RFP 01-2017 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL for AUDIT SERVICES for BOULDER HOUSING PARTNERS April 5, 2017 Requested Return: May 1, 2017 Boulder Housing Partners 4800 Broadway Boulder, Co. 80304 (720) 564-4610
Request for Proposal Audit Services RFP 01-2017 Contents A. Overview and Process 1. Overview 2. Process and Deadlines B. Background and Services Requested 1. About Boulder Housing Partners 2. Services Requested C. Submittal Requirements 1. Elements to Include 2. Evaluation Criteria and Weight Factors D. General Information 1. Submittal Rejection 2. Contract and Method of Payment 3. Submittal Withdrawal 4. Limitation of Liability 5. Insurance Requirements E. BHP Reservation of Rights F. List of Attachments 2
A. Overview, Process and Deadlines 1. Overview The Housing Authority of the City of Boulder dba Boulder Housing Partners ( BHP or Authority ) requests proposals to audit the Authority s books and records for the year ending December 31, 2017. Our audit must be conducted in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, GASB-34, OMB circulars A-128 and A-133. It should also be noted that BHP is a Moving-To-Work ( MTW ) agency and has made certain modifications to its federal programs in accordance with HUD s approval of its annual MTW plan. The BHP audit includes 10 separate Low Income Housing Tax Credit ( LIHTC ) partnerships that are treated as discrete component units of the Housing Authority. The audit and tax return for these ten entities is currently performed by a separate CPA firm from the one that audits BHP. This firm also provides LIHTC cost certifications and certifications on usage of private activity bonds as needed. Anyone bidding on the LIHTC work must also be willing to provide the cost certification and bond certifications. Pricing for this work should be quoted separately. Interested parties may submit proposals for an overall BHP audit that includes the tax credit partnership work or for only the BHP audit or the tax credit partnership work. BHP reserves the right to award BHP and the tax credit partnerships separately. 2. Process and Deadlines The evaluation committee will review the submittals and may interview the top firms based on their submittal to this Request for Qualifications. Submittals are to be received at the address below no later than May 1, 2017 at 5:00 p.m. Submittals must be delivered electronically in PDF format to: Jim Koczela, Deputy Director/CFO koczelaj@boulderhousing.org Only those submittals received by the specified date and time will be considered. The submittals will be reviewed and rated based on the evaluation criteria listed in this document and the top-rated firms may be selected for an interview. Scores from the submittal and the interview will be utilized in making the final selection. Boulder Housing Partners shall begin negotiations on price and contract with the highest ranked firm. Should negotiations fail between Boulder Housing Partners and the highest ranked firm; negotiations will cease with the top ranked firm and begin with the second ranked firm and so on until a contract is awarded. 3
B. Background and Services Requested 1. Information about Boulder Housing Partners C. Submittal Boulder Housing Partners is the largest provider of affordable housing for lower income households in the city of Boulder. Our mission is to "provide quality, affordable housing, inspire vibrant communities, and create the opportunity for change in people s lives. BHP was formed by the City Council of the City of Boulder in 1966 under provisions of state law to address the need for decent, safe, and sanitary housing in Boulder. Boulder Housing Partners owns and manages more than 1200 units of affordable housing and 1100 Housing Choice Vouchers in the City of Boulder. The 1100 units are located in 33 properties. We own 47 public housing units, 115 Section 8 project based units (two properties) and 1131 non-hud units including 596 units in 10 tax credit partnerships and the balance subsidized with a variety of sources. These properties provide a continuum of housing choices to a large cross section of families. Boulder Housing Partners leases dwelling units to elderly, minorities, single parents, families, and the physically disabled. Further, Boulder Housing Partners is an active partner with the City of Boulder in developing programs and policies to meet the housing needs of the community. A nine-member board of Commissioners, all of whom are appointed by the mayor and one of whom is a current City Council member, provides direction for the organization. Day to day operations are supervised by the Executive Director. There are approximately 80 staff members in the organization. Boulder Housing Partners performs many functions that include property management, development of new properties, acquisition of new units, resident services, administrative functions, and maintenance services. A single property management staff manages both the HUD and the non-hud portfolios. Currently none of our management is contracted privately. 1. Elements to Include a. Brief summary of firm history and specializations b. Interest in BHP audit or tax credit partnership work, or both c. List of current and past Housing Authority clients and years of engagement (if applicable). Please clearly notate if any Housing Authority clients were Moving-to-Work agencies. d. List of current LIHTC clients (if applicable) e. Resumes of assigned professionals f. Fee Schedule 4
