25_007 Benefits Consulting and Brokerage Ser.pdf

RFP No. 25-007 Benefits Consulting and Brokerage Services Page 1

CITY OF FLOWERY BRANCH

Request for Proposal

RFP No. 25-007

Benefits Consulting and Brokerage Services

BID Release: Wednesday, February 19, 2025

BID Questions Deadline: Friday, March 7, 2025, 11:00 a.m. EST.

BID Due Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025, 2:00 p.m. EST.

Postal Return and/or Courier Delivery Address:

City of Flowery Branch

Finance Department

5410 Pine Street

Flowery Branch, GA 30542

RFP No. 25-007 Benefits Consulting and Brokerage Services Page 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

BACKGROUND

PROJECT INTRODUCTION

RFP CORRESPONDENT

RFP QUESTIONS

RFP RESPONSE DATE AND LOCATION

RFP PROPOSED SCHEDULE:

SCOPE OF WORK

BENEFITS CONSULTING AND BROKERAGE SERVICES

SPECIFICATIONS

ADDITIONAL WORK

BIDDERS RESPONSIBILITY

LIABILITY AND INSURANCE

RFP REQUIREMENTS/EVALUATION CRITERIA

AWARD AND EXECUTION

GENERAL CONDITIONS

ADDENDUM ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

RFP LABEL

REFERENCE LIST

PROPOSAL QUESTIONS

RFP No. 25-007 Benefits Consulting and Brokerage Services Page 3

BACKGROUND

Located on Lake Lanier and just over forty miles from Atlanta, Flowery Branch has maintained a picturesque historic downtown. Recent investment, including streetscape improvements and a revitalized train depot, is beginning to revitalize the downtown area, known as “Old Town.” Many of the original buildings in the historic central business district still exist and have been rehabilitated and repurposed.

PROJECT INTRODUCTION

The City of Flowery Branch (COFB) is seeking an employee benefits consulting & brokerage company to perform the full range of services related to the design, marketing, maintenance and improvement of COFB's employee benefits program for all employees. The current benefit coverages include life insurance, AD&D, medical, pharmacy plan, dental, vision, and voluntary benefits.

THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR INSURANCE COVERAGE.

Proposals will be evaluated based on experience working with public entities, administering health plans, and other information provided. After reviewing the proposals, a list of questions will be prepared, and interviews will be conducted to finalize the selection.

The City will accept the proposal, which in its opinion is most advantageous to the COFB.

COFB has a Fully Insured Health plan with BCBS-Georgia.

RFP CORRESPONDENT

Upon Release of this Proposal, all vendor communications concerning this acquisition must be directed to the Finance Department correspondent listed below:

City of Flowery Branch

Attn: Nancy Rodriguez

5410 Pine Street, Flowery Branch, GA. 30542

Phone: (770-967-6371)

Nrodriguez@flowerybranchga.org

Unauthorized contact regarding the proposal with other City of Flowery Branch employees may result in disqualification. Any oral communications will be considered unofficial and non-binding on the City of

Flowery Branch. Vendors should rely only on written statements issued by the Bid correspondent.

RFP QUESTIONS

All questions must be submitted in writing to the Bid correspondent named above. Questions must be received by 11:00 a.m. EST on Friday, March 7, 2025. A list of questions and answers will be provided to all known bidders and posted on the city website at www.flowerybranchga.org/BIDs.

RFP RESPONSE DATE AND LOCATION

The Finance Department must receive the vendors’ proposal in a sealed envelope, in its entirety, no later than

2:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time to 5410 Pine Street Flowery Branch, Georgia on Thursday, March 27, 2025. Proposals arriving after the deadline will be returned unopened to their senders. All proposals and mailto:Nrodriguez@flowerybranchga.org http://www.flowerybranchga.org/BIDs

RFP No. 25-007 Benefits Consulting and Brokerage Services Page 4 accompanying documentation will become the property of the City of Flowery Branch and may not be returned. Proposals must be clearly marked on the outside of the package with the Proposal Label.

Vendors assume the risk of the chosen method of dispatch. The City of Flowery Branch assumes no responsibility for delays caused by any delivery service. Postmarking by the due date will not substitute for an actual Bid receipt. Late bids will not be accepted, nor will additional time be granted to any vendor.

