request for proposals mci-rfp-2020-001...request for proposal #mci-rfp-2020-001 | inverness...

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL #MCI-RFP-2020-001 | Inverness Wastewater Treatment Plant

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Request for Proposals MCI-RFP-2020-001

Terms of Reference

Inverness Wastewater Treatment Plant

System Assessment Report and Pre-Design Study

Monday, January 6th, 2020

Contact:

Aaron MacDonald Procurement Officer

The Municipality of the County of Inverness 375 Main Street, Port Hood, NS B0E2W0

902-787-3518 [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


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MCI-RFP-2020-001

Inverness Wastewater Treatment Plant – System Assessment Report and Pre-Design Study Proposals are invited for the provision of engineering services for the Municipality of the County of Inverness in accordance with the following terms of reference. An overall public awareness of the Inverness Wastewater Treatment Plant has risen over the lack of sufficient aeration, odour and noise control of the existing plant due to flows exceeding designed system capacity. Therefore, the required upgrades to the Inverness Wastewater Treatment Plant are to:

• Provide a complete System Assessment Report. • Provide an Environmental Risk Assessment. • Identify Environmental Quality Objectives (EQOs) for the receiving water at the future

treatment plant outfall, as well as Effluent Discharge Objectives (EDOs). • Provide adequate treatment capacity for the service population to the year 2049. • Increase wastewater treatment capacity. • Evaluate on and off-site sludge management. • Compliance with Federal and Provincial guidelines and criteria. • Confirm design flows such that future development can be accommodated. • Provide sufficient odour control and noise reduction/control for the new plant. • Improve efficiencies.

The replacement of the Inverness Wastewater Treatment Plant is contingent upon the ability to assemble the necessary funding partners. Through this Request for Proposals (RFP), the Municipality seeks a design firm that has specific experience in the assessment, design and construction of municipal water and wastewater treatment systems. The selected Consultant will be one that has demonstrated extraordinary functionality in cost-effective project design in addition to the highest level of technical and practical abilities. Innovative approaches combining cost effectiveness, odour and noise reduction, sludge management, energy efficiencies and new technologies should be considered.

RFPs are to be returned to the Municipal Office at:

375 Main Street PO Box 179

Port Hood, Cape Breton Nova Scotia, B0E 2W0

Attn: Aaron MacDonald, Procurement Officer

in a sealed envelope clearly marked, “MCI-RFP-2020-001

Inverness Wastewater Treatment Plant System Assessment Report and Pre-Design Study”

” and are to be received no later than 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 13th, 2020.

Faxed bids will not be accepted. Email: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


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GENERAL INFORMATION

There will be no public opening of the proposals.

The name of each bidder may be made available to each bidder upon request once the proposals are open.

The Municipality of the County of Inverness reserves the right to reject any or all proposals or to accept any proposal or part thereof considered to be in its best interest.

The Municipality of the County of Inverness does not limit itself to accepting the lowest priced or any proposal. In addition, the County reserves the right not to award this bid should it be determined not to be in the County’s best interest to do so.

PROPONENT The Municipality of the County of Inverness Cape Breton Island, traditionally known by First Nations Mi’kmaq people as Unama’ki, is re-emerging as one of the most dynamic travel destinations in Atlantic Canada. Stimulated by outstanding institutional support, a new generation of leadership and the mobilization and outreach by a solid group of partners Cape Breton Island is a destination determined to rejuvenate its product and experiences. The Municipality of the County of Inverness has emerged as an important player in this transition.

Inverness County is situated in the Western and Northern part of Cape Breton Island and borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Bras d’Or Lake, promising some of the spectacular views and picturesque scenery expected of an Atlantic Canadian coastline. Inverness County offers a perfect balance of nature, culture, history and community. As of the last census in 2016, the Municipality of the County of Inverness, established in 1879, had a population of 14,021 citizens. The Municipality provides services under five (5) departments: Administration, Finance & Taxation, Infrastructure & Emergency Services, Tourism and Recreation. The Municipality of the County of Inverness is also a member of the Cape Breton Regional Enterprise Network (CBREN) which jointly provides Economic Development Facilitation to its membership.

It is both a challenging and invigorating time to be living and working in Inverness County, Cape Breton Island, where creativity, innovation and growth are evident while also facing the long-term challenge of a declining and aging population. The Municipality is focused on strengthening the economy and population base and putting a greater emphasis on increased capacity to accommodate growth, business investment, readiness, and tourism. Tourism is considered by the region’s economic development organizations to be one of the highest potential generators for the local economy and residents and has the potential to be a main gateway strategy for business renewal, investment and repopulation.

The Municipality of the County of Inverness is taking the necessary steps to plan and prepare for a more sustainable and operationally effective future for its infrastructure and the quality of services delivered. Replacing the Inverness Wastewater Treatment Plant will ensure that the Municipality of the County of Inverness increases its capacity to treat and manage wastewater, while enabling compliance with the limits and criteria set by both Nova Scotia Environment and the Federal Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations.


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COMMUNITY OF INVERNESS The Community of Inverness is situated on the Gulf of St. Lawrence on the west coast of Cape Breton Island. A former mining town established in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it has recently experienced a resurgence following the reclamation of former mining lands and the development of two world-renowned golf courses. Hosting two of the world’s top acclaimed golf courses, Cabot links and Cabot Cliffs, Inverness has a national and international brand as a key destination in the province for golfers. While the population of the Municipality of the County of Inverness has fallen between 2016 and 2019 (-4%), the population of the Community of Inverness increased during the same period by 2.2% (Statistics Canada). After decades of adjusting to and planning for population and economic decline, the Community of Inverness is now facing challenges related to their new tourism and recreation driven success and their established position as a regional services hub (including health services). The community of Inverness is at a pivotal point. In the face of the need to undertake extensive infrastructure replacement (identified in Dillion’s 2019 Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Assessment and Recommendations Report), as well as acute and emerging challenges related to housing, economic growth and large scale-golf recreation use. In order to protect the overall viability of Inverness as key provincial destination, a comprehensive approach to growth management is being developed to identify sustainable approaches and tangible actions to address growing physical infrastructure pressures and housing needs. While the Community’s immediate needs generally concern infrastructure, the Municipality is also addressing strategic planning efforts on key initiatives related to the integration of land use and infrastructure planning. Key areas of concern include:

• Sustainable Infrastructure Planning: A significant challenge for the Community and the Municipality as a whole relates to servicing infrastructure. The recent Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Assessment Report (Dillon Consulting, 2019) estimates $186 million of water and wastewater assets owned by the Municipality and a 10-year replacement cost of $103 million. The assessment finds that the general condition of the water and wastewater infrastructure is worse than the national average. Within the Municipality, the Community of Inverness is in particularly poor condition; the general condition of linear infrastructure in Inverness is described as physically unsound, unreliable and having reached or exceeded its useful life. Of the total required 10-year investment the Community of Inverness accounts for 41% of the total cost; the estimated 10-year replacement cost for infrastructure in Inverness alone is $42.6 million.

