Environmental Review and Assessment Services for Proposed Amphitheater Site

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL
REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT SERVICES
TOWN OF WILLIAMSTON
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Purpose
The Town of Williamston (TOW) is soliciting qualifications from one or more firm(s) with which to
contract for the following services:
The Town is seeking a qualified Contractor to provide environmental review and assessment
services for a federally funded community development project. A detailed scope of services is
provided in section 4 of this document.
1.2 Procurement Method. This Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is conducted using a qualifications-
based selection process consistent with the Brooks Act approach for professional services
(environmental and engineering services) permitted under 2 CFR 200.320. Fees, cost or price
information will not be requested, considered, or evaluated during the qualifications phase. Fee
negotiation will occur only with the highest-ranked firm following completion of the qualifications
evaluation. Following selection of the highest-ranked firm, the Town shall negotiate a fair and
reasonable fee consistent with 2 CFR 200.404 (Reasonable Costs) and 200.405 (Allocable Costs). If
the Town is unable to negotiate a satisfactory contract with the highest-ranked firm, negotiations
shall be terminated and the Town may proceed to negotiate with the next most qualified firm.
All questions related to this solicitation must be submitted in writing (via email) to the following
individual:
Contact Name Email Address
Shay Baggett sbaggett@townofwilliamston.com
1.3 Background
The Town of Williamston, a city located in Eastern North Carolina, is a town that is looking to
sustainably develop its community.
The Town is seeking a qualified Contractor to perform environmental review and assessment
services as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Code of Federal
Regulations (24 CFR Part 58). The Town has received federal funds from the U.S. Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) in Fiscal Year 2023 and plans to use these funds for various activities to support
community development. The Town seeks an environmental review for the following activities:
change in land use, property demolition, site clearance and improvements, and public infrastructure
improvements. The Contractor will complete all environmental review work for each activity and
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collaborate with Town staff to submit environmental review records in the HUD Environmental
Review Online System (HEROS). The Contractor will be responsible for preparing complete, accurate,
and compliant environmental review records in accordance with NEPA, 24 CFR Part 58, and HUD
guidance, and for collaborating with Town staff to facilitate HUD review and acceptance, recognizing
that final approval authority rests with HUD and the Responsible Entity.
The Contractor will perform the following levels of environmental reviews:
- Tiered Review of the site
- Environmental Assessment (EA) if needed
- Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) if needed
Completing the reviews will require the Contractor to complete assessments including, but not
limited to, noise, endangered species, and environmental justice assessments, and produce
appropriate mitigation recommendations.
The Contractor will perform the following levels of environmental site assessment to identify
existing and potential site contamination liabilities:
- Phase I ASTM Environmental Site Assessment
- Phase II ASTM Environmental Site Assessment
- Potential "non-scope" items such as radon, lead, asbestos, mold, and agricultural uses
1.4 Request for Qualifications (RFQ) Timeline
Provided below is a list of anticipated schedule of events related to this solicitation. The Town of
Williamston reserves the right to modify and/or adjust the following schedule to meet the needs of
the service. All times shown are Eastern Time (EST):
RFQ Process Date and Time
RFQ Advertisement Date April 30, 2026
Deadline for Written Questions May 12, 2026 @ 5PM EST
Town Response to Questions (anticipated) May 15, 2026
Qualifications Due Date and Time May 21, 2026 @ 5PM EST
Evaluation Meeting (anticipated) May 22, 2026
Select Firm and Negotiate Contract May 22, 2026
(Contract is subject to Board approval)
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1.5 Questions Regarding the RFQ
Requests for clarification and questions to this RFQ must be received by the Town not later than the
date shown above in the RFQ Timeline (Section 1.4) for the submittal of written inquires. The firm's
failure to request clarification and submit questions by the date in the RFQ Timeline above shall be
considered to constitute the firm's acceptance of all Town's terms and conditions and requirements.
