CMSD & MCSD Standard Specifications & Drawings Development Update Project (Re-Bid)

CMSD REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
By
Costa Mesa Sanitary District
Rebid of
CMSD & MCSD Standard Specifications & Drawings Development Update Project
Release Date: March 16, 2026
Proposals Due: 1:00 PM (PST), May 12, 2026
Costa Mesa Sanitary District
290 Paularino Avenue
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(949) 645-8400

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INTRODUCTION
The Costa Mesa Sanitary District is soliciting proposals from qualified professional
engineering consulting firms (Proposers) to prepare standard drawings and
specifications for the Costa Mesa Sanitary District (CMSD) and the Midway City
Sanitary District (MCSD).
CMSD will be the Project administrator and manager for this Project effort. Invoices
must be submitted to CMSD for processing and payment. MCSD will reimburse CMSD
for their portion of the work conducted, therefore CMSD will pay the total invoice amount
to the Consultant. CMSD usually pays on a net 30-day basis.
This project is a joint effort by the two Districts for the purpose of developing and
updating standard drawings and specifications and sharing the costs. The Scope of
Work (SOW) generally consists of an engineering consulting firm developing and
updating standard drawings and specifications for the two agencies, tailoring the joint
drawings and specifications per specific agency requirements, and delivering a final set
of drawings and specifications to each agency.
The overall objective is to develop specific work products for each agency; refer to the
Detailed SOW, Exhibit B, below. The estimate for this work is $85,000.
BACKGROUND
The CMSD and the MCSD are independent special districts that were formed by State
legislation and/or Acts. These agencies are governed by an elected Board of Directors
that appoints a general manager to supervise the day-to-day operations of each
organization.
The CMSD encompasses the City of Costa Mesa, portions of Newport Beach, and a
small, unincorporated area of Orange County. CMSD serves a population of
approximately 116,700 and close to 4,000 businesses.
The MCSD encompasses the entire City of Westminster and the community of Midway
City, an unincorporated area of Orange County. MCSD serves a population of
approximately 99,700, and close to 3900 businesses.
Wastewater is conveyed to an OC Sanitation regional sewer trunkline(s) and treatment
plant (located in either Huntington Beach or the Fountain Valley). Each agency is the
local sewer collections agency.
PROJECT GOAL
Delivering a set of standard drawings and specifications for each agency during or
before August 2026.

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INSTRUCTIONS TO PROPOSERS (aka Consultants)
I. EXAMINATION OF PROPOSED DOCUMENTS
By submitting a Written and Fee proposal, the Proposer represents that it has
thoroughly examined and become familiar with the work required under this RFP,
and that it is qualified to perform the work as requested.
II. DISTRICT RESPONSIBILITIES
A. The CMSD will provide Proposers with available, relevant documents, studies,
and relevant information concerning the project. All documents are available
upon request.
B. The Project Manager (CMSD District Engineer) will be the primary contact and
agency representative for this joint project.
III. ADDENDA/CLARIFICATION
Requests for questions, explanations, or clarification must be directed via email to
the individual specified below and received no later than the date and time
indicated in the Schedule for Selection, below.
A mandatory pre-proposal conference will be held at the MCSD headquarters
at the date and time indicated within the Schedule for Selection, below. The
meeting purpose is to further discuss the Project and provide preliminary
responses to submitted questions/requests for clarifications.
Any questions or comments will be responded to on or before the date indicated
within the schedule, below.
CMSD will not respond to questions received after the specified time and date. In
addition, the CMSD reserves the right to extend the Proposal due date should
clarifications require such action.
SUBMIT Questions to:
Noelani Middenway, CMSD Clerk of the Board
Email: nmiddenway@cmsdca.gov
Note: Include Email Copy to Nathalia Cervantes (email: ncervantes@cmsdca.gov)
IV. WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL
A consultant may withdraw its proposal at any time prior to the deadline for
submission of proposals by emailing a written request notification to CMSD Clerk.

