S33-T29088 – Approve an ordinance awarding a professional services contract to Winter & Company in the maximum contract amount not to exceed $121,594.95 for the development of Design Guidelines for Norhill, Woodland Heights and Old Sixth Ward districts for the Planning and Development Department.
Specific Explanation:
The Director of the Planning and Development Department and the Chief Procurement Officer recommend that City Council approve an ordinance awarding one-year professional services contract, with one-year option to Winter & Company in the maximum contract amount not to exceed $121,594.95 to complete the design guidelines for Norhill, Woodland Heights and Old Sixth Ward districts for the Planning and Development Department (P&DD). The Director of the Planning and Development Department and/or the Chief Procurement Officer may terminate the contract at any time upon 30-days written notice to the contractor.
In 2015, Strategic Procurement Division issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to conduct Design Guidelines for several Historic Districts within the City of Houston. In 2016, the City executed a contract with Winter & Company to develop guidelines in two phases. Phase one was divided into four steps. Steps one and two for the Woodland Heights, Norhill, Freeland, Old Sixth Ward and the three Houston Height Districts (East, South and West) has been completed. Steps three and four have been completed for the three Houston Heights Districts only. The goal was to complete all four steps for all remaining districts during the initial three-year contract term; however, the council approval process to complete steps three and four for the three Heights Districts took longer than anticipated. Therefore, the contractor was unable to complete the remaining steps prior to May 2019 contract expiration date.
The Planning & Development Department is now prepared to move forward with steps three and four for the Woodland Heights, Norhill, and Old Sixth Ward districts, leaving out the Freeland district due to budgetary constraints.
The services include developing and providing a clear, concise guidance to help property owners interpret the requirements of the historic preservation ordinance as it applies to Certificates of Appropriateness within the subject district(s). Each set of design guidelines will include:
- A map and description of the proposed historic district, including the following: boundaries; photographs of buildings in the district; an inventory of the age, setting, character, and architectural, cultural, or historical significance of structures in the district; and objectives to be achieved in the historic district;
- A statement of the architectural, cultural, or historical significance of the district and a description of the structures and features to be preserved; and
- A set of specific standards that illustrate compliance and noncompliance with the criteria for Certificates of Appropriateness for demolition, new construction, alteration, rehabilitation, restoration, and relocation that are tailored to the specific characteristics and features of the district(s) for which the design guidelines are written. These standards may be stricter than the provisions of the historic preservation ordinance and shall not be more lenient except as provided for by the ordinance.
M/WBE Participation:
The Office of Business Opportunity has a 10.91% goal for M/WBE participation. Winter & Company has designated the below named companies as its certified MWBE subcontractors.
|
Vendor Name
|
Type of Work
|
Amount
|
Percentage
|
|
Cavazos Communications
|
Attend meetings, assist with printed workshop materials
|
$13,310.20
|
10.91%
|
Pay or Play Program:
The proposed contract requires compliance with the City’s ‘Pay or Play’ Ordinance regarding health benefits for employees of City contractors. In this case, Winter & Company has selected to provide health benefits to eligible employees in compliance with City policy.
Hire Houston First:
This procurement is exempt from the City’s Hire Houston First Ordinance. Bids/proposals were not solicited because the department is utilizing a sole source contractor for this purchase.
Fiscal Note
Funding for this item was included in the FY2020 Budget. Therefore, no Fiscal Note is required as stated in the Financial Policies.
|
_______________________________________
|
___________________________________
|
|
Jerry Adams, Chief Procurement Officer
Finance/Strategic Procurement Division
|
Department Approval Authority
|
|
Estimated Spending Authority
|
|
DEPARTMENT
|
FY2020
|
OUT YEARS
|
TOTAL
|
|
Planning and Development
|
$121,594.95
|
$0.00
|
$121,594.95
|