RFQ Johnston Co. On-Call Geotechnical Engineering Services

10 Request for Qualifications Johnston County On - Call Geotechnical Services August 21 , 2025 Statements of Qualification Due by September 25 , 2025 By 5 00 pm 309 E Market Street , Smithfield , NC 27577PageNOTICE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS On - Call Geotechnical Engineering Services Deadline September 25 , 2025 by 5 00pm The Johnston County Department of Public Utilities JCPU is seeking qualification statements from consulting firms to provide professional geotechnical services related to the Public Utilities capital improvements projects other necessary improvements JCPU is soliciting Requests for Qualifications RFQs from firms interested in entering an engineering services contract for design evaluations and construction testing for a variety of water and wastewater system projects A full copy of the Request for Qualifications can be viewed and downloaded at wwwjohnstonncgov utilities contentcfm pageid 159 or requested from JCPU at 919 - 209 - 8333 It is the policy of Johnston County to facilitate the establishment , preservation , and strengthening of small businesses and businesses owned by women and minorities by encouraging their participation in the Countys procurement activities The County has 10 goal for minority business participation Qualification statements will be received by the Johnston County Department of Public Utilities , c o Kimberly C Rineer , PE , 309 E Market Street , Smithfield , NC 27577 or by e - mail to kimrineer @ johnstonncgov until 5 00 pm on September 25 , 2025 PageREQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS Johnston County Department of Public Utilities On - Call Geotechnical Engineering Services Deadline September 25 , 2025 by 5 00pm The Johnston County Department of Public Utilities JCPU is seeking statements of qualifications from qualified engineering consultants to conduct geotechnical investigations and testing for a variety of design and construction projects Investigations will include investigations to be used in design of foundations and bores , as well as testing services during construction to include soils , concrete and piling Projects may include but are not limited to those identified in the capital project list available of the County’s website The engineering services required for these types of projects would be an on - call and as needed basis for two 2 years , with the option for two 2 additional one 1 year extensions with the mutual consent of both parties in writing , unless sooner terminated as provided herein At the sole discretion of the County , one or more Professionals may be selected and awarded contracts under this RFQ Contracts will be set up on a unit cost basis with individual task orders for each project Selected Professionals that do not meet the County’s performance expectations , routinely decline opportunities to participate in projects offered through the program , or lose significant internal expertise submitted with their original RFQ response Proposal may be dropped from the program The County’s Standard Technical Services Contract Exhibit A will be the basis of the contract with associated Task Orders for each project which outlines a particular project’s scope of work Project Description Geotechnical Engineer Services – Evaluation elements will be assigned on a project by project basis and includes as an exhibit to the Task Item Agreements developed as part of the Professional Services Contract Expected task items include but are not limited to Design Services • Direction Drilling Suitability Evaluations • Jack & Bore Suitability Evaluations • Foundation Design Evaluations Construction Inspection • Suitable Soil Aggregate Evaluations • Compaction Testing • Concrete Asphalt Testing • Piling Inspection • Foundation Inspection Task Order Procedures When the services of the consultant s are required , the County will provide a statement of services and the goals to be accomplished Task Order Request for a specific project and the time allotted if applicable for the completion of the specific scope of work The Task Order will request that the consultant submit pricing including itemized hours for labor categories , tasks , scope of work , and schedule required or applicable to complete the task order scope of work The consultant shall also include a maximum total price offered for the task order request All other costs associated with the task order shall be included in the price proposal The consultant shall include a written response addressing the requirements for the task order request and assigned Project Manager and staff corresponding to the labor categories in the price proposal The task order proposal shall include the description of the work to be completed , schedule for completing the work , and the price to complete thePagework Once the task order is received the County will review , negotiate , and authorize the Consultant to begin the requested work by issuing a Task Order Agreement Exhibit B Submittal Information All respondents must provide the information cited below , as well as any supplemental information that provides a comprehensive view of the firm , the proposed design team and the approach to each task order 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 If a hard copy proposal is submitted , three 3 copies shall be submitted Section I - Information about the Firm • General overview of the firm and its experience relevant to task order work described • Provide a clear concise answer to the question – “ Why should Johnston County select your firm for task order work ” • Provide experience working for public utilities agencies by including a list of a minimum of five 5 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 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 Design Team • List the proposed design team and , at a minimum , the following information for each • Role project responsibility of key members of the design team that will be available for each task order o Qualifications o Education o Relevant experience , with specific note of any governmental projects o Length of service with present firm If less than two years , cite 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 - consultants you have available to assist you on task items Section III Project Approach • Project Approach Describe your approach and understanding of each task order and any special ideas , techniques or suggestions that you think might make these types of projects proceed smoothly • 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 • Schedule Describe how you plan schedule for completing the work in a Task Item If a firm is selected to complete a Task Item the firm must be a position to take on the work and develop a reasonable schedule for completion PagePage pageNumber5Selection The qualification statements will be evaluated by a selection committee on the following basis • Firm Experience and Capability 25 – Firms will be evaluated with respect to their experience with similar projects , including information provided by references • Qualifications of Assigned Personnel 25 – Firms will be evaluated on the qualifications and experience of the firm’s proposed project team for each task order • Project Approach 25 – Firms will be evaluated on the overall understanding of the project and their approach to meeting