223087 RFP.pdf

City Manager’s Office

Government Relations

Services

RFP NUMBER: 223087

CLOSING DATE: August 26, 2022 AT 4:00 PM (LOCAL TIME)

Page 1 Request for Proposal

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) NUMBER: 223087

City Manager’s office

Government Relations Services

INTRODUCTION

The City of Salem, hereinafter referred to as “City”, is seeking proposals from qualified consultants to provide government relations services. Services may include providing advice and counsel relative to governmental issues affecting the City and participating in regulatory and legislative processes on the City’s behalf..

Proposals will be received until, but not after 4:00 p.m. (local time), August 26, 2022. Proposals will only be accepted electronically through Equity Hub’s Bid Locker.

Completed proposals must arrive electronically via Equity Hub’s Bid Locker at https://bidlocker.us/a/salem_or/BidLocker. The City will not accept proposals submitted in any other manner.

NO LATE PROPOSALS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Your proposal must be uploaded prior to the Closing Date and Time. The City strongly recommends that you give yourself sufficient time and at least ONE (1) day before the closing date and time to begin the uploading process and to finalize your submission. The City accepts no responsibility for non-receipt and/or delays in receipt caused by transmission and reception problems, equipment failure, or any other similar cause. Each Proposal is instantly sealed and will only be visible to the City after the closing date and time. Uploading large documents may take significant time, depending on the size of the file(s) and your internet connection speed. You will receive an email confirmation receipt once you finalize your submission.

Supported web browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Vivaldi.

Need Help?

Please contact Equity Hub at help@equityhub.us or (267) 225-1407 for technical questions related to your submission.

The Vendor Guide for Bid Locker can be found at Vendor Guide for Bid Locker.

Prospective proposers may obtain these solicitation documents by registering on the OregonBuys website and downloading them. Proposers shall consult the OregonBuys system regularly until closing date and time to avoid missing any notices. To register on OregonBuys go to https://oregonbuys.gov. The City shall advertise all Addenda on OregonBuys. Prospective proposers are solely responsible for checking OregonBuys to determine whether or not any

Addenda have been issued. RFP documents will not be mailed to prospective proposers.

https://bidlocker.us/a/salem_or/BidLocker mailto:help@equityhub.us https://bidlocker.us/files/Bid%20Locker%20Vendor%20Guide%20-%20Nov%202020.pdf

Page 2 Request for Proposal

Any objections to or comments upon the RFP specifications must be submitted in writing to the office of the Contracts and Procurement Manager, by email sself@cityofsalem.net.

They must be received no later than August 16, 2022 at 5:00 PM (local time).

Proposals received will be held confidential until a recommendation for award has been approved by the Department Director. Thereafter, all Proposals will be available for public inspection by submitting a Public Records Request through the City Recorders Office

(https://www.cityofsalem.net/Pages/public-records-request.aspx).

The City will be the sole judge in determining award of Agreement and reserves the right to reject all Proposals.

Human Rights: It is the express policy of the City that no person shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity on the grounds of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, marital status, familial status or domestic partnership, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or source of income as provided by Salem Revised Code Chapter 97, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other federal nondiscrimination laws. The City’s complete Title

VI Plan may be viewed at https://www.cityofsalem.net/Pages/equity-and-accessibility.aspx.

Proposer agrees to comply with all applicable requirements of federal, state, and local civil rights and rehabilitation statutes, rules, and regulations if awarded an agreement by the City.

Solicitations for Subcontracts, Including Procurements of Materials and Equipment: In all solicitations, either by competitive bidding or negotiation made by the successful proposer for work to be performed under a subcontract, including procurements of materials or leases of equipment, each potential subcontractor or supplier shall be notified by the successful proposer of the successful proposer’s obligations under this Agreement and the Salem Revised Code Chapter

97, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other federal nondiscrimination laws.

The City is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.

Questions regarding the City’s RFP process may be addressed to Shawna Self, CPPB, Contracts and Procurement Manager, who may be reached at (503) 588-6445 or by email at sself@cityofsalem.net during City business hours.

The City operates and maintains Americans with Disabilities Act compliant facilities.

Reasonable accommodations are available upon request.

Shawna Self, CPPB, Manager

Contracts and Procurement

FIRST DATE OF SOLICITATION: August 4, 2022

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NUMBER: 223087

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL CLOSING: August 26, 2022 at 4:00 pm (Local Time) mailto:sself@cityofsalem.net

Page 3 Request for Proposal

RFP #223087

City Manager’s Office

Government Relations Services

The City of Salem (“City”) is a municipal corporation serving a community with a population of approximately 177,600. It is the capital of the State of Oregon and the county seat of Marion

County. The City has a Council-Manager form of government with an elected mayor and council.

The City has approximately 1,300 employees and nine operating departments (listed below).

