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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05(O) - Consider Adoption of a Resolution Authorizing the Submittal of a Grant Application for the Building Official Training Program Report Building Official Training Grant Program 2020-2022 Request for Proposal Building Official Training - RFP P a g e 2 | 11 BUILDING OFFICIAL TRAINING Grant Program General Information Available funding: Up to $1,560,000 over two years; 12 grants of up to $65,000 per year with the option of a two-year program. (see page 3) Period of performance: Your proposed date, or the date the contract is fully executed (whichever is later) through Dec. 31, 2022. Technical assistance: Technical assistance is available for interpreting the RFP or application instructions. Contact: Terence Olson 651-284-5627 or Eileen McNiff 651-284-5859 Direct emails to bot.dli@state.mn.us Proposal due date: Proposals are accepted through 4p.m., July 24, 2020. Proposals will not be accepted after that date. Submit by email to: bot.dli@state.mn.us or Mail to: Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry ATTN: Eileen McNiff 443 Lafayette Road N. St. Paul, MN 55155 Review period: Proposals will be reviewed July 30 – August 25, 2020. Notification of grant awards: September 14, 2020 All documents can be found at: http://www.dli.mn.gov/bot Building Official Training - RFP P a g e 3 | 11 BUILDING OFFICIAL TRAINING Grant Program Request for Proposal (RFP) Introduction Purpose The purpose of the Building Official Training Grant Program (hereafter referred to as the Grant Program) from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) is to provide funding and support for the implementation and coordination of partnerships between the State of Minnesota and municipalities that will provide safe and meaningful education, work experience and competency-based skills training that prepares trainees, 18 years of age and older, to become building officials. Objective of the RFP DLI seeks proposals from eligible municipalities to partner with and fund Building Official Training programs. The objective is to encourage, promote, provide and support municipal partnerships to educate and train new building officials. These partnerships will provide classroom instruction and paid learning opportunities in the administration and enforcement of the Minnesota State Building Code. Successful applicants will demonstrate the ability to achieve these objectives. Minimum Qualifications To be considered a “Qualified Municipality”, applicants must meet these requirements: • Applicants must be a “municipality” as defined in Minnesota State Building Code Ch. 1300.0070 subp. 17; MN. Statute 326B.103 subd. 9 • A municipality must administer and enforce the Minnesota State Building Code by having adopted the code by ordinance in compliance with MN. Statute 326B.121 subd. 2 • Education and training must be under the direct supervision of Minnesota Certified Building Officials certified in accordance with MN. Admin. Rules Sec. 1301 and MN. Statute 326B.133. Funds available DLI may award up to 12 annual Building Official Training grants: four for the seven-county metro area and eight for out-state municipalities. Grants may be awarded for two types of tracks: • Track 1: Provides training in plan review and inspection of structures regulated by the Minnesota Residential Code (Ch. 1309) - a one-year training period with an award of up to $65,000. • Track 2: Includes Track 1 and additional training in plan review and inspection of commercial structures regulated by the Minnesota Building Code (Ch. 1305) - a two-year training period. This includes an additional grant award of up to $65,000 for the second year of training. Funding will be allocated through a competitive process. The Grant Program committee will review and score grant applications and proposals. Please note that grantees may only incur allowable expenditures once a grant contract is fully executed between the grantee and the state and the grant has reached its effective date. No invoices will be paid for expenses incurred before the contract effective date. The responder will bear all costs incurred in responding to this RFP. Building Official Training - RFP P a g e 4 | 11 BUILDING OFFICIAL TRAINING Grant Program Allowable expenditures Invoices for approved expenditures will be reimbursed quarterly. Documentation of all allowable grant expenditures is required for reimbursement. For allowable expenditures examples may include the following: Categories: Examples of allowable expenditures Trainee payroll expenses • Trainee wages and benefits • Reimbursements for in-state travel directly related to the Grant Program Trainee education and training • Additional trainee education and training required to complete the Grant Program i.e.: AMBO Region III, U of M annual institute, CCLD seminars, OSHA 10 Support services • Trainee certifications costs • Books, training supplies, safety equipment required for trainee Ineligible expenses: Ineligible expenses include but are not limited to: • Fundraising • Taxes, except sales tax on goods and services • Lobbyists, political contributions • Bad debts, late payment fees, finance charges, or contingency funds • Parking or traffic violations • Out of state transportation and travel expenses, (Minnesota will be considered the home state for determining whether travel is out of state). Programs and expenditures can begin after the contract is executed. No invoices will be paid for expenses incurred before the contract effective date. This RFP does not obligate the state to award any funding, and the state reserves the right to cancel the solicitation if it is considered to be in the