Proposals may not be delivered by facsimile transmission or other telecommunication or solely by electronic means.

RFP PROPOSED SCHEDULE:

RFP Release: Wednesday, February 19, 2025

RFP Questions Deadline: Friday, March 7, 2025, 11:00 a.m. EST.

RFP Due Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025, 2:00 p.m. EST.

City Council Award of Contract: TBD

Contract Effective Date TBD

SCOPE OF WORK

The City of Flowery Branch (COFB) is looking for an insurance broker that can provide expert public entity knowledge and services. This expertise includes, but is not limited to:

I. Provide COFB with an effective employee benefit and insurance program; recommend creative solutions and innovative ideas including new products and services and assist COFB with developing short and long-range employee benefit and insurance strategies.

II. Partner with the designated management team at COFB in the administration of the employee benefit program, and all insurance policies including responding to questions from and providing information to COFB and its insurers and providing advisory services throughout the year.

III. Meet in person not less than quarterly with COFB’s management and provide regular status reports on open items.

IV. Provide regular, in-depth reports not less than quarterly on employee benefit costs, claims costs including stop loss, and funding requirements including analysis of existing costs and projections of future costs using carrier provided information and broker analytical tools.

V. Review and analyze COFB’s claims experience and serve as a claims advocate for COFB when coverage issues come up with insurers.

VI. Provide actuarially developed health plan renewal projection and fiscal year budget projection.

VII. Participate in pre-renewal strategy meetings with COFB including advising COFB on national and regional insurance trends and providing benchmarking information for coverages being considered.

VIII. Prepare bid specifications, market submissions, and solicit proposals from insurance markets

IX. Evaluate proposed insurers including underwriters assigned to the account, timeliness of processing changes to insurance policies, claims payment process, and client access to insurers' online claims management systems.

RFP No. 25-007 Benefits Consulting and Brokerage Services Page 5

X. Provide COFB with in-depth analysis of proposals from insurance companies and assist with selecting the most favorable renewal options including the most cost-efficient funding methods for insurance coverages.

XI. Provide timely updates to COFB of changes in current insurers' financial condition or other changes in insurer's operations for its vendor management monitoring activities.

XII. Provide full-service employee benefit administration, including online enrollment platform, automated eligibility updates, payroll deduction updates, onsite enrollment assistance, telephonic enrollment assistance, employee advocacy.

XIII. Additional Work

The City may add to these specifications with the joint approval of the Contractor and the City. All modifications shall be in writing.

A. In the event that the City requires additional work outside of these specifications, the

Contractor shall perform all work at a competitive industry price.

B. Additional work may be added to the contract as the need arises. The Contractor shall perform all specified and approved additional work.

C. The Contractor must be willing to provide a competitive price for additional work that may be added to the contract. The contractor will be required to demonstrate the ability to properly execute the expanded workload.

Please see page 15 for proposal questions.

BIDDERS RESPONSIBILITY

When determining whether a Bidder is responsible, or when evaluating a bid, the following factors may be considered, any one of which will suffice to determine whether a Bidder is responsible, or the bid is the most advantageous to the City:

A. The ability, capacity, and skill of the Bidder(s) to perform the contract or provide the equipment and/or service required.

B. The character, integrity, reputation, judgment, experience, and efficiency of the Bidder(s).

C. Whether the Bidder(s) can perform the contract within the time specified.

D. The quality of performance of previous public and private contracts or services, including, but not limited to, Bidder’s failure to perform satisfactorily or complete any written contract. The City’s termination for default of a previous contract with a Bidder, within the past three years, shall be deemed to be such a failure.

E. The previous and existing compliance by the Bidder(s) with laws relating to the contract or service.

F. Evidence of collusion with any other Bidder(s), in which case colluding Bidder(s) will be restricted from submitting further bids on the subject project or future bids, for a period not less than three years.