Please keep proposals brief (no longer than 10 pages) and address all elements listed above. Please submit your proposal electronically in PDF format. 2. Evaluation Criteria and Weight Factors a. Demonstrated experience in performing Housing Authority and/or tax credit audit and tax work (50 points) b. Demonstrated experience auditing Moving-to-Work agencies (10 points) c. Demonstrated expertise of assigned professional staff (15 points) d. Fee schedule (25 points) D. General Information 1. Submittal Rejection: Boulder Housing Partners has the right to reject any and all submittals and waive any irregularities therein, if it is found to be in the best interest of Boulder Housing Partners. Submittals not received by the required deadline are ineligible for consideration and will not be opened. Boulder Housing Partners may change the deadline at any time to assure adequate review of the submittals. 2. Contract and Method of Payment: The final form of contract and scope of services will be negotiated between Boulder Housing Partners and the top ranked firm after the selection process is complete. Invoices with proper documentation can be submitted on a monthly basis based on work completed. 3. Limitation of Liability: Boulder Housing Partners assumes no liability for costs incurred by firms in responding to the Request for Qualifications or interview process. All submittals become a matter of public record upon submission. 4. Insurance Requirements: Contractor shall secure, pay the premiums for, and keep in force until the expiration of their contract adequate liability insurance and Worker s Compensation Insurance as provided by Colorado law. Certificate of insurance for Worker s Compensation and for liability shall be delivered to BHP or kept on file at BHP prior to start of contract. Any policy change shall be reported to BHP and certificate forwarded to BHP. By signing a contract generated by the RFP, the contractor understands that neither they nor their employees are covered by any BHP insurance policy. All copies of proof of insurance will be submitted to BHP along with the RFP. Contractors may send a copy of the required insurances with their proposal, but the work of the RFP cannot begin, nor contract executed until original insurance verification forms are on file at the BHP offices. The following insurance coverage is required: Commercial general liability--$1,000,000 single occurrence / $2,000,000 general aggregate coverage. 5
Worker's Compensation Insurance--equal to or at least $100,000 per employee Automotive Insurance--$1,000,000. Errors and Omissions Insurance 5. Federal Fair Housing Laws Boulder Housing Partners does business in accordance with the Federal Fair Housing Law (The Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988). It is illegal to discriminate against any person because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, family status, national origin, or sexual performance. E. BHP Reservation of Rights: 1. BHP reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive any informality in the RFP process, or to terminate the RFP process at any time, if deemed by BHP to be in its best interests. 2. BHP reserves the right not to award a contract pursuant to this RFP. 3. BHP reserves the right to terminate a contract awarded pursuant to this RFP, at any time for its convenience upon 10 days written notice to the successful bidder. 4. BHP reserves the right to inspect work at any time during the ongoing work. 5. BHP reserves the right to determine the days, hours and locations that the successful bidder shall provide the services called for in this RFP. 6. BHP reserves the right to retain all proposals submitted and not permit withdrawal for a period of 60 days subsequent to the deadline for receiving proposals without the written consent of BHP s Deputy Director/CFO. 7. BHP reserves the right to negotiate the fees proposed by the bidder if applicable to bid process. 8. BHP reserves the right to reject and not consider any proposal that does not meet the requirements of this RFP, including but not limited to incomplete proposals and/or proposals offering alternate or non-requested services. 9. BHP shall have no obligation to compensate any bidder for any costs incurred in responding to this RFP. 10. BHP shall reserve the right to at any time during the RFP or contract process to prohibit any further participation by a bidder or reject any proposal submitted that does not conform to any of the requirements detailed herein. 6
F. Attachments Attachment A: BHP 2015 Audit Report Attachment B: BHP 2015 A-133 report Attachment C: 2015 Tax Credit Partnership Audit report (sample) 7