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For the Public Good

Proposal For: Fish Passage & Connecting Washington Projects General Real Estate Consultant

Prepared for: Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT)

Proposal Due: September 19, 2019

Proposal Valid: 90 days from submittal

Epic Land Solutions, Inc. Puget Sound Regional Office

900 Jefferson Street SE P.O. Box 1726

Olympia, WA 98507 epicland.com

PACKET “A”

“Packet A” Proposal for Fish Passage & Connecting Washington Projects General Real Estate Consultant for Washington State Department of Transportation

Creating Land Solutions for the Public Good

Table of Contents 1. Qualifications/Expertise of Firms on Team .................................................................................................. 1

2. Qualifications of Proposed Right of Way Manager(s) .................................................................................. 8

3. Key Team Members’ Qualifications ............................................................................................................ 16

4. Firm’s Project Management System ........................................................................................................... 25



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1. Qualifications/Expertise of Firms on Team Section A: Team Overview

Epic Land Solutions, Inc. Epic is a full-service right of way and real property consulting firm founded in 2000 with the mission to create land solutions for the public good. We are licensed to do business in the State of Washington and have 19 years of providing exemplary real estate appraisal, title clearance, property rights acquisition, excess land sale, and relocation assistance services for public agencies throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and California. Below is a more detailed look at each member of our team and their expertise for this contract, as well as an organization chart to further understand our team structure. Epic has the full capability and confidence to address every facet of this contract, without the need for subconsultants.

27 Epic Employees in Washington State and Greater

Portland Metropolitan Area

62 Epic Employees Nationwide

Epic agents are currently embedded at WSDOT Southwest Region to augment that region’s real estate division. Epic agents have provided real estate and right of way services on nine (9) WSDOT projects:

• SR 6 –Salmon Creek Fish Passage, Walville to Pluvius • SR 6 – Fronia Creek Fish Passage • SR 6 – Two Tributaries to Chehalis River • SR 4 – Emergency Slides • SR 6 – Mill Creek Bridge Replacement • SR 6 – Rock Creek Bridges • SR 432/433 – IWOW Intersection • SR 506 – Lacamas Creek Mitigation Site • SR 508 – South Fork Newaukum Bridge Replacement

An organization chart of all staff potentially expected for this contract is included on the following page.



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Organizational Chart

1 The organizational chart seeks to highlight the benefit of Epic’s in-house real property appraisal services division. We understand that the General Real Estate Consultant contract for Fish Passage & Connecting Washington Projects does not include appraisal and appraisal review services. However, Epic appraisers support agents with on-call real estate intelligence, daily insight, and an unrivalled pulse on market trends.



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Section B: Working Relationships Epic is serving as the prime and only consultant for this proposal and is prepared to handle the entirety of this contract. Our team has extensive experience within the industry and have collaborated on more than 10 projects in the last year. We are confident in not only our team, but in our resources and immediate availability to deliver the full scope of services to the satisfaction and standard of WSDOT. Below is a brief chart illustrating our key staff member’s tenure both at Epic and in the industry.

Name Years in Industry

Years at Epic

Name Years in Industry

Years at Epic

Dianna Nausley-McKeon 28 1 Kimberly Merritt 18 1

Christine Nickerson 17 4 Jessica Niella 7 1

Dave Nickerson 15 4 Kelly Atkinson 28 1

Ben Garcia 5 3 Carol Hager 5 2

Section C: Team Availability Our team has ample availability of both our key staff and resources necessary for providing successful right of way services for this contract. As per the RFP, the hours shown below are hours available per month for the entire duration of the project.

Name Current Assignments, Percent Engagement & Completion Date

Hours Available per Month for Length of

Contract

Dianna Nausley-McKeon

West Seattle/Ballard Link Rights of Entry, 10%, 12/2019

US395, Ridgeline Drive, 5%, 12/2019

Stinson Roadway Improvements, 5%, 12/2019

SH41, E Prairie Ave to Lancaster Rd, 10%, 4/2020

SH41, Lancaster Rd to Boekel Rd, 5%, 4/2020

120 hrs.

Christine Nickerson

West Main St. Realignment Ph. 2, 5%, 04/2020

Division St. Transit, 5%, 01/2021

Schrunk Tower/Tamarack Relocation, 20%, 01/2020

80 hrs.



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Dave Nickerson


US101 Newport, 5%, 04/2020

Cedar Creek Trail, 5%, 08/2020

Old Sheridan Road, 5%, 08/2020

60 hrs.

Ben Garcia


Schrunk Tower/Tamarack Relocation, 20%, 01/2020

US20 Safety project, 5%, 01/2022

Jackson School Road, 5%, 12/2019

60 hrs.

Kimberly Merritt

West Seattle/Ballard Link Rights of Entry, 5%, 12/2019

US395, Ridgeline Drive, 10%, 12/2019

Stinson Roadway Improvements, 10%, 12/2019

SH41, E Prairie Ave to Lancaster Rd, 10%, 4/2020

SH41, Lancaster Rd to Boekel Rd, 10%, 4/2020

120 hrs.