G. The Bidder(s) has been convicted of a crime of moral turpitude or any felony, excepting convictions that have been pardoned, expunged, or annulled, whether in this state, in any other state, by the

United States, or in a foreign country, province or municipality. The Bidder(s) shall affirmatively disclose to the City all such convictions, especially of management personnel or the Bidder(s) as an entity, prior to the notice of award or execution of a contract, whichever comes first. Failure to make such affirmative disclosure shall be grounds, in the City’s sole opinion and discretion, for termination for default subsequent to the award or execution of the contract.

H. If the Bidder(s) will be unable, financially, or otherwise, to perform the work.

RFP No. 25-007 Benefits Consulting and Brokerage Services Page 6

I. At the time of the bid opening, the Bidder is not authorized to do business in Georgia, or otherwise lacks a necessary license, registration, or permit.

J. Any other reason deemed proper by the City.

LIABILITY AND INSURANCE

During the performance of the duties outlined in the Scope of Work of this Bid, the successful Bidder shall procure the following insurance, which shall be full coverage insurance not subject to self-insurance provisions, except for vehicle collision insurance and comprehensive automobile coverage and shall not, of the Contractor’s initiative, cause such insurance to be cancelled or materially altered during the contract term. Bidder must provide evidence, satisfactory to the City, of the following insurance requirements:

A. Owner requires the Contractor to have and maintain the following insurance coverage and indemnification provisions with the City of Flowery Branch named as an additional insured hereunder.

B. The Contractor agrees to provide and maintain insurance coverage until the contract is completed and to furnish certificates from its insurance carriers showing that it carries insurance in the following minimum limits:

▪ Workers’ Compensation Statutory Minimum $100,000/accident

▪ Employers Liability $1,000,000

▪ Bodily Injury Liability $1,000,000

▪ Except Automobile $1,000,000 aggregate

▪ Property Damage Liability $1,000,000 each occurrence

▪ Except Automobile $1,000,000 each occurrence

▪ Automobile Bodily Injury $1,000,000 each person

▪ Liability $1,000,000 each occurrence

▪ Automobile Property

Damage Liability $1,000,000 each occurrence

▪ Excess Umbrella Liability $2,000,000 each occurrence

C. PROOF OF INSURANCE

The Contractor shall furnish the Owner with certificates showing the type, amount, class of operations covered, effective dates, and date of expiration of policies. Such certificates shall also contain substantially the following statement: The insurance covered by this certificate will not be cancelled or materially altered, except after thirty (30) days written notice has been received by the Owner.

D. INDEMNIFICATION

The Contractor shall indemnify, protect, defend and hold harmless the City, and any and all of its employees, officials and agents from and against any liability (including liability for claims, suits, actions, arbitration proceedings, administrative proceedings, regulatory proceedings, losses, expenses or costs of any kind, whether actual, alleged or threatened, including attorney’s fees and costs, court costs, interest, defense costs and expert witness fees), where the same arise out of, are a consequence of, or are in any way attributable to, in whole or in part, the performance of the contract by Contractor or by any individual or entity for which Contractor is legally liable, including but not limited to officers, agents, employees or subcontractors of Contractor.

RFP No. 25-007 Benefits Consulting and Brokerage Services Page 7

RFP REQUIREMENTS / EVALUATION CRITERIA

All proposals submitted in response to this RFP will be evaluated based on a comprehensive review of the following criteria. The City of Flowery Branch is seeking a vendor who can demonstrate a strong ability to meet the specified needs, provide high-quality service, and deliver a solution that aligns with the City’s goals. Evaluation will consider the firm’s experience, the qualifications of key personnel, the quality and completeness of the proposal, and adherence to all RFP requirements. It is important that your proposal clearly demonstrates your firm’s capabilities and how you intend to address the needs outlined in the Scope of Services. Proposals will be reviewed in a thorough and fair manner to ensure the best possible selection for the City. The City reserves the right to interview top-scoring firms.

