P00327 COMPREHENSIVE POLE ATTACHMENT CONSULTING AND SUPPORT SERVICES FINAL.pdf

Request for Proposals

For

COMPREHENSIVE POLE ATTACHMENT CONSULTING AND

SUPPORT SERVICES

P003-27

Proposals due by 5:00 PM, November 4, 2026 Proposals open at 11:00 AM, November 5, 2026

P003-27 COMPREHENSIVE POLE ATTACHMENT

CONSULTING AND SUPPORT SERVICES

LEGAL NOTICE

AND

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

P003-27

The Brownsville Public Utilities Board (“BPUB”) is requesting electronic or sealed Competitive Sealed Proposals (hereon styled “RFP”) for Comprehensive Pole Attachment Consulting and Support Services. BPUB’s Purchasing Office located at 1155 FM 511, Olmito, TX, will accept RFPs from qualified firms until 5:00 PM, November 4, 2026. RFP’s received after this time will not be considered.

RFP’s will be acknowledged by BPUB on November 5, 2026 at 11:00 AM (CST).

A non-mandatory proposal meeting will be held Brownsville PUB Purchasing Department, 1155 FM 511 Olmito, TX 78575, Room A112.4 on October 21, 2026 at 9:00 AM. Conference call will be available at (267) 930-4000 and enter participant access code 843 506 766# to listen to the pre-proposal meeting.

BPUB utilizes the Texas Purchasing Group to post Request for Proposal (RFP) and bid opportunities. Registration is available by following the link: https://www.bidnetdirect.com/texas/brownsville-pub, if you haven’t already registered.

If submitting a hard copy response, please mark on the outside of the envelope and on any carrier’s envelope: “Sealed Proposal for Comprehensive Pole Attachment Consulting and Support Services, P003-27, November 4, 2026, 5:00 PM”, c/o Diane Solitaire, Purchasing Department, 1155 FM 511, Olmito, TX 78575.

BPUB will not be responsible in the event that the U.S. Postal Service or any other courier system fails to deliver the sealed proposal package to the BPUB Purchasing Office by the given RFP deadline above. Electronic transmission of RFP will only be acceptable through Bidnet.

BPUB reserves the right to reject any or all responses and to waive irregularities contained therein and to accept any response deemed most advantageous to BPUB.

Diane Solitaire Purchasing and Materials Manager Brownsville Public Utilities Board

(956) 983-6366 - Phone https://www.bidnetdirect.com/texas/brownsville-pub

CONSULTING AND SUPPORT SERVICES 3

Please submit this page upon receipt

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM

P003-27

COMPREHENSIVE POLE ATTACHMENT CONSULTING AND SUPPORT

SERVICES

For any clarifications, please contact Nicole Espinoza at the BPUB Purchasing Department at

(956) 983-6353 or via e-mail at nespinoza@brownsville-pub.com.

Please email this page upon receipt of the RFP package.

Check one:

( ) Yes, I will be able to send an RFP response and obtain the RFP package from website.

( ) Yes, I will be able to send an RFP response; please email the RFP package.

Email:

( ) No, I will not be able to send an RFP response for the following reason:

If you are unable to send your RFP response, kindly indicate your reason above and return this form via email to nespinoza@brownsville-pub.com. This will ensure you remain active on our vendor list.

Date

Company:

Name:

Address:

City: State: Zip Code:

Phone:

IF SPECIFICATIONS ARE DOWNLOADED FROM WEBSITE, PLEASE EMAIL THIS PAGE TO EMAIL LISTED ABOVE mailto:nespinoza@brownsville-pub.com.

mailto:nespinoza@brownsville-pub.com

CONSULTING AND SUPPORT SERVICES 4

INTRODUCTION

Brownsville Public Utilities Board (BPUB) is located in Brownsville, Texas and is a community-owned utility providing full-service utility solutions (electric, water, sewer) to our customers.

BPUB was formed in 1960 to provide electric, water, and wastewater services to its customers in the Brownsville area. According to the City’s Charter, management, operation, and control of the City’s combined water, wastewater, and electric utility systems is delegated to the Public Utilities Board, comprised of seven members, six of whom are appointed by the City Commission for four-year terms, and the seventh member being the City’s Mayor serving Ex-officio.

The BPUB organization is under the leadership of a General Manager & CEO, who reports to the Board of Directors and oversees Executive Managers: Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and General Counsel & Chief Legal Officer. Each of the executive officers oversee a section of the utility (operations, finance, administration) and directly supervises the senior managers (Directors) in the following divisions: Water/Wastewater Operations, Water/Wastewater Engineering & Planning, Environmental Services, Electric Transmission & Distribution, Power Supply, Human Resources, Customer Services, Enterprise Solutions, and Finance. BPUB’s workforce consists of approximately 642 budgeted FTEs and approximately 585 occupied positions.

PURPOSE

Brownsville Public Utilities Board (BPUB) is seeking proposals from qualified and experienced firms to provide comprehensive pole attachment consulting and support services. BPUB owns, operates, and maintains an electric utility system serving the Brownsville area, including approximately 390 miles of overhead primary distribution lines, 427 miles of underground primary distribution lines, and 50 miles of transmission lines. BPUB's infrastructure includes approximately 33,000 utility poles, consisting primarily of wood distribution and transmission poles that support electric facilities as well as third-party communications and related attachments.