Jessica Niella WSDOT Southwest Region Engineering Support Services On-Call with WSP as Prime, Epic providing Acquisition Services, 25%, Ongoing

60 hrs.

Kelly Atkinson WSDOT Southwest Region Engineering Support Services On-Call with WSP as Prime, Epic providing Acquisition Services, 25%, Ongoing

60 hrs.

Carol Hager


SE 238th, 10%, 12/2019

SR432 Interchange 5%, 04/2020

SR432 California Way, 5%, 04/2020

60 hrs.



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Section D: Team Project Experience

SR 6 – Salmon Creek – Fish Passage Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT)

Approximate amount received: $4,360.00

We at Epic understand WSDOT’s mission towards fish migration in Washington, with your nearly three decades of work to improve fish passage and reconnect streams to help keep Washington’s waterways healthy. Epic understands that these improvements do not only improve the ecosystem of the state, but also are opportunities to improve safety to users of various highways and roadways. This project on SR 6 from Walville to Pluvius will involve the replacement of a smaller box culvert with a wider box culvert to improve drainage. This will result in a creek crossing that complies with the federal injunction and WDFW water crossing guidelines. Epic provided acquisition services as a sub-consultant prior to the commencement of construction in the summer of 2019. One of the key acquisition agents for this contract, Jessica Niella, completed all acquisitions of the 3 parcels impacted by the project.



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Indian Creek Culvert Elimination Project Pend Oreille County


Pend Oreille County replaced a 6’ culvert with a 58’ concrete bridge. The culvert created a fish barrier and the project will open Bull Trout habitat. Additionally, to improve traffic safety, the roadway will be slightly realigned. Epic supported the County’s effort by obtaining preliminary title reports; performing appraisals and acquiring partial takes, temporary construction easements and wetland mitigation easements. Four parcels are impacted, including Native American tribal land. This project involved federal funding and had multiple county partners, including: WSDOT Highways and Local Programs; Federal Highway Administration (FHWA); Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board; Kalispel Tribe of Indians; and Contributions directly from Pend Oreille County. The scope of work for this project was broken into two phases, both provided by Epic. Phase 1 involved the completion of a Project Funding Estimate (PFE). Phase 2 involved negotiating with property owners to acquire property rights, providing appraisal and appraisal review services, providing the County with advisory services, and providing the County with all necessary documentation per WSDOT/FHWA specifications. Right of way acquisition services, appraisal services, and right of way certification were conducted for 5 parcels.



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Boulevard Road and 22nd Avenue Roundabout City of Olympia


This City of Olympia road-widening and roundabout improvement project was FHWA funded and required WSDOT oversight of the right of way program. Property impacts involved the partial acquisition of 18 properties, one single family residence full acquisition and included such tasks as title clearance, coordinating appraisal and appraisal reviews, preparing a Project Funding Estimate (PFE), negotiations, relocation assistance, recordation/property owner payment facilitation, and extensive coordination with the WSDOT Right of Way Local Area Coordinator to secure Right of Way Certification. Complications included successful negotiations with multiple non-cooperative owners including securing all required interests from a landowner that had previous litigation history against the City.



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2. Qualifications of Proposed Right of Way Manager(s) Section A: Prior Managerial Experience Dianna Nausley-McKeon, SR/WA, R/W-RAC Experience: 28 years Education: A.A., Business Administration, Tacoma Community College Certifications: Senior Right of Way Agent (SR/WA), , International Right of Way Association (IRWA), #6625; Right of Way Relocation Assistance Certified (R/W-RAC), IRWA Bio: Dianna Nausley-McKeon is the manager of Epic’s Washington regional offices in Olympia and Spokane. Dianna joined Epic after dedicating nearly three decades of her career to WSDOT as the Local Programs Right of Way Manager and Relocation Assistance Program Manager. She has reviewed and approved right of way projects throughout Washington and is an expert on all aspects of the acquisition and relocation process for public agencies.

US 395/Ridgeline Drive Grade Separation Project

Date: 12/2018 – 11/2019 Client: WSDOT South Central Region

Responsibilities/Tasks: Dianna served as Right of Way Advisor for this WSDOT project in Kennewick. Epic worked with an engineering firm to appraise and acquire right of way for this grade separation involving 10 acquisition offers and the acquisition rights for those parcels. Epic in-house appraisers provided appraisals for 10 parcels, completing a Project Funding Estimate (PFE) and Administrative Offer Summary (AOS) reports when appropriate in lieu of appraisals. Dianna is organizing her team and preparing them for the acquisition process.



