professional engineering firms interested in providing engineering services for two clean water infrastructure resilience projects described below. The project is funded in part by the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) Hurricane Helene Resilience Funding (HRF) Program. This Request for Qualifications (RFQ) seeks to identify one or more qualified engineering firms to provide the above mentioned services. Potential providers should have a strong record in successfully assisting local governments with public works infrastructure projects associated with Federal and/or State grant programs.

One or more firms that respond to this RFQ and who are determined by the City of Wadley to be especially qualified may be deemed eligible and may be invited to discuss and negotiate for these services. All respondents to this RFQ are subject to the instructions communicated in this document and the additional terms and conditions listed herein. Please note: The issuance of this RFQ invokes a Restriction of Communication on potential respondents, which, if violated, may result in proposal rejection (see Section 8 for details).

General Project Information

Project Descriptions & Goals

The overall goal of these projects is to address the impacts of Hurricane Helene and strengthen the resilience of the City's wastewater collection system. The specific descriptions and goals for each project are as follows:

Clean Water Project No. 30 - US HWY 1 Pump Station Flood-proofing

Total Project Cost: $315,000.00 (100% principal forgiveness through the GEFA Hurricane Helene Resilience Funding Program)

This project will raise the wet well and regrade the surrounding land to elevate critical systems and direct water away, protecting against flooding. It also clears easement debris to restore safe maintenance access. The flood-proofing achieves a level of flood protection equivalent to relocating the infrastructure to a low-risk flood area.

Project Need: The main lift station urgently needs upgrades. Flooding risks include pump failure, sewage backups, and environmental contamination. Clearing restricted easements for access is crucial to protect public health and ensure reliable wastewater management.

Clean Water Project No. 29 - Pump Station Generators & Telemetry

Total Project Cost: $1,289,375.00 (100% principal forgiveness through the GEFA Hurricane Helene Resilience Funding Program)

This project will install permanent backup power generators and a telemetry system at specified lift stations, flood-hardening critical wastewater infrastructure by elevating backup generators and electrical equipment above flood levels. The integrated telemetry will enable real-time remote monitoring and alerts for pumps, fuel levels, alarms, and power status, sending data to City offices and issuing mobile alerts, ensuring continuous pump operation and a proactive response during flood events. The system transmits essential data through cellular networks, maintaining communication with operators even when power and internet service are down.

Project Need: Severe hurricanes cause outages that risk sewer overflows and contamination from lift stations. The five critical stations covered by this project, one main station and four serving key areas, currently lack backup power and monitoring, creating a major vulnerability in the City's disaster preparedness.

Scope of Engineering Services: Engineering services requested under this RFQ include, but are not limited to, the following:

* Surveying

* Project design

* Project permitting

* Preliminary engineering report

* Environmental information documents

* State Environmental Review Process (SERP)

* Construction assistance

* Bidding assistance

* Inspection & testing

* Pay requests, grant administration, and budget tracking

* Project closeout

Requirements

The firm must demonstrate experience in the successful design and oversight of construction of municipal water and wastewater systems, and experience with projects funded through Federal or State disaster resilience grant programs is preferred.

The final scope of services will be developed during the negotiation process and agreed upon by the City and the awardee prior to the execution of the contract.

RFQ Schedule of Events

The following Schedule of Events represents the City's best estimate of the schedule that will be followed. All times indicated are prevailing times in Georgia. The City reserves the right to adjust the schedule as it deems necessary.

Selection Process

This RFQ follows a One-Step Qualifications Based Selection (QBS) process. A Selection Committee, consisting of representatives of the City, will evaluate Statements of Qualifications submitted in response to this RFQ using the criteria below and will rank firms directly from the written submittals. No interviews are required under this process.

Criteria for Evaluation of Statements of Qualifications

Consultant Selection

Upon completion of the evaluation by the Selection Committee, firms will be ranked using the criteria described herein in descending order of recommendation. Negotiations may then be initiated with the highest-ranking firm to finalize the terms and conditions of the contract, including fees to be paid. If a satisfactory fee agreement cannot be reached with the highest-ranking firm, the Owner will formally terminate negotiations in writing and enter into negotiations, in turn, with the second-highest-ranking firm, and so on, until a mutual agreement is established and the Owner awards a contract for the requested services. The form of contract may be developed by the awardee or Owner but shall be in accordance with the negotiated agreement.