Due to the age, condition and regulation deficiencies the Inverness Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) is a priority for replacement. The WWTP is not meeting the effluent criteria specified in both Nova Scotia Environment's (NSE) Approval to Operate and the Federal Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations (WSER). Effluent from the WWTP is discharged to the Gulf of St. Lawrence and currently the Municipality is struggling to meet the licensing agreement with NSE. Due to the wastewater treatment plants proximity to Cabot Links Golf Course and Inverness Beach both major attractions for visitors, the Municipality has received several odor and noise complaints due to poor treatment, aging and failing infrastructure, high flows and limited capacity. The community of Inverness has been actively attracting new business start-ups which will also increase flows, including: a micro-brewery, restaurants, accommodations and expansions of golf-related services. The commissioning of a newly constructed


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wastewater plant in Inverness will give the Municipality much needed capacity to treat and manage existing and future flows while ensuring continued sustainability of economic and residential growth.

PROPOSAL OBJECTIVE An overall public awareness of the Inverness Wastewater Treatment Plant has risen over the lack of sufficient aeration, odour and noise control of the existing plant due to flows exceeding designed system capacity. Therefore, the required upgrades to the Inverness Wastewater Treatment Plant are to:

• Provide a complete System Assessment Report. • Provide an Environmental Risk Assessment. • Identify Environmental Quality Objectives (EQOs) for the receiving water at the future

treatment plant outfall, as well as Effluent Discharge Objectives (EDOs). • Provide adequate treatment capacity for the service population to the year 2049. • Increase wastewater treatment capacity. • Evaluate on and off-site sludge management. • Compliance with Federal and Provincial guidelines and criteria. • Confirm design flows such that future development can be accommodated. • Provide sufficient odour control and noise reduction/control for the new plant. • Improve efficiencies.

The replacement of the Inverness Wastewater Treatment Plant is contingent upon the ability to assemble the necessary funding partners. Through this Request for Proposals (RFP), the Municipality seeks a design firm that has specific experience in the assessment, design and construction of municipal water and wastewater treatment systems. The selected Consultant will be one that has demonstrated extraordinary functionality in cost-effective project design in addition to the highest level of technical and practical abilities. Innovative approaches combining cost effectiveness, odour and noise reduction, sludge management, energy efficiencies and new technologies should be considered The Consultant is to propose a new design. This will include construction drawings, bid specifications, and construction cost estimates for a new facility at the same or newly proposed location.

EXISTING CONDITIONS The Inverness Wastewater Treatment plant was constructed in 1973 with an upgrade in 2014 and provides treatment of wastewater from the community of Inverness, within the Municipality of the County of Inverness and is located at 58 Lower Railway Street, Inverness, Nova Scotia. It operates under the Approval No. 2015-092756-R01. The Wastewater Treatment Plant consists of a manual bar screen, extended aeration oxidation ditch with UV disinfection. Aeration in the system is provided by blowers. The aeration system has signs of significant deterioration and wear, with air leaks on the blower discharge piping. The overflow channel for the bar screen is frequently operating allowing unscreened wastewater to enter the system increasing solids carry through. The secondary clarifiers do not have any skimming mechanism and operators carry this out manually. The sludge digestion system is inoperable and during winter it routinely freezes over, the mechanical equipment overall is dated. A summary of the existing wastewater treatment plant is as follows:

• Design capacity of 946,350 L/d (250,000 USgpd). • Plant is an aerated lagoon with activated sludge system, with UV disinfection.


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• Service area includes approximately 1500 connections in the village of Inverness, including the hospital.

• The flow is currently discharged through a 450mm (18”) polyethylene outfall into the Northumberland Strait, offshore of Inverness beach. The outfall is approximately 90m (300’) from the onshore manhole.

The wastewater enters the covered headworks inside the plant limits from an on-site manhole where it passes through a bar screen and scraper. There is a fiberglass cover over the headworks. The flow is then directed to an adjacent active aerated lagoon. There is a former lagoon that is out of service situated beside the active lagoon. The aeration in the active lagoon is provided by two floating air lines and two blowers house in an adjacent building. The flow from the aerated lagoon then enters a fiberglass covered clarifier at the rear of the plant where final sludge settling occurs before entering the disinfection system. Disinfection is provided by a screened 5 channel UV system. In 2014 the aeration was updated, and the second lagoon was taken out. Sludge is removed from the lagoon and pumped into a two-stage sludge digester. Another blower building houses sports for two blowers, although only one is in operation and the other one was removed. The building houses four pumps (Gorman Rupp pumps), three currently connected and one removed. The pumps are for raw activated sludge and the waste activated sludge. Waste activated sludge generated at the Inverness Wastewater Treatment Plant has been currently stored in the on-site digester. According to Section 8 of the Approval, the effluent discharged into the environment must meet the following criteria:

a) CBOD5 shall not exceed 25 mg/L b) TSS shall not exceed 25 mg/L c) E.Coli shall not exceed 200/100 MPN/mL d) Disinfection of the effluent must be continuous e) pH must be within the range of 6.0 to 9.0

The Inverness WWTP is not meeting the effluent criteria specified in both Nova Scotia Environment's (NSE) Approval to Operate and the Federal Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations (WSER). Effluent from the WWTP is discharged to the Gulf of St. Lawrence and currently the Municipality is struggling to meet the licensing agreement with NSE. Recent assessments have identified that effluent from the plant regularly exceeds TSS, BOD, and E.coli. counts. Nova Scotia Environment closed a section of Inverness Beach during the summer of 2019 as a result of these exceedances. Due to the age, condition and regulation deficiencies and the plants proximity to Cabot Links Golf Course and Inverness Beach, both major attractions for visitors, the system is a priority for replacement as the existing plant is unable to meet the current demands of the community of Inverness. Using population forecast data the consultant team is to predict life cycle flows and confirm the size required to meet current and future flows, providing low, medium and high growth scenarios. Particular attention should be given to the seasonal tourism growth and contraction. The Municipality must ensure that a newly constructed plant will meet community demand and have the capacity to accommodate growth throughout its lifespan. The consultant will also Identify options for producing irrigation water for adjacent golf course that meet Provincial and Federal standards.