City Manager Legal Fire

Enterprise Services Police

Community Development Public Works

Urban Development Finance

SECTION 1: BACKGROUND

The City of Salem contracts for government relations services. For each legislative session, the

City Council’s Legislative Committee recommends, and City Council considers a set of legislative policy statements to provide guidance to public officials and the City's contracted lobbyist in responding to and formulating positions on issues expected to come before the Oregon Legislature and positioned the City to respond more expeditiously to moving legislation. The statements address broad topics of economic development, financing and revenue, human resources, telecommunications, public safety, land use and the environment.

During each Session, the Committee and the City’s contracted lobbyist, analyze and track pieces of priority legislation during the session. Bills determined to be of significant interest by the City

Council’s Legislative Committee were recommended to Council for adoption as a 1 or 2 priority based on the following assessment: (1) Very High Priority - Major fiscal or policy impact. Mayor, councilors, and/or staff should work to support or oppose the bill. (2) High Priority - Moderate

Impact. Staff should be involved in supporting or opposing the bill.

Also, in preparation for each Session, the Committee recommends to the City Council a set of top priorities to secure funding and fix legislative policy issues. A staff group representing the City’s functional areas, programs, and services supports the Committee and the contractor.

SECTION 2: SCOPE OF REQUESTED SERVICES

The City is seeking qualified consultants to provide government relations services on behalf of the City. Such services include, but are not limited to:

2.1 Providing strategic and tactical advice and counsel relative to governmental issues affecting the City. Common issue areas include, but are not limited to, local control, land use, urban development and redevelopment, public safety, collective bargaining and staff scheduling, public contracting, transportation, homelessness, affordable housing, behavioral health, environment, tax credits, economic development, and state funding.

2.2 Assisting the City in identifying key bills and priority issues and tracking the status of priority legislation throughout the legislative process using BillTracker, myCM3, or similar software to track legislation and Salem’s established legislative policy statements, adopted

Page 4 Request for Proposal annually by the City Council.

2.3 Assisting the City in developing and sustaining long-term substantive relationships with state elected and appointed officials. Communicate the City’s position on key issues and priority bills to elected and appointed officials.

2.4 Advocating on behalf of the City before various state regulatory and legislative bodies and conducting issue management as needed preparatory to such activities.

2.5 Facilitating meetings for City officials with various state elected and appointed officials.

2.6 Developing and sustaining good working relations with key City staff and elected officials, in particular the City Council Legislative Subcommittee and staff liaisons to the

Subcommittee. During legislative session, participating in bi-monthly discussions with the

City Council Legislative Subcommittee and in bi-monthly discussions with staff liaisons to the Subcommittee.

2.7 Assisting the City in pursuing and securing state and local governmental program and discretionary funding, particularly for public infrastructure, economic development and financing programs.

2.8 Understanding City issues and needs sufficiently to assisting the City in advancing City positions, priorities, and projects.

2.9 Successful Proposer shall not directly or indirectly participate in or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any City-related initiative, referendum or recall petition, measure or candidate. (This restriction does not prohibit successful

Proposer from assisting City in providing only impartial, factual information related to an initiative, referendum or recall petition, measure or candidate).

2.10 Successful Proposer shall provide the City with a complete and updated client list during the term of any contract resulting from this procurement.

Page 5 Request for Proposal

SECTION 3: PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS

Organization of the Proposal

Proposers must organize and present their proposal materials in the same order as presented below, and include page numbers. Proposals received without following this format, or received after the deadline and stated place of delivery, may be rejected as non-responsive.

A. Cover Letter: A cover letter indicating the proposer’s understanding and compliance of the services as specified in the Section 2, Scope of Requested Services, to be performed and the approach to provide these services to meet the needs of the City.

Signatory of this letter shall be authorized to contractually bind you to a contract with the City. Include the name of the proposer, the location of proposer’s headquarter office and, if applicable, the location of proposer’s local office in Oregon. State that your firm has a minimum of five (5) legislative session experience representing a local government in Oregon. Include your company name, address, phone number, and email address.

B. Organization Structure and Approach to this Project: Brief summary of your organization, structure, and size. Specifically include a brief description of your available in-house areas of expertise. Indicate which of your staff will be assigned to this project. Indicate the amount and/or type of project support anticipated to be provided by various employees. Identify the level and nature of support anticipated from City staff. Describe your approach to the project.

Relationships

A summary of how you presently have, and in the future plan to maintain:

a) A positive, bi-partisan relationship with legislators and their staffs;

b) A history of substantive contact with state and federal regulatory offices of interest to the City; and

c) An effective working relationship with the state and national organizations and interest groups that affect the City’s interests (e.g., the League of Oregon Cities and the National League of Cities).

d) Coordination and effective working relationship with key staff of an organization.

Conflicts of interest

A list of current clients. Describe how your firm handles actual and potential conflicts of interests between clients. Include in your description information about how your firm handles these situations:

a) One client opposes a particular piece of legislation; another client supports it.