state’s best interest. Technical assistance and questions Technical assistance is available for interpreting the RFP and application instructions by contacting: Terence Olson, 651-284-5627 or Eileen McNiff, 651-284-5859. Submit all questions in email form to: bot.dli@state.mn.us and the answers will be available to all on the website at: http://www.dli.mn.gov/bot . Contact regarding this RFP with any DLI personnel other than the persons named above could result in disqualification. Building Official Training - RFP P a g e 5 | 11 BUILDING OFFICIAL TRAINING Grant Program Proposal DLI will post Grant Program Application Training videos for the required instruction to properly complete the proposal content. View the videos at http://www.dli.mn.gov/bot . The Goals and Work Plan, Budget and Budget Narrative information for this funding request must be entered into the worksheet format in the Application. For information on the Grant Program Application Training videos, Proposal/Application and related documents email your request to: bot.dli@state.mn.us or visit the website: at http://www.dli.mn.gov/bot The complete, signed, Grant Program Application submittals will be your formal Proposal. Eligibility requirements 1. Applicants must meet the “Minimum Qualifications” listed on page 3. 2. Applicants must submit a completed Application, which includes the Proposal, Budget and Budget Narrative, on or before 4 p.m. on July 24, 2020. 3. Grants that are awarded will be restricted to one (Grant Program trainee per municipality. 4. Proposals must contain enough information to sufficiently support an applicant’s ability to deliver the services described in its proposal and application, or the applicant’s ability to deliver the services described through collaboration with another municipality. The services provided by collaborating municipalities must be clearly defined in the proposal. A copy of a joint powers agreement between the collaborating municipalities must accompany the Application and the corresponding box must be checked on the Application. Required Content: Proposal must contain the following information: 1. Cover sheet: a. Municipality/jurisdiction: name and address b. Authorized representative of the municipality for this grant process: i. name, email, phone number. 2. Qualifications: 20 points a. Previous year’s total permits valuation listed by permit type b. List of certified building officials on staff and their roles in providing the training during the Grant Program. c. Trainer(s’) certifications, experience and collaboration with the construction industry (inspectors, plans examiners, permit techs, administrative staff.) 3. Goals and Work Plan: 40 points a. Statement detailing the municipality’s need for this grant. b. Goals for participating in this Grant Program c. Detailed Work Plan: i. Review the requirements of the Grant Program detailed in the Training Requirements document and agree by authorized signature. ii. Provide details of the roles that grantee staff members will play in achieving the training requirements. 4. Sustainability: 10 points a. Potential for continuing the employment of the trainee after the initial Grant Program funding. Building Official Training - RFP P a g e 6 | 11 BUILDING OFFICIAL TRAINING Grant Program 5. Program outcome expectations: 10 points a What are the municipality’s expectations for: i The Grant Program trainee ii The building department iii The municipality 6. Budget request form and budget narrative: 20 points a. Complete pages 5 and 6 of the Application. Questions Questions about this request for proposal or the application process should be submitted via email at bot.dli@state.mn.us. Questions received via email by the deadline July 6, 2020 and the answers to those questions will be posted at www.dli.mn.gov/bot on July 8th, 2020. Other DLI personnel are NOT authorized to discuss this request for proposals with prospective responders before the proposal submission deadline. Contact regarding this RFP with any DLI personnel other than Eileen McNiff or Terence Olson could result in disqualification. Submitting the Proposal All proposals must be submitted via email or United States mail. Proposals submitted by email must be emailed to: bot.dli@state.mn.us. Proposals submitted by United States mail must be directed to: Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry Attn: Eileen McNiff 443 Lafayette Road N St. Paul, MN 55155 If the proposal is submitted by United States mail, then: 1. Proposals are to be sealed in mailing envelopes or packages with the applicant's name and address written on the outside; and 2. Each copy of the proposal must be signed in ink by authorized representative of the municipality. All proposals must be received no later than 4 p.m. on July 24, 2020. Faxed proposals will not be considered. Late proposals will not be considered. Grant Program Proposal Checklist  Viewed the Grant Program Application training videos.  Submit completed Grant Program Application by 4 p.m. on July 24, 2020  Review the sample grant contract  Provide proof of workers’ compensation coverage  Copy of effective and equal opportunity policy  Joint powers agreement if collaborating with another Municipality  Signed Addendum  Signed Training Requirements document  Signed and notarized Affidavit of Non-collusion Building Official Training - RFP P a g e 7 | 11 BUILDING OFFICIAL TRAINING Grant Program Proposal evaluation The Grant Program committee will evaluate all responses received by the deadline. Each proposal area will be evaluated separately. A 100-point scale will be used to create the final evaluation recommendation. (See Grant Program Proposal instructions on pages 5 and 6.) Proposals will first be reviewed for responsiveness to determine if the mandatory requirements listed below have been met and if the proposal is complete (containing all required elements listed in Proposal Checklist above). Incomplete proposals that do not meet the mandatory requirements will not be evaluated. Mandatory Requirements (scored as pass/fail) The following will be considered on a pass/fail basis: 1. Completed Applications received on or before 4 p.m. on July 24, 2020. 