RFP- 26 - 169

MANAGEMENT EVALUATION OF BILLING AND

COLLECTIONS DEPARTMENT

City of St. Petersburg

P.O. Box 2842

St. Petersburg, FL 33731

RELEASE DATE: March 17, 2026

DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS: April 21, 2026

RESPONSE DEADLINE: April 30, 2026, 3:00 pm

RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO:

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/stpete

City of St. Petersburg

Management Evaluation of Billing and Collections Department

I. Introduction

II. Instructions & General Conditions for Submittals

III. Vendor Questionnaire

IV. Scope of Work

V. Evaluation Criteria

Attachments:

A - Proposal Submittal Requirements

B - Fee Summary

C - Subcontractor Utilization Plan

D - Fee Summary

AA - Base Agreement

#RFP- 26 - 169

Title: Management Evaluation of Billing and Collections Department

1. Introduction

SUBMITTALS ARE ACCEPTED VIA OPENGOV

ALL QUESTIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED IN OPENGOV WITHIN THE QUESTION AND

ANSWER SECTION

The City of St. Petersburg’s Procurement & Supply Management Department utilizes OpenGov

Procurement to post, submit, and receive submittals for all active solicitations. Vendors must be registered within the OpenGov Procurement system in order to participate in City solicitations.

To remain informed of upcoming and active opportunities, vendors are encouraged to subscribe to the

City’s procurement page for notifications and updates.

For technical assistance, please contact OpenGov.

For information or questions about this solicitation, please contact:

Sakha Reed, Senior Procurement Analyst

(727) 551-3991 sakha.reed@stpete.org

2. Instructions & General Conditions for Submittals

2.1. PREPARATION OF SUBMITTAL

Submittal will be prepared in accordance with the following:

A. Submittals must be uploaded on forms furnished, utilizing the OpenGov Procurement website.

Failure to comply could result in the submission being rejected.

B. If price is a factor, unit prices must be shown and where there is an error in extension of price, the unit price will govern.

C. Alternate submittals will not be considered unless authorized by the solicitation.

D. Proposed delivery time must be shown and any date calculations must include weekends and holidays.

E. Vendor is advised that exceptions to any agreement terms contained or referenced in this solicitation must be stated with specificity in its response to the solicitation. Vendor is deemed to have accepted and to be bound by the solicitation and referenced agreement terms that vendor does not take exception to its response. The City reserves the right to modify or add terms and conditions based upon exceptions stated by the Vendor, or to declare any terms and conditions non-negotiable, as determined by the City in its sole discretion.

F. Vendors will thoroughly review the drawings, specifications, schedule, instructions and/or all other solicitation documents.

G. Vendors will make all investigations necessary to thoroughly inform themselves regarding facilities for delivery of material and equipment as required by the solicitation. Plea of ignorance by the Vendor of conditions that exist or that may hereafter exist as a result of failure or omission on the part of the Vendor to make necessary examinations and investigations, or failure to fulfill in every detail the requirements of the solicitation documents, will not be accepted as a basis for varying the requirements of the City or the compensation to the Vendor.

H. Vendors are advised that all City solicitations are subject to all legal requirements provided for in the Procurement Code and/or State and Federal Statutes.

2.2. SOLICITATION REVIEW

Vendors are required to carefully review this solicitation for defects and questionable or objectionable material. Comments concerning defects and questionable or objectionable material must be made in writing to the Procurement Analyst of record for this solicitation and received by the City at least 10 days before the solicitation submission deadline. This will allow issuance of any necessary addendum. A protest based on omission or error, or on the content of the solicitation, will be disallowed if these faults have not been brought to the attention of the City, in writing, at least 10 days before the time set for submission deadline.

2.3. SUBMITTAL METHOD AND FORMAT

A. Submittals must be uploaded utilizing the OpenGov Procurement website. Submittals sent via email or delivered in-person will not be considered.

B. The preferred format for submittals is PDF conversion from your source file.

C. Submittals must follow the page maximum stated in the solicitation requirements. Failure to comply could result in the submittal being rejected.

2.4. SUBMITTALS FROM RELATED PARTIES OR MULTIPLE SUBMITTALS

RECEIVED FROM ONE VENDOR

Where two (2) or more related parties each upload a submittal, or multiple submittals are received from one (1) vendor, for any solicitation, such submittals will be judged non-responsive. Related parties mean vendors or the principles thereof, which have a direct or indirect ownership interest in another vendor for the same solicitation or in which a parent company or the principles thereof of one (1) contractor have a direct or indirect ownership interest in another vendor for the same solicitation.

