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ADDENDUM #1

Title Bid Number Closing Date Issued Date

Utility Billing and

Mailing Services

26-32

August 20, 2026, at 2:30 P.M.

Central Standard Time

August 13, 2026

TO ALL PROSPECTIVE BIDDERS:

The information contained in this Addendum supersedes information contained in the Contract Documents to the extent indicated. All information contained in the Contract Documents remain in full force and effect unless specifically modified herein. All Respondents shall acknowledge the receipt of the Addendum in the space provided on this Addendum Form and submit this form with your bid packet. Failure to do so will result in Respondent disqualification.

The attention of all prospective Respondents is directed to the following modifications for the above referenced project.

Questions and Answers

Question No. 1: Can you provide the quantities?

Answer: Approximately 1950 Delinquent Notices Monthly; Approximately 9650 Regular Notices

Monthly

Question No. 2: Could you please provide the estimated average and peak piece count for each of the four monthly mailing runs (the two monthly-bill runs and two delinquent-notice runs)? If available, please also identify the typical number of bill PDFs archived per month and the estimated number of pieces receiving the monthly insert.

Answer: Reference Question 1 for estimated monthly notices are provided. The purpose of the archive is so that our Utility Billing staff can access online 12 months of bills that the vendor sent out. Reference Page 3: General: Bullet# 6 for monthly insert information.

Question No. 3: Is pricing a per-piece or volume-tier basis without estimated quantities?

Answer: Price per Unit to include all miscellaneous fees.

Question No. 4: Why is the City of Huntsville going to RFP at this time?

Answer: The current contract will expire 09/30/2026.

Question No. 5: Are there any production or service issues that have led you to go out to bid for these services?

Answer: No

City of Huntsville

1212 Ave. M

Huntsville, TX 77320

Lucy Gonzalez, CTCM, CTCD

Procurement Manager

Telephone: (936) 291-5495

Email: purchasing@huntsvilletx.gov mailto:purchasing@huntsvilletx.gov

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Question No. 6: Are vendors required to include Form 1295 Certificate of Interested Parties with their submission or is this only required upon notification of award?

Answer: Reference Solicitation: Required Forms.

Question No. 7: What is the anticipated go-live (first production run) date?

Answer: 30 days from award.

Question No. 8: Will the City provide the files as PDFs or raw data?

Answer: Raw data from an Incode file.

Question No. 9: What is the approximate average monthly (and annual) volume of regular utility bills and delinquent notices currently produced? Please provide figures for the most recent 12–24 months if available, broken out by cycle if possible.

Answer: Reference Question No. 1

Question No. 10: What is the typical percentage or average number of accounts that receive a delinquent notice each cycle?

Answer: Reference Question No. 1

Question No. 11: Approximately how many inserts (City-provided or otherwise) are included with the monthly bills on average, and how frequently do additional inserts occur beyond the standard monthly tri-fold?

Answer: The inserts vary widely as they are dependent upon Quarterly

Question No. 12: Please confirm the exact retention and search/view requirements for the online bill archive (12 months is stated). Are there any additional security, access-control, or audit-log requirements for City personnel access?

Answer: None beyond the 12 month criteria.

Question No. 13: Will the City provide camera-ready artwork for the mailing envelope (including City logo and return address) and the #9 return envelope, or is the vendor expected to design these?

Answer: Reference Solicitation: Page 4: Supplies

Question No. 14: What class of mail is currently used (or preferred) for the utility bills and delinquent notices (First-Class, Marketing Mail, etc.)?

Answer: Reference Solicitation: Page 3: General

Question No. 15: Does the City maintain its own postage permit, or will the vendor apply postage under its permit?

Answer: Reference Solicitation: Page 3: General & Printing vendor applies postage under its permit.

Question No. 16: How are undeliverable / returned pieces currently handled, and what reporting does the

City expect from the vendor?

Answer: The City will be responsible for returned mail.

Question No. 17: Are variable messages on the bills limited to text provided by the City in the data file, or are there additional messaging requirements?

Answer: Vendor will use the data file that is provided.

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Question No. 18: For the standard monthly tri-fold 8.5" × 11" insert that “will be provided,” will the City supply the pre-printed physical inserts to the vendor for stuffing only, or will the City provide artwork/content for the vendor to print, fold, and stuff?

Answer: The City will send a digital copy to the vendor for printing, folding, and Stuffing.

Question No. 19: When the City provides physical inserts, what is the typical lead time and delivery method the vendor should expect?

Answer: Reference Question 18.

Question No.20: Can the City provide the estimated number of utility bills/statements that will be processed and mailed each month?

Answer: Reference Question 1.

Question No.21: Would the City consider allowing the Friday billing cycle to be mailed on the following business day instead of requiring a strict 24-hour turnaround?

Answer: No.

Question No.22: Can the City provide the average and peak monthly page counts for utility bills, delinquent notices, and any additional inserts to support accurate pricing?