2. Applicant must meet the “Minimum Qualifications” listed on page 3. 3. The applicant must submit information that is enough to sufficiently support the municipality’s ability to deliver the services described in the proposal. Proposal contents accuracy By submission of a proposal, the responder warrants that the information provided is true, correct and reliable for purposes of evaluation for potential contract award. The submission of inaccurate or misleading information may be grounds for disqualification from the award as well as subject the responder to suspension or debarment proceedings as well as other remedies available by law. Sample grant contract Responders should be aware of the state’s standard grant contract terms and conditions in preparing your response. A sample grant contract is posted at http://www.dli.mn.gov/bot. Much of the language reflected in the contract is required by statute. If a responder takes exception to any of the terms, conditions or language in the contract, the responder must indicate those exceptions in the response to the RFP; certain exceptions may result in the responder’s proposal being disqualified from further review and evaluation. Only those exceptions indicated in the response to the RFP will be available for discussion or negotiation. Grantee Bidding Requirements for Municipalities Grantees that are municipalities must follow: • The contracting and bidding requirements in the Uniform Municipal Contracting Law as defined in Minn. Stat.§471.345 • The requirements of prevailing wage for grant-funded projects that include construction work of $25,000 or more, per Minn. Stat. §§177.41 through 177.44 These rules require that the wages of laborers and workers should be comparable to wages paid for similar work in the community as a whole. The grantee must not contract with vendors who are suspended or debarred in MN: http://www.mmd.admin.state.mn.us/debarredreport.asp Building Official Training - RFP P a g e 8 | 11 BUILDING OFFICIAL TRAINING Grant Program Grant Monitoring Compliance with the requirements of the Grant Program will be verified via monitoring and completion of reporting forms provided by DLI. The monitoring process will be comprised of these aspects: 1. Grant monitoring visit(s) as per Minn. Stat. §16B.97 and Policy on Grant Monitoring require the following: a. The Grant Program monitoring visit(s) will be scheduled at the municipality or at DLI and will be attended by DLI staff and the related municipal staff. b. There will be a review of trainee progress to ensure the Grant Program training and instruction requirements are being achieved. c. Progress will be gauged at that point in relation to the overall program requirements and any problems or issues, faced by the grantee, will be addressed. d. Any changes or modifications to the grantee training staff or the Grant Program will be discussed. 2. Quarterly progress reports a. Will include the training and instruction requirements achieved with a supporting narrative that summarizes each aspect achieved. 3. Quarterly invoices – financial reconciliation a. This will involve reconciling a grantee’s submitted invoices with the supporting documentation such as, but not limited to: payroll records, time sheets, receipts. b. The final payment will be withheld pending verification that all training requirements have been achieved and all invoices have been reconciled. c. Conducting a financial reconciliation of grantee’s expenditures at least once during the grant period on grants of $50,000 and higher. For this purpose, the grantee must make expense receipts, employee timesheets, invoices, and any other supporting documents available upon request by the State. 4. A grant management form will be used to track all progress from the visit(s) and reports. The documentation will be kept on file. 5. Grant monitoring requirements will be detailed in the grant contract. Building Official Training - RFP P a g e 9 | 11 BUILDING OFFICIAL TRAINING Grant Program Conflicts of Interest: DLI will take steps to prevent individual and organizational conflicts of interest, both in reference to responders and reviewers per Minn. Stat. § 16B.98 and Office of Grants Management Policy 08-01 http://www.mn.gov/admin/images/grants_policy_08-01.pdf . Organizational conflicts of interest occur when: • a grantee or responder is unable, or potentially unable, to render impartial assistance or advice to DLI due to competing duties or loyalties; or • a grantee’s or responder’s objectivity in carrying out the grant is, or might be otherwise, impaired due to competing duties or loyalties. In cases where a conflict of interest is suspected, disclosed or discovered, the responders or grantees will be notified and actions may be pursued, including but not limited to, disqualification from eligibility for the grant award or termination of the grant contract Public Data Per Minn. Stat. § 13.599: • Names and addresses of grant applicants and the amount requested will be public data once proposal responses are opened. • All remaining data in proposal responses (except trade secret data as defined and classified in Minn. Stat. §13.37 and federal tax identification numbers) will be public data after the evaluation process is completed. Completion of the