4-RFEI No 26-501 - Phone System Replacement.pdf

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (RFEI)

FOR

PHONE REPLACEMENT SYSTEM

RFEI NO.: 26-501/DL

Issue Date:

APRIL 2026

THE SOLID WASTE AUTHORITY OF PALM BEACH COUNTY

7501 NORTH JOG ROAD

WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA 33412

(561) 640-4000

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 GENERAL INFORMATION

1.1 Purpose and Objective 1

1.2 Background 1

1.3 Procurement Schedule 2

1.4 RFEI Proposal Submission and Withdrawal 2

1.5 Addenda 2

1.6 Rights of the AUTHORITY 3

1.7 RFEI Preparation Costs 3

1.8 Interpretations 4

1.9 Non-Collusion Affidavit 4

1.10 Public Entity Crimes 4

1.11 Public Records Act/Information Disclosure to Third Party 4

1.12 Insurance 5

1.13 Cone of Silence 5

1.14 Scrutinized Companies 6

1.15 Inspector General 7

1.16 Commercial Non-discrimination Policy 7

1.17 Third Party Beneficiary Disclaimer 8

1.18 Subcontracting 8

1.19 E-Verify – Employment Eligibility 9

1.20 Equal Business Opportunity Program 9

1.21 Prohibition Against Considering Social, Political or Ideological Interests in Government Contracting – F.S. 287.05701(2023) 9

1.22 Non-Governmental Entity Human Trafficking 9

2.0 RFEI Scope of Work

2.1 Purpose 10

2.2 Background and Current System 10

2.3 Call Statistics 11

2.4 Current Equipment 11

2.5 System Feature Buttons Presently in Use 14

2.6 Acronyms/Definitions 16

3.0 RFEI – Response Components

3.1 RFEI Response 18

3.2 Proposed Solution Description 19

4.0 Evaluation and Award

4.1 General 22

4.2 Evaluation Criteria 22

4.3 Evaluation Method 22

4.4 Award 23

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5.0 Proposal Forms

Proposal Form 1 – Transmittal Letter 24 Proposal Form 2 – Price Proposal 28 Proposal Form 3 – Vendor Acknowledgement Form 29

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1.0 GENERAL INFORMATION

1.1 PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVE:

A. The Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County (“AUTHORITY”) is issuing this Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) from qualified individuals, corporations, partnerships, other legal entities and experienced firms (“PROPOSER”) to replace the existing Phone System with a compatible, modern, expandable, upgradeable, fully integrated, and supported system.

This RFEI is not a Request for Proposals (RFP) and does not constitute a commitment to award a contract. Responses will assist the AUTHORITY in identifying potential Contractors and determining the appropriate next steps for procurement and collaboration.

B. The purpose of this RFEI in addition to identifying qualified individuals, corporations, partnerships, etc. is to:

• Understand the capabilities and experience available within the market.

• Establish a pool or shortlist of qualified parties for potential future engagement

C. Depending upon the responses received, the AUTHORITY may invite selected PROPOSERS to participate in a subsequent Request for Proposals (RFP) process.

1.2 BACKGROUND:

A. The AUTHORITY was established by the Florida State Legislature as a Dependent Special District under the Palm Beach County Solid Waste Act, Chapter 2001-331. The AUTHORITY is governed by the seven (7) elected County Commissioners of Palm Beach County, Florida sitting as the Governing Board of the AUTHORITY.

B. The AUTHORITY is the governmental agency responsible for providing an economical and environmentally conscious integrated Solid Waste Management System for Palm Beach County, Florida. With approximately 400 employees, the AUTHORITY provides solid waste disposal and recycling services and programs to the County’s 1.5 million residents and businesses.

C. The AUTHORITY has built an award-winning integrated system of facilities that combines recycling, renewable energy and landfilling to effectively manage the county’s waste. The AUTHORITY’s system includes two (2) waste-to-energy facilities, landfills, a recovered materials processing facility, a biosolids processing facility, seven (7) home chemical collection facilities and a network of six (6) transfer stations.

D. The AUTHORITY’s Information Technology Department is responsible for consultation, services and support leading to cost effective and stable IT solutions and resources required to perform daily operations efficiently.

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1.3 PROCUREMENT SCHEDULE:

A summary schedule of the major activities associated with the AUTHORITY’s procurement process for this Project is presented in Table 1 – Procurement Schedule. The AUTHORITY, at its sole and unfettered discretion, may modify the schedule as it deems appropriate. The AUTHORITY will notify the PROPOSER of any changes associated with submittal dates by written Addenda in accordance with Item 1.4 – Addenda, herein.

Table 1 - Procurement Schedule

No. ACTIVITY DATE

1. Issue RFEI 04/10/2026

2. Last Date for Authority to Receive Questions on RFEI 05/28/2026

3. Last Date for Authority to Issue Addendum 06/01/2026

4. Proposal Submission Due Date 06/09/2026

1.4 RFEI PROPOSAL SUBMISSION AND WITHDRAWAL:

A. The AUTHORITY currently uses Bonfire, a100% digit method of accessing and responding to solicitations (Bonfire). Therefore, PROPOSERS must submit their proposal via Bonfire.

The AUTHORITY must receive responses as indicated, no later than 2:00 P.M., Eastern Time, on the date established in Table 1 – Procurement Schedule.