Due to increasing attachment activity, evolving regulatory requirements, and the need for consistent administration and enforcement, BPUB intends to enhance and modernize its pole attachment practices. BPUB is seeking a qualified consultant to assist with the development, implementation, administration, and long-term support of a comprehensive pole attachment framework that promotes safety, operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, accurate recordkeeping, and equitable treatment of all attachers.

The purpose of this engagement is to support BPUB in implementing a standardized, enforceable, and scalable pole attachment process, including the development of agreements, standards, procedures, application workflows, data management practices, and compliance mechanisms. The long-term objective is to transition appropriate operational pole attachment functions to a qualified service provider while maintaining BPUB oversight, engineering authority, policy direction, and final decision-making responsibility.

CONSULTING AND SUPPORT SERVICES 5

SCOPE OF SERVICES

The selected consultant shall provide professional services to assist BPUB with pole attachment agreement implementation, technical standards development, attachment surveys, compliance enforcement, billing support, and records management. Services shall be performed in coordination with BPUB Electrical Engineering, Legal, GIS, Finance, Accounting and other departments as applicable. The scope of services may include, but is not limited to, pole attachment and joint-use agreement development and negotiations, rate calculations and billing methodologies, application intake and tracking systems, GIS and records integration, field inspections and audits, contract administration and enforcement, make-ready coordination, wireless and wireline attachment support, regulatory compliance reviews, data validation, reporting, stakeholder coordination, pole attachment and joint-use coordination with other electric utilities, attendance at periodic onsite meetings, and preparation and delivery of presentations, recommendations, and process updates to BPUB staff, management, executive leadership, and/or the Board of Directors as requested.

1. POLE ATTACHMENT AGREEMENT IMPLEMENTATION AND

ADMINISTRATION

The consultant shall assist BPUB with the development, implementation, administration, and ongoing management of pole attachment and joint-use agreements and related process documentation. This shall include support for wireline and wireless pole attachment process and joint-use arrangements with other electric utilities.

Services may include:

• Assisting BPUB with the development, review, and finalization of a Wireline Pole Attachment Agreement.

• Assisting BPUB with the development, review, and finalization of a Wireless Pole Attachment Agreement.

• Recommending agreement provisions, processes, and requirements based on industry best practices, applicable regulations, and utility operational needs.

• Supporting implementation and administration of approved agreements with existing and future attachers.

• Supporting negotiations, amendments, renewals, and compliance discussions related to wireline and wireless pole attachment agreements, as directed by BPUB.

• Assisting BPUB with the development, review, negotiation, finalization, and implementation of joint-use agreements with other electric utilities.

• Supporting the ongoing administration, amendment, renewal, compliance tracking, and operational coordination of joint-use agreements with other electric utilities.

• Developing procedures, workflows, responsibility matrices, cost-allocation methods, and supporting documentation necessary to implement and administer joint-use agreements.

CONSULTING AND SUPPORT SERVICES 6

• Assisting BPUB in incorporating reasonable attacher input while maintaining BPUB standards and protections.

• Developing associated application forms, standard details, checklists, workflows, and supporting documentation necessary for administration of the agreements.

• Developing and implementing standardized workflows for application intake, review, approval, permit issuance, and records management.

• Coordinating activities among BPUB Engineering, Legal, Finance, Accounting, Operations, GIS, external attacher.

• Developing tracking systems and reporting tools for agreement administration and compliance monitoring.

• Supporting recovery of costs, fees, penalties, and other charges authorized under applicable agreements.

2. SYSTEMWIDE POLE ATTACHMENT SURVEY AND DATA VALIDATION

The consultant shall plan, manage, and enforce a comprehensive pole attachment survey process, including:

• Conducting or managing field surveys to verify attachment counts, ownership, and compliance

• Identifying unauthorized, abandoned, or non-compliant attachments

• Ensuring survey efforts are documented and defensible

• Coordinating reimbursable survey costs from attachers in accordance with the Pole

Attachment Agreement

• Updating and validating BPUB’s pole attachment records based on survey results

• Providing GIS-compatible data, mapping, and supporting documentation suitable for integration into BPUB's existing ESRI Enterprise Geodatabase

3. ENFORCEMENT OF POLE ATTACHMENT AGREEMENT PROVISIONS

The consultant shall support BPUB in enforcing key provisions of the Pole Attachment Agreement, including:

• Mandatory field surveys with reimbursable costs to attachers

• Enforcement of penalties for failure to remove unauthorized or non-compliant attachments

• Enforcement of annual pole attachment data submissions from attachers

• Establishing standardized enforcement workflows, documentation practices, and compliance tracking mechanisms

4. DEVELOPMENT OF BPUB POLE ATTACHMENT STANDARDS

CONSULTING AND SUPPORT SERVICES 7

The consultant shall develop formal BPUB Pole Attachment Standards to serve as the technical and operational foundation of the process. At a minimum, the standards shall address:

• Development of separate Wireline Pole Attachment Standards and Wireless Pole Attachment Standards, including associated application procedures, technical requirements, design criteria, inspection requirements, and approval processes

• Attachment configurations, clearances, and safety requirements

• Pole loading, make-ready, and structural requirements

• Construction practices, inspection criteria, and acceptance requirements

• Documentation, recordkeeping, and data submission standards

• Alignment with the finalized Pole Attachment Agreement and industry best practices

The standards shall be suitable for adoption by BPUB and used consistently for application reviews, inspections, enforcement actions, and future agreements.