2.5. INTEGRITY OF SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS

Vendors will use the original solicitation form(s) provided by the Procurement and Supply Management

Department and enter information only in the spaces where a response is requested. Vendors may use an attachment as an addendum to the solicitation form(s) if sufficient space is not available on the original form for the vendor to enter a complete response. Any modifications or alterations to the original solicitation documents by the vendor, whether intentional or otherwise, will constitute grounds for rejection of a solicitation. Any such modifications or alterations a vendor wishes to propose must be clearly stated in the vendor's submittal response and presented in the form of an addendum to the original solicitation documents.

2.6. LATE SUBMISSION OR MODIFICATION

Submittals and modifications received after the time set for the submission will not be considered.

2.7. WITHDRAWAL OF SUBMITTAL

The submittal may be withdrawn prior to the solicitation opening date.

2.8. WRITTEN REQUESTS FOR INTERPRETATIONS/CLARIFICATIONS

No oral interpretations will be made to any firms as to the meaning of specifications or any other documents. All questions pertaining to the terms and conditions or scope of work of this solicitation must be in writing to the Procurement and Supply Management Department and received by the date specified in the solicitation. Responses to questions may be handled as an addendum if the response would provide clarification to requirements of the solicitation. All such addenda will become part of the agreement documents. The City will not be responsible for any other explanation or interpretation of the proposed solicitation made or given prior to the award of the agreement. The Procurement and Supply Management

Department will be unable to respond to questions received after the specified time frame.

2.9. REJECTION OF SUBMISSION

The City may reject a submittal if:

A. The vendor incorrectly states or conceals any material fact in the solicitation.

B. The solicitation does not strictly conform to the law or requirements of the solicitation, including insurance requirements.

C. The solicitation is conditional, except that the vendor may qualify its submittal for acceptance by the

City on an "all or none" basis, or a "low item" basis. An "all or none" basis submittal must include all items upon which the vendor was invited.

D. The Procurement and Supply Management Director determines it is in the best interest of the City to reject all submittals or parts of submittals at any stage of the procurement process through the award of an agreement.

E. The City reserves the right to waive minor informalities or irregularities in any submittal.

2.10. PUBLIC REVIEW OF SUBMITTALS

Pursuant to Florida Statute, Section 119.071(1)(b)2, all submittals will be subject to review as a public record after 30 days from opening, or earlier if an intended decision is reached before the thirty-day period expires. Unless a specific exemption exists, all documents submitted will be released pursuant to a valid public records request. All trade secret claims must be dispositively determined by a court of law prior to trase secret protection being granted.

2.11. ADA REQUIREMENT FOR PUBLIC NOTICES

Persons with disabilities requiring reasonable accommodations to participate in this proceeding, should contact 727-893-7229.

2.12. CONE OF SILENCE

Vendors and their employees, agents, contractors, and representatives are prohibited from communicating

(whether oral, written, or electronic) with any member of City Council, the Mayor, City staff, any member of the selection committee, or any City project consultants related to the competitive solicitation beginning upon the date on which a competitive solicitation is first advertised and continuing until the later of (1) the final award of the competitive solicitation, (2) the date of rejection of all bids or responses to the competitive solicitation, or (3) the date of final disposition of any protest of the competitive solicitation.

2.13. AWARD

The City reserves the right to accept and award on a split-order, lump-sum, or individual item basis, or such combination as shall best serve the interest of the City.

2.14. PROTEST PROCEDURE

Protest procedures are governed by City of St. Petersburg Procurement Code Section 2-208 and can be viewed at the following link: Protest Procedure

2.15. NON-NEGOTIABLE CONTRACT TERMS

The City has deemed the following contract terms to be non-negotiable. Vendor is advised that if it wishes to take exception to any of the terms contained or referenced in the contract, it must explicitly identify the term and the exception in its response to the solicitation. Vendor's stated exception to a non-negotiable contract term may disqualify it from consideration:

1. Indemnification.

https://library.municode.com/fl/st._petersburg/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIISTPECO_CH2AD_ARTVPUCOET_DIV1PRCO_S2-208PRSOAW

2. Insurance coverage.

3. Governing Law and Venue.

4. The City will not agree to the addition of any provision requiring a dispute resolution process or method, including but not limited to binding arbitration.

5. The City will not agree to the addition of any provision waiving any remedy available to the City in law or equity (including but limited to the right to a jury trial)

6. The City will not agree to the addition of any provision providing for the award of attorney’s fees to the prevailing party.

