ED338BF8-FCF8-7E6B-4327CDB3236D9A0A.pdf

Commissioner John O’Grady Commissioner Kevin L. Boyce Commissioner Erica C. Crawley President

Purchasing Department Megan A. Perry-Balonier, Director

April 6, 2026

RFP 2026-46-06 Mediation Services RFP Question Submittal Form

The deadline for submitting questions was April 1, 2026, by 5:00 PM EST.

Questions and Answers:

Q# Question: Answer:

1 According to what I read, offsite sessions are not permitted unless written permission has been approved by the Court in advance and are considered on a case-by-case basis. However it is unclear if remote mediations are included in the definition of offsite sessions. I am requesting reconsideration given the information shared by Amy Schmitz. In addition on page 30 Section 10.5 Green Initiatives directly addresses some of the benefits of providing these services remotely.

While participants may request to attend mediation virtually due to disability, long distance, or other circumstances, the program is structured so that mediators must be physically present. This is due to the confidential nature of the case filings, which contract mediators do not have electronic or remote access to, as well as logistical and security considerations, including the Dispute Resolution Department setting up all Zoom mediations via our secure accounts where we maintain host control over settings.

Also, this requirement reflects the nature of our caseload. A significant volume of our mediations involve domestic relations and juvenile custody matters, where in person sessions are an important component of our program. While there has been some success with virtual models in specific contexts, such as school attendance, those cases represent a relatively small portion of our overall mediation caseload

2 I am requesting the following bid documents via email, in electronically format.

Title: Mediation Services Bid #: RFP # 2026-46-06 Due Date:04-22-2026

Please register as a vendor and download the RFP documents.

Website:

http://Purchasing.FranklinCountyOhio.gov

3 Can I submit my packet via email No. RFP packet cannot be submitted via email or fax. It can only be submitted via mail or dropped off in person at our office. Section 2.2.4

Sealed proposals are due by 3:30 p.m. on April 22, 2026, to the Franklin County Purchasing Department at which time they will be publicly opened, and the names of Proposers read aloud. All sealed proposals received after this time http://purchasing.franklincountyohio.gov/ and date, for any reason, will be rejected. The timestamp in the Franklin County Purchasing Department will serve as the official record of the time and date that sealed proposals are received and will be the sole factor in determining if a proposal was received in time to be considered. The opening of the sealed proposals will take place virtually via TEAMS; please visit the Franklin County Purchasing website listing for this RFP for further information.

Thank you for your response to this RFP.

Reviewer Print Name and Signature: _________________________________________Date: ___________________