Eastgate Regional Council of Governments has issued a Request for Proposals seeking the services of a consultant/firm to perform a Housing Strategy for Mahoning and Trumbull Counties. A selection committee will review the proposals and select from those bids the best proposal.
The selected consultant will be commissioned to put together the Strategy with a focus on assessing the existing housing and market conditions within the region and developing an actionable strategy to best support sustainable housing improvements. Eastgate, along with its local community partners, will work in tandem with the consultant to ensure the completion of the Strategy to the satisfaction of the review committee, as well as provide any technical assistance that might be necessary. Upon completion, Eastgate will pursue the implementation goals outlined in the Strategy and seek further funding from grants and other local sources to do so.
Respondents may submit questions regarding this RFP at any time through June 22, 2023, to the Eastgate Authorized Representative:
Justin Mondok
Director of Planning & Development
jmondok@eastgatecog.org
Questions submitted to the Eastgate Authorized Representative do not create exceptions to the terms and conditions of this RFP. All questions submitted to, and answers provided by the Eastgate Authorized Representative shall be shared by Eastgate on its website (www.eastgatecog.org) on or before June 28, 2023. Respondents shall not contact to discuss this RFP, any person who is an employee, officer, elected official or agent of Eastgate, with respect to this RFP, except Eastgate’s Authorized Representative. Eastgate may disqualify any Respondent who makes such contact.
The deadline for Eastgate’s receipt of a Respondent’s proposal is July 7, 2023 at 2:00 PM Eastern. Respondents may submit their proposals at any time prior to the above-stated deadline. Failure to submit the required formats and number of copies by this deadline may be subject to disqualification from the RFP process. Eastgate shall bear no responsibility for submitting proposals on behalf of any Respondent. No extensions shall be granted for responses to this RFP.
View the RFP
Amendment #1 - June 21, 2023
* Questions and Answers regarding the RFP can be found below *
Q1: Is there a budget amount identified for this strategy?
A1: You can find the budget for the project on Page 5 of the RFP document under the heading "Contract Type and Payment Method", which states "Eastgate will fund the project with a not to exceed amount of Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars and No Cents (US$250,000.00)."
Q2: Are the cover page and cover letter included in the proposal's 10-page limit?
A2: We ask that all components of a submission to the RFP be contained within the 10-page limit.
Q3: Are key personnel bios, references, and any firm certifications, including the officer certification of federal labor law compliance, included in the 10-page limit or are these able to be attached as appendices?
A3: We ask that all components of a submission to the RFP be contained within the 10-page limit. We encourage respondents to emphasize and maximize the content of their submissions by focusing more space on addressing the project deliverables. Hyperlinks in the RFP response may be used to provide additional context but should not be used in place of providing documented evidence of submission requirements as listed in the RFP Document under Section III. RFP Responses.
Q4: Can you provide examples of Eastgate’s local community partners mentioned in the second paragraph of “I. Project Information”?
A4: Eastgate’s local community partners for the purposes of this project include all of the jurisdictions within Mahoning and Trumbull Counties, County agencies, nonprofits, and other community-based organizations. It is not mandatory for all entities to participate, but any jurisdiction or organization capable of or with interest in housing issues within the region is able to participate in the process.
Q5: Who is the Review Committee, mentioned in the second paragraph of “I. Project Information”?
A5: Confirmation of the participants in the review committee is not yet final but will include regional stakeholders who are actively involved in addressing local housing issues as well as input from Eastgate staff.
Q6: Is there an expectation that other entities in Mahoning and Trumbull Counties will pursue the Strategy’s implementation goals or is Eastgate the primary “owner” and implementer of the Strategy’s Implementation plan? If others besides Eastgate will implement parts of the plan, who are they?
A6: Recognizing that Eastgate maintains no regulatory authority or ability to compel local communities to adopt or implement outcomes from this project, we are hopeful that if the process is carried out in a way that is valuable for each community stakeholder, it will lead to implementation at the local community level. Those that would implement aspects of the plan could include all of the jurisdictions within Mahoning and Trumbull Counties, County agencies, nonprofits, and other community-based organizations.
Q7: What kind of local housing strength data can local sources provide? For example, do the county land banks have housing conditions surveys and if so, how recently were they completed? Are there other local data sources that are easily accessed?
A7: The City of Youngstown and Warren are currently conducting a citywide housing conditions survey, but most of the other communities have not completed this level of assessment. A similar assessment was started with Loveland technologies Regrid a couple of years ago in Boardman Township, but that project was not completed.
Q8: Can stakeholder engagement occur virtually for some or nearly all engagements or is there a strong preference for in-person engagement?
A8: We are open to all methods of engagement for this project.
Q9: The RFP calls for a regional housing strategy but there are differences between Trumbull Co. and Mahoning Co.’s housing markets; there is also differences between major cities and “balance of the county.” Will Eastgate be satisfied with county-based Strategies that are coordinated with each other but can also operate independently of each other?
