November 1, 2019
TOWN OF WILMINGTON, VERMONT
PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITY PROJECT
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
I. PROJECT BACKGROUND
The Town of Wilmington, through its Selectboard, Town Manager and Public Safety Facility Committee
(collectively ‘the Town’), requests proposals from qualified architectural and engineering services firms to
provide professional consulting services to the Town for the feasibility, design and construction of the new Public
Safety Facility. The scope of services shall include feasibility of siting the new Facility, design to meet the
Town’s needs for the next 50 years, code-compliant Facility design, complete bid documents for general
contractors, permitting and oversight for the full duration of the construction period and commissioning of the
Facility. It is the intent of the Town to select a firm in December 2019 and complete feasibility by or before
August 1, 2020; if the site proves feasible to complete design and bid documents by October 10, 2020.
Construction is planned to begin after July 1, 2021 with completion and commissioning by spring/summer 2022.
Flooding from Tropical Storm Irene devastated the Village of Wilmington on August 28, 2011, including the then
and current Fire and Police Departments facilities. Not ironically the brave people of these Departments were
most needed during the flood and they were not able to use their respective facilities.
The Select Board has established the Public Safety Facility Committee and created a charge to manage the
process to build a new Public Safety Facility. This committee is the 2nd convening of a committee to move our
emergency responders out of the floodplain. It is our highest intention to contract and partner with a professional
design firm and general contractor to make this project a success.
The Town of Wilmington owns a plot of land in the center of the Village at 40 Beaver Street, Wilmington, VT.
The site is 1.5 acres. This site formerly contained the old highway garage but has been bare, except for 2 barns
since 2012. Both past and current committees have recommended this site for the new Public Safety Facility
because the site 1) is central for deployment of personnel, 2) is accessible by volunteer fire fighters, 3) has
municipal water and sewer present on site, 4) is sufficient to fit both fire and police departments based on
previously drawn plans, 5) is already owned by the Town, and 6) maintains police presence in the Village.
Phase 1 of the scope of this RFP is to examine the feasibility of this site for construction of an adequate facility
for the next 50 years or more. Adequate space and functionality are needed for personnel and equipment for both
Departments. Energy efficiency maximization is desired to keep Facility operating costs lean. Consideration
should be given to achieve net zero energy for the facility. We thank you in advance for your expressed interest
in this project and look forward to your proposals.
A pre-bid site visit for prospective bidders will be held Thursday November 21, 2019 at 40 Beaver Street,
Wilmington, VT. Please confirm your intent to attend with an email to Scott Moore at smoore@wilmingtonvt.us.
II. RESPONSE FORMAT
Responses to this RFP should consist of the following:
1. Cover letter. Brief letter expressing the firm’s interest in and qualifications for the project. Please include
identification of the principal individuals that will be assigned to the project. If more than one firm is
involved, describe working relationship.
2. Narrative. Description of the general approach to be taken toward completion of the project, a proposed
schedule that indicates project milestones and overall time for completion, an explanation of any variances to
the proposed scope of work as outlined in the RFP, and any insights into the project gained as a result of
developing the proposal.
3. Scope. Schedule and Fixed Price for each of the following:
Phase I: Feasibility Study – provide fixed price for Phase I
A. Determine facility requirements of Town Fire and Police Departments for the next 50 years or more
B. Determine if Beaver Street site will adequately support facility size and traffic requirements for the next
50 years or more
Phase II: Design, Bid Document Package, Permitting, Construction – provide fixed price for Phase II
A. Program Requirements. Develop narrative of requirements for the project and determine the best
approach to the Town needs, wants, and budget.
B. Schematic & Site Design. Rough sketches or schematic designs that show the general arrangement of
the rooms, building(s) and of the site.
C. Design & Development. Detailed stamped working drawings, specifications and cost estimates to
illustrate the proposed design. Documents should be bid-ready.
D. Permitting. Assist and aid the Town to identify and obtain necessary permits for the entirety of this
project.
E. Bid & Construction Administration. Assist the Town in selecting construction general contractor.
Include allowances for site time, interpretation of contract documents, review, revision and approval of
submittals and shop drawing, verification that work conforms to documents and contractor payment
applications. Contract is expected to last until Facility commissioning (spring/summer 2022 estimate)
F. Hourly Rate(s). Rate(s) to be charged, including any travel time, to attend meetings and for phone
consultation.