B. The AUTHORITY cautions those submitting Proposals to ensure the accuracy of the document uploads to Bonfire.

C. PROPOSERS may withdraw their RFEI Proposals by notifying the AUTHORITY’s Purchasing

Services Department in writing at any time prior to the time set for the RFEI Proposal receipt deadline. RFEI Proposals, once opened, become the property of the AUTHORITY and will not be returned to the PROPOSERS, except in accordance with Florida Law.

D. All questions and communications concerning this RFEI must be directed to Diane LeRay, CPPO, CPPB, Procurement Manager. All requests for clarifications or additional information must be submitted in writing via electronic mail to email address dleray@swa.org or through Bonfire. All questions shall be submitted no later than the date specified in Table 1 – Procurement Schedule in this RFEI. The AUTHORITY will record its responses to questions, if any, and address them in the form of a written Addendum(s) to this RFEI.

1.5 ADDENDA:

A. Should revisions to the RFEI become necessary, the AUTHORITY will issue a written Addenda. All Addenda must be acknowledged. The Acknowledgement must be included in the Proposal Form 1 – Transmittal Letter and the Vendor Acknowledgement Form.

PROPOSER’s submittal may be rejected as non-responsive if PROPOSER has failed to submit its RFEI proposal without Addenda Acknowledgement. The AUTHORITY will issue all Addenda through Bonfire.

B. All PROPOSERS should contact the AUTHORITY no more than five (5) calendar days before the due date for submitting RFEI Proposal to ascertain whether any Addenda have been mailto:dleray@swa.org

R F E I 2 6 - 5 0 1 / D L P a g e | 3 issued. Failure of the PROPOSER to make this inquiry could result in its RFEI Proposal being non-responsive in the event Addenda were issued and not acknowledged by the PROPOSER in their submittal.

C. No Addenda will be issued within five (5) calendar days of the due date for receipt of RFEI

Proposals except an Addendum withdrawing the RFEI proposal or one that includes postponement of the date for receipt of RFEI Proposals.

1.6 RIGHTS OF THE AUTHORITY:

This RFEI constitutes an invitation for submission of Proposals to the AUTHORITY. This RFEI does not obligate the AUTHORITY to procure or contract for any of the scopes of services set forth in this RFEI. The AUTHORITY reserves and holds at its sole and unfettered discretion, various rights, and options under Florida law, including without limitation, the following:

• To prepare and issue addenda to the RFEI that may expand, restrict, or cancel any portion or all work described in the RFEI without obligation to commence a new procurement process or issue a modified or amended RFEI;

• To receive questions from potential PROPOSERS and to provide such answers in writing as it deems appropriate;

• To waive any informalities, technicalities or irregularities in the RFEI proposals submitted;

• To reject any and all RFEI submissions;

• To change the date for receipt of RFEI proposals or any deadlines and dates specified in the RFEI;

• To change the procurement and/or selection process prior to receipt of RFEI proposals;

• To conduct investigations with respect to the information provided by each PROPOSER and to request additional information (either in writing or in presentations and interviews) to support such PROPOSER’s responses and submittals;

• To seek clarification of RFEI proposals from the PROPOSER either in writing or in presentations and interviews, and;

• To cancel the RFEI with or without the substitution of another RFEI.

1.7 RFEI PREPARATION COSTS:

The AUTHORITY accepts no liability for costs and expenses incurred by the PROPOSER in preparation and submission of RFEI proposals and responses to clarifications from the AUTHORITY, potential site visits and interviews, negotiations, future RFEI or any other work performed in connection with the RFEI proposal. Each PROPOSER that enters into the RFEI process shall prepare the required materials and submittals at its own expense and with the express understanding that they cannot make any claims whatsoever for reimbursement from the AUTHORITY for the costs and expenses associated with the process. PROPOSER should prepare their submittal providing a straightforward and concise description of the PROPOSER’S ability to meet the requirements of the RFEI. Unnecessarily elaborate brochures, art work, expensive paper, bindings, visual and other presentation materials, beyond that sufficient to present a complete and effective response to this RFEI is not desired.

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1.8 INTERPRETATIONS:

A. The AUTHORITY will not be bound by or responsible for any explanation or interpretation of the RFEI documents other than those given in written Addenda. In no event shall PROPOSERS rely on any oral statement by the AUTHORITY, its staff, agents, advisors, or consultants.

B. Any PROPOSER that submits in its RFEI proposal to the AUTHORITY any information which is determined to be substantially inaccurate, misleading, exaggerated, or incorrect, may be disqualified from consideration.

1.9 NON-COLLUSION AFFIDAVIT

The PROPOSER is required to submit the Vendor Acknowledgement Form attesting to the Non- Collusion Affidavit stipulating RFEI proposal to the following: “PROPOSER certifies that its RFEI proposal is made without previous understanding, agreement, or connection with any person, firm, or corporation making a RFEI Proposal for the same item(s) and is in all respects fair, without outside control, collusion, fraud, or otherwise illegal action.”

1.10 PUBLIC ENTITY CRIMES:

Pursuant to Section 287.133(2)(a), as amended: A person or affiliate who has been placed on the convicted vendor list following a conviction for a public entity crime may not submit a bid, proposal, or reply on a contract to provide any goods or services to a public entity, may not submit a bid, proposal or reply on a contract with a public entity for the construction or repair of a public building or public work, may not submit bids, proposals or replies on leases of real property to a public entity, may not be awarded or perform work as a contractor, supplier, subcontractor, or consultant under a contract with any public entity, and may not transact business with any public entity in excess of the threshold amount provided in Section

287.017 for CATEGORY TWO for a period of thirty-six (36) months following the date of being placed on the convicted vendor list.

