Cook County Highway Department CR 45 Design Services RFP Page 1

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) CR 45 Design Services

Cook County Highway Department Grand Marais, Minnesota

November 2016

I. OVERVIEW

The Cook County Highway Department (CCHD) is requesting proposals to provide professional engineering services for the design of County Road (CR) 45, along with the intersecting roadways of CR 42, CR 43 and CR 44. Cook County wishes to enter into a professional engineering services contract for the work described in this request. All work shall comply with the procedures, requirements and regulations of Mn/DOT, Office of State Aid for Local Transportation; Cook County; and other state and federal agencies as required. The intent and scope of work will include all tasks required to acquire right-of-way and let bids for the construction of CR 45, along with the intersecting roadways of CR 42, CR 43 and CR 44. It is the goal of this Request for Proposal (RFP) to have a turn-key, complete set of detailed construction plans, specifications and bid package to allow construction to begin in the fall of 2018 (tentatively). Information from the detailed design will be used to finalize right-of-way acquisition, finalize estimated construction costs, and create plans and a specifications package for bid letting and construction. The deadline for submission of the required information is 4:00 p.m. CST January 4, 2017, to:

Cook County Highway Department ATTN: David Betts, P.E. Cook County Highway Engineer CR 45 Design Services RFP 609 East Fourth Avenue Grand Marais, MN 55604

II. PROJECT BACKGROUND

CR 45 is a 6.75-mile residential roadway with a 20-foot aggregate surface. CR 45 is an un-engineered gravel roadway built on soft clays and through various swampy areas. The roadway has little to no ditching and is highly susceptible to frost degradation in the spring, making the road impassable at times. Historically, CR 45 has served residents and timber haulers; however, with a marked increase in tourism and a rising demand for developable land, traffic volumes on this roadway have risen significantly over the past 20 years: 2014 traffic counts show an AADT of 315 vehicles per day on the least traveled portion of the roadway. Maintenance on CR 45 has become increasingly difficult, making the reconstruction of CR 45 to a 10 Ton Standard a priority for Cook County.

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Because of issues with the connecting roadways, the Highway Department is including design services for the intersecting county roads in this RFP. They include:

CR 42 – reconstruction of 1.66 miles to Gravel Standard, plus the reestablishment of a .8-mile through road. There is one designated trout stream crossing (Cutface Creek) on this roadway

CR 43 – replacement of culverts, ditching and gravel surfacing (1.59 miles) CR 44 – reconstruction of .54 miles from CSAH 7 to CR 45 to 10 Ton Standard, and

reconstruction of .94 miles from CR 45 to the end of the road to 7 Ton Standard CR 45 comprises a number of known issues that extend beyond the normal design scope for reconstructing a roadway:

A. Alignment of road at CSAH 7 intersection. Realigning this intersection is required

B. Location of one building within 30 feet of the roadway centerline, approximately 200 feet west of the intersection with CR 42W

C. Inadequate alignment west of the Cascade River Bridge. This issue was examined during the reconstruction of the bridge in the early 1990s, and a concept to realign the roadway was developed at that time but never constructed. This bridge is to remain in place

D. Inadequate design speed on the curve at the intersection with Murmur Creek Road (FR 332)

E. Location of an artesian well/spring below the road and exiting the east road slope approximately 600 feet south of the intersection with CR 43

F. Anticipated existence of swampy deposits and a corduroy road bed approximately 1,000 feet in length ¼ mile east of the junction with Murmur Creek Road (FR 332)

III. PROJECT FUNDING

This project is being funded via Cook County’s Greater MN Transportation Sales and Use Tax (TST). Cook County may apply for additional funding from other sources, such as the Local Road Improvement Program (LRIP).

IV. SCOPE OF REQUIRED ENGINEERING SERVICES

The selected consultant will design and submit 30 and 95 percent plans for review. Final design will include preparing detailed construction plans for the project, including grading, paving, drainage improvements, storm water management appurtenances (as required), erosion and sediment control, SWPPP (Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan), traffic control and staging (as required), signing and striping, and all other information required to complete the plans for bidding. This includes, but is not limited to, drainage maps and hydraulic reports for the storm water system. In addition, information on construction cost estimates, right-of-way requirements, construction limits and utility relocations will need to be assembled and incorporated into the final deliverables. Public involvement will be a key component of this project.

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A listing of project tasks and deliverables is provided below.

A. Project Management, to include monthly progress and status reports and monthly project management team (PMT) meetings as needed. Monthly progress meetings with county PMT may occur via teleconference

B. Public Involvement, to include a kickoff meeting and a minimum of 2 neighborhood open houses

The consultant will be responsible for preparing all written and display materials, as well as sending out postcards for each meeting and informational mailings as requested by the county. The consultant will also be responsible for coordinating a meeting location with Cook County. Following the meeting, the consultant will document and summarize any comments received into a memo format for use by the county.

