Department of Natural Resources 9/24/2025

Release Date: October 1, 2025

Island County
Local Integrating Organization (ILIO)

Request for Proposals for
Consultant Services for Mapping and GIS Analysis of Shoreline Septic Systems with Climate Risk Assessment

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 4:30 PM on Friday, October 17, 2025

SUBMISSION LOCATION: j.schmitz@islandcountywa.gov

ISLAND COUNTY

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

CONSULTANT SERVICES for ISLAND LOCAL INTEGRATING ORGANIZATION

Purpose of Request:

Island County Department of Natural Resources is soliciting interest from qualified firms and consultants who wish to be evaluated and considered to provide mapping, geographic information systems (GIS), and climate assessment and prioritization services to the Island Local Integrating Organization (ILIO).

Project Overview:

The ILIO includes all of Island County, also known as Water Resources Inventory Area (WRIA) 6. The purpose of the ILIO is to further ecosystem recovery across Puget Sound by bringing together partners and entities across and beyond the watershed, coordinate collaborative restoration, technical, and research efforts, and implement locally led priority projects, such as those identified in the 2024 ILIO Onsite Sewage System (OSS) Target Action Plan, including the need for identification, mapping, and rehabilitation of OSS systems in the shoreline. Funding for this project is provided by one-time grant funds from the Environmental Protection Agency, administered through the Puget Sound Partnership.

Scope of Work:

a. Mapping:

i. The consultant will conduct an assessment to identify and map all privately-owned OSS systems in the shoreline that are expected to be vulnerable to sea level rise (SLR).

ii. The consultant will utilize Island County parcel information as well as 2-3 different SLR projections to overlay vulnerability areas.

b. Prioritization Matrix:

i. The consultant will utilize the results of the mapping assessment to produce a comprehensive list of parcels, identifying those that are expected to experience inundation, intrusion, or otherwise compromised due to sea level rise, and when.

ii. The consultant will provide the County with a recommended prioritization matrix for targeting outreach, education, technical assistance, and/or mini-grant funding to reach homeowners of OSS systems most at risk.

c. Resiliency Approach and Report: The consultant will provide a brief report summarizing findings of the above tasks and include various recommendations the County may consider for addressing the issue of OSS in the shoreline. This may include research into and suggestions for approaches successfully implemented by other jurisdictions.

d. Security Considerations: The consultant will produce anonymized deliverables that can be utilized for outreach and distribution without disclosing private homeowner information.

e. Project Management: The consultant will be responsible for managing all aspects of the proposed work including data management, deliverable timeliness, and quality control.

f. Timeline: The project is expected to be completed between November 2025 – March 2026, from the date of contract award.

Submittal Requirements:

Consultants are invited to submit their proposal for services at their own cost. Island County encourages disadvantaged, minority, and women-owned consultant firms to respond. Materials submitted in response to this competitive procurement shall become the property of Island County and will not be returned. All submittals received will remain confidential until Island County and the successful Consultants sign the agreements resulting from this advertisement. All submittals are deemed public records as defined in the RCW 39.26.030 and Chapter 42.56.

The submission shall be labeled “Consultant Services for Island Local Integrating Organization” and include the following:

• Consultant’s approach to meet the scope of work.

• Description of similar work completed by the consultant.

• Minimum of three references.

• Example technical assistance memo/report developed for a similar project.

• Consultant’s name, phone and fax numbers, email address for point of contact; Federal Tax ID Number; DUNS Number; UBI Number and if applicable D/M/WBE Certification Number.

• Team roster identifying the project manager and all team members, and any subcontractors proposed to be working on the project.

• A detailed timeline indicating how the consultant will adhere to the scheduled contract period.

• A detailed budget proposal that outlines all anticipated costs associated with the proposed project.

• A proposed payment schedule should also be included.

• Statement of acceptance of the County’s contract language and insurance coverage requirements, listed in Attachment A.

• Statement of the firm’s assurance that this work will not result in a conflict of interest; and

• Statement regarding the following criteria: ability, capacity, experience, reputation, responsiveness to time limitations, quality of previous performance, and compliance with statutes and rules relating to contracts or services.

Materials to Submit:

Interested consultants must submit their proposal by email to j.schmitz@islandcountywa.gov with a subject line of “Consultant Services for Island Local Integrating Organization” no later than 4:30 PM on Friday, October 17, 2025. Proposers are solely responsible for ensuring that submissions are delivered on time. Submissions received after the due date and time will not be considered.

Evaluation and Selection:

The consultant evaluation and selection process will be conducted per Island County Code 2.29. Evaluation criteria will include:

1. Experience and qualifications of the consultant

2. Quality and feasibility of the proposed deliverables

3. Cost-effectiveness and detailed budget proposal

4. Proposed timeline and project management approach

Due Date:

The submittal must be submitted (timestamped by due date/time) no later than 4:30 PM on Friday, October 17, 2025, to: j.schmitz@islandcountywa.gov.

Questions:

Questions regarding this Request for Proposals should be directed to:

	Jen Schmitz Natural Resources Manager Public Health Office: 360-679-7352

Attachments:

A. Island County Contract Language and Insurance Requirements

Attachment A:
Island County Contract Language and Insurance Requirements

INDEMNIFICATION

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Contractor shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Island County, agencies of Island County and all officials, agents, and employees of Island County, from and against all claims arising out of or resulting from the performance of the Contract. “Claim” as used in this agreement means any financial loss, claim, suit, action, damage, or expense, including but not limited to attorney’s fees, attributable for bodily injury, sickness, disease or death, or injury to or destruction of tangible property including loss of use resulting therefrom. Contractor’s obligation to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless includes any claim by Contractors’ agents, employees, representatives, or any subcontractor or its employees.

