RFQ Johnston Co. NFPA 70B Compliance Project

10 Request for Qualifications Johnston County NFPA 70B Compliance Project August 1 , 2025 Statement of Qualifications Due by October 4 , 2025 5 00 pm Page 1 of 4PageREQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS JOHNSTON COUNTY Public Utilities NFPA 70B Compliance Project Deadline October 4 , 2025 at 5 00pm The Johnston County Department of Public Utilities JCPU is seeking statements of qualifications from qualified consultants to provide an electrical maintenance plan EMP to bring the County into compliance with NFPA 70B , NFPA 70 and NFPA 70E A selection panel will review and evaluate the qualifications statements and select a single consulting firm for this project Background Johnston County owns and operates a Countywide public water and wastewater utility It includes two wastewater treatment facilities and one water treatment facility In addition , the Public Utilities Department maintains 63 wastewater pump stations and 30 booster pump stations with electrical equipment The County has implemented a computerized maintenance management system CMMS on the Cityworks platform All three treatment facilities are currently under construction Construction includes major upgrades or new additions to the electrical systems The Contractor will have access to the data in the Cityworks CMMS as well as any electronic or hard copy operation and maintenance manuals owned by the County Project Description The County needs to develop an electrical maintenance plan to bring the County’s utility system into compliance with NFPA 70B , NFPA 70 and NFPA 70E The plan needs to include the schedules of maintenance to be performed as well as the standard operating procedures SOPs and forms to document the maintenance activity All SOPS must also meet OSHA and applicable NC Administrative codes NCAC The proposed project will include • Summary of the regulatory requirements • Detailed electrical maintenance plans for each of the five major components of the utility electrical system • A detailed review of the County’s Electrical Safety Plan with recommendations to improve the plan to meet or exceed current regulations and industry’s best practices • A review of the current electrical maintenance staffing and training with recommendations for what is needed to fully implement the EMPs Anticipated Scope of Services Phase 1 - Project Development – 3 Months • Review the County’s current electrical inventory and maintenance planning • Collect any readily available missing operation manuals for existing equipment and or determine the standard maintenance frequency as described in NFPA 70B 922 • Review the Public Utilities electrical maintenance team and their certifications • Discuss current operations and needs with electrical maintenance staff • Develop a plan to conduct the work to bring the County’s utility system into compliance one component at a time o Central Regional WWTF o 210 WWTF o TGB WTP o Wastewater Pump Stations o Booster Pump Stations Page 2 of 4PageStage 2 - Project Delivery – 6 Months – 2 years Depending on the plan developed in Phase 1 and the cost to deliver planning for each component , the County may elect to stretch the schedule in future budget years At a minimum , the delivered product s will include • For each component listed above , 2 hard copy binders and one electronic copy will be delivered with the electrical maintenance plan including the SOPs and maintenance forms for each component The electrical maintenance plan will be formatted consistently with the unique identifiers and data fields currently in the County’s Cityworks CMMS • A detailed review of the County’s Electrical Safety Plan with recommendations to improve the plan to meet or exceed current regulations and industry’s best practices • A review of the current electrical maintenance staffing and training with recommendations for what is needed to fully implement the EMPs • A list of recommendations for maintaining compliance with NFPA 70B , NFPA 70 and NFPA 70E within Cityworks as the County grows its utility system Submittal Information All respondents are requested to provide the information cited below , as well as any supplemental information that provides a comprehensive view of the firm , the proposed project team , and the approach to this project However , information should be presented in a clear and concise manner Submittals shall not exceed five 5 pages printed front and back or ten 10 pages printed only on the front Fold out , 11x17 pages are allowed if needed to display maps or charts The cover page and cover letter are not counted in the 10 page limit The cover letter is not considered part of the submittal package for review If a hard copy Qualification Statement is submitted , three 3 copies shall be submitted Section I - Information about the Firm – 30 points • General overview of the firm and its experience relevant to this project • Provide a clear concise answer to the question – “ Why should Johnston County select your firm for this project ” • Provide experience with similar projects by including a list of a minimum of three 3 completed projects similar to the proposed project Include the following with each project o Location and brief description including initial budget o Name and contact numbers for owner’s representatives o Project team involved with specific responsibilities • References Identify three 3 references including the name of the organization , phone number , address , and email address Please include the name and contact information of a specific contact