7. The City will not agree to the addition of any provision limiting the liability of Vendor to a maximum dollar amount.

2.16. CONTRACT CAPABILITY/REFERENCES

Prior to award, any Vendor may be required to show that the company has the necessary facilities, equipment, ability and financial resources to perform the work specified in a satisfactory manner and within the time specified. In addition, the vendor must have experience in work of the same or similar nature, and can provide references, which will satisfy the City. Vendors must furnish a reference list of at least three (3) customers for whom they have performed similar services.

2.17. CONTRACTOR LICENSE REQUIREMENT

All Contractors performing construction and related work in Pinellas County must comply with all regulatory legislation, Chapter 75-489, Laws of Florida, as amended. Failure to have a competency license in a regulated trade will be cause for rejection of any submittal and/or award.

2.18. CORPORATE REGISTRATION

An award may not be issued without proof that your firm is registered with the Florida Division of

Corporations, as per Florida Statute §607.1501.

A foreign corporation (foreign to the State of Florida) may not transact business in this state until it obtains a certificate of authority from the Department of State. Please visit Division of Corporations for information on how to become registered.

2.19. INSURANCE

The Vendor must provide a certificate of insurance and endorsement in accordance with the insurance requirements listed in the insurance section of the agreement. Failure to provide the required insurance within a ten (10) day period following the determination of award may result in the City to vacate the original determination and proceed with another Vendor.

2.20. PUBLIC EMERGENCIES

It is hereby made part of this solicitation that before, during, and after a public emergency, disaster, hurricane, tornado, flood, or other acts of God that the City of St. Petersburg will require a first priority for goods and services. It is vital and imperative that the citizens are protected from any emergency situation that threatens public health and safety, as determined by the City. Vendor agrees to https://dos.myflorida.com/sunbiz/ rent/sell/lease all goods and service to the City on a first priority basis. The City expects to pay a fair and reasonable price for all goods and services rendered or contracted in the event of a disaster, emergency, hurricane, tornado, or other acts of God.

2.21. EVALUATION CRITERIA

The evaluation criteria define the factors that will be used by the Evaluation Committee to evaluate and score responsive, responsible and qualified submittals. Vendor shall include sufficient information to allow the Evaluation Committee to thoroughly evaluate and score their submittal. Each submission shall be evaluated and ranked by an Evaluation Committee. The contract will be awarded to the most qualified

Vendor, per the evaluation criteria listed in the solicitation.

2.22. RIGHTS OF CITY OF ST. PETERSBURG SOLICITATION PROCESS

In addition to all other rights of the City under Florida law, the City specifically reserves the following:

A. the right to rank firms and negotiate with the most qualified firm.

B. the right to select the proposal that it believes will serve the best interest of the City.

C. the right to reject any and all responses, or parts thereof, to disqualify any and all responses, and/or determine any response to be non-responsive.

D. the right to cancel the entire solicitation.

E. the right to remedy or waive technical or immaterial errors in the solicitation or in the proposals submitted.

F. the right to request any necessary clarifications or proposal data without changing the terms of the solicitation.

G. the right to require the Proposer to perform the services required on the basis of the original submittal without negotiation.

2.23. BONDS

Performance and Payment Bond: If applicable, the annual bond amount will be equal to the one-year amount of a multi-year agreement.

Bid Bonds: Must be uploaded with offeror's submittal prior to the solicitation close date.

3. Vendor Questionnaire

3.1. Is the Vendor registered with the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations

(Sunbiz) in accordance with Florida Statute §607.1501?*

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

3.2. Is the Vendor a City of St. Petersburg certified SBE? *

If you have submitted an application and it is pending, please send an email to osd@stpete.org. In the subject line- provide the solicitation number and due date.

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

3.3. Is the Vendor a City of St. Petersburg certified MWBE? * If you have submitted an application and it is pending, please send an email to osd@stpete.org. In the subject line- provide the solicitation number and due date.

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

3.4. Address for Headquarters location.*

*Response required

3.5. Address of office providing service, if different than above.

3.6. Signature Authority *

Please provide a letter certifying who is authorized to execute the agreement on behalf of Company.

*Response required

3.7. Describe the nature of company’s business.*

*Response required

3.8. Year the Company was Founded.*

*Response required

3.9. Number of years company has operated under the current name. (Note: if the company has modified its corporate structure since its founding (e.g., from a corporation to an LLC), you may list the number of years the company was founded under the original corporate structure).* *Response required

3.10. Company’s bank of record.*

*Response required mailto:osd@spete.org mailto:osd@spete.org

3.11. Describe any litigation that the vendor has been a party to in the last five years where it was alleged that the offeror breached a contract for similar services with a client/customer and describe any contracts for similar services that the vendor failed to complete for similar services. Describe the facts and status of any such litigation or contract. * Type N/A if not applicable.