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Bigelow Gulch/Forker Road Urban Connector, Phases 3 & 5

Date: 6/2019 – 8/2019 Client: County of Spokane

Responsibilities/Tasks: Dianna served as Acquisition and Relocation Project Manager for this WSDOT-oversight project. Epic has been assisting the County through multiple phases of this federal aid traffic improvement project. The ultimate project will construct a five-lane roadway section, with two lanes in each direction and a center left turn lane at intersections. Dianna is leading the Epic team providing acquisition and relocation services for impacted properties. Most recently for Phase 6, Epic is preparing a Project Funding Estimate and Administrative Offer Summary, and acquisition negotiation to acquire property rights on three parcels owned by a school district impacted by the project right of way.

SH41 East Prairie Avenue to Lancaster Road (Kootenai County, ID)

Date: 3/2019 - Current Client: Idaho Transportation Department

Responsibilities/Tasks: Dianna served as Right of Way Acquisition Project Manager for this project. This project will upgrade the existing railroad crossing from an at-grade crossing to a full railroad grade separation. The grade separation design, including both temporary construction and permanent easements, complies with railroad grade separation standards as set forth by BNSF Railway. A shared use bicycle and pedestrian pathway are proposed for the east side of the bridge. This project, along with other SH-41 project segments, will improve roadside safety conditions, increase capacity, and provide SH-41 corridor continuity between the cities of Post Falls and Rathdrum. This project involves the acquisition of 16 parcels, some involving very high powered owners. Dianna and her team are employing early and thorough communication to help address and resolve any acquisition issues as soon as possible. ITD also directly coordinates with Dianna for guidance on a regular basis for various right of way issues pertaining to this project.



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Christine Nickerson, SR/WA Experience: 17 years Education: M.S., Psychology, California State University, Chico; B.S., International Relations, University of California, Davis Licensure: Real Estate Broker, WA #106345 Certifications: Senior Right of Way Agent (SR/WA), International Right of Way Association (IRWA); IRWA Bio: Christine has transacted real estate for public works, transportation, housing, and utility projects for the last 17 years. Her graduate degree in psychology and a nine-year career as a social caseworker uniquely situates Christine for success in right of way project delivery and has contributed to her strong negotiation skills. She compassionately assesses needs and the emotions of those affected by right of way projects. Christine articulates right of way objectives in lay terms—a skill that has proven invaluable in aiding displacees, maintaining the project timetable, and encouraging positive community relations.

West Main Street Realignment, Phase 2

Date: 07/2018 – Current Client: City of Kelso

Responsibilities/Tasks: Christine served as Right of Way Project Manager for this WSDOT-oversight project. This project will complete the design and construction of a roadway widening project that improves multi-modal safety, reduces congestion, and enhances visual elements. During Phase 1, Epic supported the design team by providing administrative offer summaries for and temporary construction easements from four impacted property owners. Owners were commercial properties including an auto parts store, a Mexican restaurant, a drive-up coffee shop and a dental office. During Phase 2, Christine is coordinating with the City and to evaluate additional easement, right of way, and relocation needs. Epic will acquire parcels as needed.



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Fourth Plain Subarea Sidewalk Infill Project

Date: 1/2015 – 11/2015 Client: City of Vancouver

Responsibilities/Tasks: Christine served as Right of Way Project Manager for this project. To make Fourth Plain a more walkable street for pedestrians, the City of Vancouver added sidewalks to Fourth Plain Boulevard, Neals Lane and Rossiter Lane. Epic provided administrative offer summary services, program funding estimates and acquisition services for real property needed from 24 property owners. Properties included single- and multi-family residential.

Boulevard Road and Morse Merryman Roundabout Project

Date: 6/2015 – 6/2017 Client: City of Olympia

Responsibilities/Tasks: Christine served as Right of Way Project Manager for this WSDOT-oversight project. Epic assisted the City in their third and final roundabout to be constructed along the heavily traveled Boulevard Road. The property impacts included 15 partial acquisitions, 16 Temporary Construction Easements, and one relocation. Epic participated in community outreach meetings working with property owner concerns. All activities were in compliance with the WSDOT Right of Way Manual and Local Agency Guidelines. The improvements included a roundabout, bicycle lanes, pedestrian crossings, landscape planter strips, sidewalks and utility undergrounding.



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Section B: Familiarity with Relevant State & Federal Regulations Both of our project managers have extensive experience with the relevant state and federal regulations expected of WSDOT contracts.

Dianna Nausley-McKeon has a 28-year background with WSDOT and served as the Local Programs Right of Way Manager and Relocation Assistance Program Manager for 20 years. Dianna is extremely knowledgeable about all the challenges facing public agency projects in Washington and knows how to overcome those challenges. Within the last two years, Epic has successfully attained WSDOT certification for numerous projects with local public agencies. To date, Epic has never failed to obtain WSDOT certification where required. Dianna also has an array of WSDOT coursework contributing to her experience, including “No-ROW-Verification Administrative Settlement eLearning,” “ROW and NEPA Integration,” “Basic Acquisition Policies,” and “Appraisal Scoping and ROW Certifications.”

