REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL - Valemount · 2017-05-02 · This proposal is valid and enforceable for a period of not less than sixty (60) days following the closing date. In accordance with

735 Cranberry Lake Road | Box 168 | Valemount, BC V0E 2Z0 | P 250.566.4435 | F 250.566.4249

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

To conduct a governance study to evaluate three (3) governance structures that will consider the inclusion/exclusion of the proposed Valemount Glacier Destination Resort within the municipal boundaries.

The Village of Valemount (the “Village”) is seeking proposals from qualified professionals to provide the Contract Services outlined in this RFP.

Issue Date: May 2, 2017

Title of RFP: Village of Valemount Governance Study

Send complete response as a PDF file to

Village’s Representative: Silvio Gislimberti, Economic Development Officer

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 250-566-4435

Closing Date: Monday, May 29, 2017

Closing Time: 4:00 PM

Proposals received after the closing time will not be accepted.

THE VILLAGE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CANCEL THIS RFP AT ANY TIME BEFORE OR AFTER THE CLOSING DATE AND TIME HAS PASSED, AND THE LOWEST PRICED, OR ANY, PROPOSAL WILL NOT NECESSARILY BE CHOSEN FOR

NEGOTIATION OF A CONTRACT FOR SERVICES.

mailto:[email protected]

Village of Valemount RFP Governance Study

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Table of Contents PART 1: PROPOSAL DETAILS .................................................................................... 3

A. Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 3

B. Background ........................................................................................................................... 3

C. Purpose ................................................................................................................................. 3

D. Description of Services ......................................................................................................... 4

E. Proposed Timeline ................................................................................................................ 6

F. Content and Format of Proposal .......................................................................................... 6

G. Evaluation ............................................................................................................................. 7

H. Respondent’s Committment ................................................................................................ 7

PART 2: INSTRUCTIONS, TERMS AND CONDITIONS ......................................... 8

I. Right to Cancel RFP and/or to Accept Proposals ................................................................. 8

J. Communications ................................................................................................................... 9

K. No Collusion.......................................................................................................................... 9

L. Submission of Proposals ....................................................................................................... 9

M. Amendments to Proposals after Submission Deadline ........................................................ 9

N. Withdrawal of Proposals .................................................................................................... 10

O. Ownership of Proposals ..................................................................................................... 10

P. Confidentiality of Proposals ............................................................................................... 10

Q. Waiver of Liability for Errors .............................................................................................. 10

R. Respondent’s Risk and Warranty ....................................................................................... 11

S. Recommendation to Village Council .................................................................................. 11

T. Contract for Services .......................................................................................................... 11

U. Compliance with Laws ........................................................................................................ 12

V. Acting in Conflict ................................................................................................................ 12

W. Insurance Requirements and Liability ................................................................................ 12

X. Negotiations and Contract Award ...................................................................................... 13

Appendix A: Terms of Reference .......................................................................... 14


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PART 1: PROPOSAL DETAILS

A. INTRODUCTION

This Request for Proposals (RFP) outlines the overall scope of Contractor Services, the basic requirements for the proposal document, and the basic evaluation criteria to be used for awarding the contract. This RFP is for a Governance Study to consider a potential boundary expansion with a potential inclusion/exclusion of the Valemount Glacier Destination Resort (VGDR) within municipal boundaries.

B. BACKGROUND On Tuesday, March 28, 2017, the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations finalized and signed a Master Development Agreement with Valemount Glacier Destinations Ltd. (VGD) for a resort located west of Valemount (3.5 km air distance and 9.4 km by the existing airport road).

This project focuses on the creation of a year-round skiing and sightseeing destination in the Premier Range of the Cariboo Mountains. The initial capital investment will be approximately $100 Million. The Master Plan can be found and downloaded at http://valemountglaciers.com/master-plan/

The municipality of the Village of Valemount has a population of 1,020 people and is nested within Electoral Area H of the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George (RDFFG). Approximately 400 people live in the surrounding regional district area. The proposed VGDR development is currently located in Electoral Area H of the RDFFG.

