14002-0-2025-BP Recycling RFP.pdf

CITY OF MADISON

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

RFP #: 14002-0-2025-BP

Title: Recycling

City Agency: Streets Division

Due Date: March 7, 2025 2:00 PM Central Time

Our Madison – Inclusive, Innovative, & Thriving

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RFP 14002-0-2025-BP

14002 RFP.docx Page i

1 OPPORTUNITY AND WELCOME

Thank you for your interest in bidding on a City of Madison contract opportunity. The City’s mission is to provide the highest quality service for the common good of our residents and visitors.

The City of Madison Streets Division is seeking proposals from qualified vendors for Recycling.

Thank you for considering this opportunity to work with the City and further our mission!

2 IMPORTANT INFORMATION

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: March 7, 2025 at 2:00 PM Central Time.

The City will not accept late proposals. Any changes to the deadlines will be posted as an addendum on the bid distribution websites listed below. See Section 3.1 for instructions for using these websites.

RFP NAME: Recycling

DEADLINE FOR

QUESTIONS:

The deadline for questions is February 17, 2025 at 2:00 PM Central Time.

Questions and/or inquiries must be submitted by email.

CITY’S ANSWERS

POSTED BY:

The City’s answers to your questions will be posted as an addendum by February 24, 2025. You must check the bid distribution websites for any addendums.

DUE DATE FOR

PROPOSALS:

March 7, 2025 2:00 PM Central Time

BID DISTRIBUTION

WEBSITES:

https://vendornet.wi.gov/Bids.aspx https://www.demandstar.com/

CONTACT

INFORMATION:

Brian Pittelli Purchasing Services 210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Room 407 City-County Building Madison, WI 53703-3346

Phone: (608) 267-4969 Email: bpittelli@cityofmadison.com https://www.cityofmadison.com/vision-awards https://vendornet.wi.gov/Bids.aspx https://www.demandstar.com/app/agencies/wisconsin/city-of-madison-purchasing-services/procurement-opportunities/573ff565-ce2b-4c75-86ec-401cd5abf736/ mailto:bpittelli@cityofmadison.com

14002 RFP.docx Page ii

Table of Contents

1 OPPORTUNITY AND WELCOME .................................................................................................... i 2 IMPORTANT INFORMATION ........................................................................................................... i

3 HOW TO FIND RFP DOCUMENTS AND CONTACT THE CITY OF MADISON

Official Bid Distribution Websites – IMPORTANT Contact Information

4 OUR PURCHASING VALUES

Local Preference Purchasing Policy Equity in Contracting Equitable Hiring & Affirmative Action Plan Limitations on Nuclear Weapons Producers Sweatfree Purchasing

5 SCOPE OF WORK AND REQUIRED INFORMATION

Purpose Term General Services Background Program Details Holiday Information Vehicle Information Hours of Operations General Estimate and Operation Locations

Third Location 2028 Materials Accepted Addition/Deletion of Materials Accepted Sampling and Contamination Audits Material Recovery / Dump Location Rejected Loads Reporting Requirements Commodity Reporting Pricing Information How the City of Madison Pays for Recycling Services Contractor’s Role in Resource Recovery Special Charge Rate Required Information and Content of Proposals [65%] Pricing Proposal – [30%} Local Preference [5%]

6 HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL

Proposal Checklist Submit your Proposal by the Deadline Format Questions Addendum (Changes or Clarifications to this RFP) Multiple Proposals Changing or Withdrawing your Proposal Correcting Errors in your Proposal after the Due Date No Exceptions from Bidders

You are Responsible for all of your Costs in Making a Proposal Public Records and Trade Secrets

7 RULES FOR THE SELECTION PROCESS

8 LEGAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

Sample Contract

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Affirmative Action Requirements for Contractors Insurance

Sample Contract Form A: Price Proposal and Signature Affidavit Form B: References Form C: Vendor Profile

3 HOW TO FIND RFP DOCUMENTS AND CONTACT THE CITY OF MADISON

Official Bid Distribution Websites – IMPORTANT

The City of Madison posts all requests for proposals (RFPs), addendums, updates, awards, and announcements on two websites: VendorNet and DemandStar. Both sites are free to register for City of Madison bids.

These two websites are the only places to get the official RFP and updates to the RFP.

Updates and addendums will only be posted on these websites. It is your responsibility to check the websites for updates and “addendums.” An addendum is a document that answers questions from bidders. It could make important changes to the RFP. If the addendum requires a response, and you fail to respond to it, you could be disqualified.

State of Wisconsin VendorNet System

State of Wisconsin and local government bid network. Registration is free. Search for City of Madison in the Agency search field.

VendorNet link https://vendornet.wi.gov/Bids.aspx

DemandStar by Onvia National bid network. Free subscription is available. Sign up for the free “Basic Plan” and select Wisconsin Association for Public Procurement (WAPP) as the agency to access City of Madison RFPs.

