Introduction

The City of Minnetonka is requesting statements of qualifications from qualified consultants to provide professional services to create a climate action and adaptation plan for our community. Firms interested in this project are advised to carefully review the information outlined in this Request for Qualifications (RFQ) and respond accordingly. The City has budgeted $60,0000.00-$75,000.00 for the services anticipated in this RFQ.

Deadline for Submission

Statements of Qualifications are due by Wednesday, December 21, 2022 by 5:00 p.m. All proposals should be submitted electronically, in Adobe PDF format, to:

Drew Ingvalson, Associate Planner/Sustainability Coordinator
City of Minnetonka – Community Development Department
14600 Minnetonka Boulevard
Minnetonka, MN 55345
dingvalson@minnetonkamn.gov

Existing City plans, initiatives, studies, and planning documents

The City of Minnetonka has a long history of environmental protection and stewardship. The city has conducted multiple studies, planning efforts, and data collection that has focused on sustainability and adaptation to our changing climate. Consultants should review the documents linked below and relevant elements of other communities' citywide climate or adaptation plans to inform their proposal.

1. 2040 Comprehensive Guide Plan (Planning for Climate Resilience)
2. Strategic Profile
3. Parks, Open Space, and Trail (POST) Plan
4. Natural Resources Master Plan
5. Capital Improvements Program (2021-2025)
6. Energy Action Plan
7. Water Resource Management Plan
8. Regional Indicators Initiative
9. Minnesota GreenStep Cities
10. City Council Policies
11. City of Minnetonka Vision, Mission, and Guiding Principles

Vulnerability Assessment to be completed prior to Climate Action and Adaptation Plan work

The City of Minnetonka will be contracting with Barr Engineering to provide a vulnerability assessment focusing on human, built infrastructure, and natural environment vulnerabilities. The vulnerability assessment will build on previous city plans (see above) and the Hennepin County's Climate Action Plan.

Barr Engineering is expected to complete the vulnerability assessment by early spring 2023. The vulnerability assessment will help inform work on the larger climate action and adaptation plan. The selected consultant will utilize this information, along with input from the community, to guide their work in creating the city's Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.

Anticipated Scope of Services and Schedule

Climate Action and Adaptation Plan

It is anticipated that the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan will include the following elements:

1. Climate adaptation and greenhouse gas reduction community-wide goals with a timeline for goal completion.
2. A greenhouse gas emission inventory for city operations and community-wide activities.
3. Strategies and tactics for community adaptation to climate change leading to a more resilient community. Areas of adaptation should specifically address social systems, built infrastructure, and the natural environment.
4. Develop or provide tools to track progress for city operations and community-wide emissions reductions by timeframe, emission source, mitigation and/or adaptation-related action.
5. A comprehensive menu of strategies and tactics to achieve community goals. Focus areas may include, but are not limited to:
   1. City policies – changes to existing or inclusion of new;
   2. City operations;
   3. Natural resources and ecosystem resilience;
   4. Adaptation for extreme heat;
   5. Water resources and quality;
   6. Adaptation for storm events and droughts (consistent with Minnetonka's Water Resources Management Plan);
   7. Transportation;
   8. Building energy efficiency and management;
   9. Community Health; and
   10. Waste reduction.

Development of goals, strategies, and tactics need to consider existing city plans, studies, and planning documents.

Public Engagement

A robust public input process is important as an indicator of community values regarding vulnerabilities, strategies, and goals. Engagement of the city's sustainability commission in this process is a priority, but may include other community members and leaders.

Tasks may include:

1. Developing and implementing a public engagement process that encourages the input from historically underrepresented groups.
2. Attending periodic meetings of the sustainability commission and city council to provide project updates.
3. Attending and facilitating multiple public workshops to gather input from sustainability commission members and to solicit input from the public during the planning and concept design process.
4. Providing written and verbal communications and graphics as required to support the public outreach efforts of the plan. Public outreach may include providing handouts, surveys, or other materials for city events, website, or social media.

Project Schedule

The goal is to submit a final climate action and adaptation plan to the Minnetonka City Council for approval by January 2024. The following is a tentative project schedule:

1. Advertise request for proposals — Nov. 7, 2022
2. Deadline for questions — Dec. 7, 2022
3. Request for proposal due — Dec. 21, 2022
4. Interviews of finalists — Jan. 9, 2023
5. City award contract to consultant — Jan. 30, 2023
6. 1st Progress report due — May 2023:
7. City Council study session report — June 2023
8. 2nd progress report due — Aug. 2023:
9. Present draft plan to sustainability commission — Nov. 2023
10. Submit final plan and all associated documents to sustainability commission and city council — Dec. 2023/Jan. 2024

Submission Requirements

The following should be submitted to be considered for this project:

Project Team.

Provide a statement of qualifications that:

• Identifies the name of the firm, location, contact information, and the staff and their specialties that will be assigned to work on the project;
• Identifies the sub-consultants that are anticipated to be part of the team for this project (note: this list may be supplemented later if the firm is selected for interview); and
• Provides an organizational chart which identifies key personnel and sub-consultants.

Narrative.

Provide a narrative that includes the following:

• Interest in the climate action and adaptation plan project;
• Description of your team's abilities and qualifications related to the project;
• A discussion of your team's approach to the project and your plan to produce the required documents;
• Description of your team's availability to complete the project within the expected timelines;
• Preliminary budget for completing the project; and
• A proposed schedule for completing the project.

Related Experience.

Specific experience or related examples of experience related to climate action and adaptation plans including, but not limited to:

• Climate action or climate adaptation, or sustainability plans
• Greenhouse gas emission inventories; and
• Public outreach, engagement, and workshops.

References.

Provide at least three (3) references of similar projects. The references should include: project name, contact person (role, phone, email), role of firm.

Contact Information and Questions

Prospective respondents who have any questions regarding this request for proposal should submit them in writing to the City of Minnetonka. If questions and subsequent responses apply to all proposers, such responses to questions will be sent out via e-mail to all firms responding to the RFQ.

City contact:

Drew Ingvalson, Associate Planner/Sustainability Coordinator
City of Minnetonka – Community Development Department
14600 Minnetonka Boulevard
Minnetonka, MN 55345
dingvalson@minnetonkamn.gov
Phone: 952-939-8293

Right to Reject Submittals

The City reserves the right to reject any submittals at any time with no penalty or to waive immaterial defects and minor irregularities in any submittal.

Proposal Evaluation

All complete submittals received prior to the deadline will be evaluated by an evaluation team comprised of city staff likely to be engaged in the Plan process and implementation. Submittals will be evaluated on:

1. Responsiveness to this request
2. Project understanding and approach
3. Past experience and professional capabilities
4. Ability to work collaboratively with the City to successfully complete the work.
5. The city encourages proposals that include Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE).

The City will select consultants for interviews in January, 2023. Following the interviews, the City will work to negotiate a professional service agreement with the selected firm.

Negotiation/Scope Development:

The top-ranked firm will be notified in writing and be asked to meet and submit their prospective scope of services, schedule, and a detailed fee proposal.

If, after negotiation and consideration, the city is unable to reach an acceptable agreement with the top-ranked firm, the city will terminate negotiations with the top-ranked firm and, at its sole discretion, may enter into negotiations with the second ranked firm and/or withhold the award for any reason and/or elect not to proceed with any of the proponents and/or re-solicit via a new RFQ.