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<br />CASE # 1 <br /> <br />AWARD CONTRACT FOR NATURAL RESOURCE INVENTORY <br />By: Chris Anderson, Environmental Coordinator <br /> <br />Background: <br /> <br />Last October, the Environmental Policy Board (EPB) recommended that City Council consider <br />authorizing a Natural Resource Inventory (NRI). Later that same month, City Council authorized <br />Staff to solicit proposals for an NRI. Subsequently, . Staff identified the following firms as <br />potential candidates to complete an NRI: Applied Ecological Services (AES), Bonestroo Rosene <br />Anderlik & Associates, Brauer & Associates, & Critical Connections Ecological Services. <br /> <br />A Request for Quotes (RFQ) was prepared and sent to each of these firms in February. AES and <br />Bonestroo both expressed an interest in the project and submitted proposals. The total proposed <br />budgets to complete the NRI are $25,175 and $44,646, respectively. A summary of each <br />proposal is included for your review and the full proposals will be available at the meeting. <br /> <br />Observations: <br /> <br />While one of the proposals provides greater detail in how the NRI would be completed, both are <br />similar in terms of overall work plans. Each proposal includes an initial "kick-off' meeting with <br />Staff, a thorough review of existing data, an open-house style meeting for the public, field work, <br />updating the MLCCS data (from field work, aerial photography and Wetland Study data), <br />ordinance review, draft report and presentation to the EPB, and final report and presentation to <br />City Council. Both proposals indicate that the final report would be completed and submitted to <br />the City by the end of August, which is important as it will enable the City to utilize this <br />information during the comprehensive plan update that is scheduled for completion in 2008. <br /> <br />Funding Source: <br /> <br />Staff is recommending that monies from the Landfill Tipping Fee Fund be utilized to complete <br />the Natural Resource Inventory. <br /> <br />Recommendation: <br /> <br />Staff believes that either firm is capable of producing a high-quality product. In considering both <br />proposals, Board members should pay close attention to the deliverables/products produced and, <br />more importantly, the proposed content/framework of the final report. This outlines what the <br />City can expect of the final product. <br /> <br />There are definite benefits associated with each firm. On the one hand, Bonestroo has been <br />awarded the contract for the comprehensive plan update, which means there would be familiarity <br />with the NRI and provide a genuine link between the two projects. On the other hand, AES has <br />proposed to complete the NRI at a much lower price. It should be noted that the budgets in each <br />