DemandStar link https://www.demandstar.com/app/agencies/wisconsin/city-of-madison-purchasing-services/procurement-opportunities/573ff565-ce2b-4c75- 86ec-401cd5abf736/

Register on DemandStar www.demandstar.com/app/registration

Contact Information

City of Madison Purchasing Contact (Buyer)

Brian Pittelli Purchasing Services 210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Room 407 City-County Building Madison, WI 53703-3346

PH: (608) 267-4969

bpittelli@cityofmadison.com

Questions about Affirmative Action Plans

Contract Compliance, Department of Civil Rights 210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Room 523 City-County Building Madison, WI 53703

PH: (608) 266-4910

dcr@cityofmadison.com

Email note Some email to the City gets lost in “spam.”

If you send the City an email and you do not hear back within 3 days, please call the Buyer at (608) 267-4969.

https://vendornet.wi.gov/Bids.aspx https://www.demandstar.com/app/agencies/wisconsin/city-of-madison-purchasing-services/procurement-opportunities/573ff565-ce2b-4c75-86ec-401cd5abf736/ https://www.demandstar.com/app/agencies/wisconsin/city-of-madison-purchasing-services/procurement-opportunities/573ff565-ce2b-4c75-86ec-401cd5abf736/ https://www.demandstar.com/app/agencies/wisconsin/city-of-madison-purchasing-services/procurement-opportunities/573ff565-ce2b-4c75-86ec-401cd5abf736/ https://www.demandstar.com/app/registration mailto:dcr@cityofmadison.com

4 OUR PURCHASING VALUES

Local Preference Purchasing Policy

The City of Madison gives preference to local vendors and suppliers. You must be registered with the City as a local vendor by the RFP due date to get preference points. Learn more and register at the City of Madison website: www.cityofmadison.com/finance/purchasing/local-businesses/register-business/

If you are a local vendor, be sure to complete the Local Vendor section on Form C.

Equity in Contracting

The mission of the City of Madison is to provide the highest quality service for the common good of our residents and visitors. The City’s values include

• Equity - fairness, justice and equal outcomes for all, and

• Shared prosperity - where all are able to achieve economic success and social mobility.

It is our goal to spend money equitably among businesses owned by women, people of color, and small businesses. Our contractors should reflect shared dedication to equity in their work and employment practices, and we invite you to become part of this mission!

Equitable Hiring & Affirmative Action Plan

Affirmative Action Plan The City of Madison values diversity in hiring and contracting. We expect our contractors to do the same. Contractors with 15 or more employees and more than $50,000 in annual contracts with the City (each calendar year) must submit an Affirmative Action Plan.

Information about the Affirmative Action Plan and how to comply is found here:

https://www.cityofmadison.com/civil-rights/contract-compliance/affirmative-action-plan/vendors-suppliers

Or call the Affirmative Action Division at (608) 266-4910.

See Section 13. B. of the Sample Contract for Affirmative Action Plan requirements.

Job Openings in Dane County You must notify the City of openings for jobs in Dane County, Wisconsin if you have 15 or more employees. You must agree to interview candidates that we refer to you through our Referrals and Interviews for Sustainable Employment (RaISE) program. Information is here:

http://www.cityofmadison.com/civil-rights/programs/referrals-and-interviews-for-sustainable-employment-raise-program

The job posting requirement is found in Section 13 A. of the Sample Contract.

Limitations on Nuclear Weapons Producers

It is the City’s policy not to make purchases from companies that produce nuclear weapons, or their subsidiaries. See Common Council Resolution 79719 for more information.

Sweatfree Purchasing

It is the City’s policy not to purchase apparel (clothes made from textiles, shoes, footwear) from vendors who source their materials from sweatshops, where labor practices are inconsistent with international standards of human rights. See Madison General Ordinances Section 4.25 (https://library.municode.com/wi/madison/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COORMAWIVOICH1-- 10_CH4FI_4.25PRITAP) for more information.

https://www.cityofmadison.com/finance/purchasing/local-businesses/register-business/ https://www.cityofmadison.com/vision-awards https://www.cityofmadison.com/civil-rights/contract-compliance/affirmative-action-plan/vendors-suppliers http://www.cityofmadison.com/civil-rights/programs/referrals-and-interviews-for-sustainable-employment-raise-program http://www.cityofmadison.com/civil-rights/programs/referrals-and-interviews-for-sustainable-employment-raise-program https://madison.legistar.com/ViewReport.ashx?M=R&N=Text&GID=205&ID=5490426&GUID=A7280DE2-DFCB-40F2-8200-E9C3EA95902B&Title=Legislation+Text https://library.municode.com/wi/madison/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COORMAWIVOICH1--10_CH4FI_4.25PRITAP https://library.municode.com/wi/madison/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COORMAWIVOICH1--10_CH4FI_4.25PRITAP

5 SCOPE OF WORK AND REQUIRED INFORMATION

Purpose

The City of Madison is seeking proposals from entities qualified and experienced in recyclable materials processing and marketing services to receive, sort, process, store, market, sell, and transport recyclable material collected by the City of Madison Streets Division’s recycling program.

Recyclables are collected curbside as well as from Streets Division drop-off site locations.