The Town shall issue addenda reflecting questions and answers to this RFQ, if any, and shall be
posted to North Carolina electronic Vendor Portal (eVP). No information, instruction or advice
provided orally or informally by any Town personnel, whether made in response to a question or
otherwise in connection with this RFQ, shall be considered authoritative or binding. Respondents
shall be entitled to rely only on written material contained in an Addendum to this RFQ.
It is important that all Respondents submitting to this RFQ periodically check eVP for any Addenda.
It is the Respondents responsibility to ensure that all addenda have been reviewed and, if required
signed and returned.
All questions related to this solicitation must be submitted in writing (via email) to the following
individual:
Contact Name Email Address
Shay Baggett sbaggett@townofwilliamston.com
1.6 Qualifications Submission Requirements and Contact Information
Qualifications must follow the format as defined in Section 2 (QUALIFICATIONS), and be addressed
and submitted as follows:
DELIVERED BY US POSTAL SERVICE MAIL OR
OTHER DELIVERY SERVICES
Town of Williamston
ATTN: Jackie Escobar
P.O. Box 506
102 E Main Street
Williamston NC, 27892
RFQ TITLE: Environmental Review &
Assessment Services
If mailing a submission, please clearly mark the name of the submitting company and the RFQ Title.
Proposers must submit either of the following:
A. Three (3) signed originals delivered by U.S. Postal Service or other delivery service; or
B. Three (3) signed originals hand-delivered to the address listed above.
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Submission by either method shall satisfy the Town's requirements.
Qualifications received after the RFQ due date and time will not be considered.
Firms must respond to the entire Request for Qualifications (RFQ). Any incomplete Statement of
Qualifications may be eliminated from competition at the discretion of the Town of Williamston.
The Town reserves the right to reject any or all proposals for any reason and to waive any
informality it deems in its best interest. Qualifications that arrive after the due date and time will
not be accepted or considered for any reason whatsoever. If the firm elects to mail in its response,
the firm must allow sufficient time to ensure the Town's proper receipt of the package by the time
specified in the RFQ Timeline (Section 1.3). Regardless of the delivery method, it is the responsibility
of the firm to ensure that their proposal arrives at the designated location specified in this Section
by the due date and time specified in the RFQ Timeline (Section 1.3).
Cost Information Prohibition
Cost, fee, or pricing information shall not be submitted as part of the qualifications response and
will not be considered during evaluation. Inclusion of such information may result in the submission
being deemed non-responsive.
1.7 MWBE Participation Form
SMALL AND/OR MINORITY FIRMS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT QUALIFICATIONS. The Town of
Williamston prohibits discrimination in any manner against any person based on actual or perceived
age, race, color, creed, national origin, sex, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender
identity or expression, familial or marital status, religion, economic status, or veteran status. The
Town maintains an affirmative policy of fostering, promoting, and conducting business with women
and minority owned business enterprises.
Complete and submit the MWBE Participation Form with your proposal.
1.8 Rights to Submitted Material
All proposals and supporting materials, as well as correspondence relating to this RFQ, shall become
the property of the Town. The content of all submittals will be held confidential until the selection of
the firm is made. Submissions will be reviewed by the Evaluation Team, as well as other Town staff
and members of the general public who submit public record requests. Any proprietary data must
be clearly marked. In submitting, each Prospective Firm agrees that the Town may reveal any trade
secret materials contained in such response to all Town staff and Town officials involved in the
selection process and to any outside consultant or other third party who serves on the Evaluation
Team or who is hired by the Town to assist in the selection process. The Town reserves the right to
retain all qualifications submitted and to use any ideas in a statement regardless of whether that
firm is selected. Submission of qualifications indicates acceptance by the firm of the conditions
contained in this Request for Qualifications. Proposals marked entirely as "confidential",
"proprietary", or "trade secret" will be considered non-responsive and will be removed from the
evaluation process.