at each referenced organization Section II - Information about the Proposed Project Team – 30 Points • List the proposed project team and , at a minimum , the following information for each • Role project responsibility of each member of the team for this project o Qualifications o Education o Relevant experience , with specific note of any electrical or utility maintenance planning o Length of service with present firm If less than two years , cite the name of previous firm o List relevant projects completed by each team member during the past five 5 years , complete with project name , location , project components , project budget , completed cost and contact name and phone number of Owners representative Denote any of the listed projects that were completed when team members were employed by other than current firm • Name , address and phone number of any sub - consultant along with their qualifications for the project and resumes of any key personnel Section III Project Approach – 30 Points Page 3 of 4Page• Project Approach Describe your approach and understanding of this project and any special ideas , techniques , or suggestions that may make the project proceed smoothly and within budget Detail your ability represent the owner and facilitate effective working relationships within the project team in a project build environment • Qualifications Include a general overview of the firm and describe your firm’s unique qualifications and training for this type of work Cite specific engineering certifications or accreditations that may apply Section IV Schedule – 10 Points • Schedule Describe your plan schedule for completing the work see Anticipated Scope of Services Firms must submit three 3 hard copies of their qualification statement or one electronic copy Qualification statements will be received by the Johnston County Department of Public Utilities , c o Tim Turner 309 E Market Street , Smithfield , NC 27577 until 5 00 pm on October 4 , 2025 A selection panel will review and evaluate the qualification statements and select a single consulting firm for this project For additional information , contact Tim Turner at 919 796 - 7230 or timturner @ johnstonncgov Terms and Conditions Submission of a statement of qualifications indicates acceptance by the firm of the conditions contained in this request for qualification unless clearly and specifically noted in the statement of qualification submitted and confirmed in the contract between the County and firm selected The County reserves the right without prejudice to reject any or all statements of qualifications submitted , to waive any non - material irregularities or informalities in any RFQ , to accept , or reject any item or combination of items and to request additional clarification of statement of qualifications All statements of qualifications received become the property of the County and information included therein or attached thereto , shall become a public record upon their delivery to the County Any and all costs associated with the preparation of a response to this request are the responsibility of the proposer and are not to be passed to the County Please see attached Exhibit A a copy of the County’s standard professional services contract Page 4 of 4PagePage pageNumber5AGREEMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES BETWEEN _____________________________ AND JOHNSTON COUNTY This Professional Services Agreement “ Agreement ” , made as of the ____ day of ______________ , 201__ “ Effective Date ” , by and between the County of Johnston hereinafter , the County and __________________________________________________________________ , a professional engineering firm with a partner or principal registered in North Carolina as a licensed engineer and with offices in North Carolina hereinafter , the Consultant WITNESSETH That the County and Consultant , for the consideration herein named , do hereby agree as follows ARTICLE 1 11 General 111 This Agreement governs professional consulting services “ Consulting Services ” to be rendered by Consultant to County with respect to civil engineering services pursuant to project specific scopes of service agreed to by County and Consultant under Article 3 hereof 112 By its execution of this Agreement , the Consultant represents and agrees that it is qualified and fully capable to perform and provide the Consulting Services required or necessary under this Agreement in a fully competent , professional and timely manner ARTICLE 2 RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CONSULTANT 21 Services to be Provided 212 The Consultant shall provide the County with all Consulting Services required to satisfactorily complete project specific scopes of service agreed to by County and Consultant under Article 3 in accordance with generally accepted professional standards of care 22 Standard of Care 221 The Consultant shall perform all Consulting Services under this Agreement in accordance with that level of care and skill ordinarily exercised by members of Consultant’s profession actively practicing under similar circumstances in the State of North Carolina and the Page 1 of 10PagePage pageNumber6professions of any and all professional sub - consultants retained by Consultant and in accordance with federal , state and local laws and regulations applicable to the performance of these services Consultant is solely responsible to the County for the professional quality , accuracy and timely completion and submission of all reports , drawings , specifications , plans , documents and services hereinafter “ Deliverables ” related to the Consulting Services 222 The Consultant shall be responsible to the County for all errors or omissions in the Deliverables prepared by Consultant 223 The Consultant shall correct at no additional cost to the County any and all errors , omissions , discrepancies , ambiguities , mistakes or conflicts in any Deliverable prepared by the Consultant 224 The Consultant shall assure that all Deliverables prepared by the Consultant hereunder are in accordance with applicable laws , statutes , codes and regulations and that all necessary or appropriate applications for approvals are submitted to federal , state and local governments or agencies in a timely manner so as not to delay the Project 225 The Consultant shall not , except as otherwise provided for in this Agreement and or pursuant to project specific scopes of service agreed to by County and Consultant under Article 3 hereof , subcontract the performance of any Consulting Services under this Agreement to any sub - consultants , without prior written permission of the County No permission for subcontracting shall create , between the County and the subcontractor , any contract or any other relationship 226 Any and all employees of the Consultant engaged by the Consultant in the performance of any Consulting Services required of the Consultant under this Agreement , shall be considered employees or agents of the Consultant only and not of the County , and any and all claims that may or might arise under any workers compensation law on behalf of said employees while so engaged shall be the sole obligation and responsibility of the Consultant 227 Consultant shall perform all Consulting Services in a timely manner in accordance with all schedules for project specific scopes of service agreed to by County and Consultant under Article 3 hereof 228 If activities related to the performance of this Agreement require specific licenses , certifications , or related credentials Consultant represents that it and or its employees , agents Page 2 of 10PagePage pageNumber7and sub - consultants engaged in such activities possess such licenses , certifications , or credentials and that such licenses certifications , or credentials are current , active , and not in a state of suspension or revocation ARTICLE 3 SERVICES 31 Scope of Consulting Services See attached Exhibit A ARTICLE 4 DURATION OF CONSULTANT’S SERVICES 41 Scheduling of Services 411 The Consultant shall schedule and perform Consultant’s activities in a timely manner so as to meet the delivery requirements The Consultant will endeavor to deliver the final product within ____ calendar days of execution of this contract ARTICLE 5 CONSULTANT’S COMPENSATION 51 Compensation for Consulting Services 511 Compensation for Consulting Services authorized by the Scope of Service pursuant to Article 3 shall be on an hourly basis see attached rate schedule not to exceed , as follows 1 Phase One ______________ 2 Phase Two ______________ Total Contract ____________________________________ This amount shall not be exceeded without prior written approval by the county in the form of a written amendment to this Agreement 52 Payments 521 The Consultant shall submit regular invoices for Consulting Services performed during that period under the terms of this Agreement County shall make payment within thirty 30 days of receipt of an accurate invoice ARTICLE 6 RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COUNTY 61 Cooperation and Coordination Page 3 of 10PagePage pageNumber8611 The County has designated the County Public Utilities Director to act as the County’s representative with respect to the Project and shall have the authority to render decisions within guidelines established by the County Manager and the County Board of Commissioners and shall be available during working hours as often as may be reasonably required to render decisions and to furnish information 612 In the event the amount of an invoice is disputed , County may withhold payment on the disputed portion of the invoice until the dispute is resolved by the parties , but shall pay the undisputed portion of the invoice ARTICLE 7 INSURANCE 71 General Requirements 711 The Consultant shall purchase and maintain and shall cause each of its sub - consultants to purchase and maintain during the term of this Agreement and for a period of three years after termination of this Agreement , the following insurance policies with the limits set forth herein Workers Compensation ; Commercial General Liability ; Automobile Liability ; and Professional Liability Insurance 712 All Insurance Companies must be authorized to do business in North Carolina The minimum insurance ratings for any company insuring the Consultant shall be AM Best “ A - VII ” or better ; or have reasonable equivalent financial strength to the satisfaction of the County’s Finance Officer Should the ratings of any insurance carrier insuring the Consultant fall below the minimum rating , the County may , at its option , require the Consultant to purchase insurance from a company whose rating meets the minimum standard Proof of rating shall be provided to the County upon request 72 Limits of Coverage 721 Minimum limits of insurance coverage shall be as follows a Workers Compensation - Limits for Coverage A - Statutory State of NC ; Coverage B - Employers Liability limits shall not be less than 1,000,00000 b Commercial General Liability – Bodily injury and property damage liability as will protect the Consultant from claims of bodily injury or property damages which may arise from the operations