LOS Banos At the Crossroads of California REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS UTILITY BILL PRINTING AND MAILING SERVICES Proposal Mailing Date July31,2015 Proposal Submittal Deadline August 28, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. Prepared by: Sonya Williams Finance Director City oflos Banos 520 J Street Los Banos, CA 93635 (209) 827-7000 sonya.wi 11iams@losbanos.org
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS UTILITY BILL PRINTING AND MAILING SERVICES NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Los Banos ("City") is issuing this Request for Proposal ("RFP") for Utility Bill Printing and Mailing Services. Vendors are solely responsible for ensuring proposals are received by the City on or before the submittal deadline. Proposals must be received no later than 5:00 p.m., on August 28, 2015, at the following address: City ofles Banos Attn: Lucille L. Mallonee, City Clerk 520 J Street Los Banos, CA 93635 An original copy must be signed by a representative authorized to bind the company. Proposals submitted by facsimile or email are not acceptable and will not be considered. The original signed proposal and two (2) duplicates are to be submitted in sealed packages with the name of the Vendor and RFP title clearly marked on the outside of the package. Failure to comply with the requirements set forth in this RFP may result in disqualification. Proposals and/or modifications received subsequent to the hour and date specified above will not be considered. Submitted proposals may be withdrawn at any time prior to the submission time specified in this RFP, provided notification is received in writing before the submittal deadline. Proposals cannot be changed or withdrawn after the submittal deadline. No handwritten notations or corrections will be allowed. The responding Vendor is solely responsible for all costs related to the preparation ofthe proposal. The City reserves the right to reject all proposals and to waive any minor informalities or irregularities contained in any proposal. Acceptance of any proposal submitted pursuant to this RFP shall not constitute any implied intent to enter into a contract. The contract award, if any, will be made to the firm who, in the City's sole discretion, is best able to perfonn the required services in a manner most beneficial to the City. Please submit all inquiries to sonya.williams@losbanos.org. Page 2 of 12
INTRODUCTION The City oflos Banos (hereinafter referred to as "City") is soliciting Request for Proposals from qualified Vendors that can provide the City with high-quality Utility Bill Printing and Mailing Services. The City's goal is to partner with one vendor that can perform all aspects ofour bill printing and mailing needs. The services shall include, but are not limited to, the printing and mailing of utility bills. The successful Vendor will be awarded a contract for a three-year period, with the option to extend the contract for two additional one-year periods. BACKGROUND The City currently has approximately 11,500 utility customers and sends 5,750 utility bills biweekly. Each customer is billed on a monthly basis. The approximate number ofutility bills sent out annually is 138,000. The utility bills are printed on 8.5xll paper with one perforation. The utility bills include a return envelope. The City currently bills utility customers through Springbrook Software. The City is currently operating Version 7.16. SCOPE OF SERVICE Billing and Mailing Utility Bills - The scope ofwork is to provide the following services: 1. Vendor must provide programming and bil1 design services as required. The design should be able to accommodate the use ofgraphics and allow for messages. 2. Services must be compatible with the City'S billing system and provide means for secure data transmission and confirm receipt of data. The City transmits it data electronically. The Vendor is expected to acknowledge receipt ofthe data and to print and post the bills within 24 hours of receipt. The Vendor should report non-certified addresses to the City for correction in future billings. 3. The Vendor will be required to print, insert, meter, and mail via first class postage, with 24 hours ofreceipt. Confirmation or receipt must be provided. This schedule must be contractually guaranteed. 4. Provide necessary materials to include: a. Billing Statement 8.5xll with City logo and perforation with a pre-printed backer. (City will provide backer information) Page 3 of12
b. Ink: Color(s) will be detennined during programming c. Paper: White d. Outgoing envelope: #10 generic with double windows e. Remittance envelope: #9 generic with double windows 5. The Vendor must support bill insert services, in which the Vendor can print inserts and include with utility bill statements. City departments occasionally need special inserts printed. These services should be charged at a per unit fee and based on the insert specifications. Insert prices must be quoted separately prior to inclusion. 6. Vendor must pre-process data for address certification and pre-sort for lowest first class rate. Software used to pre-sort must be USPS approved. Any non-certified addresses should be reported to the City within 30 days for correction in future billings. 7. Vendor must be capable ofproviding combined multiple statements for one customer into one envelope, also conditional exclusion ofreturn envelopes for customers with zero or credit balances. 