G. Maximum Cost. Will the proposal include a maximum charge to the Town and if so what will be that
maximum and what, if anything, will it not cover?
4. References. Please provide two (2) customer references. The committee is particularly interested in project
references within a 75-mile radius of Wilmington, VT and suitable for possible site visit(s).
5. Construction Cost Estimate and Reasons. The primary goal of this project it to provide adequate facilities,
now and for the next 50 years, for the Town of Wilmington emergency responders that is safely out of the
floodplain. We aim to do this in a fiscally responsible way. The property tax burden in Wilmington is
already among the state’s highest and we are cognizant of the impact on property taxes. Please explain how
your firm will assist us in reaching the goals as fiscally responsibly as possible.
III. SELECTION CRITERIA
Proposals will be reviewed at the designated time in the presence of one or more witnesses and a register of
all applications will be prepared. The proposal opening shall not be open to the public, and the contents of the
proposals shall be kept confidential until the evaluation process is complete. Finalists may be interviewed as
part of the evaluation process. After the evaluation and interviews are completed a contract may be awarded
to the consultant submitting the proposal most favorable to the Town of Wilmington.
The consultant selection will be made by the Town of Wilmington Select Board, upon recommendation by
the Town of Wilmington Public Safety Facility Committee. The proposal will be evaluated considering the
following weighted criteria:
Maximum Weighted
Criteria Weight Points Total
1. Understanding the Scope of Work 5 5 25
2. Past Performance on Similar Projects 5 5 25
3. Total Cost 5 5 25
4. References 5 5 25
5. Proposed schedule 4 5 20
6. Qualifications/Experience of Proposed Staff 4 5 20
7. Knowledge of Project Area 3 5 15
8. Availability of Technical Disciplines 3 5 15
IV. SUBMISSIONS
Submissions are due Wednesday December 4, 2019 at 1:00 pm EST. Proposals and/or modifications
received after this time will not be accepted or reviewed. To be considered, proposals must be submitted
electronically via email to Jessica DeFrancesco, Town of Wilmington Administrative Assistant,
jdefrancesco@wilmingtonvt.us. The email subject line should be ‘Wilmington Public Safety Facility
Bid_[insert your firm name]’.
Ten (10) printed copies of proposals must be sent to:
Jessica DeFrancesco, Town Administrative Assistant
PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITY PROJECT
PO Box 217, 2 East Main St
Wilmington, VT 05363
Printed proposals must be submitted in sealed envelopes clearly marked PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITY
PROJECT. Proposals should be printed on double-sided and recycled paper, if possible. Twin pocket
portfolios or other simple, re-usable binding method is recommended. Questions about the project should be
directed to Jessica DeFrancesco jdefrancesco@wilmingtonvt.us.
Upon submission all proposals become the property of the Town of Wilmington. The expense of preparing
and submitting a proposal is the sole responsibility of the consultant. The Town of Wilmington reserves the
right to reject any or all proposals received, to negotiate with any qualified source, or to cancel in part or in its
entirety this RFP in the best interest of Wilmington. This solicitation in no way obligates the Town of
Wilmington to award a contract.
During the evaluation process, the Town of Wilmington reserves the right, where it may serve the Town’s
best interest, to request additional information or clarifications from proposing firms. At the discretion of the
Town, firms submitting proposals may be requested to make oral presentations as part of the evaluation
process.
The Town of Wilmington reserves the right to retain all proposals submitted and to use any ideas in a
proposal regardless of whether that proposal is selected. Submission of a proposal indicates acceptance by the
firm of the conditions contained in this request for proposals.
The Town has the right to disclose information contained in the proposals after an award has been made. All
reports, documents and materials developed by the consultant for this project shall be considered public
information and shall be the property of the Town of Wilmington. Questions regarding this request for
proposal should be directed to: Jessica DeFrancesco, Town Administrative Assistant.
Compliance with Law – The selected consultant shall comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws
and regulations in the performance of service.
If any addenda are issued to this request for proposals, they will be made available on the Town of
Wilmington website. However, it shall be the sole responsibility of those offering proposals to contact the
Town Public Safety Facility Committee prior to submitting their proposals to determine whether any addenda
have been issued.
