Request for Qualifications (RFQ)
Butts County Historic Courthouse Rehabilitation Project
Project Description
The Butts County Board of Commissioners will receive sealed qualifications from qualified Licensed/Registered Architect-Engineer-General Contractor Teams (herein referred to as Contractor Team) for the Design, Engineering, and Rehabilitation/Restoration/Renovation of the Historic Butts County Courthouse. The primary objective of this project is to rehabilitate, renew and restore the currently-functioning Butts County Courthouse, constructed in 1898, to include primarily the stabilization of the building, allow for installation of modern wiring, telephone/data communications, central heating and air conditioning (HVAC) plumbing and restoration of the interior of the facility with the goal of future use of the building for limited court use, as well as new uses for community and office functions. The historic Bruce & Morgan designed building is located at 25 Third Street, Jackson, Georgia 30233.

Compliance with all applicable Federal, State, and Local Laws, as well as all Federal, State and Local Codes or Standards Compliance, is required of this project. All applicable Federal, State, and Local safety rules and regulations will be adhered to by the Contractor Team and their employees for the duration of this contract. Any and all subcontractor’s will be held to the same quality/safety standards as the Contractor Team. Butts County is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a Drug Free Work Place.

The Contractor Team will ensure that employees and applicants for employment are not discriminated against because of race, color, creed, sex or national origin. Additionally, favorable credit will be applied to the weighted scoring of all Contract Teams who submit a successful qualification package, for use of local (Butts County) subcontractors, employees hired who reside in Butts County, and/or goods purchased, and services utilized from Butts County Businesses.

No submittals may be withdrawn or revoked for a period of sixty days after date of openings. Sealed submittals should be marked on the exterior with “Request for Qualifications for Historic Butts County Courthouse” and mailed or hand-delivered to the Butts County Board of Commissioners, 625 W. Third Street, Jackson GA 30233 to the attention of Steve Layson, County Administrator.

Examination of Request for Qualification (RFQ)
Each submitter shall examine the RFQ documents carefully. Each submitter shall make written request to the Board of Commissioners for interpretation or correction of any ambiguity, inconsistency or error therein, immediately after discovery but no later than 5:00 PM EST, Friday, June 22, 2018. Only a written response, in the form of interpretation or correction will be binding. No bidder shall rely upon any interpretation or correction given by any other method.

Any questions regarding clarification of this Request for Qualifications will be addressed, in writing, to Steve Layson, County Administrator, Butts County Board of Commissioners, 625 W. Third Street, Suite 4, Jackson GA 30233. Written responses to questions about this Request for Qualification, will be answered, in writing, to all respondents.

Intention to Respond
It is important that Butts County understand who is interested in participating in this process. It is in the County’s interest that it communicates information appropriately to all interested parties and is prepared to accommodate those interested in this RFQ. The required “Intention to Respond”, is to be completed and submitted, either by US Mail, in person, or by email and must arrive not later than 5:00 PM local time in Jackson, Georgia, by June 29, 2018. Submit this document to:

Mr. Steve Layson (slayson@buttscounty.org)
County Administrator
Butts County Board of Commissioners
625 W. Third Street, Suite 4
Jackson, Georgia 30233

Inquiries
Other than questions submitted for the clarification of this RFQ, interested Contractor Teams shall not contact any members, or employees, of the Butts County Board of Commissioners, any Elected Official within Butts County, or any Elected Officer or employee of the Towaliga Judicial Circuit regarding this RFQ, evaluation, or selection process from the time this RFQ is issued until award of the contract, unless invited to do so by the Butts County Board of Commissioners. All firms submitting the “Intention to Respond” by 5:00 PM local time in Jackson GA, per the schedule below and will receive all responses to all inquiries.

Draft Statement of Work
The Butts County Board of Commissioners is providing this Draft Statement of Work that will be required to complete the Design, Engineering and Renovation of the Historic 1898 Courthouse in Jackson GA. This statement of work is provided for reference only. It is the Contractor Teams responsibility to ensure that all work necessary to carry out the restoration project in Butts County is accurate and complete. Work to complete this project will include, but not be limited to the following criteria:

1. Prepare complete construction plans, engineering drawings and specifications, and possible construction supervision of renovation of the Historic Butts County Courthouse.

2. Building is anticipated to include restoration to, as closely as possible, original specification and colors, materials, paints and related, within reason and with respect to modern codes in the interior spaces of the Butts County Historic Courthouse. Exterior restoration was completed in 1998 and is not anticipated to weigh heavily into this project, much of which will focus on the interior spaces.

