Request for Proposal - Town of Phippsburg - Townwide Revaluation
Start Date: November 19, 2024
End Date: January 01, 2025
Type: Requests for Proposals (RFP)
Phone: 2073892653
Email: phipps@phippsburg.com
More Information: Click Here
Request for Qualifications/Proposals
For Revaluation of Residential Property
RFP November 2024
PROCESS:
The Town of Phippsburg, Maine is undertaking a revaluation of Residential, Commercial, and Exempt properties of approximately 2,157 Real Estate Accounts, 120 Personal Property Accounts, and 1,578 residences effective April 1, 2027, or as early as practicable. The expected tax commitment date, using these values, is mid-October immediately following the effective date.
Phippsburg is a coastal peninsula town in Sagadahoc County. Located south of the City of Bath and accessible via State Route 1 and State Route 209. The Town operates under a Select Board-Town Administrator-Town Meeting form of government. Assessing operations are performed by a part-time Assessors’ Agent. The Town currently utilizes TRIO SQL software with all assessing modules with the intention of moving to the TRIO Web version.
PERTINENT TOWN DATA:
- The last revaluation was completed in early 2010
- The estimated population as of the 2020 census is 2,155
- Seasonal Dwellings Percentage: 45%
- The total area within the Town’s corporate boundaries is 18,000+/- acres.
- 18,000 acres of land
- 38.25 square miles of coastline
The town’s 2023 equalized State Valuation is 828,750,000
Proposals must be received by 5:00 pm on December 18th, 2024. Firms interested in providing the revaluation services are invited to deliver five (5) sealed copies of the proposals to:
Town of Phippsburg
Proposal for Revaluation Services Bid
Town of Phippsburg
1042 Main Road
Phippsburg, Maine 04562
For more information, contact Ross McLellan, Town Administrator at 207-389-2653 Ext. 1201 or send email correspondence to phipps@phippsburg.com
SCOPE:
It is the express intent that the revaluation project shall include but not be limited to:
- The just value of each parcel of taxable and tax-exempt real estate with separately expressed land and building values as well as total property values.
- The scope of the project to include full measure and list plus photos.
- The project shall include the valuation of all taxable and tax-exempt real and personal property, including land, buildings, and all other types of and classes of land improvements, including wells and septic systems.
DEFINITION OF JUST VALUE:
Appraisals shall be made based on the definition of just value contained in 36 MRSA, 701-A.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS: Each firm responding to this solicitation must address the following items in their proposal:
- A letter of transmittal signed by the individual authorized to negotiate for and contractually bind the firm stating that the offer is effective until February 5, 2025.
- A detailed description of the process proposed to be undertaken to complete the property revaluation. Such description shall identify the key components, with the level of effort to be performed at each step.
- A list of municipalities for which the firm has completed a property revaluation as either a stand-alone project or as part of a full town/city-wide revaluation program.
- Each firm providing revaluation services must provide evidence that they employ at least one certified Maine assessor as described in 36 M.R.S.A. §§ 310 and 311.
- Samples of grading and pricing schedules, including land pricing formulas, necessary for revaluations, and a reasonable explanation of the proper usage of the grading and pricing schedules.
- A firm engaged in performing a municipal revaluation in Maine must file a copy of the current grading and pricing schedules used with the State Tax Assessor. In addition, a firm must file and maintain with the State Tax Assessor a resume that includes the number of people regularly employed by the firm, their particular qualifications, and a list of the municipalities where the firm has been employed within the five previous years.
- Upon completion of the total property revaluation, the firm must present the Town of Phippsburg with a complete set of property record cards that detail the construction of each building.
- At the completion of the revaluation the selected firm will make themselves available to meet with taxpayers to review the new valuations.
- The firm must be able to assure that the project will be completed by April 1, 2027. Failure on the part of the chosen firm to complete all work on or before the agreed-upon date shall be cause for payment of liquidated damages by the chosen firm to the Town of Phippsburg at the rate of $100 per working day. Any liquidated damages may be deducted from the contract sum owed to the company.
- All contractors must be experienced working with Appraisal TRIO software.
- Proposals will include a list of staff that will serve the Town of Phippsburg during the revaluation process and associated biographies/experience of staff.
- Proposals will include all costs associated with the scope of work including anticipated time needed for the meetings with taxpayers to review new valuations. Proposals should also include a daily rate for additional taxpayer meetings if needed.
INSURANCE:
The chosen firm shall carry and maintain in force
- Workers' Compensation Insurance, General Public Liability, and Property Damage Insurance including vehicle coverage and professional liability insurance with limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate. The Town shall be named as an additional insured on the liability policy.
- The contractor shall carry valuable papers insurance and any and all records applicable to the project against the loss or destruction of such records in an amount of not less than the contract price.
- To the extent permitted by law, all such insurance provided by the chosen firm shall be carried in favor of the Town of Phippsburg and its officers, employees, and agents, as well as in favor of the firm.
- Copies of all certificates of insurance showing policies covering insurance required for this revaluation project shall be filed with the Town of Phippsburg and approved by the Town of Phippsburg prior to the commencement of any work on the revaluation project.
ITEMS SUPPLIED BY THE TOWN:
The Town of Phippsburg will provide the following to the chosen firm to aid in the revaluation project:
- All available building permit information
- All available zoning information
- All available ownership information
- All available land classification information related to current use classification
- All available sales data
- Land dimensions and total acreages or estimates of same on all parcels or access to deeds for same
- Assistance during the informal reviews to resolve discrepancies due to land size, boundaries, etc.
- One set of full-size tax maps and one set of reduced-size tax maps
- Permission to use present property record cards when necessary, such as refusal of a property owner to allow measurement and inspection of a building
- Office space for use by the chosen firm’s staff working on the revaluation project
- Office space for the conduct of the informal hearings
SELECTION:
Firms will be scored using the following criteria:
- Experience providing residential, commercial, and industrial revaluation services in Maine.
- Supervisors who are Certified Appraisers in addition to Maine Certified Assessors and field personnel who are also Maine Certified Assessors.
- Ability to perform the scope of work by April 1, 2027 (Or as early as practicable)
- Experience working with Appraisal TRIO software
- Price
The Town reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, in whole or in part.
AWARD:
A short list of firms will be selected for in-person interviews. The selected firms will be contacted early in the week of January 13th to schedule interviews during the week of January 20th or 27th. A final firm will be selected to enter into contract negotiations with the Town of Phippsburg the week of February 5th.
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