1.11 PUBLIC RECORDS ACT/INFORMATION DISCLOSURE to THIRD PARTIES:

A. Sealed bids, proposals, SOQs, or replies received by the AUTHORITY pursuant to a competitive solicitation are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s.24(a), Article I of the State Constitution until such time as the AUTHORITY provides notice of an intended decision or until thirty (30) days after opening the bids, proposals, SOQs, or final replies, whichever is earlier. As such, the AUTHORITY shall not in any way be liable or responsible for the proper disclosure or result of the proper disclosure of any submissions or portions thereof submitted in response to the RFEI, made in accordance with applicable law.

B. The law provides for certain exemptions from disclosure. If the PROPOSER believes that some information contained in their RFEI proposal is exempt or exempt and confidential from disclosure, the PROPOSER is instructed to label such information as specifying the exact section of the public records, or other Florida or Federal law that justifies nondisclosure, and request in writing the AUTHORITY keep such information confidential and free from disclosure. The AUTHORITY reserves the right to make any final determination of the applicability of the public records or other Florida or Federal law. Prior to releasing any information, the AUTHORITY will inform the PROPOSER and allow the PROPOSER to seek an injunction prohibiting the AUTHORITY from releasing the information. Each PROPOSER agrees that the AUTHORITY may reveal any confidential and exempt materials to designated AUTHORITY staff and the Board members involved in the evaluation process, R F E I 2 6 - 5 0 1 / D L P a g e | 5 and to any outside consultant or third parties who serve on the Evaluation Committee or who are hired by the AUTHORITY to assist in the evaluation process.

Furthermore, each PROPOSER agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the AUTHORITY and each of their officers, employees, and agents from all costs, damages, and expenses incurred in connection with refusing to disclose any material, which the PROPOSER has designated as confidential and exempt.

C. The portions of any meetings where PROPOSER(S) is making an oral presentation, is/are answering questions, where negotiations take place, or AUTHORITY meetings to discuss negotiation strategy are also exempt from public access in accordance with Sections 286.0113(2)(b)1, Florida Statutes, as may be amended.

1.12 INSURANCE REQUIRED:

The PROPOSER(S) shall at its sole expense, obtain and maintain insurance reflecting the minimum amounts and conditions specified in the Insurance Requirements Checklist. (see Documents section of Bonfire) If the PROPOSER(S) is a governmental entity or a self-insured organization, different insurance requirements may apply. Misrepresentation of any material fact, whether intentional or not, regarding the PROPOSER’(S) insurance coverage, policies or capabilities may be grounds for rejection of the proposal(s) and rescission of any ensuing agreement(s). Certificate(s) of Insurance are required indicating that coverage is in full force and effect and include the following language: “Should any of the policies be cancelled before the expiration date thereof, notice will be delivered in accordance with the policy provisions.” Notice shall not be less than (30) days for any cancellation, non-renewal or material change to the insurance coverages and not less than ten (10) days for non-payment of premium. The requirements contained herein, as well as AUTHORITY’S review or acceptance of insurance maintained by PROPOSER are not intended to and shall not in any manner limit or qualify the liabilities and obligations assumed by PROPOSER under this Agreement. In the event that sub-contractors used by the PROPOSER do not have insurance, or do not meet the insurance limits, PROPOSER shall indemnify and hold harmless the AUTHORITY for any claim in excess of the sub-contractor’s insurance coverage, to the extent that insurance meeting the limits would have afforded coverage to the AUTHORITY, as indicated in the Insurance Checklist.

1.13 CONE OF SILENCE:

1.13.1 Cone of silence means a prohibition on any communication, written or oral, regarding a particular request for proposal, request for qualification, bid, or any other competitive solicitation between:

(a) Any person, recognized legal entity, or either of their respective representative(s) seeking an award from such competitive solicitation; and

(b) any person who is a member of a selection or evaluation committee or panel whose purpose is to make selections, recommendations or evaluations in connection with a competitive selection process; and

(c) any employee of the department from which the contract solicitation originated and for whose primary purpose it will serve, any employee that is a Chief of the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County regardless of the originating department; and

(d) Notwithstanding the above, any person, legal entity, or their respective representative(s), may contact any member(s) of the Authority’s Governing Board, the Executive Director, Purchasing Director or Procurement Manager, however, any such communication shall only be by written correspondence, and in all cases the Purchasing Director shall be copied. Any oral communications to any of these persons(s) listed in this subsection regarding a particular competitive solicitation is/are strictly prohibited.

1.13.2 For the purposes of this section, a person or legal entity’s representative shall include any person

R F E I 2 6 - 5 0 1 / D L P a g e | 6 or group of persons acting on behalf of that person or legal entity, including but not limited to an employee, partner, officer, director, consultant, lobbyist, or any actual or potential subcontractor or consultant of the person or legal entity.

1.13.3 The Cone of Silence shall be in effect as of the deadline to submit the proposal, bid, or other response to a competitive solicitation. Each request for proposal, request for qualification, bid, or any other competitive solicitation shall provide notice of the Cone of Silence requirements and refer to this policy.

1.13.4 The Cone of Silence shall remain in effect for all person(s), legal entity, or their respective representative(s) submitting a response to a competitive solicitation until such time as the provisions of subsection 1.13.7 are satisfied, even if the person withdraws his/her submittal from the competitive process or is otherwise eliminated from consideration consistent with the procedures of the competitive process.

