City of Marathon Request for Proposal Workforce/Affordable Housing Assessment and Action Study The City of Marathon is hereby seeking Professional Services to conduct a Workforce/Affordable Housing Assessment and Action Study. Notice Notice is hereby given that the City of Marathon is Requesting Qualifications Packages for consideration to provide the professional services to conduct a Workforce/Affordable Housing Assessment and Action Study. Proposal Packages shall be received by the City Clerk until 5:00 P.M. local time, on Monday, January 26, 2015 at City Hall located at 9805 Overseas Highway, Marathon, Florida 33050. Proposal Packages received after this time will not be accepted and will be returned unopened. Proposal Packages submitted will be opened publicly and read aloud in the City Hall Conference Room located at 9805 Overseas Highway on Tuesday, January 27, 2015 at 2:00 P.M. The City assumes no responsibility for Proposal Packages not properly marked. Request for Proposal Package may be examined at City Hall, 9805 Overseas Highway, Marathon, Florida and copies may be obtained upon request. Respondents are to deliver one (1) original and seven (7) copies of the Proposal Packages, including a letter of interest, statements of qualifications and experience, and other requested information for consideration. All inquiries should be directed to George Garrett, Planning Director, and shall be made in writing to the City at least five (5) days prior to the date for receipt of Proposal Packages by fax, to fax number (305) 743-3667 or by mail to 9805 Overseas Highway, Marathon, Florida 33050.
PART 2. INSTRUCTIONS & FORMAT FOR PREPARING RESPONSES Rules Each response by an individual or firm shall state the name and address of all persons or entities having an interest in the response. Responses shall be signed by an authorized person or member of the firm making the response. In no case may a response be transferred or assigned by a respondent. Respondents are requested only to submit comprehensive information about qualifications, experience and a technical proposal in response to the requirements set forth herein. The City s Competitive Selection Evaluation Team will evaluate responses strictly on the basis of their qualifications and technical merit, and in accordance with the evaluation criteria listed herein. Following completion of the evaluation process, negotiations will be conducted with the topranked respondent(s) in order of ranking by the Team and approved by the City Council. Public Entity Crimes Any person or affiliate who has been placed on the convicted vendor list following a conviction for a public entity crime may not submit a bid on a contract to provide any goods or services to a public entity, as provided in Section 287.133(2)(a), Florida Statutes. Any respondent, or any of his suppliers, subcontractors, or consultants who shall perform work which is intended to benefit the City, shall not be a convicted vendor. The respondent further understands and accepts that any contract issued as a result of this solicitation shall be either voidable by the City or subject to immediate termination by the City, in the event there is any misrepresentation or lack of compliance with the mandates of Section 287.133, Florida Statutes (Public entity crime; denial or revocation of the right to transact business with public entities). The City, in the event of such termination, shall not incur any liability to the respondent for any work or materials furnished. Insurance The respondent, if awarded a contract, shall maintain insurance coverage reflecting, at a minimum, the amounts and conditions as specified in a negotiated contract. The City is requesting that respondents submit a certificate of general liability insurance. The minimum insurance coverages required for the response shall remain in force for 90 days or unless otherwise specified hereinafter. The insurance coverages to be provided as an attachment to the response are as follows: 1. Worker s Compensation and Employer s Liability Insurance: Coverage to apply for all employees for Statutory Limits as required by applicable State and Federal laws. The policy(ies) must include Employer s Liability with minimum limits of $100,000.00 each accident. 2. Comprehensive Automobile and Vehicle Liability Insurance: This insurance shall be written in comprehensive form and shall protect the Consultant and the City against claims for injuries to members of the public and/or damages to property of others arising from the Consultant s use of motor vehicles or any other equipment and shall cover operation with respect to onsite and offsite operations and insurance coverage shall extend to any motor vehicles or other equipment irrespective of whether the same is owned, non-owned, or hired. The limit of liability shall not be less than $1,000,000.00
