DEP will hold a virtual pre-submission conference at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 13. Proposals are due to DEP by 3 p.m. on June 18, and selection of the contractor will occur in the September-October timeframe.
The Clean Water Montgomery Program requires that projects be equitably distributed based on race and economic status. The projects must be targeted in areas with the greatest need for water quality restoration and the highest likelihood of success.
DEP has created a series of maps that identify these areas for future restoration projects. These maps are available on DEP’s website. https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/water/restoration/equity.html.
DEP is assessing the program outreach policies and procedures to ensure that they are equitable and inclusive. DEP will ensure fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development and implementation of all Watershed Restoration Projects.
DEP will decide on the final selection of projects. Locations and types of proposed projects have been targeted for environmental and socio-economic reasons and based on the following criteria:
- Work needs to be in areas of the County permit area where stormwater has not been treated.
- Work needs to be in environmentally beneficial areas, defined by “medium” or “high” score on “Suitability” maps created by DEP.
- 33 percent of the project work needs to be in areas with high percentages of people of color and/or low income.
- Five percent of the work must be low-impact development/environmental site design projects.
- 60 percent of the work must meet DEP’s Green Infrastructure definition.
- Stream restoration projects cannot constitute more than 50 percent of program work.
- Projects must meet County minority, female and disabled-owned requirements.
- RFP has a proposal scoring incentive for the managing contractor to be local businesses.
- Managing contractor and all subcontractors must be based within 50 miles of Rockville.