For example, a bill is coming up for hearing. Both clients want your help to

Page 6 Request for Proposal prepare testimony for the upcoming hearing: one in support of the bill, the other in opposition.

b) One client generally supports a policy; another client generally opposes the same policy. For example, one client is generally in support of the concept of an urban growth boundary, another client opposes the concept. Both clients want your help in advancing their economic development interests.

c) One client provides information to you that would be helpful for another client to know. Under what circumstances (if any) do you share the information with the second client?

C. Key Personnel:

Identity, by name and title, the key staff members who will be assigned to work with the City, if the City awards the proposer the contract contemplated by the RFP.

Key staff members are those people who provide substantive work for the City.

Provide a biography for each identified key staff person. Biography must include, but need to be limited to, a description of the education, qualifications, experience, and training of each key staff person. The description would likely include information about the key staff person’s work history, range of duties, project management history, and key responsibilities on previous projects. Identify the location where the key staff member typically works (e.g. Portland, Oregon; Salem, Oregon). (The requested key staff member information may be provided in a resume-type format.)

D. Experience:

Provide the following:

a) Current Oregon-based governmental clients. A list of current clients that are

Oregon-based governmental entities.

b) Past governmental clients similar to Salem. A list of any governmental entity clients over the past five (5) years (whether Oregon based or not) that are municipalities or other local governmental entities similar in size and complexity to the City of Salem for whom you have provided state or federal governmental relational services. Provide contact information (address, email, and telephone number) for each listed entity. Describe the type of services provided in connection with the previous assignments and include references to specific legislation which may have been prepared on behalf of a client and its outcome.

c) Scope and depth of expertise. A description of the expertise and recent experience you have in the areas of local control, land use, urban development and redevelopment, public safety, collective bargaining, public contracting, transportation, housing, environment, tax credits, economic development, and

Page 7 Request for Proposal state funding.

E. Fee Proposal: Submit a cost proposal for the services described under the Section 2:

Scope of Requested Services. The cost proposal can be based on any desired pricing model, including, without limitation: (i) services provided on retainer or for a flat fee,

(ii) services provided on an hourly basis, (iii) services provided on a combination of a retainer, flat fee or hourly rate, or (iv) some other method of payment.

In any event, provide sufficient information to allow the City to estimate total annual contract price for both years with short and regular sessions. To this end, please comply with the following requirements when preparing the cost proposal:

a) If some or all services will be provided on a retainer or flat fee basis, identify the services so provided and state who will perform the services.

b) If some or all services will be provided at an hourly rate, identify each of those services and provide the hourly rate for each key staff person available to perform the service.

c) Identify how travel and entertainment expenses (travel, meals and lodging) are billed and any reimbursement limits placed on such expenses.

d) Identify any other anticipated expenses, direct or indirect, that affect cost. Provide sufficient information about such additional expenses so that the City may estimate the annual cost of such other additional expenses.

F. References: A list of clients with telephone numbers and email addresses that may be contacted for three to five projects performed within the last five years by your firm or by the individuals that are closely related to those described in Section 2: Scope of

Requested Services.

Page 8 Request for Proposal

SECTION 4 PROPOSAL EVALUATION CRITERIA AND SELECTION PROCESS

4.1 Evaluation Criteria

Although cost of services is important, the City will not necessarily select the lowest cost proposal for the award. The City reserves the right to award a contract based on initial proposal submittals or, at the sole discretion of the City, to conduct interviews with any or all of the proposers. The City reserves the right to conduct interviews, or ask follow-up questions, if they are necessary based on the City’s sole determination. If interviews/follow-up questions are conducted, the Proposers selected will be notified by the City’s Contract

Administrator, at least five (5) business days in advance, and the following shall apply:

• The number of Proposers selected for interviews/follow-up questions is at the sole discretion of the selection committee.

• A minimum of three (3) evaluators shall score the interviews/follow-up questions.

• Interview/follow-up question scores (up to a maximum of 20 points) will be combined with the other criteria scores to obtain a total score. The total score will be ranked to determine the apparent successful Proposer.

• Interviews normally require physical attendance at City offices; however, the City may elect to conduct interviews via teleconference. Further details will be included with notification of time and date of interviews, if conducted.

Neither the City, nor its agents, shall be responsible for any costs incurred by any Proposer as a result of preparing a Proposal or presentation in response to this RFP.

However, the Proposal Selection Committee members may use the interview process as an opportunity to adjust their original proposal scores to reflect any additional understanding of proposals that they derived from the interviews. In addition to submitted proposal information, the City reserves the right to use any information that it is aware of, independent of the submitted proposals, in determining consideration of contract award.

The City will not pay for any costs incurred by proposer in responding to this RFP to include costs to the proposer to conduct interviews and presentations.