per occurrence, combined single limit for Bodily Injury Liability and Property Damage Liability. Coverage must be afforded on a form no more restrictive that the latest edition of the Business Automobile Liability Policy, without restrictive endorsement, as filed by the Insurance Services Office. 3. Commercial General Liability. This insurance shall be written in comprehensive form and shall protect the Consultant and the City against claims arising from injuries to members of the public or damage to property of others arising out of any act or omission to act of the Consultant or any of its agents, employees, or subcontractors. The limit of liability shall not be less than $1,000,000.00 per occurrence, combined single limit for Bodily Injury Liability and Property Damage Liability. 4. Professional Liability: The Consultant shall furnish professional liability errors and omissions insurance coverage in an amount not less than $1,000,000.00 with a deductible of $25,000, per claim. The Consultant shall be responsible for maintaining this professional liability insurance for a minimum of five (5) years from the date of execution of a negotiated contract. Respondents may fulfill this requirement by having their insurance agent prepare either of the following: 1. A Certificate of Insurance, or 2. Issue a letter on the insurance agency's stationary stating that the respondent qualifies for the required insurance coverage levels. All insurers must be qualified to lawfully conduct business in the State of Florida. Failure of the City to notify the respondent that the Certificate of Insurance provided does not meet the contract requirements shall not constitute a waiver of the respondent's responsibility to meet the stated requirements. In addition, receipt and acceptance of the certificate of insurance by the City shall not constitute approval of the amounts or types of coverage listed on the certificate. Misrepresentation of any material fact, whether intentional or not, regarding the respondent's insurance coverage, policies or capabilities, may be grounds for disqualification or rejection of the response and reason for rescinding of any ensuing contract. Contents and Response Format In order to facilitate City review, the responses should be organized in the sections provided below. The sections provide a detailed description of the expectation of the City for responses submitted.
Section 1 Letter of Transmittal and Proposed Methodology All responses should contain a transmittal letter highlighting the respondent's unique attributes and reasons for responding to the solicitation. The letter must name any and all of the persons authorized to make representations on behalf of the respondent, including the titles, addresses, telephone and facsimile numbers of each person(s). The letter must declare that the response was prepared without collusion with any other person or entity submitting a response pursuant to this solicitation. An authorized agent of the respondent must sign the transmittal letter indicating the agent's title or authority. The Respondent should include a proposed approach and methodology for completing the goals outlined in the requested Statement of Work as understood by the respondent, ability of the respondent to provide resources and list such as report types and other information, tasks to be performed and the length of time necessary for completing such a study. This should include coordination of work with the City and how the experience of the respondent s proposed Team can best serve the needs of the City. Section 2 Qualifications of Team and Organization Chart Successful performance of the services required by the City depends on the qualifications of the project manager and other personnel committed to this effort. Accordingly, the City, in its evaluation of the proposal, will place considerable emphasis on the commitment by the respondent to provide personnel qualified for the work involved in accomplishing the assigned tasks for the project. Indicate the title and role of the responsible parties, and provide details on the qualifications of those individuals, including similar work, curriculum vitae, and relevant college or professional course work. List the names and offices from which they will work and percentage of time devoted to the work. The proposal shall include resumes for the proposed project manager and all personnel committed to the project Team. Resumes, at a minimum, shall include the following: 1. Current employment status and previous work experience, including dates of employment and employing organizations. 2. A clear description of the present duties performed and the position held. 3. Types of work to which the individual will be assigned under this project. Section 3 Recent Project Experiences of Similar Nature This section shall include details as follows: 1. Detail the qualifications of the firm, including a summary of the firm's history, experience, and staffing resources. 2. Indicate the availability of the firm and the individuals for the proposed project Team to provide the requested work. Identify the extent and nature of any anticipated outside support or subconsultants. 3. Provide examples of at least five (5) related or similar projects. Give date, size, scope and cost of each project, including a list of change orders and amounts. Information provided should illustrate the respondent s ability to coordinate and manage projects of this nature, as well as a history of completing projects in a timely manner and within
