00002391 RFP.docx

City of Portland, Oregon

RFP No. 00002391

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

for Advanced Metering Infrastructure Supply, Installation, and Maintenance Services - Hardware and Software for Water Utilities

Date Issued: March 3, 2025 Proposals Due: April 14, 2025 by 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time INFORMATION MEETING: There will be an optional pre-Proposal meeting on March 13, 2025 from 11:00am to Noon Pacific Standard Time. The meeting will be held virtually; you may attend by joining the Microsoft Teams meeting available at this link: Join the meeting now.

Attendance is not required, however anyone intending to submit a Proposal is encouraged to attend.

SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS: Submit one (1) Adobe PDF electronic copy clearly marked “Master” or “Original,” and if redactions are requested, one (1) additional electronic copy, in MS Word format with redactions made (the Redacted for Public Disclosure Copy) through the City’s Online Procurement Center:

https://procure.portlandoregon.gov/bso/

REFER QUESTIONS TO:

James Moering Procurement Supervisor Procurement Services Phone: (503) 823-8189 Email: James.Moering@portlandoregon.gov Table of Contents

1.

RFP Glossary Defined terms and acronyms are provided here for convenience only during the solicitation process. Defined terms that will apply to the Successful Proposer are set out in the Technical Specifications includes as RFP Attachment A and the sample contract included as RFP Attachment H.

Abbreviations

Defined Terms “Proposer” means an individual or entity that responds to this RFP.

“Proposal” means a response to this RFP.

“Request for Proposals” means this document including all attachments.

“Services” means both ordinary and professional services proposed as part of the Project.

“Software” means a proprietary or licensed computer program, firmware or application that is provided to the City by the Successful Proposer selected during this solicitation.

“Software as a Service” means a method of software delivery and licensing in which software is accessed online via a subscription, rather than bought and installed on individual computers.

“Specifications” means the cumulative statement of capabilities, functionality and performance requirements for the System and its components. For the purposes of this RFP, the Specifications are provided as Attachment A.

“Successful Proposer” means an individual, company, or team the City contracts with to complete the Services and Deliverables described in this RFP.

Proposal Requirements General Information

1. Purpose This Request for Proposal (RFP) document is a request for sealed competitive proposals under Portland City Code Chapter 5.10. The City of Portland (City) Water Bureau (Water Bureau) is seeking Proposals from qualified firms with demonstrated experience in licensing, configuring, installing, deploying, and supporting Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) hardware and software for water utilities.

The Successful Proposer selected from this RFP process will supply the products and services necessary to implement AMI for all Portland Water Utilities (Water Bureau and Bureau of Environmental Services, collectively) customers, and to move the City from reading meters manually, generally once every three months, to automated collection of usage data from every meter, every day.

The Successful Proposer will:

a. Supply AMI Products including AMI Software and approximately 190,000 AMI radio transmitters

b. Replace the encoder registers for approximately 57,000 small water meters (meters already installed, registers supplied by the City)

c. Install an AMI Radio Transmitter connected to each of the City’s almost 190,000 water meters

d. Provide a communications network solution that will relay data transmissions to the AMI Software

e. Supply, configure, test, and deploy AMI Software

f. Supply, configure, test, and deploy meter installation Software (MIS)

g. Integrate new Software with the City’s existing Software to deliver a System that meets all Specifications

h. Meet applicable laws and regulations; obtain required permits or approvals

i. Manage communication with customers during field installations

j. Manage a project office and warehouse for materials and product inventory management

k. Meet all quality management and health and safety requirements

l. Achieve Final Completion of the AMI System by December 2030

Once the AMI System is fully deployed, the Contractor will support the Water Bureau to operate and maintain the AMI System during the Maintenance Phase.

The Portland Water Utilities are committed to centering the needs of community members who have been historically unserved, underserved, and underrepresented. The Portland Water Utilities aim to advance equity through their capital improvement plans and to that end, have established an overall aspirational goal of 30% COBID utilization for the services delivered under any Contract resulting from this RFP. COBID Contractor utilization will be a scored component of the evaluation process.

Background The Portland Water Utilities provide water, wastewater, and stormwater services on behalf of the City of Portland, Oregon. The Water Bureau is a municipal water utility that provides drinking water from the Bull Run Watershed and Columbia South Shore Wellfield to almost one million people in Portland and the surrounding areas every year. The Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) collects and treats wastewater and manages stormwater in Portland.