A9: Absolutely. We recognize the challenge associated with planning for a large and diverse planning area but are hopeful that the responses can provide innovative ways to address the myriad of housing related issues that persist across all planning typologies present in our region.
Q10: The General Scope of Services indicates the final report should be presented to the “governing bodies of both counties and other stakeholders.” To confirm, does the RFP use “governing bodies” to mean the county commissioners? And who are the other stakeholders that will receive presentations?
A10: Eastgate has regularly scheduled meetings with its members and regional partners. A presentation could take place at one of these meetings or the Firm can organize an independent presentation. There are no required attendees for this presentation, but an effort should be made to invite Eastgate’s members and regional partners.
Q11: Is there a page limit for the proposal (not including requested supplemental materials)?
A11: We ask that all components of a submission to the RFP be contained within the 10-page limit as defined in Section V. Requirements for Proposals. We encourage respondents to emphasize and maximize the content of their submissions by focusing more space on addressing the project deliverables. Hyperlinks in the RFP response may be used to provide additional context but should not be used in place of providing documented evidence of submission requirements as listed in the RFP Document under Section III. RFP Responses.
Q12: How will the delivery of the paper copy be acknowledged? Will there be a front-office staffer time stamping received paper copies on July 7, 2023?
A12: Eastgate has issued Amendment #1 to the RFP that removes the requirement for the submission of a paper copy.
Q13: On page 4, item B.f. says we must “provide certification… evidencing consistent past compliance with federal labor and employment laws by the applicant.” What kind of documentation are you looking for?
A13: A simple statement affirming compliance is all that is required. You may have some evidence of this that you may want to reference, but this is mostly to ensure that the firms are maintaining compliance as the information provided in responses should be true and accurate.
Q14: The RFP mentions “local community partners”. Who are these partners?
A14: Eastgate’s local community partners for the purposes of this project include all of the jurisdictions within Mahoning and Trumbull Counties, County agencies, nonprofits, and other community-based organizations. It is not mandatory for all entities to participate, but any jurisdiction or organization capable of or with interest in housing issues within the region is welcome to participate in the process.
Q15: Is there something specific that triggered the need for this study at this time?
A15: We believe that transportation planning and housing are interconnected. This study was triggered by other initiatives in our region and some that are currently being spearheaded with our organization and collaborating organizations such as a Repopulation Strategy, Transit Oriented Development Plans, and Active Transportation related projects.
Q16: Have the counties and/or the region completed Housing Studies in the past? When were those studies completed?
A16: The City of Youngstown and Warren are currently conducting a citywide housing conditions survey, but most of the other communities have not completed this level of assessment. A similar assessment was started with Loveland technologies Regrid a couple of years ago in Boardman Township, but that project was not completed. The City of Youngstown had a Housing Study completed in 2020.
Q17: Does Eastgate prefer that stakeholder engagement take place in person, virtually, or a combination?
A17: We are open to all methods of engagement for this project.
Q18: Will Eastgate provide contact information and meeting space for stakeholder engagement?
A18: Eastgate will be an active collaborator in this process and is willing to assist with stakeholder engagement outreach and meeting space availability.
Q19: Will Eastgate and/or other local leadership be available to guide a windshield tour of the region?
A19: Yes, we can provide assistance in addition to members of the steering committee who may be interested in participating in guiding a windshield survey.
Q20: What is the preferred timeline for this project? Start and end dates.
A20: Ideally this project will start in August after the project award has been made and be completed within a year of award.
Q21: Does the 10-page limit include project team resumes?
A21: We ask that all components of a submission to the RFP be contained within the 10-page limit as defined in Section V. Requirements for Proposals. We encourage respondents to emphasize and maximize the content of their submissions by focusing more space on addressing the project deliverables. Hyperlinks in the RFP response may be used to provide additional context and detail but should not be used in place of providing documented evidence of submission requirements as listed in the RFP Document under Section III. RFP Responses.
Q22: Has a Steering Committee been formed for the project? Who is represented on that committee?
A22: A steering committee has not been formed. However, we have formed a scoring committee for the proposal review and those members will be asked to be part of the Steering committee as well as additional partners.
Q23: Who will be the main point of contact for the project?
A23: The primary point of contact will be Justin Mondok, Eastgate Director of Planning & Development.
Q24: The RFP indicates that Eastgate will pursue identified goals and "seek further funding from grants and other local sources to do so". Do you want the consultant to identify available resources?
A24: Yes, we expect that the consultant will assist in identifying available resources and opportunities to implement the findings and recommendations outlined in the plan.
Q25: Are there particular areas of the region that the consultant should pay special attention to? (e.g., areas with concentrated workforce, blight, opportunity zones, etc)
A25: We recognize the challenge associated with planning for a large and diverse planning area but are hopeful that the responses can provide innovative ways to address the myriad of housing related issues that persist across all planning typologies present in our region. Responses to this RFP should outline a strategy that the Firm feels is most advantageous and clearly illustrate why that methodology is the best path forward to achieve the project’s stated goals.