R2020-168 2020-09-14RESOLUTION NO. R2020-168
A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Pearland, Texas, authorizing a
professional services contract with AM TRACE, LLC., for public health
advisory and policy development services in response to the COVID-
19/Coronavirus Pandemic, in an amount not to exceed $88,464.00.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PEARLAND, TEXAS:
Section 1. That certain contract for public health advisory and policy development
services in response to the COVID-19/Coronavirus Pandemic, a copy of which is attached hereto
and as Exhibit "A", is hereby authorized and approved.
Section 2. That the City Manager or his designee is hereby authorized to execute, and
the City Secretary to attest, a contract for public health advisory and policy development services.
PASSED, APPROVED and ADOPTED this the 14th day of September, A.D., 2020.
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C STAL ROAN, TRMC, CMC
CITY SECRETARY
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
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DARRIN M. COKER
CITY ATTORNEY
TOM REID
MAYOR
CONTRACT FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
THIS CONTRACT is entered into upon final execution by and between the City of Pearland
("CITY") and AM TRACE LLC ("CONSULTANT").
The CITY engages the CONSULTANT to perform professional services for a project known and
described as Public Health Consultation ("PROJECT"). (Project #_COVIDI9DR.B_)
SECTION I - SERVICES OF THE CONSULTANT
The CONSULTANT shall perform the following professional services to CITY standards and in
accordance with the degree of care and skill that a professional in Texas would exercise under the
same or similar circumstances:
A. The CONSULTANT shall provide public health subject -matter expertise to the
City of Pearland specific to the ongoing SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 public health
emergency to inform internal and external City policies, procedures, laws,
executive orders, requirements, preventative response and recovery strategies for
the purposes of public health and safety. See Exhibit A, attached, for a detailed
SCOPE OF WORK and PROJECT schedule.
B. The CONSULTANT shall prepare and submit a detailed opinion of estimated cost
of the PROJECT. See Exhibit A, attached.
C. The CONSULTANT acknowledges that the CITY (through its employee
handbook) considers the following. to be misconduct that is grounds for termination
of a CITY employee: Any fraud, forgery, misappropriation of funds, receiving
payment for services not performed or for hours not worked, mishandling or
untruthful reporting of money transactions, destruction of assets, embezzlement,
accepting materials of value from vendors, or consultants, and/or collecting
reimbursement of expenses made for the benefit of the CITY. The CONSULTANT
agrees that it will not, directly or indirectly; encourage a CITY employee to engage
in such misconduct.
D. The CONSULTANT shall submit all final construction documents in both hard
copy and electronic format. Plans shall be AutoCAD compatible and all other
documents shall be Microsoft Office compatible. The software version used shall
be compatible to current CITY standards. Other support documents, for example,
structural calculations, drainage reports and geotechnical reports, shall be
submitted in hard copy only. All Record Drawings electronic files shall be
submitted to the CITY in TIF format.
E. The CONSULTANT recognizes that all drawings, special provisions, field survey
notes, reports, estimates and any and all other documents or work product generated
by the CONSULTANT under the CONTRACT shall be delivered to the CITY upon
request, shall become subject to the Open Records Laws of this State.
Design 1 of 18 . Revised 04/2019
F. The CONSULTANT shall procure and maintain for the duration of this Agreement,
insurance against claims for injuries to persons, damages to property, or any errors
and omissions relating to the performance of any work by the CONSULTANT, its
agents, employees or subcontractors under this Agreement, as follows:
(1) Workers' Compensation as required by law.
(2) Professional Liability Insurance in an amount not less than $1,000,000 in
the aggregate.
(3) Comprehensive General Liability and Property Damage Insurance with
minimum limits of $1,000,000 for injury or death of any one person,
$1,000,000 for each occurrence, and $1,000,000 for each occurrence of
damage to or destruction of property.
(4) Comprehensive Automobile and Truck Liability Insurance covering owned,
hired, and non -owned vehicles, with minimum limits of $1,000,000 for
injury or death of any one person, $1,000,000 for each occurrence, and
$1,000,000 for property damage.
The CONSULTANT shall include the CITY as an additional insured under the
policies, with the exception of the Professional Liability Insurance and Workers'
Compensation. The CONSULTANT shall agree to waive its Right to Subrogation.
Certificates of Insurance and endorsements shall be furnished to the CITY before
work commences. Each insurance policy shall be endorsed to state that coverage
shall not be suspended, voided, canceled, and/or reduced in coverage or in limits
("Change in Coverage") except with prior written consent of the CITY and only
after the CITY has been provided with written notice of such Change in Coverage,
such notice to be sent to the CITY either by hand delivery to the City Manager or
by certified mail, return receipt requested, and received by the City no fewer than
thirty (30) days prior to the effective date of such Change in Coverage. Prior to
commencing services under this CONTRACT, CONSULTANT shall furnish CITY
with Certificates of Insurance, or formal endorsements as required by this
CONTRACT, issued by CONSULTANT'S insurer(s), as evidence that policies
providing the required coverage, conditions, and limits required by this
CONTRACT are in full force and effect.
G. The CONSULTANT shall indemnify and hold the CITY, its officers, agents, and
employees, harmless from any claim, loss, damage, suit, and liability of every kind
for which CONSULTANT is legally liable, including all expenses of litigation,
court costs, and attorney's fees, for injury to or death of any person, for damage to
any property, or errors in design, any of which are caused by the negligent act or
omission of the CONSULTANT, his officers, employees, agents, or subcontractors
under this CONTRACT.
H. All parties intend that the CONSULTANT, in performing services pursuant to this
CONTRACT, shall act as an independent contractor and shall have control of its
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own work and the manner in which it is performed. The CONSULTANT is not to
be considered an agent or employee of the CITY.
SECTION II - PERIOD OF SERVICE
This CONTRACT will be binding upon execution and end December 30, 2020.
SECTION III - CONSULTANT'S COMPENSATION
A. The total compensation for the services performed shall not exceed the total noted
in Section B.
B. The CITY shall pay the CONSULTANT in installments based upon monthly
progress reports and detailed invoices submitted by the CONSULTANT based
upon the following:
1. Basic Services $92.15 hourly rate; hours not to exceed 960 hours
2. Total Not to Exceed Amount: $88,464.00
C. The CITY shall make payments to the CONSULTANT within thirty (30) days after
receipt and approval of a detailed invoice. Invoices shall be submitted on a monthly
basis.
D. CONSULTANT shall invoice for work performed during the preceding thirty day
period ("Billing Period"). The Billing Period shall run from the 26th day to the 25`h
day of each consecutive month. Invoices shall be submitted to CITY not more
frequently than once every 30 days. CONSULTANT shall be responsible for
timely submittal of all invoices and CONSULTANT shall not be entitled to
payment for invoices excessively in arrears. All invoices shall reflect most recent
single 30 -day Billing Period only and represent the true, correct and accurate
account of work performed during the Billing Period.
E. For an agreed contract amount identified as "Lump Sum", Not to Exceed" and
"Reimbursable" the CONSULTANT shall not exceed the fixed contractual amount
without written authorization in the form of a Contract Amendment.
CONSULTANT shall provide 45 days prior notice to the CITY in the event contract
fees may exceed the fixed contract amount. CONSULTANT shall be responsible
for ensuring that such authorization is complete and executed by all parties prior to
performing any work or submitting any invoices for work that exceeds the fixed
contract amount under any expense category.
F. Allowable Reimbursable Expenses
CONSULTANT shall identify and include in the proposal any anticipated
Reimbursable Expenses, and shall itemize Reimbursable Expenses by work
category. Reimbursable Expenses shall be invoiced AT COST without subsequent
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markup by the CONSULTANT. All invoices containing a request for
Reimbursable Expenses shall include copies of the original expense receipts
itemized per the allowable category. Allowable Reimbursable Expenses include:
• Hard copy reproductions, copies and/ or binding costs
• Postage
• Travel expenses, mileage from local office to State or federal regulatory
agency office beyond 100 miles.
• travel expenses for professional expertise traveling into the greater Houston
area from Consultant offices located outside of the greater Houston area
upon authorization
• Lodging and meal expenses, for destinations beyond 100 miles from the
Consultant's local office AND when business hours exceed eight hours
within one business day OR requires more than one eight-hour day.
F.2. Disallowed Expenses
Disallowed Expenses include:
• Mileage and tolls for travel from Consultant's local office (within a 30 -mile
radius) to meetings at the City or job -site.
SECTION IV - THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITIES
A. The CITY shall designate a project manager during the term of this CONTRACT.
The project manager has the authority to administer this CONTRACT and shall
monitor compliance with all terms and conditions stated herein. All requests for
information from or a decision by the CITY on any aspect of the work shall be
directed to the project manager.
B. The CITY shall review submittals by the CONSULTANT and provide prompt
response to questions and rendering of decisions pertaining thereto, to minimize
delay in the progress of the CONSULTANT'S work. The CITY will keep the
CONSULTANT advised concerning the progress of the CITY'S review of the
work. The CONSULTANT agrees that the CITY'S inspection, review, acceptance
or approval of CONSULTANT'S work shall not relieve CONSULTANT'S
responsibility for errors or omissions of the CONSULTANT or its sub-
consultant(s) or in any way affect the CONSULTANT'S status as an independent
contractor of the CITY.
SECTION V - TERMINATION
A. The CITY, at its sole discretion, may terminate this CONTRACT for any reason --
with or without cause -- by delivering written notice to CONSULTANT personally
or by certified mail at 161 Fort Evans Road, NE, Suite 250, Leesburg, VA 20176.
Immediately after receiving such written notice, the CONSULTANT shall
discontinue providing the services under this CONTRACT.
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B. If this CONTRACT is terminated, CONSULTANT shall deliver to the CITY all
drawings, special provisions, field survey notes, reports, estimates and any and all
other documents or work product generated by the CONSULTANT under the
CONTRACT, entirely or partially completed, together with all unused materials
supplied by the CITY on or before the 15th day following termination of the
CONTRACT.