The Water Bureau provides meter reading, billing, and customer service functions for the Portland Water Utilities. As of May 2024, there are about 188,500 water meters across approximately 190,000 customer accounts, of which 82% are residential single family, 7% are residential multi-family, and 11% are industrial, commercial, or institutional.

Currently, the Water Bureau reads almost all water meters manually, generally once every three (3) months, and bills most customers four (4) times per year. Meter readers record manual readings in Itron handheld devices, from which reads are uploaded to the City’s Cayenta customer information system (CIS). The City also has a small number of Beacon cellular devices and ERTs to read some meters.

Figure 1 below shows the Water Bureau’s system architecture as of July 2024.

Figure 1 – Current State System Architecture

In November 2023, City Council endorsed a Project to implement AMI and a new full-service customer engagement portal for the Portland Water Utilities. This RFP is one of three (3) solicitations the City will conduct in 2024 to secure the goods and services needed to complete the Project. The other two (2) solicitations are:

a. RFP No 00002202 Utility Customer Engagement Portal Software and Implementation issued in January 2024 for the supply, configuration, licensing, and deployment of a new customer engagement portal (CEP). The selected vendor will replace three (3) existing customer-facing software applications with a new CEP to be launched in early 2026

b. ITB No 00002251 Water Meter Supply issued in July 2024 to procure the new mechanical water meters for water meter replacements, and new water meter registers for water meter upgrades

Business Challenges This Project is intended to address several business challenges. The table below outlines some of the current state challenges, along with the desired future state after implementation of AMI.

Work Overview Overview of Technical Specifications The Technical Specifications for the Project are set out in Attachment A. The Specifications are a combination of prescriptive requirements and performance outcomes that the Successful Proposer will be contractually bound to meet during completion of the assignment.

The Specifications are organized into fifteen (15) parts and include:

1) General requirements (Part 2) that are applicable to the entire Project and include relevant commercial and contractual terms

2) Requirements that are applicable to all civil/field parts of the Project (Part 3) and then more detailed Specifications for civil/field Products and Services (Parts 4 to 9)

3) General requirements that are applicable to all technology parts of the Project (Part 10) and then more detailed Specifications for technology Products and Services (Parts 11 and 12)

4) Requirements applicable to the Maintenance Phase after Final Completion is achieved (Part 13)

5) Optional work that is not currently part of Project scope but may be added to the Project in the future (Part 14)

6) Appendices

In Attachment A, shall, will, and must refer to mandatory actions; may and could refer to optional obligations or permissions.

Summary of Key Specifications A summary of key Technical specifications is presented below to provide a high-level description of the required AMI System. This summary is for informational purposes only; Proposals must address all of the requirements in Attachment A – Technical Specifications.

1) The AMI System must collect readings at least once per hour.

2) Readings must be delivered from the meter to the AMI Software once per day.

3) The AMI System must achieve a Read Success Rate (RSR) of 98.5% of hourly readings over a 30-day period for each installation.

4) The AMI System must be capable of providing notifications of leaks, tampering, theft, and high/low consumption.

5) The AMI System must provide trending and analysis features.

6) AMI System equipment, including battery-powered devices, must have a twenty (20) year lifespan.

7) AMI Radio Transmitters must be connected to meters using a standardized NICOR connector.

8) The AMI System must include AMI-integrated pressure sensors for 450 identified locations.

9) Data backhaul from the AMI communications network must be achieved through a cellular backhaul solution and must not introduce external physical connections to the City’s network.

10) The AMI System must be compatible with all of the City’s approved meter models (see Attachment A – Technical Specifications for a list of approved meters and retrofit registers)

11) The AMI System must be successfully integrated with the Water Bureau’s customer information system (currently Cayenta version 9.0), mobile service order software, and customer engagement portal software, as shown in Figure 2 below.

Figure 2 - Future State System Architecture

The Specifications for the communication network allow more than one (1) type of solution or approach. Specifically:

1) The City will consider licensed radio frequency (RF), unlicensed RF, LoRaWAN, cellular, shared third party, or hybrid AMI network solutions.

2) The City will consider both one (1) way and two (2) way communications technology for the AMI System, as long as proposed solution meets all requirements in the Technical Specifications.

3) The City will consider either Maintenance as a service (MaaS) or Network as a service (NaaS) ownership and maintenance models.