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1.9 Lobbying
By responding to this solicitation, the firm certifies that is has not and will not pay any person or firm
to influence or attempt to influence an officer or employee of the Town or the State of North
Carolina, or any elected official in connection with obtaining a contract as a result of this RFQ.
1.10 Conflicts of Interest
Town of Williamston contracts are controlled by the following conflict of interest provisions.
A. Federal procurement standards (2 CFR 200.318 (c)(1))
The recipient or subrecipient must maintain written standards of conduct covering conflicts
of interest and governing the actions of its employees engaged in the selection, award, and
administration of contracts. No employee, officer, agent, or board member with a real or
apparent conflict of interest may participate in the selection, award, or administration of a
contract supported by the Federal award. A conflict of interest includes when the employee,
officer, agent, or board member, any member of their immediate family, their partner, or an
organization that employs or is about to employ any of the parties indicated herein, has a
financial or other interest in or a tangible personal benefit from an entity considered for a
contract. An employee, officer, agent, and board member of the recipient or subrecipient
may neither solicit nor accept gratuities, favors, or anything of monetary value from
contractors.
B. North Carolina General Statute 14-234(a):
(1) No public officer or employee who is involved in making or administering a contract on
behalf of a public agency may derive a direct benefit from the contract except as
provided in this section, or as otherwise allowed by law. (2) A public officer or employee
who will derive a direct benefit from a contract with the public agency he or she serves,
but who is not involved in making or administering the contract, shall not attempt to
influence any other person who is involved in making or administering the contract. (3)
No public officer or employee may solicit or receive any gift, favor, reward, service, or
promise of reward, including a promise of future employment, in exchange for
recommending, influencing, or attempting to influence the award of a contract by the
public agency he or she serves.
C. Town of Williamston's Conflict of Interest Policy
Duty to Disclose: "Each Covered Individual expected to be or actually involved in the
selection, award, or administration of a Contract or Subaward has an ongoing duty to
disclose... real or apparent conflicts of interest arising..."
Determining Whether a Conflict of Interest Exists: If, after completing the Compliance
Checklist, the COI Point of Contact identifies a potential real or apparent conflict of interest
relating to the proposed contrtact or subaward, the COI Point of Contact shall disclose such
finding in writing to each member of the Governing board.
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Conflict of Interest Management: The Governing Board may:
(1) Accept the finding of the COI Point of Contact and direct the COI Point of Contact to
obtain authorization to enter into the Contract or Subaward from (a) if Unit is a
Recipient of Federal Financial Assistance, the Federal awarding agency with appropriate
mitigation measures, or (b) if Unit is a Subrecipient of Federal Financial Assistance, from
the Pass-Through Entity that provided a Subaward to Unit; or
(2) Reject the finding of the COI Point of Contact and enter into the Contract or Subaward.
In rejecting any finding of the COI Point of Contact, the Governing Board shall in writing
document a justification supporting such rejection.
Disclosure Requirement
All Respondents must complete and submit the appropriate Conflict of Interest Disclosure form:
Attachment C (Federal Funds)
Failure to submit the appropriate form may result in the Respondent being deemed non-responsive.
1.11 Firm Expenses
The Town of Williamston will not be responsible for any expenses incurred by any firm in the
development of a response to this Request for Qualifications or any other activities associated with
this procurement including but not limited to any onsite (or otherwise) interviews and/or
presentations, and/or supplemental information provided, submitted, or given to Town of
Williamston and/or its representatives. Further, the Town of Williamston shall reserve the right to
cancel the work described herein prior to issuance and acceptance of any contractual
agreement/purchase order by the recommended Firm even if the awarding authority for each entity
has formally accepted a recommendation.
The selected Contractor shall perform all services as an independent contractor and shall not be
considered an employee or agent of the Town.