C. In the event of such termination, the CONSULTANT shall be paid for services
performed prior to receipt of the written notice of termination. The CITY shall
make final payment within sixty (60) days after the CONSULTANT has delivered
to the CITY a detailed invoice for services rendered and the documents or work
product generated by the CONSULTANT under the CONTRACT.
D. If the remuneration scheduled under this contract is based upon a fixed fee or
definitely ascertainable sum, the portion of such sum payable shall be proportionate
to the percentage of services completed by the CONSULTANT based upon the
scope of work.
E. In the event this CONTRACT is terminated, the CITY shall have the option of
completing the work, or entering into a CONTRACT with another party for the
completion of the work.
F. If the CITY terminates this CONTRACT for cause and/or if the CONSULTANT
breaches any provision of this CONTRACT, then the CITY shall have all rights
and remedies in law and/or equity against CONSULTANT. Venue for any action
or dispute arising out of or relating to this CONTRACT shall be in Brazoria County,
Texas. The laws of the State of Texas shall govern the terms of this CONTRACT.
The prevailing party in the action shall be entitled to recover its actual damages
with interest, attorney's fees, costs and expenses incurred in connection with the
dispute and/or action. CONSULTANT and CITY desire an expeditious means to
resolve any disputes that may arise between under this CONTRACT. To
accomplish this, the parties agree to mediation as follows: If a dispute arises out of
or relates to this CONTRACT, or the breach thereof, and if the dispute cannot be
settled through negotiation, then the parties agree first to try in good faith, and
before pursuing any legal remedies, to settle the dispute by mediation of a third
party who will be selected by agreement of the parties.
SECTION VI — ENTIRE AGREEMENT
This CONTRACT represents the entire agreement between the CITY and the CONSULTANT and
supersedes all prior negotiations, representations, or contracts, either written or oral. This
CONTRACT may be amended only by written instrument signed by both parties.
SECTION VII — COVENANT AGAINST CONTINGENT FEES
The CONSULTANT affirms that he has not employed or retained any company or person, other
than a bona fide employee working for the CONSULTANT to solicit or secure this CONTRACT,
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and that he has not paid or agreed to pay any company or person, other than a bona fide employee,
any fee, commission, percentage brokerage fee, gift, or any other consideration, contingent upon
or resulting from the award or making of the CONTRACT. For breach or violation of this clause,
the CITY may terminate this CONTRACT without liability, and in its discretion, may deduct from
the CONTRACT price or consideration, or otherwise recover, the full amount of such fee,
commission, percentage brokerage fee, gift, or contingent fee that has been paid.
SECTION VIII — FEDERAL UNIFORM REQUIREMENTS
Equal Opportunity
Per federal regulations in 41 CFR Part 60-1.4(C)(b), during the performance of this
contract, the CONSULTANT:
(1) will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of
race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The CONSULTANT will take affirmative
action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during
employment without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
Such action shall include, but not be limited to the following: Employment, upgrading,
demotion, or transfer; recruitment or recruitment advertising; layoff or termination; rates
of pay or other forms of compensation; and selection for training, including apprenticeship.
The CONSULTANT agrees to post in conspicuous places, available to employees and
applicants for employment, ' notices to be provided setting forth the provisions of this
nondiscrimination clause.
(2) The CONSULTANT will, in all solicitations or advertisements for employees placed
by or on behalf of the contractor, state that all qualified applicants will receive
considerations for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, or national
origin.
(3) The CONSULTANT will send to each labor union or representative of workers with
which he has a collective bargaining agreement or other contract or understanding, a notice
to be provided advising the said labor union or workers' representatives of the contractor's
commitments under this section, and shall post copies of the notice in conspicuous places
available to employees and applicants for employment.
(4) The CONSULTANT will comply with all provisions of Executive Order 11246 of
September 24, 1965, and of the rules, regulations, and relevant orders of the Secretary of
Labor.
(5) The CONSULTANT will furnish all information and reports required by Executive
Order 11246 of September 24, 1965, and by rules, regulations, and orders of the Secretary
of Labor, or pursuant thereto, and will permit access to his books, records, and accounts by
the administering agency and the Secretary of Labor for purposes of investigation to
ascertain compliance with such rules, regulations, and orders.
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(6) In the event of the CONSULTANT's noncompliance with the nondiscrimination
clauses of this contract or with any of the said rules, regulations, or orders, this contract
may be canceled, terminated, or suspended in whole or in part and the CONSULTANT
may be declared ineligible for further Government contracts or federally assisted
construction contracts in accordance with procedures authorized in Executive Order 11246
of September 24, 1965, and such other sanctions as may be imposed and remedies invoked
as provided in Executive Order 11246 of September 24, 1965, or by rule, regulation, or
order of the Secretary of Labor, or as otherwise provided by law.
(7) The CONSULTANT will include the option of the sentence immediately preceding
paragraph (1) and the provisions of paragraphs (1) through (7) in every subcontract or
purchase order unless exempted by rules, regulations, or orders of the Secretary of Labor
issued pursuant to section 204 of Executive Order 11246 of September 24, 1965, so that
such provisions will be binding upon each subcontractor O1' vendor. The CONSULTANT
will take such action with respect to any subcontract or purchase order as the administering
agency may direct as a means of enforcing such provisions, including sanctions for
noncompliance: Provided, however, That in the event a CONSULTANT becomes involved
in, or is threatened with, litigation with a subcontractor or vendor as a result of such
direction by the administering agency the CONSULTANT may request the United States
to enter into such litigation to protect the interests of the United States."
Davis -Bacon Act
Not Applicable for Non -Construction
Copeland "Anti -Kickback" Act
(1) CONSULTANT. The CONSULTANT shall comply with 18 U.S.C. § 874,40 U.S.C.
§ 3145, and the requirements of 29 C.F.R. pt. 3 as may, be applicable, which are
incorporated by reference into this contract.
(2) Subcontracts. The CONSULTANT or subcontractor shall insert in 4ny subcontracts the
clause above and such other clauses as the federal government may by appropriate
instructions require, and also a clause requiring the subcontractors to include these clauses
in any lower tier subcontracts. The prime CONSULTANT shall be responsible for the
compliance by any subcontractor or lower tier subcontractor with all of these contract
clauses.
(3) Breach. A breach of the contract clauses above may be grounds for termination of the
contract, and for debarment as a CONSULTANT and subcontractor as provided in 29
C.F.R. § 5.12."
Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act
Applicability: This requirement applies to all federal grant and cooperative agreement programs.
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Where applicable (see 40 U.S.C. § 3701), all contracts awarded by the non -Federal entity in excess
of $1 00,000 that involve the employment of mechanics or laborers must include a provision for
compliance with 40 U.S.C. §§ 3702 and 3704, as supplemented by Department of Labor
regulations at 29 C.F.R. Part 5. See 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Appendix H, § E.
Under 40 U.S.C. § 3702, each CONSULTANT must be required to compute the wages of every
mechanic and laborer on the basis of a standard work week of 40 hours. Work in excess of the
standard work week is permissible provided that the worker is compensated at a rate of not less
than one and a half times the basic rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours in the
work week.
The requirements of 40 U.S.C. § 3704 are applicable to construction work and provide that no
laborer or mechanic must be required to work in surroundings or under working conditions which
are unsanitary, hazardous or dangerous. These requirements do not apply to the purchases of
supplies or materials or articles ordinarily available on the open market, or contracts for
transportation or transmission of intelligence.
The regulation at 29 C.F.R. § 5.5(b) provides the required contract clause concerning compliance
with the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act:
(1) Overtime requirements. The CONSULTANT nor subcontractor contracting for any part
of the contract work which may require or involve the employment of laborers or
mechanics shall require or permit any such laborer or mechanic in any workweek in which
he or she is employed on such work to work in excess of forty hours in such workweek
unless such laborer or mechanic receives compensation at a rate not less than one and one-
half times the basic rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of forty hours in such
workweek.
(2) Violation; liability for unpaid wages; liquidated damages. In the event of any violation
of the clause set forth in paragraph (1) of this section the CONSULTANT and any
subcontractor responsible therefor shall be liable for the unpaid wages. In addition, such
CONSULTANT and subcontractor shall be liable to the United States (in the case of work
done under contract for the District of Columbia or a territory, to such District or to such
territory), for liquidated damages. Such liquidated damages shall be computed with respect
to each individual laborer or mechanic, including watchmen and guards, employed in
violation of the clause set forth in paragraph (1) of this section, in the sum of $10 for each
calendar day on which such individual was required or permitted to work in excess of the
standard workweek of forty hours without payment of the overtime wages required by the
clause set MIth in paragraph (1) of this section.
(3) Withholding for unpaid wages and liquidated damages. The City of Pearland upon its
own action or upon written request of an authorized representative of the Department of
Labor withhold or cause to be withheld, from any moneys payable on account of work
performed by the CONSULTANT or subcontractor under any such contract or any other
Federal contract with the same prime CONSULTANT, or any other federally -assisted
contract subject to the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act, which is held by
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the same prime CONSULTANT, such sums as may be determined to be necessary to
satisfy any liabilities of such CONSULTANT or subcontractor for unpaid wages and
liquidated damages as provided in the clause set forth in paragraph (2) of this section.
(4) Subcontracts. The CONSULTANT or subcontractor shall insert in any subcontracts the
clauses set forth in paragraph (1) through (4) of this section and also a clause requiring the
subcontractors to include these clauses in any lower tier subcontracts. The prime
CONSULTANT shall be responsible for compliance by any subcontractor or lower tier
subcontractor with the clauses set forth in paragraphs (1) through (4) of this section."
Rights to Inventions Made Under a Contract or Agreement.