Proposals must specify their proposed communication network solution; the approach proposed by the Successful Proposer will become a contractual requirement.

Phases of Work and Schedule Requirements The Successful Proposer will organize work between Contract award and Final Completion into four (4) phases to align with the City’s project lifecycle. These four (4) phases are: Start Up, Proof of Concept, Installation and Deployment, and Close Out. The activities that the Successful Proposer shall perform in each phase and maximum permitted durations per phase are described in Attachment A – Technical Specifications, Section 1.5.

All work will be managed to achieve Final Completion by December 31, 2030.

The City intends to enter into a separate service level agreement with the appropriate entity on the Successful Proposer’s team to provide Software support and maintenance after Final Completion.

Work Performed by the City The City’s Project Manager will oversee Project work and provide support as needed, including arranging the involvement of other City staff and advisory consultants. The City will also:

1) Install all new water meters (all sizes)

2) Install water meter registers and radio transmitters for water meters 1.5” or larger

3) Supply water meter registers to the Successful Proposer based on the Successful Proposer’s production schedule

4) Complete City Tasks as defined in Section 2.7 of the Specifications

Place of Performance The Project work will occur within the jurisdictional boundaries of the City of Portland, Oregon.

RFP Estimated Timeline The following is the estimated timeline for the RFP and Contracting process:

The City reserves the right to adjust the above noted schedule as necessary.

Proposal Development

1. Proposal Preparation

1. Optional Pre-Proposal Meeting There will be an optional pre-Proposal meeting on March 13, 2025 from 11:00 to 12:00pm (Noon) Pacific Time. The meeting will be held virtually. Potential Proposers may attend by joining the Teams meeting available at this link: Join the meeting now

This is a non-mandatory meeting. Therefore, Proposal submission is not contingent upon attendance at this meeting. However, anyone intending to respond to this RFP is strongly encouraged to attend.

The City will make reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities. Please notify the person listed on the title page no less than three (3) Business Days prior to the event, by email, by the City’s TTY at 503-823-6868, or by the Oregon Relay Service at 1-800-735-2900.

Questions or Clarifications It is the Proposer’s responsibility to ask questions, request changes or clarifications, or otherwise advise the City if any language, Specifications, or requirements of this RFP appear to be ambiguous, contradictory, or inadvertently restrict or limit competition to a single source.

Questions and requests for clarification regarding this RFP must be directed in writing, via email, to the person listed on the title page at least seven (7) Calendar Days prior to the Proposal due date. Any questions received less than seven (7) Calendar Days prior to the RFP opening date may not be answered.

In order to maintain a fair and equitable RFP process, the City shall provide all additional relevant or pertinent information that will impact the Proposers submission of Proposal via the issuance of an addendum.

Proposal Submission

1. Proposals Due Proposals must be received by the City no later than the date and time specified on the first page of this solicitation. It is the Proposer’s responsibility to ensure that Proposals are received prior to the specified closing date and time, and in the manner required by Part II, Section B.3 below. Proposals received after the specified closing date, or time or in a manner other than specified in this RFP, shall not be considered and will be rejected.

Proposal Page Limit Proposals must be clear, succinct, and not exceed 60 pages. Throughout this document, when ‘page’ is referenced it means a single-sided 8.5” x 11” sheet of paper’s worth of information, but no paper hardcopies are requested, as all Proposals are to be submitted electronically. Those portions of a Proposal excluded from the page limit are identified in RFP Part II, Section C, Proposal Submittal Checklist. The City will evaluate all Proposals on the completeness and quality of the content. Proposals that exceed the permitted page limit may not have the additional pages of the proposal read or considered.

Proposal Submission Process For purposes of this proposal submission, the Proposer shall submit through the City’s Online Procurement Center (BuySpeed) at https://procure.portlandoregon.gov/:

a. One (1) original PDF copy of their Proposal (including all attachments)

b. Attachments in native format as described in Part III, C Proposal Submittal Checklist, below.

Please see Attachment B for electronic submittal instructions for BuySpeed. Online submittal instructions are also available at: https://www.portland.gov/businessopportunities/documents/buyspeed-electronic-submittal-instructions

Proposers may request additional assistance from the City Staff identified on the Cover Sheet of this RFP with the submittal process prior to the Proposal due date also listed on the cover page of this RFP. Assistance is based on the availability of City staff and all requests for assistance shall be sent via email to the contact listed on the cover page of this RFP. The City Contact may assign another City Staff to assist the Proposer.

