Byllesby Dam Interpretation

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
Lake Byllesby Hydroelectric Facility Interpretation
RFP Date:
Friday, October 2, 2026
Proposal Due Date:
Friday, October 16, 2026 (4PM Central Standard Time)

Contents:
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL ...........................................................................................................................................1
Contents: ................................................................................................................................................................2
Contact: ..................................................................................................................................................................2
A. Purpose of Request .......................................................................................................................................3
B. Background Information ...............................................................................................................................3
C. Scope of Services ...........................................................................................................................................4
D. Project Management .....................................................................................................................................6
E. Project Budget ...............................................................................................................................................6
F. Project Schedule ............................................................................................................................................6
G. Submittal Requirements ................................................................................................................................7
H. Evaluation Criteria ...................................................................................................................................... 12
I. Submission Deadline and Questions .......................................................................................................... 13
J. Contract ...................................................................................................................................................... 13
K. Attachments ............................................................................................................................................... 13
Contact:
Autumn Hubbell
Dakota County Parks, Physical Development Division
860 Cliff Road
Eagan, MN 55123
651.554.6536
Autumn.hubbell@co.dakota.mn.us
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A. Purpose of Request
Dakota County, Minnesota seeks to contract for the completion of an interpretive framework, content
development, graphic design, and coordination of the fabrication of 1 interpretive panel as well as the
content for a companion webpage on the Dakota County website. The content will be built upon the
foundation found in the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) prepared in 2019. The panel content
will be focused on the Lake Byllesby Hydroelectric Facility and the function of the original turbines, now on
display in Lake Byllebsy Regional Park. The contracted firm should meet the professional qualification
standards as defined by the Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualification Standards.
B. Background Information
Dakota County Parks
Dakota County Park's department's mission statement is: To enrich lives by providing high quality
recreation and education opportunities in harmony with natural resource preservation and stewardship.
Dakota County fulfills this mission by managing recreation opportunities within its parks and greenways
to be in tandem with protecting their natural resources. Interpretive opportunities, as they exist in
Dakota County's Parks, are designed to further this mission, and strive to be engaging, relevant,
inclusive, and interactive, purposefully utilizing varying media and methods to interpret the cultural and
natural resources within its parks and greenways.
Lake Byllesby Regional Park
Lake Byllesby Regional Park is a 620-acre park in southern Dakota County, adjacent to Lake Byllesby, a
1,300-acre reservoir of the Cannon River. The park is divided into two sections, with the eastern section
offering recreational opportunities including camping, picnicking, swimming, boating and more. The
eastern section also includes the Lake Byllesby Hydroelectric Facility, a hydropower dam built in 1910 to
bring electricity to the rural area. It is still in use today and is eligible for listing in the National Register of
Historic Places as part of the Lake Byllebsy Hydroelectric Facility Historic District.
Hydroelectric Facility Interpretation
In 2017, Dakota County received funding from the state legislature to complete upgrades to the dam
powerhouse and replace the turbines. As part of that project, one of the removed turbines was placed
on display outside of the dam as an interpretive feature. An interpretive panel, as well as website, will
be developed to connect park users to the dam history, and share the story of the turbines and dam
more broadly.
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State Historic Preservation Office Requirements
As part of the agreement with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and State Historic
Preservation Office (SHPO), Dakota County is required to review the draft Public Education components
with SHPO, which requires a 30-day review period. Per the guidance of SHPO, the interpretation should
"incorporate historic information related to the Historic District, relevant historic context, engineering
significance, and the documentation included in the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER)." The
turbine exhibit, now in place at Lake Byllesby Regional Park, was reviewed by SHPO on its own timeline.
C. Scope of Services
This proposal seeks a consultant to deliver the interpretive framework, content development, design, and
fabrication of 1 interpretive panel, a Dakota County standard large interpretive panel, sized 28" x 36 to be
located at the turbine exhibit pictured below. The proposal also seeks the preparation of that content into a
companion webpage located on the Dakota County website. The consultant will be required to furnish
and/or secure all labor, materials, transportation, tools, supplies, equipment, coordination, approvals,
necessary for the successful completion of the plan. Dakota County will consider alternative project
approaches recommended by applicants.
Figure 1: Turbine Exhibit
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The specific deliverables of this project are listed below.