the project objectives • Ability to Meet Schedule 25 – The schedule for each task order will vary Firms will be evaluated on the ability to dedicate resources to ensure the schedule is met and the reports are submitted to County on or before the deadlines Upon execution of a Standard Agreement for Professional Services , Johnston County has the option of requesting a selected firm to develop a scope of work for individual projects utilizing a Task Order The Task Order will include a task - based scope with associated costs for the purpose of providing Engineering Services as may be necessary It is the policy of Johnston County to facilitate the establishment , preservation , and strengthening of small businesses and businesses owned by women and minorities by encouraging their participation in the Countys procurement activities 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 Kim Rineer , PE , 309 E Market Street , Smithfield , NC 27577 until 5 00 pm on September 25 , 2025 A selection panel will review and evaluate the qualification statements and select a single consulting firm for each task order For additional information , contact Kim Rineer , PE at 919 989 - 5725 or kimrineer @ 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 Firm must be able to meet all requirements in the County’s Standard Agreement for Professional Services Exhibit A 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 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 Exhibit A - County’s Standard Agreement for Professional Services Exhibit B - Typical Task Order AgreementPagePage pageNumber6AGREEMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES BETWEEN __________________________ AND JOHNSTON COUNTY This Professional Services Agreement “ Agreement ” , made as of the ____ day of ______________ , 202__ “ 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 Page 1 of 11PagePage pageNumber7actively practicing under similar circumstances in the State of North Carolina and the professions 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 Page 2 of 11PagePage pageNumber8228 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 and 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 311 The Engineer will provide services as described in the above scope of services and attached Task Order Agreement , which will be agree to , attached to and made part of this Contract 312 The Engineer now has or will secure at their expense , including subconsultants , all personnel and facilities required to perform the services to be rendered under this Contract Such personnel are not employees of , nor have they any direct contractual relationship with the Town 313 The Engineer is authorized to engage subconsultants , including surveyors , geotechnical and materials testing firms , etc , to assist in the work included under this contract to the extent such services are included herein Such personnel are not employees of , nor have they any direct contractual relationship with the County No subcontract work is authorized for which the County will incur any costs beyond those agreed upon and set forth in Section 4 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 listed on the Task Order assign under this contract ARTICLE 5 CONSULTANT’S COMPENSATION Page 3 of 11PagePage pageNumber951 Compensation for Consulting Services 511 Compensation for Consulting Services authorized in each Task Order pursuant to Article 3 shall be on an hourly basis see attached rate schedule not to exceed , as follows 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 611 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 require 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 Page 4 of 11Page0712 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 per 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 Page 5 of 11Page1that 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 TERMINATION 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 Page 6 of 11Page293 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 1021 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 Page 7 of 11Page3105 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 all 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 Page 8 of 11Page4statutory 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 Israel , 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 C Farmer , PE Attn _____________________ PO Box 2263 __________________________ Smithfield , NC 27577 __________________________ Page 9 of 11Page51013 Term of Agreement The Professional Services Agreement shall be valid for a period of two 2 years with the option to extend the contract for two 2 additional one 1 year period upon mutual agreement of both parties In the event any Task Order executed pursuant to this Agreement has not been completed at the end of the term of this Agreement , this schedule in the Task Order Agreement shall 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 ___________________________ By ____________________________ Name , Title __________________________ COUNTY OF JOHNSTON By ___________________________ Name , Title Rick J Hester , County Manager Page 10 of 11Page6This 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 11 of 11Page7AGREEMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES BETWEEN _____________________________ AND JOHNSTON COUNTY TASK ORDER NO ________ STATEMENT OF WORK This Statement of Work “ SOW ” is entered into among ________________________ , the “ Consultant ” and Johnston County the “ County ” under the terms and conditions of the Contract between the Consultant and the County dated the_____day of , ____________ , _______ hereafter , the “ Contract ” , which is hereby incorporated by reference This Task Order is part of the Contract and shall be governed by the terms and conditions stated herein and by the terms of the Contract In the event of a conflict between the terms of this Task Order and the Contract , the provisions of the Contract shall control STATEMENT OF WORK In accordance with the terms of the Contract , the County directs the Consultant to perform the following work COMPENSATION Total compensation to the Consultant for the work described above shall not exceed ____________________ unless changed by a duly authorized amendment Additional services , if applicable and approved by the County , will be compensated at the rates shown on the Consultant’s rate sheet included in the contract , with the exceptions noted below SCHEDULE Contractor shall begin work upon execution of this task order and shall complete performance of the services described above by no later than ________________________ A schedule of significant milestones is as follows Page8IN 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 ________________________________ By ____________________________ Title __________________________ COUNTY OF JOHNSTON By ___________________________ Title _________________________ This instrument has been approved as to technical content The person responsible for monitoring the contract performance requirement is the Director of Public Utilities ________________________________________ Chandra C Farmer , PE Director of Utilities This instrument has been pre - audited in the manner required by the Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act ___________________________________ J Chad McLamb , CPA Finance DirectorPage