Contractor expressly agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Island County for any claim arising out of or incident to Contractor’s or any subcontractor’s performance or failure to perform the Contract. Contractor’s obligation to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Island County shall not be eliminated or reduced by any actual or alleged concurrent negligence of Island County or its agents, agencies, employees, and officials.

INSURANCE

Prior to commencement of services under this Contract, Contractor shall submit to Island County certificates of insurance or certified copies of insurance policies and endorsements, if requested by the County, for the coverage required below and shall maintain the same type and amount of coverage as is currently in effect for the life of this Contract. Each insurance certificate shall provide that coverage will not be canceled or reduced below the contractual amounts stated herein without sixty (60) days written prior notice to the County. Contractor shall maintain at Contractor’s sole expense unless otherwise stipulated, the following insurance coverages, insuring Contractor, Contractor’s employees, agents, designees, and indemnities as required herein:

1. The Contractor shall not commence work under this Contract until the Contractor has obtained all insurance required under this paragraph and such insurance has been approved by the County.

2. All insurance policies shall be issued by companies authorized to do business under the laws of the State of Washington and have a Best’s rating of at least A-VII. All insurance, other than Professional Liability and workmen’s Compensation to be maintained by the Contractor shall specifically include the County as an “Additional Insured” and shall not be reduced or canceled without sixty (60) days written prior notice to the County. The Contractor’s insurance coverage shall be primary insurance as respect to the County, its officers, officials, employees, and volunteers. Any insurance or self-insurance maintained by the county, its officers, officials, employees, or volunteers shall be excess of the Contractor’s insurance and shall not contribute to it.

3. The Contractor shall maintain, during the life of the Contract, Industry Standard Occurrence Commercial General Liability Policy Form (CG0001) or equivalent, including Premises/Operations, Products/Completed Operations, Blanket Contractual Liability and Personal Injury Coverage, to protect the Contractor from claims for damages for bodily injury, including wrongful death, as well as from claims of property damage which may arise from any operations under this Contract whether such operations be by the Contractor or by anyone directly employed by or contracting with the Contractor.

Specific limits required $2,000,000 General Aggregate
$1,000,000 Products/Completed Operations Aggregate
$1,000,000 Personal Injury and Advertising Injury
$1,000,000 Each Occurrence

The Commercial General Liability Policy will contain an endorsement naming the County as Additional Insured (CG2010) and an endorsement that specifically states the Contractor’s General Liability shall be primary, and not contributory, with any other insurance maintained by the County.

The policy shall be endorsed to include stop gap employer’s liability coverage with minimum limits as follows:

$1,000,000 Each Accident
$1,000,000 Policy Limit for Disease
$1,000,000 Each Employee for Disease

4. Commercial General Liability insurance shall be endorsed to include a “cross liability,” indicating essentially that except with respect to the limits of insurance, and any rights or duties specifically assigned in this coverage part to the first named insured, this insurance applies as if each named insured were the only named insured, and separately to each insured against whom claims are made or suit is brought.

5. The Contractor shall maintain, during the life of this Contract, Business Automobile Liability Insurance (CA0001) or equivalent in the amount of $1,000,000 Bodily Injury and Property Damage per combined single limit to protect the Contractor from claims which may arise from the performance of the Contract, whether such operations be by the Contractor or by anyone directly or indirectly employed by the Contractor. Covered auto shall be designated as “Symbol 1” any auto.

6. All Liability coverages, except Professional Liability, shall be written on an Occurrence policy form. If coverage is Claims Made form, the Retroactive Date shall be prior to or coincident with the date of this Contract, and the policy shall state that coverage is Claims Made and state the Retroactive Date. Should Claims Made be the only option, a minimum of a three (3) year tail coverage shall be maintained after the expiration of the Contract.

7. Contractor shall secure its liability for industrial injury to its employees in accordance with the provision of Title 51 of the Revised Code of Washington. Contractor shall submit a copy of its certificate of coverage from the Department of Labor and Industries prior to the commencement of work.

8. Industrial Insurance Waiver – With respect to the performance of the Contract and as to claims against the County, its officers, agents and employees, the Contractor expressly waives its immunity under Title 51 of the Revised Code of Washington, the Industrial Insurance Act, for injuries to its employees and agrees that the obligations to indemnify, defend and hold harmless provided in this Agreement extend to any claim brought by or on behalf of any employee of the Contractor against the County. However, Contractor’s waiver of immunity by the provisions of this paragraph extend only to claims against Contractor by County and does not include or extend to claims by Contractor’s employees directly against Contractor. This waiver is mutually negotiated by the parties to this Agreement.

9. Professional Liability Insurance – Prior to the start of work, the Contractor will secure and maintain at its own expense Professional Liability Insurance in the amount of not less than $1,000,000 per claim and in the aggregate. Such insurance will be provided by an insurance carrier with a Best’s Rating of not less than A-VII. If coverage is Claims Made, the retroactive date shall be prior to or coincident with the date of this Contract. The policy shall state that coverage is claims made and state the retroactive date. Claims Made form coverage shall be maintained by the Contractor for a minimum of three (3) years following the termination of this Contract, and the Contractor shall annually provide the County with proof of renewal.

10. Subcontractors – Contractor shall include all subcontractors as insureds under its policies or shall furnish separate certificates and endorsements for each subcontractor. All coverages for subcontracts shall be subject to all the requirements stated herein.