evaluation process occurs when the government entity has completed negotiating the grant contract with the selected responder. • All data created or maintained by DLI as part of the evaluation process (except trade secret data as defined and classified in Minn. Stat. § 13.37 and federal tax identification numbers) will be public data after all grant agreements have been fully executed. If the responder submits information in response to this RFP that the responder believes to be trade secret materials, as defined by the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, Minn. Stat. § 13.37, the responder must: • clearly mark all trade secret materials in its response at the time the response is submitted; • include a statement with its response justifying the trade secret designation for each item; and • defend any action seeking release of the materials it believes to be trade secret, and indemnify and hold harmless the state, its agents and employees, from any judgments or damages awarded against the state in favor of the party requesting the materials, and any and all costs connected with that defense. This indemnification survives the state’s award of a grant. In submitting a response to this RFPs, the responder agrees that this indemnification survives as long as the trade secret materials are in possession of the state. The state will not consider the proposed budget submitted by the responder to be proprietary or trade secret materials. Audits Per Minn. Stat. §16B.98 Subdivision 8, the grantee’s books, records, documents, and accounting procedures and practices of the grantee or other party that are relevant to the grant or transaction are subject to examination by the granting agency and either the legislative auditor or the state auditor, as appropriate. This requirement will last for a minimum of six years from the grant end date, receipt, and approval of all final reports, or the required period of time to satisfy all state and program retention requirements, whichever is later. Building Official Training - RFP P a g e 10 | 11 BUILDING OFFICIAL TRAINING Grant Program Affirmative Action and non-discrimination requirements for all grantees: a) The grantee agrees not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, status in regard to public assistance, membership or activity in a local commission, disability, sexual orientation, or age in regard to any position for which the employee or applicant for employment is qualified. Minn. Stat. §363A.02. The grantee agrees to take affirmative steps to employ, advance in employment, upgrade, train, and recruit minority persons, women, and persons with disabilities. b) The grantee must not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of physical or mental disability in regard to any position for which the employee or applicant for employment is qualified. The grantee agrees to take affirmative action to employ, advance in employment, and otherwise treat qualified disabled persons without discrimination based upon their physical or mental disability in all employment practices such as the following: employment, upgrading, demotion or transfer, recruitment, advertising, layoff or termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation, and selection for training, including apprenticeship. Minnesota Rules, part 5000.3420. c) The grantee agrees to comply with the rules and relevant orders of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights issued pursuant to the Minnesota Human Rights Act. Voter registration requirement The grantee will comply with Minn. Stat. §201.162 by providing voter registration services for its employees and for the public served by the grantee. For more information about this RFP, contact either: Eileen McNiff Terence Olson Department of Labor and Industry 443 Lafayette Road N Department of Labor and Industry 443 Lafayette Road N St. Paul, MN 55155 St. Paul, MN. 55155 651-284-5859 651-284-5627 bot.dli@state.mn.us bot.dli@state.mn.us Building Official Training - RFP P a g e 11 | 11 BUILDING OFFICIAL TRAINING Grant Program Grant Program Proposal Checklist  Viewed the Grant Program Application training videos.  Submit completed Grant Program Application by 4:00 p.m. July 24, 2020  Review the sample grant contract  Provide proof of workers’ compensation coverage  Copy of effective and equal opportunity policy  Joint powers agreement if collaborating with another Municipality  Signed Addendum  Signed Training Requirements document  Signed and notarized Affidavit of Non-collusion Definitions Authorized The individual authorized by the municipality to enter into contractual representative: agreements. Grantor: A person or institution that makes a grant or conveyance Grantee: Municipality that applies for and receives a grant Grant Program: The Department of Labor and Industry’s Building Official Training Grant Program. Qualified municipality: To be considered a “qualified municipality”, applicants must meet these requirements:  Applicants must be a “municipality” as defined in Minnesota State Building Code Ch. 1300.0070 subp. 17; MN. Statute 326B.103 subd. 9 and  A municipality must administer and enforce the Minnesota State Building Code by having adopted the code by ordinance in compliance with MN. Statute 326B.121 subd. 2  Education and training must be provided under the direct supervision of, Minnesota Certified Building Officials certified in accordance with MN. Admin. Rules Sec. 1301 and MN. Statute 326B.133. Responder: The applicant RFP: Request for Proposal (RFP) – data outlining the responsibilities the granting agency wants the grantee to assume Trainee: Person undergoing training for a job or profession Trainer: Person who guides, trains or instructs someone