RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the staff report entitled
“Contract Award for RFP 116-R-03 Highway 7 Corridor Study,”, dated September 9,
2003 be received;
AND THAT Metropolitan Knowledge
International (MKI), the lead consultant, being the highest ranked and the
second lowest bidder, be awarded the contract in the proposed amount of
$80,123.74 inclusive of 7% GST ($77,128.46 inclusive of 3% GST);
AND THAT Metropolitan Knowledge
International (MKI) in association with McCormack Rankin Corp., Meridian
Planning Consulting Ltd., The BA Consulting Group, DuToit Allsop Hillier and
E-Rail be approved as the consultant team for the RFP 116-R-03 Highway 7
Corridor Study;
AND THAT funds for RFP 116-R-03
titled Highway 7 Corridor Study be provided from Development Services’
2003 Capital Budget account # 80-5399-5185-005 Highway 7 Corridor Study;
AND THAT the remaining funds in the
amount of $22,871.54 in Development Services’ 2003 Capital Budget account
#80-5399-5185-005 Highway 7 Corridor Study be applied to the preparation of
supporting research, presentation and communication material for the Highway 7
Corridor Study, as determined by the Commissioner of Development Services;
AND THAT staff report back on the progress of the work program and
the initial findings of the Highway 7 Corridor Study including its relationship
with the emerging York Region Centres and Corridors Strategy and the York Rapid
Transit Plan’s Class Environmental Assessment for the Highway 7 Transitway.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of the report is to
seek approval of the consultant selection and the detailed work program for the
Highway 7 Corridor Study.
BACKGROUND:
At its meeting of June 17, 2003,
the Development Services Committee had before it a report entitled “Terms of
Reference Framework for Highway 7 Corridor Study”, which outlined requirements
for retaining consultants to undertake a land use/transportation study in
support of the Highway 7 Corridor Study.
The Committee received and accepted the report and the Terms of
Reference and requested staff to report back on consultant selection upon
completion of the RFP process. The
Terms of References were forwarded to the Purchasing Department as a guideline
for issuing an RFP to solicit firms to undertake the study.
BID
INFORMATION:
The RFP
was issued in accordance with Purchasing
By-law 143-2000. It closed on July 3,
2003. Six companies picked up the RFP
document and four attended the pre-bid Proponent information meeting. Two submissions were received.
CONSULTANT SELECTION:
The RFP
was evaluated by an Evaluation Team consisting of staff from Planning and Urban
Design, Engineering, and Financial Services with Purchasing staff as the
observer to ensure consistency with the Purchasing By-law.
The two
proposals were reviewed and interviews were conducted. The evaluation was based on pre-established
evaluation criteria with resulting scores as shown in Table A.
|
|
TABLE A
|
|
Total Score
|
|
|
Evaluation Criteria
|
|
MKI
|
Urban Strategies
|
|
1
|
Demonstrated qualifications and relevant experience of
participating personnel.
|
25%
|
2.00
|
1.75
|
|
2
|
Project Methodology Schedule
|
10%
|
0.80
|
0.80
|
|
3
|
Demonstrated Understanding of Project Requirements
|
15%
|
1.20
|
0.90
|
|
4
|
Study approach and strategic thinking
|
25%
|
2.00
|
1.75
|
|
5
|
Consultation and Feedback Strategy.
|
5%
|
0.40
|
0.40
|
|
6
|
Study Budget
|
10%
|
0.93
|
1.00
|
|
7
|
Demonstrated Team Work Approach
|
10%
|
0.80
|
0.70
|
|
|
Total
|
100%
|
8.13
|
7.30
|
|
|
Rank
|
|
1
|
2
|
The post interview evaluation concluded that based on the
pre-established evaluation criteria, Metropolitan
Knowledge International (MKI), being the lead consultant and the highest ranked
and second lowest bidder, in association with McCormack Rankin Corp., Meridian
Planning Consulting Ltd., The BA Consulting Group, DuToit Allsop Hillier and
E-Rail were the preferred consultant team to carry out the Highway 7 Corridor
Study.
