On-Call Professional Services – Civil Site Engineering Development Plan Review

Planning and Development Department | On-Call Civil Site Engineering Plan Review RFQ
Planning and Development Department 101 City Hall Plaza Durham, NC 27701
Request for Qualifications (RFQ)
Date of Issue:8/27/2026
Proposal Submission Due Date: 9/29/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pre-Proposal Conference Date: 9/10/2026 at1 PM on Microsoft Teams
City of Durham - RFQ #27-1082
"On-Call" Professional Services - Civil Site Engineering Development Plan
Review
Questions or Concerns about this RFQ should be directed to:
John Sandor
Assistant Director - Planning and Development
City of Durham Planning and Development Department
(919) 560-4326
john.sandor@durhamnc.gov
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Planning and Development Department | On-Call Civil Site Engineering Plan Review RFQ
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Announcement of Requirements
Through this Request for Qualifications (RFQ), the City of Durham ("City") is soliciting
Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) from consultants to provide services for On-Call
Professional Engineering Services for Civil Site Engineering Development Plan Review. This
solicitation is made on behalf of the City's Planning and Development Department pursuant to
NCGS 143-64.31 (the "Mini-Brooks Act"). Selection will be based solely on demonstrated
competence and qualifications; fee is not considered at this stage.
The City anticipates needing professional services in the following discipline areas:
* Stormwater Conveyance Review
* Stormwater Treatment / Stormwater Control Measure (SCM) Review
* Water Distribution System Review (Mains and Services)
* Wastewater Collection System Review (Mains and Services)
* Street Design Review
Proposers must indicate the discipline area(s) in which they wish to be considered. Please see
Section II for technical information on each discipline area.
The City intends to select multiple qualified firms for each discipline area. Each selected firm will
execute a Master Service Agreement (MSA) with the City. Supplemental Service Agreements
(SSAs) will be executed as plan review tasks arise. The contract length for this MSA will be
three (3) years.
Before executing an SSA for a complex or specialized review, the City may issue a Request for
Information (RFI) to select the best-qualified on-call consultant for that task. Routine reviews will
be offered to on-call consultants on a rotating basis, subject to availability and capacity, with the
intent to utilize each qualified consultant once before selecting any consultant more than once.
The City reserves the right to cancel the on-call program at any time and to create a new
program as needed. The City also reserves the right to cancel an MSA or SSA at any time,
including but not limited to instances where a firm fails to meet performance expectations or
routinely declines opportunities.
B. Definitions
Unless the context indicates otherwise - (a) The expressions "RFQ," "this RFQ," and "the RFQ"
refer to this document as it may be amended or updated. (b) "City" and "city" mean the City of
Durham. (c) The "SOQ" or "proposal" is the proposal of a person, firm, or corporation
responding to this RFQ. (d) The word "Candidate" or "candidate" is the person, firm, or
corporation that submits a proposal or is considering doing so. (e) The word "Contractor" or
"contractor" is the person, firm, or corporation with which the City enters a contract. (f) The word
"should" is used to tell candidates what the City thinks it wants or what is best practice; failure to
comply with all "shoulds" will not necessarily result in rejection.
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Planning and Development Department | On-Call Civil Site Engineering Plan Review RFQ
II. SCOPE OF WORK AND NATURE OF RFQ
The on-call services requested are contained in the following discipline areas. The selected
firm(s) will act as an extension of City staff, reviewing civil and site engineering plans submitted
by private developers for compliance with applicable City standards, ordinances, and state and
federal regulations. Typical tasks include, but are not limited to, reviewing submitted plan sets
and calculations, preparing written comment letters, responding to applicant inquiries, attending
pre-application and coordination meetings, and recommending approval or requesting
resubmittal.