This RFP seeks a proposer who will work collaboratively with the City that will

• collaborate on ways to increase the amount of material diverted from the landfill via the recycling program,

• help improve the efficiency of the City’s recycling collection operations and enhance the overall cost effectiveness of the City’s program,

• provide and promote creative solutions that contribute to the City’s waste reduction goals, and

• enhance community awareness and education in order to reduce contamination in the recycling stream.

Term

The contract will begin on January 1, 2027. The contract with be for 8 years with two 3-year options.

General Services

The Contractor shall perform and/or arrange all tasks pertaining to a single-stream material recovery facility.

These tasks will include, at minimum, receiving, sorting, processing, storing, marketing, selling, and transporting (if necessary) recyclable materials collected by the City.

Additionally, the contractor shall comply with reporting requirements outlines later in this document.

Background

The City of Madison has operated a curbside recycling program since 1968, making it one of, if not the oldest municipal recycling program in the United States.

Since 2005, Madison has been a single-stream community using collection carts. The carts are emptied every-other-week.

The Streets Division performs collections for over 75,000 residences in Madison that are eligible for curbside collection services from the City of Madison. By City resolution, Streets Division cannot collect from multi-family buildings that contain more than eight units. While the collections are primarily residential, some business customers utilize Streets services so long as their needs can be effectively met by the service level provided.

The Streets Division also operates drop-off sites where residents of the City can deliver their co-mingled recyclables.

Some recyclables are also collected by the Parks Department from public containers located seasonally at select parks facilities as well as year-round from the State Street pedestrian mall area.

Program Details

The City of Madison recycling program operates on an every-other-week collection schedule. The Streets Division performs trash collection Monday to Friday using established collection districts. The recycling districts use the trash district boundaries, but they are divided in half by Streets Division supervisors.

These halves are called “A-week” and “B-week.” The A-week and B-week alternate collection weeks within a given refuse collection district throughout the year.

For example, if on a given Monday, all residents within that district will receive trash collection, but only residents within the “A-week” section receive recycling collection. The following Monday, all residents would receive curbside trash collection again, but recycling collection would be for residents within the “B-week” half of the district.

Collection of recycling, like trash, occurs Monday through Friday.

Holiday Information

The Streets Division does not collect on the following observed City holidays:

• New Year’s Day

• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

• Memorial Day

• Juneteenth

• Independence Day

• Labor Day

• Thanksgiving

• The Friday after Thanksgiving

• Christmas Eve

• Christmas day

• New Year’s Eve

When scheduled collections for an area falls on a holiday, Streets Division increases staffing on the next scheduled workday to perform a collection for both the normally scheduled day as well as the day missed due to the holiday.

The exceptions are the three instances of double holidays of Thanksgiving & the Friday after; Christmas Eve & Christmas Day; and New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

In response to these double holidays, typically collections for residents on the first holiday move up a day and residents on the second holiday move back a day, and the Streets Division will increase staffing on the collection days to perform the extra collections.

Vehicle Information

The City of Madison operates automated and rear-loading trucks that have a gravity dump and full-eject bodies.

Our collection vehicles for recycling are diesel powered. While the City remains committed to alternative fuels, there are no immediate plans at the time of the release of this RFP to electrify the recycling collection fleet. However, considering the length of this contract, it remains plausible that within the life of this contract that the City may use electric collection vehicles, or a different alternative fuel source, for recycling if the technology is proven to be a safe way to deliver recyclables to a recovery facility, and it is a cost-effective fleet option for our operations.

On most collection days at present, there are 12 vehicles active servicing the City of Madison – 10 performing the curbside pickup with the remaining two stationed at drop-off sites.

At the Streets Division drop-off site, we also operate a compactor for recyclables that attaches to a hook-lift truck. This compactor also is a gravity dump.

Streets Division vehicles may change over time. The Contractor is responsible for adapting to any changes to the City fleet.

Hours of Operations

The City’s recycling collection program regularly operates Monday through Friday between the hours of 7:00am and 5:00pm.

While it is most common for collections to be completed and loads dumped prior to 3:00pm, it is not uncommon for some collections to occur up to 5:00pm or later, depending on weather and making up for a holiday. Weekend collection operations, while exceedingly rare, are possible depending circumstances.

If an emergency situation occurs, ranging from poor weather to natural disaster to pandemic that prevents City of Madison collection crews from working on their normally scheduled work days, the Contractor shall be required to perform the services specified in the contract on whatever days, or portion of days, City collection crews work in order to make up for the days, or portions of days, missed due to the emergency event.

In the event that City collection crews are prevented from starting their work or forced to stop their work before completion of a normally scheduled workday due to an emergency event, the City will notify the Contractor of the work stoppage and communicate the City’s initial anticipated plan to return to a normal work schedule. Any changes to this plan will be communicated to the Contractor. When the reason for the stoppage has passed, the City will notify the Contractor and the work shall resume.

Collections are performed, on average, by 10 vehicles performing curbside collection with two other vehicles reserved for collection at the drop-off sites.

Hours, days, and dates of collection are subject to change and the Contractor is responsible for adapting to any changes to the City’s collection schedule.

General Estimate and Operation Locations

Since 2019, City of Madison recycling collection averages approximately 1,406 tons of recyclables for processing each month.