I. Evaluation:

a. The proposal evaluation shall be determined by analysis of, but not necessarily limited to, the factors shown below. Points will be designated for each factor with a maximum score of 100 points. It is important that responses contain enough information to allow the City to address the scoring criteria.

a) Compliance with Submission Requirements (15%):

i. Full compliance with submission guidelines (required documentation, addenda acknowledgment, RFP label, original submission, etc.).

ii. Submission of Bid Bonds (if applicable) and required certifications.

b) Relevant Experience and Past Success (25%):

i. Proven success in delivering similar services to organizations of comparable size and complexity to the City of Flowery Branch, as evidenced by feedback from listed references.

ii. The experience and expertise of the personnel assigned to the project, with emphasis on their relevant skills and past performance on similar projects.

iii. Reference List (page 14), proposals must list four (4), preferably public sector, references for whom similar work has been performed during the past three (3) years.

c) Proposal Questions (page 15-16 ) (30%):

i. Proposals will be evaluated based on the completeness and adequacy of answers to the specific questions outlined in the RFP. Each question should be addressed by section and number, ensuring that the responses are clear, detailed, and align with the City’s needs and expectations.

d) Proposal Quality (30%):

i. The proposal response must clearly demonstrate the vendor's expertise, competence, and capability to provide the services outlined in the Scope of this document. A concise description of your firm’s ability to meet the City’s needs should be included, as detailed in your response to the questionnaire.

ii. The proposal will be assessed as an example of your firm’s work product, considering the clarity, completeness, and professionalism of the submission. A well-organized and comprehensive proposal will be valued.

II. Oral Presentations:

a. During the evaluation process, City of Flowery Branch may at its discretion, request oral presentations from any or all respondents for the purpose of clarification or amplifying the materials presented. However, respondents are cautioned that the City is not required to

RFP No. 25-007 Benefits Consulting and Brokerage Services Page 8 request clarification; therefore, all proposals should be complete and reflect the most favorable terms available from the broker.

III. Final Selection:

a. Following review of all qualified proposals, selection of a suitable vendor, and preliminary contract negotiations, a recommendation will be made to the City of Flowery Branch City

Council. Following approval, the City will complete contract negotiations. The selected vendor should be prepared to commence working on the employee benefit package immediately following contract execution.

AWARD AND EXECUTION

The City will select the bid that, in its sole discretion, is the most responsive and responsible bid to the City.

The City reserves the right to make any award without further discussion of the bid submitted; there may be no best and final offer procedure. Therefore, the bid should be initially submitted on the most favorable terms the contractor can offer. The specification may be altered by the City of Flowery Branch based on the contractor’s bid and an increase or reduction of services with the manufacturer may be negotiated before the award and execution.

Should the Owner require additional time to award the Contract, the time may be extended by the mutual agreement between the Owner and the successful Bidder. If an award of Contract has not been made within sixty days of the Bid date or within the extension mutually agreed upon, the Bidder may withdraw the bid without further liability on the part of either party.

GENERAL CONDITIONS

I. WAIVER OF TECHNICALITIES

All items must meet or exceed specifications as stated by the City of Flowery Branch. The City of

Flowery Branch reserves the right to waive any technicalities and to reject or accept any bid in its entirety or to accept any portion thereof if it is determined that either method results in lower costs, better service, final satisfaction or is otherwise determined to be in the best interest of the City of

Flowery Branch. Award may be made by item number or in total. Determination of best response to bid will be the sole judgment of the City of Flowery Branch. Bids shall remain valid for sixty days from the date of bid opening.

II. BONDING REQUIREMENTS

Bid, performance and payment bonds shall be required for all contracts where the cost is one-hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) or greater as required per O.C.G.A. § 36-91-50.

a. Bid Bonds

i. The bid bond must be in an amount of not less than 5 percent of the total amount payable by the terms of the contract. In lieu of a bid bond, the city may accept a cashier’s check, certified check, or cash deposit in an amount of not less than 5 percent of the total amount payable by the terms of the contract. If the contract does not exceed $750,000.00, the city may also accept an irrevocable letter of credit in lieu of the bid bond. No bid or proposal shall be considered to be complete unless a bid bond has been submitted. O.C.G.A. § 36-91-50(d). If a bid bond is required and the contractor fails to provide it, the contract shall be invalid. O.C.G.A. § 36-91-

50(d). The city must approve the form and solvency of the surety prior to acceptance of the bid or proposal. O.C.G.A. § 36-91-40(a)(2).

b. Performance Bonds

RFP No. 25-007 Benefits Consulting and Brokerage Services Page 9

i. The performance bond shall be in the amount of at least the total amount payable by the terms of the contract and shall be increased as the contract amount is increased.