Research
1. Site visits to panel location
2. Review of existing and Historic American Engineering Record
3. Any additional research on interpretive stories
4. Location and identification of compelling historical photos or graphics
5. Any needed site visits to local, regional, and state historical societies or other archives,
collections, or libraries
Content Development
1. Development of an interpretive framework for the panel in context of site
2. Pre-write or outline of the interpretive text and graphics for panel
3. Photo acquisition and any associated fees and permissions
4. Submission of text and graphics for review by Dakota County staff
5. Revisions to content as requested by Dakota County staff
Graphic Design
1. Review of existing interpretive design standards
2. Inclusive design of interpretive panels, considering diverse audiences of varying abilities
3. Inclusion of grant funding sources and logos
4. Revisions to design as requested by Dakota County staff
5. Print-ready files provided to Dakota County
Review
1. Consideration of universal and accessible design
2. Confirmation with panel fabricator that files are print-ready
Additional Deliverables
1. All deliverables will comply with the terms and review of the State Historic Preservation Office.
2. The consulting team will meet with County staff as often as needed to complete the project. Those
meetings may be virtual or in-person as needed and as allowed. Meetings that are anticipated
include a kickoff meeting and at least three review meetings (one near the end of the research,
content development, and graphic design phases) will be held with the County's core team of
internal stakeholders. Additional meetings may be needed.
3. The consulting team shall provide draft meeting agendas and materials for each core team meeting
to the County's project manager for approval prior to meeting. All presentation materials shown at
meetings must be pre-viewed by County project manager prior to each meeting. Provide meeting
minutes for all meetings during the Design Phases of the project within five days of the meeting.
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D. Project Management
The project manager is Autumn Hubbell, outdoor education supervisor for Dakota County Parks. All
direction to the consultant will be delivered through the project manager.
In addition, Dakota County has a team of staff helping deliver this project, including staff from our planning,
natural resources, outreach and engagement, and capital projects management units.
As part of the project, Dakota County will provide the following materials or services for the project:
1. All applicable documents outlined in Section B and C of this RFP, including any interpretive plans, master
plans, HAER document, signage standards, and site layout plans.
2. Assistance in organizing meetings and providing meeting rooms, virtual spaces, and associated audio-
visual needs.
3. Installation of concrete footings (if needed), panel base, and panel.
4. Website hosting and design.
E. Project Budget
The budget for this project and the scope outlined in Section C of this RFP is $20,000. Applicants must
provide an itemized budget that includes staff time, resources, and other anticipated expenses.
F. Project Schedule
1. RFP Issued October 2, 2026
2. Question Period October 2-9, 2026
3. Questions Answered, Addendum Issued October 12, 2026
4. Proposals received by Dakota County October 16, 2026
5. Review of proposals October 19-23, 2026
6. Interviews, if needed October 21, 2026
7. Execution of Contract October 30, 2026
8. Project Start October 30, 2026
9. Research November 2026
10. Interpretive Framework November 30, 2026
11. Content Development December 2026
12. Review Draft Interpretive Framework with SHPO January 1-30, 2026
13. Finalize Content Development February 2026
14. Graphic Design February-March 2026
15. Review April-May 2026
16. Wrap up June 1, 2026
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G. Submittal Requirements
Proposal Format
Proposals should be submitted in a .pdf as an email smaller than 10 MB or in an emailed link to an FTP site
for download. Proposals should be ready to print on 8-1/2" x 11" paper. Sequentially number all pages in
the proposal throughout. Text and exhibits should be succinct and relevant to the RFP requirements.
Proposals should not exceed 50 pages.
Letter of Submittal
1. Name, address, phone number, fax number of the firm;
2. Acknowledgment of receipt of RFP addenda, if any;
3. Name, title, address, telephone and fax numbers, and email address (if any) of contact person during
period of proposal evaluation;
4. A statement to the effect that the proposal shall remain valid for a period of not less than 120 days from
the date of submittal; and
5. Signature of a person authorized to bind the offering firm to the terms of the proposal.
Proposal Requirements
The following information should be provided within the proposal:
1. General Firm Information:
List office location, history of firm, size of firm, etc.
2. Project Understanding and Approach:
Describe the project understanding and approach used by your firm. Give a brief description of the
issues you believe significant to this project; any unique options to be pursued for this project; how
you intend to use existing information to help limit project costs, and an outline of your project
approach.
3. Key Personnel:
Describe the project understanding and approach used by your firm. Give a brief description of the
issues you believe significant to this project; any unique options to be pursued for this project; how
you intend to use existing information to help limit project costs, and an outline of your project
approach. Include how you will engage Indigenous communities to ensure the project is driven by
their voices and priorities.
a. Project Manager: Provide a description of the Project Manager and their qualifications for this
project and a list of previous projects worked on with the firm that are relevant to this
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project. If it is possible that more than one project manager will be assigned to various
specialty areas, please provide multiple descriptions.
b. Key Support Personnel: Provide a brief listing of key personnel that will be assigned to this
project. Identify their area of expertise and how they have worked with the Project Manager
on previous projects.