3. Design by a Certified RCDD/NTS (Registered Communications Distribution Designer/Network Transport Systems Specialty), RCDD/OSP (Registered Communications Distribution Designer/Customer-Owned Outside Plant) of a wiring design and installation, to support the Telecommunication needs of the Historic Courthouse (Data, Phone, both traditional and IP Based, Traditional ISDN and IP Based Video Conferencing, and interconnect to the County Wide Area Network). Additionally, this design must contain the required interconnectivity to support Building wide video camera’s preferably IP based, Emergency Duress Alarm activation and reporting, and an automated building entry system in support of the Security required by the Sheriff’s Office. The Butts County Sheriff may require more interconnectivity than listed here. It is expected that the RCDD Designer(s) of this wiring system will identify and recommend changes to the requirements specified here if they are not complete.

4. Provisions for secure storage (vaults or other secure means) for records may need to be incorporated into the working space for each office as required.

5. Design and building space will allow for restoration of previously removed or hidden architectural detail and design elements.

6. Interior Design will present as period design that reflects the character and design of the original structure in its current form, as much as is practical.

7. A modern and functional elevator will need to be included in the design to replace the existing elevator, either in the existing space or as an add-on extension to the rear of the building.

8. Modern plumbing, electrical wiring and centralized climate control systems will need to be configured into the overall renovation.

Schedule (All due-by times are 5:00 PM EDST unless otherwise stated)
Request for Qualification Posted: June 8, 2018
Intention to Respond Due: June 22, 2018
Deadline for Questions: June 29, 2018
Pre-qualification conference July 6, 2018 at 2:00 PM
Request for Qualification Due: July 13, 2018 by 12:00 PM
Opening of Qualifications Submittals: July 13, 2018 at 12:15 PM

Qualification Format
Each submittal should be placed in a 1″ three-ring binder. An original and six (6) copies are to be submitted. In addition, two (2) USB jump drives of this same document, in PDF Format, are to be submitted. The cover of each media type shall include the RFQ Title and the name of the firm submitting the proposal. Tabs in the binders should divide all sections. The tab must extend beyond the right margins of the pages so that it can be read from the side and is not buried within the document. Proposal section requirements shall be as follows, in the order shown, and along with financial disclosure, and any text presentation, will be the basis for the “short list” selections:

1. Business Information: Include a letter of introduction including the firm’s name, address, contact name, telephone number, facsimile number, and email address. Furnish the following:
a) ___Number of years in business.
b) ___Legal status and Federal Tax ID number.
c) ___Full names of officers and/or principals.
d) ___Biographical summaries of officers and/or principals.
e) ___Literature – restrict to five (5) pages.

2. Qualifications and Experience of Staff assigned to this project. Furnish an organizational 
chart and summary resumes of key personnel proposed for this project, including designations of the team leader, the point of contact responsible for all communications with the Butts County representative and all proposed subcontractors/sub consultants and descriptions of their roles.

3. Historic Courthouse or Similar Building Renovation Architectural/Engineering Experience. Include a listing (photo’s will be beneficial) of projects of similar scope, along with reference information. Identify the current projects in process that are similar in scope along with reference information.

4. Computer/Drafting/Engineering capabilities. All drafting and design work shall be done utilizing AutoCAD. You should thoroughly describe the in-house capabilities that the Contractor Team will have.

5. Quality and Accuracy. The Contractor Team shall be solely responsible for professional quality and technical accuracy. The Contractor Team should identify its approach to its quality of product, performance, and oversight of the quality of work performed by Contractors.

6. Insurance. A statement regarding the Contractor Teams understanding and ability to comply with Butts County’s standard insurance requirements as outlined within this document. Include a copy of your current insurance certificate.

7. Other Relevant Information. Use this section to include other relevant information concerning this project. 
Proposed Time Line, Preliminary design – general plans, program of spaces, preliminary cost estimates will be provided by __________ Date, etc.

8. Design development – mid-level construction documents, revised cost estimates will be provided by __________Date, etc.
Final construction documents with final revised cost estimate will be provided by __________ Date.
Construction “Order to Proceed” will be issued by __________ Date.
Project Completion as soon as practical, but not later than __________ Date.