*Response required

3.12. Identify any government entity that has debarred or otherwise prohibited the vendor from responding to its competitive solicitations within the last five years. Describe the circumstances surrounding such debarment or other prohibition. * Type N/A if not applicable.

*Response required

3.13. The vendor acknowledges that it has read, understands and will comply with Florida

Statute §448.095 pertaining to required use of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security E-

Verify system. Should the City terminate the contract with the vendor for violation of

§448.095, vendor may not be awarded a contract with the City for at least one year.*

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

3.14. The vendor acknowledges that its quote response is subject to Public Records laws

(Chapter 119, Florida Statutes).*

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

3.15. Will vendor allow other agencies to piggyback the contract if awarded?*

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

3.16. The vendor hereby makes all certifications required by Florida Statute §287.135 related to scrutinized companies.*

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

3.17. Is vendor required to provide any disclosures to the City regarding a foreign country of concern pursuant to Florida Statutes §286.101 (3)(a)? *

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

3.18. If YES, please provide the disclosure(s) in accordance with the requirements of Florida

Statute §286.101 (3)(a).

3.19. The vendor certifies that it takes no exceptions to the agreement attached. * The City has deemed the following contract terms to be non-negotiable. Vendor is advised that if it wishes to take exception to any of the terms contained or referenced in the contract, it must explicitly identify the term and the exception in its response to the solicitation. Vendor's stated exception to a non-negotiable contract term may disqualify it from consideration:

1. Indemnification.

2. Insurance coverage.

3. Governing Law and Venue.

4. The City will not agree to the addition of any provision requiring a dispute resolution process or method, including but not limited to binding arbitration.

5. The City will not agree to the addition of any provision waiving any remedy available to the City in law or equity (including but limited to the right to a jury trial)

6. The City will not agree to the addition of any provision providing for the award of attorney’s fees to the prevailing party.

7. The City will not agree to the addition of any provision limiting the liability of Vendor to a maximum dollar amount.

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

3.20. If exceptions are taken to the attached agreement, please provide.

3.21. Has the vendor identified any trade secrets or confidential information in its response?*

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

3.22. If yes to the above question, please upload your redacted proposal here.

3.23. I currently have the required insurance coverage as specified in the solicitation and will be able to provide a Certificate of Insurance if awarded. *

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

3.24. References *

Please download the below document, complete, and upload.

• Vendor_Reference_Form.pdf https://procure-now.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/shared-sections/production/7730/af5e02f7-9845-4718-a389-83b49aa49254_Vendor_Reference_Form.pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=ASIA47RIURE4LCFEXIHX%2F20260317%2Fus-west-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260317T205517Z&X-Amz-Expires=72000&X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjECwaCXVzLXdlc3QtMiJHMEUCIEiXmsiN4yADhyX95PBUk23PIhg5jYM6kWB9edPHzRPuAiEA37q1jOSZ551epJeqWjvsk80my%2BHU%2BCROy4xCqbLi80gqlQUI9f%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FARACGgw4OTIzNjQ2ODc2NzIiDHMrfWPsGNm8CwzB%2FyrpBNUeURSZ5SPmEpZ3MAMinzNZrQD4fifPPw4XoDY%2BTuLWgjHTEqzhr3bUgiaOENFez5QV6J4HB2UK8GqppfwKYLMIAcWp5yOT8zsGc2p5EeYHnaNUT6yUZsRS0%2BkcCwLDhPK7XH2gG%2FMesU%2Fdso1m86hJCmDbOEBwV5NL0TLVGkbG5u2vILrdauFAPXOb108AOf6nxq1iDtCxbpScmy0%2BI1EAMd0S9nC56fljpL5V60eOKbbMpf7DMroSmavvy2QOvNX9fa6YwnG%2FqW%2BMppcv8GNd1C4ggP2ZFA17I4dKm6tf6ofNezFjvK6GEsXwm4hQvtwAHUcdxpqbagoMwAPcmuE6FviNbBJOf%2B2qS7Ar%2BA6e8IYbXiW0uONV%2FwKIa9bMBU0uTzD2Xn6EjETFe8Cb53Y%2Bt%2BkyJmPkpyjmiuDoz4S%2Fnu%2BuQFijm4tOhMgBOhaxisAQBRFDTNbYRUzTPScPZX1R7NRSiBvLzAtGUYYFAJPql1tGOhonJmbMa0BjefKC%2FvCnq6fhg%2Bc3O9%2FwUh2hqzzAnKGWRp3k%2BzBVBFh1RCpC%2B4E4ZSrhpIaGCDgweMnltKzwWQ0ZMXaEAWJp794CO88DnHQDU55KI0IjBpbkAJMzupCKWjwSLpEmP1%2BunanSUalIAa6t5%2BcYZ%2FC0H5jj33t4c9obCLJwrr0gahcF%2BrW9IyclaPSauxyj43tJTdfmY6jk%2BpnHYx1nujh%2FN6smqPoweuUo57V3cYIF1m9aTlWWudTUa%2BShnlwe8PdCGNzPUG4R%2BqYHRo2ZFjaI8KY0PyhCU4ekYDGOvBrTaxNefUCe7LVGvDh%2FYNGJMNPb5s0GOpkB5Sk4LcEJS1Iv9aPAUcKA2IW7ynUuz71fJFewUDbqtCPYFVcUTEDv%2FO1%2FnxUbbBPlFGFpsEMautNe86rqzRc9LFIYksgXcQVlxCujTFUqsz69GpJWpaU2GusOHhIxbVmdVh9bdxEyBdTgqUsJhlLpOj3i%2B1mWo61oeh06E4v0lr64O0kL8sYkj3UK0A84bYgiDq47dU9KaEfc&X-Amz-Signature=ce5a55de7555d1a5c1ee20c6baa96c24efb714bafd16fa09c0d4b44acebec71b&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&response-content-disposition=attachment%3B%20filename%3D%22Vendor_Reference_Form.pdf%22&x-id=GetObject