Requests for scheduled assistance shall be made at least one (1) week prior to the Proposal due date. Requests for assistance after the scheduling deadline will be based on availability of staff to respond to requests. Assistance by City staff does not guarantee Proposal submission will be completed accurately, on-time, or that a Proposal will be considered responsive. Compliance with all Proposal submission requirements is still the responsibility of the Proposer even if assistance is provided.

To avoid potential issues with the submission of Proposals, Proposers should avoid file names that utilize special characters (e.g., &*-_+#@). Proposers should limit file names to no more than sixty (60) characters in length. Proposers should attempt to reduce the size of files being submitted to reduce the chance of failure of uploading documents in BuySpeed.

Disclaimer: These instructions are advice only and the City does not warrant that following these instructions will guarantee that a Proposer’s Proposal is submitted correctly. Proposers bear complete and total responsibility for ensuring their Proposal is properly submitted and received on time.

The entire Proposal must be properly submitted through the City’s Online Procurement Center (BuySpeed) before the time and date specified on the cover page of this RFP. Proposers are advised to allow extra time to upload their Proposal documents into BuySpeed.

Open Data Requirements The City established an Open Data Policy and Program in 2017 per Portland City Council Ordinance 188356 (https://efiles.portlandoregon.gov/Record/10879908/). Accordingly, the City is committed to the publication, open access, and widespread sharing of data collected and generated by the City, and by private sector companies, non-profit organizations, academia, and other parties working on behalf of the City. Proposers will be specifically required to acknowledge the goals of the Open Data Policy, and work with the City to meet those goals. Proposers’ acknowledgement will be part of the Proposer Information Form in Attachment C.

Proposal Components Proposals must include all information requested by the City in this RFP in their Response. Responses should follow the format outlined in this RFP. Additional or unrequested materials, and Proposals submitted in other formats, may not be considered.

1. Cover Letter Proposers will submit a Proposal cover letter that identifies whether redactions are requested for the Proposal. The letter must be signed by a legal representative of the Proposer who is authorized to bind the Proposer in contractual matters. A Proposer’s submission of a Proposal through BuySpeed constitutes an electronic signature of the Proposal.

Proposer Information Form Proposers shall submit a completed Proposer Information Form provided as Attachment C.

Response to Technical Specifications Proposers must submit a completed Attachment D – Questionnaire Response to Technical Specifications.

Pricing Proposal Proposers must include a fixed-price estimate for the proposed Project approach irrespective of the City’s anticipated cost. The fixed-price estimate must be presented in the Proposer Pricing Template provided as Attachment E.

References Proposers should include references from clients for which the Proposer has worked on projects of similar scope and complexity within the past five (5) years. Three (3) of the references must speak to the Proposer as AMI System provider and three (3) must speak to the Proposer as installation contractor. It is acceptable for one reference to speak to Proposer’s experience in both roles.

References must include:

i. Utility name

ii. Contact person and title

iii. Address

iv. Phone number

v. Email address

vi. Location/jurisdiction

vii. Summary of the project

viii. Number of AMI Radio Transmitters installed, make and model

ix. Number of water meters installed, make and model

x. Project start and end dates (both planned and actual with explanation of any variances)

xi. Project contract value (both initial and ending value with explanation of any variances)

xii. If applicable, planned and actual utilization of COBID-certified firms, minority-owned business enterprises (MBE), women-owned business enterprises (WBE) or similar businesses, as a percentage of the total project cost

As part of RFP Phase 2 or other subsequent evaluation phases, reference checks may be conducted by the City at any point during evaluation process. The City will make a reasonable attempt to contact each reference three (3) times. If after three (3) attempts the reference does not respond, the reference shall not be evaluated. If applicable, the Proposer shall receive zero (0) points for that reference and the Proposer shall only be evaluated on their remaining references.

If the Proposer provides more than the requested number of references, the City may not contact, consider, or evaluate references beyond the first three (3) provided.

The City reserves the right to contact any additional references it deems appropriate or in its best interests when evaluating the Proposer’s Proposal. The City may conduct other reference checks with persons whose names have not been provided by the Proposer, but of whom the City has knowledge.

The City may use references to obtain additional information, break tie scores, or verify any information needed. Any References which indicate a failure to provide complete and accurate information in a Proposal may lead to rejection for lack of Responsibility.