The Streets Division collection operations are currently split into two separate offices, East and West, that operate as one cohesive City of Madison agency.

The East side Streets Division is located at 4602 Sycamore Ave. Trucks dispatched from this location serve City of Madison addresses east of South Park Street. In 2023, recycling trucks collected roughly

603.33 tons each month on average. This is the combined total for both its curbside collection and drop-off site.

The West side Streets Division is located at 1501 W. Badger Rd. Trucks dispatched from this location service City of Madison addresses west of South Park Street. In 2023, recycling truck collected roughly

635.97 tons each month on average. This is the combined total for both its curbside collection and drop-off site.

West side drop-off sites are not located at 1501 W. Badger Rd. They are located at 121 E. Olin Avenue and also 402 South Point Rd.

Third Location 2028

Over the course of this contract, a third Streets Division facility is expected to open. The third location will re-section the Streets Division into thirds – East, Central, and West. The exact boundaries of these new sections have yet to be formalized as of the release of this RFP.

The third Streets Division location will be built at 402 South Point Rd. The third location is expected to be operational sometime in late 2028.

The intent for the third facility is to serve the west side of Madison, most likely from Midvale Blvd, or another similar point, westward to the city limits.

When the South Point Rd facility opens, the Badger Rd facility will focus on servicing the city’s center, which will likely be defined as all residents between the western boundary (likely Midvale Blvd) to most likely the Yahara River. And then the Sycamore Avenue location will serve the city’s east side, which is mostly likely to be defined as all residents east of the Yahara River.

The weight of recyclables each of these operations facilities will generate is unknown. The intent of the redistricting into thirds is to create Streets Division operations that are roughly equal. It should be expected that each district will produce similar tonnages.

Materials Accepted

The materials accepted in this program must follow the following ordinances that outline what material need be recycled in curbside collection program. Meeting the statutory requirements would be considered as meeting the minimum standards:

• Madison General Ordinance 10.18

• Dane County Ordinance 41.23 and 41.235.

• Wisconsin State statutes, Chapter 287 and Chapters NR 542 and 549 (summary link here).

The material accepted would fall into the four general categories of what is now standard in Wisconsin curbside recycling collection operations: paper, glass, plastic, and metal.

Paper accepted in the City of Madison recyclables include, but not necessarily restricted to, newspaper, magazines & catalogs, corrugated cardboard, residential mixed paper, paperboard, boxboard, office paper, hot/cold cups, cartons, and packaged shredded paper.

Plastic products accepted in the City of Madison recyclables include, but not necessarily restricted to, #1, #2, and #5 plastic containers and bottles. Plastic containers and bottles #3, #4, #6, and #7 may also be included.

Metal products accepted in the City of Madison recyclables include, but not necessarily restricted to, aluminum cans, bimetal cans, cardboard-sided cans, steel/tin cans (including empty aerosol cans), metal jar lids, and other metal items compatible with the vendor’s sorting facility.

Glass products accepted in the City of Madison recyclables include, but not necessarily restricted to, glass bottles and jars.

Addition/Deletion of Materials Accepted

The City reserves the right to add or delete recyclable commodities at any time during the contract and any extensions with consultation of the Contractor.

https://library.municode.com/wi/madison/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COORMAWIVOICH1--10_CH10STALSIGU_10.18COREREWA https://www.danecounty.gov/documents/pdf/ordinances/Chapter-41--rev.-063021-.pdf https://apps.dnr.wi.gov/doclink/waext/WA422.pdf

Modifications may be made by the City to the recycling program for the purposes of optimizing operational efficiencies, increasing the quantities (and quality) of recyclable material collected, or for any other beneficial or economical reason.

The Contractor may propose adding or deleting recyclable commodities to the stream to the City as well for the purposes of optimizing operational efficiencies, increasing the quantities (and quality) of recyclable material collected, or another beneficial reason. The City must agree to these changes before they can be implemented.

Any potential adjustment in cost as a result of a change from the addition or deletion of materials to the contract shall be in accordance with the established price structure proposed by the Contractor and accepted by the City under the contract.

Sampling and Contamination Audits

The Contractor shall perform yearly samplings of the recycling stream collected by the Streets Division.

The date of the yearly audits will be negotiated upon awarding of the contract.

The sampling may be used in determining data for the price schedule.

Sampling will determine the contamination rate, estimate tonnages, and percentages of each recycling commodity for reporting as noted later in this document.

The results of the sampling audit will be shared with the Streets Division immediately following their completion.

These audits will occur at no additional charge to the City of Madison.

The City of Madison expects the contractor to provide feedback as needed regarding contamination including the general types of contamination found as part of an effort to educate the public.

If possible, the specific fleet vehicle number of the Streets Division vehicle delivering what is determined to be overly contaminated material should be shared with the City of Madison Streets Division.

Material Recovery / Dump Location

The City of Madison Streets Division does not have the ability to transfer recyclables collected onto a semi-trailer for hauling long distances.

The Streets Division’s recycling collection vehicles will travel from their assigned routes, and from the drop-off sites to dump collected recyclables.