5. BILLING, INVOICING, AND RECORDS MANAGEMENT SUPPORT

The consultant shall provide support related to pole attachment billing and records management, including:

• Preparation and processing of timely invoices for:

o Attachment fees o Survey costs o Make-ready costs o Penalties and enforcement actions

• Maintaining accurate, up-to-date pole attachment records

• Coordinating with BPUB Finance and Accounting staff to ensure proper validation and reporting

• Establishing performance metrics related to billing timeliness and data accuracy

• Development, evaluation, and periodic update of Pole Attachment Rate Calculations and supporting methodologies to ensure compliance with applicable agreements, regulations, industry practices, and BPUB cost recovery objectives.

• Evaluation of existing pole attachment fee structures and identification of opportunities for improvement.

• Development of supporting documentation and calculations for annual attachment rental rates, make-ready charges, survey cost recovery, application fees, and other authorized charges.

• Assistance with rate reviews and updates as requested by BPUB

6. PROCESS TRANSITION AND STRATEGIC OUTSOURCING SUPPORT

The consultant shall assist BPUB in transitioning toward a sustainable long-term outsourcing model by:

CONSULTING AND SUPPORT SERVICES 8

• Performing day-to-day operational pole attachment functions as assigned

• Developing procedures that allow BPUB to scale services efficiently

• Supporting knowledge transfer and documentation to ensure continuity

• Operating under BPUB oversight, with BPUB retaining policy authority, engineering judgment, and final decision-making responsibility

• Attending periodic onsite meetings with BPUB staff and providing presentations, updates, recommendations, and process status reports to management, executive leadership, and/or the Board of Directors as requested.

7. GIS, RECORDS MANAGEMENT, AND TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION

The consultant shall support development and implementation of systems necessary for efficient administration of Pole Attachment Processes.

Services may include:

• Integration of pole attachment records, survey data, attachment inventories, ownership information, compliance findings, application data, and related records into BPUB's existing ESRI Enterprise Geodatabase.

• Development and implementation of application tracking and workflow management systems.

• NJUNS-related support and coordination

• Development of dashboards, reports, and performance metrics for process administration and compliance monitoring.

• Development of processes to ensure ongoing data accuracy, quality control, and reconciliation between field data, permits, agreements, and GIS records.

• Support for electronic document management, records retention, and compliance tracking.

• Coordination with BPUB GIS staff to ensure compatibility with existing systems and future technology enhancements.

• Recommendations for software platforms, permitting systems, and long-term technology solutions that support efficient administration of the Pole Attachment Processes.

DELIVERABLES

At a minimum, the consultant shall provide the following deliverables, as applicable to the awarded scope:

Process Administration and Agreements

• Draft and final Wireline Pole Attachment Agreement.

• Draft and final Wireless Pole Attachment Agreement.

• Pole Attachment Process workflows, procedures, forms, templates, and process documentation.

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• Application review checklists, permit templates, and supporting administrative documentation.

• Agreement administration and compliance tracking tools.

• Draft and final pole attachment and joint-use agreements with other electric utilities, as requested by BPUB.

• Joint-use agreement implementation procedures, workflows, responsibility matrices, cost-allocation documentation, and related administrative tools.

• Joint-use agreement administration records, compliance reports, amendments, renewal documentation, issue logs, and records-reconciliation reports, as applicable.

Surveys and Data Validation

• Comprehensive pole attachment survey reports.

• Attachment inventory and ownership verification records.

• Unauthorized and non-compliant attachment reports.

• Data reconciliation reports identifying discrepancies between field conditions and existing records.

• GIS-compatible survey datasets and supporting documentation.

Standards Development

• Draft and final Wireline Pole Attachment Standards.

• Draft and final Wireless Pole Attachment Standards.

• Supporting construction standards, standard details, inspection procedures, and technical guidance documents.

Compliance and Enforcement

• Compliance tracking reports.

• Enforcement workflow documentation.

• Violation tracking logs and corrective action reports.

• Annual compliance and process performance summaries.

Billing and Records Management

• Billing and invoicing support documentation.

• Pole attachment fee tracking and reconciliation reports.

• Records management procedures and documentation.

• Performance metrics related to billing accuracy and timeliness.

• Pole Attachment Rate Calculation methodology, supporting calculations, and recommendations for implementation and future updates.

GIS, Technology, and System Integration

CONSULTING AND SUPPORT SERVICES 10

• Updates and integration of pole attachment data into BPUB's existing ESRI Enterprise Geodatabase.

• Application tracking and workflow management system recommendations, configurations, or implementations, as applicable.

• Dashboards, reports, and performance monitoring tools.

• Data quality control and reconciliation procedures.

• Recommendations for long-term technology and system enhancements supporting the Pole

Attachment Processes.

Process Transition and Ongoing Support

• Process transition plan and implementation roadmap.

• Knowledge transfer documentation and staff training materials.

• Periodic status reports and meeting summaries.

• Final process assessment and recommendations for long-term operation and outsourcing of Pole Attachment Process functions.

• Presentation materials, executive summaries, and process status updates prepared for

BPUB staff, management, executive leadership, and/or Board presentations, as requested.

Proposed Schedule of Values / Cost Proposal

Proposers shall submit pricing in accordance with the Proposal Schedule and Schedule of Values included in the Proposal Documents.