Valemount was a resource based community and relied principally on forestry until the mid 2000s. In the past decades, various corporations—Slocan, Canfor-Slocan, and Northwest Specialty Lumber—operated the local mill. In 2009, Valemount Forest Products Ltd. closed the mill definitively. Due to its strategic location on Hwy 5, Valemount has a realistic opportunity to diversify its economy, particularly through tourism. Hiking, snowmobiling, mountain biking, fishing, hunting and other activities make Valemount an ideal community to live or visit for outdoor enthusiasts. Valemount is also a designated Resort Municipality with 13 other BC communities.

Valemount lies at the major drainage divide of the Columbia Basin and the Fraser Basin. The village is surrounded by the Rocky, the Monashee, and Columbia Mountains. The Yellowhead Highway 5 and 16 connect Valemount to Prince George (290 km), Kamloops (320 km) and Jasper (120 km). The Valemount airport has a paved 4,000-foot runway and an aviation gas fuel facility.

C. PURPOSE

The purpose of this RFP is to solicit the best overall proposal(s) for the provision of a Governance Study to evaluate three alternative governance structures that will consider the inclusion/exclusion of the proposed VGDR project within municipal boundaries. The study shall also assess costs and benefits that each option may produce on the corporate

http://valemountglaciers.com/master-plan/


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structure of local governments—including the Village of Valemount and the RDFFG—and provide recommendations regarding the potential governance structure and assessment of the costs and benefits associated with each option.

D. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES

1. The Governance Study must include a Community Profile of the study area including the current population, demographics and an overview of settlement patterns, zoning, OCP land use designations, ALR status, lot sizes and existing infrastructure.

2. The Governance Study must analyze and compare the following governance options:

Option 1: the proposed VGDR remains within the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George.

Option 2: the proposed VGDR project will be incorporated by the Village of Valemount by a contiguous boundary extension.

Option 3: the proposed VGDR project will be incorporated by the Village of Valemount by a satellite boundary extension.

For more details of these options see Appendix A (Terms of Reference)

3. The Governance Study must consider how the three options may impact on the:

a. corporate structure of the RDFFG and/or the Village of Valemount (i.e. need for additional staff to administer services);

b. delivery of service and service levels (i.e. are new services required and/or is there capacity to provide services to the area of extension);

c. the financial health of the local government (i.e. additional tax base versus expenses incurred);

d. additional/increased areas of responsibility (i.e. roadways, land use and planning);

e. community identity and cohesion (i.e. does the change complement the existing community); and,

f. current tax rates for properties located both within the current municipal boundary of Valemount and unincorporated areas within the area of the proposed extension (contiguous and satellite).


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4. The Governance Study must include a cost-benefit analysis by identifying:

a. existing local government services and associated operating expenditures for the Village and the unincorporated VGDR study area;

b. potential local government operating expenditures for the VGDR base area and controlled recreation area;

c. potential revenues generated by property taxes and utilities; and,

d. current tax rates for properties located both within the current municipal boundary of Valemount and unincorporated areas within the area of the proposed extension (contiguous and satellite).

e. The Cost-Benefit Analysis must cover projected operating expenditures for the VGDR base area and projected revenues from properties within VGDR area.

Assumptions for a Cost-Benefit Analysis: see Valemount Glacier Destinations: Master Plan, http://valemountglaciers.com/master-plan/)

5. The study must consider the long-term implications on local governance and service delivery resulting from the proposed three-phased approach to VGDR construction.

6. The Governance Study must provide recommendations regarding the assessment of the costs, tax impacts, and benefits associated with each governance structure option.

7. The Governance Study must provide recommendations regarding a preferred governance structure.

8. The study must also include an outreach component— that focuses only on the three governance options— to local stakeholders, residents and the Simpcw First Nation. The format of public/stakeholder outreach may include:

a) interviews with key residents, stakeholders and local government representatives;

b) web-based or other surveys to collect information on community perspectives;

c) open house/information session(s) held near the end of the study process when most of the key governance questions are answered; at this session the preferred governance structure will be presented to gauge public response to consultants’ work.

Information/engagement meetings with First Nations, in particular with the Simpcw First Nation, should be held near the beginning of the governance study process and/or before the public outreach session.