Corporate Responsibility Through the adoption of The Portland Plan, the Social Equity Contracting Strategy, and Sustainable Procurement Policy, the Portland City Council has shown its commitment to contracting with socially and environmentally responsible businesses. The City values and supports diversity and is dedicated to advancing equity in public contracting by increasing opportunities for firms certified by the State of Oregon’s Certification Office for Business Inclusion and Diversity (“COBID”). The Social Equity Contracting Strategy promotes economic growth and encourages partnering and mentoring between large and small COBID firms on City contracts.

1. Proposing firms are encouraged to use the Directory of Certified Firms on the COBID website (https://www.oregon4biz.com/How-We-Can-Help/COBID/ and https://oregon4biz.diversitysoftware.com/FrontEnd/SearchCertifiedDirectory.asp?XID=2315&TN=oregon4biz) for identifying potential certified subcontractors.

2. This project has set a goal of 30% COBID utilization for Services delivered under any Contract resulting from this RFP. Proposers must include a completed Attachment E – COBID Participation Disclosure Form to list the total project Contract amounts being performed by the Proposer and by any subcontractors. Percentages in Attachment F should be calculated on the proportion of the fee for Services under this contract, excluding the amounts for equipment or materials.

3. Workforce Diversity & Community involvement:

List the top three actions/ongoing practices your firm has implemented to ensure a diverse workforce (e.g., women and people of color) is represented at all levels (e.g., upper management, middle management and lower-level management).

Action/Ongoing Practice 1

Describe the action or ongoing practice

Describe when you started and any timelines for implementation

Describe any performance metrics that characterize these achievements or third-party awards/recognition

Action/Ongoing Practice 2

Describe the action or ongoing practice

Describe when you started and any timelines for implementation

Describe any performance metrics that characterize these achievements or third-party awards/recognition

Action/Ongoing Practice 3

Describe the action or ongoing practice

Describe when you started and any timelines for implementation

Describe any performance metrics that characterize these achievements or third-party awards/recognition

4. Sustainability

a. General Requirements

1. Whenever possible, deliverables shall be submitted electronically. Any paper-based deliverables shall be printed double-sided and in bindings or report covers that are fully recyclable, using materials containing post-consumer waste (PCW) recycled content.

2. Unless otherwise indicated, video conferencing and/or audio conferencing shall be maximized in lieu of in-person meetings that would require long-distance travel for any participants.

b. Specific Sustainability Actions and Practices List the top five actions/ongoing practices your firm has implemented to reduce the environmental impacts of your operations (for example, energy efficiency, use of recycled content or non-toxic products, use of public transit or alternative fuel vehicles, waste prevention and recycling, water conservation, green building practices, etc.).

Action/Ongoing Practice 1

Describe the action or ongoing practice

Describe when you started and any timelines for implementation

Describe any performance metrics that characterize these achievements or third-party awards/recognition

Action/Ongoing Practice 2

Describe the action or ongoing practice

Describe when you started and any timelines for implementation

Describe any performance metrics that characterize these achievements or third-party awards/recognition

Action/Ongoing Practice 3

Describe the action or ongoing practice

Describe when you started and any timelines for implementation

Describe any performance metrics that characterize these achievements or third-party awards/recognition

Action/Ongoing Practice 4

Describe the action or ongoing practice

Describe when you started and any timelines for implementation

Describe any performance metrics that characterize these achievements or third-party awards/recognition

Action/Ongoing Practice 5

Describe the action or ongoing practice

Describe when you started and any timelines for implementation

Describe any performance metrics that characterize these achievements or third-party awards/recognition

Does your firm hold any third-party certifications related to sustainable business operations? (e.g. B-Corp certification or similar)

The City expects thoughtful consideration of all the above Corporate Responsibility criteria in the preparation of Proposals. The City will enforce all COBID commitments submitted by the Successful Proposer. The Successful Proposer will not be permitted at any time to substitute or dismiss any COBID contractor without the prior written approval of the Chief Procurement Officer.

Vendor-Hosted Software Questionnaire Proposals that include vendor-hosted software applications must include a completed vendor-hosted software questionnaire using the form provided as Attachment G.

Exceptions and Deviations to the Sample Contract The City’s Sample Contract attached as Attachment H contains some of the terms and conditions that will govern the resulting Contract between the City and the Successful Proposer. As part of Evaluation Phase 2, shortlisted Proposers must submit requested exceptions and deviations to the City’s Sample Contract.

