REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR MUNICIPAL ENGINEERING SERVICES

Description: REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR MUNICIPAL ENGINEERING SERVICES city of norwalk CITY OF NORWALK, IOWA NOVEMBER 2026 City of Norwalk 705 North Avenue Norwalk, Iowa 50211 (515) 981-0228 CITY OF NORWALK MUNICIPAL ENGINEERING SERVICES REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS 1. Purpose of Request The City of Norwalk is seeking statements of qualifications from consulting engineering firms to provide municipal engineering services. The contract period will have a term of one (1) to three (3) years unless extended by mutual agreement of the consultant and the City. The selected firm will serve as the City's primary consulting engineer for general municipal engineering services. The City reserves the right to retain other engineering firms or consultants for specific projects, specialized services, independent reviews, or other assignments as determined to be in the City's best interest. Selection under this RFQ does not guarantee the award of any specific project or minimum amount of work. 2. Instructions to Proposing Firms a. All proposals shall be submitted to and all other correspondence shall be directed to: City of Norwalk Attn: Lindsey Offenburger Director of Internal Operations 705 North Avenue Norwalk, Iowa 50211 loffenburger@norwalk.iowa.gov b. All proposals must be received no later than 2:00 P.M., Thursday, December 31, 2026. Submissions shall be provided electronically in PDF format to the email address identified above. c. Firms shall provide at least five municipal client representatives specifying entity name, address, services provided, contact person, email and telephone number. d. Firms shall describe any contracts for services awarded to your firm that have been cancelled or terminated for unsatisfactory performance in any respect and a phone number and contact person for that organization. Please also provide a description of any legal proceedings involving your firm related to any municipal client or municipal projects that were unresolved or active January 1, 2021 to present. e. The proposal shall be limited to a maximum of ten (10) pages, excluding resumes, references, and proposed compensation information. f. The proposal shall outline all projects within the last five years the applicant has participated in within the City of Norwalk. 3. City Services, Description, Capital Projects, and Future Engineering Needs The City of Norwalk has a capital improvement program and through this process, the City identifies large projects in each of the various departments as well as equipment expenditures for the next five to ten years. The selected firm will serve as a consultant in assisting with capital improvement project planning. The City is experiencing significant growth in development of subdivisions as well as commercial and industrial businesses. The selected firm will be deeply involved in the review process of both subdivisions and site design, including review of stormwater management plans, through the Community Development Department. The selected firm will assist the Parks \& Recreation Department with the review of proposed parkland dedication areas. The selected firm will also provide construction observation and inspection services for public improvements associated with new subdivisions and site developments, with such services separately tracked and billed as outlined in Section 5(c). 4. Identification and Qualifications of Assigned Personnel The ideal firm should have extensive experience in municipal engineering as detailed in the Scope of Services. The qualifications and commitment of the key personnel assigned to this community is critically important in the selection of a firm. Please provide the following in your proposal. a. The name of the person who will be responsible for the management and administration of an agreement with the City of Norwalk together with the name of the person who will serve as a backup and a resume describing each person's experience and qualifications. b. The names and resumes of the professional staff who will be involved with providing services to the City. c. An organizational chart identifying team members and their areas of responsibility. A description of the history of the firm and description of personnel. d. A statement committing the aforementioned staff to this community. e. Describe the firm's approach to serving as an extension of City staff, including availability for routine consultations, responsiveness to urgent requests, coordination with multiple City departments, and ability to provide continuity of service when assigned personnel are unavailable. The City places a high priority on timely communication, accessibility, and a collaborative working relationship. The selected firm will also be expected to attend City Council, Planning \& Zoning Commission, Parks \& Recreation Commission, and staff meetings as requested. f. The proposal should detail how the firm and its staff are qualified to complete tasks related to the Scope of Services. g. Include a statement identifying any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest involving this RFQ and/or the City of Norwalk, or affirming that no such conflicts exist. The selected firm is discouraged from accepting or performing engineering, surveying, or development-related services for private developers on projects located within or impacting the City of Norwalk during the term of the agreement. However, the City recognizes that such work may be necessary in the normal course of business. If the selected firm performs services for a private developer on a project located within or impacting the City, the firm shall disclose the nature of the work to the City prior to accepting the engagement. Such services shall be performed by personnel who are not assigned to provide City Engineer services on behalf of the City. The firm shall establish appropriate internal safeguards to maintain separation between its responsibilities to the City and its private clients. The selected firm shall not review, recommend approval of, or approve work performed by its own firm on behalf of a private developer. The City reserves the right to engage an independent engineering firm to review any project or work that presents an actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest. The selected firm shall promptly notify the City of any circumstances that may create or appear to create a conflict of interest during the term of the Agreement. The City reserves the right to determine whether additional safeguards or other measures are necessary to protect the City's interests. 