WORK PROGRAM:
The Strategy for the Highway 7 Corridor must be transit-oriented
and contain specific policies and integrated actions to provide for transit
supportive development, as appropriate, along the Corridor. It is intended that the Strategy will
address specific policy and implementation requirements along the Highway 7
Corridor related to:
- Land
use;
- Development
and design standards;
- Transportation;
- Infrastructure;
and
- Financial
arrangements.
It is also intended that the Strategy will establish a
comprehensive and integrated decision-making framework to deliver an overall
vision for the Highway 7 Corridor consistent with the objectives of all parties
involved, including the Region of York and the York Rapid Transit Plan
consortium (currently undertaking an environmental assessment for the Highway 7
Transitway.) As a first step toward a
Town Strategy, the principal objectives for the Study are to:
- Review and evaluate current policies and initiatives pertaining to
the Highway 7 Corridor;
- Update and consolidate the municipal policy framework for land use
and transportation planning in the Highway 7 Corridor, in coordination
with senior government initiatives; and
- Identify
strategic requirements and next steps to implement the vision and
policies.
MKI is proposing the Highway 7 Corridor Study to proceed in three
phases over a 7-8 month period, as shown in Appendix ‘A’. Staff is confident that the MKI consultant
team will deliver a technically sound land use/transportation policy study that
will meet the requirements of the Highway 7 Corridor Study objectives. The study approach is consistent with the
RFP requirements and complementary to the Region’s Centres & Corridors
Strategy and the York Rapid Transit Plan’s Highway 7 Transitway Environmental
Assessment review processes.
Regional staff anticipate releasing a draft Regional Official Plan
amendment that will address policy requirements for the emerging Centres and
Corridors Strategy this fall. The YRTP
will present a preferred option for the route selection and station
alternatives for the Highway 7 Transitway Environmental Assessment at a public
information meeting in September and will proceed to draft an Environmental
Study Report this fall.
The Highway 7 Corridor Study work program proposes several
Technical Advisory Committee meetings with staff from Regional planning and
engineering, York Rapid Transit and the YRTP to ensure the study findings are
integrated into the Centres and Corridors Strategy and Highway 7 Transitway EA
recommendations.
Staff proposes to report back to the Development Services
Committee on the initial findings of the Highway 7 Corridor Study including its
relationship to the Region and YRTP’s work programs early in 2004.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:
The proposed budget for the MKI proposal meets the requirements
established in the RFP. Staff recommend
that funds for the Highway 7 Corridor Study in the amount of $80,123.74
inclusive of 7% GST ($77,128.46 inclusive of 3% GST) be provided from
Development Services’ 2003 Capital Budget account # 80-5399-5185-005 Highway 7
Corridor Study.
Staff also recommend that the remaining funds in the amount of $22,871.54 in Development Services’ 2003 Capital
Budget account #80-5399-5185-005 Highway 7 Corridor Study be applied to the
preparation of supporting research, presentation and communication material for
the Highway 7 Corridor Study, as determined by the Commissioner of Development
Services.
ENGAGE 21ST CONSIDERATIONS:
The Highway 7 Corridor Strategy will assist Council in responding
to growth management decisions during the next 20 years and beyond. The Highway 7 Corridor Study is an important
first step in developing a policy and implementation framework for the
strategy.
BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:
Staff from the Planning and Urban Design, Engineering and
Financial Services Departments involved in the review of the terms of reference
for the RFP and the consultant selection process for the Highway 7 Corridor
Study.
ATTACHMENTS:
Appendix ‘A’ – Highway 7 Corridor Study Process
____________________________________ ____________________________________
Valerie Shuttleworth, M.C.I.P., R.P.P. Jim Baird, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.
Director of Planning and Urban Design Commissioner of Development Services
Q:\Development\Planning\MISC\MI465
Highway 7 Vision\H7CS Contract Award Rept final.doc