Proposal Redactions for Public Records Purposes Any portion of a Proposal that the Proposer claims as exempt from disclosure must meet the requirements of Oregon public records law. If the Proposer requests redactions to their Proposal, the Proposer must provide one (1) “Redacted for Public Disclosure” copy of the Proposal in unprotected Microsoft Word format with the requested redactions highlighted in yellow with their submission. The “Redacted for Public Disclosure” copy must be a complete copy of the submitted Proposal, in which all information that the Proposer deems to be exempt from public disclosure has been identified. The Proposer must also include a completed Redaction Summary Form provided as Attachment I, detailing the location of all redacted information and reason for redaction.

When exempt information is mixed with nonexempt information on the same page, the exempt information must be redacted in such a way as to allow the disclosure of the non-exempt information. Should the Proposer determine that no redactions are required, that should be indicated in the Proposer Information Form. If a Proposer fails to submit a “Redacted for Public Disclosure” copy of their Proposal as required, the City may release the Proposer’s original Proposal without redaction.

Proposal Submittal Checklist Each complete Proposal must contain the following, in the order indicated below.

(submit MS Excel file)

(submit MS Word file)

A. Resumes B. Project Schedule (Gantt Chart) C. Sample Agreements D. Weekly Installation Production Schedule (submit MS Excel file)

Proposal Evaluation

1. Proposal Review and Selection

1. Evaluation Overview An Evaluation Committee will be appointed to evaluate the Proposals received. To score Proposals, the Evaluation Committee will evaluate each Proposal in accordance with the criteria listed below. The Committee may seek outside expertise, including, but not limited to, Technical advisors and subject matter experts.

The choice regarding how or when to proceed, the need for additional clarifications, decisions to begin or terminate negotiations, determination of a reasonable time, decisions to open negotiations with a lower scoring Proposer, and any decision that a solicitation should be cancelled are all within the sole discretion of the City.

Evaluation Process The Proposal evaluation process consists of a series of evaluation phases that may lead to the identification of a finalist. Each Proposal will be evaluated in accordance with the following evaluation criteria:

1. Responsiveness, Responsibility, and Mandatory Criteria The City shall determine if the proposer is a Responsible Proposer that has submitted a Responsive Proposal, in accordance with Portland City Code (PCC) and the City’s Public Contracting Rules (PCR).

Evaluation Phase 1 – Written Scoring Proposals meeting the responsiveness, responsibility, and mandatory requirements will be further evaluated as part of Evaluation Phase 1. This step consists of a detailed review of written Proposals as follows:

Phase 1 Evaluation Criteria

1.1. General Overview and Project Team

1.2. AMI System

1.3. Installation Services

OR State Certification

COBID Subcontracting

Workforce Diversity & Community Involvement

Sustainable Business Practices

Short Listing:

At the end of any evaluation phase, the Evaluation Committee may focus on only a limited number of Proposals by developing a “short list” based on the scores or may proceed directly to Contract negotiation and award. The number of Proposals on the short list depends on whether the Committee believes such Proposals have a reasonable chance of leading to the award of a contract. Proposers that are eliminated from further consideration will be notified by a Notice of Shortlisting posted in the same manner as the RFP.

Subsequent Evaluation Phases:

The City may proceed with subsequent phases of evaluation as it deems necessary, including but not limited to oral interviews, demonstrations, presentations, or site visits, along with further clarification of the Proposals. Proposers invited to participate in subsequent evaluation phases will be given additional information and instructions regarding the City’s desired content a reasonable time before any further evaluation is held.

Evaluation Phase 2 – Product Demonstrations and Interviews:

The City intends to invite shortlisted Proposers to make oral presentations during Evaluation Phase 2. Presentations will involve a demonstration of key system functions and answers to City questions. More detailed information about the requested content and structure for presentations will be part of the information and instructions provided by the City at the conclusion of Phase 1.

Shortlisted Proposers will also be required to submit:

· Any requested exceptions and deviations to the City’s Sample Contract provided in Attachment H The scoring of Phase 2 generally will be as follows, however further detail on specific criteria, weighting and point breakdown may be part of the information and instructions provided by the City at the conclusion of Phase 1:

Phase 2 Evaluation Criteria General Scoring

To be Determined

Additional Optional Evaluation Phases and Methods In addition to the standard evaluation phases above, the City may exercise one, or any combination, of the methods of Contractor selection described in PCC 5.10, and the City’s Public Contracting Rules, including best and final offers, serial negotiations, and competitive simultaneous negotiations.