The evaluation criteria to be used for this RFP are summarized below:

A. Cover Letter (Pass/Fail). Failure to provide all the information requested in 3.A will result in a Fail. Your proposal would be considered non-responsive and would not be considered for further evaluation.

B. Organization Structure and Approach to this Project. 20 points out of 100 points may be awarded for Organization Structure and Approach to this Project.

Page 9 Request for Proposal

Proposers will be evaluated on their approach to this Project. Proposers will also be evaluated on their ability to provide internal quality control. The City will also review and evaluate the level of anticipated involvement from various staff members, by name and/or title, and the roles each would be expected to serve in project completion.

C. Key Personnel. 25 points out of 100 points may be awarded for Key Personnel

Staff.

Proposers will be evaluated based on the training and experience of their employees. The City seeks proposals from technical experts in the field who have prepared similar work products for local governments. Qualifications and experiences of individual staff members are relevant only in cases where the staff is anticipated to be directly involved in this Project.

D. Experience. 10 points out of 100 points may be awarded for Experience.

Proposers must have a minimum of five (5) legislative session experience representing a governmental organization in Oregon. Proposers must be able to identify any potential conflicts with current clients and clearly articulate how the conflicts will be managed to mitigate the proposer’s ability to fully represent the

City.

E. Fee Proposal. 30 points out of 100 points may be awarded for Fee Proposal.

Points will be based on a comparison ratio between proposals received.

Score = lowest proposed fee / proposed fee * 30 points. Please be sure your pricing proposal is as detailed as possible.

F. References. 15 points out of 100 points may be awarded for References.

Note: Additional references may be sought out by the evaluation committee to include, but not limited to, City staff and other governmental agencies.

Proposer must list at least three (3) references. References will be evaluated based on the similarity of work completed to the work required based on this RFP as well as the reference’s evaluation of the quality of the work performed. An outstanding recommendation for less relevant work products may not score as well as a positive recommendation on directly related work.

Evaluation Criteria Maximum Points

Cover letter Pass/Fail

Organization Structure and Approach to this Project 20

Key Personnel 25

Experience 10

Fee Proposal 30

References 15

Total Maximum Points Possible 100

Page 10 Request for Proposal

4.2 Selection Process

An RFP Selection Committee will be appointed by the City to evaluate and rank all qualifying proposals received by the closing date. Interviews/oral presentations may be conducted with the top ranked proposers. Those proposers selected for interviews/oral presentations will be notified by the City. If no acceptable arrangements can be made, negotiations with the next highest ranked proposer will occur.

The successful proposer will be required to complete an Agreement in the form of a

Personal Services Agreement (sample included in Appendix A), which will incorporate this RFP and proposer’s response as a part of the Agreement.

Page 11 Request for Proposal

SECTION 5: INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS TO PROPOSERS

This section contains administrative and procedural information and instructions for preparation and submittal of the proposal. Note: This RFP process offers several opportunities for prospective proposers to submit formal protests. Filing a protest with the

City requires submitting $500.00 with the formal written protest. Prospective proposers and proposers wishing to submit objections to or comments on RFP specifications of a non-protest nature, must submit them in writing to the office of the Contracts &

Procurement, by email sself@cityofsalem.net. They must be received no later than August

16, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. (local time). There is no fee for filing objections to or comments on

RFP specifications of this non-protest nature.

5.1 Anticipated Schedule (subject to change)

August 4, 2022 ............................................................................... Begin RFP Solicitation

August 16, 2022 at 5:00 PM (local time) ............................. Questions/Clarifications Due

August 26, 2022 at 4:00 PM (local time) .............................................. RFP Closing Date

October/November 2022 ........................................ Notice of Intent to Award Agreement

November 2022 ...................................................... Agreement Award (Anticipated Date)

January 1, 2023 ...................................................................................... Notice to Proceed

5.2 Qualification Requirements

Each proposer shall respond to the proposal requirements as presented in Section 3, Proposal Submittal Requirements, of this RFP. Proposals received without the required information may be rejected as being non-responsive.

The City shall have the right to disqualify any proposal as a result of the information gathered in its research.

5.3 Pre-Proposal Interpretation of RFP and Requested Changes

Technical questions relating to the requirement and scope of services of this RFP and/or the RFP process should be directed in writing to the Contracts and Procurement Manager, Contracts and Procurement, by email: sself@cityofsalem.net.

Any clarification or interpretation of the proposal documents will be made only by written notification. The City is not responsible for any explanation, clarification, or interpretation given in any manner except by written notification.

Any person who contemplates submitting a proposal in response to this RFP and who wishes to have the City consider a change in any part of this RFP shall submit to the

Contracts and Procurement Manager of the City of Salem a written request for a change or substitution no later than 5:00 p.m. (local time), August 16, 2022. The request shall include the proposed change and the reason for the change. Protest against award based on the scope of services or other content of this RFP will not be considered after this time.

Changes to this RFP document shall only be by written addenda.