3.25. Submittal Documents*

Upload all other documents relating to this solicitation. Including but not limited to proposals/statements of qualifications, applicable bonds, warranty information, etc.

4. Scope of Work

4.1. Scope of Services

The City of St. Petersburg is accepting proposals for Management Evaluation of Billing and Collections

Department. The City will award to one vendor.

4.2. Term

The term of the agreement will commence upon contract execution and will remain in full force and effect until Contractor has performed its obligations under the agreement and the City excepts all services in accordance with the agreement.

4.3. Preferred Qualifications

Vendor shall:

A. Have a minimum of five (5) years experience in providing management evaluation services.

C. Have the ability to obtain the minimum insurance requirements set forth in the agreement.

D. Be free from legal and regulatory matters that might prevent the Vendor from fulfilling the obligations of the agreement.

4.4. General Requirements

Contractor shall provide all labor, materials, supervision, tools, equipment, facilities and travel necessary to conduct a management evaluation of the Billing and Collections department (B&C). Contractor’s services shall include, but are not limited to performing tests and analysis necessary; including interviews with employees at all levels of employment, to allow Contractor to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the operations of the department, and to form an opinion and report on the department’s performance in the following areas and make recommendations on how they may be improved:

Mission and Vision:

• Has the department adopted a mission (or vision) statement?

• Is it aligned with the mission of the City?

• Is the department’s mission (or vision) stated clearly, concisely and in easily understandable terms, and are employees aware of it?

• Has management set operational goals for the department?

• Do these goals directly support the mission?

• Are these goals congruent with each other?

• Are these goals defined in measurable terms, including clearly identified performance metrics?

• Is there methodology used to help employees understand how their daily work contributes to the goals of their units, the overall mission of the department, and the City?

Organization Structure:

• Is the current organizational structure adequate to accomplish the department’s mission and/or goals?

• Is the department’s structure efficient and organized in such a way that mission and accountability are clearly defined without duplication and overlap of responsibility?

• Is the department structured to optimize integration, cooperation, and communication within the department as well as with other departments, outside agencies, the Mayor, City Council, and the citizens?

• Does the department’s organizational structure have the appropriate span of control, and does it follow best practices?

• How does it compare with other governmental units of similar size?

Budget:

• Evaluate how the department’s budget is allocated, is their budget managed in the most efficient way to optimize results?

• Evaluate funding mechanisms and determine optimal mix of funding sources.

• Is the department’s budget adequate for it to accomplish its mission?

Staffing Levels:

• Are staffing levels adequate to deliver the service levels expected by our citizens and reflected in the approved budget document?

• Are staffing levels adequate to manage current workloads and support efficient and effective operations?

• Does the department have the resources needed to provide services to a city of our size and keep up with projected population growth (St. Pete 2050 Report)?

• Are staffing levels adequate within each classification (i.e. meter readers, customer service, professional, supervisory, management, etc.)?

• Are staffing levels adequate compared with peer cities and governmental units of similar size?

