IFB ASSR 18-130 Personal Property Revaluation.pdf

IFB #ASSR 18-130

Date: 05/24/2018

Town of Amherst

Invitation For Bid [IFB]

The Town of Amherst Town Accountant's Office

Town Hall 4 Boltwood Ave

Amherst, Massachusetts 01002

Bid documents submitted by all bidders shall be enclosed in outer and inner envelopes, both of which shall be sealed and clearly labeled with the words:

BID DOCUMENTS: IFB #ASSR 18-130

CONTRACT FOR PERSONAL PROPERTY REVALUATION

Bids shall be submitted no later than 2:00PM on Friday, June 8, 2018 and can be mailed or delivered to:

Town Accountant’s Office

Town Hall

Amherst, MA 01002

PART 1.

Purchase Description

The Town of Amherst, as Awarding Authority, invites SEALED BIDS for the procurement set forth below:

A complete revaluation of all personal property for fiscal year 2019.

1. Profile and other pertinent data regarding the Town

a. The Town of Amherst contains approximately 780 personal property accounts as of

January 1, 2018.

b. All accounts are to be listed and collected in accordance with the provisions of this solicitation

c. The Board of Assessors utilizes the RRC Personal Property Appraisal Software of Real

Estate Research Consultants, Inc.

d. Interested vendors must utilize this appraisal software at an off-site location for the generation of values.

2. Services to Be Performed

a. Contractor will conduct a complete revaluation of all personal property accounts within the Town, for the certification of the Department of Revenue ("DOR").

b. Contractor shall conform to the usage classifications of all personal property so described, in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 59.

c. Any system changes required and updated pricing tables shall be the responsibility of Contractor. Contractor shall provide all necessary computer and appraisal consulting services to facilitate any system changes.

3. Responsibilities of the Town

a. Board shall receive a weekly status report from Contractor. Board shall review and evaluate the progress of the project.

b. The Town shall, as available, provide to Contractor adequate office space including desk, chairs, a telephone and a file cabinet for the duration of the project.

4. Responsibilities of Contractor

a. Contractor will identify owners of personal property located in the Town as of January 1, 2018.

b. All accounts will be identified as either assessable or non-assessable in accordance with the General Laws of the Commonwealth.

c. On all personal property accounts, a complete and individual inventory listing will be made of all taxable personal property at each site. This listing must contain sufficient detail so that an independent off-site value determination may be made. If initially unsuccessful in gaining access, at least two (2) callbacks will be made with record made of the date and time of such visits. For each account of taxable personal property, the contractor will list, and provide the following information:

i. Owner's legal name

ii. Business name

iii. Business address

iv. Tax billing address

v. Type of business

vi. Telephone number

vii. Type of corporation (SIC Code)

viii. Tax status code

ix. Account number

x. Date of on-site inspection

xi. Name of contractor's representative who conducted the on-site inspection

xii. Complete list of each inventory item that is assessable and taxable as personal property. Included by item shall be the appropriate coding for valuation purposes.

xiii. Valuation breakdown of accounts by the following categories:

1. Inventory

2. Furniture and fixtures

3. Machinery and equipment

4. Underground utilities

5. Other

d. Contractor shall verify and inspect all accounts taxable, non-taxable or exempt and shall state the reason for each account classified as either non-taxable or exempt. Non-taxable accounts shall be identified with "NTV" indicating inspection and no indicated value.

e. All listings will be made as of January 1st, 2018 and shall reflect the status of all personal property as of that date. All revaluation work shall meet the certification requirements of the Commissioner of Revenue.

f. Contractor shall be responsible for all data entry and report generation.

5. Public Information Program

a. The Board and Contractor shall cooperate in maintaining good public relations throughout the period of this project. Contractor must coordinate all activities necessary to promote public understanding, awareness and cooperation in conjunction with the entire project. Contractor must be prepared to conduct a public information program that addresses the scope and objective of the project. Program shall continue on a regular basis for the duration of the project.

b. All public information activities should emphasize the responsibilities of the various participants, the appraisal methodology employed, and the overall goals of the project.

6. Defense of Values

a. Contractor shall provide expert witnesses, at no cost, to represent Town at all appeals to any Court, Appellate Tax Board, or otherwise, of valuation and/or classifications resulting from this project. All expert witnesses must be approved by the Town Assessor.

b. These services will include the preparation of detailed narrative reports, if required, at a per diem rate to be provided by Contractor.

7. Project Timetable

a. Contractor must submit a comprehensive work plan at a minimum addressing the components indicated below and containing the following information for each component: starting date, completion date, and Contractor's staff assignments.