9. The contractor must arrange to present the final findings to Village Council.

http://valemountglaciers.com/master-plan/


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E. PROPOSED TIMELINE June 2017 • Award contract for Governance Study

July-September 2017 • Data scoping, collection and analysis

• Complete outreach component with Simpcw First Nation

November 2017 • Draft report submitted for review

January 2018 • Complete outreach component with local residents

February 2018 • Finalize report and present Governance Study results to Council of Village of Valemount

F. CONTENT AND FORMAT OF PROPOSAL Proposals shall provide all detailed information as requested in the RFP document. Failure to be fully responsive in accordance with the RFP request for all detailed information may result in rejection of a proposal without further consideration by the Village.

The following format and sequence should be followed in order to provide consistency in Respondents’ responses and to ensure each proposal receives full and complete consideration. All pages should be consecutively numbered (maximum pages 20).

1. Title Page: RFP title, Respondent’s name, address, telephone number, and email address;

2. Table of Proposed Contents;

3. An Executive Summary of the key features of the proposal;

4. Work plan and schedule;

5. Fees for proposal and proposed payment schedule;

6. Description of Respondent’s organization, including:

a. Respondent Organization/Profile/Technical Skills/Experience.

b. Proposed Contract Administrator/Company Contact.

c. Associates, Employees, Contractors of Firm.

In addition to points 1–6:

1. Relevant sample documents (up to 20 pages);

2. References from three (3) current or past clients, to whom the Respondent has supplied similar services as listed in this RFP; and,

3. And any additional Information considered important by Respondents for the evaluation of their proposals (up to 20 pages).


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G. EVALUATION The Village will evaluate Proposals based upon—but not limited to—the following:

Evaluation Item Points Content and Methodology 35 Qualifications and Experience of Respondent 25 Fees 15 Schedule 10 Quality of Sample Documents 5 Reference Checks 10

Total 100

Proposals will be reviewed and evaluated by a RFP selection committee chosen by the Village. Any or all of the Respondents may be invited to give a written or oral presentation and/or participate in interviews in order to assist the RFP selection committee in the evaluation process.

H. RESPONDENT’S COMMITTMENT Provided that this proposal is accepted within thirty (30) calendar days from the closing date, the undersigned agrees, on behalf of the company named below, to supply the goods and services listed at the prices quoted, under the terms and conditions set forth in this RFP document, the Respondent’s proposal, any and all addendum, which shall together form the agreement. This proposal is valid and enforceable for a period of not less than sixty (60) days following the closing date. In accordance with the terms, conditions, instructions, and specifications the undersigned agrees to supply products and services at the prices quoted. The statements made in this proposal are correct and truthful representations. If selected, I/We shall negotiate in good faith with the Village.

This section to be completed by the Respondent:

Name: Company:

City/town: Province: Postal Code:

Phone:

Name of Signing Officer Signature of Signing Officer Date:


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PART 2: INSTRUCTIONS, TERMS AND CONDITIONS The submission of a proposal indicates acceptance of all the terms that follow, and any that are included in any addenda issued by the Village. Provisions in submitted Proposals that contradict any of the terms of this RFP will be treated as if they were not written and do not exist.

Respondents are cautioned to carefully read and follow the procedures, terms and conditions required by this RFP, as any deviation, omission, as well as any inaccuracies or misstatements may be cause for rejection. However, the Village reserves the right at its sole discretion, to waive minor irregularities and defects in a proposal, and proceed with that respondent.

I. RIGHT TO CANCEL RFP AND/OR TO ACCEPT PROPOSALS This RFP is solely a request for proposals for the provision of services outlined in this RFP. It is not an invitation for tenders, an offer to contract, or an invitation for offers capable of acceptance to create a contract. Submission of a proposal by any Respondent and its subsequent receipt by the Village does not represent a commitment on the part of the Village to proceed further with any Respondent. The Village is under no obligation to award a contract as a result of this RFP and reserves the right to terminate this RFP process at any time.

No contractual or other legal obligations or relations between the Village and any other person can or will be created prior to the termination of this RFP process, or otherwise, except in a written contract executed by two authorized signatories of the Village under the authority of an express resolution of the Council of the Village of Valemount.

The Village is entitled to cancel this RFP at any time by addendum issued to the Respondents, without liability for any loss, damage, cost or expense incurred or suffered by any Respondent as a result of that cancellation.