O.C.G.A. § 36-91-70. If the public works construction contract is less than

$750,000.00, the local government may accept an irrevocable letter of credit instead of a performance bond. O.C.G.A. § 36-91-71. No public works construction contract requiring a performance bond shall be valid for any purpose unless the contractor shall give such performance bond. O.C.G.A. § 36-91-70. The affected city may recover any damages resulting from the contractor’s breach by filing an action within one year of the completion of the project and acceptance of the work.

O.C.G.A. § 36-91-72. The city must approve the form and solvency of the surety prior to the execution of the contract. O.C.G.A. § 36-91-40(a)(2).

c. Payment Bonds

i. The payment bond shall be in the amount of at least the total amount payable by the terms of the initial contract for the use and protection of all subcontractors, and all persons supplying labor, materials, machinery, and equipment in the conduct of work provided in the contract. O.C.G.A. § 36-91-90. In lieu of a payment bond, the city may accept, in its discretion, a cashier’s check, certified check, or cash in the amount of at least the total amount payable by the terms of the contract. O.C.G.A. §

36-91-90. No public works construction contract requiring a payment bond shall be valid for any purpose. O.C.G.A. § 36-91-91. The city must approve the form and solvency of the surety prior to the execution of the contract. O.C.G.A. § 36-91-

40(a)(2).

III. NON-COLLUSION

Vendor(s), by submitting a proposal, certify that the accompanying proposal is not the result of, or affected, by any unlawful act of collusion with any other person or company engaged in the same line of business or commerce, or any other fraudulent act punishable under Georgia or United States law.

IV. BID REJECTION

The City of Flowery Branch reserves the right to reject any or all bids at any time without penalty.

Any vendor, who acts as a supplier to another vendor submitting a bid and also submits a bid of their own, will be viewed as participating in Collusive behavior. This behavior displays a pattern or practice of unethical or immoral business practices. Any vendor associated with this practice may be banned from doing business with the City of Flowery Branch for up to three years.

V. MODIFICATION OF BIDS

Any clerical mistake that is patently obvious on the face of the bid may, subject to the limitations described below, be corrected upon written request and verification submitted by the Bidders. A non-material omission in a bid may be corrected if the Administrative Service Department determines that correction to be in the City’s best interest. Omissions affecting or relating to any of the following shall be deemed material and shall not be corrected after bid opening:

(1) Price Information; and

(2) Any Required Insurance

VI. WITHDRAWAL OF BIDS

Bids may be withdrawn at any time prior to the bid opening. After bids have been publicly opened, withdrawal of a bid shall be based upon the following:

The Bidder shall give notice in writing of his claim of right to withdraw his bid due to an error within two business days after the conclusion of the bid opening procedure. Bids may be withdrawn from consideration if the price is substantially lower than the other bids due solely to a mistake therein, RFP No. 25-007 Benefits Consulting and Brokerage Services Page 10 provided the bid was submitted in good faith, and the mistake was a clerical mistake as opposed to a judgment mistake, and was actually due to an unintentional arithmetic error or an unintentional omission of a quantity of work, labor or material made directly in the compilation of the bid, which unintentional arithmetical error or unintentional omission can be clearly shown by objective evidence drawn from inspection of original work papers, documents and materials used in the preparation of the bid sought to be withdrawn. The Bidder’s original work papers shall be the sole acceptable evidence of error and mistake if he elects to withdraw his bid. If a bid is withdrawn under the authority of this provision, the lowest remaining responsive bid shall be deemed to be the low bid.

VII. NON-ENDORSEMENT

As a result of the selection of a vendor to supply products and/or services to the City of Flowery

Branch, the City of Flowery Branch is neither endorsing nor suggesting that the vendor’s product is the best or only solution. The vendor agrees to make no reference to the City of Flowery Branch in any literature, promotional material, brochures, sales presentation, or the like without the express written consent of the City of Flowery Branch.

VIII. PROPRIETARY MATERIAL

Any information contained in the bid that is proprietary will be neither accepted nor honored. All information contained in this bid is subject to public disclosure.

