RFQ Shoreline Master Program Review

Request for Qualifications

City of Port Townsend

Shoreline Master Program Periodic Review

INTRODUCTION

The City of Port Townsend is requesting statement of qualifications from qualified consultants to provide professional services to complete an enhanced Shoreline Master Program (SMP) Periodic Review by June 30, 2025. Ecology has awarded funding to complete the review, streamline permitting and integrate sea level rise adaptation. Firms interested in this project are advised to carefully review the information outlined in this Request for Qualifications (RFQ) and respond accordingly. The City has earmarked $115,000 for consulting services.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION

Statements of Qualifications are due by January 26, 2024, by 4:00 p.m. All proposals shall be submitted electronically, in Adobe PDF format, to:

Emma Bolin, Director of Planning and Community Development

City of Port Townsend ebolin@cityofpt.us

BACKGROUND

In 2007, the City completed and the Department of Ecology approved the City’s Shoreline Master Program (SMP) comprehensive update, incorporating the Critical Areas Ordinance by reference. Considerable progress was made on the 2021 Periodic Review (including a draft Periodic Review Checklist and draft strike-out and underline amendments of both the SMP and CAO) however, the process was placed on hold due to staffing shortages. (The City is also conducting a concurrent GMA Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update; additional CAO changes prepared under separate contract will need to be coordinated to ensure SMA consistency for incorporation by reference).

Port Townsend has a variety of shorelines including high and low bank marine, 2 lakes, 2 marinas and one of three historically significant Victorian seaport communities in the US.

ANTICIPATED SCOPE OF SERVICES

With the additional grant funding, the City will resume work on the 2021 periodic update with two additional goals:

· Streamline permitting – In light of SB 5290 C, the city proposes to audit SMP policies and development regulations, permit procedures in PTMC 20.01, and a selection of recent staff reports to identify measures to minimize redundancy and simplify the permit process.

· Merging Waterwalk with SLR and King Tide Adaptation– This task will involve participating in the Port’s Phase I Waterwalk design process https://portofpt.com/bids-rfps-rfqs/ to identify ways in which the SMP can be modified to meet the diverse and potentially conflicting demands of the Waterwalk Project. The heart of the task will be a robust public engagement process that seeks to understand community preferences for the Waterwalk including alternatives to mitigate sea level rise. Engagement will provide adaptive feedback into the design process including the diverse array of alternatives and how they will intentionally meet the proposed code, while improving resiliency to sea level rise and climate change. The process is intended to build consensus on the underlying assumptions that should be used in prioritizing alternatives such as the appropriate SLR models, tolerable levels of risk, and the lifecycle for the infrastructure (to be compiled in a technical memorandum). Public input received during the City’s public participation program will be funneled to the Port’s design team in an effort to balance the public vision with design feasibility.

This work will also involve the preparation of a technical memorandum that details sea level rise modeling, considerations related to tolerable risk, and infrastructure lifecycle. The memorandum will also include the preparation of goals, policies, and standards for potential amendments to the City’s SMP to facilitate the construction of the publicly preferred alternative. The consultant preparing the technical memorandum must have technical expertise and demonstrated experience in compiling and formatting geospatial data for the application and interpretation of parcel scale sea level rise and coastal inundation modeling.

Additional Tasks include:

A. Assist City of Port Townsend staff in finalizing the grant contract with Ecology

B. Prepare a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) as required by Ecology

C. Coordinate SMP Periodic Review with the concurrent 2025 Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update (including amendments to the Critical Areas Ordinance to ensure SMA consistency) and Port of Port Townsend Waterwalk feasibility study

D. Review the SMP and draft Periodic Checklist and recommend revisions needed to comply with Chapter 90.58 RCW, Ecology rules, best available science

E. Integrate optional amendments identified by the City

F. Assist City staff in preparing and implementing a public participation plan as provided in the SMA and WAC 173-26

G. Provide written and verbal communications and graphics as required to support the public outreach and adoption efforts

H. Attend and facilitate multiple public workshops

I. Prepare a draft SMP with concomitant amendments to the City’s Municipal Code in bill format for consideration by the Planning Commission and City Council.

