2022-RFB-0130_Scope_of_Work.pdf

DETAILED REQUIREMENTS

Special Provisions

Scope of Services: Approximately 34,877 customer meters will be read monthly by the Contractor using either Sensus’ TouchRead® or manual read methods (less than 100 manual reads). Although

SCWA has deployed and uses other reading methods as Sensus’ RadioRead® and Flexnet™ systems, those associated meters is not a part of the Contractor’s work. Most of SCWA’s new customer meters will be read using the RadioRead® or Flexnet™ methods; however, some new

TouchRead® meters will also be installed.

Virtually all of SCWA’s customer meters are Sensus brand – with a few being Schlumberger-

Neptune brand. Customer meters to be read by the Contractor are located in seven different service areas, as shown in Appendix S – SCWA Zone 41 service areas. Customer types include residential, commercial, industrial, parks, streetscapes & medians and institutional. Table 1 below is a summary of the water meters in each of SCWA’s service areas. The number of meters in each service area is approximate and should be within ten percent of the actual count. The purpose of the table is to indicate only the magnitude of the work and will not be used for contractual purposes.

Table 1 - SCWA Meter Summary -- Current Number of Water Meters as of Nov. 2022

Billing Cycle Area Number of Meters

Cycle 1 Laguna 22331

Cycle 1 Northgate 271

Cycle 1 Arden Park Vista 95

Cycle 5 Vineyard 8770

Cycle 5 Mather/Sunrise 542

Cycle 5 Country Creek Estates 2308

Cycle 5 Grantline 110

Cycle 7 Sunrise/Douglas 450

TOTAL 34877

Cycle 1 = approximately 22697 meters

Cycle 5 = approximately 11730 meters

Cycle 7 = approximately 450 meters

The scope of services includes:

1. Design meter-reading routes so that meters are read in the same sequence every time and incorporate ongoing modifications to routes as needed, subject to SCWA review and approval.

2. Contractor shall provide all necessary personnel, training, equipment including vehicles and fuel, supervision, uniforms and all other staffing, materials and supplies to accurately read

SCWA’s meters on a timely basis per the Meter Reading Schedule shown below.

3. Two “meter read request” text files (billing cycles 1 & 5) will be provided by the County of

Sacramento’s Consolidated Utility Billing & Service (CUBS) to the Contractor on the 1st of each month. When the 1st falls on a weekend or a holiday, CUBS will provide the meter read request on the last working day prior to the 1st . The Contractor will provide the reads to CUBS by the 23rd of each month. When the 23rd falls on a weekend or holiday, the Contractor will provide the meter reads by the first working day following the 23rd.

4. The meters are grouped and read in three billing cycles. Billing cycle 1 group area is located on the West side of Hwy 99 and billing cycle 5 group area is located on the East side of Hwy

99. Billing cycle 7 is located in the vicinity of Sunrise Blvd & Douglas Blvd new developments.

Table 2 – Meter Reading Schedule

Meter Read Request

(CUBS)

Meter Reads

(Contractor)

Read Group Area

Jan 1 Jan 23 Cycles 1 & 5

Feb 1 Feb 23 Cycles 1 & 5

Mar 1 Mar 23 Cycles 1 & 5

Apr 1 Apr 23 Cycles 1 & 5

May 1 May 23 Cycles 1 & 5

Jun 1 Jun 23 Cycles 1 & 5

July 1 July 23 Cycles 1 & 5

Aug 1 Aug 23 Cycles 1 & 5

Sept 1 Sept 23 Cycles 1 & 5

Oct 1 Oct 23 Cycles 1 & 5

Nov 1 Nov 23 Cycles 1 & 5

Dec 1 Dec 23 Cycles 1 & 5

Jan-Dec The 7th of every month Cycle 7 (Temporary)

Each month CUBS will request reads for both billing cycles 1 & 5. Cycle 1 includes the Laguna, Arden Park and Northgate services areas and has a total of 22,697 meters. Cycle 5 includes the

Vineyard, Country Creek Estates, Mather/Sunrise and Grantline service areas and has a total of

11,730 meters.

