EMERGENCY RULES
Effective Date of Rule: Immediately.
Purpose: The purpose of the WAC rule amendment is to adjust the form of financial data submitted by contractors seeking prequalification to bid on the New Keller Ferry Contract No. 00-8194. The amendment will help maximize competition for the contract without compromising the department's ability to assess the financial data. The amendments will also benefit the prequalification process for all future contracts that are governed by such rules.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 468-310-020 and 468-310-050.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 47.60.680 through 47.60.760.
Under RCW 34.05.350 the agency for good cause finds that immediate adoption, amendment, or repeal of a rule is necessary for the preservation of the public health, safety, or general welfare, and that observing the time requirements of notice and opportunity to comment upon adoption of a permanent rule would be contrary to the public interest.
Reasons for this Finding: The existing WAC rules limit the maximum capacity rating to $10 million for contractors not submitting audited financial statements for purposes of prequalification. WSDOT ferries division (WSF) has issued an invitation for bids (IFB) to build a new Keller Ferry for the department's eastern region. The contract work consists of the fabrication, transport and on-site assembly of one new auto ferry to replace the M.V. Martha S which the WSDOT eastern region operates on Lake Roosevelt at the Keller Ferry crossing for State Route 21. The need for a replacement of this vessel, which is at the end of its sixty year service life and significantly under-capacity for traffic on the route, has been well documented. On August 15 and September 15, 2011, WSDOT held prebid site inspections at the south Keller Ferry landing for all interested contractors. Six interested prime contractors and one subcontractor attended the site inspections. Bids are due October 25, 2011. In the last month, several interested contractors advised that the existing WAC rules restrict their ability to submit a bid for the New Keller Ferry Contract because their companies use reviewed rather than audited financial documents. This unforeseen and unexpected development could substantially limit public competition by otherwise qualified bidders for the project.
The new ferry must be delivered to WSDOT eastern region anytime between May 1 and May 27, 2013. The short delivery window is dictated by seasonal and environmental conditions, and failure to meet this window will substantially delay the launch of the new vessel until May the following year. The time requirements of notice and opportunity to comment upon adoption of a permanent rule would be contrary to the public interest since the new Keller Ferry construction, transport and assembly/launching at Lake Roosevelt is complex, multi-year project that should commence in late 2011 if the 2013 replacement date is to be met. The general welfare is best served when the department can maximize competition for its contracts without compromising the scope of a project, as with this [these] proposed WAC rule amendments.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 2, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 2, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 2, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Date Adopted: October 31, 2011.
Stephen T. Reinmuth
Chief of Staff
OTS-4441.1
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 08-19-004, filed 9/4/08,
effective 10/5/08)
WAC 468-310-020
Contents of standard prequalification
questionnaire and financial statement.
The standard
prequalification questionnaire and financial statement shall
be transmitted to ((the director of)) Washington state
ferries. The contractor shall provide the following
information:
(1) The name, address, phone number, contractor registration number and type of organization (corporation, copartnership, individual, etc.) of the contractor seeking prequalification.
(2) The contract size in dollars and the class or classes of work for which the contractor seeks prequalification (such as vessel dry-docking and hull repairs, vessel electrical repairs, etc.) as enumerated in WAC 468-310-050(6).
(3) Ownership of the contractor and if a corporation, the name of the parent corporation (if any) and any affiliated companies or subsidiaries.
(4) An accurate and complete record of the fifteen largest contracts in excess of ten thousand dollars performed by the contractor in whole or in part within the preceding three years both in Washington and elsewhere, including subcontracts, giving the contract amount, the date completed, the class of work, the name, address and phone number of the owner/agency representative, and any liquidated damages assessed against the contractor by an owner arising out of the performance of the contract.
(5) The principal officers and key employees showing the number of years each engaged in the class or classes of work for which the contractor seeks prequalification. The department may require resumes of such personnel as deemed proper for making its determination.