Coordination and Oversight

The consultant shall work under the direction of BPUB and coordinate closely with BPUB Electrical Engineering, Legal, GIS, Finance and other departments as applicable. Consultant shall not act as BPUB’s agent or execute documents, bind BPUB, make final policy or engineering determinations, approve or deny applications, or take final enforcement action unless expressly authorized in writing by BPUB. All final decisions related to policy, engineering determinations, and enforcement authority shall remain with BPUB.

SCHEDULE

• Work shall be performed during normal business hours unless otherwise approved

• Consultant shall provide a detailed schedule with proposal

INSTRUCTIONS TO PARTICIPATING FIRMS

BPUB is requesting proposals from firms interested in providing the Comprehensive Pole Attachment Consulting and Support Services for the utility.

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Firms shall be fully staffed with full-time, in-house, experienced personnel with similar experience required to perform services requested. Additionally, firms shall demonstrate they have successfully provided services to those specified in the Scope of Services section of this RFP, with at least five (5) years’ experience specifically in the public utilities sector.

The following instructions should be followed:

1. RFP responses must include a statement that they are valid for a minimum period of one-hundred twenty (120) days after the RFP Response closing date.

2. Please limit your response to relevant material; additional information must be submitted as an attachment or appendix.

3. Identify the section being answered in the introduction to each response.

4. After the release of this solicitation, the Proposer’s contact regarding this RFP with members of the RFP evaluation, interview, or selection panels, and employees of the BPUB or officials of the BPUB other than the Purchasing Manager or Purchasing Staff is prohibited and may result in disqualification from this procurement process. No officer, employee, agent, or representative of the Proposer shall have any contact or discussion, verbal or written, with any members of the BPUB Board of Directors, members of the RFP evaluation, interview, or selection panels, BPUB staff, or directly or indirectly through others, seek to influence any BPUB Board member, BPUB staff regarding any matters about this solicitation, except as herein provided. If a representative of any Proposer violates the foregoing prohibition by contacting any of the above-listed parties with whom contact is not authorized, such contact may result in the Proposer being disqualified from the procurement process.

5. The BPUB is not bound under any contract until it authorizes the General Manager to execute the contract and the contract is executed by both parties.

6. It is a policy of the BPUB to refuse to enter into a contract or other transaction with an individual, sole proprietorship, joint venture, Limited Liability Company, or other entity indebted to BPUB.

7. The successful Firm agrees to send a personal representative with binding authority for the company to the BPUB upon request to adjust and/or assist with coordinating all transactions as needed.

8. The BPUB has implemented a vendor payment service by depositing the payment directly to the vendor’s bank account. Successful vendor(s) will be required to receive payments directly through Automated Clearing House (ACH) in lieu of a

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paper check. The awarded vendor must agree to receive payments via ACH (Direct Deposit).

9. Per IRS Publication 1220, a W9 form, or a W8 form in cases of a foreign vendor, will be required of all vendors doing business with the BPUB. If a W9 or W8 form is not made available to BPUB, the first payment will be subject to income tax withholding at 28% or 30% depending on the U.S. status and the source of income as per IRS Publication 1220. The W9 or W8 form must be included with the proposal. Attached are sample forms.

10. The BPUB is exempt from Federal Excise Tax, State Sales Tax and Local taxes.

Do not include tax in the proposal. If it is determined that tax was included in the proposal, it will not be included in the tabulation or any awards. Tax exemption certificates will be furnished upon request.

11. Failure to sign the proposal will disqualify it. The person signing the proposal should show title or authority to bind their Firm to a contract.

12. During the performance of this contract, the Firm agrees not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, national origin, age, religion, gender, marital or veteran status or physically challenging condition.

13. The BPUB will contact the prospective Firm’s references by telephone or email.

Complete the attached “Previous Customer Reference Worksheet” for each reference provided.

14. The Firm agrees to maintain professional errors and omissions liability insurance of not less than one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) annual aggregate, on a claims-made basis, as long as reasonably available under standard policies.

BPUB RIGHTS

1. If only one or no RFP response is received by the "submission date", the BPUB has the right to reject, re-solicit, accept and/or extend the RFP by up to an additional two (2) weeks from the original submission date.

2. The right to reject any/or all RFPs and make award awards as they may appear advantageous to the BPUB.

3. The right to hold the RFP for 120 days from the submission date without action and to waive all formalities in the RFP.

4. The right to extend the total RFP beyond the original 120-day period before an award if agreed upon in writing by both parties and if the RFP holds firm.

5. The right to terminate all or any part of the unfinished portion of the work resulting from this solicitation within thirty (30) days' written notice; upon

CONSULTING AND SUPPORT SERVICES 13

default by the Firm, for delay or non-performance by the Firm, or if it is deemed in the best interest of the Utilities for convenience.

6. The BPUB reserves the right to request additional information or meet with representatives from responding organizations to discuss points in the RFP before and after submission, all of which may be used to form a recommendation.

7. The BPUB reserves the right to reject all proposals and to accept the proposal it considers in its best interest based upon the requirements and descriptions outlined in this RFP.

a. The right to award all or selected portions of the proposed scope, to award contracts to one or more proposers, and to allocate work among multiple consultants based on qualifications, expertise, pricing, funding availability, process priorities, and the best interests of BPUB.

b. The right to negotiate separate scopes, task authorizations, and pricing arrangements with one or more selected proposers.

Any interpretation, correction, or change of the RFP will be made by ADDENDUM.