9. Financial Disclosure
The Contractor Team must also submit a financial disclosure statement, in a separate sealed envelope to the attention of Steve Layson, Butts County Administrator, for each primary team member (Architect – Engineer – General Contractor). Include the latest audited financial statement. Disclose whether any members or proposed subcontractors have ever had a voluntary or involuntary bankruptcy petition. The Contractor Team should similarly disclose whether or not any member is in default on any loan agreement or financing agreement with any bank, financial institution or other entity. Identify any existing or pending litigation for any Contractor Team members.

Clarity
It is the proposing Contractor Team’s responsibility to ensure that all information in the submittal is easily readable by the Butts County Board of Commissioners. The Butts County Board of Commissioners, at their sole discretion, may reject any submittal, which is ambiguous or unclear in any way.

Submission of Qualifications
Qualifications must be submitted in a sealed package, plainly marked on the outside as “Request for Qualifications for Historic Butts County Courthouse”. If the submittal is forwarded by mail, the sealed package containing the submittal must be enclosed in another package to the attention of Steve Layson, County Administrator at the address previously given and also marked on the outside as “Request for Qualifications for Historic Butts County Courthouse”. The Butts County Board of Commissioners will not be responsible for late mail deliveries and no proposal will be accepted if received after the time as stipulated by this RFQ. No proposal may be withdrawn or modified in any way after the deadline for the submission of this RFQ. Failure to comply with any of the above instructions will result in disqualification.

Events
Sealed Qualifications will be accepted no later than July 13, 2018 by noon. Any submittal received after said time and date will not be considered by the Butts County Board of Commissioners. Submittals will be opened in the auditorium at 625 W. Third Street, Suite 4, Jackson GA at 12:15 PM on the same date.
Submittals shall be delivered to the following address:

Butts County Board of Commissioners
Attention: Steve Layson
625 W. Third Street, Suite 4, Jackson Georgia 30233
And marked “Request for Qualifications for Historic Butts County Courthouse”

Right to Submitted Materials
All responses, inquiries, or correspondence relating or in reference to this schedule, exhibit, and other documentation by the submitting Contractor Team shall be properly identified with the Contractor Teams name and will become the property of the Butts County Board of Commissioners when received.

Evaluation and Selections
The Butts County Board of Commissioners Office shall review submittals for this project in a manner and methodology determined by the Board and under their sole authority. Teams may be invited to make an oral presentation at their sole discretion. From the submittal and possible oral presentations, the Butts County Board of Commissioners will establish a “short list” of Teams that will be provided a Request for Proposal (RFP) for Design, Engineering, and Construction Restoration/Renovation of the Historic Butts County Courthouse and invited to submit a formal sealed proposal, based on the final Statement of Work. The RFP will be issued after the short list selection. Proposals will be received and a Contractor Team selected, that in the sole discretion of the Butts County Board of Commissioners, is the Contractor Team best suited to meet its Design, Engineering, and Construction goals.

Butts County Reserves the right to reject any and all proposals submitted, or where it may serve the best interest of Butts County, to request additional information or clarification from those submitting proposals. Butts County, at its sole discretion, also reserves the right to waive any informalities or technicalities relative to any or all proposals. Where two or more firms are deemed equal, the Butts County Board of Commissioners reserve the right to make the award to one of the firms. At the Butts County Board of Commissioners sole discretion, presentations may be requested as part of the evaluation process. The Butts County Board of Commissioners reserve the right to retain all proposals submitted, and to use any idea in any proposal, regardless of whether that proposal is selected.
There is no expressed or implied obligation for the Butts County Board of Commissioners to reimburse any company for any expense incurred in preparing or presenting a proposal in response to this RFQ.

Butts County Standard Insurance Requirements
The Contractor Team and all companies or subcontractors involved, shall provide certificates of insurance to the Butts County Board of Commissioners for the following minimum amounts of insurance.
Workers Compensation Statutory
Employers Liability $1,000,000.00
Bodily Injury Liability $1,000,000.00 per occurrence
(Except Automotive) $2,000,000,00 aggregate
Property Damage Liability $1,000,000.00 per occurrence
(Except Automotive) $2,000,000.00 aggregate
Automobile Bodily Injury $1,000,000.00 per occurrence
Liability $1,000,000.00 per occurrence
Automobile Property Damage $1,000,000.00 per occurrence
Valuable Papers Insurance $1,000,000.00 per occurrence
Professional Liability Insurance $1,000,000.00 per occurrence
Errors and Omissions Insurance $1,000,000.00 per occurrence

The Contractor Team’s parent or other affiliate may provide the above coverage. All such insurance policies shall provide that they shall not be canceled without thirty (30) days prior written notice to the Butts County Board of Commissioners, Attention Steve Layson, 625 W. Third Street, Suite 4, Jackson Georgia 30233 or at such other address provided in writing in the future.
Butts County and the Butts County Board of Commissioners shall be named as additional insured under the Contractor Teams insurance policies.