(6) Except as otherwise provided in this section or WAC 468-310-050(8), a contractor requesting prequalification
certification to perform work in excess of ten million dollars
shall submit copies of its audited or reviewed annual
financial statements for the previous three years as
((audited)) prepared by an independent certified public
accountant which shall include comparative balance sheets and
income statements, a statement of retained earnings,
supporting schedules and notes attached thereto, and the
opinion of the independent auditor. ((The financial statement
shall not be more than twelve months old when submitted.)) Any wholly owned subsidiary corporation may file the latest
consolidated financial statement of its parent corporation in
lieu of a financial statement prepared solely for such
subsidiary providing the financial statement otherwise meets
the requirements of the preceding two sentences. If a
consolidated financial statement is filed on behalf of a
subsidiary corporation, a bid of the subsidiary corporation
will be considered only if there is on file with the
department a letter from the parent corporation guaranteeing
performance by the subsidiary corporation of its contract with
the department of transportation in an amount at least equal
to the amount of the bid. A letter of guarantee by a parent
corporation may cover a specific contract bid by its
subsidiary or all contracts bid by its subsidiary within a
stated period of time.
(7) A list of all major items of equipment to be used in those classes of work for which prequalification certification is requested including the original cost, age, location and condition of such equipment. The schedule shall show whether the equipment is owned, leased or rented. All major items of useful equipment should be listed even though fully depreciated but no obsolete or useless equipment should be included. In the event the contractor seeks prequalification certification to perform work on ferry vessels, the schedule shall also describe plant facilities of the contractor including shipyards, dry docks, repair facilities and other plant facilities.
(8) Such other information as may be required by the prequalification questionnaire.
(9) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, a contractor who wishes to prequalify for the department's procurement of new auto ferries for the Port Townsend/Keystone ferry route, pursuant to the department's 2008 invitation for bids, shall submit a reviewed financial statement for at least one year in the previous three years, plus annual financial statements for two additional years in the previous three years. The reviewed financial statement shall be prepared by an independent certified public accountant which shall include comparative balance sheets and income statements, a statement of retained earnings, supporting schedules and notes attached thereto, and the opinion of the independent auditor. The form and quantity of financial statements shall be specified in the department's invitation for bids and is subject to modification by addendum during the bid process. This subsection applies in lieu of the form and quantity of audited financial statements specified in subsection (6) of this section for the Port Townsend/Keystone vessel procurement only. It does not replace or modify any other provisions in this chapter or governing prequalification statutes that authorize the department to evaluate a contractor's financial ability to perform the contract.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 47.56.780, 47.60.680, and 47.60.690. 08-19-004, § 468-310-020, filed 9/4/08, effective 10/5/08. Statutory Authority: RCW 47.60.816. 04-11-004, § 468-310-020, filed 5/5/04, effective 6/5/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 47.60.680 and 47.60.690. 99-03-025 (Order 189), § 468-310-020, filed 1/11/99, effective 2/11/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 47.60.680. 88-19-040 (Order 114), § 468-310-020, filed 9/14/88. Statutory Authority: 1983 c 133. 83-19-014 (Order 84), § 468-310-020, filed 9/12/83.]
(2) Except as provided in subsections (7) through (9) of
this section, the maximum capacity rating for a contractor
applying for a rating in excess of fifty thousand dollars will
be ten times the contractor's net worth as set forth in the
standard prequalification questionnaire and financial
statement. A properly executed letter of credit from an
acceptable financial institution may be considered as an asset
increasing the contractor's maximum capacity rating by the
amount of the credit, but without the use of a multiplier. The maximum capacity rating for a contractor not submitting
((an)) audited or reviewed financial statements as provided in
WAC 468-310-020(6) will be ten million dollars: Provided,
That in all cases the contractor's maximum capacity rating may
be reduced to an amount considered by the department to be
within the contractor's actual capacity based upon its
organization, personnel, equipment and plant, and experience.
(3) Consideration will be given to raising, by an amount
not to exceed fifty percent, the maximum capacity rating of a
contractor who qualifies with respect to actual capacity based
upon organization, personnel, equipment and plant facilities,
and experience, upon receipt of evidence of a current bonding
capacity of such additional amount with a corporate surety. Such evidence shall be in the form of a letter of commitment
executed by an officer of the surety who is authorized to bind
the surety. Notwithstanding the provisions of this
subsection, the maximum capacity rating for a contractor not
submitting ((an)) audited or reviewed financial statements as
provided in WAC 468-310-020(6) will be ten million dollars.
(4) The certificate of prequalification issued by the
department will establish a contractor's maximum capacity
rating which will be subject to reduction by the total value
of its current uncompleted work ((regardless of its location
and with whom it may be contracted)) to determine the
contractor's bidding capacity at the particular time.