Stafford Act Disaster Grants. This requirement does not apply to the Public Assistance, Hazard
Mitigation Grant Program, Fire Management Assistance Grant Program, Crisis Counseling
Assistance and Training Grant Program, Disaster Case Management Grant Program, and Federal
Assistance to Individuals and Households - Other Needs Assistance Grant Program, as FEMA
awards under these programs do not meet the definition of "funding agreement."
If a FEMA award meets the definition of "funding agreement" under 37 C.F.R. § 401.2(a) and the
non -Federal entity wishes to enter into a contract with a small business firm or nonprofit
organization regarding the substitution of patties, assignment or performance of experimental,
developmental, or research work under that "funding agreement," the non -Federal entity must
comply with the requirements of 37 C.F. R. Part 401 (Rights to Inventions Made by Nonprofit
Organizations and Small Business Firms Under Government Grants, Contracts and Cooperative
Agreements), and any implementing regulations issued by FEMA. See 2 C.F.R. Part 200,
Appendix II, § F.
The regulation at 37 C.F.R. § 401.2(a) currently defines "funding agreement" as any contract,
grant, or cooperative agreement entered into between any Federal agency, other than the Tennessee
Valley Authority, and any contractor for the performance of experimental, developmental, or
research work funded in whole or in part by the Federal government. This term also includes any
assignment, substitution of pm ties, or subcontract of any type entered into for the performance of
experimental, developmental, or research work under a funding agreement as defined in the first
sentence of this paragraph.
Debarment and Suspension.
Applicability: This requirement applies to all federal grant and cooperative agreement programs.
Non-federal entities and contractors are subject to the debarment and suspension regulations
implementing Executive Order 12549, Debarment and Suspension (1986) and Executive Order
12689, Debarment and Suspension (1989) at 2 C.F.R. Part 180 and the Department of Homeland
Security's regulations at 2 C.F.R. Part 3000 (Non -procurement Debarment and Suspension).
These regulations restrict awards, subawards, and contracts with certain parties that are debarred,
suspended, or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participation in Federal assistance
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programs and activities. See 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Appendix H, § I; and Chapter N, § 6.d and
Appendix C, § 2. A contract award must not be made to parties listed in the SAM Exclusions.
SAM Exclusions is the list maintained by the General Services Administration that contains the
names of patties debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded by agencies, as well as patties
declared ineligible under statutory or regulatory authority other than Executive Order 12549. SAM
exclusions can be accessed at www.sam.gov. See 2 C.F.R. § 180.530; Chapter IV, § 6.d and
Appendix C, § 2.
In general, an "excluded" party cannot receive a Federal grant award or a contract within the
meaning of a "covered transaction," to include subawards and subcontracts. This includes patties
that receive Federal funding indirectly, such as contractors to recipients and subrecipients. The key
to the exclusion is whether there is a "covered transaction," which is any non -procurement
transaction (unless excepted) at either a "primary" or "secondary" tier. Although "covered
transactions" do not include contracts awarded by the Federal Government for purposes of the
non -procurement common rule and DHS's implementing regulations, it does include some
contracts awarded by recipients and subrecipient.
Specifically, a covered transaction includes the following contracts for goods or services:
(I) The contract is awarded by a recipient or subrecipient in the amount of at least $25,000.
(2) The contract requires the approval of the awarding federal agency, regardless of
amount.
(3) The contract is for federally -required audit services.
(4) A subcontract is also a covered transaction if it is awarded by the contractor of a
recipient or subrecipient and requires either federal approval, or is in excess of $25,000.
This contract is a covered transaction for purposes of 2 C.F.R. pt. 180 and 2 C.F.R. pt. 3000. As
such the CONSULTANT is required to verify that none of the CONSULTANT, its principals
(defined at 2 C.F.R. § 180.995), or its affiliates (defined at 2 C.F.R. § 180.905) are excluded
(defined at 2 C.F.R. § 180.940) 01' disqualified (defined at 2 C.F.R. § 180.935).
The CONSULTANT must comply with 2 C.F.R. pt. 180, subpart C and 2 C.F.R. pt. 3000, subpart
C and must include a requirement to comply with these regulations in any lower tier covered
transaction it enters into.
This certification is a material representation of fact relied upon by (insert name of subrecipient).
If it is later determined that the contractor did not comply with 2 C.F.R. pt. 180, subpart C and 2
C.F.R. pt. 3000, subpart C, in addition to remedies available to the Texas Division of Emergency
Management (TDEM) and/or the City, the Federal Government may pursue available remedies,
including but not limited to suspension and/or debarment.
The bidder or proposer agrees to comply with the requirements of 2 C.F.R. pt. 180, subpart C and
2 C.F.R. pt. 3000, subpart C while this offer is valid and throughout the period of any contract that
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may arise from this offer. The bidder or proposer further agrees to include a provision requiring
such compliance in its lower tier covered transactions."
Byrd Anti -Lobbying Amendment.
Applicability: This requirement applies to all federal grant and cooperative agreement programs.
Contractors that apply or bid for an award of $100,000 or more must file the required certification.
See 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Appendix II, § J; 44 C.F.R. Part 18; Chapter N, 6.c; Appendix C, § 4.
Each tier certifies to the tier above that it will not and has not used Federal appropriated funds to
pay any person or organization for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee
of any agency, a member of Congress, officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a
member of Congress in connection with obtaining any Federal contract, grant or any other award
covered by 31 U.S.C. § 1352. Each tier must also disclose any lobbying with non -Federal funds
that takes place in connection with obtaining any Federal award. Such disclosures are forwarded
from tier to tier up to the non -Federal award. See Chapter IV, § 6.c and Appendix C, § 4.
Per the Byrd Anti -Lobbying Amendment. 31 U.S.C. § 1352 (as amended), should the
CONSULTANT bid for an award of $100,000 or more, the CONSULTANT shall file the required
certification. Each tier certifies to the tier above that it will, not and has not used Federal
appropriated funds to pay any person or organization for influencing or attempting to influence an
officer or employee of any agency, a member of Congress, officer or employee of Congress, or an
employee of a member of Congress in connection with obtaining any Federal contract,. grant, or
any other award covered by 31 U.S.C. § 1352. Each tier shall also disclose any lobbying with non -
Federal funds that takes place in connection with obtaining any Federal award. Such disclosures
are forwarded from tier to tier up to the recipient.
Certification Regarding Lobbying
The undersigned CONSULTANT certifies, to the best of his or her knowledge, that:
1. No Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid, by or on behalf of the
undersigned, to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or
employee of an agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an
employee of a Member of Congress in connection with the awarding of any Federal
contract, the making of any Federal grant, the making of any Federal loan, the entering into
of any cooperative agreement, and the extension, continuation, renewal, amendment, or
modification of any Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement.
2. If any funds other than Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any
person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a
Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of
Congress in connection with this Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement,
the undersigned shall complete and submit Standard Form LLL, "Disclosure Form to
Report Lobbying," in accordance with its instructions.
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3. The undersigned shall require that the language of this certification be included in the
award documents for all subawards at all tiers (including subcontracts, subgrants, and
contracts under grants, loans, and cooperative agreements) and that all subrecipients shall
certify and disclose accordingly.
This certification is a material representation of fact upon which reliance was placed when this
transaction was made or entered into. Submission of this certification is a prerequisite for making
or entering into this transaction imposed by 31, U.S.C. § 1352 (as amended by the Lobbying
Disclosure Act of 1995). Any person who fails to file the required certification shall be subject to
a civil penalty of not less than $10,000 and not more than $100,000 for each such failure.
The CONSULTANT, AM TRACE LLC, certifies or affirms the truthfulness and accuracy of each
statement of its certification and disclosure, if any. In addition, the Contractor understands and
agrees that the provisions of 31 U.S.C. § 3801 et seq., apply to this certification and disclosure, if
any. Docuslgnea by:
CIA eV'it t
Ev 9C3OO9E42D
Signature of CONSULTANT's Authorized Official
Dan Gabriel
Name and Title of CONSULTANT's Authorized Official
8/31/2020 1 10:38 EDT
Date
Procurement of Recovered Materials.
Applicability: This requirement applies to all federal grant and cooperative agreement programs.
A non -Federal entity that is a state agency or agency of a political subdivision of a state and its
contractors must comply with Section 6002 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act, Pub. L. No. 89-272
(1965) (codified as amended by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act at 42 U.S.C. §
6962). See 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Appendix H, § K; 2 C.F.R. § 200.322; Chapter V, § 7.
The requirements of Section 6002 include procuring only items designated in guidelines of the
EPA at 40 C.F.R. Part 247 that contain the highest percentage of recovered materials practicable,
consistent with maintaining a satisfactory level of II competition, where the purchase price of the
item exceeds $10,000 or the value of the quantity acquired by the preceding fiscal year exceeded
$10,000; procuring solid waste management services in a manner that maximizes energy and
resource recovery; and establishing an affirmative procurement program for procurement of
recovered materials identified in the EPA guidelines.
In the performance of this contract, the Contractor shall make maximum use of products containing
recovered materials that are EPA -designated items unless the product cannot be acquired:
AmTrace Professional Services 12 of 18 Revised 08/2020
(1) Competitively within a timeframe providing for compliance with the contract
performance schedule;
(2) Meeting contract performance requirements; or
(3) At a reasonable price.
Information about this requirement is available at EPA's Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines
web site, htlp://www.epa.gov/cpg/. The list of EPA -designate items is available at
http://www.epa.gov/cpg/prodticls.htm ...
Additional Federal Requirements.
The Uniform Rules authorize the federal government to require additional provisions for non
Federal entity contracts. Pursuant to this authority, the following are required:
Changes.
To be eligible for federal assistance under the non -Federal entity's grant or cooperative
agreement, the cost of the change, modification, change order, or constructive change must
be allowable, allocable, within the scope of its grant or cooperative agreement, and
reasonable for the completion of project scope. It is recommended, therefore, that a non -
Federal entity include a changes clause in its contract that describes how, if at all, changes
can be made by either party to alter the method, price, or schedule of the work without
breaching the contract. The language of the clause may differ depending on the nature of
the contract and the end -item procured.
