The Cañon City Area Metropolitan Recreation and Park District (“District”) requests proposals from qualified and experienced firms, partnerships, corporations, associations, persons, or professional organizations (“Firm” or “Firms”) with backgrounds in aquatics, recreation, architecture, and planning to perform planning, program, and architectural design services related to a feasibility study for an aquatics facility in Cañon City, CO.
The intent is to hire a firm who will provide a report which the District will utilize in making decisions about the replacement of the R.C. Icabone Swimming Pool. The report will include whether an outdoor, indoor, or combination of the two should be built, location of the facility, cost estimates for the options, information about the community needs for aquatic facility amenities and aquatic facility trends, and a strong emphasis on public engagement and input.
The District reserves the right to reject any and all proposals at its sole discretion. Each respondent must reply to this RFP by supplying a proposal with all relevant information which meets the requests and standards set forth in this RFP. Interested Firms are invited to submit a Proposal on BidNet. The primary contact is:
Kyle Horne
Executive Director
Cañon City Area Recreation and Park District
575 Ash Street
Cañon City, CO 81212
(719) 275-1578
khorne@ccrec.org
SECTION 1: Introduction
The Cañon City Area Recreation and Park District was formed in 1965 to provide services to the community of Cañon City, CO. The original intent was to provide a seasonal outdoor pool and bring the citizens together to form our government entity. The first significant project was the opening of the R.C. Icabone Swimming Pool in 1966. That same year the elected Board of Directors began creating programming and looked into additional facilities. The District now has multiple parks, trails, open spaces, and over 40 programs.
The District Board of Directors consists of five elected individuals who serve four-year terms. They are responsible for administering the policies of the District. The day-to-day operations are the responsibility of the Executive Director and staff. The District employs 12 full-time, 1 part-time permanent, 2 seasonal maintenance, and 115 part-time, seasonal staff members. The District boundaries encompass 115 square miles serving a population of 28,535 residents, along with an additional 9,000 people in neighboring communities who are out of District.
Project Description:
The R.C. Icabone Swimming Pool, located at 1131 College Avenue, was the original and only location of the public pool since its opening in 1966. The pool had a life expectancy of 25-30 years and served the community for 57 years thanks to dedicated boards and staff over that time period. There have been four ballot initiatives to either replace or repair the facility: 1989, 2000, 2006, and 2021. All four failed by 10 points or more. In 2018 a site audit was performed by Terracon which said the facility had outlived its useful life. In December 2019 Associated Pool Builders looked at the facility and estimated, at most, the facility could last another three years. Then, in May 2023 Counsilman-Hunsaker updated the site audit. The District also consulted with numerous other companies. After reviewing the audit and the state of multiple mechanical and structural issues, the District made the difficult decision to close the pool in 2023. The District already has a report on the status of the existing facility and it is provided as an addendum to this RFP. The District is seeking a feasibility report on the creation and operation of a new facility that will last for another 50+ years. The report shall include what type of facility should be constructed based on community engagement, an estimated budget for construction, a pro forma for operations, and whether to rebuild in the current location or potentially a new one.
SECTION 2: Scope of Services
The report submitted by the prospective firms must include the following:
- A community needs analysis as it relates to aquatics facilities that considers the population and demographics of the community, demographic trends and projections, existing aquatics programming, and aquatics programming trends.
- The successful firm for this RFP will assist the District in a public outreach process to glean public input and translate that input into design options.
- The successful firm will balance the fiscally conservative nature of the community with the needs analysis to develop a conceptual plan, construction budget estimate, operating budget estimate, and location analysis of the following:
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- Rebuilding at the current site to meet the community’s needs. The budget for this plan should also include an estimate for removing the existing pool.
- Alternatively, a new location to meet the community’s needs. The budget for this plan should also include an estimate for removing the existing pool and property acquisition as separate line items.
This analysis should provide a recommendation for the size of the pool (in square footage of the facility as well as bather load); recommended aquatic amenities and features; mechanical recommendations including filtration methods, sanitizers, and heat; recommendation for location; and whether the facility should be year-round, seasonal, or a combination of the two.
Final Report and Presentation
The final product will be both a written and digital report to the District staff and board, as well as an in-person presentation at a public board meeting.
SECTION 3: Submission Requirements
Content of Proposal: To be considered for selection, each firm must submit, at minimum, the following information in keeping with the following format and identifying each item by number and letter.
- Letter of Introduction. Briefly describe the firm and the name, address, email, and phone number of the contact person, as well as a summary of the respondent’s understanding of the scope of services and the respondent’s proposed overall approach to the scope of services. This letter should indicate features, skills and/or services which distinguish the firm, and state why your firm believes it to be the best qualified to perform these services. Describe the firm’s management philosophy and style in providing services to public sector clients. Indicate if any conflicts of interest exist or could arise due to working with the District. Each proposal shall be concise, well organized, and be able to demonstrate the firm’s professionalism and ability to successfully complete the project as outlined in this RFP.
- Statement of Qualifications. Identify contracts the firm is currently undertaking of a similar nature and has undertaken in the last five years, preferably in Colorado. Please provide details of the services provided under each contract.
