CITY OF TUSCALOOSA )

STATE OF ALABAMA )

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

(Let’s Paint Let’s Renovate Program)

TO: Qualified Firms

FROM: City of Tuscaloosa, AL

RE: Request for Proposals for Home Renovations/ Construction Firms experienced with Home Repair Services

DATE: April 1, 2024

Section 1. Introduction

The purpose of this Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is to provide the City of Tuscaloosa’s Office of Community and Neighborhood Services with Home Repair Contractors experienced with structural. electrical, HVAC, plumbing, and other repair renovations. The project of interest is the rehabilitation of owner occupied, single-family homes for low-to-moderate income homeowners. The project consists of various properties located across the city limits of Tuscaloosa. The primary purpose of this project is to provide or improve permanent residential structures occupied by low-to-moderate income households. This is in support of the 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan Priority Need #1: Increase and/or maintain affordable housing units. The project is intended to serve low-to-moderate income clientele, which includes income-eligible residents, seniors, and disabled persons residing in eligible properties. This RFQ is a request for Home Repair Contractors experienced with structural, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, and other repair/ renovation, as needed.

This is a Request for Qualifications (“RFQ”) containing information concerning the above-referenced matter, an abbreviated scope of work, and evaluation items. Firms expressing interest should be fully capable of providing the end results requested.

This is a procurement of professional services as more particularly described herein. This procurement will be conducted in a manner providing full and open competition consistent with the standards of 24 CFR § 85.36. To wit:

a. Each firm’s experience and qualifications will be evaluated primarily as they relate to the firm’s ability to provide home repairs that include but not limited to painting, wood and trim work, siding, window and awning replacement and other repair/ renovation on homes.

b. Consideration will be given to such matters as firm integrity, compliance with public policy, record of past performance, and financial and technical resources.

c. The City will require firms to have a complete and updated account with Sam.gov. Additionally, the City will require firms to execute a “Disbarment and Suspension Statement” certifying / verifying that the contractor is not suspended or disbarred or otherwise excluded under 2 CFR Section 408.220 of the government-wide non-procurement, disbursement and suspension list. This is a qualifications-based procurement of professional services whereby competitors’ qualifications will be evaluated and the most qualified firm will be selected, subject to negotiation of fair and reasonable compensation.

d. Written proposals will be reviewed and rated by a panel of qualified City of Tuscaloosa employees. The City of Tuscaloosa may or may not elect to interview any of the responding firms.

e. The City of Tuscaloosa has exclusive and sole discretion to determine the firm whose services will be most advantageous to the City of Tuscaloosa, and reserves the right to reject all firms.

The purpose of this inquiry is to determine the interest or non-interest and the qualifications of firms in providing the professional services required. A number of firms may be asked to express their interest in regard to these services. Following the receipt of proposals, a certain firm or firms may be selected for further consideration.

Section 2. General Scope of Services

The City of Tuscaloosa seeks the services of a certified lead assessment firm that has the knowledge, experience, and expertise to perform the services as requested.

The firm must be able to perform the following types of services upon request from the City:

On an as needed, as requested basis, provide home repairs that include but not limited to structural, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, and other repair/ renovation, as needed.

The firm must comply with all applicable state, local, and federal regulations related to the services provided to the City. The City reserves the right, subject to negotiation and agreement, in writing, with the selected firm, to either expand or limit the scope of services as needed.

The selected firm will be required to have sufficient personnel to complete the tasks required by this scope of services. The selected firm will complete the required tasks in a timely and efficient manner.

The firm must be able to perform the following types of services upon request from the City:

1. Home Repairs. On an as needed, as requested basis, provide home repairs that include but not limited to structural, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, and other repair/ renovation, as needed.

40 CFR Part 745,

2 CFR Part 200,

24 CFR 570.202,

State regulations,

Local regulations.

Section 3. Firm Qualification and Proposal Requirements

Firms interested in performing the work will be considered on the basis of a proposal containing information submitted in response to this request in a form limited to seven (7) pages in 12-point font or larger of either Times New Roman or Arial. Front and back shall be considered 2 pages.

Inquiries

The City will accept inquiries on the contents and requirements of the RFQ in electronic form only. Inquiries may only be submitted by email. Inquiries should be submitted to: ccates@tuscaloosa.com

Inquiries must be submitted at least seven (7) days before the deadline for submission of proposals. For this RFQ, the deadline for inquiries is April 12, 2024 at 5:00 Central Standard Time, after which time no further inquiries will be addressed by the City.

If the City chooses to respond to an inquiry, the City will do so in writing, in the form of an addendum to this RFQ. The addendum will be sent to all recipients of the RFQ, and will be posted to the City’s website at www.tuscaloosa.com/bids.

Each addendum issued by the City shall become part of this RFQ and proposals shall include any work or requirements described in the addendum. No addendum will be issued or posted less than 72 hours before the deadline for submission of proposals.

Submission of Proposals

Proposals must be received by the City by 5:00 Central Standard Time on April 19, 2024. Late proposals will not be accepted or reviewed. It is the Respondent’s responsibility to ensure that the proposal is submitted and received within the time required by this RFQ. The City is not responsible for delayed or late deliveries due to mailing or delivery service.