C. Surveys and Mapping, to include all survey and mapping work needed to assemble a thorough and accurate design. This includes all delineations and descriptions needed for right-of-way acquisition. Completed electronic survey files will be provided to the county for reference. For proposal purposes, it should be assumed that the county does not own any easements or right-of-way other than what is prescriptive

D. Geotechnical Investigation and Design, to ensure that the soils in the area are suitable to support the proposed roadway(s)

In order to determine what types of corrections, improvements and/or changes may be needed, geotechnical studies will need to be completed. Geotechnical work shall include, but not be limited to, soil borings located by survey, laboratory tests (including pavement R-value and any other necessary tests), pipe bedding recommendations, engineering analysis and report, and any other information and testing required for design.

E. Wetland Services, to include wetland delineation and surveying, preparation of the wetland delineation report, scheduling and attending Technical Evaluation Panel (TEP) meetings, and revising the wetland report as needed. These services are necessary because there are a number of wetlands located along the project corridor and it is assumed that there will be wetland impacts with this project

F. Requisite Approvals and Permits, to include coordination with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) for alignment changes/construction across USFS lands

Before construction can occur, permits from regulatory agencies will need to be obtained. The consultant will be responsible for obtaining all approvals and permits from regulatory agencies. The consultant will coordinate with all permitting agencies and prepare all materials needed by the reviewing agencies, including forms, maps, areas of impact, etc.

G. Cost Estimates, to include detailed cost estimates for the 50 and 100 percent completion thresholds. Cost estimates shall be broken down by road and by funding source

Cost estimates will be needed to ensure that enough funding is set aside for the construction of this project. Cost estimates will also be used to ensure that construction bids are appropriate.

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H. Right-of-way Identification, to include permanent, temporary, and drainage and utility easements. The consultant will develop legal descriptions and plats as appropriate. Additionally, the consultant will conduct all necessary property record research

The consultant will incorporate right-of-way into the construction plans. This includes providing a highlighted strip map of the project area with the proposed horizontal alignment overlaying the existing ground line, showing abutting parcels with boundaries and significant improvements, existing right-of-way, and new right-of-way. The consultant will also provide individual color coded parcel maps for each affected parcel within the project area, depicting the subject parcels, their boundaries and significant improvements, existing right-of-way, and new right-of-way by easement type. T h e c o n s u l t a n t w i l l p rovide other maps and drawings, as the county requires, supporting right-of-way acquisition. A sample parcel sheet shall be submitted to the county for approval.

The Highway Department intends to contract with a right-of-way services professional during the design process to facilitate right-of-way negotiations/acquisition. The consultant will be responsible for coordinating with, and providing support for, said right-of-way services agency.

I. Utility Coordination and Relocations, to include locating and identifying all private utilities. This comprises required adjustments and relocations, including private wells and septic systems. The consultant will identify all conflicts between existing and relocated utilities and the proposed design. This task will require coordination with Gopher State One and utility companies

The consultant shall provide plans to utility companies in conjunction with utility coordination meetings and final submittal.

The consultant shall confirm locations of all utilities within 90 days of final plan submittal.

Meetings with utility companies should be included as part of this task. Minutes shall be taken and electronic copies of all minutes shall be provided to the county.

J. 30 and 95 Percent Plan Preparation, to include proposed plans required for review at 30 and 95 percent. The 30 and 95 percent plans will include key elements needed to work towards final plans and will be distributed to local agencies and Mn/DOT for review (as required). Input garnered from the 30 and 95 percent plans will be incorporated into 100 percent plans preparation

All work shall be performed in AutoCAD/Civil 3D for use by the county during the construction phase. Cook County requires construction contractors to utilize GPS Grade Control for all grading work. As such, the design needs to be produced in a 3D model suitable for transmission to the construction contractor.

K. Final Construction Plans, Specifications and Estimates, as detailed in the introductory paragraph of this section

The consultant will provide a set of final construction plans on 11 x 17” plain bond white paper suitable for reproduction. A full-resolution, signed PDF copy of the plan packet will also be required.

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The project specifications packet shall be submitted as a Microsoft Word file and a signed PDF file. The package should include all materials that the county will use for bidding. The consultant will also prepare the advertisement for bid using the county’s template.