8. Vendor must allow for conditional messaging on the front ofthe statement. 9. Vendor must be able to extract billing data from spool files provided through our billing software. 10. Vendor must provide access to image ofbills. The City wants to have the ability to view, print, fax or email images ofthe bills sent by mail for a specified period of time (a minimum of90 days) after mailing. 11. The City would prefer the postmark be from California in order to ensure Los Banos residents receive their bills within a 24 hour period ofbeing mailed. OPTIONAL SERVICES The City may, during the term of this contract, desire to purchase additional services from the Vendor in order to enhance the level of service it provides to its customers. Vendors responding to this RFP should respond in detail regarding their ability to provide the optional services requested below. The City also encourages Vendors to list any other services they provide that would benefit our customers or the City. The inability to provide any or all the optional services will not cause a Vendors proposal to be declared non-responsive; however, the ability to provide such services must be in addition to, and readily distinguishable from, prices quoted for document printing and mailing services and payment processmg. Page 4 of 12
DESCRIPTION OF PROCEDURAL AND IMPLEMENTATION COSTS Prices shall include all costs associated with perfonning the requirements stated in the specifications and there can be no additional charges for jammed/wasted materials or any other overhead. Please include all costs that are associated with the utility billing statement processing services and any other costs that may be associated with implementing this process. PRICING Pricing proposals must be detailed including the per item fee. Vendor shall include all pricing for initial deployment and on-going costs. Pricing must include all costs for labor, hardware, software, hosting, testing, and any other costs to be charged by the vendor. Vendor should include any anticipated rate increases. Vendor proposals will not be selected solely on cost. PREPARATION OF PROPOSAL Those wishing to submit a proposal for evaluation are to follow the proposal format instructions defined below. Vendors must respond to all requirements in a straightforward and concise manner to the maximum extent possible. Emphasis should be on completeness and clarity of content and should not include any elaborate or promotional material. Proposals received that either do not follow these requirements, or contain insufficient infonnation for a meaningful evaluation may result in disqualification from further consideration. The conformance of the proposal will be judged solely by the City. 1. The Vendor needs to provide infonnation explaining how they generate utility bills and what would be the desired format ofsubmitting a draft copy ofa bill and other proofs. Provide examples with submission ofthe proposal. 2. All proposals must contain the signature page, the proposal document must be submitted with an original signature by the person authorized to sign the proposal. Faxed proposals will not be considered. 3. In case oferror in the extension of prices in the proposal, the unity plice will govern. 4. It is the responsibility of all Vendors to examine the entire Request ofproposal package and seek clarification ofany item or requirement that may not be clear and to check all responses for accuracy before submitting a proposal. Negligence in preparing a proposal confers no right of withdrawal after due time and date. Page 5 of12
5. Submit one master (so marked) and two (2) copies ofyour proposal. The section below, Submitting Your Proposal, provides detailed instructions regarding submission ofproposals. 6. All proposals must be sealed. SUBMITTING YOUR PROPOSAL The proposal, at a minimum, shall include the following infonnation: 1. Provide a brief background and description of the vendor's qualifications. 2. Confinnation that the vendor has a minimum ofthree years experience in providing current services to other similar organizations. 3. List three references with point ofcontact names and phone numbers which the vendor has provided similar services for a period ofat least six months. (Springbrook Users are preferred) 4. Provide a description ofthe method offile transfer, and a briefdescription and sample ofthe bill, which incorporates the City's logo. 5. Describe how the City will be billed and how services are billed including supplies, programming, stocking supplies, postage, additional inserts, etc. 6. Specify the location and description ofbulk Mail Center that will be utilized as the primary mail drop offpoint for the bills. In addition, designate an alternative facility to utilize ifnecessary. Describe the timeline from when the file is received to when the customer receives the bill in their mailbox. 7. Provide a schedule offees. All fees need to be listed and priced separately. Ifa fee is not identified on the schedule, add it. If a fee is not applicable or there is no charge, put N/A or N/C. 8. Provide detailed sample invoices, listing all items, including postage. If charges for multiple items are combined, please identify and state the individual items that comprise the joint line item. EVALUATION CRITERIA Proposals will be evaluated using three set criteria. Vendors meeting the mandatory criteria will have their proposals evaluated for both qualifications and price. The following represent the principal selection criteria that will be considered during the evaluation process: Page 6 of 12
