Title
AUTHORIZATION TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH CARDNO USA INC. FOR NATURAL AREAS SERVICES AND AQUATIC MANAGEMENT SERVICES
SPECIFICATION P-21011
Body
To the Honorable Board of Commissioners of the Chicago Park District
I. Recommendation
It is recommended that the Interim General Superintendent and CEO or her designee enter into a contract with Cardno USA Inc, for Natural Areas Services and Aquatic Management Services including for the purpose of providing ecological restoration services throughout the Chicago Park District. The contractor was selected pursuant to a publicly advertised Request for Proposals (“RFP”). No work may commence and no payment shall be made to the vendor prior to the execution of a written agreement.
II. Award Information
Company: Cardno, Incorporated
6605 W. Steger Rd.
Suite A
Monee, IL 60449
Company Type: Business Corporation
Majority Interest: Stantec Consulting Services Inc. 100%
8211 South 48th Street
Phoenix, AZ 85044
Contract Term: Two (2) years, with three (3) additional one (1) year extension options.
Contract Amount: $10,487,528 for the initial two-year term, plus additional allowance for grant funded special projects. If extension options are exercised, funding shall be based upon available annual appropriations.
Scope of Services: Ecological restoration and the creation and maintenance of native habitats within Chicago Park District (“CPD”) natural areas. Additionally, the contract will include maintenance of the lagoons and other natural water bodies within the Chicago Park District.
Affirmative
Action Goals: The Minority- and Women-Owned Participation for this contract include: 25% Minority-Owned and 5% Women-Owned.
Authorization: Authorize the General Counsel to include other relevant terms and conditions in the written Agreement. Authorize the General Superintendent to execute the Agreement and the Secretary to attest as to the signing of the Agreement and keep an original copy of the Agreement on file.
III. Budget and Financial Information
Budget Classification: Operating, Capital, and Grant
Fiscal Year: 2022 - 2024
Source of Funds: 001.8450.8450.626025.00001.01.01.00001
391.8450.0562.627030.CA001.G3.08.56100
151.8450.0563.623130.NP001.21.06.58050
080.8260.0583.627030.BD120.01.01.55080
361.8450.0562.623130.DA001.20.06.56101
361.8450.0597.627012.NR001.19.06.55600
361.8450.0100.623130.FH001.20.06.56970
151.8450.8450.623130.FW001.21.06.98017
IV. Procurement Information
Specification Number: P-21011
Date Issued: October 20, 2021
Date of Pre-Submittal Meeting: October 27, 2021
Date Proposals Due: November 29, 2021
Number of Proposals Received: Five (5)
This contract was publicly advertised as a Request for Proposals (“RFP”). During the advertisement period the Department of Purchasing (“Purchasing”) received a request to extend the proposal due date. This request was granted and on November 9, 2021 the proposal due date was extended (12) calendar days from November 17, 2021 to November 29, 2021. A total of five (5) proposals were received on the due date. One (1) proposal was found by the Department of Purchasing (“Purchasing”) to be non-compliant and non-responsive with the M/WBE goals and requirements specified in the RFP and removed from consideration. Accordingly, four (4) proposals were found by Purchasing to be both responsive and compliant.
The Evaluation Committee (“EC”) was comprised of seven (7) voting members, all CPD staff and one (1) non-voting member, also CPD staff. The EC began their evaluation of the proposals at their first meeting on December 13, 202112. They decided at the conclusion of their meeting to invite all or four (4) proposers to oral presentations. Oral presentations were held on January 6, 2022 and January 14, 2022, and each session lasted approximately one hour. The EC met once following oral presentations, and at the end of their meeting on January 14, 2022 they decided to send a request for Best and Final Offers to all proposers. Purchasing received the Best and Final Offers on January 20, 2022. The EC concluded their evaluation by unanimously scoring Cardno the highest.
