As outlined in Texas Government Code 2254 (Professional Services Procurement Act), County Line Special Utility District (CLSUD) is soliciting a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for Land Acquisition Services. Eligible entities, including sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations, or other legal entities registered in Texas, should demonstrate significant expertise in Land Acquisition Services.
Download the RFQQuestions & Answers
Please confirm if the proposal deadline is 5:00PM EST or CST on July 3rd.
The proposal deadline is 5:00 pm CST on July 3rd.
Do we need to include appraisers and review appraisers if we don’t provide these services in-house?
Yes, if you do not provide appraisers and review appraisers in-house, you should still include them as sub-consultants in your proposal.
For the Project Manager’s experience, it requests “construction administration” experience. Are you referring to services such as certifying ROW; responding to request for information and change orders (from design consultants & contractors), and notifying property owners of construction activities?
Yes, your interpretation is appropriate. Construction administration here likely includes certifying ROW, responding to RFIs and change orders, and notifying property owners of construction related activities.
Do you anticipate any federal funding for projects under this contract?
While it is not directly confirmed, the inclusion of URA and TxDOT compliance strongly suggests that federal funding is anticipated for a least some projects under this contract.
In Section II, under “Post Selection Meeting”, the first sentence of the paragraph appears to be incomplete. Please provide correct information. Also, please clarify if the “cost proposal within 14 days of the initial meeting” that the consultant is to submit is the same thing as the per parcel fixed fee table under “Budgetary Considerations.”
The “cost proposal within 14 days” does appear to be the same as the “per parcel fixed fee table” under Budgetary Considerations.
In Section III, under “1. Firm & Project Team Introduction”, it requests “applicable firm registration information.” Please clarify and provide examples of what information you are requesting.
Include any relevant professional registrations, licenses, certifications, or business registrations (e.g. State of Texas Vendor ID, engineering/survey firm registration, HUB/DBE status).
The RFQ notes 3 hard copies, and 1 pdf should be submitted in person, but also notes the copies and pdf can be mailed. Can you clarify the requirement?
CLSUD prefers in-person delivery when possible so that the receiving party can sign for the documents upon drop off. This helps confirm receipt and ensures nothing is lost in transit. However, mailed copies are acceptable as long as they are received by the deadline and properly addressed.
On page 10 the RFQ notes that our pricing should be per parcel and all travel/lodging/etc. should be included in the per parcel rate. However, in the sample contract Section 2 it indicates hourly rates, reimbursement lodging and meals per diem rates. This contradicts each other therefore can you clarify the intended fee model?
CLSUD prefers pricing to be broken down by task and associated deliverables (resources loaded schedule and/or task-based budgeting). In RFQs, we typically request a detailed fee schedule that includes: Task Descriptions, Hours by labor category or personnel level, hourly rates, subtotal by task and total. The project is to be awarded on a lump sum basis, but this structure will help us to assist with tracking progress during invoicing.
In the Introduction and General Instructions, the 2nd paragraph states “…specific experience in the design and development of water treatment applications and systems…” – was this in error, or should firms include engineering experience in the development of water treatment applications and systems?
While our current priority is bringing on a right-of-way (ROW) team, we recognize the value of including firms with a wide range of expertise. This allows the District to maintain access to diverse professional perspectives to support future system needs, whether related to treatment, transmission, or storage. Also, due to the nature of ongoing and future infrastructure projects coordinated with the county and other agencies, having input from multiple firms enhances the quality of our reviews and decisions. This diversity of expertise helps ensure the District is well-positioned to support and justify project-related decisions, particularly in cases involving reimbursement or inter-agency collaboration, Such as cities, counties, TxDot, …etc.
Submittal requirements state “proposing firms must submit three hard copies of the RFQ in person by 5:00 pm EST,” but also state the hard copies should be mailed to Tracie Crowell, Development Manager. Should firms submit both in person and via mail? Submission Deadline and Handling also references email submissions. Can you please confirm if a digital copy with the mailed copy (thumb drive) is required, or an email would satisfy this requirement?