1. Capability and Process a. Completeness of the proposal submitted and resonsiveness to the RFP. b. Demonstrate the ability to perfonn requested services on a consistent, high quality basis, maintain schedule timelines. c. Demonstrate competence and professional qualifications necessary for successfully perfonning the work required by the city. d. Location ofwhere the work will be done. e. Ability to comply with the City's standtard professional services agreement. 2. Price a. Fee structure and cost effectiveness of the proposal. 3. References and Experience a. Quality and substance ofreferences. b. Proven capability ofexperience working with municipalities; Springbrook Software; demonstrating overall qualifications to provide the required services. INQUIRIES The City will not give verbal answers to inquiries regarding infonnation in this RFP, or verbal instructions prior to the submission deadline. All questions shall be submitted in writing to Sonya Williams, Finance Director, at sonya.williams@losbanos.org. The City is not liable for any increased costs resulting from the Vendor accepting verbal directions. Any explanation desired by a Vendor must be requested ofthe City representative in writing not later than August 17,2015 at 5:00 p.m. and if explanation is necessary, a reply shall be made in the fonn ofan addendum, a copy ofwhich shall be posted on the City website at www.losbanos.org on or before August 20, 2015. GENERAL VENDOR QUALIFICATIONS The Vendor shall be in compliance with all applicable Federal, State, Local, and OSHA laws, rules, and regulations and all other applicable regulations for the tenn of this contract. The Vendor, without additional expense to the City, shall be responsible for obtaining and maintaining any necessary licenses and pennits required in cormection with the completion ofthe required services herein. The Vendor may not subcontract any segment or services covered herein, without prior approval ofthe City. Page 7 of 12
VENDORS PRESENTATION During the evaluation process, the Finance Director may, at her discretion, request anyone or all Vendors to make an oral presentation. Such presentations will provide Vendors with an opportunity to answer any questions the Finance Director may have on the proposal if invited. LATE PROPOSAL Late Proposals will not be considered. A Vendor submitting a later proposal shall be so notified. All proposals must be received no later than August 28, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. Emailed and/or faxed proposals will not be accepted. CONTRACT AND INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS The selected vendor shall be required to enter into a city-prepared Professional Services Agreement approved by the City Attorney. Vendors shall be prepared to accept the terms and conditions ofthe City's Standard Professional Services Agreement including all Insurance Requirements. The successful Vendor's bid and the terms and conditions stated in this RFP will be made part ofthe contract between the City oflos Banos and the Vendor. This RFP outlines the specifications and requirements, but not necessarily all ofthe terms and conditions that will be incorporated into the final agreement between the City oflos Banos and the successful Vendor. RESERVATIONS This RFP does not commit the City to award a contract, to defray any costs incurred in the preparation ofa proposal pursuant to this RFP, or to procure or contract for work. No payment ofany kind will be provided to the Vendor responding to this RFP, or parties they represent, for obtaining any ofthe information solicited. PUBLIC RECORDS All proposals submitted in response to this RFP become the property ofthe City. Information in the proposal, unless specified as trade protected, may be subject to public review. Any infonnation contained in the proposal that is proprietary must be clearly designated. Marking the entire proposal as proprietary will be neither accepted nor honored. Proprietary information submitted in response to this RFP will be handled in accordance with the California Public Records Act. RIGHT TO CANCEL AND AMEND The City reserves the right to cancel, for any or no reason, in part or in its entirety, this RFP, including but not limited to: selection schedule, submittal date, and submittal requirements. Ifthe City cancels or revises the RFP, all Vendors will be notified in writing. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Page 8 of 12
The City reserves the right to request additional information and/or clarification from any or all Vendors. CONFLICT OF INTEREST Vendor covenants that the company, its officers, employees and/or agents presently have no interest, and shall not acquire any interest, direct or indirect, financial or otherwise, which would conflict in any manner or degree with the performance ofthe services requested herein by the City. Vendor further covenants that, in the performance of any contract or agreement resulting from this RFP, no subcontractor or person having such an interest shall be employed. Vendor certifies that to the best of Vendor's knowledge, no one who has or will have any financial interest under any contract or agreement resulting from this RFP is an officer or employee ofthe City. RELEASE OF PUBLIC