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REFERENCE STUDY

The following study is available upon request in electronic format.

Studies Water & Wastewater Infrastructure Assessment and Recommendations, Final Report 2019

REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS

In February of 2009 the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) national strategy for the management of municipal wastewater effluent was endorsed by the Federal Government. Most provinces including Nova Scotia adopted the strategy in 2009. The CCME strategy establishes minimum performance standards for all municipal wastewater treatment plants operating within Canada. However, facility owners must conduct site-specific assessments to determine the level of environmental risk imposed by the effluent discharged from every plant and identify Effluent Discharge Objectives (EDOs) that will mitigate the identified risk.

On June 29th, 2012 Environment Canada (EC) registered the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations (WSER) under the Fisheries Act. In general, this regulation applies to any wastewater system that deposits an average daily volume of 100 cubic meters or more of wastewater effluent containing deleterious substances into water or a place as referred to in subsection 36(3) of the Act.

SLUDGE MANAGEMENT

It is important for the Municipality of the County of Inverness to evaluate an organization wide approach to sludge management at this early stage with the intent to reduce our potential carbon footprint from the onset and to minimize operating costs for the long-term. Two options will be evaluated during the preliminary design stage of this assignment, (1) on-site sludge management and (2) off-site sludge management.

SCOPE OF WORK

The Consultant is to identify and provide solutions for improvements of the existing collection system and to provide the Municipality with an optimum long-term wastewater treatment solution for the community of Inverness. To meet this objective a range of wastewater collection, treatment and disposal options will need to be evaluated at the conceptual level followed by preliminary design of the preferred option. Effluent disposal will be identified for the discharge location through a process acceptable to Nova Scotia Environment. The consultant will also identify options for producing irrigation water for adjacent golf course that meet Provincial and Federal standards.

The overall scope of work for this assignment generally includes the following major tasks: • Project Administration & Management • Assessments, Authorizations & Efficiencies • Optimization & Asset Management Efforts


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• Develop Design Parameters • Options Evaluation, Professional Recommendations and System Selection • Preliminary Design (Preferred System)

At the end of this assignment the preliminary design of a safe, reliable, sustainable, cost effective and environmentally responsible wastewater treatment system will have been developed. One preliminary design will include the necessary permits, approvals, collection system upgrade initiatives and engineering design parameters needed to immediately move forward with detailed design and construction of the system. It is the Municipality’s objective to meet regulatory compliance and construct a treatment system with the lowest life cycle cost possible. Based on the complexity of this assignment, proponents should propose the appropriate approach and level of effort to achieve this objective. Tangible water and wastewater assets in the Municipality typically have a life span of decades in duration and generally the operating and maintenance costs can exceed the capital cost by many times. The optimal design solution should provide the following: • Efficient operating and maintenance resulting in the best Operations & Maintenance (O&M)

practices for such items as labour, chemicals, and energy. • Confirm design flows such that future development can be accommodated. • Minimal capital reinvestment during the life of the asset. • Positive impact on the environment and compliance with regulations. • Public education and policy recommendations.

PROJECT ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT

The successful proponent shall be responsible for all aspects of coordination and project management and shall designate, in writing, a project manager. All coordination of services between the Municipality of the County of Inverness and the successful proponent shall be the responsibility of the respective manager.

The primary purpose of project administration / management is to keep the project within scope, budget, and on schedule and to ensure that appropriate quality control / quantity assurance practices are used to provide the best product possible for the Municipality.

Major consultant activities include: • Confirm client requirements and objectives at project outset, • Initiate and chair meetings, • Maintain all project documentation, • Provide written project updates to the Municipality on a bi-weekly basis (every two weeks).

The updates are to include specific status updates on schedule and budget. Chart the project progress against the original schedule.

• Schedule, facilitate and prepare minutes for meetings with the Municipal Project Manager on this file and relevant stakeholders throughout the duration of the project. The purpose


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of the meetings will be to review and update work progress (i.e. scope, schedule & budget) and to review and update project management plans,

• Identify & manage risks associated with the project, • Proactive and thorough communication with Municipality throughout the duration of the

project, • Manage overall project scope, schedule, budget & quality control, • Ensure all project changes are discussed and approved by the Municipality in advance of

proceeding with the work. Key deliverables include: • All recorded information including project reports, project files, templates, surveys,

calculations, sketches, plans, meeting minutes & correspondence; • Communications plan, including regular written project updates outlining progress for the

review period. The updates are to be reviewed/signed by the consultant’s quality assurance representative for the project;

• At the project outset, develop a risk management plan including all mitigation measures used to manage project risks;

• Documentation of any project changes (scope, schedule, budget & quality impacts) including correspondence reflecting Municipal approval prior to proceeding with the proposed changes.

ASSESSMENTS & AUTHORIZATIONS

The successful proponent shall carry out the necessary work to identify and address project risks and/or system deficiencies. This assignment will include, but not limited to environmental impact assessments, regulatory requirement reviews, geotechnical investigations to identify infrastructure installation challenges, archeological impact assessments, aboriginal consultations, climate risk analysis, active transportation review, etc. It will be the responsibility of the engineering consultant to identity the necessary approvals required to complete this project.

Activities & key deliverables include: • Perform Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESA) for the potential treatment plant

site. • Develop a plan to safely decommission/remove and dispose of the remaining treatment

plant structures located on PID # 50129147 in an environmentally acceptable manner. The plan shall include instructions on how to install a temporary bypass if deemed necessary.

• Identify deficiencies and constraints including approvals, land acquisition and/or easement requirements that will impact the installation and operation of a wastewater collection and treatment system in the community of Inverness.