The facility that will receive to sort, or receive to ship for sorting, must be as close as feasibly possible to the City of Madison, and all of the operation’s collection routes to ensure efficient Streets Division operations.

The facility must be open to the City of Madison between the hours of 7:00am and 5:00pm Monday through Friday for the City to dump collected recyclables. However, additional hours may need to be arranged to facility unforeseen or emergency situations. The City and the Contractor will negotiate for the use of the facility outside of regular business hours.

The prime dumping time for Madison collections are between the hours of 1:00pm and 2:30pm, though dumping from Madison trucks will not be restricted to this window.

The facility will weigh all recyclables delivered by the City of Madison and accepted by the Contractor’s facility on certified scales. Gross, tare, and net weights by load shall be provided to the City daily and summarized on a monthly basis.

Daily information may be provided on weight tickets or shared via digital means, such as an email to a City of Madison representative. The City reserves the right to spot check all tonnages and relative recyclables amounts.

The facility must have adequate staging, maneuvering, and dumping space as well as adequate staff to allow sequential dumping of each collection vehicle.

The facility will have adequate working conditions and safety procedures to comply with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

The City reserves the right to inspect and review on a random basis all facilities, working conditions, training manuals, records of claims for Worker’s Compensation, or safety violations and standard operating procedures documents.

The facility and operations must be in compliance with all applicable Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and other state, local, and federal laws and regulations.

The City of Madison acknowledges that recovery facilities can be dangerous facilities and, if not well managed, can become a nuisance to their surroundings. As such, the Streets Division will follow appropriate dumping procedures and safety protocols as set forth by the Contractor. These procedures must be provided to the Streets Division in writing so appropriate training can occur.

Rejected Loads

The Contractor shall immediately notify the Streets Division if a load received from one of the City’s collection vehicles appears to have non-recyclable contamination at a rate higher than 40%.

The City reserves the right to have a representative inspect the load for contamination. If the City is unable to send a representative to inspect the load, photos shall be provided to the City via email showing the overall load, contaminants, and truck number of the load within 2 hours of the occurrence.

If the recyclable material is rejected at market due to contamination or not fulfilling current market specifications, then the Contractor will, at its option:

• Bring the material back to the processing facility for reprocessing in which the Contractor will pay for the transportation costs of both sending and returning the material; or

• Accept a lesser value for the material in which case the Contractor shall hold the City faultless and not liable for any payments to make up the gap in expected value; or

• Legally dispose of residual material in an acceptable disposal site permitted by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources solely at the Contractor’s expense and not to be passed on to the City.

Reporting Requirements

As part of a data sharing requirement, the Contractor will keep records on regarding the City’s single stream recycling program.

Information reporting shall be disseminated by an agreed upon electronic format.

The Contractor will report the weight of material delivered from the City of Madison to the contractor daily, as described above.

The Contractor shall report on a monthly basis the following information:

• A summary report of tons of material received from the City of Madison

• Tons of material from the City of Madison that has been marketed/sold, information kept by recyclable material (i.e., tons of #1 plastic sold, etc.)

• Price received from marketed tonnage received from the City of Madison, information kept by recyclable material (i.e., price per ton of #1 plastics sold)

• Tons of material stored from the City of Madison, information kept by recyclable material

(i.e., tons of #1 plastic stored, etc.)

• Tons of material from the City of Madison disposed

Quarterly reports will be made available that shall provide the tonnage and destination of marketed recyclable materials by material type.

Biannual reports that will provide current and projected market strength by material type.

The schedule for providing these reports shall be later determined between the Contractor and the City of Madison.

Commodity Reporting

As noted in the Sampling and Contamination Audit and Reporting Requirement sections, providing information regarding the specific commodities recovered is required.

Specifically, reporting must account for the below commodities, including marketed price received:

• Newspaper (if applicable)

• Corrugated cardboard

• Mixed paper

• Aluminum

• PETE #1 containers

• HDPE #2 – Natural containers

• HDPE #2 – Color containers

• PP #5 – Containers

• Glass

If other specific recyclable materials that are acceptable in the recycling program should also be included in the reporting,

• Plastic containers #3, #4, #6, #7 (if applicable)

• Rigid plastics

• Aseptic cartons

As noted in the Addition/Deletion of Materials Accepted sub-section above, additional material may be added to the recycling stream over time.

If new materials are added, they must be accounted for in the reporting requirement as appropriate.

Pricing Information

The City of Madison requires annual cost certainty for its recycling program.

We also need to retain the ability for residents to realize cost savings in times when the recyclable commodity marketplace is robust and minimize the effect on ratepayers when commodity prices are low.

The City of Madison is open to innovative bid proposals that will achieve the year-to-year cost certainty yet retaining flexibility to pass on savings to residents.

How the City of Madison Pays for Recycling Services

The City of Madison pays for its recycling program by charging all who receive the service a monthly Resource Recovery Special Charge.

This is a flat rate that does not change month-to-month.

The special charge rate for the entire year is set by the Common Council during the annual budget process.

The City’s annual budget process begins in the summer months each year before the next year’s operating budget is finalized by the Common Council in the late fall, or early winter, depending on the Common Council meeting schedule.