Question No.23: Can the City confirm the expected implementation timeline and anticipated contract start date for the transition from the current vendor?

Answer: Reference Question 7.

Question No.24: Will the City provide sample Incode export files and SFTP connection details during implementation to facilitate testing and validation?

Answer: Yes

Question No.25: Can the City provide the anticipated monthly volume of delinquent notices separately for each billing cycle?

Question No.26: Will the selected vendor be required to advance-fund postage, or will the City provide postage funds prior to each mailing?

Answer: Reference Solicitation: Page 3: General & Printing

Question No.27: What is the expected process for returned or undeliverable mail, and will the vendor be responsible for reporting, scanning, or returning such items to the City?

Answer: Reference Question 16.

Question No.28: Will the City require the vendor to perform any bill redesign, programming, or document composition during implementation, or should the existing bill format shown in the RFP be replicated without material changes?

Answer: The documents provided in the solicitation are the documents. The vendor will be provided with a digital copy.

Question No.29: Can the City clarify whether the $1,000 per calendar day liquidated damages provision applies when mailing delays result from circumstances outside the vendor’s control, including USPS disruptions or delayed/incomplete City files?

Answer: Liquidated Damages are subject to charge when the vendor is at fault.

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Question No. 30: Who is the current vendor for these services?

Answer: Matrix Imaging Solutions LLC

Question No. 31: Why is the County currently out for bid?

Answer: Reference Question 4

Question No. 32: What does the County currently pay for these services?

Answer: Approximately $100,500.00 Annually

Question No. 33: What is the current postage rate that the County pays?

Answer: The City pays our current vendor for postage. Regular Bills $0.64 and Delinquent Bills

$0.67

Question No. 34: What is the historical or estimated monthly piece count for utility bills and delinquent notices across each of the two monthly billing cycles?

Answer: Reference Question 1

Question No. 35: What is the average page count per utility statement, and what percentage of monthly bills exceed a single page?

Answer: The Utility Statement is 1 page.

Question No. 36: Does the total account count include customers enrolled in paperless e-billing, or is edelivery managed under a separate system?

Answer: No

Question No. 37: What exact cutoff time on the upload dates (second Friday / third Tuesday) will the City upload SFTP files to trigger the 24-hour turnaround window?

Answer: We do not have a cut off time, we send the file anytime between 8 am and 5 pm.

Question No. 38: Does the City require PDF proof approval prior to production, and does proof review time suspend the 24-hour turnaround SLA?

Answer: PDF proofs are not required for each statement.

Question No. 39: What specific USPS documentation (e.g., Form 3600/3602 postal receipt or manifest) satisfies official proof of mailing to prevent liquidated damages?

Answer: The rate per page should be itemized on the billing invoice and separtated by type of document. For example, Reference Question 33.

Question No. 40: What exact file format is generated by Incode for SFTP upload (e.g., raw data, CSV, XML, or print spool PDF)?

Answer: Raw data.

Question No. 41: Will the monthly tri-fold insert (8.5 x 11) be printed and shipped by the City to the vendor, or is the vendor required to print inserts from a digital file?

Answer: Reference Question 28.

Question No. 42: What are the exact paper weight, security tint, and double-window size/position specifications for the #10 pistol window and #9 return envelopes?

Answer: Reference Solicitation: Page 7 & 8 for example envelopes.

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Question No. 43: On Page 8 of the RFP (#9 Return Envelope sample), solid black triangles are displayed along the top edge. Are these specific triangle markings mandatory, or will the City accept standard return envelopes with varying triangle configurations (e.g., 1–4 triangles based on printer/inserter requirements)?

Answer: The envelopes will need to be as indicated in the solicitation sample.

Question No. 44: What weight, brightness, and perforation specifications are required for the statement stationery stock?

Answer: Minimum Requirements: Thick enough to not see other side of page print. 22#, brightness yields 92-98.

Question No. 45: Is the vendor required to perform NCOA (National Change of Address) processing and

CASS certification on each mailing file prior to print?

Question No. 46: Will postage be paid directly from a City-maintained USPS permit/escrow account, or will the vendor advance postage and invoice the City Net 30?

Answer: Reference Question 26.

Question No. 47: Does the online bill archive require an internal City-staff lookup portal only, or a customer-facing portal with payment processing?

Answer: City staff look up portal only.

Question No. 48: Are electronic submissions accepted?

Question No. 49: What is the City’s software currently used to process utility bills?

Answer: Incode

Question No. 50: What time will the City upload data file for processing?

Answer: Reference Question 37.

Question No. 51: Can you provide current vendor pricing?

Answer: Reference Attachment A

Please include signed copy of Addendum with submitted Solicitation Packet.

Responder Name: ____________________________________________________________________

Address: ___________________________________________________________________________

Telephone Number: ________________________ ________________________________

Printed Name of Contact

Fax Number: _____________________________

Email Address: ____________________________ ________________________________

Authorized Signature