budget constraints. The examples provided should illustrate that the proposed team has appropriate staff to address each of the goals in the Statement of Work. The following areas of professional knowledge, familiarity and or expertise are especially important: a. Data collection for housing related issues b. Experience with affordable housing projects, especially in the Florida Keys c. Familiarity with funding options used in affordable housing, multi-family finance programs, pre-development loan program, the Community Development Block Grant program, the HOME program, the State Housing Initiatives Partnership program, low income housing tax credits, Section 8 contracts and public housing d. Experience performing housing market studies e. Developing and managing effective community outreach and public participation programs for community housing issues f. Familiarity with the City or Monroe County Comprehensive Plan is preferred 4. Include a list of at least three current clients and pertinent references (contact name, address and telephone number) and a list of at least three (3) former clients, and pertinent references (contact name, address and telephone number) that the City may contact. Provide a summary of experience with each former client (maximum two paragraphs) as it relates to this proposal. References should include clients for whom similar projects were provided as examples. 5. If a joint venture or subcontractor arrangement is involved in the response, the respondent must include a list of such parties by name, address and telephone number, including resumes of supervisory and professional personnel, and a summary of how the work will be apportioned. The same information requested above in items (1) through (5) must be provided for each subcontractor/joint venture party. The respondent s Organization Chart should specify the personnel dedicated (Team) for this project, especially the project manager. Provide the location of the firm s main office, any branch offices, any subconsultant s offices, and the number and type of staff in each office. Indicate the location of the office(s), which will work on this project. Also include scheduling techniques, quality measures, budget control and cost estimating methods. The project Team should consist of but need not be limited to engineers, ecologists, biologists, hydrologists, geologists, scientists, planners, environmental planners, economics analysts, financial planners, data management and GIS specialists, community outreach specialists, technical editors, etc. Section 4 Proposed Project Schedule The schedule should reflect the estimated time required for each task in the Statement of Work and the time required to complete the entire project.
Section 5 Supplemental Information This section shall include the following items: 1. Any additional information which the respondent considers pertinent for consideration should be included in this part of the proposal. Additional information may be required from joint venture respondents. 2. Provide a summary of any litigation filed against the respondent in the past three years which is related to the services that respondent provides in the regular course of business. The summary shall state the nature of the litigation, a brief description of the case, the outcome or projected outcome, and the monetary amounts involved. 3. Provide financial statements for the past two years, annual reports, or other similar evidence of respondent's financial stability. Section 6 Attachments The following attachments shall be provided with the response: 1. Signed receipts for each addendum issued by the City (if applicable). 2. Certification from the Florida Secretary of State, if the respondent is a corporation or partnership, verifying respondent's corporate status and good standing. If respondent is also an out-of-state corporation, provide evidence of authority to conduct business in the State of Florida. 3. Evidence of required levels of insurance.
PART 3. EVALUATION METHOD Competitive Selection Evaluation Team The City will create a Competitive Selection Evaluation Team consisting of members of its staff, the Workforce Housing Committee, and members of other agencies, as deemed necessary, to evaluate responses and to rank the response(s) which meet the needs/requirements of the City. The City shall be the sole judge of its own needs/requirements, the response(s), and any resulting negotiated contract(s). The City's decisions will be final. The Team will meet to evaluate statements of qualifications and performance data submitted. The Team will develop a short list of the top-ranked respondents. The Team will recommend to the City Council no fewer than three firms deemed to be the most highly qualified to perform the required services. Evaluation Criteria The City's evaluation criteria will include consideration of the following: Proposed Methodology: Proposed implementation plan, approach Proposed methods Ability to provide required services in Statement of Work Quality control methods Understanding of the scope of work Qualifications and Experience: Qualifications of staff and firm Availability of firm & location considerations Staffing and workload distribution Experience of staff with similar projects Professional knowledge, familiarity and or expertise with data collection, financing and market affordable housing studies and projects Past performance records (including past City contracts, if applicable) Availability of qualified personnel References Financial: Financial stability Other: Project schedule Appearance/Quality of response Addenda receipts, if applicable
Competitive Negotiation Following approval by the City Council, the City shall negotiate a contract with the top-ranked firm for professional services. Should the City be unable to negotiate a satisfactory contract with the top-ranked firm, the City shall then undertake negotiations with the second highest ranked firm. Failing accord with the second highest ranked firm, the City shall then undertake negotiations with the third highest ranked firm. Should the City be unable to negotiate a satisfactory contract with any of the selected firms, the City shall select additional firms in the order ranked by the Team and continue negotiations until an agreement is reached. Nothing in this process shall be construed to prohibit a continuing contract between a firm or agency previously engaged by the City.
