Request for Proposals received June 3, 2021 for S36-T29581 - Approve an ordinance awarding a contract to One Architecture and Urbanism, Inc. in the maximum contract amount of $620,846.80 to provide Hurricane Harvey Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Funds for neighborhood resilience planning services 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 a two (2) year contract with a one (1) year option to renew to One Architecture and Urbanism Inc. in the maximum contract amount of $620,846.80 for neighborhood resilience planning services. The Director of the Planning and Development Department may terminate this contract at any time upon 30-days written notice to the contractor, with a copy of the notice to the Chief Procurement Officer.
The Planning and Development Department submitted a funding proposal to the Housing Community and Development Department to develop neighborhood resilience plans for vulnerable communities most impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Neighborhood resilience plans are place-based strategies that support the ability of neighborhoods located in the floodplain to recover from Hurricane Harvey and other flooding events while building resilience to address vulnerability to multiple hazards through the creation of three resilience districts.
Resilience districts weave together climate adaptation and risk reduction, economic development, infrastructure modernization and social empowerment into one neighborhood strategy. City staff selected (3) three areas to serve as pilot projects based on severity of flood damage from Hurricane Harvey, vulnerability to climate and multiple hazards, geographic and watershed diversity, and the presence of active and supportive civic organizations. These areas are: Independence Heights, East Houston and Edgebrook.
Neighborhood resilience plans will be created to address recovery from weather related disasters, as well as other neighborhood challenges that may impact residents’ quality of life and economic opportunity, and the ability to withstand and adapt to climate hazards.
The City recognizes that neighborhood-scale resilience planning will not only help communities impacted by Hurricane Harvey recover from the disaster but will also reduce the future impact of flooding on the most vulnerable and at-risk communities. As described in the Resilient Houston strategy, resilient neighborhoods are built by addressing neighborhood-specific priorities, such as protection against climate threats and hazards, quality housing, easy access to goods and services, quality educational opportunities, jobs, and preserving cultural resources. When neighborhood-specific priorities are addressed, neighborhoods are better able to build the social infrastructure that help residents prepare for, survive, and recover from disasters.
This project will also create a management framework so other neighborhoods may easily create their own neighborhood-specific plans with some help from the City.
The Neighborhood Resilience Plans will be community and data driven with input from relevant City departments and outside agencies and organizations. These plans will empower neighborhoods to direct future neighborhood-based investments in the most effective ways possible to help reduce flooding, address vulnerability to climate and multiple hazards, improve quality of life, and drive economic opportunity. The result will be increased resilience across Houston.
The neighborhood resilience planning services project was presented to the Quality of Life Council Committee on September 22, 2021.
The Contractor shall provide supervision, labor, tools, equipment, permits, parts, expendable items, material, and supplies necessary to provide the neighborhood resilience planning services. Additionally, the Contractor shall provide itemized deliverables as specified in Exhibit B of the contract, which details the scope of work, and includes a schedule, specific deliverables, and associated costs for tasks as follows:
Task 1: Project Management and Coordination
Task 2: Research and Analysis
Task 3: Public Engagement Plan
Task 4: Committee Meetings
Task 5: Concept Development,
Task 6: Implementation Strategy
Task 7: Plan Document
Task 8: Replicable Planning Framework.
The Request for Proposals (RFP) was advertised in accordance with the requirements of the State of Texas bid laws. As a result, proposals were received from eleven (11) firms: AECOM Technical Services, Inc., Arup US, Inc, Design Workshop, Inc., M. Arthur Gensler, Jr. & Associated, Inc., Gradient Group, LLC, Halff Associates, Inc., Lionheart Places, LLC, One Architecture and Urbanism, Tetra Tech, Inc., The Olson Group Ltd., Third Ward Community Development Corporation. The evaluation committee consisted of City employees from the Housing and Community Development and Planning and Development Departments. The evaluation was based on the following criteria:
1. Responsiveness of Proposal
2. Technical Competence
3. Price
One Architecture and Urbanism Inc. received the highest overall score and was deemed the best qualified to perform the requirements as outlined in the RFP.
The neighborhood resilience planning services project was presented to the Quality of Life Committee on September 22, 2021.
MWBE Participation:
The RFP was advertised with a 24% goal for M/WBE participation. One Architecture and Urbanism Inc. has designated the below-named companies as its certified M/WBE subcontractors.
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Name
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Type of Work
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Percentage (%)
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Community Lattice, LLC
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Community development and community data analysis
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14%
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Fivengineering, LLC
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Civil engineering and infrastructure
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10%
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Pay or Play:
The proposed contract requires compliance with the City’s Pay or Play ordinance regarding health benefits for employees of City contractors. In this case, the contractor provides health benefits to eligible employees in compliance with City policy.
Hire Houston First:
Hire Houston First does not apply to this expenditure, because it involves the use of federal funds and is subject to specific procurement rules of the federal government.
Fiscal Note:
Funding for this item is adopted in the FY22 Adopted Budget. Therefore, no Fiscal Note is required as stated in the Financial Policy.
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_______________________________________
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______________________________________
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Jerry Adams, Chief Procurement Officer
Finance/Strategic Procurement Division
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Department Approval Authority
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Estimated Spending Authority
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Department
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FY2022
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Out Years
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Total
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Planning and Development
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$550,000.00
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$70,846.80
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$620,846.80
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