• Are current employee turnover rates reasonable, and how do they compare with those of similar governmental entities?

• Evaluate the department’s historical staffing levels over the past 5 to 10 years and typical tenure by position.

Staff Qualifications:

• Are staff members, including management, supervisory, office, and operations personnel, qualified to perform their duties in accordance with City’s policies and procedures?

• Do they have the necessary skills, education, licenses, and professional certifications to effectively perform their duties?

• Is training of staff (both short-term and long-term) adequate for the required duties, and are training opportunities equally accessible to all staff members?

• Are there adequate opportunities for continuing education and professional development?

Management of Staff:

• Does management demonstrate strong leadership?

• Do they possess the “soft” skills required to be effective leaders?

• Do they have credibility and the confidence of their subordinates, peers and City leadership?

• Does management clearly communicate the goals and objectives of the City and the department?

• Are these goals and objectives incorporated into daily tasks and action plans?

• Does management hold employees accountable for meeting established goals, objectives, and expectations?

• Does management hold themselves accountable for meeting the needs of their staff?

• Does management lead by example?

• Do they encourage staff to work as a team where every member is valued and invited to fully participate?

• Do they encourage change management throughout the department?

• Is staff operating in accordance with applicable rules, regulations and policies?

• Does management provide consistent coaching, counseling, and constructive performance feedback to employees?

• Are employees provided fair and equal access to training and growth opportunities?

• Evaluate the promotional process within the department.

• Are promotions and advancement opportunities equitable across the department?

• Are there any barriers to moving up to the next level?

• What is the process for investigating employee complaints?

• What is staff’s comfort level with addressing grievances?

• Is there fear of retaliation from a 360-degree view?

• Are there adequate protections in place for whistleblowers?

• Are work schedules established to accomplish the goals and objectives of the department in the most efficient and effective manner?

• Are assignments distributed in the most equitable and efficient manner?

• How do staff interactions with management occur in the field and are they tracked to ensure proper employee engagement is occurring?

Succession Planning:

• Does the department have a succession plan in place for management and supervisory staff?

• Does this plan include a focus on diversity?

• Does this plan include empowerment and/or training of current staff for these future roles in leadership?

• How would the loss of a key person affect the department?

• Is there a continuity of operations plan?

Policies and Procedures:

• Are City and departmental policies and procedures, as applied by the department, adequate to support efficient and effective operations?

• How do the department's policies and procedures compare with industry best practices?

• Do they align with applicable laws and regulations, including public records retention and recordkeeping statutes?

• Are policies applied fairly and consistently across the department?

• How do we ensure this fairness and consistency?

• Is the Human Resources department involved in this process?

Customer Service:

• Does the department provide customer-focused services and communications?

• Is communication with customers appropriately documented?

• Are customer satisfaction levels regularly measured using feedback from customers?

• How are customer complaints handled?

• Is there a formal process to escalate customer service issues, and to capture, track, and respond to customer feedback in a timely manner?

• How are customer service response times measured and documented?

• Are there any delays in responding to residents?

• Are the staff interacting with customers providing adequate services?

• Has management established clear customer service standards and expectations, and are these standards effectively communicated to employees and reinforced through training, supervision, and performance management?

• Are employees trained appropriately in customer service skills, including how to deliver the message, to make residents feel heard?

• Do employees have the tools and skills to effectively handle customer issues?

• Are employees trained to deal with issues as they come up, i.e., recent cases of customers reporting unusually high utility bills?

• How does the management team help employees deal with such situations?

• When extenuating circumstances arise, do employees feel they are getting timely and accurate information from upper management to respond effectively?

• Are periodic refresher training sessions provided for employees whose roles have an impact on customer service?

• Is the department doing all it can to provide good standards of employee care?

• Are all employees encouraged and given the opportunity to put forward practical suggestions for improving customer service?

• Is the team directly interacting with customers included in discussions and able to provide feedback on improving customer service?

• Is action taken, where possible, to address customer suggestions and common complaints?

• Are employees kept informed about customer satisfaction results and actions taken to address identified issues and improve service delivery?

• Are employees provided with regular performance feedback and coaching to support continuous improvement?

• Do employees feel valued for their day-to-day work and for going above and beyond?

• How is exceptional performance linked to recognition, promotion, or pay raises?

• What happens when an employee underperforms?

• What is the corrective action plan for addressing poor performance, particularly in customer service?

Communication:

• Evaluate the availability and utilization of communication tools?

• Could information be readily available to elected officials without having to reach out to department staff?

• Evaluate communication between the department and elected officials; could it be improved?