In considering any proposals delivered in response to this RFP, the Village reserves the absolute and unfettered discretion to do any one or more of the following:

a) Determine whether any proposal(s) satisfactorily meet the evaluation criteria set out in this RFP;

b) Accept or reject any proposal that fails to comply with the requirements set out in this RFP for the content of proposals;

c) Require clarification after the dates and times set out in this RFP from any one or more of the Respondents in respect of proposals submitted;

d) Assess and select proposals as it sees fit, without in any way being obliged to select any proposal or to select the proposal or Respondent that offers the lowest price or cost;

e) Communicate with, meet with, or negotiate with any one or more of the Respondents respecting their proposals or any aspects of the services outlined in this RFP;


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f) Reject any or all proposals with or without cause, whether according to the evaluation criteria or otherwise;

g) Request further information from the marketplace or pursue other options.

J. COMMUNICATIONS

All Respondents must communicate and otherwise deal with the Village’s Representative only. Contact with any other person, including officers or employees of the Village regarding this RFP or the Respondents’ submissions may result in a proposal being removed from consideration.

1. All enquiries related to this RFP (including as to any clarification, errors or omissions of or in this RFP) are to be directed by email or by phone to the Village’s Representative.

2. Questions will be answered if time permits. Enquiries and responses will be recorded and may be distributed to all Respondents at the Village’s option.

3. Information obtained from any other source is not official and may not be accurate. The Village’s Representative will answer all questions by email.

K. NO COLLUSION Respondents must not communicate, directly or indirectly, with any other Respondents (including through any employees, agents or contractors) regarding the preparation, content or submission of separate individual proposals. Each proposal must be submitted without any collusion, or knowledge, in the preparation of or about any other proposal. Submission of a proposal to the Village is deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Respondent submitting that proposal that it has complied with this paragraph. If the Village determines that a Respondent has violated this paragraph, the Village may disqualify that Respondent and reject its proposal as being invalid.

L. SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS Any proposal not received before the time and date specified will be rejected as being invalid. Submission of a proposal by a Respondent and its subsequent receipt by the Village does not represent a commitment on the part of the Village to proceed further with any Respondent or project.

M. AMENDMENTS TO PROPOSALS AFTER SUBMISSION DEADLINE

All amendments or further information will be published on the Village’s website at http://www.valemount.ca/bid-contract . It is the responsibility of the Respondent to monitor the website to check for updates.

A Respondent shall not be permitted to change the wording or contents of a proposal after the submission deadline, unless requested to do so by the Village for the purpose of clarification.

http://www.valemount.ca/bid-contract


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After the date for submission of proposals, a Respondent may make a change to the makeup of the Respondent’s membership team only with expressed written approval of the Village. The Village may refuse to permit changes of members who in the judgment of the Village have qualifications that were unique and essential to the Respondent.

N. WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSALS

Respondents may withdraw their proposals by written request to the Village Representative, at any time prior to the scheduled closing date and time noted on this RFP. Proposals remain valid, and may not be withdrawn, for the period of thirty (30) days following the date for submission of proposals.

O. OWNERSHIP OF PROPOSALS All proposals, subsequent information and materials received by the Village shall become the property of the Village and will not be returned. The Village reserves the right to make copies of the proposals for use during the selection process only.

This RFP is the property of the Village and is not to be copied or distributed without prior approval of the Village Representative. Any information acquired about the Village by a Respondent during this process must not be disclosed unless authorized by the Village, and this obligation will survive the termination of this RFP process.

P. CONFIDENTIALITY OF PROPOSALS The Proposals will be held in confidence by the Village subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information and Protection Privacy Act , R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 165 (FOIPPA) of British Columbia. However, because of the right of access to records created by that Act, the Village cannot and does not guarantee that information contained in any proposals will remain confidential if a request for access in respect of any proposal is made under the Act.

If Respondents consider that any part of their proposal is proprietary, including by reason of it being copyright, the Respondent must clearly identify those portions considered proprietary.

The awarding of any contract or the reaching of any agreement for the provision of this RFP for the Village will not permit any Respondent to advertise a relationship with the Village without the Village’s prior authorization.