Each month CUBS will request Cycle 7 in a temporary route due to supply shortage of endpoints

(AMI transceivers) located in the Sunrise/Douglas service area. The earliest to start on the 5th and no later than the 7th unless Weekends and/or Holidays fall on the 7th of each month TBD by

CUBS. Reads must be returned on 7th of each month.

5. Accept meter read request text files from CUBS and provide meter reading data in an electronic format acceptable to SCWA for integration into the CUBS billing and customer information system.

Requirements: Contractor must adhere to the following requirements, at a minimum.

1. Staffing: Provide sufficient trained personnel to perform services in accordance with the schedule and time constraints. Provide wages and benefits (health and welfare, vacation, holidays, pension, sick leave, etc.). Provide training, uniforms, transportation and other personnel requirements.

2. Scheduling: Schedule meter readings from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, unless otherwise agreed upon in writing. Design routes such that all water meters will be read per the schedule in Table 2. Please note that some meters are not in a neighborhood sequence and may be located several blocks apart. The approximate number of meters in each area is noted in Table 1 above.

The above numbers are approximations only, and will decrease over time. These are shown for planning purposes only.

3. Uniforms: Provide uniforms to all personnel performing on the contract. The type or style of uniform must meet SCWA’s approval. Uniforms shall be worn while on duty and shall be clean and neat in appearance.

4. Accuracy: Provide accurate readings – accuracy in readings is of paramount importance to

SCWA. Thus, Contractor shall keep accurate meter-reading records and shall expeditiously correct any error at Contractor’s expense. Contractor shall maintain a level of 99.9 percent accuracy or higher. Agreement may be terminated if Contractor fails to achieve or maintain this level of accuracy. Dummy reads or estimates are not to be made by Contractor. If

Contractor cannot provide a read due to extraordinary circumstances (meter/register failure, obstructed/covered meter box, missing meter, etc.), no meter read record shall be returned in the meter read file, and it should be reported on an exception report.

Any meter that cannot be read or has bad data in the meter read request file, should be reported to CUBS at the same time when meter reads are provided. The Contractor shall contact SCWA in writing and/or provide a capability to easily report, coordinate, and resolve any meter reading issues.

5. Data Exchange: SCWA will continue to use the CUBS billing system for metered billing processing, with electronic meter read data provided by Contractor. The Contractor must provide electronic meter read data to CUBS by the 23rd of each month. In addition to Cycle 7 temporary route, electronic meter reads must be delivered by the 7th of each month unless it falls on a weekend/Holiday. The meter read request file format supplied by CUBS to the

Contractor is a plain flat ASCII text file. The meter read file format supplied back to CUBS by Contractor shall be a plain flat ASCII text file. Any changes to the file format(s) must be coordinated and agreed upon by SCWA and CUBS.

The contractor is required to provide a web-based interface for CUBS to upload and download meter reading data, for field staff to access wirelessly and for CUBS and field staff to access meter reading reports.

6. Insurance: Without limiting Contractor’s indemnification, Contractor shall maintain in force at all times during the term of this Agreement and any extensions or modifications thereto, insurance as specified in the section entitled Insurance Requirements for Contractors contained herein. It is understood and agreed that SCWA shall not pay any sum to Contractor under this

Agreement unless and until SCWA is satisfied that all insurance required by this Agreement is in force at the time services hereunder are rendered.

General Information: The Sacramento County Water Agency was created in 1952 by the State of California through passage of the Sacramento County Water Agency Act. SCWA is governed by a Board of Directors and is financially operated as a separate enterprise fund by the County of

Sacramento. The County of Sacramento’s Water Resources Department provides SCWA’s engineering, administrative, maintenance and operation support services. SCWA’s website is:

http://www.waterresources.saccounty.net/scwa/Pages/default.aspx.

In the future, SCWA intends to retrofit meters currently read via TouchRead® with Flexnet™ or its future equivalent. When this occurs, the quantity of meters to be read via TouchRead® will be reduced. SCWA has no specific plan or schedule to accomplish this task.