• Confirm the outfall has the capacity for current and future flows. • Wastewater should meet irrigation regulation for golf courses. • Complete an Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA). The successful engineering firm will

identify Environmental Quality Objectives (EQOs) for the receiving water near treatment plant outfall, as well as Effluent Discharge Objectives (EDOs). The successful proponent


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will be required to collaborate with Nova Scotia Environment (NSE) to develop an acceptable plan. The engineering firm will also have to conduct a flow monitoring program to determine monitoring frequencies.

OPTIMIZATION & ASSET MANAGEMENT EFFORTS

The successful proponent shall develop a thorough understanding of the condition and function of the existing wastewater collection system through an extensive field program. The purpose of this optimization effort is to improve lift station, pumping and treatment efficiency and to reduce the frequency of sewer overflows. This component of work will require interviews with operations staff to learn about current system function and issues.

The asset management effort will compile relevant information and improve the Municipality’s understanding of the condition of collection system assists to help the Infrastructure and Emergency Services Department make better more informed decisions with respect to maintaining this system.

The Municipality’s vision for the community of Inverness is a product that is environmentally responsible and cost effective to operate, and we believe that to accomplish this a ‘leak free’ mentality must be taken. To work towards this goal the Municipality has included a collection system investigation and evaluation component in this assignment. The successful proponent will inspect, evaluate and survey manholes and one (1) lift station within the community of Inverness collection system.

At the end of this assignment, a collection system asset register and upgrade report will have been developed to comply with the format of the existing asset management inventory. The upgrade report will summarize the field investigation program, identifying areas of concern within the collection system that require upgrades or further investigation such as closed-circuit television inspection of linear assets. The objective of this exercise is to set the stage for lift station upgrades, allow for the addition of one lift station at the beach, help identify illegal connections and inflow and infiltration separation work within the collection system.

Activities include: • Develop and execute a plan suitable to the local traffic authority to inspect and evaluate

sewer infrastructure such as: manholes and pumping facilities within the entire community of Inverness collection system.

• Where it is possible, information on linear assets such as pipe sections between manholes will also be collected during the manhole inspection exercise.

• Review existing drawings and available information about the collection system and identify information gaps.

• Investigate capacity for expansion. Key Deliverables include: • An asset condition assessment report for collection system infrastructure within the

community of Inverness system boundary, including but not limited to preliminary design of lift station upgrades, manhole replacement instructions and details on further investigation requirements for the next phase of the project. Where upgrades or further


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investigation is deemed necessary, cost estimates are to be included in the report along with a phased in scalable capital plan to making the necessary improvements.

DEVELOP DESIGN PARAMETERS

The purpose of this task is to develop comprehensive design parameters for all elements of the upgraded and new infrastructure needed to provide a reliable wastewater collection and treatment service to the residents within the collection boundary of the community of Inverness.

Activities include: • Consult with the Municipality, recommend methodology to determine long term

commercial and residential growth projections. • Delineate lands inside and outside of the current catchment boundary and review

development potential. • Establish wastewater design flows, influent loading and effluent discharge objectives. • Estimate future wastewater design flows and loads based on the assumption that sludge

will be managed on-site. • Estimate future wastewater design flows and loads based on the assumption that sludge

will be managed off-site. • Design a system that can be expanded upon if required. • Design a system that has the capacity to manage the expansion and contraction of current

and future flows due to seasonal visitation. Key Deliverables include: • Design Parameters

OPTIONS EVALUATION, PROFESSIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS & SYSTEM SELECTION

The purpose of this task is to develop conceptual collection and treatment system configurations including trunk sewers (pipe corridors), pumping requirements, combined sewer overflows, treatment plant processes and outfall arrangements. The evaluation will consider life cycle cost, detrimental effects to the community such as noise, odor and aesthetics and shall consider low greenhouse gas generation technologies including energy recovery methods.

This task will include a comprehensive comparison of treating only wastewater generated within the community of Inverness collection boundary.

Activities include: • Develop conceptual collection system configurations, including the necessary pumping,

screening, and gravity conveyance systems. • Develop conceptual treatment options with on-site sludge management • Develop conceptual treatment options with the diversion of sludge to a central Municipal

location. • Capital cost, O&M cost and life cycle cost comparison of options.


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• Compilation of the technical, environmental and socioeconomic benefits and/or drawbacks of each approach including criteria such as: o Ability to consistently meet effluent compliance limits now and in the future; o Constructability issues; o Operational complexity; o Ease of expansion or upgrading to meet future needs. o Public impacts and perception. o Public education.

Key Deliverables include: • Concept design report complete with all findings.

PRELIMINARY DESIGN OF PREFERRED SYSTEM

The purpose of this task is to develop preliminary design details for the recommended wastewater collection, treatment and discharge options for the community of Inverness.

Activities include: • Develop preliminary design details for the preferred collection, treatment and discharge

options included but not limited to: o Tabulated design criteria, capacity and dimensional data for each unit operation

within the treatment facility and collection system components; o General arrangement drawings for treatment and pumping facility components and

ancillary facilities; o Process flow diagrams and preliminary P&IDs; o Hydraulic profiles through the treatment facility; o Preliminary equipment lists for all major equipment; o Plan and profile drawings along recommended route for collection system

infrastructure and effluent line from the facility site to the receiving water based on available mapping;

o Delineation of additional land area requirements if necessary. • Preliminary design review process in full consultation with the Municipality; • Coordinate with the Municipality and identify any outstanding data or information that

may be required before detailed design work can commence such as: o Legal and topographic surveys; o Geotechnical investigations; o Utility requirements;

• Meet and liaise with regulatory bodies, utility companies i.e. Bell-Aliant, Nova Scotia Power Incorporated (NSPI), Nova Scotia Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal (NSTIR), etc. and other levels of governing bodies as necessary. Coordination and collaboration with all regulatory bodies and utilities will be required to ensure acceptability and compatibility with current design standards and regulations and to avoid revisions and delays;


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• Complete the preliminary design incorporating all collected data and including details for all options and scenarios considered complete with capital and life cycle cost comparisons, and recommendations; and Owner review of the final preliminary design report.

Key Deliverables include: • Preliminary design report including drawings. • Detailed cost estimate (Class D) based on the preliminary design.

TERM OF THE PROJECT

The term of any contact arising from this request for proposals will extend from the date the contract is signed until the project is deemed complete.

PROJECT AUTHORITY AND INVOLVEMENT The Request for Proposal is administered under the direction of the Procurement Officer, Department of Finance. The selection of any successful Consultant will be by Municipal Council upon review and recommendation made to it by the Project Steering Committee. Final approval is granted by the Municipal Council.