In order to reduce exposure of all parties during current Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, ONLY electronic submittals will be received by the City of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, a Municipal Corporation, designated as the office of the awarding authority for this purpose via email at ccates@tuscaloosa.com. Electronic submittals must be submitted in .pdf format to the City of Tuscaloosa., via email at ccates@tuscaloosa.com BEFORE April 19,2024 at 5:00 P.M. CST. Please put “ELECTRONIC SUBMITTAL FOR LET’S PAINT AND RENOVATE PROJECT (OCA-23-1713)” in the subject line of your email with your submittal attached to it. The .pdf file shall be submitted with the Firm Name and Safe State Individual Lead Accreditation #.

The selected firm or firms must be experienced and qualified to provide the required scope of services. The firm or firms selected must have expertise related to the general Scope of Services set forth in Section 2. The following information must be submitted with the proposal on the date indicated above in the order indicated below:

a. Recently Completed Projects. Evidence of satisfactory performance of at least three (3) recently completed projects of the type indicated above. Relevant experience will be judged on the basis of the experience of those individuals named to the firm’s project team for this project. Provide at least three (3) references.

b. Experience and Qualifications. A statement of the firm’s qualifications to perform the work and years in business. The statement should include the following:

1. The general experience of the firm working with home repair and renovation.

2. The specific experience of the proposed personnel in the fields that the proposed services are requested, their qualifications, years of experience, professional certifications and availability to perform the work and services to be provided.

3. A statement of sufficiency of current personnel complete the project.

4. A statement of the firm’s policies regarding quality assurance and controls.

5. A statement as to whether the firm or any subcontractors are a minority or woman owned business enterprise

6. A statement as to whether the firm participates in the Tuscaloosa Business Opportunity Program (TBOP).

6. A statement as to professional standing including any pending controversies outstanding. If none exists, such a statement should be made. (pass/fail)

7. A list of qualified persons in other disciplines required for the proposed services to be acquired from outside sources, if applicable. (pass/fail)

c. Please include a statement as to potential general conflicts of interest that would prevent the City of Tuscaloosa from entering into an agreement with your firm pursuant to this RFQ. If none exists, such a statement should be made. (pass/fail)

d. Firm must be licensed and approved for work in the State of Alabama and be a Alabama Certified Lead Renovator registered with the Alabama Lead Contractors Certification Program authorized by Act No. 97-553 and 40 CFR Part 745. (pass/fail).

Please include a brief statement confirming that the Respondent is legally authorized to do business in Alabama and in the City of Tuscaloosa, and that all staff assigned to perform services for the project are licensed or certified to perform such services in Alabama.

In addition, please include a statement confirming that the Respondent is not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation by any state or federal department or agency.

Finally, for the five year period preceding submission of the proposal, please identify (1) all contracts terminated (in whole or in part) by clients for convenience or default, including contract value, description of work, project owner, contract number, and name and telephone number for a representative of the project owner; (2) all claims made against the Respondent arising out of the Respondent’s professional services; and (3) all litigation (including any arbitration or mediation proceedings) to which the Respondent has been a party. If no contracts have been terminated, or if the Respondent has not been a party to any claims or litigation, please include a statement to that effect.

Additional Items Related to Proposals

a. Proposal Rejection/Proposal Costs

By issuing this RFQ, the City does not commit to entering into a contract, to paying any costs incurred in the preparation of a proposal, or to procuring or contracting for services. The City reserves the right to cancel this RFQ in whole or in part, to reject any and/or all proposals, to accept the proposal it considers the most favorable to the City’s interests in its sole discretion, and to waive irregularities or informalities in any proposal or in the proposal procedures. The City reserves the right to reject all proposals and issue a new RFQ, at its sole discretion. All proposals and other materials submitted in response to this RFQ will become property of the City.

b. Contract and Insurance Requirements

The City has standard contract and insurance requirements for professional services contracts, and is unable to make substantial changes to the requirements for the contract to be used for this project. The laws of the State of Alabama shall govern the contract executed between the successful Consultant and the City, as well as any interpretations or constructions thereof. Further, the place of performance and transaction of business shall be deemed to be in the City of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and in the event of litigation, the exclusive venue and place of jurisdiction shall be in the Tuscaloosa County, Alabama.

c. Requests for Additional Information

The City reserves the right to request additional information to clarify the proposals.

Public Records

Each Respondent is hereby informed that, upon submission of its proposal to the City in response to this RFQ, the proposal becomes the property of the City.

Unless otherwise compelled by a court order, the City will not disclose any proposal while the City conducts its deliberative process in accordance with the procedures identified in this RFQ. However, after the City either awards an agreement to a successful Consultant, or the City rejects all proposals, the City shall consider each proposal subject to the public disclosure requirements of the Alabama Open Records Act (Ala. Code § 36-12-40) and Tuscaloosa City Code § 2-4, unless there is a legal exception to public disclosure.

If a Respondent believes that any portion of its proposal is subject to a legal exception to public disclosure, the Respondent shall: (1) clearly mark the relevant portions of its proposal “Confidential”; (2) upon request from the City, identify the legal basis for exception from disclosure under the Open Records Act; and (3) defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the City regarding any claim by any third party for the public disclosure of the “Confidential” portion of the qualifications submittal.

END RFQ.