For example, the monthly rate paid by City of Madison recycling customers for the entirety of 2024 was set by the Common Council in the winter of 2023 based on the budget process leading up that that act of the Council.

Contractor’s Role in Resource Recovery Special Charge Rate

In order for the Streets Division to have a fair cost estimate for the annual cost of the recycling services so the Resource Recovery Special Charge rate can be set during the annual budget process, the Contractor must provide the Streets Division with a fixed tipping fee during the summer months of the prior year so it can be part of the budget process.

The Contractor cannot adjust the annual tipping fee rate once it has been agreed to because that number is necessary to establish the annual Resource Recovery Special Charge rate.

Once the Resource Recovery Special Charge rate is set by the Common Council, it cannot be readjusted.

Required Information and Content of Proposals [65%]

Proposal Options – Full City and Route Efficiency

Full City Proposals - Required All proposals must include a pricing structure for the Contractor to receive and process all of the material collected from curbside recycling program from the City of Madison.

Route Efficiency Proposals - Optional As the City of Madison expands, hauling material to a single dump site increases route inefficiency and expense.

In an effort to address these concerns, bidders may also include a “Route Efficiency Proposal” where you may select to bid on receiving either the East or West Streets Division recyclables in the near-term, or the East, Central, and West sections of the city instead of the entirety of the City of Madison.

Use the information in the Generation Estimates and Operations Location section for the Streets Division facility locations and future expansion plans of the City of Madison to determine if you wish to bid on receiving a portion of the City of Madison recyclables for processing in an effort to help the City of Madison become more efficient.

Please note if you are proposing for an optional route.

Responses must be in the same sequence and identified with the corresponding question number (Example: Question 1, Question 2, etc.). Please limit responses in this section to not more than twenty-five (25) pages. Resumes will not count towards the page limit. The percentage of the total score that each question is worth is listed as [x%] in each question.

1) Describe the sorting facility that will receive and process the City of Madison’s recyclables. [12%] Include the following information in the description:

a. Location of facility that will receive Madison’s material

b. Location of material recovery facility that will sort the recyclables

i. If the location where the City will dump recyclables is different from where they will be sorted, explain how you will be transporting materials from the dump location to the sorting facility.

c. Description of the dump procedure for the City of Madison

d. Estimate of length of time, including average wait times, for City of Madison vehicles to dump and return to duty

e. Material recovery facility (MRF) capacity and average daily tonnage throughput

f. Age of facility that will sort the City of Madison recyclables.

g. Upgrades to sorting equipment in the MRF within the past five years

h. In applicable, describe likely improvements to the MRF sorting system to occur in the next five years.

i. Estimate of contamination capture by sorting facility (meaning a description of the cleanliness of the materials post-sorting to ensure material is meeting end-user specifications for recycling to occur).

2) The City of Madison has a long tradition of recycling, and residents expect more materials to be accepted in the recycling than what is required by state law. [10%]

a. What items, if any, would be acceptable in the recyclables in your MRF that are not presently required by state law and would not be counted as residuals/contamination?

b. What items, if any, do you see as likely expansions of acceptable recyclable material you could accept at your facility from the City of Madison’s recycling stream within the life of this contract?

i. Explain why you feel these materials are possible targets for recycling in the years to come and the most likely timeline for them to become recyclable.

3) Define the material standards and material categories for what would be considered

“contamination” in your material recovery facility. Be as specific as possible in your response.

[8%]

4) Describe how you will comply with the reporting requirements outlined earlier in this document and provide an example report that you would provide the City of Madison that would satisfy the reporting requirements. [7%]

5) One of the ongoing challenges with recycling is the education of the public generating the material. Explain how you will assist the City in the education efforts to lower contamination that is found within the recycling stream. [7%]

6) Explain how the sorting facility will perform the yearly sampling/audit in a way that will ensure a representative sample of the City of Madison’s recyclables. [5%]

7) Describe your company’s commitment to sustainable practices. [6%]

a. Provide details on what initiatives you have you undertaken, projects have you started, or certifications you have earned that illustrate how this commitment is reflected in your local operations that will benefit the City of Madison.

8) The City of Madison requires a partner who is striving for excellence and will ensure that the material we collect and deliver to the recovery facility will go through a rigorous sorting process of the highest standards so the material will be truly recycled by end users. With this in mind, please explain how the recovery facility that will receive the City of Madison recyclables for processing has demonstrated excellence in sorting material to make the material desirable in the marketplace. [10%]

Pricing Proposal – [30%}

When submitting your proposal, you must include an explanation of how your pricing structure allows for recipients of the City of Madison recycling service to benefit when the commodity prices are high, and also an explanation of how your pricing structure will protect Madison ratepayers when commodity prices are low, all while also achieving the annual cost certainty required.

The City of Madison acknowledges that the commodity marketplace for recyclable materials can be volatile. It is difficult to predict year-to-year, as there are multiple factors, whether from political shifts to pandemics to technological advancements to any number of other pushes and pulls on demand, can all cause rises and falls in the value of the materials.

The City of Madison is also aware that the recycling marketplace is capable of producing significant value.