PROJECT STAKEHOLDERS The Municipality of the County of Inverness is the project stakeholder in this Request for Proposals however, consultation session(s) should be coordinated as required by the successful proponent between Municipal staff and management of Cabot Enterprises.

CONSULTANT RESPONSIBILITY The Consultant shall furnish the necessary qualified personnel to provide the services; the consultant shall provide a list of team members and team member roles.

The Consultant represents that it has access to the experience and capability necessary to and agrees to perform the services with the reasonable skill and diligence required to customarily accepted professional practices and procedures normally provided in the performance of services at the time when and the location in which the services were performed.

The Consultant shall carefully examine all Proposal documents for this contract, to determine the extent of work. By submitting a Proposal the Consultant acknowledges full understanding of the extent and character of the work required and the conditions surrounding the performance thereof. The Municipality will not be responsible for any alleged misunderstanding of the work to be furnished or completed, or any misunderstanding of conditions surrounding the performance thereof. It is understood that by submitting a Proposal by the Consultant the proposal will serve as the stated commitment to fulfill all the conditions referred to in this Proposal.


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MUNICIPAL RESPONSIBILITY The Municipality of the County of Inverness shall make available to the Consultant all relevant information or data pertinent to the project which it has in its possession for the Consultant to perform the services.

The Municipality shall give prompt consideration to all documentation related to the project prepared by the Consultant and whenever prompt action is necessary, shall inform the Consultant of the Municipality’s decision in such reasonable time so as not to delay the schedule for providing the services.

The Municipality shall, with assistance from the Consultant, obtain all required approvals, permits, licenses and access rights from municipal and other governmental authorities and utilities having jurisdiction over or easements on the work site.

The Municipality shall advise the Consultant of the location of all underground utilities and structures at the work site.

INQUIRIES Any inquiries and requests for clarification with respect to this Request for Proposal must be directed to: Aaron MacDonald Procurement Officer Municipality of the County of Inverness 375 Main Street, Port Hood, Nova Scotia B0E 2W0 Office: 902-787-3518 Email: [email protected] Verbal responses to any question or inquiries are not binding on either party.

SUBMISSION CONDITIONS AND SCHEDULE The submission of a proposal on this service will be considered as a representation that the Consultant has carefully investigated all conditions which may affect or may, at some future date affect the performance of the services covered by the proposal and that the Consultant is fully informed concerning the conditions to be encountered, quality and quantity of work to be performed and materials to be furnished. The Request for Proposals tentative schedule is as follows: Issue Request for Proposals Monday, January 6th, 2020 Consultants briefing of site conditions Available via audiovisual link effective Monday, January 6th, 2020 End of question period Friday, January 24th, 2020 Issue responses to questions Wednesday, January 29th, 2020 Closing of Request for Proposals Thursday, February 13th, 2020 Evaluation Commencement Monday, February 17th, 2020 Interview(s), if necessary TBD Contract award TBD


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Target Project Start Date Upon Award

• Consultants Duties and Reporting The Consultant shall use as a reference the Atlantic Canada Standards and Guidelines Manual for Collection, Treatment and Disposal of Sanitary Sewage. The Consultant’s work will include, but not be limited to, services as described in the ACEC Prime Agreement between Client and Engineer, Document 31, as well as the following additional services:

1. Review all existing information (ie. previous studies, reports, etc.); 2. Confirm design flows such that future development can be accommodated; 3. Review options for servicing the project area and recommend preferred option. Confirm

capital, operating and life cycle costs; 4. Provide relevant Operation and Maintenance manuals;

The Consultant shall meet with the Steering Committee in Port Hood at the Municipal Building located at 375 Main Street at the following milestones:

1. Project orientation

The Consultant is responsible for the preparation of the meeting agenda and preparation/distribution of the Steering Committee minutes. The Consultant shall provide twelve (12) copies of the tender ready design document.

• Qualifications

To establish the capabilities and qualifications of Consultants, specific information is requested, including corporate profile, service delivery capability, project management and technical support ability, relevant experience and references, management support programs, proven successes in similar undertakings, related management experience and additional background information as outlined herein. Consultants are encouraged to submit as detailed a document as possible in support of their capacity to meet the requirements of this Request for Proposal. To assure a uniform review process and to obtain the maximum degree of comparability, each proposal shall contain the following information with the heading/numbering system as noted below:

1.0 Understanding of Municipality’s Requirements A brief statement to indicate the Consultant understands the requirements of Municipality of the County of Inverness.

2.0 Corporate Profile 2.1 Mission, vision and values of the Consultant; 2.2 Overview of capabilities and services; 2.3 Three client references including location, client contact, nature of services, value of

contract and key outcomes achieved. Projects must have been completed in the last 5 years;

2.4 Outline of criteria that differentiate the Consultant from its competitors; 2.5 Proof of Liability Insurance, minimum limit of $5,000,000, or a letter from insurer

indicating capability of providing the same. 3.0 Organization and Personnel


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3.1 Identify contact name and address of Principal Contact for the Consultant; 3.2 Identify names of all sub-consultants; 3.3 Identify proposed main point of contact/Project Manager of the Consultant to be

maintained throughout the project; 3.4 Identify key staff and their proposed role in the project including previous relevant

experience. Appended resumes, if provided, are not to exceed three pages per person;

3.5 Provide descriptions of completed similar or representative projects executed by the Consultant and sub-consultants including year of completion, client contact names, staff and their roles in the project, and photographs or other graphic materials;

3.6 Overview of corporate health and safety programs and how programs are implemented for projects.

4.0 Provision of Services 4.1 Scope of Services outline of approach to completing all aspects of the scope of

services, including for each service area a statement as to whether this service would be self-performed or subcontracted;

4.2 Approach to ensuring optimal value for money for the Municipality of the County of Inverness;

4.2.1 Approach to innovative design, cost effectiveness and energy efficiency. 4.3 Approaches to Management of Project

4.3.1 Approach to management of project; 4.3.2 Approach to customer contact and communications; 4.3.3 Approach to quality management; 4.3.4 Project schedule identifying key milestone dates for deliverables and time

allotted for the Municipality’s review; 4.3.5 A schedule of fees for professional services, plus disbursements, setting

out rates of remuneration for each consultant team member, an estimate for the amount of time each member will devote to a particular task, and an estimated cost of each budget item. Where disbursements are estimated or time and material based, provide unit rates or basis for estimate. Provide a maximum price for completing the assignment, including HST.