Access to Records.
The following access to records requirements apply to this contract:
(1) The contractor agrees to the City of Pearland, Texas Division of Emergency
Management (TDEM), the FEMA Administrator, the Comptroller General of the
United States, and the Secretary of the U.S. Treasury, or any of their authorized
representatives access to any books, documents, papers, and records of the
CONSULTANT which are directly pertinent to this contract for the purposes of
making audits, examinations, excerpts, and transcriptions.
(2) The CONSULTANT agrees to permit any of the foregoing parties to reproduce
by any means whatsoever or to copy excerpts and transcriptions as reasonably
needed.
(3) The CONSULTANT agrees to provide the federal government or an authorized
representatives access to construction or other work sites pertaining to the work
being completed under the contract."
AmTrace Professional Services 13 of 18 Revised 08/2020
Seals, Logos, and Flags.
The CONSULTANT shall not use the seal(s), logos, crests, or reproductions of flags or
likenesses of any federal, State or local agency without specific pre -approval from any such
agency; particularly, as it relates to DHS Standard Terms and Conditions, v 3.0, § XXV
(2013).
Compliance with Federal Law, Regulations, and Executive Orders.
This is an acknowledgement that federal financial assistance will be used to fund the
contract only. The CONSULTANT will comply will all applicable federal law, regulations,
executive orders, federal policies, procedures, and directives.
No Obligation by Federal Government.
The Federal Government is not a party to this contract and is not subject to any obligations
or liabilities to the non -Federal entity, contractor, or any other patty pertaining to any
matter resulting from the contract.
Program Fraud and False or Fraudulent Statements or Related Acts.
The contractor acknowledges that 31 U.S.C. Chap. 38 (Administrative Remedies for False
Claims and Statements) applies to the contractor's actions pertaining to this contract.
SECTION IX — STATE OF TEXAS ASSURANCES
As the Grantee, the CITY requires that the CONSULTANT certify that CONSULTANT shall:
A. comply with Texas Government Code, Chapter 573, by ensuring that no officer,
employee, or member of the grantee's governing body or of the grantee's contractor
shall vote or confirm the employment of any person related within the second
degree of affinity or the third degree of consanguinity to any member of the
governing body or to any other officer or employee authorized to employ or
supervise such person. This prohibition shall not prohibit the employment of a
person who shall have been continuously employed for a period of two years, or
such other period stipulated by local law, prior to the election or appointment of the
officer, employee, or governing body member related to such person in the
prohibited degree.
B. insure that all information collected, assembled, or maintained by the grantee
relative to a project will be available to the public during normal business hours in
compliance with Texas Government Code, Chapter 552, unless otherwise expressly
prohibited by law.
C. comply with Texas Government Code, Chapter 551, which requires all regular,
special, or called meetings of governmental bodies to be open to the public, except
as otherwise provided by law or specifically permitted in the Texas Constitution.
AmTrace Professional Services 14 of 18 Revised 08/2020
D. comply with Section 231.006, Texas Family Code, which prohibits payments to a
person who is in arrears on child support payments.
E. not contract with or issue a license, certificate, or permit to the owner, operator, or
administrator of a facility if the grantee is a health, human services, public safety,
or law enforcement agency and the license, permit, or certificate has been revoked
by another health and human services agency or public safety or law enforcement
agency.
F. comply with all rules adopted by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement
pursuant to Chapter 1701, Texas Occupations Code, or shall provide the grantor
agency with a certification from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement that
the agency is in the process of achieving compliance with such rules if the grantee
is a law enforcement agency regulated by Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 1701.
G. follow all assurances. When incorporated into a grant award or contract, standard
assurances contained in the application package become terms or conditions for
receipt of grant funds. Administering state agencies and grantees shall maintain an
appropriate contract administration system to ensure that all terms, conditions, and
specifications are met. (See UGMS Section _.36 for additional guidance on contract
provisions).
H. comply with the Texas Family Code, Section 261.101, which requires reporting of
all suspected cases of child abuse to local law enforcement authorities and to the
Texas Department of Child Protective and Regulatory Services. Grantee shall also
ensure that all program personnel are properly trained and aware of this
requirement.
I. comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination. These include but are
not limited to:
(a) Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (P.L. 88-352), which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin;
(b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended (20 U.S.C.
§§ 1681-1683, and 1685-1686), which prohibits discrimination on the basis
of sex;
(c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C.
§794), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps and the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 including Titles I, II, and III of the
Americans with Disability Act which prohibits recipients from
discriminating on the basis of disability in the operation of public entities,
public and private transportation systems, places of public accommodation,
and certain testing entities, 44 U.S.C. §§ 12101-12213;
(d) the Age Discrimination Act of 1974, as amended (42 U.S.C. §§6101-
6107), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age;
AmTrace Professional Services 15 of 18 Revised 08/2020
(e) the Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (P.L. 92-255), as
amended, relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse;
(f) the Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention,
Treatment, and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (P.L. 91-616), as amended,
relating to the nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or
alcoholism;
(g) §§523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 U.S.C.
§§290dd-3 and 290ee-3), as amended, relating to confidentiality of alcohol
and drug abuse patient records;
(h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. §§3601 et seq.), as
amended, relating to nondiscrimination in the sale, rental, or financing of
housing;
(i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the specific statute(s) under
which application for Federal assistance is being made; and
0) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may
apply to this Grant.
comply, as applicable, with the provisions of the Davis -Bacon Act (40 U.S.C.
§§276a to 276a-7), the Copeland Act (40 U.S.C. §276c and 18 U.S.C. §874), and
the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 U.S.C. §§327-333),
regarding labor standards for federally assisted construction subagreements.
K. comply with requirements of the provisions of the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisitions Act of 1970 (P.L. 91-646), which provide for fair
and equitable treatment of persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a
result of Federal or federally assisted programs. These requirements apply to all
interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of Federal
participation in purchases.
L. comply with the provisions of the Hatch Political Activity Act (5 U.S.C. §§7321-
29), which limit the political activity of employees whose principal employment
activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds.
M. comply with the minimum wage and maximum hours provisions of the Federal Fair
Labor Standards Act and the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970, as
applicable.
N. insure that the facilities under its ownership, lease, or supervision which shall be
utilized in the accomplishment of the project are not listed on the Environmental
Protection Agency's (EPA) list of Violating Facilities and that it will notify the
Federal grantor agency of the receipt of any communication from the Director of
the EPA Office of Federal Activities indicating that a facility to be used in the
project is under consideration for listing by the EPA (EO 11738).
AmTrace Professional Services 16 of 18 Revised 08/2020
O. comply with the flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the
Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973, Public Law 93-234. Section 102(a) requires
the purchase of flood insurance in communities where such insurance is available
as a condition for the receipt of any Federal financial assistance for construction or
acquisition proposed for use in any area that has been identified by the Secretary of
the Department of Housing and Urban Development as an area having special flood
hazards.
P. comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the
following: (a) institution of environmental quality control measures under the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (P.L. 91-190) and Executive Order
(EO) 11514; (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738; (c)
protection of wetlands pursuant to EO 11990; (d) evaluation of flood hazards in
floodplains in accordance with EO 11988; (e) assurance of project consistency with
the approved state management program developed under the Coastal Zone
Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. §§1451 et seq.); (f) conformity of federal
actions to State (Clear Air) Implementation Plans under Section 176(c) of the Clear
Air Act of 1955, as amended (42 U.S.C. §§7401 et seq.); (g) protection of
underground sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974,
as amended (P.L. 93-523), and (h) protection of endangered species under the
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (P.L. 93-205).
Q. comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 U.S.C. §§1271 et seq.)
related to protecting components or potential components of the national wild and
scenic rivers system.
R. assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National
Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended (16 U.S.C. §470), EO 11593
(identification and protection of historic properties), and the Archaeological and
Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. §§469a-1 et seq.).
S. comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (P.L. 89-544, as amended,
7 U.S.C. §§2131 et seq.) which requires the minimum standards of care and
treatment for vertebrate animals bred for commercial sale, used in research,
transported commercially, or exhibited to the public according to the Guide for Care
and Use of Laboratory Animals and Public Health Service Policy and Government
Principals Regarding the Care and Use of Animals.
T. comply with the Lead -Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 U.S.C. §§4801 et
seq.) which prohibits the use of lead-based paint in construction or rehabilitation of
residential structures.
U. comply with the Pro -Children Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-277), which prohibits
smoking within any portion of any indoor facility used for the provision of services
for children.
AmTrace Professional Services 17 of 18 Revised 08/2020
V. comply with all federal tax laws and are solely responsible for filing all required
state and federal tax forms.
W. comply with all applicable requirements of all other federal and state laws,
executive orders, regulations, and policies governing this program.
X. adopt and implement applicable provisions of the model HIV/AIDS work place
guidelines of the Texas Department of Health as required by the Texas Health and
Safety Code, Ann., Sec. 85.001, et seq.
Y. comply with the Drug -Free Workplace Rules established by the Texas Worker's
Compensation Commission effective April 17, 1991.
and,
Z. certify and assure that its principals are eligible to participate and have not been
subjected to suspension, debarment, or similar ineligibility determined by any
federal, state, or local governmental entity and it is not listed on a state or federal
government's terrorism watch list as described in Executive Order 13224. Entities
ineligible for federal procurement have Exclusions listed at
https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/.
SECTION X — U.S. TREASURY COMPLIANCE - § 601(d) SOCIAL SECURITY ACT
The CONSULTANT shall, to the extent feasible and applicable, cooperatively comply with the
terms and conditions of the CARES Act and the State of Texas Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) as
applicable to the CITY, adhering to any of the required tiered compliance with applicable rules
and regulations in the Act that pass through the CITY to the CONSULTANT (attached).