We are also aware that the cleanliness of the material affects the value of the material.

In your proposals, include the following elements if applicable to your proposal:

• Base tipping fee rate

• Formula to account for contamination rate of recyclables

• Annual escalators to the base rate. Keep in mind that the City of Madison timeline for when the annual tipping fee needs to be determined to meet the budget timeline.

• Commodities used to derive value from the City of Madison recyclables and explanation of how you will get the best price for these commodities.

• An explanation of a system where you will be able to set an annual fixed price for the City of

Madison, yet the City will capture a benefit when commodity prices are high and City of Madison ratepayers are minimally exposed when prices are poor.

• Explanation of any other pricing requirements, such as an overall commodity value floor and ceiling whereby the fixed rate would need to be reassessed due to unusual marketplace conditions.

Local Preference [5%]

To be identified as a local business, the Vendor must have a physical address within Dane County and meet the criteria listed here: https://www.cityofmadison.com/finance/purchasing/local-businesses/register-business/. Please note that the prime/lead contractor must be local to be considered local. If a subcontractor is local, and the prime/lead contractor is not, the points will not be awarded.

https://www.cityofmadison.com/finance/purchasing/local-businesses/register-business/ https://www.cityofmadison.com/finance/purchasing/local-businesses/register-business/

6 HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL

Proposal Checklist

Submit your Proposal by the Deadline

Submit your proposal by email to City of Madison Purchasing Services by March 7, 2025 at 2:00 PM Central Time.

• Make sure your proposal is complete (see checklist above) and readable.

• Include RFP 14002-0-2025-BP in the email subject line.

• Email proposals to: bids@cityofmadison.com

• Do not send your proposal to any other City email or agency

• If you cannot send your proposal by email, please contact the Buyer at (608) 267-4969

You must include RFP 14002-0-2025-BP on your proposal and all other communication to the City. For email, include RFP 14002-0-2025-BP in the subject line.

For example, an email subject line could read: RFP 14002-0-2025-BP Recycling Questions

Format

Required Documents to Submit:

Answers to Questions in 5.21

Required Forms to Submit:

Form A: Price Proposal and Signature Affidavit

Form B: References

Form C: Vendor Profile

RFP ADDENDUM

Check the bid websites for any addendum. See Section 3.1.

• You can use the area below to track addendums.

• An addendum might require you to submit additional documents. Make sure to read it carefully and send any additional documents.

Addendum # (if any) Have you read it?

Have you submitted any documents required by the addendum?

Addendum # _______

Addendum # _______ mailto:bids@cityofmadison.com

• Electronic – proposals are submitted electronically. Exceptions can be made for paper submittals but you must contact the Buyer ahead of time to make those arrangements.

• Legible and readable – if not the City might reject it.

• Simple – not necessary to include elaborate/ high tech/ expensive graphics or similar features.

• Complete – your proposal must include all required sections and forms. See checklist.

Questions

You can ask questions about the RFP until the deadline for questions of February 17, 2025 at 2:00 PM Central Time.

Email questions to Brian Pittelli at bpittelli@cityofmadison.com. Remember to include RFP 14002-0- 2025-BP in the subject line.

We post answers to bidder questions as an addendum on the bid websites. Check the websites regularly.

Addendum (Changes or Clarifications to this RFP)

RFP addendums make clarifications, answer bidder questions, make changes to RFP timeline, and provide other important information. Addendums are posted on the bid websites listed in Section 3.1.

IMPORTANT: It is your responsibility to check for addendums. An addendum might require you to submit additional information. Your proposal could be disqualified if you do not:

• Check the bid websites regularly during the posting period

• Read all addendum

• Follow the instructions in the addendum

Multiple Proposals

You may submit more than one proposal if you are proposing more than one way to fulfill the scope requested by this RFP. If so, each proposal must meet the requirements of the RFP. Clearly label each proposal by number (Proposal #1, Proposal #2) and submit each separately.

Changing or Withdrawing your Proposal

You may make changes to your proposal before the due date of March 7, 2025 at 2:00 PM Central Time.

You may withdraw your proposal before the due date. After the due date, no proposals may be withdrawn for 90 days or as otherwise provided by law.

Correcting Errors in your Proposal after the Due Date

The City will notify you if we believe you made an error in your proposal and may allow you to correct the error. The City will decide if correcting the error is in the City’s best interest, is fair to the other bidders, and preserves competition. The City will decide whether an error can be corrected and will notify you.

No Exceptions from Bidders

Exceptions to this RFP are not permitted. The City of Madison reserves the right to reject bids that take exceptions or don’t follow the requirements of this RFP. If you ask to change the requirements, specifications, sample contract, or legal terms, that is considered an “exception.” A statement that you will not or cannot comply with any part of this RFP or the sample contract will also be considered an “exception.” (If this RFP allows substitutions or alternate solutions, the Scope of Services (Section 5) will make this clear, and that is not considered an “exception.”)

You are Responsible for all of your Costs in Making a Proposal

You participate in this RFP at your own expense. You may be asked to attend virtual or in-person meetings, make presentations, give demonstrations, inspect City locations, or make your facilities available for a site inspection. The City will not pay any costs incurred in your preparation of bids, even if this RFP is changed or cancelled.