Q. WAIVER OF LIABILITY FOR ERRORS The Village has used considerable efforts to ensure an accurate representation of information in this RFP. However, the Village accepts no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of this RFP (including any schedules, appendices or addenda) and no representation or warranty, express or implied, is made or given by the Village with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the RFP (including any schedules, appendices or addenda).


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R. RESPONDENT’S RISK AND WARRANTY Each Respondent is solely responsible for the risk and cost of preparing and submitting his/her proposal in response to this RFP. Neither the Village nor its officials, employees or consultants (including the Village’s Representative/s) are liable for the cost of doing so or obliged to remunerate or reimburse any Respondent for that cost. The sole risk, responsibility and liability connected with reliance by any Respondent or any other person on this RFP is that of each Respondent. Each Respondent is responsible for obtaining his/her own independent financial, legal, accounting, or other advice with respect to the contents of this RFP.

By submitting a proposal to the Village, each Respondent represents and warrants to the Village that the information in his/her proposal is, to the best of the Respondent’s knowledge, accurate and complete.

S. RECOMMENDATION TO VILLAGE COUNCIL Following the conclusion of the evaluation process and any resulting negotiations, the RFP Selection Committee will make a recommendation to Village Council with regard to the contract(s) for the provision of this RFP for the Village. The final decision on whether to appoint any firm to undertake this RFP or whether to enter into any contract(s) for the provision of this RFP rests with the Village Council.

T. CONTRACT FOR SERVICES The Village may, at its sole discretion and following any recommendation to, and direction provided by, Village Council, enter into a written contract with any one of the Respondents for the provision of the services generally described in this RFP. There shall be no agreement, and no Respondent shall acquire any legal or equitable rights or privileges with respect to this RFP or the services in question, until such a written contract is duly executed by the signing authorities of the Respondent and of the Village.

1. Contract Administration: Following the execution of any contract, the contractor will be expected to name a contract administrator who will oversee the administration of the contract with regard to the contractor’s responsibilities, and will provide information upon request to the Village’s contract administrator (CAO) or designate regarding the implementation and ongoing provision of service.

2. Term of Contract: Any contract for service, which results from this RFP process, shall be effective from the date of commencement specified in the contract and shall continue subject to the terms and conditions of the contract. Such terms and conditions may include provisions for the extension, upon mutual agreement between the Village and the contractor, of the term of the contract.

3. Budgetary Approval: Any contract for service, which results from this RFP process, shall be subject to budgetary approval by the Village Council.


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U. COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS Neither the acceptance of any proposal submitted pursuant to this RFP, nor the execution of any agreement for the provision of the service(s), as generally described in this RFP, is an explicit or implicit approval or waiver of the requirement of or for any permits, licences, fees, taxes or other legal requirements that would ordinarily be required for the implementation or operation of the service. A Respondent is solely responsible for complying with all applicable Federal, Provincial and Municipal legal requirements.

Any dispute arising from this RFP, or subsequent agreement, will be resolved according to the laws of the Province of British Columbia.

V. ACTING IN CONFLICT Any contract for service, which results from this RFP process, will include a term prohibiting the contractor(s) from acting for any party whose interests are in conflict with those of the Village, unless specific prior waiver of that term has been given by the Village in each instance.

The Respondent, including all firm, corporation, or individual members of a Respondent, will promptly disclose to the Village any potential conflict of interest and existing business relationships they may have with the Village or the RFP Selection Committee. The Village reserves the right to disqualify any Respondent.

W. INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS AND LIABILITY Any contract for service, which results from this RFP process, will also include a term requiring the contractor(s) to, insofar as is legally permissible and not covered by the insurance noted above, indemnify and hold harmless the Village, its officers and employees, from any and all liability arising out of the contractor’s performance or non-performance of the terms of the contract or out of the provision of the service generally.

The Village and its representatives, agents, consultants and advisors will not be liable to any Respondent, or any firm, corporation or individual member of a Respondent, for claims, whether for costs, expenses, loss or damages, or loss of anticipated profits, or any matter whatsoever, suffered or incurred by the Respondent, or any firm, corporation, or individual member of a Respondent, in preparing and submitting a proposal, or participating in the RFP process or negotiations for the agreement, or any activity related to or arising out of this RFP.


