Town of Morristown s1

TOWN OF MORRISTOWN Community Development Coordinator Tricia Follert Town of Morristown P.O. Box 748 43 Portland St. Morrisville, VT 05661 (802) 888-6669 x 231 [email protected]

Request for Proposal Market Feasibility Analysis

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Purpose

The Town of Morristown (the Town) proposes to engage the services of a qualified professional, firm, or team to complete a market analysis of Morristown and Morrisville. An analysis that will evaluate the feasibility of locating a food coop in downtown Morrisville is included as a subset of the requested market study. 1.2 Objective

The objective of this RFP is to provide the Town with qualified proposers capable of carrying out the work herein defined. The subsequent proposer submissions will form the basis for evaluation, interview, and selection. 1.3 Background Morristown is a rural town of approximately 5,800 people located in the center of Lamoille County and serves as the region's center for commerce, services, and State of Vermont branch offices. The population makes up almost one-quarter of Lamoille County’s population. Morristown has an incorporated village, Morrisville, within the town. Morristown is home to Copley Hospital, the major employer in the community.

Morristown’s last full market analysis was completed in 2003. The economic underpinnings of the community and the larger region have changed significantly since this time. A full market analysis of Morristown and Morrisville is a critical tool needed for the continued redevelopment and revitalization of Morrisville. Without an updated market analysis, Morristown has no way of knowing if another food retailer, sporting goods store, or other business gap exists in Morristown or in downtown Morrisville. . As a subset of the market analysis, special attention must be given to strengths, weaknesses and gaps in downtown Morrisville, including a feasibility analysis of the viability of a food coop in downtown Morrisville. This feasibility study is needed before limited available funds are spent on this endeavor by the Morristown Food Co-op (MoCo), which is an active group of engaged citizens that desire to return a grocery store to the Village in the form of a food co-op. The vision for MoCo, if feasible, includes a downtown Morrisville retail location with a large produce section, a bakery, a butcher shop, dry and cold storage, community space and retail food coop market, along with a compost production/waste management system supporting the prepared foods.

In the spring of 2011, the Town of Morristown participated in the Vermont Council on Rural Development’s Community Visit Program, a structured process that enables a community to identify and prioritize goals, fosters local leadership, and with a track record that proves it serves as a catalyst for the development and realization of concrete, achievable action plans. Over 150 participants engaged in the three month Community Visit process, identifying four priorities for future actions, including Redevelop Empty Downtown Buildings & Developing a Morristown Food Coop / Organize the Food Industry. The requested market study and subset food coop feasibility analysis allows the Town to efficiently address both of these issues that were prioritized during the Community Visit process. Gaining the knowledge of what new businesses are likely to succeed in Morristown, in downtown Morrisville and determining if a food co-op located therein is feasible is of paramount importance to the local government and multiple town committees.

Post Community Visit, a Downtown Buildings Task Force and Morristown Food Coop Committee, both comprised of local citizens were formed. Both groups have been holding regular monthly meetings to rejuvenate the underutilized properties in downtown Morrisville and to examine establishing a food coop to serve Morristown residents and the surrounding communities (with the co-op ideally being located in one of the underutilized downtown buildings). This RFP is the result of the both of the citizen led committees joining forces to efficiently garner needed technical assistance. The MoCo Committee has been particularly active, focusing on: outreach and securing active committee members; researching community, regional, and state business development support options; meeting with established cooperatives to examine what has ensured their success, and; creating a community-based vision for MoCo . Both committees feel that it is in our best interest to obtain a new market analysis and to conduct a formal feasibility study in order to justify the expense of pursuing a food coop based in downtown Morrisville, while providing potential financial supporters with quantifiable data supporting the viability of the co-op endeavor.

1.4 Project Summary

The goal of the project is to conduct a market analysis of Morristown and Morrisville and to execute a feasibility study of a local food center based in downtown Morrisville, Vermont.