• Closing Date

The proposals must be received by the Municipal Procurement Officer by 2:00pm on Thursday, February 13th, 2020. Proposal closing times are local (Atlantic) time. Proposals received after that time will not be considered and will be returned unopened to the Consultant. Address for the Municipal Procurement Officer: Courier Address: Municipality of the County of Inverness PO Box 179 375 Main Street Port Hood, Nova Scotia B0E 2W0

Administration Building 375 Main Street Port Hood, Nova Scotia B0E 2W0


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• Proposal Packages The Municipality requires one (1) original copy of the proposal, seven (7) hard paper copies and one (1) PDF digital copy on thumb/USB drive of the proposal to be submitted. Submissions must be in conformance with the requirements stated in this Request for Proposals document. All proposals are to be submitted duly signed by an authorized official able to commit the Consultant to the terms outlined in the proposal and enclosed in a sealed envelope clearly marked:

PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR ENGINEERING SERVICES

INVERNESS WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT SYSTEM ASSESSMENT REPORT & DETAILED DESIGN The Municipality will not be held responsible for any proposal which is not properly identified on the outside of the envelope. Facsimile or e-mail proposals will not be accepted.

• Proposal Submissions Proposals and accompanying documents submitted by the Consultant are the property of the Municipality and will not be returned.

• Public Opening As this is a Request for Proposals, there will not be a public opening; however, proposals shall be opened as soon as practical after the closing time.

• Proposal Modifications Modifications to submissions already submitted shall be allowed, if received before the date and time fixed for the closing of submissions. Email: [email protected] The Municipality will not accept any liability for any claim, demand or other actions for any reason should a facsimile or e-mail transmission be interrupted, not received in its entirety, received after the stated closing time and date, received by any other facsimile unit or email address other than that stated herein, or for any other reasons. The Municipality cannot guarantee the confidentiality of information contained in the amendment.

• Proposal Changes and Amendments The Municipality may issue addenda and/or clarification to the Request for Proposal as necessary. The Municipality, if any changes are made to the Request for Proposal, will notify all Consultants in writing. When an addendum is issued, the closing time shall, where necessary, be adjusted to reasonably allow Consultants to receive the addendum and adequately consider, prepare and submit their proposals, taking into account the impact of the addendum.

• Cancellation of Request for Proposals The Municipality has exclusive right to cancel this Request for Proposal at any time and reissue it for any reason whatsoever, without incurring any liability and no Consultant will have any claim against the Municipality as a consequence.


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• Consultant Expenses Consultants are solely responsible for their own expenses in preparing, delivering, or presenting a proposal and for subsequent negotiations with Municipality, if any.

• Validity of Bid Conditions The terms and conditions of the proposal are to remain firm for 60 days from the closing date.

• Withdrawal of Proposals Proposals may with be withdrawn on written request of the Consultant any time before the time of closing.

GENERAL PROVISIONS Submissions will be reviewed by a Steering Committee consisting of representatives from the Municipality of the County of Inverness.

• Rejection or Acceptance of Proposals The Municipality reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals, not necessarily accept the lowest cost proposal, or not accept any proposal that is not in its best interest, The Municipality also reserves the right to waive formality, informality or technicality in any proposal.

• Form of Contract

Any contract signed as a result of the Requests for Proposals will contain the relevant provisions of the RFP and of the successful submission by the Consultant, as well as any other terms that may be mutually agreed upon, whether arising from the proposal or as a result of negotiations. Each Proposal will be received with the understanding that the acceptance in writing by the Municipality of the offer to furnish all or any part of the commodities described therein shall constitute in part a contract between the Consultant and the Municipality, which shall bind the Consultant on their part to furnish and deliver the services and/or commodities at the prices given and in accordance with conditions of said accepted Proposal and specifications and proposal terms and conditions, and the Municipality on its part to take delivery of and pay for the services and commodities at the contract prices, unless the contract is negotiated or the Consultant withdraws his Proposal. No alterations or variations of the terms of the contract shall be valid or binding upon the Municipality unless authorized in writing. It is mutually agreed and understood that the Consultant shall not assign, transfer, convey, sublet or otherwise dispose of his contract or his right, title or interest therein, or his power to execute such contract, to any other person, firm Company or corporation without the previous written consent of the Municipality. The placing in the mail to the address given in his Proposal or delivery of a notice of award to a Consultant will constitute notice of acceptance of a Proposal. When so requested by the Municipality the Consultant shall execute a formal contract with the Municipality for the complete performance specified therein.


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The Municipality reserves the right to remove from the list of Consultants, for an indeterminate period, the name of any Consultant for unsatisfactory performance of contract.

• Elaborate Proposals Elaborate proposals in the form of brochures or other presentations beyond that necessary to present a complete and effective proposal is not desired.

• Confidentiality Whereas the Municipality has requested proposals rather than specific tender documents, we will endeavor to keep specific details of each submission confidential where possible. The confidentiality agreement will not be enforced where it is contrary to any legislative requirements for disclosure. The Municipality cannot guarantee the confidentiality of information contained in the proposal.

• Interviews and Final Selection At their option, the Steering committee may request a presentation or discussion with any or all Consultants for the purpose of clarification or amplification/simplification of the materials presented in any part of the proposal. However, Consultants are cautioned that the evaluators are not required to request clarification; therefore, all proposals should be complete and reflect the most favorable terms available from the Consultant. Presentations shall be made at the sole cost of the Consultant.

• Debriefing An unsuccessful Consultant may request a debriefing or clarification meeting following the selection of another Consultant.

• Acceptance Period All proposals will be irrevocable, valid and open after the date and time of opening and are to remain open for acceptance for a period of sixty (60) days.

• Supplemental Information Subsequent to the formal closing of the Proposal, the Municipality may request additional information about the Consultants’ proposal by attaching a signed inquiry letter via email to the Consultant’s contact. The Consultant will provide a signed written response. The Municipality may require interviews to clarify a Consultant response.

• Third Party Consultant Consultants must disclose the use of any third-party Consultant.

• Workplace Safety & Insurance Board The Consultant will be required to show proof of Workplace Safety & Insurance Board coverage.