PART 4. LOCATION AND COMMUNITY PROFILE Introduction The citizens of Marathon believe that there is a critical need for affordable housing. In Marathon, as in all of the Florida Keys, the cost of housing has risen to such a degree that individuals and families making low to moderate incomes are not able to purchase homes or even find a place to rent at an affordable rate. The City s public involvement process for the comprehensive plan and master plan produced comments from the community, which were identified a need for affordable housing for the working class to provide the opportunity to live and work in the Marathon community. Background - Existing Program According to the 2010 Census Marathon has a permanent population of approximately 8,297 and a seasonal influx of tourists that normally doubles the population from the months of March to August of each year. The economy in Marathon is largely dependent upon tourism. The largest housing need centers on those who provide the labor in the tourism and services-oriented businesses. These are mostly low-income jobs and pay salaries that do not exceed the median income for the City. According to the 2009-2013 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, the median household income for the City of Marathon is $47,073. Through public input is has been determined that persons in professions such as teaching, law enforcement, fire services and nursing earn salaries at or below the median income range and are in need of an adequate housing pool on a long term basis. The City s existing program is the Building Permit Allocation System (BPAS). This program has an affordable housing component that allows individuals, families or developers to apply for permits for new residential development by qualifying for an affordable housing allocation. Qualification always applies to the occupants of the affordable housing unit. Therefore, it is not necessary for the builder, developer or owner to qualify under the program, however the lot and the intended occupant must qualify before an application can be accepted by the City s Planning Department. The current land development regulations limit affordable housing to a household with an income no greater than 160% of the median household income for Monroe County, as determined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development on an annual basis. The current Monroe County median income is $63,500 and the maximum is $92,300. The maximum monthly housing expenses either for rent or a mortgage payment including interest, taxes and insurance, cannot exceed 30% of the household income (160% of the median divided by 12 months). When the permit application is made, the owner files a proposed Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (deed restriction) with the City until the construction of the home is completed. When the City Council approves the allocation award, it also approves the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions, the applicant records it with the Clerk of Courts and a Certificate of Occupancy is issued. In the City s Building Permit Allocation System, residential allocation awards are approved biannually; based on an approved (point based) ranking of the applications. The City s Comprehensive Plan allows 24 market rate residential units and 6 affordable housing residential units, a total of 30, to be issued each year beginning in 2013 to 2023. The City s adopted growth strategy is reflected in the limited number of permits the City issues and the densities allowed within each zoning district. The number of new residential permits stated in the Comprehensive Plan is directly related to meeting a 24-hour hurricane evacuation
time and maintaining the Level of Service standard on U.S. Highway 1. If the City falls below the 24-hour hurricane evacuation time or the Level of Service fails on a segment of U.S. Highway 1, the ability to issue permits for new construction may be jeopardized. Workforce Housing Committee The Workforce Housing Committee has determined that there are four criteria to look at when assessing affordable housing issues. These categories are permits, money, land, and need. Each solution is limited by at least one of these factors, and therefore all must be addressed to ensure the viability of proposed policy changes. The Workforce housing Committee has looked at the below issues, and devised possible solutions. The results of this study should aid the Committee and the City in determining which problems are the most pressing and which solutions are the most feasible. 1. Permits a. Development Requirement i. How much of a housing need does each type of development create? How will this affordable housing requirement be met? b. Impact Fees i. This will determine the appropriate impact fees, replacing the current Zoning In Progress requirements. 2. Entitlements a. Buy existing housing stock i. What units exist that are vacant? What is their market value and probable cost of rehabilitation? What are possible funding sources b. Shared Resource Investment Mechanism i. Can a system be established, where new developments can purchase units from an existing affordable housing project to meet their requirements? Are there existing mechanisms like this, and how effective are they? 3. Allocations a. Fractional BPAS i. Should single family residences be considered the same as dormitories or efficiencies when getting affordable allocations? b. County Affordable i. How many units can we get from the county? Where best can these units be placed to serve the community? 4. Enforcement a. Deed/Sale/Rental i. How many properties that received affordable allocations were never deed restricted? When should these restrictions be filed? What enforcement methods for sale/rental are needed? Should the monitoring be done in house or contracted out? Should the maximum sale price calculation formula be changed? b. "In Perpetuity" i. How effective is in perpetuity as a deed restriction time period? What time periods are the most enforceable? Should a Community Land Trust Ground Lease method be used in lieu of in perpetuity? 5. Affordable a. Definition
i. Is the 160% income cap necessary? Should the income limit levels be revised? Are HUD standards what should be used? Or should new standards be created based off ALICE report or other methodologies? What other methods for determining cost burdened peoples be used? b. Restriction Time Frame i. Should deed restrictions include an automatic renewal for a second period upon closure of the original restriction? What mechanisms can be put in place to track this? What conditions should be met for the waiver of the automatic renewal? c. Tax Credits i. Is there a need for tax credit projects that provide housing for HUD level incomes? What incentives exist or can be put in place to encourage the use of Tax Credits. How will possible federal changes to the LIHTC process affect the creation of affordable housing in Marathon?