2.0 SCOPE OF WORK

2.1 Consultant Performance (i) The Town has appointed Tricia Follert as Project Manager, the designated point of contact for the Consultant. (ii) Tricia Follert, on behalf of the Town of Morristown will oversee the project. (iii) The Consultant will participate in one Project Initiation meeting with the Project Manager, Town staff, MoCo Steering Committee, and key stakeholders (as identified by the Project Manager), to review milestones, confirm deliverables and establish project protocols. The Project Initiation meeting will be held at the Town Offices and at the Town’s discretion, may be conducted during normal business hours or in the evening. (iv) The Consultant will prepare a Market Analysis Study to include findings as specified in the Scope of Work, in Section 2.2 and 2.3, and at the Town’s discretion. The Consultant will review the findings of the Market Analysis in one meeting with the Town and designated stakeholders. (v) During the preparation of Final Market Analysis Study, and through the coordination with the Project Manager, the Consultant will meet up to 3 times with the group on site during the performance of the work to review project progress and status and will provide hour long conference calls monthly (vi) Provide (3) three paper copies of the Final Market Analysis Study, with additional provisions of all information in Microsoft Office, Adobe PDF, or other formats as directed by the project manager. All materials and documents provided in the Scope of Work shall become the property of the Town.

2.2 Morristown Market Analysis

The Town is seeking a Market Analysis Study that takes into consideration (but is not limited to) the following criteria: 1. A SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis of the economy of Morristown shall be conducted.

2. The Morristown SWOT analysis shall identify the potential business opportunities that build on the town’s existing manufacturing company base (ex. MSI has been very successful doing exactly this).

3. The Morristown SWOT analysis shall also identify any impediments to the growth from the Town’s existing business base related to infrastructure.

4. A separate SWOT analysis of the economy of Morrisville shall be conducted that pays special attention to the downtown CB zoning district.

5. The Morrisville SWOT analysis shall examine the existing business base in the downtown (ex. the Bijou, the sporting goods stores and restaurants) and offer an opinion about services or products that these businesses could offer to improve their prospects.

6. The Morrisville SWOT analysis shall identify business gaps in the downtown and offer an opinion if a new business filling said gap could be viable (ex. another clothing store, a white-tablecloth restaurant, a wine bar, other service or retail opportunities).

7. The Morrisville SWOT analysis shall pay special attention to the opportunities created by the pending construction of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, which bisects the northern end of the downtown business district.

8. The Morrisville SWOT analysis shall examine if the downtown business base could better capitalize on its proximity to Stowe.

9. Both SWOT analyses shall examine the potential benefits and detriments that the under construction Morrisville Bypass limited access highway will have on the Town’s Uptown businesses and the Village’s downtown businesses.

10. Both SWOT analyses shall offer suggestions on how to best capitalize on the pending Lamoille Valley Rail Trail.

11. Both SWOT analyses shall explore the relationship between the uptown and the downtown. Do they cater to different businesses, or does uptown cannibalize the downtown business base?

12. Both SWOT analyses shall examine if allowing the addition of new retail opportunities in the newly created Airport Business zoning district or the Business Enterprise zoning district would have a detrimental impact on the downtown or uptown businesses districts.

13. Both SWOT analyses shall employ a weeklong zip code survey during the month of September, which will breakdown where the current customer base lives and offers suggestions of untapped markets.

2.3 MoCo Feasibility Study

The Town is seeking a Feasibility Study that takes into consideration (but is not limited to) the following criteria: (i) A feasibility study of locating a food coop in downtown Morrisville, as a subset of the market analysis, including: a. Level of interest and support from the community b. Financial viability of MoCo c. Specific goods and services desired by consumers d. Analysis of what MoCo can provide that is not already available at existing food vendors in Morristown (Hannaford’s, Price Chopper, Green Top Market and Apple Tree Natural Foods). (ii) An assessment of provided potential coop locations; including: a. Visibility b. Building size requirements c. Cost/benefit analysis of downtown Morrisville location d. Access to parking e. Utilities access f. Truck loading/unloading g. Permitting requirements (iii) Supplier and vendor assessment, including: a. Inventory of major grocery store suppliers and distributors b. Inventory of local farmers, particularly noting farms that participate in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs and yourfarmstand.com. c. Inventory of farmers market vendors (iv) Financial budgets and projections, including: a. Evaluation of associated costs including; real estate purchase, development costs, operation, and maintenance costs b. Funding options-review all potential public and private funding sources for the project c. Availability of capital and willingness of members and lenders to invest d. Development of a financial model, including: 1. Sources and Uses Budget 2. Pro Forma Budget (v) Evaluation of available talent, both for organizing and operations, to include: a. Analysis of planning phase volunteers, committee members, etc. b. Analysis of potential operational phase staff/availability of appropriately skilled workforce. (vi) Analysis of the potential opportunities and barriers to implementation. (vii) Detailed plan for moving forward with the Coop from vision to implementation.