V. CONTRACTING
The Consultant, prior to being awarded a contract, shall apply for registration with the Vermont Secretary of
State’s Office to do business in the State of Vermont, if not already so registered. The registration form may
be obtained from the Vermont Secretary of State, 128 State Street Montpelier, VT 05633-1101, PH: 802-828-
2363, Toll-free: 800-439-8683; Vermont Relay Service – 711; web site: https://www.sec.state.vt.us/. The
contract will not be executed until the Consultant is registered with the Secretary of State’s Office. The
successful Consultant will be expected to execute sub-agreements for each sub-consultant named in the
proposal upon award of this contract.
Prior to beginning any work, the Consultant shall obtain Insurance Coverage in accordance with the latest
version of International Building Code for new construction. The certificate of insurance coverage shall be
documented on forms acceptable to the Town.
If the award of the contract aggrieves any firms, they may appeal in writing to the Town of Wilmington Town
Manager, PO Box 217, Wilmington, VT 05363. The appeal must be post-marked within seven (7) calendar
days following the date of written notice to award the contract. Any decision of the Town Manager is final.
SCOPE OF WORK
We request the following services of the selected consulting firm:
Phase 1: Feasibility Study
1. Determine Facility needs of Fire and Police Departments now and for the next 50 years or more
2. Determine if the 40 Beaver Street site is adequate for the Facility needs
At the conclusion of Phase I the Selectboard, Town Manager and Committee will review and decide if
the Town will proceed with Phase 2 for the Beaver Street site, or explore another suitable property.
Phase 2: Design, Bid Document Package, Permitting, Construction
1. Program Requirements. Develop narrative of requirements for the project and determine the best
approach for the Town needs, wants, and budget.
2. Schematic & Site Design. Sketches or schematic designs that show the general arrangement of the
rooms and of the site.
3. Permitting. Determine all necessary permits for the project. Prepare and submit permit applications as
needed.
4. Design & Development. Detailed stamped working drawings, specifications and cost estimates to
illustrate the proposed design. Documents should be bid-ready, including preparation of the RFP for
construction.
5. Bid & Construction Administration. Assist the Town in selecting a construction general contractor.
Include allowances for site time, interpretation of contract documents, review of submittals, shop
drawing review and approval, verification that work conforms to documents and contractor payment
applications.
6. Meet with the Public Safety Committee, and Selectboard. As this is to be a collaborative process,
ongoing meetings with Public Safety Committee with an occasional meeting with the Selectboard.
VII. PROJECT SCHEDULE
The intended project schedule is as follows:
RFP issued for public bid November 1, 2019
Pre-Bid Site Visit November 21, 2019 (10:00am EST)
RFP Due Date & Bid Opening December 4, 2019 (1:00pm EST)
Bid Review & Selection of Recommended Bidder December 12, 2019
Review with Selectboard & Confirm Preferred Bidder December 17, 2019
Town Meeting Vote March 3, 2020
Bid Award March 2020
Site Feasibility Scope Complete August 2020
Facility Designs & Bid Documents Complete October 2, 2020
RFP for General Construction October 9, 2020
Pre-Bid Meeting October 21, 2020
Bids Due December 15, 2020
Town Meeting Day vote March 2021
Bid Award / Construction Begins July 2021
Project Completion Spring 2022
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
The selection of a consultant shall be made without regard to race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, sexual
orientation, or political affiliation. The Town of Wilmington is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages
proposals from qualified minority and women-owned businesses.
INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS AND INDEMNIFICATION
Certificate of Liability Insurance in the minimum amount of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 Aggregate
(certificate should name the Town of Wilmington as an additional insured for the work the contractor will be doing).
Professional Liability Insurance Coverage for $1,000,000 Each Occurrence and $3,000,000 annual aggregate.
Statutory Workers’ Compensation Insurance
If Contractor is not required by law to carry workers’ compensation insurance, in place of proof of workers’
compensation insurance, Contractor may provide a fully executed Non-Employee Work Agreement specifying the
particular provision of 21 V.S.A §601(14)(F) that exempts Contractor from having to carry such coverage. The
Federal W-9 Form will be completed and returned to Town, if applicable.