PART 5. STATEMENT OF WORK The City of Marathon (City) is initiating the Request for Proposals (RFP) process to solicit proposals from qualified respondents to provide to a Workforce/Affordable Housing Assessment and Action Study to assist the City in implementing a long-term affordable housing program for its workforce. The plan will provide an analysis of existing information, a needs assessment, market study and provide an integrated program for funding methods and strategies to maintain affordable housing in the City. The project herein is titled the, Workforce/Affordable Housing Assessment and Action Study. Professional services are sought for one professional service agreement to include at a minimum the following deliverables: 1. Inventory of all housing, the types of housing available, including ownership and rental housing, and the associated costs. 2. Identify existing demographic (population and housing) and economic data (jobs and wages) in Marathon and provide the relationship to the current housing situation. This should include a determination of how many single family residences are being occupied by multiple families. 3. Provide a Needs Assessment as follows: a. Identify current and future trends in population, employment, income and housing that affect the affordability of the housing for the workforce in Marathon, including but not limited to those in the health, education, municipal and skilled trade work professions. Examples include nurses, teachers, law enforcement officers, fire services personnel and contractors. Methods used may include surveys. b. Identify the demand for housing, the type and duration sought, and cost of housing that is available. Develop profile for existing and potential renters and homeowners. Comparison of costs of renter incomes and cost of homeownership. 4. Given the existing conditions, identify the impacts of the creation of additional commercial enterprises and increasing the workforce. 5. Identify the barriers to providing effective affordable housing. 6. Quantify the scale of the housing need and propose a range of actions to address the need, the priorities and a method to target the specific workforce population, including proposed changes to the current regulations and financial methods and incentives that would provide housing for the target population. 7. Provide housing market study for a potential development. The Statement of Work provided by the respondent shall include a proposed approach and method to provide an effective workforce housing program. The following are the City s general Goals of the Workforce/Affordable Housing Assessment and Action Study.
o Develop a flexible long-term community housing plan with a clear mission and specific goals and objectives. o Create a prioritized implementation plan with recommendations for operations, funding, and methods to curtail the effects of the rising housing market. o Identify regulatory policies and compliance programs required for a long-range plan. o Identify modifications or develop policies and objectives for the City s comprehensive plan and land development regulations. o Provide a public education and interaction materials to summarize the study and any necessary future public education materials. o Recommend fiscal strategies for dedicated financial mechanisms to implement the plan, including grants and loans, which have the ability to fund the acquisition of housing and lands, new housing, housing improvements and continued maintenance operations, as appropriate. All activities shall be fully coordinated with the appropriate intergovernmental agencies. Project Approximate Completion Schedule Workforce/Affordable Housing Study Action Date/Timeframe Issue Legal Notice Request For Saturday, December 20, 2015 Qualifications - Publish twice/keynoter Receive Proposal Packages Monday, January 26, 2015 City Manager Nominate Evaluation Team Monday, January 26, 2015 Evaluation Team meeting Tuesday, February 10, 2015 Tuesday, February 24, 2015 Interview short list Monday, March 2, 2015 Staff recommendation to City Manager Wednesday, March 4, 2015 Transmit recommendation to City Council Tuesday, March 24, 2015 Issue Notice to Proceed Wednesday, March 25, 2015