Christine Nickerson has worked on over 8 WSDOT-oversight projects in her time with Epic. She has also worked on multiple projects for other public agencies which involved adherence to FHWA standards. Both Dianna and Christine lead the industry in delivering FHWA projects. Below, we have provided an outline to how FHWA can become relevant on projects and how those requirements extend beyond typical state and federal requirements.

Federally Funded ROW Phase• Prior to

authorization of funds for ROW the following requirements must be met:Approval of

NEPALocal Agency

Agreement SupplementProject Funding

EstimateApproved ROW

PlanWSDOT

approved relocation plan, if applicable

Establish Just Compensation & Present purchase offer• Real estate

appraisal by state-licensed appraiser on WSDOT’s Approved Appraiser List

• Appraisal Review required for all appraisals

• City approves and sets Just Compensation

• Prepare and present written offer package to property owners

Good Faith Negotiations• Acquisition Agent

makes regular contact with property owner or appointed representative

• Agent maintains diary of communications and activities

• Recommendations, Counter-Offers, and Purchase Agreement Amendments

Fair Settlement• Our ultimate

goal is to establish a fair settlement between the public agency and the individual property owner



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Section C: Management Capabilities Dianna Nausley-McKeon, SR/WA, R/W-RAC

Project Challenge Solution Benefit

Harris Road Sewer Transmission Main

(City of Pasco)

Aggressive project schedule does not allow for delay in right of way acquisitions.

Dianna directed the gathering of preliminary title reports in the early phases of design to review clouds on title and advanced communications with financial institutions, utilities, and other ownership interests. Dianna also utilized our in-house Forensic Title Experts to review preliminary title reports for any unacceptable liens, Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (“CC&Rs”), and other encumbrances to conveying title. Finally, Dianna took advantage of close relationships with several local title professionals, allowing her team to be resourceful and prompt when they encountered an unfamiliar title or zoning issue.

This solution resulted in reduced closing timeframes once property interests were secured and ensured that transactions were closed smoothly for property owners and for the City.

Bigelow Gulch/Forker Road Urban Connector, Phases 3 & 5 (County of Spokane)

Construction requires temporary or partial possession of property, but the construction will negatively impact the property access or commercial business revenues.

Dianna offered Cost-to-Cure solutions (e.g. Cut and Reface) and/or Possession & Use Agreements to gain control of property while negotiating. These options enable the City to achieve a right to possession suitable for construction. Dianna understands that, when working with groups, it is important to quickly understand their specific organization and guidelines for selling property rights. This may require multiple meetings, obtaining bylaws, and being available for a wide range of concerns for interested parties to the transaction.

These measures help the City to avoid liabilities and unnecessary budget surprises.

City-Wide Traffic Signals (City of Pasco)

Agency needed to obligate funding and needed PFE in order to get that done, and they needed it in less than 2 weeks.

Dianna utilized the diverse experience of her team effectively, with one of her agents having previous experience preparing PFE’s, in order to get the necessary materials promptly delivered to the agency in less than 2 weeks.

The agency’s project was able to obtain funding and they were able to move forward.



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Christine Nickerson, SR/WA

Project Challenge Solution Final Benefit to Client

West Main Street Realignment (City of Kelso)

Multiple complex relocations, including 16 residential relocations, 8 landlord relocations, and 1 non-residential relocation, in conjunction with 15 acquisitions.

Christine carefully staffed the project with a team that has solution oriented problem solving skills in order to handle the multiple complex relocations. Christine is resourceful and able to answer complicated relocation questions with her knowledge of the WSDOT ROW manual and Federal Regulations as well as collaboration with Dianna Nausley and WSDOT right of way oversight staff.

Affected residents will vacate properties within project schedule limits while following all regulations and standards.

Evergreen Highway Trail, Chelsea Avenue to SE Image Road (City of Vancouver)

There were significant improvements in the proposed right of way.

In the early planning stages, Christine directed and coordinated staff to work closely with property owners to better understand the improvements and desired outcomes, and then be able to work with the engineering team to re-design in order to protect the more significant improvements.

Protecting the improvements was a cost savings to the project as payments for expensive improvements and damages were able to be avoided.

Fourth Plain Sidewalk Infill (City of Vancouver)

Agency mistakenly believed that permits could be used in place of temporary easements.

Christine was able to work closely with WSDOT oversight staff to educate the Agency on Sufficient Property Rights. Team was able to acquire the appropriate property rights within project schedule timelines.

Project was successfully certified in time for construction.