• Insurance Requirements The successful Consultant shall at all times during the term of an agreement and any extension or renewal thereof, at its own expense, obtain and provide the Municipality with evidence of Commercial General Liability Insurance, including cross-liability, employers liability, and contractual liability insurance, against all claims for personal injury, including bodily injury resulting in death, and property damage with an inclusive limit of not less than five million ($5,000,000.00) per occurrence and in the


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annual aggregate. Such policy shall name the Municipality as an additional insured with respect to the liability arising out of the operations of the named insured;

The Consultant shall provide to the Municipality prior to entering into an agreement, a Certificate of Insurance;

If such a policy is cancelled thirty (30) days prior written notice by registered mail will be given by the Consultant’s insurer to the Municipality;

The Municipality reserves the right to request such higher limits of insurance or other types of insurance policies appropriate to the agreement as the Municipality may reasonably require from time to time, at the Municipality’s expense;

The Consultant will carry professional liability insurance in the total amount of Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000) per claim and in the annual aggregate within any policy year. Coverage will be maintained continuously from the commencement of the Services until completion or termination of the Services and, subject to availability at reasonable cost, for 2 years after completion or termination of the Services.

The Municipality may choose to increase the amount or the coverage of the Consultant’s professional liability insurance above that provided in 6.0(v) so as to obtain additional insurance that is specific to the Project. The Consultant will cooperate with the Municipality to obtain such additional insurance, at the Municipality’s expense.

• Indemnification The Consultant will be required to agree to the following respecting liability and indemnity: The Consultant agrees that it shall, indemnify and save harmless the Municipality and each of its elected officials, officers and employees from and against all claims, demands, losses, costs, damages, action, suits or other proceedings made, sustained, brought or made upon the Municipality in respect to any costs, expenses, loss, damage or injury, including death and reasonable legal fees and arbitration costs, to the extent caused by negligent acts or omissions of the Consultant or any of its officers, directors, employees, subcontractors or anyone for whom the Consultant is liable in law, in connection with the services performed, purportedly performed or required to be performed by the Consultant as part of this projects scope.

Notwithstanding any other provision, the total liability, in the aggregate, of the Consultant, its officers, directors and employees or any of them to the Municipality, for any and all claims, losses, costs, demands, damages, including solicitors’ fees, expert witness fees and costs of any kind arising under or related to this Agreement or any services provided hereunder, whether based in contract or tort, shall not exceed the total amount of Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000). All claims by Client shall be deemed relinquished unless filed within two (2) years after substantial completion of the Services rendered under this projects scope.

• Payment All payments will be made within sixty (60) days from receipt of an approved invoice. All invoices must be approved by the Municipality. Where there is a question of non-performance involved, payment in whole or in part against which to charge back any adjustments required, will be withheld.


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All charges against the Contractor shall be deducted from current obligations that are due or may become due. In the event that collection is not made in this manner the Contractor shall pay the Municipality, on demand, the amount of such charges.

PROPOSAL EVALUATION Following the close of the Proposal call, all Proposals will be evaluated. The Municipality, at its sole discretion may negotiate any aspect of any Proposal with one or more of the Consultants at any time. Negotiations with any Consultant shall not oblige the Municipality to enter into a contract with any Consultant or be construed as an acceptance of the Proposal.

• Negotiation All negotiations shall be in writing, in a form satisfactory for inclusion into the contract. In addition to reviewing the written Proposals, the evaluation process may include a formal interview with one or more of the Consultants involved in the Proposal to allow the Municipality team to verify the capability and resources of the Consultant.

• References References, credit checks, or any other type of information that will aid the Municipality in its selection may be obtained and used by the Municipality in its evaluation of Proposals. The Municipality reserves the right to consider all or any information received from all available sources, whether internal or externally obtained.

• Proposals Received Prior to Deadline Proposals received before the Closing Deadline on time will be reviewed. Consultants may be contacted to explain or clarify their Proposals however they will not be permitted to alter information as submitted. A Proposal that contains major irregularities (material to award or unfair if allowed) will be rejected outright. Acceptable offers (those with no major irregularities) arriving before the Closing Deadline will be evaluated. Short-listed Consultants may be requested to attend a meeting, clarify points, and show samples of previous successes. Evaluation may then be adjusted accordingly.

• Errors & Omissions It shall be understood and acknowledged that while this Proposal includes basic specifications, minor items or details not herein specified but obviously required, shall be provided as if specified in conformance with modern practices and workmanship. Any omissions, errors or misinterpretation of these requirements and specifications or within the proposal bid shall not relieve the Consultant of the responsibility of providing the goods as aforesaid.

• Addenda During the Proposal period only, Consultants who have submitted a notice of intent to submit will be notified of addenda to required additions to, deletions from, or alterations to the requirements of the Proposal Documents. Addenda shall become part of the Proposal Documents. Consultants shall include the cost implications of all addenda in the Proposal.


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The requirements of all addenda issued during the open call for proposal shall be included. The onus is on the Consultant to ensure they have received all addenda issued.

NON-COLLUSION A Consultant shall not discuss or communicate directly or indirectly with any other Consultant or their agent or representative about the preparation of their Proposals. Each Consultant shall attest that its participation in the RFP process is conducted without collusion or fraud. If the Municipality discovers there has been a breach of this requirement at any time, the Municipality reserves the right to disqualify the Proposal or to terminate any ensuing Agreement.

TERMINATION

• Termination for Convenience The Municipality may terminate the agreement, in whole or in part, whenever the Municipality determines that such termination is ion the best interest of the Municipality without showing cause, upon giving written notice to the Consultant. The Municipality shall pay all reasonable costs incurred by the Consultant up to the date of termination. However, in no event shall the Consultant be paid an amount, which exceeds the price bid for the work performed. The Consultant will not be reimbursed for any profits which may have been anticipated but which have not been earned up to the date of termination.

• Termination for Default When the Consultant has not performed or has unsatisfactorily performed the contract, the Municipality may terminate the contract for default. Upon termination for default, payment may be withheld at the discretion of the Municipality. Failure on the part of a Consultant to fulfill contractual obligations shall be considered just cause for termination of the contract. The Consultant will be paid for work satisfactorily performed prior to termination, less any excess costs incurred by the Municipality in re-procuring and completing the work.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST All Consultants shall disclose to the Municipality any potential conflict of interest. If such conflict of interest does exist, the Municipality may, at its discretion, withhold the award. If during the Proposal evaluation process or the negotiation of the contract, the Consultant is retained by another client giving rise to a potential conflict of interest, then the Consultant will refuse the new assignment or will take such steps as are necessary to remove the conflict of interest.