1.13.5 The provisions of this policy shall not apply to oral communications at any proceeding, including pre-bid conferences, oral presentations before selection committees, contract negotiations during any meeting, presentations made to the Governing Board, and protest hearings. Further, the Cone of Silence shall not apply to contract negotiations between any employee and the intended awardees, or any dispute resolution process following the filing of a protest between the person filing the protest and any employee.

1.13.6 The Cone of Silence shall not apply to any purchase made in an amount less than the competitive bid threshold set forth in the AUTHORITY Purchasing manual.

1.13.7 The Cone of Silence shall terminate at the time the Board, or AUTHORITY staff, if authorized to act on behalf of the Board, awards or approves a contract, rejects all bids or responses, or otherwise takes action which ends the solicitation process.

1.13.8 The Board, by means of action taken at any properly noticed Governing Board meeting, may invoke the Cone of Silence earlier than the times specified in this section, for any procurement.

1.13.9 Any and all questions regarding the individuals who may or may not be covered under the Cone of Silence should be directed to the Purchasing Director or designee.

1.14 SCRUTINIZED COMPANIES:

A. When Contract value is greater than one million dollars ($1,000,000): As provided in F.S. 287.135, by entering into this Contract or performing any work in furtherance hereof, the CONTRACTOR certifies that it, its affiliates, suppliers, subcontractors and consultants who will perform hereunder, have not been placed on the Scrutinized Companies With Activities in Sudan List or Scrutinized Companies With Activities in The Iran Petroleum Energy Sector List created pursuant to F.S. 215.473, or is engaged in business operations in Cuba or Syria.

If the AUTHORITY determines, using credible information available to the public, that a false certification has been submitted by CONTRACTOR, this Contract may be terminated and a civil penalty equal to the greater of $2 million or twice the amount of this Contract shall be imposed, pursuant to F.S. 287.135. Said certification must also be requested at the time of Contract renewal.

B. As provided in F.S. 287.135, by entering into this Contract or performing any work in furtherance hereof, the CONTRACTOR certifies that it, its affiliates, suppliers, subcontractors and consultants who will perform hereunder, have not been placed on the Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel List, or is engaged in a boycott of Israel, pursuant to F.S. 215.4725.

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If the AUTHORITY determines, using credible information available to the public, that a false certification has been submitted by CONTRACTOR, this Contract may be terminated and, if said false certification stated that CONTRACTOR was not engaged in a boycott of Israel, a civil penalty equal to the greater of $2 million or twice the amount of this Contract shall be imposed, pursuant to F.S. 287.135. Said certification must also be requested at the time of Contract renewal.

1.15 INSPECTOR GENERAL:

Palm Beach County has established the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), Ordinance No. 2009-049 which is authorized and empowered to review past, present and proposed county contracts, transactions, accounts and records. The AUTHORITY has entered into an Interlocal Agreement (ILA) for Inspector General Services. This Agreement provides for the Inspector General to provide services to the AUTHORITY in accordance with the authority, functions and powers set out in the Palm Beach County Office of Inspector General Ordinance. All parties doing business with the AUTHORITY and receiving AUTHORITY funds shall fully cooperate with the Inspector General including providing access to records relating to this Agreement. The Inspector General has the power to subpoena witnesses, administer oaths, require the production of records, and audit, investigate, monitor, and inspect the activities of the CONTRACTOR, its officers, agents, employees, and lobbyists in order to ensure compliance with contract specifications and detect corruption and fraud. Failure to cooperate with the Inspector General or interference with or impeding any investigation shall be in violation of Ordinance 2009-049, and punished pursuant to Section 125.69, Florida Statutes, in the same manner as a second-degree misdemeanor.

1.16 COMMERCIAL NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY:

A. Statement of Policy

It is the policy of the AUTHORITY not to enter into a contract or to be engaged in a business relationship with any business entity that has discriminated in the solicitation, selection, hiring or commercial treatment of vendors, suppliers, subcontractors or commercial customers on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, ancestry, sex, age, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, or genetic information, or on the basis of any otherwise unlawful use of characteristics regarding the vendor's, supplier's or commercial customer's employees or owners; provided that nothing in this policy shall be construed to prohibit or limit otherwise lawful efforts to remedy the effects of discrimination that have occurred or are occurring in the relevant marketplace for Palm Beach County.

B. Policy Implementation

The EBO Office shall implement this policy by periodically conducting outreach and by distributing educational materials to the AUTHORITY’s contracting and vendor community and related trade associations to advise such contractors, vendors and prospective respondents of this policy and the procedures to be followed in submitting complaints alleging violations of this policy. In addition, the Executive Director, the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, the Director of Purchasing, and the Office of the General Counsel shall ensure that the following commercial nondiscrimination clause language is set forth in, and incorporated into, all the AUTHORITY contracts that result from formal solicitations:

Every contract and subcontract shall contain a nondiscrimination clause that reads as follows:

"As a condition of entering into this agreement, the company represents and warrants that it will comply with the AUTHORITY’s Commercial Nondiscrimination Policy as described under Section 6.3 of the AUTHORITY’s Purchasing Manual. As part of such compliance, the company shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, ancestry, sex, age, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, or genetic information in the solicitation, selection, R F E I 2 6 - 5 0 1 / D L P a g e | 8 hiring or commercial treatment of subcontractors, vendors, suppliers, or commercial customers, nor shall the company retaliate against any person for reporting instances of such discrimination. The company shall provide equal opportunity for subcontractors, vendors and suppliers to participate in all of its public sector and private sector subcontracting and supply opportunities, provided that nothing contained in this clause shall prohibit or limit otherwise lawful efforts to remedy the effects of marketplace discrimination that have occurred or are occurring in the AUTHORITY’s relevant marketplace in Palm Beach County.