A copy of any written clarification, interpretation and addendum will be posted on

OregonBuys.

Page 12 Request for Proposal

5.4 Protest of Solicitation Document and the Procurement Process

A prospective proposer may protest the procurement process or the solicitation document for an Agreement. A prospective proposer must deliver a written protest to the Contracts and Procurement Manager (email: sself@cityofsalem.net) no later than 5:00 p.m. (local time), August 16, 2022. The prospective proposers shall indicate the reasons for the disagreement through a written protest and shall include a statement of the desired changes to the procurement process or the solicitation document that the prospective proposer believes will remedy the conditions upon which the prospective proposer based its protest.

The written protest must be submitted with a certified check or cashier's check in the amount of $500.00 to cover the costs of processing the protest. The check shall be submitted via USPS, UPS, or FedEx.

5.5 Execution of the Proposal

The proposal shall be executed in the name of the proposer followed by the signature of the officer authorized to sign for the printed or typewritten designation of the office held.

If the proposal is made by a partnership, it shall be executed in the name of the partnership followed by the signature of an authorized partner.

If the proposal is made by a Limited Liability Company (LLC), it shall be executed in the name of the LLC followed by the signature of the authorized member(s) or manager(s) authorized to sign for the LLC and the printed or typewritten designation of the office held in the LLC.

If the proposal is made by a corporation, it shall be executed in the name of the corporation followed by the signature of the officer authorized to sign for the corporation and the printed or typewritten designation of the office they hold in the corporation.

If the proposal is made by a joint venture, it shall be executed by each participant of the joint venture.

5.6 Submission of Proposal

Proposals will be received until, but not after 4:00 p.m. (local time), August 26, 2022.

Proposals will only be accepted electronically through Equity Hub’s Bid Locker.

Completed proposals must arrive electronically via Equity Hub’s Bid Locker at https://bidlocker.us/a/salem_or/BidLocker. The City will not accept proposals submitted in any other manner.

NO LATE PROPOSALS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Your proposal must be uploaded prior to the Closing Date and Time. The City strongly recommends that you give yourself sufficient time and at least ONE (1) day before the closing date and time to begin the uploading process and to finalize your submission. The

City accepts no responsibility for non-receipt and/or delays in receipt caused by transmission and reception problems, equipment failure, or any other similar cause. Each https://bidlocker.us/a/salem_or/BidLocker

Page 13 Request for Proposal

Proposal is instantly sealed and will only be visible to the City after the closing date and time. Uploading large documents may take significant time, depending on the size of the file(s) and your internet connection speed. You will receive an email confirmation receipt once you finalize your submission.

Supported web browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Vivaldi.

Need Help?

Please contact Equity Hub at help@equityhub.us or (267) 225-1407 for technical questions related to your submission.

The Vendor Guide for Bid Locker can be found at Vendor Guide for Bid Locker.

5.7 Response Date

Delivery in the manner stated herein and completeness of submittals as required by this

RFP shall be solely the responsibility of the proposer(s). Submission of proposals or additional information offered after the closing date and time shall not be accepted or considered.

5.8 Withdrawal of Proposal

Proposer(s) may withdraw their proposal, by written notice submitted on the proposer's letterhead, signed by the proposer's authorized representative, delivered to the Contracts and Procurement Office by email at contracts@cityofsalem.net. To be effective, the withdrawal must be received prior to closing date and time. The proposer shall mark a written request to withdraw its proposal as follows: “Proposal Withdrawal - RFP #223087.”

5.9 Notice to Proceed

The successful proposer(s) may be given ten (10) calendar days to execute the Agreement and return it to the City. Contractual work may not begin until the notice to proceed has been issued. The notice to proceed will be issued after execution of the Agreements by the

City. The notice to proceed will authorize commencement of the work based on the

Agreement.

5.10 Rights of City to Award or Reject Proposals

This RFP does not commit the City to award or enter into an Agreement. Under no circumstances will the City pay the costs incurred in the preparation of a response to this

RFP. The City reserves the right to:

• Accept or reject any or all proposals or any portion thereof received as a result of this

RFP.

• Negotiate with any proposer(s).

• Accept a proposal and subsequent offers for Agreement from other than the lowest cost proposed.

• Waive any immaterial defects and irregularities in proposals and to waive or modify any irregularities in proposals received, after prior notification to the proposer(s).

mailto:help@equityhub.us https://bidlocker.us/files/Bid%20Locker%20Vendor%20Guide%20-%20Nov%202020.pdf

Page 14 Request for Proposal

• In determining the most responsive proposer, take into consideration any or all information supplied by the proposer in the proposal and the City’s investigation into the experience of the proposer. In addition, the City may accept or reject proposals based on minor variations from the stated scope of services and when such action is deemed to be in the City’s best interest.

• Negotiate a final scope and price with the selected proposer that may differ in some respects from this RFP.

• To seek clarifications of each proposal.