The BPUB Purchasing Department will issue changes or corrections. Addenda will be emailed to all who have returned the RFP Acknowledgement Form. Addenda will be issued as expeditiously as possible. The vendors are responsible for determining whether all addenda have been received. It will be the responsibility of all respondents to contact the BPUB before submitting a response to the RFP to ascertain if any addenda have been issued, and to obtain any and/ or all addenda, execute them, and return addenda with the response to the RFP. Addenda may also be posted on BPUB’s webpage.

PROPOSAL DUE DATE

Proposals are due November 4, 2026 by 5:00 PM, delivered via mail or courier service, if submitting a hard copy, to the BPUB Purchasing Department, 1155 FM 511, Olmito, TX 78575.

Proposals received after the deadline will not be considered. RFP responses can also be submitted electronically through BidNet only.

Proposals will be acknowledged on November 5, 2026 at 11:00 AM.

SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

This section of the RFP describes the required format and content for the respondent’s proposal. This standardization will facilitate the evaluation of all proposals. Failure to comply with the required organization outlined in this RFP may result in a lowered evaluation.

Proposals that are substantially incomplete or lack key information may be rejected. A proposal will be considered incomplete if the response to requested information states that the respondent considers the information proprietary and as such the information is not disclosed.

Proposals should be prepared in a manner that is straightforward, with a concise description

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of capabilities to satisfy the requirements of the RFP. Emphasis should be placed on completeness and clarity of content.

Proposals should be organized in the order in which the requirements are presented in this RFP.

Each paragraph of the response should reference the section of the corresponding section of the RFP. Respondent should respond to all information requested in this RFP or indicate why no response is given. It is also helpful to repeat the text of the requirements as it appears in the RFP before your answer to that question. Proposals that are not organized in this manner risk elimination for consideration if the evaluators cannot determine where the answer to a particular question is located within the response.

Each proposer shall submit a complete proposal containing the information listed below. Proposals should be organized in the order presented. BPUB will use the submitted information to evaluate proposals in accordance with the published Determining Factors for Award.

A. TRANSMITTAL LETTER

Provide a signed transmittal letter containing:

1. Legal name and address of the proposer.

2. Name, title, telephone number, and email address of the primary contact.

3. Identification of the person authorized to negotiate and bind the proposer.

4. Confirmation that the proposal will remain valid for the period required by the RFP.

5. Acknowledgment of all addenda.

6. Confirmation of the proposer’s ability and willingness to perform the requested services.

7. Identification of any proposed exceptions or qualifications.

B. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND UNDERSTANDING OF BPUB’S REQUIREMENTS

Provide a concise executive summary describing:

1. The proposer’s understanding of BPUB’s objectives.

2. The principal challenges and priorities anticipated for the engagement.

3. The proposer’s recommended overall implementation strategy.

4. The principal benefits and distinguishing features of the proposed approach.

5. The proposer’s understanding of BPUB’s need to retain policy authority, engineering judgment, oversight, and final decision-making responsibility.

C. QUALIFICATIONS AND RELEVANT EXPERIENCE OF THE FIRM

Provide the following:

1. A description of the firm’s organization, history, ownership, and principal office locations.

2. The number of years the firm has provided pole attachment, joint-use, electric utility, telecommunications, engineering, GIS, billing, regulatory, technology, or related consulting services.

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3. Experience working with municipally owned utilities, public power utilities, electric cooperatives, investor-owned utilities, or governmental entities.

4. Experience developing, negotiating, finalizing, and implementing joint-use agreements with other electric utilities.

5. Experience developing, reviewing, negotiating, implementing, or administering:

o Wireline pole attachment agreements o Wireless pole attachment agreements o Joint-use agreements with other electric utilities

6. Experience with:

o Pole attachment surveys and inventories o Make-ready coordination o Pole loading and structural review o Attachment-rate calculations o Billing and cost recovery o Compliance and enforcement o GIS and records integration o Application and workflow systems o Process outsourcing and long-term administration

7. Identification of office locations and resources that will support the engagement.

8. Identification of any required professional licenses, registrations, or certifications held by the firm.

9. A description of the firm’s quality assurance and quality control practices.

D. QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE, AND AVAILABILITY OF PROPOSED

PERSONNEL

Provide:

1. An organizational chart for the proposed project team.

2. The name, proposed role, responsibility, office location, and availability of each key individual.

3. Identification of the proposed project manager and principal point of contact.

4. Resumes for all key personnel demonstrating relevant:

o Education o Professional experience o Certifications o Registrations o Technical qualifications

5. Identification of personnel who will perform or support:

o Pole Attachment agreement development, implementation, administration and compliance support o Joint-use agreement development, implementation, administration and compliance support

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o Pole attachment and joint-use agreement negotiations o Legal review of agreements o Engineering and pole loading o Field surveys and inspections o GIS and data integration o Billing and rate calculations o Regulatory and compliance review o Technology and workflow implementation

6. Identification of any professional engineer whose services or seal may be used when specifically requested and authorized by BPUB.