The company understands and agrees that a material violation of this clause shall be considered a material breach of this agreement and may result in termination of this agreement, disqualification or debarment of the company from participating in AUTHORITY contracts, or other sanctions. This clause is not enforceable by or for the benefit of, and creates no obligation to, any third party.”

All Formal Solicitations issued for AUTHORITY contracts shall include the following certification to be completed by the PROPOSER:

"The undersigned PROPOSER hereby certifies and agrees that the following information is correct:

In preparing its response on this project, the PROPOSER has considered all proposals submitted from qualified, potential Subcontractors and suppliers, and has not engaged in "discrimination" as defined in the AUTHORITY’s Commercial Nondiscrimination Policy as set forth in Section 6.3 of its Purchasing Manual, to wit: discrimination in the solicitation, selection or commercial treatment of any Subcontractor, vendor, supplier or commercial customer on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, ancestry, sex, age, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, or genetic information, or on the basis of any otherwise unlawful use of characteristics regarding the vendor's, supplier's or commercial customer's employees or owners; provided that nothing in this policy shall be construed to prohibit or limit otherwise lawful efforts to remedy the effects of discrimination that have occurred or are occurring in SWA’s relevant marketplace of Palm Beach County. Without limiting the foregoing, "discrimination" also includes retaliating against any person or other entity for reporting any incident of "discrimination." Without limiting any other provision of the solicitation for responses on this project, it is understood and agreed that, if this certification is false, such false certification will constitute grounds for the AUTHORITY to reject the response submitted by the PROPOSER on this project, and to terminate any contract awarded based on the response. As part of its response, the PROPOSER shall provide to the AUTHORITY a list of all instances within the immediate past four (4) years where there has been a final adjudicated determination in a legal or administrative proceeding in the State of Florida that the PROPOSER discriminated against its Subcontractors, vendors, suppliers or commercial customers, and a description of the status or resolution of that complaint, including any remedial action taken. As a condition of submitting a response to the AUTHORITY, the PROPOSER agrees to comply with the AUTHORITY’s Commercial Nondiscrimination Policy as described under its Purchasing Manual – Economic Inclusion Policy and Procedures, Section 6.3.

1.17 THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARY DISCLAIMER:

It is not the intention of these RFEI documents to create third party beneficiary status in any person or entity that is not a direct party to the contract awarded as a result of being the successful PROPOSER to this RFEI, and no language in these RFEI documents or the contract awarded pursuant to this RFEI should be construed or interpreted as creating a third-party beneficiary.

1.18 SUBCONTRACTING:

This RFEI does not allow for subcontracting.

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1.19 E-VERIFY – EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY:

PROPOSER warrants and represents that it is in compliance with Section 448.095, Florida Statutes, as may be amended. No later than January 1, 2021, PROPOSER shall (1) register with and use the E-Verify System (E-Verify.gov) to electronically verify the employment eligibility of all newly hired workers; and (2) verify that all of the PROPOSER’s contractors/consultants and subcontractors/subconsultants performing any duties and obligations under the resultant agreement are registered with and use the E-Verify System to electronically verify the employment eligibility of all newly hired workers. AUTHORITY shall terminate the resultant agreement if it has a good faith belief that the PROPOSER has knowingly violated Section 448.09(1), Florida Statutes as may be amended.

1.20 EQUAL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM

A. The Governing Board of the AUTHORITY has implemented the Economic Inclusion Policy and Procedures administered by the Equal Business Opportunity (EBO) Office to ensure that all segments of its business population, including, but not limited to local, small businesses, have an equitable opportunity to participate in the AUTHORITY’S procurement process. Refer to Section 6.1 through

6.4 of the AUTHORITY’s Purchasing Manual, which are hereby incorporated herein by specific reference. The AUTHORITY’s Purchasing Manual is available at SWA Purchasing Manual It is the intention that the PROPOSER review and understand these provisions. By submitting a Proposal, it shall be considered a determinative acknowledgment that the PROPOSER has done so and fully understands these provisions and agrees that all are acceptable. In addition, program tools and solicitation incentives are hereby referred to as the Affirmative Procurement Initiatives (API).

B. Each solicitation will be evaluated to determine the appropriate Affirmative Procurement Initiatives

(API) to be applied. The API will be outlined in detail in Part III “Proposal Submission Requirements” located herein. Failure to meet the API requirement will deem the PROPOSER’S response as NON-

RESPONSIVE.

1.21 PROHIBITION AGAINST CONSIDERING SOCIAL, POLITICAL OR IDEOLOGICAL INTERESTS IN

GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING – F.S. 287.05701(2023):

PROPOSERS are hereby notified of the provisions of section 287.05701(2023) Florida Statutes, as amended, that the AUTHORITY will not request documentation of or consider a PROPOSER’s social, political or ideological interests when determining if the PROPOSER is a responsible PROPOSER.

PROPOSERS are further notified that the AUTHORITY’s governing body may not give preference to a PROPOSER based on the PROPOSER’s social, political, or ideological interests.

1.22 NON-GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY HUMAN TRAFFICKING

PROPOSER warrants and represents that it is in compliance with Section 787.06 of the Florida Statutes and declares that the PROPOSER does not use coercion for labor or services as defined in the statutes.