Components to be addressed are as follows:

i. Project start up

ii. Data collection

iii. Coding

iv. Data entry

v. Valuation

vi. Assessors review

vii. Preliminary certification review

viii. Final certification review

ix. Project completion

8. Project Staffing

a. Contractor must set forth the project staffing to be utilized on this project. At a minimum, Contractor shall address the following levels:

i. Project Director

ii. Coding personnel

iii. Personal property listers

iv. Data processing interface

b. Each individual, his or her project duties, the number of work days each will spend on this project and on other projects in which Contractor will be concurrently involved must be broken down into the following categories:

i. Name

ii. Title

iii. Project responsibilities

iv. Man-hours for this project

v. Man-hours for other projects

c. Qualifications of each individual set forth above will be provided to the Town by submitting full résumés, which must include prior work experience, dates, positions, responsibilities for each employer, education and professional affiliations.

d. Since the project staffing is such an integral part of this project, Contractor shall contractually commit all individuals as submitted in its proposal to this project. Any deviation from the proposed individuals and man-hours may constitute a breach of agreement to any contractual agreement which may result from this solicitation.

e. Should it become impossible for a contractually committed individual to complete his or her duties for a reason such as termination of employment, any change in the contractors staffing as outlined in the proposal will be subject to the approval of the Town. Town shall notify Contractor within fifteen (15) business days of the acceptance or rejection of any such staff substitutions. Any substituted person must be of an experience level equal to or greater than the person being replaced.

Rule for Award

The contract will be awarded to the responsive and responsible vendor offering the complete scope of services at the lowest price.

The Town of Amherst reserves the right to reject any and all quotes in whole or in part, and to waive informalities, when at its sole discretion is deemed to be in the best interests of the Town and to the extent permitted by law.

PART 2.

Bid Submission Terms and Requirements

2.1 Bids will be publicly opened and recorded at date and time ("the bidding deadline") and at the place, as follows:

DATE: Friday, June 8, 2018

TIME: 2:00PM

PLACE: Town Accountant's Office in the Town Hall

2.2 Security deposits will be required in the form of a Bid Bond, certified check, or cashier's check, from a responsible bank, trust company, or insurance institution, in the amount of N/A percent (n/a%) of the total bid price, payable to the Town of Amherst. Should any bidder to whom an award is made fail to enter into a contract with the Town within ten

(10) business days after the award is mailed to the bidder, or fail within such time to furnish a performance bond as required, the amount of the bid deposit so received from such bidder shall become the property of the Town as liquidated damages for such failure.

Thereafter the Town may proceed to award the contract to the next responsible and responsive bidder.

2.3 The successful bidder will be required to furnish a performance bond in the amount of

N/A percent (n/a%) of the contract award, not later than n/a (n/a) working days after the award notification. Bonds will be for one (1) year and shall be renewed annually at the Contractor's expense.

2.4 A Pre-Bid conference will be held on N/A at n/a. All bidders are invited to attend.

2.5 Wherever applicable, the conditions of Employment and Prevailing State Wage Rate, as set forth by the Massachusetts Department of Labor and Industries, as contained in specifications, shall prevail in the execution of work under this contract.

2.6 The Town of Amherst reserves the right to reject any and all bids in whole or in part, and to waive informalities, when at its sole discretion is deemed to be in the best interests of the Town and to the extent permitted by law.

2.7 Bids shall be evaluated based on responsiveness to the criteria, terms and conditions contained in this IFB and its attachments. Failure to follow the instructions, meet the criteria, or agree to the terms and conditions contained in this IFB may be cause for rejection of the bid as non-responsive.

2.8 All bids shall be submitted to the Town, as and where set forth above, on or before the bidding deadline. Bids and unsolicited amendments to bids received by the Town after the bidding deadline will not be considered, and requests for extensions of time will not be granted. Bidders who mail bids should allow sufficient time for receipt by the Town by the bidding deadline. Bid received after the bidding deadline will be returned to the bidder unopened.

2.9 All bids shall be signed in ink by the bidder. If the bidder is a corporation, the authority of the individual signing shall be endorsed upon, or attached to, the bid and certified by the clerk of the corporation.

2.10 All bids submitted shall be binding upon the bidder for a minimum period of thirty (30) calendar days following the opening of bids.

2.11 The contract will be awarded within 30 days after the bid opening unless the time for award is extended by mutual consent of the parties.

2.12 Bids submitted to the Town shall be securely kept and shall remain unopened until bidding deadline and the public opening of bids.

2.13 Bids once submitted may, upon request of the bidder prior to the bidding deadline, be withdrawn or amended. If amended, resubmission of the bid shall comply with all requirements of this IFB.