Your primary SCWA contacts during the contract period will be as follows:

SCWA Contacts:

Darrell Eck, Sr. Civil Engineer (916) 874-5039 eckd@saccounty.gov

Kellie Eng, Supervising Engineering

Technician

(916) 875-4916 engk@saccounty.gov

Note: For questions about the scope and detailed requirements during the RFB process, please submit them online at www.OpenGov.com under Sacramento County’s 2022-RFB-0130. Rodger

A. Kuchik is the Senior Contract Services Officer facilitating the RFB and ensuing contract award.

Contract Period: The contract period will be for a maximum period of six years. The initial term will be for two years, from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2025. To promote efficiency and economy, SCWA reserves the right to extend the contract period for two (2) additional two-year periods, commencing July 1, 2025 and July 1, 2027.

Unit Price: The unit price shall be a total cost for one (1) meter reading. Specifically, it shall include all necessary personnel, supervision, training, uniforms, equipment including vehicles, travel, fuel, electronic reporting of meter readings to CUBS, materials, supplies, and any applicable sales tax.

Enter your unit price for two-year increments in Appendix I – Vendor Price Proposal, as follows:

· Initial Term, from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2025;

· First Renewal Period, from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2027 and,

· Second Renewal Period, from July 1, 2027 to June30, 2029.

Your unit price(s) as entered in Vendor Price Table shall remain “firm” for each of those two-year periods, in their entirety.

http://www.waterresources.saccounty.net/scwa/Pages/default.aspx mailto:engk@saccounty.

http://www.opengov.com/

Labor: All workmanship shall be first class throughout and only experienced qualified journeymen shall be employed under proper capable supervision.

Pursuant to California Labor Code Division 2, Part 7, Chapter 1, Articles 1 and 3, eight (8) hour's labor shall constitute a legal day's work, and no worker in the employment of Contractor or any

Subcontractor, doing or contracting to do any part of the work contemplated by this Agreement, shall be required or permitted to work more than eight (8) hours in any one calendar day or forty (40) hours during any one calendar week, except as provided in Section 1815 of the California Labor Code.

Reference: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=lab&group=01001-

02000&file=1810-1815.

Supervision: Contractor shall provide a competent foreman to oversee and monitor the contract work. Such person shall have the authority and commitment to act in the SCWA’s best interest.

Subcontracting: Contractor may subcontract portion(s) of the work, as long as Contractor retains the bulk of the work. Any subcontracting will be solely between Contractor and its subcontractor(s). Contractor will remain responsible for all work performed under this Agreement, as though Contractor performed all the work. Additionally, Contractor shall remain the sole agent dealing with SCWA.

Subcontracting is subject to prior approval from SCWA.

Liquidated Damage: Notwithstanding, Contractor must provide the monthly electronic meter-read data to CUBS by the 23rd of each month. When the 23rd falls on a weekend or holiday, Contractor must provide the meter reads by the first working day following the 23rd day of the month. Providing meter reads beyond these dates shall constitute a lack of timeliness. Contractor agrees that if Contractor fails to maintain a satisfactory level of quality control and timeliness of services, the County will sustain damages. Moreover, since it is and will be extremely difficult and impractical to determine actual damages that may be sustained by the County, it shall be agreed that the County may make monetary deductions to reflect the reduced value of services performed, as follows:

1. Five percent (10%) reduction for services performed one (1) day late

2. Twenty percent (20%) reduction for services performed two (2) days late

3. Fifty percent (50%) for services performed more than three (3) days late

4. No charge if past deadlines for due dates.

Note: Contractor will not be held responsible for delays caused by the County, i.e., incomplete or unreadable meter read request file from CUBS, etc. Contractor must immediately notify the

County upon receiving an incomplete or unreadable meter read request file. Liquidated damages and timeframes shall not apply until such time as a complete and readable meter read request file has been provided by the County to the Contractor.

Payment of Damages: In the event Contractor becomes liable for damages, County, in addition to all other remedies provided by law, shall have the right to withhold any and all payments from which http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=lab&group=01001-02000&file=1810-1815 http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=lab&group=01001-02000&file=1810-1815 would otherwise be or become due to Contractor until the liability of Contractor is finally determined.

County shall have the right to use and apply such payments, in whole or in part, to reimburse the

County for all damages due or to become due to the County. Any remaining balance of such payments shall be paid to Contractor only after discharge in full of all liability incurred by Contractor under this section or otherwise. If the sum so retained by County is not sufficient to discharge all such liabilities of Contractor, Contractor shall continue to remain liable to the County until all such liabilities are satisfied in full. No failure by County to withhold any payment as specified shall in any manner be construed to constitute a waiver to any right to damages or any right to any such sum.