- Personnel and Resources.
- Provide the information of key personnel, including their names, title, experience, and qualifications of the management who will provide oversight of the contract.
- Provide the information of the personnel who would be providing direct services to the District.
- Provide the office location that would be servicing the District, and the staffing level at that office.
- Prior Experience. Provide at least three (3) references, from recent work, which we may contact for verification of the respondent’s experience and qualifications. At least two of these references should be public agencies for which similar work was performed. Please provide the names, telephone numbers and email contact for the personnel who will be contacted. We prefer the contacts are either in Colorado or neighboring states and be in rural communities.
- Fees and Compensation. Please provide a current fee schedule for the types of service(s) you offer, including public engagement. If referencing basic services costs, include typical staffing expectations and variations the District would expect for specific types of projects, if applicable. Please also provide detailed information on your billing practices (i.e., lump sum, percentage-based, other), including reimbursable cost categories and hourly billing rates by position for additional services. Identify any additional fees, costs, expenses, or reimbursable fees for which the Firm would be seeking compensation. A budget should be provided.
- Single Point of Responsibility. The District expects to have a single point of contact/authority for this contract. All subcontractors are to be listed in the RFP response and subject to approval by the District. A single point of contact must be identified in the proposal.
SECTION 4: RFP Instructions and Response
Proposal Submittal: Firms will prepare proposals in compliance with all of the instructions outlined in the RFP. Partial or incomplete proposals will be rejected. An official with the legal authority to bind the Firm must sign the proposal in ink. All proposals must be firm for 180 days following the proposal period. The submission of a proposal shall not in any manner oblige the District to enter into a contract or to be responsible for the costs incurred by your organization in responding to this request.
RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO BIDNET:
https://www.bidnetdirect.com/colorado/canoncityarearecreationandparkdistrict
All of the RFP documents are available for download on this site as well.
If you require additional information, call BidNet Vendor Support at 800-835-4603
anytime Monday-Friday from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm EST.
Tentative Schedule: Below is the District’s tentative timeline (subject to change):
Request for Proposals Issued August 1, 2023
Deadline for Questions at Noon August 15, 2023
Proposals due at 5:00 PM August 22, 2023
Interviews (if necessary) August 28-30, 2023
Contract Awarded by
Recreation District’s Board September 19, 2023
Notice to Proceed September 20, 2023
Evaluation of Proposals: Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria (the order of these criteria does not necessarily reflect priority of any individual criterion over another):
- Responsiveness to the Request for Proposals
- Experience and qualifications of the Firm
- Experience and qualifications of the assigned individuals
- Satisfaction of previous clients
- Public engagement
- Fee proposal
Proposals submitted will become the property of the District and subject to laws adopted by the State of Colorado.
Items Required of Successful Consultant: The successful Firm shall enter into a Consulting Services Agreement with the Cañon City Area Recreation and Park District and submit the following items within ten (10) days of notice of award:
- Copy of Certificate(s) of Insurance and endorsements naming the District as an additional insured.
- Completed IRS W-9 tax form.
Award of Contract: Upon staff review, staff will select the successful bidder. The successful Firm will be presented at a regularly scheduled meeting of the District Board of Directors for final approval. By submitting a proposal, the Firm agrees to sign and be bound by the requirements stated in this RFP. Firms must be in compliance will all local, county, state business licensing, bond, and insurance requirements. Certificates of insurance with the District named as additional insured are required prior to contract execution. Unless otherwise stipulated, the Firm shall provide, and pay for, all materials, labor, tools, equipment, transportation, and other facilities necessary for the performance and completion of the work as outlined in the contract and bid. A final timeline of work completion will be negotiated in good faith prior to contact execution.
Indemnification: The Firm shall indemnify and hold harmless the District and its officers, officials, employees, volunteers and agents from and against all claims, damages, losses and expenses, including but not limited to legal fees (attorneys’ and paralegals’ fees and court costs), arising out of or resulting from the performance of the Firm’s work, provided that any such claim, damage, loss or expense (i) is attributable to bodily injury, sickness, disease or death, or injury to or destruction of tangible property, including the loss of use there from, and (ii) is caused in whole or in part by any wrongful or negligent act or omission of the Firm, any Subcontractor, anyone directly or indirectly employed by any of them or anyone for whose acts any of them may be liable. 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 Paragraph. The Firm shall similarly protect, indemnify and hold and save harmless the District, its officers, officials, employees, volunteers and agents against and from any and all claims, costs, causes, actions and expenses including but not limited to legal fees, incurred by reason of the Firm’s breach of any of its obligations under, or the Firm’s default of, any provision of the Contract.
The Cañon City Area Metropolitan Recreation and Park District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, or disability in the provision of services. For disabled persons needing reasonable accommodation to apply for, attend or participate in a District service, program or activity, call (719) 275-1578 as far in advance as possible.
Attachments:
2023 R.C. Icabone Swimming Pool Aquatic Facility Assessment – Exhibit A
Map of current pool location – Exhibit B
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