Proposers that are eliminated at any stage of the evaluation process will be notified of their elimination.

Total Overall Score:

Following completion of each evaluation phase, the points from that phase will be added to each proposer’s cumulative score to determine their Total Overall Score. The highest scoring proposer, based on their Total Overall Score, may be identified as the finalist.

The selection of the finalist may be based on negotiated costs and conformance to the City’s terms and conditions within the City’s Sample Contract. Negotiations will follow with the finalist, and if successful, may result in a final award and Contract for the work. If the Contract with the finalist cannot be reached within a time period deemed reasonable to the City, the City may elevate the proposer which possesses the next highest Total Overall Score to be the finalist.

Award Review and Protest

1. Review:

The City shall post a Notice of Intent to Negotiate and Award in the same manner as the RFP. The Notice shall identify the proposer(s) to which the City intends to award a contract. Following the Notice of Intent to Negotiate and Award, the public may view proposal documents, in accordance with the Oregon Public Records Act. Proposers not awarded the Contract may seek additional clarification or debriefing, request time to review the selection procedures, or discuss the scoring methods utilized by the Evaluation Committee.

Protests:

Proposers are permitted to challenge the City’s decision to exclude the proposer from the next step in the evaluation process, and to award a contract. Proposers who wish to protest their elimination must submit a protest within seven (7) Calendar Days of the City’s posting of the Notice of Short List or Notice of Intent to Award . Depending on the nature of the protest, proposers may wish to review PCC 5.10 and the City’s Public Contracting Rules regarding protest procedures, all of which may be found online at the City Auditor’s website. The exercise of judgment used by the Committee in scoring the written proposals and any subsequent evaluation phase, including the use of outside expertise, is not grounds for appeal.

Terms and Conditions

1. RFP Process Addenda: If, in the opinion of the Chief Procurement Officer, additional information or interpretation is needed, the City shall issue an addendum. Any addenda issued by the Chief Procurement Officer seventy-two (72) hours or more before the scheduled closing time, Saturday, Sunday, and City-observed holidays not included, shall be binding. The City shall provide such addenda in the same manner in which it provided the RFP, but failure of the proposer to receive or obtain such addenda shall not excuse the proposer from compliance with its contents.

Oral Instructions: Oral instructions or information concerning the RFP or the project given out by officers, employees, or agents of the City shall not modify the RFP nor bind the City. Any changes or revisions to the RFP shall be binding only if issued by the City in a written addendum.

Cost of Responding: This RFP does not commit the City to pay any costs incurred by any proposer in the submission of a proposal, or in making necessary studies or designs for the preparation thereof, or for procuring or contracting for the items to be furnished under the resulting Contract.

Taxes: Taxes, whether State or Federal, shall not be included in the offered prices. A tax exemption certificate will be provided by the City upon request.

Sustainable Procurement: The City strives to be more sustainable in its operations and planning. Starting with the City’s Sustainable City Principles (1994) the City established a variety of policies to guide its work on sustainability, including: the Sustainable Procurement Policy, Green Building Policy, Local Action Plan on Global Warming, and the Stormwater Management Manual. To view these and related City policies, go to the Portland Policy Documents Website: https://www.portland.gov/policies/administrative/purchasing/adm-109-sustainable-procurement-policy As applicable to City procurement, these policies guide the City to buy products and services that reduce the City’s negative environmental and social impacts. While specific goals vary, the City’s sustainability objectives tend to focus on: reducing energy use; reducing air, water, and land pollution; building and maintaining high-performance green buildings; reducing the use of materials toxic to the environment and human health; utilizing resources efficiently, including the use of renewable, reusable and recycled materials; utilizing minority-owned, small, and/or local businesses; preserving or enhancing biodiversity; and maintaining fiscal health in the short and long term. As such, the City seeks to do business with firms that will actively contribute to the City’s sustainability objectives.

Withdrawal, Modification or Alteration Of Proposal: Prior to the RFP due date and time, a proposer may submit revised versions of its proposal. Also, a proposal may be withdrawn upon written request of the proposer prior to the due date and time. Negligence on the part of the proposer in preparing their proposal confers no right to withdraw their response after the scheduled closing time for filing proposals. As a result of any of these actions, if the intent of the proposer is not clearly identifiable, the interpretation most advantageous to the City will prevail.