• If proposer chooses to participate in negotiations, they may be asked to submit additional information, or other revisions to their proposal as may be required.

• Consider proposal modifications received at any time before the award is made, if such action is in the best interest of the City.

• To negotiate a final Agreement that is in the best interest of the City.

5.11 Contract Administrator

The Contract Administrator is Courtney Knox Busch, Strategic Initiatives Manager. All questions relating to the RFP process should be directed in writing to Shawna Self, CPPB, Contracts and Procurement Manager, by email to: sself@cityofsalem.net.

5.12 Economy of Proposal Preparation

Proposals should be prepared simply and economically, by providing a straightforward, concise description of the proposer’s capabilities related to specified elements units or services. Proposals should not include any information not specifically identified or specified as a required response.

5.13 Addenda

In the event that it becomes necessary to revise any part of this RFP, an addenda will be posted on OregonBuys. Prospective proposers are solely responsible for checking

OregonBuys to determine whether or not any addenda have been issued. The City is not responsible for any explanation, clarification, interpretation, or approval made or given in any manner except by addenda. Addenda, if necessary, will be issued not later than five (5)

City business days prior to the RFP closing date. Addenda shall be signed by the same individual that signs the proposal and SHALL BE SUBMITTED with the proposal.

Proposals received without properly signed addenda may be considered non-responsive.

5.14 Protests of Addenda

A prospective proposer may submit a written protest to an addendum within forty-eight

(48) hours by the close of the City’s next business day after issuance of the addendum. The written protest shall (1) Sufficiently identify the addendum being protested; (2) Identify the specific grounds that demonstrate how the addenda is contrary to law, unnecessarily restrictive, legally flawed or improperly specifies a brand name; (3) Include evidence or supporting documentation that supports the grounds on which the protest is based; (4)

Identify the relief sought; and (5) Include a statement of the desired changes to the addendum that the prospective proposer believes will remedy the conditions upon which

Page 15 Request for Proposal the prospective proposer based its protest. The City will not consider a protest to matters not added or modified by the protested addendum. Delivered to the Contracts and

Procurement Division, via email to contracts@cityofsalem.net.

The written protest must be submitted with a certified check or cashier's check in the amount of $500.00 to cover the costs of processing the protest. The check shall be submitted via USPS, UPS, or FedEx.

5.15 Acceptance of Proposal Content

The contents of the proposal of the successful proposer will become contractual obligations if acceptance action ensues. Failure of the successful proposer to accept these obligations in an Agreement may result in cancellation of the award.

5.16 Public Records and Confidentiality of Proposal

This RFP and one copy of each original response received, together with copies of all documents pertaining to the selection of the successful proposer and execution of a copy of the executed agreement, shall be kept for the City by the Contracts and Procurement

Office for a period of five (5) years and made a part of a file or record which shall be open to public inspection.

Public Records. By submitting a proposal, the proposer acknowledges that information submitted in response to this RFP is open to public inspection under the Oregon Public

Records Law, ORS 192.311 through 192.513. The proposer is responsible for becoming familiar with and understanding the provisions of the Public Records Law.

Note: Under no circumstances will any proposal information be disclosed by the

Contracts and Procurement Office prior to receiving a written recommendation to award from the Department Head.

5.17 Human Rights

It is the express policy of the City that no person shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity on the grounds of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, marital status, familial status or domestic partnership, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or source of income as provided by the Salem Revised Code

Chapter 97, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other federal non-discrimination laws. The City’s complete Title VI Plan may be viewed at www.cityofsalem.net.

Successful proposer agrees to comply with all applicable requirements of federal, state, and local civil rights and rehabilitation statutes, rules and regulations if awarded an

Agreement by the City.

Solicitations for Subcontracts, Including Procurements of Materials and Equipment:

In all solicitations either by competitive bidding or negotiation made by the successful proposer for work to be performed under a subcontract, including procurements of materials or leases of equipment, each potential subcontractor or supplier shall be notified by the successful proposer of the successful proposer's obligations under this Agreement http://www.cityofsalem.net/

Page 16 Request for Proposal and the Salem Revised Code Chapter 97, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other federal non-discrimination laws. (See Appendix B.)

5.18 Discrimination in Subcontracting Prohibited

Proposer agrees not to discriminate against disadvantaged business enterprise, a minority-owned business, a woman-owned business, a business that a service-disabled veteran owns, or an emerging small business certified under ORS 200.055 in awarding subcontracts as required by ORS 279A.110.

5.19 Notice of Intent to Award

All responsive and evaluated proposers to this RFP will be notified of the City’s intent to award an Agreement not less than seven (7) days prior to award. The City will issue a notice of intent to award based on the results of its evaluation process. The notice of intent to award will be posted on OregonBuys only.