Name License/Accreditation Year First Issued Certification Number (if applicable)

Dianna Nausley-McKeon, SR/WA, R/W-RAC

WSDOT Approved List for Relocation Sepcialist

2018 -

WSDOT Approved List for Relocation Review

2018 -

IRWA Senior Right of Way Agent 2015 6625

IRWA Right of Way Relocation Assistance Certification

2015 -

Christine Nickerson, SR/WA

Washington Real Estate Broker 2010 106345

IRWA Senior Right of Way Agent 2015 6617

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Section D: Professional Licenses/Accreditations



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3. Key Team Members’ Qualifications Section A: Responsibilities and Experience Dave Nickerson – Assistant Project Manager Experience: 15 years Education: B.S., Business Management, University of Phoenix Licensure: Real Estate Broker, WA #119736 Bio/Responsibilities: As a Right of Way Project Manager at Epic, Dave oversees the presentation of purchase offers and relocation entitlements on behalf of public agencies, guides the team in prompt and professional communication with property owners and occupants, while keeping each project within project budgets and schedules. Dave has honed his client relation skills over the years, and he is an expert in guiding and training his agents through difficult property owner negotiations. Assistant Project Managers will not only be responsible for the oversight of all acquisition, but also project tracking and updates, assisting the Project Manager in client communications, ensuring that all files and electronic files are set up and maintained, and will provide overall QC for the acquisition files.

Boulevard Road and Morse Merryman Roundabout


Responsibilities/Tasks: Dave served as a Senior Acquisition Agent for this WSDOT-oversight project. Epic assisted the City in their third and final roundabout to be constructed along the heavily traveled Boulevard Road. The property impacts included 15 partial acquisitions, 16 Temporary Construction Easements and (at least) one relocation. Epic participated in community outreach meetings working with property owner concerns. All activities are in compliance with the WSDOT Right of Way Manual and Local Agency Guidelines. Epic’s acquisition services support improvements including a roundabout, bicycle lanes, pedestrian crossings, landscape planter strips, sidewalks, and utility undergrounding.



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Evergreen Highway Trail, Phase 2


Responsibilities/Tasks: This federally funded, WSDOT oversight road widening project included adding a pedestrian trail along the Old Evergreen Highway adjacent to the Columbia River in the City of Vancouver. Private property impacts involve up to 60 unique acquisitions requiring full adherence to the Uniform Act and the WSDOT Right of Way Manual. With Dave as the Right of Way Lead, Epic’s tasks included title ordering and research, preparation of an extensive Project Funding Estimate and Administrative Offer Summaries, conveyance document drafts, negotiations, title clearance, recording preparations, payment coordination and WSDOT Right of Way Certification. Complications included extensive design concessions to individual property owners, substantial mature tree losses, loss of on-street parking and coordinating with parcels under development.

Fourth Plain Subarea Sidewalk Infill


Responsibilities/Tasks: Dave served as a Senior Acquisition Lead for this project. In order to make Fourth Plain a more walkable street for pedestrians, the City of Vancouver added sidewalks to Fourth Plain Boulevard, Neals Lane and Rossiter Lane. Epic provided administrative offer summary services, program funding estimates and acquisition services for real property needed from 24 property owners. Properties included single- and multi-family residential. Epic is obtaining preliminary title reports, part-takes, temporary construction easements, appraisals, project funding estimates and providing GIS mapping and WSDOT Certification oversight.



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Ben Garcia – Assistant Project Manager Experience: 5 years Education: B.S., Kinesiology, University of Hawaii at Manoa Licensure: Real Estate Broker, WA #119618; Notary Public, WA #182063 Bio/Responsibilities: Ben’s supervisory experience, attention to detail and problem-solving ability allow him to thrive in his role on complex projects. Ben works to understand each client situation and is determined to give each client and the public the best service possible. He is experienced with federally-funded projects and the specific processes and forms involved. Ben’s enthusiasm and efficiency have contributed to his success when providing relocations and keeping track of pertinent paperwork and forms. Assistant Project Managers will not only be responsible for the oversight of all acquisition, but also project tracking and updates, assisting the Project Manager in client communications, ensuring that all files and electronic files are set up and maintained, and will provide overall QC for the acquisition files.

West Metaline Avenue North Kellogg Street to North Edison Street

Date: 11/2016 – 02/2018 Client: City of Kennewick

Responsibilities/Tasks: Ben served as a Right of Way Agent for this project. To support the Metaline Avenue widening project, Epic provided right of way services for the City. This project included obtaining partial takes from 15 residential and two commercial properties. Epic also acquired eight permanent easements from the properties. Epic’s services were performed in complete compliance to WSDOT’s Local Agency Guidelines Manual and Right of Way Manual. Improvements will include adding curb, gutter, and sidewalk, reconstructing the asphalt roadway, re-striping, adjusting of new utilities, installing new water and sewer line, utility work, storm system construction, street lighting, signage, and pedestrian ramps.