LITIGATION The Municipality reserves the right to reject any bids received from a company, that is or whose principals are, at the time of bidding, engaged in a lawsuit or other legal proceeding, against the Municipality, or who has given notice to the Municipality of its intent to commence litigation or other legal proceedings against the Municipality.


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SUBCONSULTING The Consultant shall not assign the agreement or retain subcontracting without the prior written consent of the Municipality. No assignment or subcontract shall relieve the Consultant from the obligation set out in this document or impose any liability on the Municipality In such cases, customer references and a written statement must be included from an officer of the proposed subcontractor demonstrating the ability to provide the indicated functions in accordance with these specifications. All known subconsultants must be listed in the Proposal submission. Subconsultants not listed in the Proposal submission must be approved by the Municipality or his authorized designate prior to any commencement of work.

INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR The Consultant is acting as an independent contractor in the performance of this Agreement and shall not be deemed to be an employee, agent or in a joint venture with the Municipality;

A proposal submission shall not be interpreted or construed to create an association, agency, joint venture or legal partnership between the parties, or to impose any liability attributable to such a relationship upon either party.

LIMITED SUBMISSIONS RECEIVED In the event that the Municipality receives less than two Proposal Submissions, the Municipality, at its sole discretion, reserves the right not to proceed with the opening of the submissions and may delay or change the closing date and may cancel the process as it deems appropriate.

RIGHT TO AUDIT The Municipality shall have the right to appoint an independent public accounting firm to audit all financial and related records, including payroll records associated with the contract kept by or under control of the Consultant, including the Consultant’s employees, agents, assigns, successors, and subcontractors. Costs of any audits conducted under the authority of this section and not addressed elsewhere will be borne by the Municipality unless the audit identifies overpricing or overcharges, the Consultant shall reimburse the Municipality for the actual cost of the audit and refund the overpricing or overcharged amounts. The Consultant shall maintain such financial and related records, together with such supporting or underlying documents and materials, for the duration of this contract and for at least seven years following the completion, expiry or termination of this contract. All information requested or required pursuant to this right to audit, shall be made available during normal business hours at the Consultant’s office or place of business. This right to audit shall not be constructed to limit, revoke, or abridge any other rights, powers, or obligations relating to the audit, which the Municipality may have by Municipal, Provincial, or Federal statute, ordinance, regulation, or agreement, whether those rights, powers, or obligations are expressed or implied.


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This right to audit shall survive the completion, expiry or termination of this agreement.

TAXES The Municipality is required to pay the tax on all goods, materials, labor, services and equipment. These applicable taxes must be shown separately and are not to be included in the unit prices or sub-total prices.

GOVERNING LAW

The work shall be governed by the laws of the Province of Nova Scotia, and the laws of Canada applicable thereto, and any legal proceedings arising out of this Agreement shall be brought in a court of competent jurisdiction in the Province of Nova Scotia.

NOTICE OF ACCEPTANCE Notice of Acceptance (Project Award) will be provided in writing by the Municipality to the Consultant. The RFP along with any addenda(s) issued by the Municipality, the Consultants reply, and the written Notice of Acceptance (Project Award) to the Consultant, will together constitute the contractual arrangement between the Municipality of the County of Inverness and the Consultant. The Municipality reserves the right to award by item, or part thereof, groups of items, or parts thereof, or all items of the Request for Proposal, and to award contracts to one or more Consultants; to reject any and all Proposals in whole or in part; to waive technical defects, irregularities and omissions if, in so doing, the best interests of the Municipality will be served. The Municipality reserves the right to make awards within sixty (60) days from the date Proposals are opened, unless otherwise specified in the Request for Proposals, during which period the Proposal shall not be withdrawn unless the Consultant distinctly states in his Proposal that acceptance thereof must be made in a shorter specified time. A Consultant must be prepared, if requested, to present evidence of experience, ability, service facilities and financial standing necessary to meet satisfactorily the requirements set forth or implied in the Request for Proposals. All things being equal, preference will be given to purchases firstly to supplies and services of local manufacturers, secondly to supplies and services offered by local suppliers and thirdly to supplies and services of Canadian owned companies.


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EVALUATION SCORING SHEET RFP ID: Project Title: Consultant: ______________________________________________________________ Is the Cost of the Proposal the specified amount or less? If yes proceed to score the Proposal, if not proceed no further. Criterion Points Weight Factor Points x Weight Factor 1. Company profile and related project experience.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 15%

2. Project team qualifications and experience.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 25%

3. Detailed work schedule and staff allocation.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 15%

4. Work plan and methodology

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 25%

5. Cost 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10% 6. Design, completeness and clarity of proposal

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10%

100% Total Score Instructions to Evaluator: Complete a separate evaluation form for each Proposal reviewed. Each criterion must be assigned a score. The point values entered above reflect my best independent judgement of the merits of the identified Consultant's Proposal. Evaluation Team Member (please print): ______________________________________________________________ Signature: ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Date: _________________________________________________________________________________________________


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PROPOSAL EVALUATION TABLE RATING DESCRIPTION 10 Excellent Exceeds the requirements of the

criterion in superlative beneficial ways / very desirable.

9 Very Good Exceeds the requirements of the criterion in ways which are beneficial to the Municipality’s needs.

8 Good Exceeds the requirements of the criterion but in a manner which is not particularly beneficial to the Municipality’s needs.

7 Above Average Fully meets all requirements of the criterion.

6 Average Adequately meets most of the requirements of the criterion. May be lacking in some areas which are not critical.

5 Below Average Addresses most, but not all, of the requirements of the criterion to the minimum acceptable level. May be lacking in some areas which are not critical.

4 Poor Barely meets most of the requirements of the criterion to the minimum acceptable level. May be lacking in some areas which are not critical.

3 Below Poor Poor to Very Poor 2 Very Poor Minimally addresses some, but

not all, of the requirements of the criterion. Lacking in critical areas.

1 Nearly Unsatisfactory Very Poor to Unsatisfactory. 0 Unsatisfactory Does not satisfy the

requirements of the criterion in any manner.