Work on County Premises: Except for those risks inherent in the contracted work, SCWA agrees to provide Contractor and its employees a safe working environment for any work that must be undertaken on premises owned or leased by SCWA. While Contractor's employees are on SCWA's premises, Contractor shall maintain strict work discipline and performs its work in compliance with governmental laws and occupational health and safety regulations.

Protection of Property: Contractor shall take every precaution to protect all public and private property while on the job. Any damage to existing facility or property caused by Contractor's personnel or equipment shall or will be promptly repaired to the condition existing before the damage or be replaced. All costs for such repairs or replacements shall solely be the responsibility of the

Contractor.

Inspection of Services: All services, including labor, facilities, equipment and materials furnished or utilized in the performance of services shall be subject to inspection and test by SCWA to the extent practicable, at all times and places during the term of the Agreement. All inspections by

SCWA shall be made in such a manner as not to unduly delay the work.

Standards of Conduct: Contractor shall be responsible for maintaining satisfactory standards of employee competency, conduct, appearance, and integrity and shall be responsible for taking such disciplinary action with respect to his/her employees as may be necessary. In addition, Contractor and crew shall always be courteous, cooperative and professional toward SCWA representatives and the public in the course of their work. All assignments and problems shall be handled promptly and professionally to the satisfaction of SCWA and its customers.

Correspondence: Contractor or his/her designated officer shall respond to all inquiries and complaints expeditiously in a professional and respectful manner. Correspondence shall be on the

Contractor's official stationery. The Senior Contract Services Officer, Tom Lee, shall receive a copy of all correspondence.

Time of Completion: Time is of the essence on this Agreement. Contractor shall complete all work called for within the time frames set forth by SCWA and CUBS.

Terms and Conditions

Changes to Bid: The County retains the right to negotiate changes in a bid by any offeror, and/or to reject any or all bids if none of the submittals are responsive to the County’s needs.

Public Record: All bids become the property of the County. Accepted bids and subsequent awards will become public records. Proprietary information must be clearly marked as such. Pricing and service elements of the successful bid will not be considered proprietary information.

Estimated Quantities: Quantities (or expenditures) shown are merely estimates. The County does not guarantee to purchase a minimum quantity, nor any remaining products, materials and supplies acquired by Contractor in support of the contract.

Terms of Sale: Terms of sale may include a cash discount; however, a minimum of “Net 30 days” will be required for this RFB/award.

Minimum Order Requirements: Minimum order or other restrictions must be clearly indicated in your bid response. Nevertheless, the County may reject high minimum order requirements.

Exceptions will only be made if space is available and savings warrant it.

Confidential Information: All information and processes made available to Contractor by County shall be kept confidential.

Health and Safety: Contractor shall plan and conduct the work to comply with applicable federal, state, and local government applicable rules, regulations, codes, and ordinances to adequately safeguard persons and property from injury. Contractor shall direct the performance of the work in compliance with reasonable safety regulations and work practices, and with applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules, and regulations including but not limited to "Occupational Safety and

Health Standards" promulgated by the U.S. Secretary of Labor, and Safety Orders of the California

Division of Industrial Relations and Cal-OSHA (California-Occupational Safety and Health

Administration).

Toll-free Telephone Number: In the event the successful Contractor’s place of business is located out of the local telephone dialing area of 916, a toll-free telephone number shall be provided or

Contractor shall agree to accept collect calls from the County.

Changes: The County shall retain the right to implement changes as necessary to uphold the original intent of the contract. This includes adding or deleting line items, as well as adjusting unit prices on the contract. Such changes shall not void the contract, but shall be added to or be deducted from the contract, as the case may be, by a fair and reasonable valuation – subject to the mutual agreement of the parties.

Public Safety: Contractor shall erect such warning and directional signs as may be necessary for public safety.