V. Explanation
The Chicago Park District manages nearly 2000 acres of natural areas making up 138 distinct natural areas in 74 parks across the city. These urban natural areas provide important habitat for many threatened and endangered species. Natural areas also provide vital ecosystem services by mitigating flooding, air pollution, water pollution, and rising temperatures. Additionally, our natural areas also provide important health benefits for Chicagoans. Research has shown that contact with nature is associated with increases in happiness, subjective well-being, positive affect, positive social interactions and a sense of meaning and purpose in life, as well as decreases in mental distress. Play in natural settings is important for developing capacities for creativity, problem-solving and intellectual development in children.
The Chicago Park District Natural Areas are home to over 50 species of rare and state-threatened and endangered plant species. Some are remnant, natural populations and many are part of reintroduction efforts, including transplants from nature areas that were threatened with destruction. Threatened and endangered birds include the federally threatened Great lakes piping plover which has nested at Montrose Beach Dunes Natural Area for the past 3 years. Other state-listed birds include the short-eared owl, upland sandpiper, American bittern, king rail, little blue heron, snowy egret, common gallinule, black-crowned night heron, and osprey. Examples of plant species include Kalm’s St. Johnswort (Hypericum kalmianum), a bright yellow flower that grows in interdunal wetlands along Lake Michigan, and the royal catchfly (Silene regia), a strikingly red summer flower that thrives in dry, gravelly areas. Volunteer community scientists with the Plants of Concern project work to monitor the health of many of these populations in CPD natural areas.
CPD’s Volunteer Stewardship Program, managed in partnership with the Nature Conservancy, engages 10,000 people annually with over 20,000 hours spent in natural areas. Volunteer Stewards receive training and operational support from CPD and TNC and organize volunteer workdays to plant native plants, remove invasive species, and monitor our natural areas. Our natural areas also support academic research. In 2020, 62 scientific studies were conducted with partners and local universities within CPD natural areas.
Included within many of our natural areas and lagoons are recreational assets such as nature play spaces, bike trails, walking trails, a climbing wall, canoe launches and more. There are three nature centers that serve as program hubs across the City located North Park Village Nature Center, Northerly Island and the Ford Calumet Environmental Center at Big Marsh Park. These locations serve as hubs for our Outdoor and Environmental Education programs, which provide thoughtfully planned and curated opportunities to engage Chicagoans in nature. In 2019 (pre pandemic) we had 53,000 participants in Outdoor and Environmental Education programs, plus additional CPS & Scouts field trips serving 9266 kids.
CPD’s natural areas program is supported by many partners and funders. In the last six years, CPD has brought in more than 15 million dollars in grant funding for natural areas. We have also received in-kind contributions through partnerships with organizations like The Nature Conservancy, Chicago Audubon Society, Illinois Department of Natural resources, The Field Museum, National Park Service, Student Conservation Association and a long list of community organizations throughout the City.
CPD’s natural areas are managed by a combination of in-house staff and contractors. The contract provides specialized maintenance services for lagoons, prairies, savannahs, wetlands and woodlands. The contract also provides highly specialized and technical services such as growing native plants species, conducting prescribed burns, the use of heavy equipment in fragile habitats, managing nutrient levels in lagoons and more. This contract helps to keep our parks and natural areas clean, maintained and welcoming. CPD also uses this contract to complete grant funded ecological restoration of new natural areas. The RFP committee unanimously selected Cardno as the contractor that is best suited to provide the range of services needed. Cardno has the knowledge base, skills and resources to provide the CPD with the tools to continue to be a national leader in urban natural areas management.
Therefore, it is in the best interest of the Chicago Park District to award Cardno the contract for the Natural Area Services and Aquatic Management Services.
VI. General Conditions
1) Conflicts: The Agreement shall not be legally binding on the Chicago Park District if entered into in violation of the provisions of 50 ILCS 105, the Public Officer Prohibited Activities Act.
2) Ethics: The Chicago Park District’s Ethics Code, Chapter III of the Code of the Chicago Park District, shall be incorporated into and made part of the agreement.
3) Contingent Liability: Any agreement lawfully entered into for a period of more than one year shall be executory only for the amounts for which the Park District may become liable in succeeding fiscal years pursuant to 70 ILCS 1505/17(i).
4) Economic Disclosure Statement (“EDS”). Contractor has submitted full and complete EDS.