REMAINDER OF PAGE LEFT BLANK INTENTIONALLY

https://www.swa.org/DocumentCenter/View/4275/Purchasing-Manual-012721

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2.0 RFEI SCOPE OF WORK

2.1 PURPOSE

The Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County (AUTHORITY) is seeking proposals from experienced and qualified individuals, corporations, partnerships, and other legal entities (PROPOSER) to replace the existing Private Branch Exchange (PBX) phone system. PROPOSERS are encouraged to present thorough, detailed solutions that meet all the requirements listed herein. The AUTHORITY’s ultimate business goal for this project is to replace the existing phone system with a compatible, modern, expandable, upgradeable, fully integrated, and supported system.

2.2 BACKGROUND AND CURRENT SYSTEM

A. The existing PBX is an Avaya Definity G3 System Communication Manager (CM) 4 with IP Flexible Reach (IP Flex) converted to copper Primary Rate Interface (PRI)’s, servicing seven (7) sites located throughout Palm Beach County. The main site (which includes the Administration Building) consists of thirteen (13) buildings spread over 1,600 acres, connected by private fiber. The other six (6) sites are connected via AT&T Switched Ethernet (ASE), with one (1) site, Central County Transfer Station, housing our failover Disaster Recovery (DR) equipment. Central County’s failover system will automatically restore service to all sites if an equipment failure occurs at the Administration Building. A private cellular Wide Area Network (WAN) utilizing CradlePoint cellular routers adds failover resiliency against ASE WAN disruptions at the six (6) remote sites, maintaining telecommunications connectivity.

B. Cellular phone integration has become a critical part of day-to-day business. With Extension to Cellular (EC500) call sharing, our staff can be reached anywhere by dialing their extension or Direct Inward Dial (DID). Also, EC500 allows all personnel to continue receiving calls from the Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) system and service our clientele while telecommuting. Our ACD groups handle 46% of daily incoming calls. EC500 simplified the telecommuting process by using cell phones instead of desk phones.

C. The voicemail system is Avaya Aura Messaging, version 6.3 with a mirrored failover system located at the Central County site. All voicemail messages are duplicated and sent to the user’s email addresses using a Mutare voicemail platform. The voicemail is Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), which is integrated with an Audio Codes SIP gateway that hands off to a PRI port on the Avaya Definity. Voicemail includes the ability to send and receive faxes using the extension DID. All faxes received are converted into Portable Document Format (PDF), which are then delivered to users via email. Each user has a web interface to update their voicemail box without using the phone.

D. The ability to route inbound and outbound calls is critical. Using Vectoring, we can create an unlimited number of paths for a call, including using caller ID to dump harassment calls. Also, our Interactive Voice Response (IVR) is set up with holiday and daily schedules that automatically change routes and announcements based on the time and/or day. Also, using the Automatic Route Selection (ARS) and Automatic Alternate Routing (AAR) routing tables added the ability to point outbound calls to specific ports, leveraging the Comcast failover voice service (SIP to PRI) for international calls, and spoofing extensions when using EC500.

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E. With the combination of EC500 and the ARS routing table, we can send extension caller IDs to the EC500 user’s cell phone over our failover voice provider, which does not restrict Caller ID digits.

2.3 CALL STATISTICS

The average monthly number of inbound calls is 9,500 of which 70% are captured by the ACD group.

The average trunk ports in use never exceed eight (8) simultaneous calls. Outbound calls average about 7,200 per month, of which 1,000 are for burglar alarm systems using analog ports.

2.4 CURRENT EQUIPMENT: AVAYA G3 INVENTORY

A. Administration Building (Primary Site):

• (2) 8720 media cluster servers connected via fiber with Version CM 4 H.323

• (1) Aura Messaging DL360 PG8

• (1) Audio Codes Mediant 1000

• (1) CMS Sun Netra 210

• (2) G650 with dual power supplies o (2) IPSI TN2312 HW28 FW058 o (1) Val TN2501 HW16 FW023 o (1) IP Media Processor HW08 FW066 o (4) DS1 TN464 HW013 FW025 o (2) CO Trunk TN747 000031 o (1) Aux Trunk D000005 o (1) Maintenance/Test TN771 o (1) Analog Line 24 port TN793 HW10 FW012 o (8) CLAN TN799 HW01 FW044

B. Central County Transfer Station (DR Site)

• (2) 8720 media cluster servers connected via fiber with Version CM 4 H.323

• (1) Aura Messaging DL360 PG8

• (1) Audio Codes Mediant 1000

• (2) G650 with dual power supplies o (2) IPSI TN2312 HW28 FW058 o (1) Val TN2501 HW16 FW023 o (1) IP Media Processor HW08 FW066 o (2) DS1 TN464 HW013 FW025 o (1) CO Trunk TN747 000031 o (1) Maintenance/Test TN771 o (1) Analog Line 24 port TN793 HW10 FW012 o (2) CLAN TN799 HW01 FW044

B. Site Gateway Location (for local survivability)

• North County Transfer Station, Avaya G250 Gateway

• Glades Regional Transfer Station, Avaya G250 Gateway

• West Central Transfer Station, Avaya G250 Gateway

• Southwest County Transfer Station, Avaya G350 Gateway

• South County Transfer Station, Avaya G350 Gateway

C. Desk Phone Inventory

• Avaya 4621SW IP – 227 Large Screen Desk Phones

• Avaya 4610SW IP – 54 Small Screen Desk Phones

• Polycom 4690 IP – 9 Conference Phones

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• 15 BLF’s (Blinking Land Fields)

D. PRI Breakdown

• 20 AT&T ports at the Administration Building with (300) DIDs.