2.14 Negligence on the part of the bidder in preparing the bid confers no right of withdrawal after the bidding deadline. The Town does not assume any responsibility for errors, omissions, or misinterpretations which may have resulted in whole or in part from the use of incomplete bid documents. Any bidder finding an ambiguity, inconsistency, or error shall promptly notify the Town.

2.15 If it becomes necessary to revise any part of this IFB or if additional data are necessary to enable an exact interpretation of provisions, such addenda will be provided to all bidders who have requested this IFB. No addenda will be issued within the immediate three (3) business day period prior to the bidding deadline.

2.16 Questions and inquiries will be accepted from any and all bidders and must be in writing.

Questions will be answered in writing and both questions and answers will be distributed to all bidders who receive the IFB provided, however, that all questions are received at least ten (10) days in advance of the bidding deadline.

2.17 By submitting a bid in response to this IFB, the bidder shall be deemed to have certified that no officer, agent, or employee of the Town has a direct or substantial financial interest in the procurement, that the bid is submitted in good faith and exclusively on bidder's own behalf, without fraud, collusion or connection of any kind with any other bidder for the same work or with any undisclosed party.

2.18 All terms and provisions contained in the "LEGAL NOTICE" of this procurement (a copy of which is attached hereto) are incorporated by reference into this IFB.

2.19 The bid price(s) shall be written both in words and figures, and in the case of a discrepancy between the two the amount in words shall govern.

2.20 It is understood, agreed upon and made a part hereof, and shall be a part of the contract, that the contract entered into between the Town and the successful bidder shall not be assigned or assignable by way of sub-contract or otherwise, unless or until the Town shall have first assented thereto in writing.

2.21 All bids must be submitted on the forms provided or on attachments approved in advance by the Town.

2.22 All bids must include a signed copy of the following: non-collusion form, tax compliance certificate, certificate of authority and bid pricing sheet.

2.23 Attached to and forming part of this IFB, this endorsement, when countersigned by the

Town, is made a part of this IFB and is subject to all of the terms and provisions hereof and of any prior endorsements hereto.

PART 3.

Minimum Requirements

1. As part of its response each vendor shall submit:

a. A list of the municipalities for which Contractor has provided personal property services in the past five (5) years, a general description of the specific services provided, fiscal years and client contacts.

b. A list of municipalities for which Contractor is currently committed to provide personal property services, the services being provided and client contacts.

2. Contractor must have complete knowledge and understanding of DOR certification requirements, and all work performed shall reflect and comply with DOR requirements.

3. Contractor must be familiar with the RRC Personal Property Software of Real Estate Research Consultants, Inc.

4. Contractor must have a staff of at least ten (10) full time, non-clerical individuals dedicated to providing revaluation services.

5. Contractor must have at least one (1) staff member with revaluation experience as a Senior Personal Property Appraiser.

6. Proposed Project Director must have at least five (5) years of experience in a Project Director capacity relative to personal property valuation.

7. Contractor must evidence the successful completion of at least twenty (20) personal property projects containing at least one thousand (1,000) accounts.

8. The Timetable as proposed must evidence a project completion date on or before September 28, 2018.

PART 4.

Bid Form 18-130

Company:

Item Unit price in figures Number of units Subtotal in figures

Data collection and valuation of account

/acct

780 accounts $

Appraisal of utilities, wireless and CATV

Total price in figures: $

Total price in words:

(Price shall include all components of the quote solicitation in its entirety)

Employee résumés attached

List of municipalities for which Contractor has provided personal property services in the past five

(5) years attached.

List of municipalities for which Contractor is currently committed to provide personal property services attached.

Evidence of successful completion of at least twenty (20) personal property projects containing at least one thousand (1,000) accounts attached.

Certificates of Non-Collusion, Tax Compliance and Authority attached.

Company:

Contact Name:

Address:

Telephone:

E-mail Address:

The undersigned certifies under penalties of perjury that this bid or proposal has been made and submitted in good faith and without collusion or fraud with any other person. As used in this certification, the word "person" shall mean any natural person, business, partnership, corporation, union, committee, club, or other organization, entity or group of individuals.

Pursuant to Massachusetts General Law chapter 62C, sec 49A, I hereby certify under penalties of perjury that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, I am in compliance with all laws of the Commonwealth relating to taxes, reporting of employees and contractors, and withholding and remitting child support.

I further attest, I am duly authorized to execute contracts and bonds in the name and behalf of said company

Signature Date

Printed name

PART 5.

Sample Contract Terms and Conditions

This CONTRACT between the Town of Amherst, a Municipal Corporation in the

County of Hampshire and in the State of Massachusetts, acting through its Office of Purchase and its Purchasing Agent and Vendor.