Public Records and Trade Secrets

Your response to this RFP is a public record. Wisconsin and other public records laws may require the City to share your proposal or the resulting contract if someone makes a public records request. If a public records request is made, the City’s Records Custodian applies the law to decide whether the record must be disclosed, or if any part of the record can be redacted or not disclosed. There are very few exceptions to disclosure under Wisconsin law. One exception is for “trade secrets” as defined by sec.

134.90(1)(c) of the Wisconsin Statutes. It is your responsibility to research trade secrets as defined by Wisconsin law if you think any part of your proposal might be a “trade secret.” The City cannot give private legal advice to you. Most things will NOT meet this exception.

You may label items you believe meet this definition as a “trade secret” and submit them separately from the rest of your proposal, but the City cannot guarantee that information will be treated as a trade secret or confidential.

Things that are not considered confidential: your proposal or bid in its entirety, price proposal, pricing information, references, or the resulting contract. This is not a complete list.

Preserving competition: To the extent permitted by law, the City intends to withhold proposals under this RFP from public view until competitive or bargaining reasons no longer require it, in the City’s opinion. At that time, all proposals will be available for review in accordance with public records laws.

The City will not provide advance notice to bidders prior to releasing any requested public record.

7 RULES FOR THE SELECTION PROCESS

This RFP does not commit the City to award a contract. The City can cancel this RFP at any time. There is no guarantee that the City will award any contract as a result of this RFP. While the City considers this procurement important to City operations, the circumstances could change.

The City might make a partial award. By submitting a proposal you are willing to accept an order for all or part of the items/services. Note in your proposal if you do not agree to accept a partial award.

The City reserves the right to make changes to this RFP. Any changes will be made with an Addendum. Changes could impact due dates or specifications, or could require additional information from all bidders.

The City reserves the right to reject any proposal. We can reject all or part of a proposal without explaining the reason. Proposals could be rejected if they are missing information (non-responsive) or fail to demonstrate that the bidder is responsible and capable of doing the work (not responsible.)

The City may negotiate with finalists or the selected vendor. One or more bidders may need to submit additional technical proposals, best and final price proposals, or other changes to their bids.

Federal or State Laws may apply to this RFP (such as federal regulations or procurement policies that apply to grant funding). Those laws will apply over any conflicting procedure in this RFP.

Responsible and Responsive Bidders You should read the Scope of Work (Section 5) carefully to determine your ability to perform and complete the work required. This contract will only be awarded to a bidder who is “responsible” and “responsive” and whose bid is most advantageous to the City, with price and other factors considered. This RFP is designed to help the City select responsive and responsible bidders.

“Responsive” means that your proposal responds to all parts of this RFP – it is complete, not missing any information, and addresses all of the required work. Failure to provide all of the information requested in this RFP could result in being considered “not responsive.”

A “Responsible” bidder has demonstrated the ability to perform successfully under the terms of the proposed contract. This includes having adequate financial resources or the ability to obtain them; can perform and deliver on time, delivery taking into account other business commitments; has a satisfactory performance record; has a satisfactory record of integrity and business ethics; and has the necessary organization, experience and technical skills. A bidder that cannot demonstrate these things may be considered “not responsible.”

Contractors with past problems with the City The City reserves the right to refuse to accept any bid from any person, firm or corporation who

• owes the City money

• is in default to the City

• has been debarred through an official process such as through the Department of Civil Rights

• has had performance or other problems on past contracts with the City

Such bidders may be deemed “not responsible.”

8 LEGAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

Sample Contract

You must review the Sample Contract attached to the end of this RFP. This contract* will be used for the work resulting from this RFP.

By submitting a proposal, you are willing to enter into a contract with the terms found in the Sample Contract. Exceptions to the legal terms are not allowed and may result in your proposal being rejected. The City does not negotiate legal terms prior to award.

*While the City strives to provide the most appropriate sample contracts, the City reserves the right to modify the form for any contract resulting from this RFP.

Affirmative Action Requirements for Contractors

City contractors must show they hire and promote employees equitably and make their best efforts to have a diverse workforce.

Affirmative Action Plan: Bidders with 15 or more employees that will earn $50,000 or more in total contracts with the City in the calendar year must file an Affirmative Action Plan (AA plan) with the City.

Submit your AA plan online using the form provided by the City. See the sample AA plan for “vendors and suppliers” at: https://www.cityofmadison.com/civil-rights/contract-compliance/affirmative-action-plan/vendors-suppliers

Exemptions: Bidders who have fewer than 15 employees or will earn less than $50,000 in total contracts with the City in the calendar year will be exempt from filing a full AA plan. You will need to fill out a request for exemption form. If you have 15 or more employees, you must complete an exemption form, provide some workforce statistics, and participate in the “RaISE” program.

Release of Payment: The City cannot make any payments under a contract until the Affirmative Action plan or request for exemption form are completed.

Referrals and Interviews for Sustainable Employment (RaISE) Program: The RaISE program is designed to match qualified people to employment.