Instructions for Preparing Statements of Qualifications

A single PDF file of the Statement of Qualifications shall be prepared and emailed to administrator@wadleyga.gov prior to the submission deadline. Each submittal must include a transmittal letter. The transmittal letter must clearly indicate all services and projects for which the firm would like to be considered. Submittals must be able to print on standard (8 1/2" x 11") paper, MAXIMUM 25 pages. The pages of the qualification submittal must be numbered. A table of contents, with corresponding tabs, must be included to identify each section. Each Statement of Qualifications shall provide a straightforward, concise delineation of the respondent's capabilities. Fancy, colored displays, and promotional materials are not desired. Emphasis must be on completeness, relevance, and clarity of content. The content of all Statements of Qualifications must be categorized and numbered as outlined below, and responsive to all requested information:

A. Description and Resources of Firm

i. Provide basic company information: Company name, address, name of primary contact, telephone number, email address, and company website (if available). If the firm has multiple offices, the qualification statement shall include information about the parent company and branch office separately. Identify the office from which the project will be managed and this office's proximity to the project site. Provide form of ownership, including state of residency or incorporation, and number of years in business. Is the offeror a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, Limited Liability Corporation (LLC), joint venture, or other structure?

ii. Briefly describe the history and growth of your firm. Provide general information about the firm's personnel resources, including disciplines and numbers of employees, and the locations and staffing of offices.

iii. Has the firm been involved in any litigation in the past five years? Describe your experience with litigation with Owners and/or Contractors. List any active or pending litigation related to the services requested and explain.

iv. Provide a statement of disclosure, which will allow the Owner to evaluate possible conflicts of interest. Respondents must provide, in their own format, a statement of all potential legal or otherwise significant conflicts of interest possibly created by the respondent's being considered in the selection process or by the respondent's involvement in the project. Respondents should include information as to the nature of relationship(s) with parties in such potential conflict.

v. Has the firm ever been removed from a services contract, had a contract terminated for default, or failed to complete a contract as assigned?

B. Experience and Qualifications

vi. Provide professional qualifications and description of experience for principal engineering personnel. (At this stage, firms are asked for information on lead staff only, but may list qualifications and experience on more than one lead individual who is qualified and available for the proposed project. If the firm is selected as a finalist, the Owner will request detailed information on the exact proposed expanded team and their relevant experience.) Firms that respond as joint teams will be expected to clearly demonstrate their team members' shared experience, as a joint team, on prior projects of similar magnitude and complexity.

vii. Provide information on the firm's engineering experience on projects of similar type, size, function, and complexity. Describe no more than 10 and no less than 5 projects, in order of most relevant to least relevant, which demonstrate the firm's capabilities to perform the project at hand. For each project, provide:

a. Project name, location, and dates during which services were performed.

b. Brief description of the project and physical description of facilities, as applicable.

c. Services performed by your firm.

d. Owner's stated satisfaction level in the engineering services and/or overall service of your firm.

e. Owner contact information.

viii. Describe the firm's experience and qualifications in a leadership role over multiple phases of similar projects as applicable to the role for which your firm is applying. Include any oversight of projects of relevant complexity, including experience in providing leadership in projects that utilize similar methods and applications to that of the incumbent project. Include any certifications, industry ratings, and achievement recognitions to attest to the level of experience and success. Describe innovations that the firm might have introduced or employed to increase the project's adherence to technical standards and compliance with Federal, State, and local laws and regulations.

C. Statement of Suitability

ix. Provide any information that may serve to differentiate the firm from other firms in suitability for the project. Suitability may include, but is not limited to, the firm's fit to the project and/or needs of the Owner, any special or unique qualifications for the project, current and projected workloads, the proximity of office to project location, and any services offered by the firm that may be particularly suitable for this project.

x. Provide any non-discrimination and affirmative action policies of the firm and the firm's history of W/MBE inclusion in sourcing for projects.