• 20 Comcast ports at the Administration Building with (20) DIDs.

• 23 Voicemail ports at the Administration Building

• 20 AT&T ports at the Central County Transfer Station with (200) DIDs.

• 23 Voicemail ports at the Central County Transfer Station

E. Cellular Plain Old Telephone Services (POTS) Lines

• Administration Building – 19

• Central County Transfer Station – 2

• North County Transfer Station, Avaya G250 Gateway – 2

• Glades Regional Transfer Station, Avaya G250 Gateway – 1

• West Central Transfer Station, Avaya G250 Gateway – 1

• Southwest County Transfer Station, Avaya G350 Gateway – 1

• South County Transfer Station, Avaya G350 Gateway – 2

F. Paging Ports

• IP Modem Analog Paging – 2 in use at the Equipment Maintenance Facility located at the main site.

• Trunk Paging – 4 in use at the following locations: Central County, North County, South County, and West Central County Transfer Stations.

• Analog Paging – 1 in use at the Southwest County Transfer Station

G. Analog Ports

• Administration Building – 24

• Central County Transfer Station – 24

• North County Transfer Station, Avaya G250 Gateway – 2

• West Central Transfer Station, Avaya G250 Gateway – 1

• Southwest County Transfer Station, Avaya G350 Gateway – 5

• South County Transfer Station, Avaya G350 Gateway – 1

H. Licenses

• 399 Stations, currently 374 in use

• 67 EC500, currently 67 in use

• 40 ACD Agents, currently 15 in use

• 167 for Mutare Voice Mail

• 269 Aura Messaging, currently 210 in use

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2.5 SYSTEM FEATURE BUTTONS PRESENTLY IN USE (Solution shall include the features listed in this section)

A. Abbreviated Dialing Program: Allows users to program abbreviated dialing and autodial buttons or to store or change numbers in a personal list or group list associated with the station.

B. Abbreviated Dialing Special Character: Allows users to enter an associated special character [ ~, ~m (mark), ~p (pause), ~s (suppress), ~w (wait for dial tone), or ~W (wait forever)] when programming an abbreviated dialing list entry.

C. Abbreviated Dialing: Dials the stored number on the specified abbreviated dialing list.

List: Specify the list numbers 1 – 3 where the destination number is stored.

Dial Code (DC): Specify the dial code for the destination number.

D. After Call Work Mode: Allows an agent to be temporarily removed from call distribution.

Group (GRP): Specify the ACD split group number.

E. Automatic Number Identification Request: Allows the user to display the calling party’s number from incoming trunks during the voice state of the call.

E. Attendant Queue Calls (display button): Tracks the number of calls in the attendant group’s queue and displays the queue status. Assign this button to any user whom you want to back up the attendant.

G. Attendant Queue Time (display button): Tracks calls in the attendant group’s queue by the time each call has been queued and displays the queue status.

H. Audix One-Step Recording (display button): Activates/deactivates recording of the current call.

The recording is sent to the email of the Customer Information Services (CIS) representative answering the call in a Waveform (WAV) (format) file.

I. Automatic Call Back: When activated, it allows the inside user who placed a call to a busy or unanswered telephone to be called back automatically when the called phone becomes available to receive a call.

J. Auto-In Mode: Allows the user to become automatically available for new ACD calls upon completion of an ACD call.

GRP: The split group number for ACD.

K. Auxiliary Work Mode: Removes the agent from the ACD call distribution to complete non-ACD-related activities. Reason Code (RC): Optional assignment for the 1- or 2-digit RC to be used to change to Aux Work using this button, when RCs are active. Multiple Aux Work buttons, each with a different RC, can be assigned to the same station set. GRP: The split group number for ACD.

L. Bridged Call Appearance: Provides an appearance of another user’s extension on this telephone.

For example, an assistant might have a bridged appearance of their supervisor’s extension. The bridged appearance (brdg-appr) button functions exactly like the original call appearance; for instance, it indicates when the appearance is active or ringing. The brdg-appr buttons can be assigned only to 2-lamp appearance buttons.

M. Busy Indication: Indicates the busy or idle status of an extension, trunk group, or Terminating

Extension Group (TEG), hunt group, or loudspeaker paging zone. Users can press the busy-ind

R F E I 2 6 - 5 0 1 / D L P a g e | 15 button to dial the specified extension. You can assign this button to any lamp button and must specify which trunk or extension the user wants to monitor.

N. Call Appearance: Originates or receives calls. Assigns a 2- lamp appearance button. Activates or deactivates Call Forwarding All Calls.

O. Call Park: Allows the user to place the current call in the call park state so it can be retrieved from another telephone.

P. Call Pickup: Allows the user to answer a call that is ringing in the user’s pickup group.

Q. Call Forwarding, Enhanced: Allows the user to specify the destination extension for both internal and external calls.

R. Conference Display: Allows a user to display information about each party of a conference call.

This button can be assigned to stations and attendant consoles.

S. Calling Party Name (CPN) Block: Blocks the sending of the calling party number for a call.

T. DID Remove (display button): Allows DID assignments to be removed.

U. Directory (display button): Allows users with display telephones to access the integrated directory, use the touch-tone buttons to key in a name, and retrieve an extension from the directory. The directory contains the names and extensions that are assigned to the telephones administered in the system. If assigning a directory button, a Next and Call-Disp button should also be assigned to the telephone. These buttons allow the user to navigate within the integrated directory and call an extension once they find the correct one.