4. Qualifications and Experience:
Give a brief description of your firm's experience with the following:
a. Interpretative content that connects visitors to historic stories, sites and features.
b. Interpretive design that is inclusive, engaging, interactive and relevant to visitors.
c. Visitor experience and site design related to interpretive exhibits, waysides, and panels.
d. Ability to meet professional qualification standards as defined in the Secretary of the
Interior's Professional Qualifications Standards.
5. Sub Consultants:
Describe the name and location of other sub-consultants that would be used by the firm in the
project. Identify the sub consultant's area of expertise, role in the project, and the approximate
percentage of the work that would be performed by each of these firms.
6. Fee Proposal:
The proposal must identify the budget necessary to perform the services identified in the Project
Scope of Services.
a. Provide a breakdown of personnel, hours, and fees for each item in the Scope of Services (i.e.,
1,2,3 etc.) for the firm and any subcontractors.
b. Include direct costs only and clearly distinguish between professional fees, contract fees, travel
costs, necessary supplies/materials, production costs, and other estimated reimbursable
expenses (if applicable, describe).
c. Indirect rates or overhead costs - such as rent, utilities, or incidental copying - will not be
allowed under this contract.
d. Clearly identify the overall proposed "not to exceed" fee inclusive of all costs.
7. Current Hourly Rates:
Provide current hourly rates for all project personnel.
8. Project Schedule:
Provide a project schedule with major project work tasks and meetings.
9. References:
Provide three references for similar projects.
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10. Statement of Compliance:
The consultant will need to include a Statement of Compliance to the terms identified for Standard
Assurances (Attachment A), and Insurance Terms (Attachment B).
11. Conflict of Interest:
The Consultant must identify any potential conflict of interest it may have providing the services
contemplated by this RFP (Attachment C).
12. Trade Secret Information Form:
The Consultant must identify any request for confidential treatment of trade secret information in
their proposal and it must sufficiently describe the facts that support the classification of
information as confidential trade secret (Attachment D).
13. Registration and Good Standing:
All responders must be in compliance with Minnesota law governing transaction of business in the
State of Minnesota. Upon award of the contract, the County will verify compliance prior to
contracting.
14. Examination of RFP:
By submitting a proposal, the consultant represents that he/she has thoroughly examined and
become familiar with the work required under this RFP and that he/she is capable of performing
quality work to achieve the objectives of the County.
15. Addenda and Clarifications:
Any changes to this RFP will be made by the county through a written addendum. No verbal
modification will be binding.
16. Pre-Contractual Expenses:
Pre-contractual expenses are defined as expenses incurred by the consultant in: 1) preparing its
proposal in response to this RFP, 2) submitting that proposal to the County, 3) negotiating with the
County on any matter related to this RFP, or 4) any other expenses incurred by the consultant prior
to the date of execution of the proposed agreement.
The County shall not, in any event, be liable for any pre-contractual expenses incurred by the
consultant in the preparation of their proposals. Consultants shall not include any such expenses as
part of their proposals.
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17. Exceptions and Deviations:
Any exceptions to the requirements in this RFP must be included in the proposal submitted by the
consultant. Segregate such exceptions as a separate element of the proposal under the heading
"Exceptions and Deviations."
18. Contract Award:
Issuance of this RFP and receipt of proposals do not commit the county to the awarding of a
contract. The county reserves the right to postpone opening for its own convenience, to accept or
reject any or all proposals received in response to this RFP, to negotiate with other than the selected
consultant should negotiations with the selected consultant be terminated, to negotiate with more
than one consultant simultaneously, or to cancel all or part of this RFP.
19. County Rights:
a. The county may investigate the qualifications of any consultant under consideration, require
confirmation of information furnished by the consultant, and require additional evidence of
qualifications to perform the work described in this RFP. The county reserves the right to:
b. Reject any or all proposals if such action is in the public interest;
c. Cancel the entire Request for Proposals;
d. Issue a subsequent Request for Proposals;
e. Remedy technical errors in the Request for Proposals process;
f. Appoint evaluation committees to review proposals;
g. Establish a short list of consultants eligible for interview after proposal evaluation;
h. Negotiate with any, all, or none of the RFP consultants; and
i. Reject and replace one or more subcontractors.
20. Independent Contractor Status:
The consultant will be an independent consultant and nothing contained in any contract awarded
shall be construed to create the relationship of employer and employee between county and the
consultant. The consultant is not entitled to receive any of the benefits received by county
employees and is not eligible for workers' or unemployment compensation benefits. The consultant
understands that no withholding or deduction for state or federal income taxes, FICA, FUTA, or
otherwise, will be made from the payments due the consultant and that it is the consultant's sole
obligation to comply with the applicable provisions of all federal and state tax laws.
21. Joint Offers:
Where two more consultants desire to submit a single proposal in response to this RFP, they should
do so on a prime-subcontractor basis rather than as a joint venture. The County intends to contract
with a single firm and not with multiple firms doing business as a joint venture.
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