1.12 Firm Acceptance
Submission of any qualifications indicates a Firm's acceptance of the conditions contained in this
RFQ. Furthermore, the Town of Williamston has the sole discretion and reserves the right to cancel
this RFQ, and to reject any and all proposals, to waive any and all informalities and/or irregularities
and reserves the right to re-advertise this RFQ with either the identical or revised scope and
specifications if it is deemed to be in the best interests of the Town of Williamston to do so. The
Town reserves the right to accept or reject any or all of the items in the stated qualifications, and to
award the contract in whole or in part and/or negotiate any or all items with individual Firms if it is
deemed in the best interest of the Town of Williamston to do so. Moreover, the Town reserves the
right to make no selection if subsequent negotiated prices are deemed to be outside the fiscal
constraint or not in the best interest of the Town of Williamston.
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1.13 Federal Contract Provisions
Any contract awarded as a result of this RFQ shall include all applicable federal contract provisions
required by 2 CFR Part 200, Appendix II, as well as any and all conditions of the HUD funding award.
These provisions include, but are not limited to, access to records, termination for cause and
convenience, civil rights compliance, and environmental compliance requirements. These provisions
may include, as applicable, Equal Opportunity requirements (Executive Order 11246), the Byrd Anti-
Lobbying Amendment, Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act, and other applicable federal
statutes and regulations.
1.14 Procurement Protest
Any actual or prospective Respondent may submit a written protest concerning this procurement
within five (5) business days of the award notification. Protests must be submitted in writing to the
Town and must clearly state the grounds for the protest.
1.15 E-Verify Requirement
CONTRACTOR shall comply with the requirements of Article 2 of Chapter 64 of the General Statutes.
Further, if CONTRACTOR utilizes a subcontractor, CONTRACTOR shall require the subcontractor to
comply with the requirements of Article 2 of Chapter 64 of the General Statutes.
2. QUALIFICATIONS
Responses must follow the format outlined below.
2.1 Request for Qualifications Required Document Format
Responses should be divided using tabs to separate each section, listed sequentially as follows:
Tab 1: Cover Letter/ Introduction
Provide an introduction letter summarizing the qualifications of your firm to meet the needs of
this service requirement. It is preferred to have this letter on the firm's official letterhead and
signed by an authorized representative who has the authority to enter into the contract with the
Town on behalf of the firm. Also, please include the name, address, telephone number, and
email address of the main point of contact for this solicitation.
Tab 2: Corporate Background and Experience
Include background information of the firm and provide detailed information regarding the
firm's experience with similar projects, and note the total amount invoiced for the project, the
length of the project, and a list of those involved with the project who are proposed for the
subject project in the solicitation. Please include three (3) references and their contact
information. The evaluation team reserves the right to contact any or all listed references, and
to contact other public entities regarding past performance on similar projects.
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Tab 3: Project Understanding, Approach, and Schedule
Provide a comprehensive narrative, outline, and/or graph demonstrating the firm's
understanding and approach to accomplishing the tasks outlined in the Scope of Work section of
this RFQ. A description of each task and deliverable and the schedule for accomplishing each
shall be included.
Tab 4: Team and Firm Experience and Certifications
This section must include the proposed staffing, deployment and personnel to be assigned to
this project. The firms shall provide qualifications and experience of all executive, managerial,
legal, and professional personnel to be assigned to this project, citing experience with similar
projects and the responsibilities to be assigned to each person. A project-specific firm chart
which clearly illustrates the roles, responsibilities, and the reporting relationships of each team
member should be included.
Tab 5: Forms
Please include the following completed forms:
* Attachment A: Certification Regarding Debarment and Suspension
* Attachment B: MWBE Participation Form
* Attachment C: Conflict of Interest Disclosure (Federal Funds)
Tab 6: Insurance
The selected Contractor will be required to provide a certificate of insurance evidencing
coverage, including at a minimum:
* Commercial General Liability
* Professional Liability (Errors and Omissions)
* Workers' Compensation
* Automobile Liability
Coverage must be maintained for the duration of the Contract. Minimum coverage limits will be
specified in the final contract.