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X. NEGOTIATIONS AND CONTRACT AWARD The Village will select one Preferred Respondent as a result of this RFP process, and will enter into negotiations with the Preferred Respondent in an attempt to settle on an agreement necessary to implement the services generally described in this RFP. Respondents must commit to negotiate in good faith with the Village if chosen as a Preferred Respondent.

1. Awards will be made based on the best value offered and the best value will be determined by the Village.

2. The highest rated, lowest priced, or any proposal will not necessarily be accepted. The Village agency reserves the right to decide upon the order of treatment.

3. The Village shall not be obligated in any manner to any Respondent whatsoever until a written agreement has been duly executed relating to an approved Proposal.

4. No act of the Village other than a notice in writing shall constitute an acceptance of a Proposal. Such acceptance shall bind the successful Respondent to execute in a manner satisfactory to the Village.

5. The Village reserves the right to negotiate with a preferred Respondent, or any Respondent, on any details, including changes to specification and price. If specifications require significant modification, all Respondents shall have the opportunity to adjust their proposals or re-submit altogether, as determined by the Village.

6. After selection of a preferred Respondent and the finalization of any required negotiations, signing of contract documents and the awarding of a contract will be made by the Chief Administrative Officer.

7. If a written Contract cannot be negotiated within thirty (30) days of notification of the successful Respondent, the Village may, at its sole discretion at any time thereafter, terminate negotiations with that Respondent and either negotiate a Contract with the next qualified Respondent or choose to terminate the RFP process and not enter into a contract with any of the Respondents.

Appendix A: Terms of Reference

Terms of Reference Village of Valemount–Regional District of Fraser- Fort George Electoral Area ‘H’ Governance and Boundary Extension Study –Valemount Glacier Destination Resort

A. OVERVIEW In August 2016, the Mountain Resort Branch (Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations) approved a Master Plan for the development of a resort just west of the Village of Valemount (the ‘Village’), BC. Valemount Glacier Destinations Ltd. (VGD) proposes the development of the Valemount Glacier Destination Resort (VGDR) in the Premier Range of the Cariboo Mountains.

The VGDR Master Plan calls for the project to be built-out in 3 phases. Phase 1 consists of the construction of lifts, gondola, 9 townhomes, 25 family chalets, and 1 hotel for a total of 178 rooms. Once built-out, the resort is expected to have an estimated 1,997-bed units, and offer year-round glacier skiing as well as gondola access for alpine sightseeing. The project is currently awaiting final approval from the Province via a master development agreement, which will further refine project details, including local government servicing needs.

Given the proximity of the proposed resort to the Village, and the potential impacts on local governance and service delivery if the resort is built-out, the Village and the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George (the ‘Regional District’) now need to consider whether the VGDR base area should be incorporated within the Village’s municipal boundary.

A complete governance process needs to include the three principal phases of any planning process, namely assessing the situation, considering possibilities, and deciding among alternatives.

Assessing the Situation Some preliminary work for assessing the situation and considering possibilities was started by the Village, the Regional District, and the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development (the ‘Ministry') in 2014, and completed by the end of 2015. This effort resulted in the identification of three possible restructure scenarios.

Building on these efforts, these Terms of Reference describe an evaluative study to further decide among the three alternatives. The study will be commissioned by the Village in spring 2017 and completed by the end of January 2018.

Village of Valemount Governance Study 2017

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Considering Possibilities Village Council and the Regional District Board need to consider various options. For instance, whether the VGDR project area remains within the jurisdiction of the Regional District (i.e. status quo), or the proposed project area is subject to a boundary extension by the Village. For this last option, the Village may consider two possibilities, namely a contiguous boundary extension or a satellite boundary extension.

Deciding among Alternatives An evaluative study— deciding among the alternatives—will be completed by a consultant procured through a Request for Proposals (RFP) process. Based on this Terms of Reference, the study shall provide technical and financial information on the impact of the potential boundary extension/governance restructuring options, along with a summary of community and First Nations perspectives gleaned through a formal outreach process.