2.4 Client Reporting

The Consultant will provide monthly project memoranda, updating the progress of the Project, preferably via e-mail. In addition, the Consultant will e-mail a written monthly report to be distributed to the MoCo Steering Committee. Format of periodic reporting will be confirmed at the Project Initiation meeting.

2.5 Term of Contract

Proposals for a five-month agreement are being sought. Upon selection of the Consultant, the Town and Consultant will enter into an agreement for a period of up to five months beginning August 1, 2012 and ending December 1, 2012 unless otherwise amended by the Town. All costs will remain fixed for the term of the contract period. The contract shall include a 30-day termination clause.

3.0 PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS

3.1 Submission Details

RESPONSE TO THIS REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: Those firms interested in providing professional services for this project must submit one (1) electronic PDF copy of their proposal via email or on a Compact Disc or Jump Drive and the proposal must include the items specifically enumerated in section 3.2. The proposal should be submitted to:

Town of Morristown P.O. Box 748 43 Portland St. Morrisville, VT 05661 (802) 888-6669 x 231 Attention: Tricia Follert, Community Development Coordinator

[email protected]

Proposals shall be clearly titled Request for Proposal for Morristown Market Analysis and delivered on or before 1 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST), July 26, 2012. Please do not fax proposals. The Town shall not be responsible for late delivery of a proposal under any condition. Late proposals will not be considered.

3.2 Proposal Development

(i) Required Content of proposal:

The detailed requirements set forth in the Proposal Format are mandatory. Failure by any Proposer to respond to a specific requirement may result in disqualification. The Town reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals. Proposers are reminded that proposals will be considered exactly as submitted. Points of clarification will be solicited from proposers at the discretion of the Town. Those proposals determined not to be in compliance with provisions of this RFP and the applicable law and/or regulations will not be processed.

All costs incurred by the proposer associated with RFP preparations and subsequent interviews and/or negotiations, which may or may not lead to execution of an agreement, shall be borne entirely and exclusively by the proposer.

The information and proposed budget for the consultant selected for contract award will form the basis for negotiation of a contract. The Town reserves the right to issue a contract without further negotiation using the information contained in the RFP. Failure of a prospective contractor to accept this method of contract development will result in cancellation of the award.

(ii) Proposal format:

The proposal format requirements were developed to aid Proposers in their proposal development. They also provide a structured format so reviewers can systematically evaluate several proposals. These directions apply to all proposals submitted.

The purpose of the proposal is to demonstrate the technical capabilities, professional qualifications, past project experiences, and knowledge within this industry. Proposer’s proposal must address all the points outlined herein as required, in the following order. a. Transmittal Letter: A transmittal letter must be submitted with an Proposers proposal which shall include: 1. The RFP subject; 2. Name of the firm responding, including mailing address, e-mail address, telephone number, and names of contact persons; 3. A brief profile of the firm, outlining its history, philosophy, and target market; and 4. The name of the person or persons authorized to make representations on behalf of the Proposer, binding the firm to a contract.

b. References: A minimum of three separate references from past Market Analysis and or Feasibility Study projects completed must be provided. At least one reference provided has to be for a Market Analysis project. At least one reference provided also has to be for a feasibility analysis. The references should demonstrate success on a specific market analysis services. Consultant project experience may be provided as part of this requirement. Please include client contact, date completed and total project cost. . Please note that preference will be given towards projects completed within the past five years.

c. Technical Proposal: Shall be no more than (15) pages and include in order: 1. A list and description (including graphics and photos) of similar projects successfully completed by the firm within the last 5 years. 2. An overall description of the strategy and methods by which the firm intends to approach the project; this shall include detailed examples of the approach to be taken toward completion of the project, an explanation of any variances to the proposed scope of work as outlined in the RFP, and any insights into the project gained as a result of developing the proposal. 3. Provide the names of any outside consultants and/or subcontractors, and/or project owners/managers including location of offices, and the specific individuals to be utilized on this project team. Include a brief description of their role on the project, and organizational chart and the resume of project team members. 4. A task analysis for each task indicating the personnel, assigned by name and title; amount of time to be expended; and joint venture (including the use of subcontractors). The indicated personnel should appropriately match the scope of work proposed. 5. A proposed schedule showing the project milestones, deliverables, various tasks and total time frame proposed to complete the project that is consistent with Section 2.1 requirements submitted in bar chart format.