Witness that the consideration hereinafter mentioned, the Vendor hereby agrees to furnish and deliver, at such places and at such times as shall be designated by the Town, in accordance with the proposal and specifications as outlined on the attached proposal or document executed by said Vendor.

This CONTRACT shall be enforced for the period stated by said Town or as stated in the proposal which is incorporated herein by reference.

This CONTRACT shall not be altered in any particular without the consent of all parties to this CONTRACT endorsed hereon unless the Town Manager shall otherwise order, and all alterations must be in writing. All payments for any work done under any such alteration shall be made at the time of the final payment on this contract, unless otherwise authorized by the Town Manager, which authorization shall be specified in the modification to the CONTRACT.

This CONTRACT is not effective until signed by the Town Manager of said Town.

The Town hereby agrees with the Vendor to pay for said commodities/service at the times and in the manner specified in said proposal.

This Contract shall be deemed to be a Massachusetts contract and its interpretation and construction shall be governed by the laws of Massachusetts and the Charter and Bylaws of the Town of Amherst.

The Said Vendor expressly warrants that said commodities/service, at the time of delivery, shall be free from all defects.

The Said Vendor also agrees to pay all Federal or State sales taxes (if any) that may be imposed on any articles of personal property purchased under this contract, but this provision shall in no way effect the right of the Vendor in making any claim to the Federal Government that sales taxes cannot be collected by the Federal Government on articles sold to a Municipality.

The Said Vendor hereby certifies under the penalties of perjury that, to the best of their knowledge has filed all State tax returns and paid all State taxes required under law. This provision is in accordance with M.G.L. Ch. 62C, Sec 49A.

In Witness Whereof the Town caused these presents to be signed in triplicate (3) and approved by its Town Manager and the said Vendor has caused the presents to be signed in triplicate (3) and its official seal to be hereto affixed by its officer or agent thereunto duly authorized (by the attached corporate resolution). This instrument shall take effect as a sealed instrument.

PART 6.

Standard Forms

1. Certificate of Non-Collusion

2. Certificate of Tax Compliance

3. Certificate of Authority

CERTIFICATE OF NON-COLLUSION

The undersigned certifies under penalties of perjury that this bid or proposal has been made and submitted in good faith and without collusion or fraud with any other person, business, partnership, corporation, union committee, club or other organization, entity or group of individuals.

Signature of individual submitting bid or proposal

Name of Business

CERTIFICATE OF TAX COMPLIANCE

Pursuant to Massachusetts General Law chapter 62C, sec 49A, I hereby certify under penalties of perjury that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, I am in compliance with all laws of the Commonwealth relating to taxes, reporting of employees and contractors, and withholding and remitting child support.

Social Security or Federal I.D. number Signature: Individual or Corporate Officer

Date

PLEASE PRINT

Corporate Name: ________________________________________________

Address: _______________________________________________________

City, State, Zip Code: _____________________________________________

CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORITY

At a duly authorized meeting of the Board of Directors of the

_______________________________________ held on _________________________________ (Name of Corporation) (Date)

At which all the Directors were present or waived notice, it was voted that, (Name) (Officer) of this company, be appointed and is hereby authorized to execute contracts and bonds in the name and behalf of said company, and affix its Corporate Seal thereto, and such execution of any contract or obligation in this company’s name on its behalf by said officer, under seal of the company, shall be valid and binding upon this company.

A TRUE COPY,

ATTEST: _______________________________

(Clerk)

Place of Business: ________________________

DATE OF THIS CONTRACT: _________________________________________

I hereby certify that I am the Clerk of the _________________________________________ that ______________________ is the duly elected_________________________________ of said company, and the above vote has not been amended or rescinded and remains in full force and effect as of the date of this contract.

(Clerk) (Corporate Seal)

PART 7.

INSERTION ORDER

TYPE OF AD: Legal

PUBLICATION(S) & PUBLICATION DATES:

DAILY HAMPSHIRE GAZETTE – 05/25/2018

PLEASE BILL:

Town Accountant

Town Hall

Amherst, MA 01002

BODY OF AD: The Town of Amherst is inviting sealed bids for personal property revaluation.

Invitations for Bids may be obtained at www.amherstma.gov/bids or by contacting the Town

Accountant's Office, Town Hall, 4 Boltwood Ave, Amherst, MA 01002.

Bids shall be submitted no later than 2:00PM on Friday, June 8, 2018, to the Town Accountant’s Office at the above address, where the bids will be publicly opened and recorded at that time.

The Town of Amherst reserves the right to reject any and all quotes in whole or in part, and to waive informalities, when at its sole discretion is deemed to be in the best interests of the Town and to the extent permitted by law.