5.20 Protest of Intent to Award

A proposer may protest the award of the Agreement or the intent to award such Agreement, whichever occurs first, if the proposer claims to have been adversely affected or aggrieved by the selection of a proposer. A proposer submitting a protest must claim that the protesting proposer is the highest ranked proposer because the proposals of all higher ranked proposers failed to meet the requirements of this RFP or because the highest ranked proposers otherwise are not qualified to perform the services described in this RFP. The proposer must deliver the written protest to the Contracts and Procurement Division to contracts@cityofsalem.net, within seven (7) days after issuance of the notice of intent to award the Agreement or if no notice of intent to award is issued, within forty-eight (48) hours after award. A proposer’s written protest shall specify the grounds for protest to be considered by the City pursuant to ORS 279B.410(2). The City Manager shall not consider a proposer’s award protest submitted after the above timeline. The written protest must be submitted with a certified check or cashier's check in the amount of $500.00 to cover the costs of processing the protest. The check shall be submitted via USPS, UPS, or FedEx.

5.21 Incurred Costs

Neither the City, nor its officers, agents, or employees are liable for any cost incurred by proposer(s) prior to issuance of an agreement, or purchase order. All prospective proposer(s) who respond to this RFP do so solely at the proposer's cost and expense.

5.22 No Warranty

All facts and opinion stated within this RFP and all supporting documents and data are based upon information available from a variety of sources. No representation or warranty is made with respect thereto.

5.23 Statement of Time

A period of time, unless stated as a number of City business days, shall include Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.

Page 17 Request for Proposal

The word “day” as used in this RFP document, and any resulting Agreement awarded as a result of this process, shall constitute a calendar day of twenty-four (24) hours measured from midnight to the next midnight.

When a time period is identified by days, it is computed by excluding the first day and including the last day. When the last day falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or City’s holiday, that time period shall extend to the next City business day.

5.24 Right to Audit

The successful proposer shall maintain financial records and other records as may be prescribed by the City or by applicable federal and state laws, rules, and regulations. The successful proposer(s) shall retain these records for a period of five (5) years after final payment, or until they are audited by the City, whichever event occurs first. These records shall be made available during the term of the Agreement and the subsequent five-year period for examination, transcription, and audit by the City, its designees, or other authorized bodies.

5.25 Accept or Reject Proposals

The City reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals in response to this RFP without cause or to delay or cancel this RFP process without liability to the City if the City determines it is in the public interest to do so.

5.26 Additional Information

The City reserves the right to request additional information following their initial review of the proposal documents that the City deems reasonably necessary to evaluate, rank, and select the most qualified proposer(s). The City staff may conduct a review and verification of confidential information with staff and consultants.

5.27 Right to Modify Process

The City reserves the right to modify the selection process or other aspects of this RFP process at its sole discretion. The Contracts and Procurement Office will take reasonable steps to ensure that any modification or clarification to this RFP are posted on OregonBuys.

5.28 Debarment of Proposer

The Contracts and Procurement Manager may debar prospective proposers from consideration for Agreements for a period of not more than three (3) years if:

1. The prospective proposer has been convicted of a criminal offense as an incident in obtaining or attempting to obtain a public or private contract subcontract or in the performance of such contract or subcontract;

2. The prospective proposer has been convicted under state or federal statutes of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification, or destruction of records, receiving stolen property, or any other offense indicating a lack of business integrity or business honesty that currently, seriously, and directly affects the prospective proposer’s responsibility as a contractor;

Page 18 Request for Proposal

3. The prospective proposer has been convicted under state or federal antitrust statutes;

4. The prospective proposer has committed a violation of a contract provision that is regarded by the Contracts & Procurement Manager or the Construction Contractors

Board to be so serious as to justify debarment. A violation may include but is not limited to a failure to perform the terms of a contract or an unsatisfactory performance in accordance with the terms of the contract. A failure to perform or an unsatisfactory performance caused by acts beyond the control of the contractor may not be considered to be a basis for debarment; or

5. The prospective proposer does not carry any insurance as required by applicable law.

The Contracts and Procurement Manager shall give written notice of the reasons for the debarment and the proposed length of debarment to the person for whom debarment is being considered. The proposer shall be given not less than fourteen (14) days to respond to the

Contracts and Procurement Manager in writing. The Contracts and Procurement Manager shall issue a written decision that states the reason for the action taken and that informs the proposer of the proposer’s appeal rights.

5.29 Proposals submitted by City Employees Prohibited

The City will not purchase any goods or services from City employees unless City Council expressly authorizes the purchase, or the purchase is necessary during a state of emergency and the City Manager approves the purchase.

Page 19 Request for Proposal

SECTION 6: AGREEMENT TERMS AND REQUIREMENTS

6.1 Forfeiture of the Agreement

This Agreement may be canceled at the election of the City at any time for any willful failure or refusal by the successful proposer to perform according to the terms of an

Agreement as herein provided.

