REQUEST FOR PRE-QUALIFICATION OF BIDDERS FOR HARRISON MEMORIAL LIBRARY RESTORATION PROJECT IN THE CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA
Posted
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Dec 11, 2026
Notice is hereby given that the City of Carmel-by-Sea ("City") has determined that all bidders on Harrison Memorial Library Centennial Restoration Project ("Project") to be undertaken by the City must be pre-qualified prior to submitting a bid on this Project. The plans for the Project and Secretary of Interior Standard may be obtained upon request by email to: Nova Romero, City Clerk, at nromero@ci.carmel.ca.us. Located in downtown City of Carmel-by-the-Sea ("City"), the Harrison Memorial Library built in 1928 is a historical landmark. The Centennial Restoration Project ("Project") is intended to restore the Harrison Memorial Library, in order to increase seismic performance, improve accessibility and upgrade building systems while maintaining the historic character of the building. The restoration will follow the Secretary Of The Interior's Standards For The Treatment Of Historic Properties With Guidelines For Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring & Reconstructing Historic Buildings (SOI Standards). The City is seeking qualified bidders with significant historical restoration experience to submit qualifications. It is mandatory that all Contractors who intend to submit a bid, fully complete the pre-qualification Questionnaire, provide all materials requested therein, including: (1) a Financial Statement and (2) a notarized statement from an admitted surety insurer (approved by the California Department of Insurance) and authorized to issue bonds in the State of California, which states that your current bonding capacity is sufficient for this Project and (3) resumes of Key Personnel and be approved by the City to be on the final qualified Bidders list. The Questionnaire form may be obtained upon request by email to Nova Romero, City Clerk, at nromero@ci.carmel.ca.us. No bid will be accepted from a Contractor that has failed to comply with these requirements. If two or more business entities submit a bid as part of a Joint Venture, or expect to submit a bid as part of a Joint Venture, each entity within the Joint Venture must be separately qualified to bid. The last date to submit a fully completed questionnaire is December 11, 2026 at 5 pm. Contractors are encouraged to submit pre-qualification packages as soon as possible, so that they may be notified of omissions of information to be remedied or of their pre-qualification status well in advance of the bid advertisement for this project. Answers to questions contained in the attached Questionnaire, information about current bonding capacity, notarized statement from surety, and the most recent reviewed or audited financial statements, with accompanying notes and supplemental information, are required. The City will use these documents as the basis of rating Contractors for this Project. The City reserves the right to check other sources available. The City's decision will be based on objective evaluation criteria. The City reserves the right to adjust, increase, limit, suspend or rescind the pre-qualification rating based on subsequently learned information. Contractors whose rating changes sufficient to disqualify them will be notified, and given an opportunity for a hearing consistent with the hearing procedures described below for appealing a pre-qualification rating. While it is the intent of the pre-qualification Questionnaire and documents required therewith to assist the City in determining bidder responsibility prior to bid and to aid the City in selecting the lowest responsible bidder, neither the fact of pre-qualification, nor any pre-qualification rating, will preclude the City from a post-bid consideration and determination of whether a bidder has the quality, fitness, capacity and experience to satisfactorily perform the proposed work, and has demonstrated the requisite trustworthiness. The pre-qualification packages should be marked "CONFIDENTIAL" and mailed or emailed to Nova Romero, City Clerk, City of Carmel-by-the-Sea, P.O. Box CC, Carmel-by-the-Sea, California 93921; email: nromero@ci.carmel.ca.us. The pre-qualification packages (Questionnaire answers and financial statements and statement from an admitted surety insurer) submitted by Contractors are not public records and are not open to public inspection. All information provided will be kept confidential to the extent permitted by law. However, the contents may be disclosed to third parties for purpose of verification, or investigation of substantial allegations, or in the appeal hearing. State law requires that the names of contractors applying for pre-qualification status shall be public records subject to disclosure, and the first page of the questionnaire will be used for that purpose. Each Questionnaire must be signed under penalty of perjury in the manner designated at the end of the form, by an individual who has the legal authority to bind the Contractor on whose behalf that person is signing. If any information provided by a Contractor becomes inaccurate, the Contractor must immediately notify the City and provide updated accurate information in writing, under penalty of perjury. The City reserves the right to waive minor irregularities and omissions in the information contained in the pre-qualification application submitted, to make all final determinations, and to determine at any time that the pre-qualification procedures will not be applied to a specific future public works project. Contractors may submit pre-qualification packages during regular working hours on any day that the offices of City are open. Contractors who submit a complete pre-qualification package will be notified of their qualification status no later than ten business days after submission of the information. The City may refuse to grant pre-qualification where the requested information and materials are not provided, or not provided by December 11, 2026 at 5 pm. There is no appeal from a refusal for an incomplete or late application, but reapplication for a later project is permitted. The closing time for bids will not be changed in order to accommodate supplementation of incomplete submissions, or late submissions. Where a timely and completed application results in a rating below that necessary to pre-qualify, an appeal can be made. An appeal is begun by the Contractor emailing notice to City Clerk Nova Romero via email to nromero@ci.carmel.ca.us of its appeal of the decision with respect to its pre-qualification rating, no later than ten business days after written notification from the City that the Contractor was found not to be prequalified. Without a timely appeal, the Contractor waives any and all rights to challenge the decision of the City whether by administrative process, judicial process or any other legal process or proceeding. If the Contractor gives the required notice of appeal and requests a hearing, the hearing shall be conducted so that it is concluded no later than five business days after the City's receipt of the notice of appeal, and no later than five business days prior to the last date for the receipt of bids on the project. The hearing shall be an informal process conducted by a panel to whom the City Council has delegated responsibility to hear such appeals (the "Appeals Panel"). At or prior to the hearing, the Contractor will be advised of the basis for the City's pre-qualification determination. The Contractor will be given the opportunity to present information and present reasons in opposition to the rating. Within one day after the conclusion of the hearing, the Appeals Panel will render its decision. It is the intention of the City that the date for the submission and opening of bids will not be delayed or postponed to allow for completion of an appeal process. Note: A contractor may be found not pre-qualified for bidding on a specific public works contract to be let by the City, or on all contracts to be let by City until the contractor meets the City's requirements. In addition, a contractor may be found not pre-qualified for either: (1) Omission of requested information or (2) Falsification of information For questions about the Project, please contact Tyler Davis (Project Manager) at Tyler.Davis@porterllc.com.