• Evaluate communication between the department and their customers; could it be improved?

• Evaluate communication within the department; could it be improved?

• Is the community outreach performed by the department effective?

• How can it be improved?

• Are there clear points of contact within the department that elected officials, the media and the general public can reach out to address specific questions?

Technology:

• Does the department proactively leverage technology to improve service, enhance efficiency, and control costs?

• Is the technology used by the department outdated?

• Is the best available technology being used to help staff perform at the highest level?

• How is the department leveraging technology in key areas, i.e. software, operations, meter reading?

• Is the current technology appropriate for the department’s needs, and how does it compare with industry standards and other governmental units of similar size?

• Is the new technology (Tyler) appropriate for the department’s needs, and how does it compare with industry standards and other governmental units of similar size?

• How do other cities and utilities collect and manage water meter data for billing, and how do they leverage meter technology to optimize accuracy and efficiency?

• Is management actively seeking new technologies to better serve customers, from bill generation through to customer support?

• Is AI being explored as a tool to improve department efficiency?

• Could AI be leveraged to detect anomalies or spikes in water consumption, identify potential leaks, or notify customers of unusual usage patterns?

Employee Engagement:

• Does management provide ongoing communication with non-union employees regarding departmental changes, updates to policies and procedures, and changes in day-to-day operations?

• Does management provide ongoing communication with the local union regarding these topics?

• Does management engage with union representatives concerning staff-related topics such as general morale, employee engagement opportunities, employee feedback and complaints, equipment needs, and staff training for both maintaining qualifications and empowerment for advancement opportunities?

Diversity (women/minority):

• What is the current demographic makeup of the department?

• Does the department have a diversity plan in place?

• If so, how is the implementation of this plan tracked, and does it align with the citywide values and goals?

• If there is not one, what steps are being taken towards the development of a plan?

Strategic Planning and Development:

• Is the department where it needs to be compared with departments in our peer cities, i.e. cities of similar size and demographics?

• Is the department prepared to keep up with the City’s projected growth?

• Does it have the necessary resources?

• Where are we now, and where are we going to be 30 years from now?

• Are we on a timeline/budget schedule to scale the department to match the trajectory of the City and be able to meet the needs of tomorrow?

• When was the last strategic plan completed, and what is the plan for implementation?

Employee Safety:

• Do employees feel they have a workplace free of harassment, bullying, abuse of power, and other inappropriate behaviors?

• If any employees have encountered such issues within the department, do they feel their concerns were handled appropriately and effectively?

• Is the department taking sufficient steps to ensure the safety and well-being of its field employees, including meter readers?

Billing Process:

• Is there adequate oversight of the billing process?

• Are employees updated on Administration’s efforts to improve billing accuracy?

• Are employees empowered to provide feedback and suggestions to improve these efforts?

• Why were billing errors reported by customers?

• When did the billing errors begin occurring; before or after the storms of 2024?

• Were specific zip codes disproportionately impacted?

• Were certain types of properties, such as vacant homes, more affected by billing errors?

• What factors are considered when deciding to issue a shut-off notice, and what criteria determine if a customer should receive one?

• Is there a process for writing off uncollectible accounts?

• How does Tiered Billing impact customers, especially those who are financially disadvantaged?

• Review the collection side of the process.

• What is the role of the Utilities Billing Review Committee (UBRC)?

• Are appropriate controls in place for the UBRC?

• Is there a process for handling billing disputes, adjustments, write-offs, and escalation to the

UBRC?

• Review the UBRC’s policies and procedures and interview with UBRC members.

Meter Reading Process:

• Is the meter reading process effective and efficient?

• What is the process for collecting water meter data?

• How is meter reader information verified, and how is data reliability ensured?

• Is there an established formal dispute resolution process?

• How are questions and discrepancies about water consumption resolved?

• How do our water meters compare with those used by peer cities?

• How do analog meters compare to digital meters in terms of accuracy and reliability?

• Have other cities fully transitioned to digital meters, and how do we compare?

Utility Assistance Programs:

• Do we have the right assistance programs in place?

• How often are they evaluated to ensure the assistance offered matches the real needs of the customers?

• Is the management team proactively and continuously looking for ways to help customers who experience difficulty paying their utility bills?

• How do our assistance programs compare with those offered by our peer cities and governmental units of similar size?

Emergency Preparedness:

• How do the department’s emergency preparedness policies and procedures compare with those of peer cities that have experienced natural disasters?

• Does the department have an up-to-date emergency response plan?

• How often is it updated?

• Has it been updated to incorporate lessons learned from the 2024 hurricane events?