(5) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, a contractor will be allowed to submit a bid for an amount up to $50,000 on a class or classes of work for which it is prequalified without regard to any financial maximum capacity rating or financial current capacity rating: Provided, That the contractor's current capacity may be reduced to an amount considered by the department to be within the contractor's actual capacity based upon its organization, personnel, equipment and plant facilities, and experience.
(6)(a) Construction, repair and maintenance work on ferry vessels for which prequalification certification under these rules may be granted are classified as follows:
| Class 81 | Vessel construction and renovation; |
| Class 82 | Dry-docking and hull repairs; |
| Class 83 | Vessel metal fabrication repairs; |
| Class 84 | Vessel electrical repairs; |
| Class 85 | Vessel miscellaneous repairs; |
(7) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, proposers who wish to prequalify for the department's construction of new 130-auto ferries, pursuant to the department's 2003 request for proposals, must submit evidence of their ability, if awarded the contract, to obtain contract security in the amount of thirteen million dollars. The department estimates such amount to be adequate to protect one hundred percent of the department's estimated exposure to loss on the vessel construction contract, as calculated by the department prior to issuance of the request for proposals. Such amount shall be specified in the project request for proposals and is subject to modification by addendum during the request for proposals process. The actual contract security amount for the project construction contract will be a percentage of the successful proposer's total bid price. Such percentage shall be specified in the construction contract within the request for proposals. For the new 130-auto ferries contract, this provision applies in lieu of the maximum capacity rating formula specified in subsection (2) of this section.
(8) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section or WAC 468-310-020, proposers who wish to prequalify for the department's construction of new 130-auto ferries, pursuant to the department's 2003 request for proposals, shall, in addition to the evidence of contract security required in subsection (7) of this section, submit an audited financial statement for at least one year in the previous three years, plus annual financial statements for two additional years in the previous three years. The audited financial statement shall be performed by an independent certified public accountant which shall include comparative balance sheets and income statements, a statement of retained earnings, supporting schedules and notes attached thereto, and the opinion of the independent auditor. The form and quantity of financial statements shall be specified in the project request for proposals and is subject to modification by addendum during the request for proposals process. For the new 130-auto ferries contract, this provision applies in lieu of the quantity of audited financial statements specified in WAC 468-310-020.
(9) This subsection shall apply to the Port Townsend/Keystone vessel procurement only and shall be used in lieu of the requirements of subsections (1) through (5) of this section. It does not replace or modify any other provisions in this chapter or governing prequalification statutes. The department may prequalify a contractor under a Class 81 classification to bid on the Port Townsend/Keystone vessel procurement pursuant to this section based on the department's evaluation of the following criteria:
(a) Whether the contractor has adequate equipment and plant facilities available to accomplish the work;
(b) Whether the contractor has trained personnel available to perform the work;
(c) Whether the contractor has demonstrated experience in the type of work;
(d) Whether the contractor has an organization and technical staff with the size, training, experience and capability to accomplish the work;
(e) Whether the contractor has adequate financial resources to perform the type and size of work, or the ability to timely secure such resources. In evaluating such financial resources, the department may consider the contractor's overall financial condition including, but not limited to:
(i) Level of capitalization;
(ii) Cash flow;
(iii) Level of business activity;
(iv) Credit history;
(v) Debts;
(vi) Assets; and
(vii) Ability to obtain financing, including but not limited to, irrevocable lines of credit, and parent company guarantees.
A contractor does not have adequate financial resources when, based upon the totality of the circumstances, it lacks the financial resources reasonably expected of a contractor capable of performing the work on time and without interruption.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 47.56.780, 47.60.680, and 47.60.690. 08-19-004, § 468-310-050, filed 9/4/08, effective 10/5/08. Statutory Authority: RCW 47.60.816. 04-11-004, § 468-310-050, filed 5/5/04, effective 6/5/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 47.60.680 and 47.60.690. 99-03-025 (Order 189), § 468-310-050, filed 1/11/99, effective 2/11/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 47.60.680. 88-19-040 (Order 114), § 468-310-050, filed 9/14/88. Statutory Authority: 1983 c 133. 83-19-014 (Order 84), § 468-310-050, filed 9/12/83.]