IX. RESPONSE PROPERTY OF THE CITY OF FLOWERY BRANCH

All material submitted in response to this request become the property of the City of Flowery Branch.

Selection or rejection of a response does not affect this right.

X. NO OBLIGATION TO BUY

The City of Flowery Branch reserves the right to refrain from contracting with or purchasing from any vendor. The release of this Bid does not compel the City of Flowery Branch to purchase.

XI. COST OF PREPARING BIDS

The City of Flowery Branch is not liable for any cost incurred by vendors in the preparation and presentation of bids and demonstrations submitted in response to this Bid.

XII. NUMBER OF BID COPIES REQUIRED

Vendors are to submit (1) electronic original, (1) original and (4) copies.

XIII. ADDENDA

Bidders are responsible for checking the City of Flowery Branch’s website for the issuance of any addenda prior to submitting a bid. The address is https://www.flowerybranchga.org/BIDs

**The City of Flowery Branch is an equal opportunity owner/employer and will not discriminate against any vendor because of race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, or ADA disability status.

*** The City of Flowery Branch will comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 78 Stat. 252, 42 USC 2000d—42 USC 2000d—4 (hereinafter referred to as the Act), and all requirements imposed by or pursuant to Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Department of Transportation, Subtitle A, Office of the Secretary Part 21, Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs of the Department of Transportation— Effectuation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (hereinafter referred to as the Regulations), and other pertinent directives, to the end that in accordance with the Act, Regulations, and other pertinent directives, no person in the United States shall, on the grounds of race, color, sex, or national origin be excluded from

RFP No. 25-007 Benefits Consulting and Brokerage Services Page 11 participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity for which the Recipient receives federal financial assistance from the Department of Transportation, including the Federal Highway Administration, and HEREBY GIVES ASSURANCE THAT it will promptly take any measures necessary to effectuate this agreement.

RFP No. 25-007 Benefits Consulting and Brokerage Services Page 12

CITY OF FLOWERY BRANCH

ADDENDUM ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

RFP 25-007

BENEFITS CONSULTING AND BROKERAGE SERVICES

I hereby acknowledge receipt of the supplement pertaining to the above referenced bid.

Addendum Number Dated Acknowledge Receipt (Initial)

☐ NO ADDENDA WERE RECEIVED

COMPANY NAME: _________________________________________________________________

CONTACT PERSON: ________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS: _________________________________________________________________________

CITY:________________________________ STATE:_________________ ZIP:_________________

PHONE: FAX: ______________________________________________________________________

EMAIL ADDRESS: __________________________________________________________________

SIGNATURE: ____________________________________________DATE: ____________________

UPON RECEIPT, PLEASE PRINT AND ADD TO YOUR PROPOSAL.

RFP No. 25-007 Benefits Consulting and Brokerage Services Page 13

AFFIX THIS LABEL IN A VISIBLE LOCATION ON

SEALED BID

Bid Title: RFP 25-007 Benefits Consulting and Brokerage

Services

Company:

Contact Person:

Contact Phone:

Bid Due Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025, at 2:00 P.M.

DELIVER ONLY TO:

City of Flowery Branch

Attn: Finance Department

5410 Pine Street

Flowery Branch, GA 30542

Internal Use Only:

Received:

THIS SEALED BID WILL REMAIN CLOSED UNTIL ADVERTISED BID OPEN DATE AND

TIME BY THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.

RFP No. 25-007 Benefits Consulting and Brokerage Services Page 14

REFERENCE LIST

REFERENCE RFP #25-007

Preferably public sector, references for whom similar work has been performed during the past three (3) years.