SECTION XI - SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS
This CONTRACT shall not be assignable except upon the written consent of the parties hereto.
Qigitaq/f> .d by John hk..'
John Mccarter ON;_.Jlhn Mccu n, -City OP -4.d.
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ASSISTANT FINANCE DIRECTOR
CITY OF 12PA7R D, TEXAS
CI MA MR/DIRECTOR
CITY OF P ARLAND, TEXAS
Dan Gabriel
CONSULTANT
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9-1-2020
DATE
DATE
8/31/2020 1 10:38 EDT
DANT'
AmTrace Professional Services 18 of 18 Revised 08/2020
City of Pearland
UPDATED: Request for Professional Services
Response
Public Health Consultation
COVID-19 Research, Analysis, Tracking and Consultation
RFP #0720-48
Proposal Narrative
August 16, 2020
Submitted to the City of Pearland
3193 Liberty Drive
Pearland, TX 77581
(281) 652-1790
Response Prepared By:
trace
Dan Gabriel, CEO
161 Fort Evans Road, NE, Suite 250
Leesburg, VA, 20176
dan@amllc.co
571.225.9854
am-trace.co
This proposal shall be used and disclosed for evaluation purposes only, and a copy of this Government notice shall be
applied to any reproduction or abstract thereof. Any authorized restrictive notices that the submitter places on this
proposal shall also be strictly complied with. Disclosure of this proposal outside the Government for evaluation
purposes shall be made only to the extent authorized by, and in accordance with, law.
Request for Professional Sei vi�_Cs Response
Public Health Consultation - COVID-19 Research, Analysis, Tracking and
Consultation for City of Pearland
TABLE OF CONTENTS
trace
SECTION
PAGE
Introduction
3
Underlying philosophy of the Offeror in providing the requested services
5
Statement of qualifications including resume and list of similar projects
7
A. Qualifications of Proposed COVID-19 Expert Consultant
B. Additional Consultation and Support Services
C. Relevant Experience
Proposed Schedule for the Project
14
A. Approach and Schedule for Competing Activities in Scope of Work
B. Achieving Deliverables and Key Measures
Equipment and technology resources available to complete the scope of services and
22
deliverables
Equipment requirements necessary to conduct business on-site at City facilities, if and/or
23
when necessary or feasible
Detail of fee proposal that should support lump sum pricing in Line Items tab
23
Debarment, suspension, and background check confirmation
24
AM TRACE LLC 2
August 6, 2020
Request for Professional Services Response
Public Health Consultation - COVID-19 Research, Analysis, Tracking and
Consultation for City of Pearland
PROPOSAL NARRATIVE
1. Introduction
AM TRACE, LLC ("TRACE") is a research and health
informatics firm dedicated to providing Federal,
state, and local Government customers with
mission -critical services. TRACE offers a tailored
menu of services for SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 (COVID-
19) policy development, control, surveillance, and
tracking which responds to the needs of the City of
Pearland as presented in the Request for
Professional Services for Public Health Consultation
- COVID-19 Research, Analysis, Tracking and
Consultation for the City of Pearland. In addition to
providing the full array of COVID-19 consultation
services requested by the City of Pearland, we are
also proposing a plan and structure for providing
enhanced and expanded services to support the
ongoing needs of the City of Pearland, as we move
forward to control and eradicate COVID-19.
trace
• ISO -9000:2015 QMS
Certified
• An eight-year history of providing mission critical
solutions in public health settings to federal, state,
county, and local government agencies.
• Wide range of gov't clients, including Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National
Institutes of Health (NIH), Dept. of Veterans
Affairs (VA), Office of the Director of National
Intelligence, Dept. of State, Dept. of Defense
(DOD), US Agency for Global Media, and several
county health departments.
• TRACE has designed and implemented scalable
solutions for customers in the Health, Defense,
and Intelligence markets, delivering solutions
rooted in ISO -quality management processes,
industry best practices, and our industry experts'
diverse skills and lessons learned.
• A certified Small and Historically Underutilized
(HUBZone) business with experience surveying
and developing policies and programs that impact
multi-ethnic and diverse populations in a range of
environments.
• Industry Recognition. Named a 2018 Top 10
Healthcare Cybersecurity Solution Provider by
Healthcare Tech Outlook Magazine.
TRACE was established to leverage the capabilities of health departments and other
governmental agencies to control the spread of COVID-19 in their communities. Our approach to
effective disease control policy, planning and implementation is grounded in best -practices,
evidence -based strategies, and real-time lessons learned from our ongoing experience with
COVID-19. Our leadership, staff and consultants include a team of highly -experienced medical,
public health, community mobilization and research experts who have hands-on experience
performing this work in communities of all sizes.
AM TRACE LLC 3
August 6, 2020
Request for Professional Services Response
Public Health Consultation - COVID-19 Research, Analysis, Tracking and trace
Consultation for City of Pearland
TRACE is proposing a comprehensive approach by offering a COVID-19 Consultation Team,
instead of the services of one individual consultant. This greatly expands the capacity and reach -
back expertise of consultation services available to the City. The Team will be led by the Primary
Consultant, Charlalyn Harris, PhD, who will serve as TRACE's key contact to the City of Pearland.
Dr. Harris will work closely with City administrators and offices to accomplish the scope of work,
key deliverables, and additional COVID-19 programs and services, as needed. Dr. Harris is a highly
experienced and regarded infectious disease epidemiologist and expert in COVID-19 control. She
will be supported by the TRACE COVID-19 Consultation Team and our established research,
technology, communications, and IT services. The Consultation Team will be composed of
experts in medicine, public health, community mobilization, research, communications, and IT.
Our proposed Consultation Team model will provide the City of Pearland with options that it can
draw on to complete the scope of work and key deliverables, as well as to address new and
emerging needs that may arise. By providing a Consultation Team instead of an individual
consultant, TRACE ensures that the City of Pearland will have access to the specific, targeted
experience and expertise they seek as well as an additional menu of COVID-19 related skills,
knowledge and expertise that can be provided by our Consultant Team members and firm's
highly regarded research, technology, and IT services.
TRACE readily scales our services and programs to meet the needs of government agencies and
health departments of all sizes — large or small. We offer a unique combination of public health,
medical, research, computing, and health informatics experience and expertise to support and
enhance to the work of Federal, State and Local agencies' ability to control the spread of
communicable diseases, such as COVID-19, in their communities. TRACE seeks to perform this
work because it gives us an opportunity to prove the effectiveness of our approaches, enables us
to have a beneficial impact on the health of communities throughout the United States. By
selecting TRACE, the City of Pearland will have access to our extensive expertise of professional
services, including our team of public health professionals that are performing real-time COVID-
19 control efforts across the US.
AM TRACE LLC 4
August 6, 2020
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Public Health Consultation - COVID-19 Research, Analysis, Tracking and trace
Consultation for City of Pearland
2. Underlying philosophy of the Offeror in providing the requested services
TRACE consultation and program services are guided by the three pillars of public health:
Excellence — TRACE is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in all that we do. Our
leadership, staff, and consultants are experts in their fields, and bring effective, hands-
on knowledge relevant to the services we provide.
Learning - TRACE is dedicated to the discovery and dissemination of knowledge that will
improve the health status of all people. We understand the significance of information
and research to inform policy and programs. Data should aide in developing models and
plans for future actions. We continuously review and use data to improve our services
and programs.
• Community - TRACE is committed to collaboration and actively seeks to engage
community partners in its education, research, and public service.
TRACE stands out from the other contractors because our approaches and experience are
grounded in evidence -based best practices and specific to COVID-19. We bring together the
expertise of experienced practitioners and professionals, coupled with hands-on knowledge
gained in the field. As a result, we are aware of the many challenges and difficulties that can
arise in COVID-19 policy and control work. We are better prepared to address and mitigate these
challenges than other agencies. and are better prepared to address and mitigate these
challenges than other agencies. For example, for contact tracing, we employ a "client -centered"
approach instead of the standard "call -center" approach. This is because the "call center"
approach has been found, through first-hand experience, to be ineffective in successfully
reaching and collecting behavior data from people testing positive for SARS-CoV-2. With this
knowledge, we can help health departments avoid wasting time and resources on ineffective
disease control approaches.
TRACE's approach to providing public health consultation services begins with our senior
leadership team, who bring a combined 75+ years of experience in infectious disease control,
AM TRACE LLC 5
August 6, 2020
Request for Professional Services Response �+
Public Health Consultation - COVID-19 Research, Analysis, Tracking and trace
Consultation for City of Pearland
disease surveillance, and community health. Our COVID-19 consultation and service programs
have been designed by public health experts with first-hand experience setting up and
implementing successful contact tracing efforts for COVID-19 and other communicable diseases,
such as the groundbreaking effort TRACE launched in July, in partnership with the Orange County
Health Department, to support a rapidly increasing infection rate. Our programs are based on
guidelines from CDC, Johns Hopkins, and WHO guidelines and are continuously updated with
evidence -based, best practices and lessons learned.
TRACE meets the needs of our clients' diverse populations by providing linguistically, ethnically,
and culturally -representative disease investigation staff. TRACE offers the right balance of
nationwide experience, best practices, and lessons learned with local knowledge, insight, and
community impact. Our clinical Director of Education & Training developed our evidence -based
curriculum used to train our staff during onboarding in how to build rapport through cultural
humility, cultural competency, professional and ethical conduct, diversity, and inclusion, and
suppressing unconscious bias.
TRACE also has an in-house IT and cybersecurity department to better support our staff in the
field, improve data management, and protect privacy. The TRACE leadership team of clinicians,
public health investigators, epidemiologists, biostatisticians, evaluation specialists, and data
analysts provide oversight to ensure regular compliance with state, local and federal guidelines.
In addition to KPIs outlined in the scope of work, TRACE's analytics and program evaluation team
will work in partnership with our clients to provide comprehensive, expert program oversight.