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BRT Corridor Fort Vancouver Way / McLoughlin Sidewalk Infill and Pedestrian Signal Upgrade


Responsibilities/Tasks: Ben served as a Right of Way Agent for this project. The City of Vancouver was building pedestrian improvements adjacent to Clark College. This missing area of sidewalk was one of the only areas without a sidewalk along the entire C-TRAN BRT route. As the city continues its work to manage traffic congestion, this project was extremely important to increase access to public transportation as well as improve pedestrian safety. To support this construction, Epic obtained a sidewalk easement and a temporary construction easement from Clark College. This involved working closely with the LPA liaison for WSDOT due to the nature of negotiating a tricky acquisition of property owned by a state-run college. Epic navigated guidelines between the Washington Attorney General and WSDOT oversight staff.

Boulevard Road and Morse Merryman Roundabout


Responsibilities/Tasks: Ben served as an Acquisition Agent for this WSDOT-oversight project. Epic assisted the City in their third and final roundabout to be constructed along the heavily traveled Boulevard Road. The property impacts included 15 partial acquisitions, 16 Temporary Construction Easements, and one relocation. Epic participated in community outreach meetings working with property owner concerns. All activities were in compliance with the WSDOT Right of Way Manual and Local Agency Guidelines. Epic’s acquisition services support improvements including a roundabout, bicycle lanes, pedestrian crossings, landscape planter strips, sidewalks and utility undergrounding.



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Kimberly Meritt – Assistant Project Manager Experience: 18 years Licensure: Real Estate Broker, WA #97881 Bio: Kimberly joined Epic in 2018, motivated by her decade-plus experience as a real estate title officer, real estate broker, and real estate appraiser. In each of her roles prior to joining Epic, Kimberly exemplified discipline, attention to quality and regulations, producing reports for county and state departments of revenue. Outgoing and friendly, Kimberly has built long-standing relationships with clients in both the public and private sphere. As an Appraiser within the Stevens County Assessor’s Office, Kimberly directly liaised with the public for matters pertaining to assessment and valuation procedures. Assistant Project Managers will not only be responsible for the oversight of all acquisition, but also project tracking and updates, assisting the Project Manager in client communications, ensuring that all files and electronic files are set up and maintained, and will provide overall QC for the acquisition files.

SH-41 Lancaster Road to Boekel Road (Kootenai County, ID)


Responsibilities/Tasks: Kimberly served as an Acquisition Agent for this state transportation project to reconstruct the roadway and ballast section from Lancaster Road to Boekel Road to meet the mobility needs within this key north-south corridor between the City of Post Falls and Rathdrum. This includes reconstruction of the existing sing-lane two-way highway into a four-lane divided highway, with two lanes in each direction and a separated bike/pedestrian path. Epic is providing acquisition services for the 19 parcels impacted by this project. A large majority of the parcels are owned by farmers, which involves the mitigation of crop loss and loss of access points to the property. Epic is working to address these concerns with in-depth coordination and communication with property owners.



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Bigelow Gulch/Forker Road Urban Connector, Phases 3 & 5

Date: 11/2016 – 12/2019 Client: County of Spokane

Responsibilities/Tasks: Kimberly served as a Right of Way Agent for this project. Epic has been assisting the County through multiple phases of this federal aid traffic improvement project. The ultimate project will construct a five-lane roadway section, with two lanes in each direction and a center left turn lane at intersections. In Phase 3, Kimberly and the Epic team provided acquisition and relocation services for 19 impacted properties. Acquisitions included slope easements and temporary construction easements. Most recently for Phase 6, Epic is preparing a Project Funding Estimate and Administrative Offer Summary, and acquisition negotiation to acquire property rights on three parcels owned by a school district impacted by the project right of way.

SH-41 East Prairie Avenue to Lancaster Road (Kootenai County, ID)


Responsibilities/Tasks: Kimberly served as an Acquisition Agent for this state transportation project to upgrade the existing railroad crossing from an at-grade crossing to a full railroad grade separation. The grade separation design, including both temporary construction and permanent easements, complies with railroad grade separation standards as set forth by BNSF Railway. A shared use bicycle and pedestrian pathway are proposed for the east side of the bridge. This project, along with other SH-41 project segments, will improve roadside safety conditions, increase capacity, and provide SH-41 corridor continuity between the cities of Post Falls and Rathdrum. This project involves the acquisition of 16 parcels, some involving very high-powered owners. Kimberly and the Epic team are employing early and thorough communication to help address and resolve any acquisition issues as soon as possible.



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Jessica Niella – Senior Acquisition Agent Experience: 7 years Licensure: Real Estate Broker, WA #135236; Notary Public, WA #199572 Bio: Jessica brings a strong background in right of way services as well as title research and management. Jessica is personable and dedicated to providing outstanding service to Epic clients. She is detailed in her file review and tracking, ensuring signatures are in-place and properly recorded. Jessica is bilingual in English and Spanish. She is a licensed Real Estate Broker in Oregon and Washington. Senior acquisition agents will work with property owners. Their responsibilities include property acquisitions, property owner notifications and communication, maintenance of files and diaries, and providing regular updates to the Assistant Project Managers and Project Managers.