INFORMATION Vendors who respond to this RFP who wish to release information to the public regarding selection, contract award or data provided by the City must receive prior written approval from the City before disclosing such information to the public. NON-ASSIGNMENT Ifa contract is awarded, the selected Vendor shall neither assign, nor delegate, in part or in whole, any duties without the prior written consent ofthe City which shall not be unreasonably withheld. COLLUSION Each Vendor certifies that the company, its officers, employees and/or agents are not a party to any collusive action, fraud, or any action that may be in violation of the Shennan Antitrust Act. The Vendor certifies that the company, its officers, employees and/or agents have not offered or received any kickbacks or inducements from any other bidding Vendor, supplier, manufacturer, or subcontractor in connection with the proposal and that the company, its officers, employees and/or agents have not conferred with any public employee having official responsibility for this procurement transaction any payment, loan, subscription, advance, deposit ofmoney, services, or anything ofmore than nominal value. Any or all bids shall be rejected ifthere is any reason to believe collusion exists among the bidding Vendors. More than one bid from an individual, firm, partnership, corporation, or association under the same or different names may be rejected. Reasonable grounds for believing that a bidding Vendor has interest in more than one proposal for the work being proposed may result in rejection ofall bids in which the bidding Vendor is believed to have interest. DEBARMENT Page 9 of 12
By submitting a proposal, the Vendor certifies that the company is not currently debarred from submitting proposals and/or bids for contracts issued by any City or political subdivision or agency of the State of California, and that it is not an agent of a person or entity that is currently debarred from submitting proposals and/or bids for contracts issued by any City or political subdivision or agency of the State ofcalifornia. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMPLIANCE The selected Vendor shall not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because ofrace, creed, color, or national origin. The Vendor shall take affirmative action to ensure that all employees and applicants for employment shall be treated with equality in all aspects ofemployment processes including, but not limited to, hiring, transfer, promotion, training, compensation and termination, regardless oftheir race, creed, color, sex, national origin, age, or physical handicap. RIGHT TO AUDIT The selected Vendor shall maintain such financial records and other records as may be prescribed by the City or by applicable federal and state laws, rules, and regulations. The selected Vendor shall retain these records for a period ofthree years after final payment, or until they are audited by the City, whichever event occurs first. These records shall be made available during the term ofthe contract or service agreement and the subsequent three-year period for examination, transcription, and audit by the City or its designees. Page 10 of12
SCHEDULE OF FEES Schedule of fees Est. monthly volume Preprocessing/layout 11,500 Unit Price Total Black White Digital Print Color Digital Print Other: Fold/Insert lnsert #9 generic double window envelope PresortJbarcode/bundle/tray/deli ver Paper 8.5xIl white with one perforation and pre printed backer Paper 8.5xII white with no perforation #10 white generic double window envelope Postage Programming Document Changes Initial programming and set up Training Printing and Inserting 8.5 x 11 black/white 1 side 8.5 x 11 black/white 2 side 8.5 x 11 color 1 side 8.5 x 11 color 2 side Bill imaging and retrieval Archive images On-line job tracking/reporting On-line viewing Estimate # of days from receipt of file to customer receipt at zip code 93635 Page 11 of 12
City of Los Banos 520 J Street Los Banos, CA 93635 (209) 827-7000 wv,w.losbanos.org Payment Line: 1-888-745-0706 Account Statement ACCOUNT INFORMATION ACCOUNT: SERVICE ADDRESS: SERVICE PERIOD: BILLING DATE: DUE DATE: 000000-000 123 No Street 1216/2014 to 1/5/2015 (31 days') 2/1/2015 2/5/2015 ABC Company 123 No Street Los Banos, CA 93635 METER READING Serial No 60873631 PrevIous Reading Date Reading 121512014 384 Current Reading Date Reading 115/2015 390 Cons 6 SPECIAL MESSAGE CURRENT CHARGES Meter Reading Billing Scheduled Between: 12106/14 01/05/15 After 02/05/15 at 5:00pm, accounts with a previously unpaid balance & late charges will be subject to shut-off procedures and a $35.00 administration fee. Water Sewer Garbage TOTAL CURRENT CHARGES 19.86 44.29 140.21 204.36 Water Usage BILL SUMMARY 10 ~ h - 1 FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUl AUG SEP OCT NOV OEC JAN WaH?- Cu~ t Cons PREVIOUS BALANCE PAYMENTS RECEIVED ADJUSTMENTS ADDITIONAL BILLING CURRENT CHARGES TOTAL AMOUNT DUE 203.01-203.01 000 000 204.36 204.36 Payment AMOUNT DUE Coupon TOTAL AMOUNT DUE BY 2/5/2015 204.36 ACCOUNT INFORMATION ) PLEASE RETURN THIS PORTION ALONG WITH YOUR PAYMENT ACCOUNT: SERVICE ADDRESS: SERVICE PERIOD: BILLING DATE: DUE DATE: PLEASE MAKE CHECK PAYABLE TO: CITY OF LOS BANOS 000000-000 123 No Street 1216/2014 to 1/5/2015 (31 days) 21112015 215/2015 City of Los Banos 520 J Street Los Banos, CA 93635 I ABC Company 123 No Street Los Banos, CA 93635 Page 12 of 12