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V. RIGHTS OF THE DISTRICT
Neither this RFP, nor submittal of the Consultant Proposal, commit the CMSD to
enter into a legal binding agreement, nor does it obligate the CMSD to pay for
any costs incurred in preparation and submission of the proposal or in
anticipation of an agreement. The CMSD reserves the right to reject any or all
proposals.
VI. SCHEDULE FOR SELECTION
The following schedule is provided for information and may change based
on addendums or other items that may affect the Project proposal
schedule.
03/16/2026: Advertise
04/02/2026: Mandatory Preproposal Meeting (In-Person at MCSD
Headquarters - 8:30 AM)
04/16/2026: Proposer Questions Due to CMSD
04/22/2026: Issue Addendum/Provide Responses
05/12/2026: Proposals Due to CMSD (1PM) to CMSD HQ Building
05/18/2026: Notice of Pending Award to Successful Proposer
05/26/2026: Anticipated Award Date
06/01/2026: Start Work
06/30/2026: Tasks 1, 2, & 3 completed
08/14/2026: Tasks 4 & 5 completed, including 60 & 90%
09/10/2026: Project work completed (except Board Meeting Attendance)
09/10/2026: Final Work Product Submitted

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RESPONDING TO THE RFP
In order for proposals to be considered, submissions must be clear, concise, complete,
well-organized and demonstrate both consultant's qualifications, and its ability to follow
instructions.
The proposal shall be organized in the format indicated below, shall be limited to twenty
(20) pages (not including attachments and appendices), and limited to 11-point, or
larger, Arial font. A PDF file of the complete presentation is required.
A. Proposal Cover Sheet
Consultant must complete and submit the Proposal Cover Sheet along with
required documents mentioned below.
B. Propose Submittal Letter
Include the RFP's title and submittal due date, name of consultant and contact
information (address, telephone, email, etc.). Include the designated contact
person and corresponding email address. The letter must state that the proposal
will be valid for a 75-day period and that staffing is available to work immediately
on this project. The person authorized by the consultant to negotiate a contract
with the CMSD must sign the cover letter.
C. Description of Consultant
Provide the Consultant's information regarding the size, location, the nature of
work performed by the firm, years in business, or other pertinent information. Also
provide information for the key staff/engineers and any subconsultants used for
the proposed work.
D. Experience and Organization
Briefly summarize the Consultant's engineering staff/team sewer system design
experience along with knowledge of trenchless design, corrosion engineering,
constructability, construction methods, and consideration for current resiliency
and earthquake consideration for pipelines. Provide an overview of the key team
members and their role for this work proposal. Provide a copy of the key team
engineer's registration, as issued by the State of California.
Provide your organizational structure for this proposed work, including any
subconsultants and/or contractors. Please provide the names of the firm's
owner/principal, engineer, and project manager.

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Substitution of team members/consultant staff will not be allowed unless
approved by the CMSD Project Manager. Request for substitution must include
a resume with work experience. The substitute must have the same or greater
work experience than the incumbent.
E. References
This section should identify similar projects that the consultant has completed as
outlined in the RFP. Experience with wastewater collections, municipal pump
stations, plants, and pipelines should be included and is preferred. Provide a
brief overview of reference public agency or private clients. Provide detailed
reference information for at least five (5) clients, including contact name, agency
or firm name, address, phone, and email address.
Please provide references for individuals currently employed by the reference
agency or firm and confirm that they are willing to provide references during a
discussion with the District. Stale or non-replying references will impact the
scoring of the contractor's proposal.
F. Project Overview and Approach
This section should clearly convey the Proposer's understanding of the nature of
the work related to this Project and the general approach the Proposer will use to
complete this Project.
This section should also include a full description of each step in completing the
Project. The work description should be in sufficient detail to show a clear
understanding of the work and proposed approach.
This section should also include a description of the format, content and level of
detail that can be expected for each deliverable.
A schedule showing the important milestones should also be included.
G. Cost Proposal
The Fee Proposal must be submitted on the Proposal Form and submitted in a
separate closed/sealed envelope from the Written Proposal. The envelope shall
include the Proposers' name, contact information, and Project name.
H. Extra Work, Reimbursables, and Reimbursable Expense List
The Proposer must submit an hourly rate sheet for staff positions,
subconsultants, contractors, and/or the team. This hourly rate-sheet will be used
to negotiate extra work should or when it arises. Submit this rate sheet with the
cost/fee proposal file.