General Liability of Contractor: Except as otherwise noted, Contractor shall furnish all labor, supervision, travel, equipment, tools, materials, supplies, tax and permits, if applicable, necessary for and incidental to fully perform and complete the work in the time and manner required. The mention of any specific duty or liability of Contractor shall not be construed as a limitation or restriction of any general liability or duty of Contractor and, any reference to any specific duty or liability shall be construed to be for the purpose of explanation only.

Drug-free Workplace: In submitting a Request for Quotation/Bid/Proposal, Contractor certifies that its place of business provides a drug-free workplace and has:

1. Published a “Drug-free Workplace: statement notifying employees that the manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession or use of a controlled substance or other unlawful drug or alcohol is prohibited in the Contractor’s workplace and specified the actions that will be taken against employees for violations of such prohibition.

2. Established a Drug-free Awareness Program to inform employees about:

a. The dangers of drug and alcohol abuse in the workplace.

b. The Contractor’s policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace.

c. Any available drug counseling, rehabilitation, and employee assistance program.

d. Penalties that may be imposed upon employees for drug and alcohol abuse violations occurring in the workplace.

3. Notified employees that as a condition of employment, employees will be expected to abide by terms of the statement and be given an individual copy of the Contractor’s “Drug-free

Workplace” statement.

Nondiscrimination in Employment, Services, Benefits and Facilities:

1. Contractor agrees and assures County that Contractor and any subcontractors will comply with all applicable federal, state, and local anti-discrimination laws, regulations, and ordinances and to not unlawfully discriminate, harass, or allow harassment against any employee, applicant for employment, employee or agent of the County, or recipient of services contemplated to be provided or provided under this Agreement, because of race, ancestry, marital status, color, religious creed, political belief, national origin, ethnic group identification, sex, sexual orientation, age (over 40), mental condition (including HIV and AIDS), or physical or mental disability. Contractor shall ensure that the evaluation and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment, the treatment of County employees and agents, and recipients of services are free from such discrimination and harassment.

2. Contractor represents that it is in compliance with and agrees that it will continue to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act § 12101 et seq. and regulations and guidelines issued pursuant thereto.

3. Contractor agrees to compile data, maintain records and submit reports to permit effective enforcement of applicable anti-discrimination laws and this provision.

4. Contractor shall include this nondiscrimination provision in all subcontracts related to this

Agreement.

Felony Prohibition: Contractor shall not permit any employee who has been convicted of a felony to perform on the contract. The County reserves the right to review the personal background and conduct security clearances on the contractor’s assigned personnel. Upon the County’s request, Contractor shall provide names of all persons who may be assigned to do the work on the contract for the purpose of completing a criminal background check. The following information shall be provided with each name to the County: date of birth, Social Security number, California driver’s license number, and current address.

Invoicing:

Send or e-mail invoices to the ordering departments’ bill-to addresses. For this contract, send invoices to:

Water Resources/Sacramento County Water Agency

WR Accounts Payable

827 7th Street

Sacramento, CA 95814

Email: WRAP@saccounty.gov

Sacramento County Water Agency

Attention: Kellie Eng, Supervising Engineering Technician

10151 Florin Rd

Sacramento CA 95829-9336

Email: engk@saccounty.gov

Each invoice shall contain a minimum of the following information: invoice number and date;

remittance address; "bill to" and "ship to" addresses; contract shipping order number (CSO#);

quantities; item descriptions, unit prices and extensions; applicable sales/use tax; and an invoice total.

Before supplying any goods or services to the County, the vendor must obtain a CSO number from the ordering department. A CSO is an authorized release (Purchase Order) against the contract and shall be provided in written form. “Verbal” orders are not acceptable. For a CSO to be considered valid, it must be within the scope of this contract and be consistent with its pricing, terms and conditions. The CSO number must be referenced on all documents related to the order (packing slips, invoices, etc.). Failure to obtain a CSO and reference its number may result in the delay or non-payment of the invoice.

Invoice shall be rendered monthly in arrears.

Invoice discrepancies shall be handled in a professional, courteous, and expeditious manner.

In the State of California, government agencies are not allowed to pay excess interest and late charges. Pursuant to Government Code, Section 926.10, interest or late charges shall not exceed six percent per annum. Such charges commence the 61st day from the receipt date of the original undisputed invoice.

mailto:WRAP@saccounty.gov mailto:engk@saccounty.