Late Proposals: Proposals must be received no later than the date and time specified on the cover of this solicitation. It is the proposer’s responsibility to ensure that proposals are received prior to the specified closing date and time. Proposals received after the specified closing date and/or time shall not be considered and will be rejected.

Cancellation: The City of Portland reserves the right to modify, revise, or cancel this RFP. Receipt and evaluation of proposals, or the completion of subsequent evaluation phases does not obligate the City to award a contract.

Rejection of Proposals: The City reserves the right to reject any or all responses to the RFP in the City’s sole discretion.

Public Records: Any information provided to the City pursuant to this RFP shall be public record and subject to public disclosure pursuant to Oregon public records laws.

The general requirement for public disclosure is subject to a number of exemptions. When preparing a proposal submission, a proposer must plainly mark each page containing information deemed by the proposer to remain exempt from public disclosure after proposals have been evaluated (e.g., pages containing trade secret, economic development information, etc.). A summary of the redactions shall be provided with the redacted version of the proposal response.

The fact that a proposer marks and segregates certain information as exempt from disclosure does not mean that the information is necessarily exempt. Any portion of a proposal that the proposer claims as exempt from disclosure must meet the requirements of the Oregon Public Records Act. The City will make an independent determination regarding exemptions applicable to information that has been properly marked and redacted. Information that has not been properly marked and redacted may be disclosed in response to a public records request. When exempt information is mixed with nonexempt information, the nonexempt information must be disclosed.

Unless expressly provided otherwise in this RFP or in a separate communication, the City does not agree to withhold from public disclosure any information submitted in confidence by a proposer unless the information is otherwise exempt under Oregon law.

If the City refuses to release the records, the proposer agrees to provide information sufficient to sustain its position to the District Attorney of Multnomah County, who currently considers such appeals. If the District Attorney orders that the records be disclosed, the City will notify the proposer in order for the proposer to take appropriate legal action. The proposer further agrees to hold harmless, defend, and indemnify the City for all costs, expenses, and attorney fees that may be imposed on the City as a result of appealing any decision regarding the proposer’s records.

Conflict of Interest: By submitting a proposal, a proposer thereby certifies that the proposal is made in good faith without fraud, collusion, or connection of any kind with any other proposer on this particular RFP, and that the proposer is competing solely in its own behalf without connection with, or obligation to, any undisclosed person or firm.

Intergovernmental Cooperative Purchasing: The proposer agrees to extend identical goods and services under the same prices, terms, and conditions to all public agencies. Requirements stated herein reflect the City of Portland’s usage only. A public agency wishing to utilize like services will execute its own contract with the Contractor for its requirements and may negotiate the terms of that contract in accordance with its own requirements. The Contractor shall provide quarterly usage reporting of the City of Portland as well as that of other public agencies to the City of Portland, Procurement Services. Any proposer by written notification included with their proposal, may decline to extend the services, prices and terms of this RFP to any and/or all other public agencies.

Award and Contracting Process Contractor Selection: The City will award a contract to the proposer whose proposal is considered and evaluated as being the most advantageous to the City. The contractor selection process will be carried out under Portland City Code (PCC).

Clarifying Proposal During Evaluation Period: During the evaluation process, the City has the right to require any clarification or change it needs in order to understand the proposer’s view and approach to the project and scope of the work.

Notice of Intent to Award Is Not a Contract: A notice of intent to negotiate and award posted on the Procurement Services website does not constitute an authorization for shipment of equipment or supplies or a directive to proceed with Services. Before performing any work, the contractor must receive a properly authorized purchase order or Contract.

Contract Development: The proposal and all related responses provided by the proposer may become a part of the final Contract. The form of Contract shall be the City's Sample Contract provided with this RFP.

Insurance – Proof of Coverage: Work shall not commence until all insurance requirements have been met and certificates thereof have been filed with the City. All insurance requirements shall be as indicated within the attached Sample Contract.

City of Portland Business License Tax Account #: Prior to execution of a Contract, Contractor shall provide City of Portland business license tax account number or shall provide proof of exemption from said registration requirements, as issued by the City of Portland Bureau of Revenue. Failure to do so within twenty (20) Calendar Days after posting of the Notice of Intent to Award may result in withdrawal of any resulting contract award.