(a) The City Manager shall appoint a committee of three individuals, one of whom shall be the Director of Engineering Services, to review and evaluate statements of qualifications for each project. The committee shall review all statements of qualifications on file with the Department of Engineering Services and any statements of qualifications received by the City in response to the announcement for the project from professional design firms qualified to perform the required professional design services as determined by the Director of Engineering Services. No professional design firm shall contact any member of the committee about any project the firm desires to obtain except as provided in this division.
(b) Based on the committee’s review and evaluation of the applicable statements of qualifications, the committee shall rank the three professional design firms that the committee determines to be most qualified. If fewer than three firms submit statements of qualifications, the committee shall rank those firms, issue a new announcement for the project or suspend or abandon the project.
(c) The committee shall invite the three firms ranked most qualified to a scope clarification meeting to explore the scope and nature of the services required, the various technical approaches the firms may take toward the project, the project requirements, the project schedule, the conceptual design and the project budget. The meeting may include a visit to any proposed project site. Any questions must be either resolved at the scope clarification meeting and the resolution shared with all three firms or after the meeting by written notice from the Director of Engineering Services to all three firms.
(d) The three firms shall supplement their statement of qualifications with a technical proposal based upon the scope of services and project requirements as clarified at the scope clarification meeting.
(e) The technical proposal shall be submitted to the Department of Engineering Services by 5:00 p.m. on the 7th day after the scope clarification meeting unless the Director of Engineering Services notifies all three firms of a different place, time or date in writing.
(f) The Committee shall review the technical proposals and schedule interviews with all three firms within seven days of receipt of the technical proposals unless the Director of Engineering Services notifies all three firms of a different period.
(g) The Committee shall evaluate, and rank the firms which were interviewed in order of their qualifications and technical proposals.
(h) The Director of Engineering Services shall commence negotiations by requesting a lump sum fee proposal from the firm ranked most qualified to perform the required services.
(i) Upon receipt of the lump sum fee proposal, contract negotiations shall be directed toward:
(1) Ensuring that the professional design firm and the City have a mutual understanding of the essential requirements involved in providing the required services, including meeting estimated project budget and schedule requirements;
(2) Determining that the firm will make available the necessary personnel, equipment and facilities to perform the services within the required time;
(3) Agreeing upon compensation which is fair and reasonable, taking into account the estimated value, scope, complexity and nature of the services.
(j) Upon negotiation of a contract with the firm ranked most qualified, the Director of Engineering Services shall submit a request to the City Commission for approval.
(k) Upon failure to negotiate a contract with the firm ranked most qualified, the Director of Engineering Services shall inform the firm, in writing, of the termination of negotiations. Negotiations shall be commenced with the firm ranked next most qualified. If negotiations again fail, the same procedure shall be followed with the third most qualified firm as ranked pursuant to paragraph (g) of this division until a contract is negotiated or negotiations with all such firms are terminated.
(l) If no contract is negotiated with any of the firms selected pursuant to paragraph (k) of this division, additional firms may be ranked in accordance with paragraph (b) of this division from firms whose qualification statements were reviewed and evaluated under paragraph (a) of this division, a new announcement may be issued for the project in accordance with Section 141.04 or the project may be suspended or abandoned.
(Ord. 05-119. Passed 7-25-05.)