TRACE's many moving parts come together as a system of COVID-19 consultation and service
programs that seamlessly incorporates staffing, technology, data privacy, and program
management into a flexible solution that works best for our clients. TRACE minimizes the
administrative and personnel burden that Contact Tracing places upon public health
departments, scales quickly to local outbreaks, and ensures accountability from inception to
contract closeout.
AM TRACE LLC 6
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Request for Professional Services Response
Public Health Consultation - COVID-19 Research, Analysis, Tracking and trace
Consultation for City of Pearland
3. Statement of qualifications including resume and list of similar projects
Given the complex and rapidly changing nature of COVID-19, TRACE is proposing a highly flexible
and scalable consultant model that will provide the City of Pearland with a Consultant Team led
by an infectious disease COVID-19 expert. We will also leverage our extensive public health,
research and IT resources, as needed, to allow for maximum responsiveness, flexibility, and
scalability.
A. Qualifications of Proposed COVID-19 Expert Consultant
The TRACE COVID-19 Consultant Team will be led by the Key Consultant, Dr. Charlalyn Harris,
MPH, PhD, an infectious disease epidemiologist with direct experience working in COVID-19 over
the past six months. Dr. Harris possesses over 12 years of experience in infectious diseases,
research study design, and biostatistics. She has worked and received additional training within
the Atlanta -Royal Campus Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Indian Health Services
(IHS) Hospitals throughout the state of Arizona. She also brings work experience from within St.
Mary's Hospital (Tucson, AZ), Pima County Health Department (Tucson, AZ), Marana Health
Center (Marana, AZ), and the Maricopa County Health Department (Phoenix, AZ) and the
Coconino County Health Department (Flagstaff, AZ.) Her work with community-based health
initiatives include the American Diabetes Association Tribal Health- Southern Arizona. Dr. Harris
spent four years with Grand Canyon University before her current appointment with California
Baptist University as a visiting adjunct professor in the School of Public Health and a professional
peer relationship established with Baylor -Scott & White Research Institute, Temple, TX and
Emory University, Atlanta, GA.
Dr. Harris has contributed extensive knowledge to the aforementioned clients regarding viral and
bacterial transmissibility, in-depth biological origins, big data analysis with numerous statistical
software platforms (i.e., SPSS, STATA, SAS), extensive active knowledge of relevant data 'houses'
based upon research, outbreak investigations to include cluster analysis and source case
investigations. Her modeling expertise includes infectious agent -based modeling SIR (suspected -
AM TRACE LLC 7
August 6, 2020
Request for Professional Services Response
Public Health Consultation - COVID-19 Research, Analysis, Tracking and trace
Consultation for City of Pearland
infected -recovered) epidemic risk modeling and descriptive -inference modeling, time -series and
survival modeling. Her experience in policy work and guidance development is grounded in the
use of research -based findings and information with strong statistical significance (i.e.,
correlation/association, data -supported). Her work in research study design/research efforts
includes strong scientific written communication of findings for both technical and nontechnical
audiences, strong, positive social interpersonal skillset, strong presentation attributes to multiple
audiences across multidisciplinary areas.
B. Additional Consultation and Support Services
In addition to Dr. Harris, the TRACE COVID-19 Consultant Team will include several public health
and research subject matter experts (SMEs), as necessary. These SMEs include several public
health and medical experts with connections to several Houston medical centers, including
Heather Lyons Zinczyn, PhD.
Dr. Heather Lyons-Zinczyn is an epidemiologist/biostatistician with over 17 years of experience
in the public health sector. Recently, Dr. Lyons-Zinczyn has worked in COVID-19 control programs
as an epidemiologist investigator and contact tracer at the Harris County Public Health
Department. Dr. Lyons-Zinczyn has implemented a testing and surveillance program in various
positions in the government such as NASA, the Army, and at the public health level in Harris
County. At NASA, she helped implement the Lifetime Surveillance of Astronaut Health as the
Lead Epidemiologist. This program was designed as a longitudinal look at the life of an astronaut
from early age until death. While reviewing the study's methodology, it was clear that the study
was really a surveillance program. This involved changes to the Manual of Operating Procedures
and Standard of Operating Procedures. This surveillance project continues today as the space
medicine program continues to evolve.
While serving the Army at Fort Detrick, Dr. Lyons-Zinczyn was involved with a community- based
testing program of active and retired men and women who were diagnosed with mental illnesses
including bi-polar disorder and schizophrenia. This project evaluated the use of SSRIs and the
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August 6, 2020
Request for Professional Services Response /ry
Public Health Consultation - COVID-19 Research, Analysis, Tracking and trace
Consultation for City of Pearland
improvements or failings of this class of medication within this community. While serving as an
epidemiologist investigator and contact tracer at the Harris County Health Department, she
assisted in implementing various strategies of attacking COVID-19 in a community-based
setting. Dr. Lyons-Zinczyn has been a part of outreach and education in various roles pertaining
to space exposures, COVID-19 and other needs of the community at large. Dr. Lyons-Zinczyn has
served as a biostatistician to many studies. She has 17 years of experience in analyzing
epidemiologic data and clinical trial studies. Her experience entails methods such as survival
analysis, Cox proportional hazard models, univariate and multi -variate analysis, conditional and
unconditional logistic regression, sample size and power calculations and other tools in
statistics. Dr. Lyons-Zinczyn has authored many publications in peer-reviewed medical
literature.
In addition to SMEs like Dr. Harris and Lyons-Zinczyn, TRACE can also provide input and support
from a team of pubic health professionals with expertise in infectious disease, Community
Health, and public policy, who have successfully developed and implemented a wide range of
health promotion, disease prevention programs in communities and among historically
marginalized and underrepresented populations. Our Consultation Team will also supported by
the organization's extensive resources in research, data analysis, communications, and health
IT.
C. Relevant Experience
Orange County Contact Tracing Program
TRACE was recently awarded a contract to implement a large, comprehensive Contact Tracing
Program for Orange County in Los Angeles, CA. Orange County has a highly diverse, multilingual
population of over 3.11VI people. Orange County is currently seeing a "second wave" of positive
coronavirus cases, hospitalizations, and death rates. California has surpassed New York State to
become the state with the highest number of coronavirus cases.
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TRACE was selected to partner with the Orange County Health Agency (OCHA) to design and
implement a comprehensive Contact Tracing Program. TRACE has hired Case Investigators and
Contact Tracers with capabilities in over 10 languages who work closely with OCHA to establish
a program which will be expanded and scaled to address new and emergent needs, hotspots and
outbreaks, and the rapidly changing epidemiology. TRACE utilizes our Learning Management
System to provide comprehensive online Contact Tracer Training to hundreds of individuals in
preparation for this program. The training not only provides information on COVID-19, contact
tracing activities, and the correct collection and reporting of data, but it also provides training to
build competencies in engagement, building rapport, basic Motivational Interviewing strategies,
active listening and effective communication. These evidence -based approaches and best
practices are essential to eliciting contact and behavior information from individuals, as well as
improving adherence with testing and follow-up services.
TRACE will leverage our work in Orange County, using best practices and lessons learned to
inform our consultation work with the City of Pearland. Orange County is composed of many
smaller cities and communities in Southern California. Successful implementation of COVID-19
contact tracing and prevention services will require rapid adaptation of public health strategies
and practices. As we learn from our work with the diverse communities in Orange County, we
will use this knowledge to improve our consultation work with the City of Pearland. Most
importantly, our current experience will provide real-time input to help us anticipate new and
emerging challenges that may arise during the process of controlling and impeding the spread of
COVI D-19.
Maryland Contact Tracing and Outbreak Control
Sarah David, BSN, RN, our Director of Education and Nursing, supported Maryland's Anne
Arundel County Health Department Epidemiology Program response to the higher -than -
average COVID-19 infection rates, providing case investigation and contact tracing program
implementation support remotely. The county started with two teams of four nurses each. As
COVID-19 cases increased, the county was forced to rapidly scale up its contact tracing team,
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growing to 10 teams of 4-6 nurses, and 4-6 health assistants per team. The team ultimately grew
to a staff of 100. Teams were staffed by personnel reassigned from other health department
programs, primarily School Health Services and HIV Case Management. Training and orientation
were completed within 24-48 hours of reassignment to COVID-19 response. Ms. David was able
to support the county's increasing need to build capacity for performing contact tracing on
100% of COVID-19 laboratory confirmed cases.
Also, in Anne Arundel County, our on -staff contact tracing expert was involved in outbreak
response provided for the County's long-term care facilities, a special area of concern and
expertise for our team. Infection control recommendations and testing program implementation
were provided for residents and employees. This included procuring test kits, forming and tasking
strike teams, tracking delivery and processing of tests, reporting results to facilities, and initiating
actions related to positive/negative results. This field experience and demonstrated ability to
perform clinical work in hazardous environments sets TRACE apart from alternate approaches
that view contact tracing as a problem to be solved with a "call -center" approach to disease
surveillance.
TRACE also has an extensive track record of service delivery to the nation's largest healthcare
system, the Veterans Administration (VA), for which we supported high -visibility IT programs
including Clinical Knowledge Management (CKM), TRIBUTE, and VistA eHMP. The lessons learned
from these complex and highly technical health -IT programs form the base of our approach to
processing patient health information in clinical environments. Tracing and understanding the
community transmission of disease in communities is, on one level, an information problem—
not solely a challenge of staffing, testing or policies. TRACE's data -centric approach is informed
by these experiences:
• CKM. TRACE supported the VA's development of a Mobile Health Program for CKM. We
provided clinical information capture, secure portfolio administration, and subject matter
expertise to improve the design and development of mobile health applications
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throughout the CKM contract. This expertise notably improved Veteran and staff usability
and increased the quality and availability of healthcare information exchanged between
the Veteran and their healthcare provider.