7. The approximate percentage of each key person’s availability for this engagement.

8. A description of the process for replacing key personnel, if necessary.

E. TECHNICAL APPROACH AND WORK PLAN

Describe the proposer’s approach to performing the Scope of Work, including:

1. Project startup, governance, communication, meetings, and status reporting.

2. Initial review and assessment of BPUB’s existing pole attachment practices.

3. Development, review, implementation, and administration of wireline and wireless pole attachment agreements.

4. Drafting, review, negotiation support, and administration of joint-use agreements with other electric utilities.

5. Development of BPUB pole attachment standards.

6. Planning, execution, and quality control of pole attachment surveys.

7. Identification and documentation of unauthorized, abandoned, or noncompliant attachments.

8. Make-ready, pole-loading, structural, and engineering support.

9. Rate calculations, billing, invoicing, fee tracking, and cost recovery.

10. Compliance monitoring and enforcement support.

11. GIS and records integration with BPUB’s ESRI Enterprise Geodatabase.

12. Application tracking, workflow management, dashboards, and technology platforms.

13. Knowledge transfer, staff training, and process transition.

14. Performance of ongoing or outsourced administrative services.

15. Quality assurance and quality control.

16. Protection of BPUB information and data.

17. Management of multiple simultaneous assignments and changing priorities.

18. Software integrations and/or any required direct connections to cloud platforms and/or dashboards.

The work plan should identify:

• Principal activities

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• Proposed sequence

• Deliverables

• Dependencies

• IT/OT Integrations

• BPUB responsibilities

• Consultant responsibilities

• Quality-control reviews

• Decision points requiring BPUB approval

F. IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE

Provide a proposed schedule that identifies:

1. Project startup and kickoff.

2. Initial assessment.

3. Agreements-development milestones.

4. Standards-development milestones.

5. Survey planning and implementation.

6. GIS and technology milestones.

7. Billing and rate-development milestones.

8. Process-transition and training activities.

9. Recurring reports and meetings.

10. Major deliverables and BPUB review periods.

Identify any assumptions concerning:

• Availability of BPUB data

• Staff participation

• Legal review

• Technology access

• Field access

• Third-party coordination

• Attacher participation

G. COMPARABLE ENGAGEMENTS AND PAST PERFORMANCE

Provide at least three comparable engagements completed or substantially performed within the last five years.

For each engagement, provide:

1. Customer name.

2. Customer type.

3. Contact name and title.

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4. Current telephone number and email address.

5. Description of services.

6. Contract period.

7. Approximate contract value.

8. Key personnel who also are proposed for BPUB’s engagement.

9. Original and final contract amounts, if materially different.

10. Whether the engagement was completed on schedule.

11. Explanation of any material performance issues, disputes, claims, or terminations.

12. Current status or completion date.

Preference should be given to examples involving public electric utilities and services comparable to the proposed Scope of Work.

H. SUBCONSULTANTS

Identify each proposed subconsultant and provide:

1. Legal name and office location.

2. Services to be performed.

3. Relevant qualifications and experience.

4. Key personnel.

5. Approximate percentage of work to be subcontracted.

6. Description of the proposer’s previous experience working with the subconsultant.

7. Proposed management and quality-control arrangements.

Subconsultant qualifications should be included in the applicable firm, personnel, and past-performance sections.

I. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND INDEPENDENCE

Identify any actual or potential conflict of interest involving:

• Existing BPUB attachers

• Communications companies

• Wireless providers

• Other electric utilities

• Pole owners

• Software vendors

• Engineering firms

• Contractors or subconsultants

• Other parties whose interests may be affected by the engagement

Describe how each identified conflict would be avoided, disclosed, or managed.

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J. PROPOSED TECHNOLOGY AND DATA MANAGEMENT

Identify any proposed:

• Pole attachment management platform

• Permitting or application system

• Workflow management system

• Mobile field-survey solution

• GIS integration tool

• Reporting or dashboard platform

• Subscription, hosting, or licensing arrangement

For each proposed system, identify:

1. Whether it is required or optional.

2. Implementation requirements.

3. Hosting arrangements.

4. Data ownership.

5. Data export capabilities.

6. Integration requirements.

7. Cybersecurity and access controls.

8. Initial and recurring costs.

9. Contract termination and data-transition provisions.

K. SCHEDULE OF VALUES AND COST PROPOSAL

Submit the completed Proposal Schedule and Schedule of Values.

The Cost Proposal shall include:

1. Hourly rates by labor category.

2. Not-to-exceed amounts by task.

3. Unit rates, where applicable.

4. Estimated hours and staffing assumptions.

5. One-time startup costs.

6. Optional-service pricing.

7. Reimbursable expenses and proposed markup.

8. Software, hosting, subscription, implementation, and licensing costs.

9. Proposed annual rate adjustments, if any.

10. All exclusions and assumptions.

11. A total evaluated proposal amount based on the quantities or assumptions provided by

BPUB.

CONSULTING AND SUPPORT SERVICES 20

L. EXCEPTIONS, ASSUMPTIONS, AND REQUESTED BPUB SUPPORT

Clearly identify:

1. Exceptions to the RFP.

2. Exceptions to the sample contract.

3. Scope exclusions.

4. Pricing assumptions.

5. Schedule assumptions.

6. Required BPUB staffing or technical support.

7. Required access to facilities, information, systems, or records.

8. Proposed modifications to insurance, indemnification, ownership, confidentiality, or other contract provisions.

Do not incorporate exceptions solely by referring to standard terms contained elsewhere in the proposal.

M. REQUIRED FORMS AND CERTIFICATIONS

Submit all forms, acknowledgments, certifications, disclosure statements, references, and other documents identified in the Required Forms Checklist.