SR 6 Salmon Creek Fish Passage Project

Date: 10/2018 – 4/2019 Client: WSDOT Southwest Region

Responsibilities/Tasks: Jessica served as a Right of Way Consultant for this WSDOT project with Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife to eliminate fish barriers along state highways. Jessica is providing right of way services including acquiring option agreements, permanent easements and temporary construction easements for many of these projects. As mentioned in our project spotlight, this project on SR 6 from Walville to Pluvius will involve the replacement of a smaller box culvert with a wider box culvert to improve drainage. Jessica provided all acquisition services for the 3 parcels impacted on this project.

SR 508 - South Fork Newaukum River Bridge Replacement


Responsibilities/Tasks: Jessica served as a Right of Way Consultant for this WSDOT project to replace an aging bridge along SR 508, approximately five miles east of Onalaska, WA. Acquisition services includes purchasing of fee property, as well as temporary construction easements. Jessica is providing these services in the role of right of way consultant, providing acquisition services for the 5 parcels impacted.

Relocation Advisory Assistance for Residences and Businesses in Floodplain

Date: 5/2015 – 6/2020 Client: Yakima Countywide Flood Control Zone District

Responsibilities/Tasks: Jessica served as Project Support for this flood control project. The Yakima and Naches Rivers have a long history of flooding. Three levees that help to mitigate damages from these recurring episodes need to be removed or reconfigured to reduce the flooding risk to the public. Epic is providing right of way and relocation services to the District to assist with this project. Six parcels are affected and 11 relocations are in-process or complete. These relocations include residential, business, and personal property.



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Kelly Atkinson – Senior Acquisition Agent Experience: 28 years Licensure: Real Estate Broker, WA #135055; Notary Public, WA #199215 Bio: Kelly has over 25 years of experience within the right of way industry, initially as a real estate broker and then as a right of way agent for Oregon Department of Transportation. She has over 500 hours of continued education in real estate, finance, appraisal, property management, title, relocation, and negotiations. At ODOT, Kelly provided support for not only the Right of Way Department, but also the Property Management Department, where she took on the responsibility of managing ODOT’s cell tower properties. Their responsibilities include property acquisitions, property owner notifications and communication, maintenance of files and diaries, and providing regular updates to the Assistant Project Managers and Project Managers.

SR-14 Wind River Road Intersection Improvements


Responsibilities/Tasks: Kelly served as a Senior Acquisition Agent for this WSDOT project with Skamania County to build a project that will improve the movement of both people and freight between Carson and SR 14. Kelly conducted property acquisitions of multiple parcels for the final design alternative that was selected, which was a roundabout at the intersection of SR 14 and Wind River. This project mainly utilizes Connecting Washington program funds and pre-existing funds from WSDOT.

SR-14 East of Bingen – Port of Klickitat Improvements

Date: 9/2019 - Ongoing Client: WSDOT Southwest Region

Responsibilities/Tasks: Kelly is serving as a Senior Acquisition Agent for this WSDOT project to improve access between the Port of Klickitat and SR 14 in Bingen. An improved rail crossing and off ramp are planned to reduce potential backups on SR 14 due to train traffic. This will result in a more reliable and safer trip for the public and emergency responders alike between Bingen Point and SR 14. Kelly is working on completing all the acquisitions necessary for this project, including 9 full takes and 2 partial takes.

SR-14 Access Improvements


Responsibilities/Tasks: Kelly served as a Senior Acquisition Agent for this WSDOT project to improve access to SR 14 through Washougal, as the current access is limited and affecting safety and economic development. This involves a shift from the current signalized intersections to permanent roundabouts throughout the area of Washougal River Road with 15th Street and 32nd Street. Kelly worked on a lot of files that were previously left incomplete and brought them to completion to WSDOT standard. One of the difficulties faced in this project was that the team had to wait an entire season to see if drainage installed worked effectively before the project could be signed off to progress. This project solely utilizes Connecting Washington program funds.



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Carol Hager – Senior Acquisition Agent Experience: 5 years Education: B.S., Finance, Linfield College, McMinnville Licensure: Real Estate Broker, WA #136762 Bio: Carol Hager provides right of way services for clients across the state. Since joining Epic, Carol has proven to a natural at ROW acquisition, relocation, and project planning. Carol supports Epic projects with efficiency, enthusiasm and strong attention to detail. She holds an Oregon Notary Public Commission, an Oregon Real Estate Broker License, and a Washington Real Estate Broker License. Prior to joining Epic, she developed a Virtual Reality Arcade Company and was a supply line manager for Intel. Senior acquisition agent will work with property owners. Their responsibilities include property acquisitions, property owner notifications and communication, maintenance of files and diaries, and providing regular updates to the Assistant Project Managers and Project Managers.