D. Knowledge of Community

xi. Demonstrate the firm's knowledge of the community as well as its systems and operations. Include in this statement a description of projects completed for the City's drinking water system and the firm's understanding of the current system and its needs. The firm's history with the system's Owner should also be included in the provided statement.

Submittal of Questions and Requests for Clarification

Questions about any aspect of this RFQ, or the project, must be submitted in writing (email is preferable) to administrator@wadleyga.gov. Questions will be answered via addendum only. The deadline for submission of questions relating to this RFQ is shown in the RFQ Schedule of Events in Section 3. Proposers are cautioned to review and adhere to the Restriction of Communication (see Section 8) for this project.

Submittal of Statements of Qualifications

A single PDF file of the Statement of Qualifications shall be prepared and received by the City prior to the submittal deadline. Late submissions will not be accepted. Each submittal must include a transmittal letter. The words "Statement of Qualifications" and the services offered must be clearly indicated in the subject line of the email or in the filename. Statements of Qualifications must be received by the Owner prior to the deadline indicated in the Schedule of Events (see Section 3). Submissions must be emailed to administrator@wadleyga.gov.

Submissions may also be addressed to:

Wadley City Hall, P.O. Box 219, 37 Butts Street, Wadley, Georgia 30477, Attn: Dwayne Flowers, City Administrator

Additional Terms and Conditions

Restriction of Communication

From the issue date of this RFQ solicitation until a successful proposer is selected and the selection is announced, proposers are not allowed to communicate about this solicitation or this project for any reason with any members of the Selection Committee or the Owner, except for submission of questions as instructed in this RFQ, or as provided by any existing work agreement. For violation of this provision, the Owner reserves the right to reject the proposal of the offending proposer.

Submittal Costs and Confidentiality

All expenses for preparing and submitting responses are the sole cost of the party submitting the response. The Owner is not obligated to any party to reimburse such expenses. All submittals, upon receipt, become the property of the Owner. Labeling information provided in submittals as "proprietary" or "confidential," or any other designation of restricted use, will not protect the information from public view. Subject to the provisions of the Georgia Open Records Act, the details of the proposal documents will remain confidential until final award.

Award Conditions

This request is not an offer to contract or a solicitation of bids. This request and any Statement of Qualifications or proposal submitted in response, regardless of whether the proposal is determined to be the best proposal, is not binding upon the Owner and does not obligate the Owner to procure or contract for any services. Neither the Owner nor any party submitting a response will be bound unless and until a written contract mutually accepted by both parties is negotiated as to its terms and conditions and is signed by the Owner and the party. The Owner reserves the right to waive non-compliance with any requirements of this RFQ and to reject any or all proposals submitted in response. Upon receipt and review of responses, the Owner will determine the party(ies) and proposal(s) that, in the sole judgment of the Owner, are in the best interest of the Owner, with respect to the evaluation criteria stated herein. The Owner then intends to conduct negotiations with such party(ies) to determine if a mutually acceptable contract may be reached.

Statement of Agreement

With submission of a Statement of Qualifications or proposal, the Proposer agrees that it has carefully examined the solicitation, and the Proposer agrees that it is the Proposer's responsibility to request clarification on any issues in any section of the solicitation with which the Proposer disagrees or needs clarified. The Proposer also understands that failure to mention these items in the proposal will be interpreted to mean that the Proposer is in full agreement with the terms, conditions, specifications, and requirements therein. With submission of a proposal, the Proposer hereby certifies: (a) that this proposal is genuine and is not made in the interest of or on behalf of any undisclosed person, firm, or corporation; (b) that the Proposer has not directly or indirectly included or solicited any other Proposer to put in a false or insincere proposal; and (c) that the Proposer has not solicited or induced any person, firm, or corporation to refrain from sending a proposal.

Point of Contact

Dwayne Flowers, City Administrator | administrator@wadleyga.gov | 478-206-4000

Wadley City Hall, P.O. Box 219, 37 Butts Street, Wadley, Georgia 30477