The Notice to Proceed will not be issued until the appropriate certificates of insurance are in the possession of the Butts County Board of Commissioners.

Indemnification. The Contractor Team shall, at its sole cost and expense, fully indemnify, defend and hold harmless, Butts County, its officers, boards, commissions, elected officials, employees and agents, against any and all claims, suits, actions, liability and judgments from third parties for damage which maybe the result of willful, negligent or tortuous conduct arising from performance of contracted services or operations. The Contract Team shall indemnify and hold harmless, Butts County, its officers, boards, commissions, employees or agents, from and against all claims, damages, losses and expensed, including but not limited to attorney’s fees arising out of or resulting from the performance of the work, provided that any such claim, damage, loss, expense or attorney’s fee is attributable to bodily injury, sickness, disease or death, or to injury to or destruction of tangible property including the loss of use resulting from, and is caused in whole or in part by any negligent act or omission of the Contract Team, or subcontractor or anyone for whose acts the Contractor Team or subcontractor’s may be liable, regardless of whether or not the negligent act is caused in part by a party indemnified hereunder. Such obligation shall not be construed to negate, abridge, or otherwise reduce any other right or obligation of indemnity which would otherwise exist as to any party or person described in this article. In any and all claims against Butts County or any of its agents or employees, by any employee of the Contract Team, any subcontractor, anyone directly or indirectly employed by the Contractor Team or subcontractor or anyone of whose acts the Contractor Team of subcontractor may be liable, the indemnification obligation set forth in this article shall not be limited in any way by any limitation on the amount or type of damages, compensation or benefits payable by or for the Contractor Team or any subcontractor under workers or workmen’s compensations acts, disability benefit acts or other employee benefit acts. 
Assignment of Contractual Rights 
It is agreed that the proposing Contractor Team selected will not assign, transfer, convey, or otherwise dispose of a contract that results from this invitation or his right, title, or interest in or to the same, any part thereof, without written consent by the Butts County Board of Commissioners.
Cost quotations are not required at this time.

Selection Criteria
The following Selection Criteria will be used in selecting the Contractor Team, Design-Build Finalists:
1. General experience in Design, Engineering and Construction.
2. Specific experience in the restoration of historic courthouses or similar building of similar design and architectural significance.
3. General experience in Design-Build with an Architect, Engineer and Construction Team.
4. Specific experience in Design-Build with the Architect, Engineer and Construction Team proposed 
for this project.
5. Qualifications and experience of key project personnel in all aspects of the project (Architect, 
Engineer and Construction).
6. Customer satisfaction with other similar projects.
7. Completeness and level of services to be provided.
8. Financial stability of all team members.
9. Plans for use of local (Butts County) subcontractors, employees hired who reside in Butts County, and/or goods purchased and services utilized from local Vendors.
10. Intangibles that best demonstrate the Contractor Teams ability to provide services to the Butts 
County Board of Commissioners.

Submittals will be accepted at the Butts County Board of Commissioners Office as stated in the schedule. Submittals will be opened at a Public Opening and acknowledged and recorded at that time. Butts County is an Equal Opportunity employer and Drug Free Workplace.

Pre-Qualification Conference
A pre-qualification conference will be held on July 6, 2018 at 2:00 PM EST at the Butts County Board of Commissioners Office, 625 W. Third Street, Suite 4. All perspective bidders are invited to attend. You do not have to attend to be qualified.

Intention to Respond Request for Qualifications
If your company intends to respond to this Request for Qualifications based proposal, please complete and mail or email the following required information to the attention of Steve Layson, Butts County Administrator, 625 W. Third Street, Suite 4, Jackson GA 30233. (Email slayson@buttscounty.org)

This intention must be received no later than 5:00 PM EST, June 22, 2018. This must be completed and returned promptly to ensure that you are included on the mailing list to receive all addenda and other miscellaneous information regarding this RFQ.

Our firm does intend on responding to this RFQ.
Company Name, Address, Phone #, Fax #, Email contact and Contact Person name and title should be listed below the stated intent to respond.