With these options better understood, Village Council and the Regional District Board will then be in a better position to determine if approval of the electorate should be sought for either a contiguous or satellite boundary extension.

B. SCOPE OF WORK Study Area: Regional District Area H, Village of Valemount, and proposed VGDR base area


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C. STUDY CONTENTS The study must include the following components:

1. Analyze and compare three governance options.

Option 1: the proposed VGDR base area remains within the Regional District (i.e. status quo)

Option 2: the proposed VGDR base area is incorporated by the Village via a contiguous boundary extension (including public road to VGDR)

Option 3: the proposed VGDR base area is incorporated by the Village via a satellite boundary extension

Governance options 2 and 3:

2. The study must consider how the three options may impact the:

a. corporate structure of the Village and the Regional District (e.g. would it require additional staff to administer services);

b. delivery of Village and Regional District service and service levels (i.e. are new services required and/or is there local government capacity and infrastructure to provide services to the area of extension);

c. the financial health of the local governments (i.e. additional tax base versus expenses incurred);


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d. additional/increased areas of responsibility (i.e. transfer of provincially managed roadways, Regional District land use and planning functions);

e. community identity and cohesion (i.e. does the change complement the existing community);

f. current tax rates for properties located both within the current Village municipal boundary and unincorporated areas within the area of the proposed extension (contiguous and satellite).

3. The study must include a cost-benefit analysis by identifying:

a. existing local government services and associated operating expenditures for the Village and the unincorporated VGDR study area;

b. potential local government services and associated operating expenditures for the VGDR base area;

c. potential revenues generated by property taxes and utilities of the VGDR base area;

d. current tax rates for properties located both within the current Village municipal boundary and unincorporated areas within the area of the proposed extension (contiguous and satellite).

e. The Cost-Benefit Analysis must cover projected operating expenditures for the VGDR base area and projected revenues from properties within VGDR area.

4. The study must consider the long-term implications on local governance and service delivery resulting from the proposed three-phased approach to VGDR construction.

5. The study must provide recommendations regarding the assessment of the costs and benefits associated with each governance restructure option, and provide recommendations regarding a preferred future governance structure.

D. OTHER DELIVERABLES

The study must also include an outreach component— that focuses only on the three governance options— to local stakeholders, residents and the Simpcw First Nation.

The format of public/stakeholder outreach may include:

a. interviews with key residents, stakeholders and local government representatives;

b. web-based or other surveys to collect information on community perspectives;

c. open house/information session(s) held near the end of the study process when most of the key governance questions are answered; at this session the preferred governance structure will be presented to gauge public response to consultants’ work.


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Information/engagement meetings with First Nations, in particular with the Simpcw First Nation, should be held near the beginning of the governance study process and/or before the public outreach session.

E. TIMELINE With a late May/Early-June 2016 start date, it is anticipated that this study will be complete by the end of January 2018. A timeline will become more certain after a consultant is selected and an agreement is reached with the consultant on a feasible study completion schedule.

F. ADMINISTRATION The Village will develop a Request for Proposals (RFP) for procuring the consultant that builds upon the parameters set out in this Terms of Reference. The RFP will be issued by the Village following the Village’s procurement policy and process.

A consultant/firm will be sought to undertake this study with experience and expertise in local government boundary extension, service delivery and governance studies. The consultant must be able to provide expertise in the following areas: local governance and service delivery analysis; land use and development servicing feasibility; socio-economic impact analysis; public consultation; and business case analysis.

The Village is responsible for ensuring that the expected outcomes completed by the consultant meet the requirements outlined in this Terms of Reference and in the RFP.

The consultant shall report directly to the Village, who will administer the contract. Staff of the Ministry, the Village and Regional District will provide additional input including review of the RFP, support in vendor selection, and comments prior the completion of the final report.

The total funding available for the governance study is up to $70,000. Up to 50% in funding is provided through a conditional grant to the Village from the Ministry. Disbursements to the consultant will be made by the Village.

The Village will provide an interim report to the Province, through Program Staff, that includes a copy of the selected Third Party proposal accepted as the basis of a contract for the study, and/or a preliminary outline of the study and work plan before substantive work begins.

Following completion of the report, the Village and the Regional District will jointly convey the findings to the Ministry.