B&C Employee Survey

Contractor shall conduct an anonymous survey of B&C employees to ascertain their attitude regarding the management and working environment in the department (including employee morale). The survey conducted should meet the following criteria:

• It will be based on a 100% sample of the employees in the department, with anonymous survey responses.

• Survey responses are to be analyzed by several demographic groupings, to include at a minimum, race, gender, organizational unit (division, section), organizational level, employee function and tenure with the department and organization.

• Areas of interest to be surveyed will include, but not be limited to employee attitude with regard to supervision, upper management, working and safety conditions, interpersonal relationships with other employees, discrimination, racial equity, equal opportunities for training and advancement, satisfaction with how information is shared within the department and communication up and down the organizational hierarchy (do they feel their voice is heard and do they feel as they are valued members of a team). It will also assess if employees believe the department is ran effectively, do they feel empowered to speak up about inefficiencies and water meter issues, satisfaction with resources needed to do their jobs, overall happiness, and other factors identified as important issues through interviews with department management, supervisors and a sample of employees.

• Survey employees on what they think are the internal and external barriers to efficiency, what are the roadblocks that affect their operations, and how do other departments impact the department’s operations (360-degree view).

• Additional survey questions for management staff, to include, but not be limited to, does management feel supported by Administration? Is there a disconnect between the

Administration’s views and the management’s day-to-day reality?

The Contractor will be responsible for:

• Conducting preliminary research and interviews to determine the appropriate topics to survey.

• Designing and preparing the survey instrument, including open-ended questions, to solicit open and honest feedback from all employees.

• Disseminating surveys and collecting completed surveys while providing a safe space for the respondents, at or outside the workplace.

• Performing data analysis of the surveys returned and reporting survey results by demographic groupings.

• Where appropriate, making recommendations for organizational changes or programs based upon survey findings.

The survey instrument shall become property of the Contractor, and the City of St. Petersburg will be provided with a summary of the statistical results and a summary of the open-ended statements provided by employees.

4.5. Deliverables

Contractor shall provide twenty (20) hard copies and one (1) digital copy in PDF via email of its management evaluation report to the City within 180 days after the effective date of this Agreement. The report shall show findings and recommendations, including an executive summary, related data tables, charts, graphs, and other statistical analysis or supporting documentation. Contractor shall be required to make a minimum of one oral presentation of its findings and recommendations to the Budget, Finance &

Taxation (BF&T) Committee and/or City Council.

4.6. Account Management

Vendor must provide a single point of contact, a dedicated account manager who will be readily available during normal business hours to administer the agreement. Vendor is responsible for notifying the City of any changes in account manager or contact information. Account managers' responsibilities shall include, but are not limited to, overseeing all aspects of implementation, servicing, reporting, and issue resolution.

4.7. City’s Responsibilities

At a minimum, City shall provide and meet the following responsibilities:

A. City shall provide a point of contact (City Project Manager) to administer the Agreement.

B. City Project Manager shall assist with planning, strategy, and objectives prior to performance of the Work.

C. City Project Manager shall promptly respond to issues and inquiries so as not to hinder the progress, completion, or compensation for the Work.

5. Evaluation Criteria

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Qualifications and Experience of Firm and

Staff

This section evaluates the Proposer’s qualifications, relevant experience, and capacity to successfully perform the required services.

Scoring will be based on the firm’s history of similar projects, technical expertise, organizational structure, key personnel credentials, and demonstrated past performance.

0-10 Points 30 (30% of Total)

2. Project Approach

This section evaluates the Proposer’s proposed methodology for delivering the services, including processes used on similar projects and the approach envisioned for this engagement. Scoring will be based on the clarity and feasibility of the project plan, schedule, key activities, deliverables, and the proposed coordination process with the City’s

Project Manager.

0-10 Points 25 (25% of Total)

3. Cost Analysis

This section evaluates the Proposer's completed cost analysis and proposed fee for the project.

Scoring will be based on the completeness, clarity, and reasonableness of the pricing information provided.

0-10 Points 20 (20% of Total)

4. Schedule

This section evaluates the Proposer's proposed project schedule.

0-10 Points 10 (10% of Total)

5. Business Enterprise Program Outreach and

Utilization

This section evaluates the Proposer’s status as an SBE, MBE, WBE, or combination, and the firm’s demonstrated commitment to outreach, inclusion, and utilization of small and minority-owned businesses in performance of the contract. Scoring will be based on documented outreach efforts, planned mentoring and capacity-building initiatives, and processes for inclusive subcontracting.

0-10 Points 15 (15% of Total)