of this Agreement The amounts of such insurance shall not be less than 1,000,00000 bodily injury and property damage – combined single limit Page 4 of 10PagePage pageNumber9per occurrence and 2,000,00000 aggregate This insurance shall include coverage for products completed operations , personal injury liability and contractual liability c Automobile Liability – Automobile bodily injury and property damage liability insurance when the services to be performed require the use of motor vehicles Auto liability limits shall not be less than 1,000,00000 combined per accident d Professional Liability – errors and omissions with minimum limits of 1,000,00000 per claim 722 All insurance policies with the exception of Workers Compensation and Professional Liability required under this Agreement shall name the County as an additional insured party for the insurance 73 Proof of Coverage 731 Evidence of such insurance shall be furnished to the County , together with evidence that each policy provides that the County shall receive not less than thirty 30 days prior written notice of any cancellation of coverage of any of the policies Upon notice of such cancellation , the Consultant shall procure substitute insurance so as to assure the County that the minimum limits of coverage are maintained continuously throughout the periods specified herein 74 Indemnity 741 The Consultant agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the County , its officers , agents , and employees from and against all loss , cost , damages , liability , claims or expense , including attorneys fees , for bodily injury including death or property damage to any person or persons to the extent caused by the negligence of the Consultant or any person or entity for whose acts or omissions the Consultant is legally liable It is the intent of this provision to require the Consultant to indemnify the County to the fullest extent permitted under North Carolina law ARTICLE 8 AMENDMENTS TO THE AGREEMENT 81 Changes to the Consulting Services Agreement 811 This Agreement may be amended by mutual written agreement of the County and the Consultant ARTICLE 9 Page 5 of 10Page0TERMINATION AND SUSPENSION 91 Termination for Convenience 911 Either the County or the Consultant may terminate this Agreement , or any Scope of Service hereunder , at any time with or without cause upon giving the other party twenty - one 21 calendar days prior written notice A termination of the Agreement shall constitute a termination of any Scopes of Service which is current at the time of such termination 92 Compensation After Termination 921 In the event of termination , the County shall pay Consultant for all Consulting Services performed through the effective date of termination 922 Should this Agreement be terminated , the Consultant shall deliver to the County within seven 7 days , at no additional cost , all Deliverables as they exist on the effective date of termination , including any electronic data or files relating to the Project 93 Waiver 931 The payment of any sums by the County under this Agreement or the failure of the County to require compliance by the Consultant with any provisions of this Agreement or the waiver by the County of any breach of this Agreement shall not constitute a waiver of any claim for damages by the County for any breach of this Agreement or a waiver of any other required compliance with this Agreement by the Consultant ARTICLE 10 ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS 101 Confidentiality 1011 The Consultant and its sub - consultants shall use their best efforts not to disclose or permit the disclosure of any confidential information relating to the Project , except to its agents , employees and other consultants who need such confidential information in order to properly perform their duties relative to this Agreement 1012 Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement , this Agreement and all materials submitted to the County by the Consultant are subject to the public records laws of the State of North Carolina 102 Relationship of Parties Page 6 of 10Page11021 Consultant is an independent contractor of the County Neither Consultant nor any employee of the Consultant shall be deemed an officer , employee or agent of the County Consultant’s personnel shall not be employees or , or have any contractual relationship with County 103 Limitation and Assignment 1031 The County and the Consultant each bind themselves , their successors , assigns and legal representatives to the terms of this Agreement Neither the County nor the Consultant shall assign or transfer its interest in this Agreement without the written consent of the other 104 Governing Law 1041 This Agreement and the duties , responsibilities , obligations and rights of respective parties hereunder shall be governed by the laws of the State of North Carolina 105 Dispute Resolution 1051 Any and all suits or actions to enforce , interpret or seek damages with respect to any provision of , or the performance or non - performance of , this Agreement shall be brought in the General Court of Justice of North Carolina sitting in Johnston County , North Carolina , and it is agreed by the parties that no other court shall have jurisdiction or venue with respect to such suits or actions The Parties may agree to mediation of any dispute prior to the brining of such suit or action 106 Extent of Agreement 1061 This Agreement , together with the Attachments attached hereto , represents the entire and integrated agreement between the County and the Consultant and supersedes