5. Scope of Services The City of Norwalk is seeking a qualified engineering firm to provide professional municipal engineering services and serve as an extension of City staff. The selected firm will be expected to provide responsive, practical, and professional engineering assistance to support City operations, infrastructure planning, development review, and capital improvement projects. The anticipated services are outlined below and organized into three categories based on the nature of the work and how services will be authorized and compensated. General municipal engineering services will be provided under the primary professional services agreement, while capital projects, special assignments, and developer-related services will be separately authorized and billed as applicable. a. General Municipal Engineering Services 1. Prepare preliminary investigations, cost studies, economic analysis and forecasts. 2. Conduct specialized planning and engineering studies. 3. Assist the Parks \& Recreation Department with review and evaluation of proposed parkland dedication areas associated with new development. 4. Assist with financial planning, budgeting, and grant applications. 5. Prepare graphics, concepts, and maps for engineering analyses. 6. Provide surveying and mapping services. 7. Perform specialized engineering analysis and design. 8. Review plats nearing bond expiration and coordinate necessary repairs with developers and contractors. 9. Assist with design and construction inspection of City repair projects. 10. Assist with appraisals, valuations and utility rate analysis. 11. Investigate and respond to staff and citizen engineering concerns, including stormwater runoff, intersection sight distance, and traffic controls. 12. Review proposed citizen projects for compliance with engineering standards. 13. Assist with bidding processes and review construction contract documents. 14. Attend City Council meetings to provide project updates. 15. Attend Planning \& Zoning Commission and Parks \& Recreation Commission meetings as requested. 16. Attend weekly City Project Management Meetings. 17. Review development agreements for infrastructure obligations, standards, costs, phasing, and developer responsibilities. 18. Assist with acceptance of public improvements, including inspections, punch lists, maintenance bonds, warranty inspections, and correction of deficiencies. 19. Assist with long-range infrastructure planning, utility capacity, future growth, annexation, and planned improvements. 20. Coordinate with governmental agencies, including the Iowa DOT, Iowa DNR, NRCS, and others as needed. 21. Provide engineering assistance for urgent sewer, stormwater, drainage, and roadway issues. b. Capital Projects and Special Engineering Assignments (Authorized Through Separate Project-Specific Agreements) 1. Transportation 2. Bridges and culverts 3. Water distribution 4. Wastewater collection 5. Land and construction surveying 6. Land use planning 7. Drainage and storm sewers 8. Stormwater management and MS4 compliance 9. Flood control 10. Park design 11. Sidewalks and multi-use recreational trails c. Developer-Related Engineering Services (separately tracked and billed for developer reimbursement) 1. Review development proposals and plans for subdivisions, construction plans, and site plans. (i.e. review of preliminary plats, final plats, construction documents, stormwater management plans, and lighting plans) 2. Provide on-site construction observation/inspection of public improvements associated with development projects. 3. Provide stormwater inspection services associated with development projects. The selected firm shall provide engineering consultation, project management, field inspections, coordination with developers and governmental agencies, and professional recommendations as requested by the City. The firm shall also be capable of addressing citizen concerns, attending meetings, and making presentations to City staff, commissions, and the City Council. 6. Selection The firm will be selected based on qualifications and criteria established below. a. The City of Norwalk reserves the right to reject any or all proposals. Firms will be evaluated based on qualifications, experience, demonstrated ability to perform the requested services, proposed compensation, and the evaluation criteria outlined below. The City is not obligated to select the firm proposing the lowest cost. b. The proposals will be evaluated by a work group made up of various City representatives. The work group will provide findings to the City Council. The City Council will then authorize the City Manager and City Attorney to negotiate an agreement with the firm selected. c. Selection of the firms to be interviewed shall be based on the following criteria: 1. The firm's commitment to delivering quality work in a timely manner and within budget. 2. The firm's approach to and understanding of the Scope of Services. 3. The firm's experience with and expertise in municipal engineering services as listed in the Scope of Services. 4. The experience and qualifications of the firm's staff that will have primary contact with the City of Norwalk. 5. The commitment of key personnel and their ability to develop and maintain a thorough understanding of the City's infrastructure and operations. 6. The extent to which previous clients have found the firm's services acceptable. 7. The firm's proposed compensation and overall value of services provided. 7. Basis for Compensation Firms shall submit a proposed compensation structure for providing the municipal engineering services outlined in Section 5. Firms may propose the fee structure they believe best meets the City's needs, including how services will be billed and any applicable additional charges or reimbursable expenses. The City will consider proposed compensation as part of its evaluation of firms and reserves the right to negotiate final compensation terms with the selected firm. 8. Terms and Conditions The City of Norwalk reserves the right to cancel or modify the RFQ at any time. No changes, revisions, clarifications, or amendments will be made to this RFQ without notifying all invited firms on record as having received this RFQ. The City of Norwalk reserves the right to determine the successful firm. Upon submission, all proposals become the property of the City of Norwalk which retains the right to use any ideas presented in any proposal submitted whether or not the proposal is accepted. The City of Norwalk shall not be liable for any costs incurred by any firm responding to this request. By submitting a statement of qualifications, you hereby represent and warrant to the City of Norwalk that you possess the necessary skills, licenses, certifications, qualifications, personnel and equipment to provide such services. All documents, plans, reports, and other materials prepared for the City shall be provided to the City in accordance with the terms of the professional services agreement. The selected firm will be required to execute a professional services agreement in a form acceptable to the City. The agreement will establish the terms and conditions of the engagement, including the scope of services, compensation, insurance requirements, conflicts of interest, and other applicable provisions. No agreement shall become effective until approved by the City Council and executed by the authorized representatives of both parties.