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The CMSD will NOT reimburse for mileage, travel, or other costs for attending
meetings or job-site locations such as travel to Westminster, Costa Mesa, or
other locations for the job site walks/work site reviews, project meetings, or other
work activities identified in the SOW. Your cost for these activities, meetings,
and types of expenses shall be included and embedded in work activities for this
project. The required hard copy(ies) and other deliverables outlined or required
by the scope of work shall also be included in that work item.
However, there may be some unknown reimbursable items that the two agencies
may not be aware of. If so, provide a list of proposed deliverables and associated
cost.
The CMSD may also request a reimbursable item or extra work item during the
project. In order to accommodate this request and facilitate negotiation of the
extra items or services, the Consultant shall provide a list of reimbursables items,
services, and associated prices offered by the Consultant. The reimbursable item
and services price list will be used to negotiate extra work and associated
deliverables. Submit this rate sheet/price list with the cost/fee proposal file.
I. Project Schedule
Provide an overview of the proposed Project schedule, work activities and work
break-down detail, along with the individual and overall-labor hour requirements
to complete the proposed work. Be sure to include subconsultant and/or
contractor work items and work hours.
Also provide a detailed project schedule including breakdown of activities,
workdays, dates, and detailed labor workhour requirement, by staff position for
each activity. Subconsultant and subcontractor work items must be included in
the project schedule. The project schedule must include a visual presentation of
critical path and parallel work activities.
For the purpose of submitting the Proposal for consideration, the detailed
schedule must be submitted as part of the Proposal PDF file. The detailed project
schedule may be included in a Proposal appendix.
Assume that the start date for the project work as indicated in Section VI,
SCHEDULE FOR SELECTION. Be sure to show CMSD holidays in the detailed
work schedule.
A Microsoft Project file of the Detail work schedule, with detailed costs, by SOW
task will be required from the successful consultant upon notification of intent to
award a contract.

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J. Distinguishing Characteristics
Please describe what distinguishes your firm/team from other Proposers, how the
services will benefit the Districts, and why that service is important to this project.
K. Deliverable/Quality-Assurance & Quality Control
Describe your firm's quality-assurance & quality control program and procedure.
What is your firm's program to provide a quality submittal or work product with
reasonable accuracy, proper formatting, and without typographical errors?
What is your firm's program for minimizing technical errors and providing
technical content that is relevant and based on best civil engineering and
construction practices.

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EVALUATION CRITERIA
Award shall be based on a "best value" evaluation. Criteria used for the proposal
evaluation will include:
1. Cost (25%)
2. Responsiveness to RFP (10%)
3. Approach (20%)
4. Consultant Qualifications and Experience (20%)
5. References and Previous Performance (5%)
6. The Consultant's Key Team Members Distinguishing Characteristics
(20%)
While cost is a significant factor in the evaluation process, RFPs will be evaluated
according to the listed criteria. Proposals will be technically ranked without the cost proposal,
then the cost proposals will be evaluated with the fee proposal to determine the final proposal
score.
The Agencies may conduct interviews for the top-rated firms (likely, top two or three firms). If
interviews are conducted, the initial proposal scoring will be weighed 60% and the
interviews will be weighed 40% for a new rating of the interviewed firms.
Be advised that the District has the right to not conduct interviews in determining the
"best value" proposal.
INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS
The consultant shall maintain professional liability insurance, general liability insurance,
and automobile liability insurance as outlined in the Sample Agreement. Refer to the
Exhibit A, Sample Agreement, for requirements and details.
DISTRICT AGREEMENT
Exhibit A is a sample CMSD Agreement that the selected Proposer will be required to
sign. Exceptions or proposed edits to the Agreement will not be considered.
Carefully review the sample Agreement prior to submitting the Proposal to determine if
the Agreement is acceptable to the consulting firm.
The proposed Agreement is subject to change based on proposals, the negotiated
SOW, and extra work activities proposed by the Proposer.

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SCOPE OF WORK (SOW) OVERVIEW
Refer to the SOW, Exhibit B, for detailed requirements and scope of work items.
1. Review current MCSD and CMSD standard drawings and specifications, among
other related documents/information.
2. Develop eighteen (18) common wastewater standard drawings and
specifications.
3. Develop common standard specifications.
4. MCSD requested work tasks: Provide twelve (12) additional standard drawings
with MCSD Borders and title blocks. Provide standard specifications in MCSD
format.
5. CMSD requested work tasks: Provide one (1) additional standard drawings with
CMSD Borders and title blocks. Provide standard specifications in CMSD format.
6. Project Meeting(s)
7. Project Schedule & Updates
8. Work Products and Submittals.
9. Project Management: This Work Item consists of managing the Project,
coordination with the Agencies, attending a monthly project management (PM)
meeting with the CMSD District Engineer and MCSD project manager (MCSD
District Engineer), and developing associated meeting minutes and documents.
Project Management meeting time is included in this work item.
Do not include Project Management meeting time in Work Item #6.
10. Optional Work Items Proposed by the Consultant Firm. Optional Items will
NOT be considered, nor included, in the proposal fee nor for determining best
value Consultant. Also indicate optional work items within the Project Schedule
and Fee Proposal and provide a breakdown list of optional items with individual
costs along with the Fee Proposal submittal.