V. DoNotDisturb: Places the user in the do-not-disturb mode.

W. EC500: EC500 or comparable solution as identified in the background section. EC500 administers an Extension to Cellular feature button on the office telephone.

X. Extend Call: Allows the user to extend the current call to an off-PBX/EC500 telephone.

Y. Far End Mute: Allows a user to mute a selected party on a conference call. This button can be assigned to stations and attendant consoles.

Z. Flash: Allows a station on a trunk call with trunk flash to send a trunk flash signal to the far end (e.g., Administration Building).

AA. Last Number Dialed (redial): Originates a call to the number last dialed by the station.

BB. Manual-In Mode: Prevents the user from becoming available for new ACD calls upon completion of an ACD call, automatically placing the agent in after-call work mode. GRP: The split group number for ACD.

CC. Next: (display button): Moves to the next message when the telephone’s display is in message retrieval or coverage message retrieval mode and shows the next name when the telephone’s display is in directory mode.

DD. Night Service Activation: Toggles the system in or out of night service mode.

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EE. Queue Calls: The associated status lamp flashes if a call warning threshold has been reached.

GRP: Group number of hunt group.

FF. Queue Time: The associated status lamp flashes if a time warning threshold has been reached.

GRP: Group number of hunt group.

GG. Releases: Releases an agent from an ACD call.

HH. Send All Calls: Allows users to temporarily direct all incoming calls to coverage regardless of the assigned call-coverage redirection criteria. Assign to a lamp button.

II. Service Observing: Activates service observing. Used to toggle between a listen-only and a listen-talk mode.

JJ. Whisper Page Activation: Allows a user to send and receive whisper pages. A whisper page is an announcement sent to another extension that is active on a call, heard only by the person on that extension; no other party on the call can hear it. The user must have a Class Of Restriction (COR) that allows intra-switch calling to use whisper paging.

KK. Whisper Page Answerback: Allows a user who received a whisper page to respond to the user who sent the page.

2.6 ACRONYMS/DEFINITIONS:

AAR Automatic Alternate Routing ACD Automatic Call Distribution ARS Automatic Route Selection BLF Blinking Lamp Field (Side Car) CPN Calling Party Name CAS Centralized Attendant Service CIS Customer Information Services CM Communication Manager CO Central Office Line

COR Class of Restriction DC Dial Code DID Direct Inward Dial Number DR Disaster Recovery

EC500 Extension to Cellular call sharing E911 Enhanced 911 GRP Group IVR Interactive Voice Response IP Internet Protocol

IP Flex IP Flexible Reach LAN Local Area Network PBX Private Branch Exchange PDF Portable Document Format

POTS Plain Old Telephone Service PRI Primary Rate Interface (23 Voice Channels) RC Reason Code SIP Session Initiation Protocol SLA Service Level Agreement

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TEG Termination Extension Group VoIP Voice over Internet Protocol VPN Virtual Private Network WAN Wide Area Network WAV Waveform Audio File Format

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3.0 RFEI RESPONSE COMPONENTS

3.1 RFEI Response: PROPOSER’s RFEI proposals should provide the following requirements.

A. By submitting a response, PROPOSERS represent that they have thoroughly examined and become familiar with the RFEI requirements and are capable of performing the work to achieve the objectives.

B. Minimum Qualifications: PROPOSER shall substantiate that it meets or exceeds the minimum qualifications:

1. PROPOSER must be engaged in providing the services as outlined in the RFEI.

2. PROPOSER shall be fully licensed and qualified in the State of Florida for the type of work to be performed, with a minimum of five (5) years’ experience of the Firm from the deadline to submit this RFEI response.

3. PROPOSER’s key personnel shall have a minimum of ten (10) years’ experience with the requisite certifications and the ability to support and maintain the system post-installation.

C. PROPOSERS are asked to organize their responses in the order requested in accordance with the following format. Responses should include but not be limited to:

• Proposal Form 1 – Transmittal Letter: PROPOSER shall submit a completed Transmittal Letter acknowledging, among other things, that the PROPOSER has completely reviewed, understands, and agrees to be bound by the requirements of this RFEI. The Proposal Transmittal Letter shall be signed by a representative of the PROPOSER who is empowered to sign and to commit the PROPOSER to the obligations contained in the Proposal.

• Letter of Introduction: A letter of introduction with a brief description of your firm, experience in the industry, and a summary of the products and services offered. The Letter of Introduction shall not exceed five (5) pages. Minimum Qualifications shall be considered.

• Project Understanding: PROPOSER must provide a preliminary design/mock-up to illustrate the PROPOSER’s understanding of the project. The proposed design/mock-up should demonstrate creative ideas to meet the principal requirements.

PROPOSER must explain the Scope of Work as understood by the PROPOSER and detail the methodology/approach, proposed activities, and deliverables in accordance with section 3.2 “Proposed Solution Description” and section 2.5 “System Feature Buttons Presently in Use” herein.

• PROPOSER’s Qualifications: PROPOSER must provide the proposed project team members’ names and biographies with relevant experience, specifically for the team that will work on this project, and examples of similar successful projects implemented by the team members proposed for this project to demonstrate work talent and quality of work. The Minimum Qualifications shall be considered.

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• Pricing Schedule: In an effort to determine a feasible budget, Proposers shall complete Proposal Form 2 – Price Proposal to determine the potential cost to cover the full phone system replacement.

• Implementation Plan: A detailed implementation milestone from project kick-off through final completion including but not limited to design, development, project change management (process/procedure for managing…