Discipline 1 - Stormwater Conveyance Review
* Review for compliance with the City of Durham Reference Guide for Development and
all applicable City engineering design standards
* Review storm drain pipe, culvert, outfall, open channel, and drainage structure designs
* Review grading plans and peak flow/detention analyses
* Assess compliance with the City of Durham Stormwater Management Design Manual,
the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), and applicable state and federal regulations
* Review drainage reports, hydrologic and hydraulic calculations, and floodplain impact
analyses
* Review erosion and sedimentation control plans for consistency with drainage design
* Others as needed/requested
Discipline 2 - Stormwater Treatment / SCM Review
* Review for compliance with the City of Durham Reference Guide for Development and
all applicable City engineering design standards
* Review Stormwater Control Measure (SCM) designs for compliance with NCDEQ post-
construction stormwater rules (15A NCAC 02H .1000 et seq.) and the City's Post-
Construction Stormwater Program
* Review SCM sizing calculations, outlet and overflow designs, and planting plans
* Review draft Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Agreements for SCMs
* Assess compliance with applicable UDO requirements
* Others as needed/requested
Discipline 3 - Water Distribution System Review
* Review for compliance with the City of Durham Reference Guide for Development and
all applicable City engineering design standards
* Review water main extension and service connection designs for compliance with City of
Durham Water Management engineering design standards and North Carolina Rules
Governing Public Water Systems (15A NCAC 18C)
* Review pipe sizing, fire flow analyses, and pressure zone compliance
* Review materials specifications, testing requirements, and service connection designs
* Review meter and backflow prevention device designs
* Others as needed/requested
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Planning and Development Department | On-Call Civil Site Engineering Plan Review RFQ
Discipline 4 - Wastewater Collection System Review
* Review for compliance with the City of Durham Reference Guide for Development and
all applicable City engineering design standards
* Review gravity sewer main and service lateral designs for compliance with City of
Durham Water Management engineering design standards and NCDEQ requirements
(15A NCAC 02T)
* Review pipe sizing, manhole spacing and design, and minimum slope compliance
* Review force main and pump station designs where applicable
* Others as needed/requested
Discipline 5 - Street Design Review
* Review for compliance with the City of Durham Reference Guide for Development and
all applicable City engineering design standards
* Review public and private street designs for compliance with the City of Durham Street
Design Manual, the UDO, and NCDOT standards where applicable
* Review roadway geometry, pavement section design, curb and gutter, and
sidewalk/ADA accessibility
* Review sight distance, right-of-way, and traffic calming designs
* Review private drive and driveway designs
* Others as needed/requested
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Planning and Development Department | On-Call Civil Site Engineering Plan Review RFQ
III. REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS SUBMITTAL PROCESS
A. Schedule
This schedule is the City's best estimate of the schedule that will be followed. If a component of
this schedule is delayed, the rest of the schedule will be shifted by the same number of days.
Milestone Date / Time
Pre-Submittal Conference (Microsoft Teams) Thursday, September 10, 2026 at
1:00 PM
Due Date for RFQ Questions 9/18/2026 by 2:00 PM
City Reply to Questions / Addenda Issued 9/25 by 1:00 PM
Due Date for Receipt of SOQ Proposals 9/29/2026 at 2:00 PM
Proposal Evaluation Committee Completes Reviews 11/1/2026
City Council Authorizes City Manager to Execute 12/15/2026
MSA(s)
City Manager and Successful Candidate(s) Sign No later than 1/15/2027
MSA(s)
If, based on the SOQs submitted, the City decides to conduct presentations, those selected
consultants will be notified.
B. Contact Person for Questions
All questions related to this RFQ are to be submitted electronically to the following person by the
deadline stated in the schedule above:
John Sandor
Assistant Director - Planning and Development
City of Durham
(919) 560-4326
john.sandor@durhamnc.gov
C. Pre-Submittal Conference
Consultants interested in submitting an SOQ are strongly encouraged to attend a pre-submittal
conference on the date and time noted in the schedule above via Microsoft Teams. The meeting
will include an overview of the services needed, a review of RFQ submittal requirements.
Those who wish to attend must send an email to john.sandor@durhamnc.gov no later than 48
hours before the conference to receive the meeting link. No guarantees shall be made for those
who register after that deadline.
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Planning and Development Department | On-Call Civil Site Engineering Plan Review RFQ
D. Deadline for Submittals
SOQs must be received no later than 2:00 PM on the submission due date via email to
john.sandor@durhamnc.gov to be considered eligible.
E. Number of Submittals and Cover Letter
Consultants should submit one (1) electronic copy of their SOQ via email to
john.sandor@durhamnc.gov in PDF format.
The SOQ should contain a maximum two-page cover letter, signed by a principal of the
proposing firm, indicating his or her title and authority to submit the proposed qualifications.
The cover letter should contain the following statements:
The undersigned, whose title and position with the candidate are stated next to or
beneath his or her signature, has the authority to submit this proposal (including this
cover letter) on behalf of the candidate in response to the City of Durham's Request for
Qualifications.
Unless otherwise clearly stated in this response to the RFQ, our proposal accepts the
terms and conditions stated in the RFQ, including the description of services to be
performed and the provisions of the contract to be signed.
The cover letter should contain one of the following two paragraphs A or B. If (i) the cover letter
lacks both paragraph A and paragraph B, or (ii) the cover letter contains paragraph A but fails to
comply with the Trade Secrets and Confidentiality section, the City may treat everything it
receives from the candidate as NOT trade secret or confidential.
A. With respect to all trade secrets that the candidate may submit to the City in
connection with this proposal or the contract, if the contract is awarded to the candidate,
the candidate shall comply with the Trade Secrets and Confidentiality section of this
RFQ. The candidate acknowledges that the City will rely on the preceding sentence.
-or-
B. The candidate is not submitting any trade secrets to the City in connection with this
proposal or the contract; if the contract is awarded to the candidate, the candidate will
not submit any trade secrets to the City. The candidate acknowledges that the City will
rely on the preceding sentence.