OR212: SE Richey Road to US26 (K18722)

Date: 8/01/2017 – 4/2019 Client: Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT)

Responsibilities/Tasks: Carol served as a Senior Right of Way Agent for this state transportation project to improve road safety and provide access management and ADA ramps along OR212 in Clackamas County, Oregon. Carol negotiated with 13 property owners of small commercial business properties to obtain a mix of fee acquisition and temporary easements for work area. Carol also managed 2 cases of personal property only (PPO) relocation assistance.

OR212: Rock Creek to Richey Road (K19355)

Date: 11/2017 – Current Client: ODOT

Responsibilities/Tasks: Carol is serving as a Senior Right of Way Agent for this state transportation project to improve road safety and provide access management and ADA ramps along OR212 in Clackamas County. Carol negotiated with 7 property owners of small commercial business properties to obtain a mix of fee acquisition and temporary easements for work area, include negotiations with one strip mall property containing multiple tenants that needed to be cleared. Carol also managed 1 case of personal property only (PPO) relocation assistance.

OR212: Union Pacific Railroad to Rock Creek (K19356)

Date: 9/2017 – 5/2019 Client: ODOT

Responsibilities/Tasks: Carol served as a Senior Right of Way Agent for this pavement repair project in Clackamas County, six missing and non-compliant ADA sidewalk ramps are being brought up to current standard. Carol negotiated with 3 large corporate-owned properties to obtain a mix of fee acquisition and temporary easements for work area. Carol also prepared documents from one railroad property acquisition file. This project is part of the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).



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4. Firm’s Project Management System Section A: Processes and Methods Quality Assurance/Quality Control Processes Epic has multiple safeguards in place to provide the utmost quality to WSDOT on all materials provided for the duration of a contract task order assignment. Our quality control processes include:

• Epic employs a dedicated Quality Control Manager • Epic maintains and backs up electronic files for every project using Microsoft SharePoint • A schedule of internal audits is performed over the project’s lifetime • Final deliverables require 2nd-level peer checklist review • A quality control/assurance checklist report is produced for clients at project closeout

Budget Control and Monitoring Our team utilizes multiple cost control procedures to ensure the best results for WSDOT and for our firm, keeping our staff on-track and working as efficiently as possible across multiple assignments. Our budget monitoring procedures include:

• We facilitate a kickoff meeting with our client at the beginning of every project to ensure budget, scope assumptions, and timeline are all clearly defined from the outset

• All staff at Epic track time utilizing BST Global Time Sheet software in order to efficiently manage employee time and thus agency expenditures

• Project Managers review and approve all invoices utilizing BST Global software • Epic can provide WSDOT with a monthly budget report and has extensive experience with doing so

for other public agencies • For budget control, Epic’s verticalized management organization and focus on staff mentorship

drastically reduces high hourly costs of executive involvement in projects • For budget control, our team is based locally to minimize costly mileage costs

Scheduling Program Project Managers and agents at Epic utilize Microsoft and BST Global Business Management software to maintain a variety of scheduling documents, from Master Status Reports, which update the team and client on current progress and individuals responsible for tasks. BST Time Sheets keep track of every staff member’s time spent on projects, allowing managers to instruct staff members on which projects to allocate their time to and the appropriate amount to allocate. As a currently embedded services provider at WSDOT Southwest Region, Epic Project Managers are also highly familiar with WSDOT schedules.

• Project Managers use a combination of Microsoft Suite programs to plan critical path milestone, track the flow of work, and anticipate schedule overruns or resource constraints before they arise.



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• Epic identifies all risks to a project schedule and provide WSDOT with options to aid in avoiding unnecessary delays and right of way capital expenditures.

• Epic engages oversight agencies early in the process to obtain or negotiate a new agreement. • We maintain many professional relationships with WSDOT subject matter experts and decision-

makers.

Internal Communications Epic’s Employee Handbook emphasizes work styles that we feel are essential to the culture at Epic and how we best provide services to our clients. Skills and modalities that create a successful working environment and effective company include:

• Cooperation • Attention to Detail • Dependability • Integrity • Concern for Others

• Self-Control • Stress Tolerance • Adaptability/Flexibility • Independence • Initiative

The culture at Epic encourages immense collaboration across disciplines and regions. A brand-new agent has as much accessibility to Project Managers and our President as a seasoned veteran of the company. We do also maintain internal hierarchy so that all employees understand who they can go to for the most efficient use of staff time.

Our company is well-versed in the use of multiple communication software, including Outlook, Skype, and SharePoint. This allows us to easily share project documents and insights throughout the company.

Interaction with Clients & Stakeholders Epic agents act as an extension of your staff by providing full-service project management and “on-call” availability through the life of the project. We have learned that the key to a smooth project is establishing early, open communication with stakeholders. Epic's team will build trust by providing accurate, clear communication while keeping stakeholders informed of the project schedule.


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For the Public Good

Contact Dianna Nausley-McKeon

(360) 350-4786 [email protected]

We thank WSDOT for the opportunity to submit our qualifications for Fish Passage & Connecting Washington Projects General Real Estate Consultant

PACKET “A”

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