• TRIBUTE. TRACE provided business intelligence and analytics support for the VHA's
TRIBUTE program, which serves approximately 9.2 million active -duty personnel, active
duty family members, retired military members and their families, and family member
survivor beneficiaries. TRIBUTE provides healthcare support services that integrate
private -sector care with the DoD direct -care system.
• Business Intelligence solutions architected and developed by TRACE personnel enable
WellPoint Military Care (WMC) to meet TRICARE project requirements by ensuring that
the best medical care is provided to all American uniformed service members and their
families worldwide.
• In support of the TRICARE Management Care Support initiative, AM developed
methodologies and programs for analyzing and presenting data to include expertise in
evaluating data quality, applications, and functions, as well as identifying data quality
issues for review and resolution. At the enterprise level, AM creates and maintains a
stable, efficient, and high-performance analytic and reporting platform while providing
support for analytical tools.
• Transformation Twenty -One Total Technology Next Generation (T4NG) — Veterans
Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VistA) Clinical Application and
Enterprise Core Services. TRACE provided technical leadership as a subcontractor in
support of the enterprise Health Management Platform (eHMP)—a multi-year program
within the VA's VistA Evolution program to implement a new service-oriented
architecture (SOA), to modernize existing functionality, expand patient care capabilities,
and improve ease of use by health practitioners. These efforts directly impact how care is
provided across VA facilities to approximately 8 million Veterans each year. In support of
this effort, TRACE provided expertise specific to developing and implementing a system
architecture. We provided overall technical guidance to the eHMP project, including
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technical integration of clinical features in the context of event -driven architecture,
ensuring that all systems and software development adhere to existing client standards
for programming, screen layout, user interface, configuration management, and system
interfaces, among other areas. AM's role in this effort was critical, as the systems
architecture is a key component of the overall integration and enhancement of existing
legacy systems.
• TRACE also provided engineering and system architecture expertise for the VistA Core
Services program, strengthening, and expanding VA healthcare services, facilitating
greater interoperability of systems and healthcare records to meet the highest security
standards.
4. Proposed Schedule for the Project
TRACE is prepared to complete the requested Scope of Work and Key Deliverables during the
initial consultation period, ending 31 December 2020. As needed, we will extend our work with
the City of Pearland to ensure that all necessary policies, guidelines, services and programs are
in place to fully address the COVID-19 pandemic.
Successful consultation will begin with our initial planning meetings with the City of Pearland
leadership and/or designee(s). While our meeting will be guided by data, research, and evidence -
based best practices in COVID-19 policy, surveillance and control, we also understand the
importance of partnership and working closely with the City of Pearland to accomplish the scope
of work and deliverables.
A. Approach and Schedule for Competing Activities in Scope of Work
Task 1. Review current internal City policies and procedures designed to impede the spread of
COVID-19 and thereby protect City staff, public customers visiting City facilities and the
community at large.
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Time frame: Initial Review will take place over a 2 -week period. Consultant will review additional
policies and provide input and advice, as needed throughout the consultation period.
The TRACE Consultant will conduct a thorough but rapid review of current internal City policies
and procedures developed to halt spread of SARS-CoV-2. This review will be guided by WHO &
CDC guidelines. Both are considered substantial measures to be implemented by the Consultant
on behalf of stakeholders to halt the transmission of coronavirus. Immediate steps will include
an epidemiological analysis of the City's current policies and practices with respect to the
following foreseen areas:
• Physical distancing
• Gatherings in enclosed spaces
• Workplace activity
• Movement and commerce
• Protective equipment
• Hygiene
• Cleaning and disinfection
• Phased reopening
• Communication plan(s)
• Screening and testing
• Tracing and tracking
• Other related COVID-19 measures (as determined by subject matter expert)
As a result of the review, the Consultant will be prepared to provide input and advice on City
policies and procedures to impede the spread of SARS-CoV-2.
Task 2. Analyze COVID-19 modeling and virus projections for the City of Pearland population
from authoritative sources (i.e. Johns -Hopkins University and the University of Washington's
Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)); describe local implications for virus spread,
hospitalizations and mortality; recommend prudent response strategies.
Time frame: This task will begin immediately and be ongoing throughout the consultation period.
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An analysis of COVID-19 modeling and virus protections from reporting research organizations
such as Johns Hopkins University will include a review of modeling and virus projection areas in
aiding the City with concise implications pertaining to virus spread, hospitalizations, and
mortality. Steps towards reaching these metrics includes:
• Identifying model limitations and strengths (specifically its underlying data; is serology
data collected with case data to determine positivity? If so, this is a major data collection
error that serves against valid findings and skews actual positivity rate).
• Size of samples noted within the proposed models (specifically, is the sample
generalizable to other population groups?).
• Is the model a balanced or unbalanced design? All model approaches should be equal in
size (balanced) and the further group sizes within the model deviate from being equal in
size, the more unbalanced the research design. This would impede the ability to
reproduce the model on behalf of the City of Pearland or any prediction or risk -level
modeling effort(s).
• Number of parameters within the model(s): models will be examined for the number of
parameters being estimated, and since these should be population -based, larger samples
are need as these are complex processes.
• Data level importance: an analysis of models under consideration will undergo an initial
assessment to determine if it is continuous and normally distributed, or not normal -
continuous. If a determination of not normal -continuous data level is reached, an
appropriate form of generalized multilevel- modeling would be researched by other
existing models developed by Johns Hopkins, Georgia Tech, or others.
• Does linearity and nonlinearity, independence, recursivity, and missing data exist in the
model? It is important to establish if the assumption of linearity related among the
predictor variables to its dependent variable.
Of further importance is the assumption of all observations being independent of each other, as
multilevel modeling does not make this assumption. Further respect to recursivity includes both
the'endogeneity problem', and selection bias would undergo an assessment. To omit these areas
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could lead to correlated errors and inconsistent estimates. Finally, missing data are consistently
problematic in all statistical procedures with multilevel modeling not omitted. Not more than 5%
of data should be missing from Level 1 data comprising any model. Indicators stating this upon
review would be a condition of omitting a potential model to replicate on behalf of the City of
Pearland. Such areas are essential to identifying model deficiencies which in turn contributes to
invalidated models, decreased confidence, and poorer outcomes for the City. Validating models
prior to their implementation leads to more accurate viral projections necessary to guide
decisions regarding transmissibility, hospitalizations, and mortality.
Task 3. Review, analyze and synthesize reporting and formulate synopsis and
recommendations to the City of Pearland, specific to its population, that can be leveraged with
information obtained from authoritative sources including the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), DSHS Public Health
Region 6/5 South, the Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council (SETRAC) and the Texas
Medical Center.
Time frame: This task will begin immediately and be ongoing to ensure project success.
Analysis of COVID-19 authoritative sources will include Johns Hopkins University of Medicine
Coronavirus Resource Center's maps and trends. This is essential near real-time data concerned
with how impactful social distancing measures may have influenced trends in COVID-19 cases
and deaths. The information is supportive in reopening and closing policy decisions as it reflects
one's own state and what is working or not working in other states. In addition to the data -
supported description of virus spread, hospitalizations and mortality information would be
greatly supported by the CDC's COVID-Net Hospital Surveillance Network and data from its
National Center for Health Statistics. These are just two of several, reputable authoritative
sources the Consultant would utilize to aid the City of Pearland in its prudent response strategies.
These sources provide aid in guiding the team in reaching their own decisions based on the near
real time data found within sites such as the COVID-Net Surveillance Network. This, in addition
to SETRAC and Texas Medical, are also sound examples of strong authoritative sources that the
Consultant Team could lean on (confidently) in meeting their complex tasks for the City.
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Task 4. Review and evaluate SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 research, assess implications for the City
of Pearland and determine how the City can benefit from ongoing research; recommend
prudent response strategies based on the best available science.
Time frame: Ongoing
The Consultant Team will contribute in-depth, established strong evidence -based findings from
years of collected/systematically reviewed (peer-reviewed) research findings to include the
biology of coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2 use of ACE2 receptors to invade cells, transmissibility based
on viral load (i.e., asymptomatic, pre -symptomatic, and symptomatic), serology, and RT -PCR
testing, to highlight a few. The Consultant Team will apply evidence -based methodology in
addition to sound foundational knowledge of infectious pathogens (including coronaviruses) that
is greatly needed to accurately assess all implications (seen and unforeseen) on behalf of the City.
Further, because evidence -based practice only implements the best available information
gathered from the scientific literature (external evidence) and from good data, the City will
benefit from ongoing research with sound practices. In turn, this will deeply guide the City's
decision-making with higher confidence in its recommendations pertaining to its response
efforts.
Task 5. Liaise with county health authorities from Brazoria, Fort Bend and Harris counties, DSHS
Public Health Region 6/5 South, DSHS Agency, CDC and similar authoritative organizations; to
monitor the regional spread of COVID-19, exchange information and assess implications for the
City of Pearland.
Time frame: Immediately upon contract start and ongoing
Coordinating with all neighboring counties and peers within the Federal Agencies in a diplomatic
and transparent manner while exchanging ideas and information, knowledge, and relevant
research findings are only a few steps that would be taken in the surveillance of COVID-19
transmission across the region and the assessment of implications for the City. Some examples
of this collaboration would include an ongoing dialogue with mayors, local policymakers,
policymakers, educators, clergy, and practitioners (to name a few) that would not be limited to:
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• Data sharing, meeting data requests
• Feedback regarding resource allocation
• Disease surveillance
• Mass testing, treatments and access to emerging treatments
• Protective equipment
• Ventilators
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Task 6. Conduct SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 modeling tailored to the City of Pearland to forecast
impacts on staff and community residents including absenteeism, hospitalization, case count,
as well as case fatality rates.
Time frame: Statistical modeling will be conducted at intervals, based on the focus and needs of
the City of Pearland.
Statistical modeling efforts tailored to Pearland would rest greatly upon the availability of data
related to: absenteeism, hospitalizations, case count, and case fatality. Model building could
include (but not limited to), logistic growth modeling and SERI models with parameters added
that would consider such factors as public health interventions and control measures.