6.2 Non-Assignment

If an Agreement is awarded, it shall not be assigned, nor duties be delegated, in part or in total without consent of the City. Reasonable requests for assignment of the Agreements may be granted based on the sole determination of the City.

6.3 Liability Insurance

Successful proposer shall obtain and maintain during the term of this Agreement, a policy or policies of liability insurance including commercial general liability insurance with a combined single limit, or the equivalent, of not less than $2,000,000 (two million dollars) for each occurrence for Bodily Injury and Property Damage.

The insurance required shall include the following coverages:

• Comprehensive General or Commercial General Liability, including personal injury, contractual liability, and products/completed operations coverage;

• Automobile Liability.

Each policy of such insurance shall be on an "occurrence" and not a "claims made" form, and shall:

• Name as additional insured "the City of Salem, Oregon, its officers, agents and employees";

• Apply to each named and additional named insured as though a separate policy had been issued to each, provided that the policy limits shall not be increased thereby;

• Apply as primary coverage for each additional named insured except to the extent that two or more such policies are intended to "layer" coverage and, taken together, they provide total coverage from the first dollar of liability;

• Successful proposer shall immediately notify the City of any change in insurance coverage;

• Successful proposer shall supply an endorsement naming the City, its officers, employees and agents as additional insureds within sixty (60) days of the Effective

Date of the Agreement; and

• Be evidenced by a certificate or certificates of such insurance approved by the City.

6.4 Workers’ Compensation Law

All subject employers working under an awarded Agreement are either employers that will comply with ORS 656.017 or employers that are exempt under ORS 656.126. Proof of compliance will be required prior to Agreement execution. (See Appendix A)

6.5 Laws of the State of Oregon

By submitting a proposal in response to this RFP, proposer(s) agree that, any terms and conditions stated within any agreement that is awarded as a result of this solicitation shall

Page 20 Request for Proposal also include the following laws of the State of Oregon are hereby incorporated by reference into the Agreement: ORS 279B.220, 279B.230, and 279B.235.

Any Agreements awarded and/or purchase order issued as a result of this RFP shall be governed by the laws of the State of Oregon without regard to conflict of laws principles.

Exclusive venue for litigation of any action arising under the Agreement shall be in the

Circuit Court of the State of Oregon for Marion County unless exclusive jurisdiction is in federal court, in which case exclusive venue shall be in the federal district court for the district of Oregon. Each party expressly waives any and all rights to maintain an action under this Agreement in any other venue, and expressly consents that, upon motion of the other party, any case may be dismissed or its venue transferred, as appropriate, so as to effectuate this choice of venue.

6.6 Successful Proposer’s Compliance with Tax Laws

Successful proposer represents and warrants to the City that:

1. Successful proposer shall, throughout the term of this Agreement, including any extensions hereof, comply with:

A. All tax laws of the State of Oregon, including but not limited to ORS 305.620 and

ORS chapters 316, 317, and 318;

B. Any tax provisions imposed by a political subdivision of the State of Oregon applicable to successful proposer; and

C. Any rules, regulations, charter provisions, or ordinances that implement or enforce any of the foregoing tax laws or provisions.

2. If applicable, the successful proposer, for a period of no fewer than six (6) calendar years preceding the Effective Date of this Agreement, has faithfully complied with:

A. All tax laws of the State of Oregon, including but not limited to ORS 305.620 and

ORS chapters 316, 317, and 318;

B. Any tax provisions imposed by a political subdivision of the State of Oregon applicable to successful proposer; and

C. Any rules, regulations, charter provisions, or ordinances that implement or enforce any of the foregoing tax laws or provisions.

Successful proposer’s failure to comply with the tax laws of the State of Oregon and all applicable tax laws of any political subdivision of the State of Oregon shall constitute a material breach of this Agreement. Further, any violation of successful proposer’s warranty, as set forth in this Article, shall constitute a material breach of this Agreement.

Any material breach of this Agreement shall entitle the City to terminate this Agreement and to seek damages and any other relief available under this Agreement, at law, or in equity.

Any Work delivered to the City under this Agreement shall be provided to the City free and clear of any and all restrictions on or conditions of its use, transfer, modification, or assignment, and shall be free and clear of any and all liens, claims, mortgages, security interests, liabilities, charges, and encumbrances of any kind.

Page 21 Request for Proposal

6.7 Agreement Term

The Agreement shall commence on January 1, 2023 and continue until December 31, 2023, and upon renewal (see renewal clause) shall continue for each additional consecutive fiscal year until canceled or expiration of the Agreement term.

6.8 Renewal

If the City determines that it is in the City’s best interest, the City may elect to extend the

Agreement for four (4) additional one (1) year periods at the end of each calendar year, January 1 through December 31, subject to the following conditions:

a. Approval by City and budget approval.

b. Service has been determined, by the Contract Administrator, to be satisfactory.

c. Price remains firm for the additional year; adjusted only for any escalation/ de-escalation…