L. Optional Tasks Identified by Consultant

V. SERVICES AND INFORMATION PROVIDED BY COOK COUNTY

A. Traffic Counts

B. Aerial Photography and LiDAR Data

C. Previous Design Plans (if available)

VI. PROJECT SCHEDULE

A. Contract Award January 2017

B. 30 Percent Plans October 2017

C. Final Construction Limits for Right-of-way Acquisition March 2018

D. 95 Percent Plans June 2018

E. 100 Percent Final Plans, Specifications and Estimates August 2018

F. Project Letting TBD

VII. ATTACHMENTS

Location Maps

VIII. PROPOSAL CONTENT

The following will be considered minimum contents of the proposal and must be submitted in the order listed:

A. A statement of the objectives, goals and tasks to show the firm’s understanding of the nature of the project

B. A description of the deliverables to be provided by the firm

C. An outline of the firm’s background and experience, with examples of similar work done (including prior experience with the USFS on roadway projects crossing National Forest lands), and a list of personnel who will conduct the project, detailing their training, work experience and employee category. The project manager assigned to the project must be stated in the proposal and shall continue as such throughout the project, as long as he/she is still employed by the firm. No change in other key personnel assigned to the project will be permitted without the written approval of the agency project manager

D. A detailed work plan that identifies the major tasks to be accomplished and the timeline for completion, which are to be used as a scheduling and managing tool, as well as the

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basis for invoicing. Please identify any optional work tasks in this area, as well as in the detailed cost breakdown

E. Identification of the level of CCHD’s participation in the contract, as well as any other services to be provided

F. A detailed cost breakdown of the tasks to be performed, with a break out of the hours for each employee category (e.g., principals, senior engineers, technicians, etc.) per work task identified. The consultant will show the hourly rate for each employee category and will also break out/list any direct expenses. The consultant will indicate any assumptions made (e.g., number of meetings, number of drafts, etc.) and include this information with the cost proposal. Total dollar amounts for each work task and deliverable by road shall also be shown, as well as total dollar cost for the entire project Additionally, please prepare a typical per meeting cost for the primary meeting types expected as part of this project: Project Management Team Meetings, Public Information Meetings, Property Owner Meetings and Utility Coordination Meetings. Any optional work tasks suggested by the consultant shall be indicated as such and include the information identified above.

The selected consultant will be required to prepare and execute an Agreement for Engineering Services and maintain Professional Liability insurance in an amount not less than stated in Minnesota Statutes 466.04 Subd. 1.

IX. INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING PROPOSALS

A. Copies and Closing Date Submit one (1) original and five (5) copies of the proposal, by the stated due date/time, to:

Cook County Highway Department ATTN: David Betts, P.E. Cook County Highway Engineer CR 45 Design Services RFP 609 East Fourth Avenue Grand Marais, MN 55604

Note: Proposer must submit one record copy in a sealed envelope or other container with the name of the company, the RFP date and the project title clearly labeled on the outside. The cover page of the record copy MUST include an original signature by an individual who is authorized to make representations and commitments on behalf of the proposer. Failure to include this original signature may result in the disqualification of the proposal. The remaining copies may be duplicate copies of the original and may be packaged together, but they must be separate from the original. The outside must also be clearly marked with the above information.

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B. Public Information

All information submitted to the Cook County Highway Engineer’s office will be considered public information in accordance with Minnesota statutes’ governing data practices. Upon submission, proposals become the property of the County and will not be returned to proposers. Cook County reserves the right to reject any or all submittals presented. There is no expressed or implied obligation for Cook County to reimburse responding firms for any expenses incurred in the preparation or delivery of submittals for this request. Receipt of proposals does not obligate Cook County to hire a consulting firm.

C. Questions Proposers are asked to submit questions related to the specific project requirements and content of proposals in writing or by e-mail to:

Cook County Highway Department ATTN: David Betts, P.E. Cook County Highway Engineer CR 45 Design Services RFP 609 East Fourth Avenue Grand Marais, MN 55604 Email david.betts@co.cook.mn.us

END OF RFP – SEE ATTACHMENTS

456745

456748

456764

456797

456742

456744

4567101

456743

456755

456775

456754

456752

4567102456743N

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45676456712

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Grand Marais

CR 45

CR 42

CR 43

CR 44

Cook County Road

USFS Road

CR 45 Area Map

Attachment A

Realignment of IntersectionBuilding within 30' of roadway centerline

CR 45 Reconstruct to 10 Ton

CR 44 Reconstruct to 10 TonCR 44 Reconstruct to 10 Ton

Reestablish Roadway

CR 42 Reconstruct to Gravel

CR 44 Reconstruct to 7 Ton

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456744

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Attachment B

±1 inch = 1,100 feet

Building within 30' of roadway centerline

Inadequate alignment west ofCascade River Bridge

Inadequate design speed on thecurve at the int. with FR 332

Artesian well/spring

Swamp deposits and corduroy road bed

CR 42 Reconstruct to Gravel

CR 43 Reconstruct to Gravel

FR 332

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456743

456742Attachment C

±1 inch = 1,100 feet