all prior negotiations , representations or agreements , either written or oral This Agreement may be amended only by written instrument signed by both the County and the Consultant 107 Severability 1071 If any provision of this Agreement is held as a matter of law to be unenforceable , the remainder of this Agreement shall be enforceable without such provision 108 Ownership of Deliverables 1081 All Deliverables , together with all supporting materials , source documentation , data collected , field notes , and working drafts , developed in the performance of this Agreement shall become the property of the County , provided , however , that a Consultant retains Page 7 of 10Page2all intellectual property rights , including the copyright , in and to its pre - existing standard details , designs , and specifications , but grants a license to the County to use the same in connection with a Project ; and b Consultant shall have the right to retain a reference copy of all such materials for its own use The County shall not use the Deliverables , or permit the use of the Deliverables , on any Project other than the Project for which the Deliverables were created without the Consultant’s written consent , and shall indemnify and hold harmless the Consultant and its sub - consultants from any and all claims and damages , including reasonable attorneys ’ fees , resulting from any such unauthorized use 109 Non - Appropriation 1091 Consultant acknowledges that County is a governmental entity , and the validity of this Agreement is based upon the availability of public funding under the authority of its statutory mandate In the event that public funds are unavailable and not appropriated for the performance of the County’s obligations under this Agreement , then this Agreement shall automatically expire without penalty to County immediately upon written notice to Consultant of the unavailability and non - appropriation of public funds In the event of a change in the County’s statutory authority , mandate and or mandated functions , by state and or federal legislative or regulatory action , which adversely affects County’s authority to continue its obligations under this Agreement , then this Agreement shall automatically terminate without penalty to County upon written notice to Consultant of such limitation or change in County’s legal authority 1010 E - Verify 10101 Consultant shall comply with the requirements of Article 2 of Chapter 64 of the General Statutes Further , if Consultant utilizes a sub - contractor , Consultant shall require the sub - contractor to comply with the requirements of Article 2 of Chapter 64 of the General Statutes 1011 Iran Divestment and Divestment from Companies Boycotting Israel 10111 By signing this agreement Contractor certifies that as of the date of execution they are not listed on the Final Divestment List created by the NC Office of State Treasurer pursuant to NCGS 147 Article 6E , Iran Divestment Act , Iran Divestment Act Certification Contractor shall not utilize any subcontractor that is identified on the Final Divestment List Any organization defined under NCGS 147 - 8680 2 , Divestment from Companies Boycotting Page 8 of 10Page3Israel , shall not engage in business totaling more than 1,000 with any company or business that boycotts Israel A list of companies that boycott Israel is maintained by the NC Office of State Treasurer , pursuant to NCGS 147 - 8681 a 1 Any company listed as boycotting Israel is not eligible to do business with any State agency or political subdivision of the State 1012 Notices 10121 Any notice required by this Agreement shall be in writing and delivered by certified or registered mail , return receipt requested to the following County of Johnston __________________________ Attn Chandra Farmer , PE Attn _____________________ PO Box 2263 __________________________ Smithfield , NC 27577 __________________________ 1013 Term of Agreement The term of this Agreement is ____________ ___ days from the date of this Agreement In the event any Scope of Service executed pursuant to this Agreement has not been completed at the end of the term of this Agreement , this Agreement shall continue to govern such Scope of Service 1014 No Waiver of Governmental Immunity County and Consultant agree that nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to mandate purchase of insurance by County pursuant to NCGS § 153A - 435 ; or to in any other way waive County’s defense of sovereign or governmental immunity from any cause of action alleged or brought against County for any reason if otherwise available as a matter of law IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the parties , by and through their authorized agents , have hereunder set their hands and seal , all as of the day and year first above written ________________________________ Page 9 of 10Page4By ____________________________ Title __________________________ COUNTY OF JOHNSTON By ___________________________ Title _________________________ This instrument has been pre - audited in the manner required by the Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act ___________________________________ J Chad McLamb , CPA Finance Director This instrument is approved as to form ___________________________________ Jennifer Jernigan Slusser County Attorney This instrument has been approved as to technical content The person responsible for monitoring the contract performance requirement is the Director of Public Utilities ________________________________________ Public Utilities , Department Director Page 10 of 10Page