1. PUBLIC ENTITY NAME _____________________________________________________________________

CONTACT NAME _____________________________________________________________________

CONTACT TITLE _____________________________________________________________________

TELEPHONE/E-MAIL _____________________________________________________________________

LENGTH OF SERVICE _____________________________________________________________________

BROKER SERVICES PROVIDED _____________________________________________________________

EMPLOYEES/POPULATION SIZE ______________________________________________________________

2. PUBLIC ENTITY NAME _____________________________________________________________________

CONTACT TITLE _____________________________________________________________________

TELEPHONE/E-MAIL _____________________________________________________________________

LENGTH OF SERVICE _____________________________________________________________________

3. PUBLIC ENTITY NAME _____________________________________________________________________

CONTACT TITLE _____________________________________________________________________

TELEPHONE/E-MAIL _____________________________________________________________________

LENGTH OF SERVICE _____________________________________________________________________

4. PUBLIC ENTITY NAME _____________________________________________________________________

CONTACT TITLE _____________________________________________________________________

TELEPHONE/E-MAIL _____________________________________________________________________

LENGTH OF SERVICE _____________________________________________________________________

THIS PAGE MUST BE COMPLETED AND SUBMITTED AS A PART OF YOUR PROPOSAL.

RFP No. 25-007 Benefits Consulting and Brokerage Services Page 15

PROPOSAL QUESTIONS

REFERENCE BID #25-007

1. Provide a brief overview of your organization, including history, financial condition and stability, capabilities of your firm, organizational structure (i.e. publicly held corporation, partnership, etc.).

Include any impending changes in your organization that could impact the delivery of services.

2. Specify the overall number of Errors and Omissions coverage you carry and indicate the amount if a sub-limit is assigned to each customer.

3. What is your service delivery philosophy?

4. Confirm that you are a licensed broker in the State of Georgia and provide documentation. Confirm that you serve as a broker, independently, and are not employed by any insurance company, third party administrative agency or provider network.

5. Describe how you would structure your client service team to provide service to COFB and provide organizational chart.

6. Where would your core service team be located?

7. Who are the specific individuals on the proposed team that would work with COFB?

8. Provide bios detailing the qualifications and expertise for each team member.

9. Where would your public entity expert for COFB be located, Atlanta or elsewhere?

10. What part(s) of your service delivery team would be in a call center environment?

11. Approximately how many other public entities in Georgia are clients of your company?

12. Provide four references from current public entity clients with a similar number of employees

(approximately 65).

For each reference please include:

a. Public entity name

b. Contact name, title, and phone number

c. Length of servicing relationship

d. Range of broker services provided

e. Location

f. Number of employees and total population size

13. How would you support our employees in selecting insurance benefits?

14. How would you assist or advocate for our employees with coverage issues they may experience?

15. Please provide sample reports and metrics that you envision would be available to COFB management for the employee benefit and insurance program including funding requirements using broker analytical tools and carrier provided information and indicate how these reports and metrics would highlight what is important to focus on.

RFP No. 25-007 Benefits Consulting and Brokerage Services Page 16

16. Describe the process you use to ensure that service failures are minimal.

17. Describe the process you use to gauge and improve client satisfaction?

18. In your opinion, what are two major employee benefit & insurance challenges cities our size face and how does your company provide solutions for these challenges?

19. Describe your process for negotiating renewals and bidding out specific insurance policy, when needed.

20. Describe your underwriting and actuarial resources and how would they assist you in the servicing and marketing of our account.

21. Do you have in-house attorneys who provide guidance to you and your clients for coverage issues that might arise?

22. Describe the methods you use to inform your clients about changes in legislation and judicial rulings that may impact our employee benefit and insurance program.

23. Describe any special analysis or resources you provide to help manage our programs including broker web portals.

24. How would you support the ongoing professional development of COFB staff that is responsible for managing the employee benefit and insurance program?

25. If your company is selected, provide the transition plan that would be followed.

26. Does your organization publish newsletters or other descriptive publications that are routinely provided to clients? If so, please describe and provide a copy of a recent issue.

27. Provide a sample of written communication(s) piece that you’ve created for an employer.

28. What innovation “outside the box” solutions have your provided your clients?

29. How are annual renewals negotiations handled?

30. Explain the timing and nature of formal scheduled meetings that would occur throughout the plan year.

31. What advantage will City of Flowery Branch have by working with your firm?

32. Describe your experience with Benefit Administration systems and payroll integration for benefits?

33. Describe how your firm will be compensated for the proposed work?

34. What training resources does your organization provide to assist your clients in educating and training their benefit staff?

END PROPOSAL QUESTIONS.