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

By submitting a proposal, the respondent agrees to furnish such information as the BPUB may reasonably require. This information includes but is not limited to, information that indicates financial resources and the ability to provide services. To the extent there are any revisions or additions to the information provided or requested in the RFP, an addendum to the RFP will be sent to all respondents that initially received the RFP. Any addenda issued is to be considered part of the specifications of the RFP. The BPUB reserves the right to make investigations regarding the qualifications of the respondent.

PROPOSALS BINDING

Any proposal may be withdrawn in writing before the date and time set for receipt of proposals. The BPUB anticipates negotiating and executing an agreement with the selected respondent(s) by February 2027. However, any proposal submitted and not withdrawn prior to the date and time set for receipt of proposals will be considered valid until the period ending March 2027.

INCURRED EXPENSES

The BPUB is not responsible for any costs incurred by a respondent to this RFP, including costs of participating in presentations or meetings with the BPUB.

CONSULTING AND SUPPORT SERVICES 21

PROPRIETARY INFORMATION

All materials submitted to the BPUB in response to this RFP are, upon receipt by the BPUB, the property of the BPUB, may not be returned to the submitting party, and are subject to the Public Information Act, Chapter 522, Texas Government Code (the “Act”). Respondents should familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Act. In no event shall the BPUB, the City, or any of their agents, representatives, consultants, directors, officers or employees be liable to a respondent for the disclosure of all or a portion of the information submitted in response to this RFP.

If a respondent has special concerns about information which it desires to make available to the BPUB, but which it believes constitutes a trade secret, proprietary information, or other information excepted from disclosure, such respondent should specifically and conspicuously designate that information by placing “CONFIDENTIAL” in the center header of each such page affected. Blanket, all-inclusive identifications by designation of whole pages or sections as containing proprietary information, trade secrets or confidential commercial or financial information are discouraged and may be deemed invalid.

If the BPUB receives a request for public disclosure of all or any portion of a response, the BPUB will use reasonable efforts to notify the applicable respondent of the request and give such respondent an opportunity to assert, in writing and at its sole expense, a claimed exception under the Act or other applicable law within the time period specified in the notice issued by the BPUB and allowed under the Act.

ACCEPTANCE/REJECTION/MODIFICATION TO PROPOSALS

The BPUB reserves the right to negotiate modifications to the proposals, to reject any or all proposals, to request and consider additional information from any respondent, and to waive minor irregularities and technical defects. The BPUB will not waive non-compliance with the deadline to submit the response to the RFP.

The BPUB reserves the right to seek new proposals when it determines that it is in the BPUB's best interest to do so.

The BPUB reserves the right to accept the written proposal as an offer.

The BPUB reserves the right to award the contract to other qualified respondent(s) if the primary respondent chosen does not execute an agreement with the BPUB within thirty (30) days of being notified of selection.

CONTRACT TERM

Any contract resulting from this RFP shall be effective for the amount of time expected for the project to be completed from the date of award with the option to renew two (2) additional one

(1) year periods, if price and services are satisfactory and agreed upon in writing by both parties.

CONSULTING AND SUPPORT SERVICES 22

EVALUATION SELECTION PROCESS

All proposals must be completed and convey all of the information requested to be considered responsive. If the proposal fails to conform to the essential requirements of the RFP, the BPUB alone will determine whether the variance is significant enough to consider the proposal susceptible to being made acceptable and therefore a candidate for further consideration, or not susceptible to being made acceptable and therefore not considered for award. Only the information provided with the proposal, subsequent discussions and clarifications provided in writing, and the proposer’s written Best and Final Offer, is used in the evaluation process and award determination. Only these criteria will be considered on the award determination.

A committee of BPUB Staff members will review, score, and rank all the submittals received based on the criteria specified below and may develop a shortlist of Firms.

The shortlist of Firms may be required to make final presentations, including an interview with the BPUB Board of Directors. The BPUB Board of Directors will make the final selection.

The BPUB Board of Directors exercises their discretion in the final selection of a Firm for contract negotiations. It will not be bound by BPUB staff recommendation, scoring, and ranking.

The BPUB staff’s preliminary reviews and scoring of submittals merely determine top-ranked firms who are most technically qualified as finalists and are eligible for interviews by the BPUB Board of Directors.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

The proposals will be reviewed and evaluated internally using a point system. This may result in the selection of a Firm, or a short list of Firms who may be required to provide additional information in writing or via an interview. Regardless of the criteria met, the BPUB will select the proposal it feels best meets the needs of BPUB and its employees.

BPUB will evaluate responsive proposals based on the following criteria:

NO. EVALUATION CRITERION Weight

REQUIRED

PROPOSAL

SECTIONS

1 QUALIFICATIONS AND RELEVANT EXPERIENCE OF THE

FIRM 20% C, H, and I

2 QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE, AND AVAILABILITY OF

PROPOSED PERSONNEL 15% D and H

3 TECHNICAL APPROACH, WORK PLAN, AND

UNDERSTANDING OF BPUB’S REQUIREMENTS 25% B, E, F, and J

CONSULTING AND SUPPORT SERVICES 23

4 EXPERIENCE AND PAST PERFORMANCE ON

COMPARABLE ENGAGEMENTS 15% G and applicable portions of H

5 PROPOSED PRICING AND OVERALL VALUE TO BPUB 20% K

6 ORGANIZATION, CLARITY, AND COMPLETENESS OF THE

PROPOSAL 5%

A, I, L, M, and overall submission

TOTAL 100%

BPUB will evaluate proposals using the criteria and weights identified above. Proposers should organize their proposals in the same order as the required proposal information to facilitate evaluation.