CLSUD prefers in-person delivery when possible so that the receiving party can sign for the documents upon drop off. This helps confirm receipt and ensures nothing is lost in transit. However, mailed copies are acceptable as long as they are received by the deadline and properly addressed.
Should the scope of work include appraisal (preparation of appraisals) and appraisal review services, or is it strictly market analysis?
Yes, the scope of work should include appraisal (preparation of appraisals) and appraisal review services.
In Section 1.11, it refers to a “Property Acquisition Policy.” Can you please provide that policy?
Since no specific policy document is attached or referenced further in the RFQ, we recommend that our proposers follow generally accepted industry practices until the District provides a supplemental policy or clarification after the award of the contract.
With regard to the fee and reimbursable expenses, the RFQ refers to providing a flat fee per parcel and reimbursable expenses (page 10) that seems confusing with what is allowed as reimbursable expenses in Sections 2.2, 3.1, and 3.2 of the Master Services Agreement. Could you please clarify what is considered reimbursable and if those should be listed separately or as part of the cost of each parcel fee?
Your proposal should include a flat fee per parcel that covers typical administrative and labor costs. Separately list any anticipated reimbursable expenses, such as title reports, appraisals, legal filings, etc., that are not part of the flat fee but may be incurred and pre-approved by CLSUD. These reimbursables should be clearly itemized in your proposal, not bundled into the per-parcel fee. If your firm wishes to propose any modifications to our Master Services Agreement (MSA), please include those change requests as part of your proposal submission.
On Page 10 of the RFQ, it says that if CLSUD withdraws a parcel before the task completion, then the consultant cannot charge for the services on that parcel. Since every project typically has some design changes, this could result in costing significant amounts of labor through no fault of the right of way company. Could CLSUD specify the maximum number of hours it would consider paying for incomplete parcels so that the consultants are aware of the threshold before continuing a task?
We recognize your concern that project revisions or withdrawals may lead to uncompensated labor. While the RFQ does not currently provide a maximum number of compensable hours for partially completed parcels, CLSUD is open to proposals that include a suggested threshold (e.g., up to X hours or a percentage of the flat fee) for consideration. This approach will allow fair evaluation during negotiation of task orders. You may include this suggested partial compensation approach in your response for CLSUD’s review.
Regarding the location of the work, page 21 of the RFQ says it will be in Caldwell County. In Section 9.1 of the Master Services Agreement, it says that the venue is in Hays County. Please clarify the location of the work to be completed for accurate pricing purposes.
As per Page 21 of the RFQ, the physical location of the work is in Caldwell County. The venue listed in Section 9.1 of the MSA refers to Hays County, where legal jurisdiction and contract governance are held (as CLSUD is headquartered there). For pricing and planning purposes, please base your project costs and logistics on work being performed in Caldwell County, with the understanding that any legal matters would fall under Hays County jurisdiction.
With regard to the fee and reimbursable expenses, the RFQ refers to providing a flat fee per parcel and reimbursable expenses (page 10) that seems confusing with what is allowed as reimbursable expenses in Sections 2.2, 3.1, and 3.2 of the Master Services Agreement. Could you please clarify what is considered reimbursable and if those should be listed separately or as part of the cost of each parcel fee?
Your proposal should include a flat fee per parcel that covers typical administrative and labor costs. Separately list any anticipated reimbursable expenses, such as title reports, appraisals, legal filings, etc., that are not part of the flat fee but may be incurred and pre-approved by CLSUD. These reimbursables should be clearly itemized in your proposal, not bundled into the per-parcel fee. If your firm wishes to propose any modifications to our Master Services Agreement (MSA), please include those change requests as part of your proposal submission.
In regard to your answer to #2 below, “Your proposal should include a flat fee per parcel”, the RFQ isn’t clear whether to include the “per parcel fixed fee” in the initial proposal or if that comes at a later time (i.e. during contract negotiations).
CLSUD prefers pricing to be broken down by task and associated deliverables (resources loaded schedule and/or task-based budgeting). In RFQs, we typically request a detailed fee schedule that includes Task Descriptions, Hours by labor category or personnel level, hourly rates, subtotal by task and total. The project is to be awarded on a lump sum basis, but this structure will help us to assist with tracking progress during invoicing.