Additionally, a model fitted time -series and applied logistic growth model with parameters
estimated by a non-linear least squares (NLS) method to daily new COVID-19 cases would be
conducted.
Task 7. Advise on resource investments needed to impede the spread of COVID-19 in Pearland.
Time frame: Could be ongoing as subject matter is discussed
Advice regarding resource investments required to halt the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Pearland
would stem from the initial analysis of its existing policies and procedures and the identification
of deficiencies within these areas that could serve as an unforeseen factor(s) for spread of
coronavirus within Pearland. Recommendations would include investments in PPE, training,
public service announcements- greater social media presence, and establishing closer
relationships with area -wide acute care leaders (e.g., charge nurse, physicians) to highlight a few.
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Mayors, governors, and others within community leadership have the great responsibility of
guiding their cities towards a safe reopening while also slowly recharging their economic status.
Advising on the matters of resource investments would include:
• Presenting vital measures to prepare the City, its economy, and citizens for the next
phases of the coronavirus crisis and beyond.
• Preparation of large-scale civic assets (i.e., stadiums, convention centers, performing arts
centers, etc.)
• Modification of essential infrastructure (i.e., buses, trains, etc.)
• Equip key anchor institutions (i.e., medical centers, hospitals, and universities)
• An embrace of telework
• Safeguard 'Main Street' (i.e., local restaurants, bars, shops, hardware stores, etc.)
• Protections for the arts and creative economy (i.e., museums, art galleries, theatres,
music venues, etc.)
Task 8. Be available to the Emergency Management Team and the Mayor in his role as
Emergency Official for interpreting and advising on public health matters through researched
and thorough recommendations.
Time frame: Ongoing
The TRACE COVID-19 Lead Consultant and Team members will be available to the EMT and
Mayor's office for all scheduled and unscheduled meetings concerning the interpretation of
findings and/or questions, advising on public health matters researched and from extensively
investigated recommendations. Our Team members are seasoned professionals with extensive
experience analyzing and interpreting information and carefully, in partnership with our clients,
preparing materials and presentations for public meetings, promotional campaigns, public
service announcements and other events. Our communications experts will help to ensure that
we carefully craft and review any presentations and information conveyed to the public to ensure
accuracy and cultural humility.
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B. Achieving Deliverables and Key Measures
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The following table provides a proposed Plan of Action for the requested Deliverables. This
workplan can easily be revised, as needed, and expanded to include additional deliverables,
activities, and measures, as requested by the City of Pearland.
Deliverable #1. Operational Document providing professional guidance on a safe operation, for staff and the
public, of the City of Pearland and all service delivery facets.
Key Steps
Timeframe
Key Measures
Perform a full review of the City's policies and procedures,
Sept 2020
Summary of findings
meetings with key administrative leaders.
Conduct a full epidemiological and statistical analysis of the
Sept — Oct 2020
Summary of findings.
current spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 severity within the City of
Presentation of
Pearland communities and surrounding areas.
epidemiological and statistical
findings.
Review and analysis of government and community
Oct 2020
Summary of findings
services/businesses.
Ongoing consultation with City of Pearland administrators
Sept — Dec 2020
Meeting notes and action
to discuss findings of reviews.
plan
Develop Outline of the Operational Guidelines and review
Oct — Dec 2020
Outline of Operational
with City. Additional reviews, research and analysis
Guidelines Document.
conducted, as needed.
Draft Operational Guidelines available for public comment
Nov 2020
Summary of public comment
Drafting and approval of final Operational Guidelines
Nov -Dec 2020
Final Operational Guidelines
document.
Document.
Deliverable #2. On -Going opinion and guidance gleaned from reports and models that should be shared with
the City of Pearland designee(s).
Key Steps
Timeframe
Measures
Initial meeting and consultation with City of Pearland
Sept 2020
Meeting notes and summary
designee(s) to determine frequency and methods of
report, listing reports and
delivery of opinions and guidance on reports and models to
models to review.
be shared. Identification of reports and models to be
reviewed is crucial to guide the work and focus of the
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Consultation Team.
Potential reports to be reviewed:
• hospitalizations (i.e., deficiencies reported in patient
treatment capacity, PPE, staffing, etc.)
• COVID-19 morbidity and mortality areas
• testing successes in the identification of new SARS-CoV-2
cases (positive tests) and set -backs (i.e., access
to/availability of testing sites, slow turnaround of testing
results)
• data trends/modeling verifications/interpretation of
findings based on current data
• daily COVID-19-positive/negative data, and serology data
(i.e., noting past infection)
• contact -tracing efforts (i.e., data and cluster findings)
Establish system for collection and review of reports and
Sept 2020
Schedule of delivery of
models. Determine schedule for review and provision of
guidance information to City
opinions and guidance on reports and models.
of Pearland designee(s).
Official delivery of opinions and guidance on reports and
Sept -Dec 2020
Reports on delivery of
models.
I
I opinions and guidance.
Deliverable #3. Ability, as requested, to provide public address or video content that may be shared via digital
and print channels as deemed appropriate by the City of Pearland.
Key Steps
Timeframe
Measures
Initial and ongoing consultation with City of Pearland
Sept — Dec 2020
Plan for production of print
designee(s) on presentations and video content to be
and video content, including
shared via digital and print channels.
schedule of delivery.
Consultant will share types of print, video and other content
that can be produced for the City of Pearland.
Routine preparation and delivery of print and video
Sept — Dec 2020
Publication of print and digital
content.
material
Preparation and delivery of print and video content in
As needed
Development and publication
response to requests from the City.
of material, as needed, per
requests from City of
Pearland.
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5. Equipment and technology resources available to complete the scope of services and
deliverables
As a health IT and research analytics company, TRACE has a team of technical experts on staff
with more than 75 combined years of experience in setting up efficient systems for the collection,
processing, checking, and reporting of data - including data assurance processes. We plan to use
several products to tailor our approach and scale our efforts to address the current needs of the
City of Pearland, as well as any new and emerging needs that may arise. TRACE can develop and
implement interfaces to bridge the gap between our TRACE software and those being used by
the City of Pearland. Our health data analysts and web developers may liaise with City
administrators and analysts, if needed, to create collaborative applications and incorporate new
technology.
In support of COVID-19 research efforts, our team has field experience using national and state -
level data sources, including the COVID-Net Surveillance Network, which provides near real
time data, the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS), COVID Link (on the
Salesforce platform), a contact tracing platform the Maryland Department of Health developed
with the state of Rhode Island and the city of Austin, TX, and data sources from SETRAC and
Texas Medical.
TRACE is platform agnostic. There is no single right answer to the technology challenge posed
by working with health records across decentralized healthcare systems. As we have worked to
identify TRACE partnerships and areas for collaboration, we have discovered that counties and
states across the country use different solutions. Thus, adaptability and flexibility are critical.
6. Equipment requirements necessary to conduct business on-site at City facilities, if and/or
when necessary or feasible
The Consultant Team will not require any equipment or special technology to conduct business
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on-site at City facilities. Our Team will work closely with the city and county health department
to gather relevant COVID-19 data, as needed to perform the scope of work.
7. Detail of fees:
Period of Performance: 16 September — 31 December 2020
Combined level of effort (LOE): 960 hours
• Dr. Heather Lyons-Zinczyn (480 hours)
• Dr. Charlalyn Harris (480 hours)
Senior Epidemiologist rate (hourly): $92.15
TRACE Reachback support and advisory board: Included
Total cost: $88,464
8. Debarment, suspension, and background check confirmation
Given the sensitive and proprietary nature of our work, TRACE conducts detailed background and
reference checks on all our staff and consultants. These checks are reviewed annually to ensure
that our staff and consultants are able to perform their duties at the highest level of government
operations, if needed.
TRACE is pleased to have been issued one of the first Information Technology Professional
Liability insurance policies by Evanston Insurance Inc. that is specific to coverage for working with
COVID-19. This $2m aggregate policy was predicated upon due diligence that Evanston
performed to assess and validate our internal processes and practices in an uncertain and
emerging field.
TRACE is a mature and established health IT contractor for the Federal Government, and has an
established Cybersecurity Risk Mitigation Plan that establishes auditing methods for TRACE
systems and users. All TRACE equipment, including laptop computers and mobile devices, have
controls to prohibit unauthorized access to data. Our teams are trained on HIPAA, PHI, and PH,
and provided with additional training to address working from home with access to PHI.
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TRACE has made data protection and security the core of what we do, driving all of our business
decisions. Our Director of Compliance brings a background and culture of compliance and risk
management to our privacy efforts, ensuring that all of our software, web, and cloud -based
solutions meet the highest possible standards and regulations to protect sensitive data. TRACE
carefully monitors data compliance and proactively address any gaps in our system, rather than
reactively fixing any breeches.
• Our pre -board process for TRACE staff ensures that we only employ candidates that have
been vetted through a rigorous background check. PHI is only entrusted to staff that have
been carefully selected to work in roles as contact tracer, case navigator and case
investigator. Training programs have been developed to ensure we cover basic HIPAA
requirements, and also practical applications of these requirements.
• Only authorized users may utilize a wireless device to connect to TRACE and Customer
networks — and only with the authorization from their manager and a representative of IT,
who will ensure adequate and secure technology infrastructure and internet access. We
require staff to provide proof of internet bandwidth as part of the onboarding process (must
demonstrate 6 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload speeds).
• All users of TRACE IT resources must follow TRACE's Password Policy including formats,
frequency of changing the password, and safeguarding the confidentiality of the password.
• All TRACE computing devices, including portable equipment such as laptop computers and
mobile devices, must have access controls in place to prohibit unauthorized access to the
data on the devices. We have training that covers HIPAA, PHI, PII as well as a "Protecting self,
company and data" training that addresses the concerns of having PHI accessible at home on
a state -provided computer.
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