d. Qualifications: Proposer is required to provide a description of the proposed project team, staff qualifications, experience and credentials: 1. A brief description of the firm, organization structure, location of principal offices, number of professional personnel. 2. A qualification summary containing a description of the firm’s qualifications and the resumes of all key personnel and anticipated personnel to be employed on this project including their longevity with the firm. 3. The name and relevant experience of the principal in charge. 4. The name and relevant experience of the project manager who will have direct and continued responsibility for the project. This person will be the Town’s contact on all matters dealing with the project and will handle all day-to-day activities from project initiation to completion. 5. A brief description ensuring the consistency of the consulting team personnel assigned to the project.

e. Costs: A Cost Proposal consisting of: 1. The firm’s standard hourly rate fee schedule. Also, include the standard hourly rate fee schedule for each team member. 2. A composite schedule, by task, of direct labor hours. 3. An itemized schedule of all expenses, including both labor and direct expenses. If the use of sub-consultants is proposed, a separate schedule of expenses must be provided for each sub-consultant.

3.3 Proposal Evaluation Criteria

The Town will evaluate proposals based on the factors outlined within Section 3.3, which shall be applied to all eligible, responsive proposals in selecting the successful Proposer. The Town reserves the right to disqualify any proposal for, but not limited to, person or persons it deems as non responsive and/or non responsible; a failure to respond to each section; or who’s experience does not describe the competencies required. The Town reserves the right to make such investigations of the qualifications of the proposer as it deems appropriate. Award of any bid may be made without discussion with proposers after responses are received. The Town reserves the right to cease contract negotiations if it is determined that the proposer cannot perform services specified in their response. Proposal evaluation criteria will be grouped into percentage factors as follows: (i) Quality of Proposal (Maximum 25 points) a. This criterion will evaluate the consultant’s understanding of the overall project and their proposed approach to the project within each major element defined in the Scope of Services. b. Proposer’s responsiveness to the proposal requirements and guidelines.

(ii) Technical Capabilities and Specialized Knowledge (Maximum 25 points) a.This criterion involves an evaluation of the technical capabilities and specialized knowledge needed to successfully perform the specified Scope of Services, and a review of the proposing firm’s demonstrated previous ability to deliver the work required in a timely and proficient manner. Specifically, the Town will evaluate firm’s capabilities of providing the following in a professional, successful, and timely manner: 1. Experience in market analyses and feasibility studies for public and private entities of comparable scope and complexity; 2. Project strategies and methodologies proposed to be used; 3. Cost of professional services; 4. Completeness of the submission’s requested information and documentation; and

5. Any other factors the Town deems relevant and appropriate in its decision-making process. b. The Consultant’s past performance, overall capabilities, and references submitted in the proposal will also be evaluated.

(iii) Professional Qualifications, Knowledge, and Experience (Maximum 25 points) a. This criterion involves an evaluation of the qualifications, knowledge, and experience of the Principal, Project Manager, and professional staff assigned to this project. It will involve a review of the background, experience, performance records, competence, and integrity of the firm, as well as an assessment of the qualifications of the project team who will be responsible for the performance of the Scope of Services. The overall team capacity, balance, and organization will also be evaluated. This factor will also include an assessment of the availability and ability of the firm (including the Project Manager and key personnel) to perform the Scope of Services in a timely manner.

(iv) Morristown Food Coop Steering Committee Collaboration (Maximum 25 points) a. Collaboration with stakeholders such as the MoCo Steering Committee is an integral part of this process and proposals should appropriately reflect this aspect. b. Particular consideration will be given to the proposal that best exemplifies an appropriate and creative stakeholder participation element.

4.0 SELECTION PROCESS 4.1 Review and Presentation

The Town will review the proposal submittals. Depending on the number of proposals received, the Town may elect to interview all of the responding Consultants, or develop a preferred list, to be interviewed by the Town and participating stakeholders.

4.2 Award of Contract

The Town will award the contract in the manner which will obtain the highest quality of service at the most competitive price. Proposals will be evaluated using the criteria in Section 3.3.

4.3 Contract Negotiation

The selected Consultant will be responsible for developing and submitting a detailed Project Scope and Time Schedule to be included in the contract documents. This scope and schedule shall be consistent with the requirements of this RFP and is subject to approval by the Town.

4.4 Further Information

For additional information or to answer questions relative to this project, please contact Tricia Follert, Morristown Community and Economic Development Coordinator at (802) 888-6669 x 231 or via email at [email protected].

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