The selected Contractor will be required to provide a certificate of insurance certifying that they
have insurance coverage that will cover their employees while on Town property and proposed
site, and will protect the Town of Williamston from liability for the actions of their employees
Minimum insurance requirements, including general liability, professional liability, workers'
compensation, and automobile liability coverage, shall be specified in the final contract and
must be maintained for the duration of the Contract.
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2.2 RFQ Documents
This RFQ is comprised of the base RFQ document, any attachments, and any addenda released
before Contract award. All attachments and addenda released for this RFQ in advance of any
Contract award are incorporated herein by reference.
3 QUALIFICATIONS EVALUATION
3.1 Qualifications Evaluation Criteria
The Qualifications received in response to this RFQ will be evaluated and ranked by the Evaluation
Committee, made up of 3 members, in accordance with the process and evaluation criteria
contained below. Responses will be evaluated in light of the material and substantiating evidence
presented in the response, and not on the basis of what is inferred. After thoroughly reading and
reviewing this RFQ, each Evaluation Committee member shall individually conduct his or her
independent evaluation of the qualifications received and grade the responses on their merit in
accordance with the evaluation criteria set forth in the following table. Each evaluation will be
aggregated to get a total score.
For purposes of evaluation, Project Understanding refers to the firm's demonstrated knowledge of
HUD environmental review requirements, NEPA, 24 CFR Part 58, and HEROS procedures. Project
Approach refers to the firm's proposed methodology, sequencing of tasks, coordination with Town
staff, and execution plan.
Criteria (a) Weight (b) Score (0-3) (a) X (b) Weighted
Score
Corporate Background 20%
and Experience
Project Understanding 30%
Project Approach 30%
Team and Firm 20%
Experience
Final Score
Score Points
0- Missing or Does Not Meet Expectation
1- Partially Meets Expectation
2- Meets Expectation
3- Exceeds Expectation
Scorers may also use tenths of points to provide more nuance in responses, such as 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, etc.
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3.2 Final Selection
Qualifications will be evaluated and ranked according to the criteria and weighted values set forth in
Section 3.1. A final selection for recommendation will be made at this time.
After which negotiations of a contract with the most qualified firm will commence. If negotiations
are unsuccessful, the Town will then pursue negotiations with the next most qualified firm. All Firms
will be notified of their standing within 10 days of the Town's decision. The Town shall not be bound
or in any way obligated until both parties have executed a contract. The Town also reserves the right
to delay the award of a contract or to not award a contract.
3.3 Contract Term
The Contract shall have a term of one (1) year, beginning on the date of the Contract award (the
"Effective Date"). Continuation of the Contract beyond the initial term, or issuance of task orders
thereunder, shall be contingent upon the written agreement of the Town and Contractor, continued
availability of HUD funds and compliance with all federal requirements.
4 SCOPE OF SERVICES
Awarded Contractor shall provide services, all as set forth in this RFQ and more particularly described in
this Section 4.
The Town is seeking a qualified Contractor to provide environmental review and assessment services for
a federally funded community development project undertaken by the Town as required by the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Code of Federal Regulations (24 CFR Part 58). Environmental
Review may be subject to regulations 24 CFR 58.5, 24 CFR 58.6, and environmental assessment factors
under NEPA.
The Contractor will:
- Review project information provided by Town staff and determine the appropriate level of
environmental review.
- Create a preliminary scope of work and schedule for the environmental review. Any cost or
budget estimates developed shall be for planning purposes only and shall not be used for
selection or evaluation.
- Include recommendations for potential non-scope items during the scoping stage. Any non-
scope studies shall require prior written approval by the Town and, if authorized, shall be
addressed through a separate written amendment or task order.
- Furnish all labor, personnel, supervision, materials, supplies, tools, equipment, computers,
transportation, travel, and incidentals necessary to perform all authorized work. Contractor may
use subcontractors as needed (see Appendix I).
- Complete all necessary consultations with local, state, and federal agencies. These may include
consultations to determine compliance with NEPA and related laws and authorities and
consultations to address environmental assessment factors.
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