F. Addenda
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Planning and Development Department | On-Call Civil Site Engineering Plan Review RFQ
The cover letter should acknowledge the last addendum issued by the City for this RFQ with a
statement such as: "The undersigned candidate has read all addenda issued by the City for this
RFQ, through and including Addendum No. ____.
H. Prohibited Contact
Consultants are prohibited from contacting any member of City staff regarding this proposal
other than the contact person listed above or as otherwise authorized by this RFQ. All questions
or requests for clarification must be submitted in writing by email. Questions regarding the
Underutilized Business Compliance (UBC) Division of Finance matters shall be submitted to the
UBC Division directly at (919) 560-4180.
I. Updates and Revisions to RFQ
If you have provided the Contact Person with your email address, updates ("addenda") to this
RFQ will be sent to you in that manner. This RFQ and addenda are normally posted on the
City's website on the Purchasing Division's webpage.
J. Subcontractors
Subcontractors may be used to perform work under SSAs but are not required for submission at
the MSA stage.
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Planning and Development Department | On-Call Civil Site Engineering Plan Review RFQ
IV. STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS FORMAT
The submitted proposal shall not exceed five (5) pages in length (11-point Arial font minimum -
strictly enforced), excluding the cover letter, title sheets, dividers, etc.
The proposal shall provide the following information in the format listed below.
A. Contact Information (in Cover Letter)
Include the candidate's name and mailing address, and the contact information (name, mailing
address, email address, fax number, and telephone number) of the person the City should
contact regarding the proposal.
B. Legal Status of the Candidate and Signers (in Cover Letter)
State the full, exact legal name of the candidate. State whether the candidate is an individual,
corporation, limited partnership, general partnership, limited liability company, professional
corporation, professional association, etc. If organized outside North Carolina, specify whether
the candidate has received a certificate of authority from the N.C. Secretary of State to transact
business in North Carolina. State whether the entity is in existence at the time the proposal is
submitted. State the names and titles of the individuals who will sign the contract with the City.
C. Discipline Area Statement (in Cover Letter)
In the cover letter the consultant shall clearly list which discipline area(s) (from Section II) the
firm intends to submit qualifications for. Proposers are invited to submit qualifications for
multiple discipline areas but shall not indicate qualification in an area for which the proposer is
not reasonably qualified and/or is not willing to complete work in.
D. Experience and Stated Interest (5 pages total)
This section shall include a description of the team's top three (3) project experiences that
illustrate the firm's achievement in similar work. The project experiences shall include, at a
minimum:
* Key elements of the project that relate to civil site engineering plan review or similar
development review services;
* Client contact information (phone and email);
* Project duration;
* Project's current status;
* Project's adherence to schedule;
* Control of costs; and
* Roles and responsibilities of members of the proposed team on the representative
project.
For the Stated Interest, describe how your firm would provide value-added service to the City of
Durham. Consider addressing the following:
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Planning and Development Department | On-Call Civil Site Engineering Plan Review RFQ
* Your firm's approach to turnaround time and responsiveness for development plan
review tasks; and
* Experience with municipal development review programs in North Carolina and
familiarity with applicable City of Durham, NCDEQ, and NCDOT standards.
F. Non-Collusion Statement (in Cover Letter)
Include and sign the following statement as part of the cover letter or on a separate page at the
end of the submission:
I, ________________________________ affirm that I have not engaged in collusion
with any City employee(s), other person, corporations or firms relating to this proposal. I
understand collusion is a violation of state and federal law and can result in fines, prison
sentences, and civil damage awards.
Signature: _______________________________
V. EVALUATION CRITERIA
Selection of the consultant(s) will be based on the following criteria. In accordance with NCGS
143-64.31, fee shall NOT be included in the SOQ and will not be considered during the
selection phase.
Evaluation Criterion Weight
Qualifications and experience of professional personnel assigned to this 30%
work
Firm's related experience on similar municipal development plan review or 25%
civil site engineering projects, including quality of work and ability to meet
schedules
Demonstrated knowledge of applicable City of Durham, NCDEQ, and 20%
NCDOT standards for the discipline area(s) claimed
Quality and responsiveness of the SOQ submittal 10%
Past performance with the City of Durham (if applicable) 15%
The evaluation criteria are intended to be used to make a recommendation to the City Manager
or City Council, who will award the contract but are not bound by the recommendation. The City
reserves the right to request presentations from short-listed firms prior to final selection.
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Planning and Development Department | On-Call Civil Site Engineering Plan Review RFQ
VI. CONTRACT
The City anticipates that the conclusion of the RFQ process will result in one or more Master
Service Agreements (MSAs) between the City and the successful consultant(s). Supplemental
Service Agreements (SSAs) will be executed as individual review tasks are identified. It is the
City's intention to use a version of its standard professional services contract (modified EJCDC
E-500 or comparable form), modified and filled in to reflect the RFQ and the proposal. If a firm
objects to any of the contract terms, the firm should state the objections in its proposal.
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