BPUB may consider the proposer’s demonstrated experience with pole attachment agreements, joint-use agreements with other electric utilities, wireline and wireless attachments, field surveys, make-ready coordination, pole loading, regulatory compliance, rate calculations, billing, GIS integration, enforcement, records management, technology platforms, and outsourced pole attachment process administration.

Award will not necessarily be made to the proposer submitting the lowest price. BPUB intends to select the responsive and responsible proposer, or proposers, whose proposal provides the best overall value to BPUB based on the published evaluation criteria.

BPUB may verify references, request written clarifications, conduct interviews, request presentations or demonstrations, and negotiate final scope and pricing with one or more proposers, subject to applicable procurement requirements.

Any questions regarding this RFP or requests for available materials should be directed in writing via e-mail to:

nespinoza@brownsville-pub.com

Please understand that all fees (including respondent counsel fees, if any) that the BPUB is expected to pay are contingent upon the final approval by the BPUB Board of Directors and that the laws of the State of Texas will govern the obligations of the BPUB.

The BPUB will not release information submitted relative to this RFP during the evaluation process or before contract award, unless the BPUB is required to do so by law.

mailto:nespinoza@brownsville-pub.com

CONSULTING AND SUPPORT SERVICES 24

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

RFP SCHEDULE DATES/TIME (CST)

ADVERTISE RFP OCTOBER 10, 2026

RELEASE RFP OCTOBER 12, 2026

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT QUESTIONS OR REQUESTS FOR

CLARIFICATIONS REGARDING THE RFP TO

nespinoza@brownsville-pub.com

OCTOBER 22, 2026 BY

5:00 P.M.

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS POSTED AND/OR EMAILED.

OCTOBER 28, 2026 BY

5:00 P.M.

RFP SUBMITTAL DEADLINE

5:00 PM –

NOVEMBER 4, 2026

ACKNOWLEDGE SUBMITTALS 11:00 AM –

NOVEMBER 5, 2026

EVALUATE RFP RESPONSES AND DEVELOP SHORT LIST NOVEMBER 6 THROUGH

DECEMBER 4, 2026

BPUB BOARD SELECTION AND POSSIBLE INTERVIEWS

JANUARY 11, 2027

AGREEMENT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The BPUB reserves the right to reject any proposed form of agreement that does not conform to the RFP or any of the BPUB's requirements for agreements and contracts. The conclusion of any agreement resulting from accepting a proposal must be approved by the BPUB.

mailto:nespinoza@BROWNSVILLE-PUB.COM

CONSULTING AND SUPPORT SERVICES 25

PROPOSAL COST SHEET P003-27

The Respondent, in compliance with the Invitation for Proposal for the COMPREHENSIVE POLE ATTACHMENT CONSULTING AND SUPPORT SERVICES, having examined the scope of work and written specifications, hereby proposes to furnish the requested services and submits the following Schedule of Values/Cost Proposal. The Schedule of Values is provided to assist BPUB in evaluating and comparing proposed services and shall be organized by major task area. The proposal shall clearly identify proposed costs, assumptions, optional services, reimbursable expenses, hourly rates, and any recurring software or licensing fees.

The Schedule of Values may be used as the basis for negotiation of the final scope, task authorizations, and contract pricing. BPUB reserves the right to award all or selected portions of the proposed scope, to award contracts to one or more proposers, and to allocate work among multiple consultants based on qualifications, expertise, pricing, funding availability, process priorities, and the best interests of BPUB. BPUB further reserves the right to negotiate separate scopes, task authorizations, and pricing arrangements with one or more selected proposers.

At a minimum, proposers shall provide pricing for the following categories:

Task No. Service Category Proposed

Pricing Format Cost

1 Process Startup, Project Management, Meetings, and Status Reporting

Hourly Rates + Not-to-Exceed

2 Wireline Pole Attachment Agreement Development and Implementation

3 Wireless Pole Attachment Agreement Development and Implementation

Application Forms, Checklists, Workflows, Permit Templates, and Administrative Documentation

Pole Attachment Agreement Negotiation Support, Administration, and Compliance Tracking

6 Systemwide Pole Attachment Survey and Data Validation

Unit Price per Pole + Not-to- Exceed

7 Unauthorized, Abandoned, or Non-Compliant Attachment Identification and Reporting

Unit Price per Attachment +

CONSULTING AND SUPPORT SERVICES 26

8 Enforcement Support, Violation Tracking, and Corrective Action Documentation

9 Development of Wireline Pole Attachment Standards

10 Development of Wireless Pole Attachment Standards

11 Billing, Invoicing, Fee Tracking, and Records Management Support

12 Pole Attachment Rate Calculation Methodology and Supporting Calculations

13 GIS Data Integration with BPUB’s Existing ESRI Enterprise Geodatabase

14 Application Tracking, Workflow Management, Dashboards, and Technology Recommendations

15 Process Transition Plan, Knowledge Transfer, and Staff Training

Optional Engineering Support Services, including permit applications review, pole loading review, make-ready review, structural review, work order and construction estimates creation or PE-sealed support if requested

Hourly / Task Authorization

17 Joint-Use Agreement Development and Implementation with Other Electric Utilities

Joint-Use Agreement Negotiation Support,…