J. Prepare SEPA documentation

K. Attend periodic meetings of the Planning Commission and City Council

L. Assist staff in response to public and agency comment

M. Assemble a complete SMP Final draft amendment for review and adoption.

BUDGET

The City of Port Townsend has earmarked $115,000 for consulting services with the contract ending June 30, 2025. The final dollar amount, tasks, and schedule will be negotiated with the selected firm/team as part of the final contract. The City will not be liable for any costs incurred by the consultant in preparation of a response to this RFQ, in conduct of a presentation or other activities related to responding to this RFQ. No costs chargeable for work under the proposed contract may be incurred before receipt of either a fully executed contract with the city or specific written authorization from the City.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Statements of Qualifications should include, as a minimum, the following information:

A. An introduction to your firm, names and qualifications of key personnel who will be assigned to this project. Identify the person who will be responsible for this project and who will be your firm’s primary contact.

B. A brief narrative of your understanding of the project, any special challenges for this periodic update, and why your firm is best qualified to perform the work.

C. A list of projects similar to this project that your team has completed in the recent past. Provide references for each.

E. The name, title and telephone number of individuals with authority to negotiate and execute contracts and who may be contacted during the evaluation process.

Submissions should be no longer than twelve (12) pages, including a cover page. All submissions shall be submitted ELECTRONICALLY ONLY, in Adobe PDF format.

RIGHT TO REJECT SUBMITTALS

The City reserves the right to reject any submittals at any time with no penalty or to waive immaterial defects and minor irregularities in any submittal.

SUBMITTAL DISPOSITION

All material submitted in response to this RFQ shall become the property of the City.

PROJECT CONTRACT

The selected firm will be required to use the City of Port Townsend Professional Services Agreement [Attachment A] and accept all language contained within. Any firm that has significant reservations concerning using this agreement should not submit this request.

EVALUATION CRITERIA AND SELECTION PROCESS

The City expects to select a consultant from the Statement of Qualifications. The City may, however, elect to conduct follow-up interviews with a smaller subset of consultants. The final selected consultant(s) will work closely with city staff and the Shorelines Advisory Group.

Consultants must have a strong background in project management, SMA/GMA planning, policy and regulation development, land use applications, economic assessment, public participation design and implementation, coastal geology, climate resiliency, and biology, SEPA review, and GIS skills. The selection criteria will be as noted:

· Ability to demonstrate an understanding of the city’s needs and special challenges for this SMP periodic review.

· Demonstrated ability to coordinate multiple concurrent processes.

· Ability to formulate and clearly present concepts.

· Degree of interest and responsiveness shown in undertaking the project.

· Overall quality of the response including creativity of the written proposal describing the approach and methodologies the consultant will use.

· Demonstration of past ability of completing similar projects and meeting deadlines, including references.

· Current workload of firm and key personnel.

· Qualifications and experience of key staff and sub-consultants who will participate in the project on state and local planning issues and policies including but not limited to the Growth Management Act, Shoreline Management Act and Port Townsend’s Comprehensive Plan, SMP, critical area regulations, and flood damage prevention regulations.

The City of Port Townsend is committed to a program of equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, sex, age, nationality or disability.

After review of submissions, the City anticipates selecting no more than three (3) firms for interviews. Interviews will occur via web-based video conferencing for a one-hour session.

NEGOTIATION/SCOPE DEVELOPMENT:

The top-ranked firm will be notified in writing and be asked to meet and submit their prospective scope of services, schedule, and a fee proposal.

If, after negotiation and consideration, the City is unable to reach an acceptable agreement with the top-ranked firm, the City will terminate negotiations with the top-ranked firm and, at its sole discretion, may enter into negotiations with the second ranked firm and/or withhold the award for any reason and/or elect not to proceed with any of the proponents and/or re-solicit via a new RFQ.

FINAL SELECTION:

Once an agreement is reached with a preferred firm, the City will provide a Professional Services Agreement for signatures and full execution. A Notice to Proceed will be issued to formally begin work.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Attachments:

A. City of Port Townsend Professional Services Agreement

B. 2021 Periodic Checklist

C. Draft 2021 SMP Amendments in bill format

D. Ecology Grant Award Letter

E. Ecology Grant Application

Weblinks:

· Current Shoreline Master Program

· City of Port Townsend SMP Periodic Review webpage City-port-townsend-shoreline-master-program-periodic-review

· City of Port Townsend Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Risk Assessment (October 2022)

· Jefferson County Sea-Level Rise Study (June 2023)

· Port of Port Townsend Waterwalk https://portofpt.com/bids-rfps-rfqs/