POSTED 298-LCRRCustLetters-25 - Addendum.pdf

Addendum No. 1 Issue Date: 09/03/2024

Project Name: Printing and Mailing Services for Lead & Copper Rule Revisions Customer Notifications

Project Number: 298-CustLetters-25

TO: Prospective Applicants

This addendum forms a part of the Request for Bids and modifies the original Project Number 298-CustLetters-25 only to the extent specifically noted below. Failure to acknowledge this addendum in the submittal may subject the submitter to being deemed non-responsive.

This Addendum is posted on the City procurement website at www.ashevillenc.gov/bids. This is the official source of this addendum. All addenda and attachments shall be published to the same location.

This Addendum consists of 6 pages in total.

This Addendum is to address Clarifications/Changes and Responses to Questions

Clarifications/Changes

The original Bid did not address handling of returned letters.

This Bid now must include the following: Undeliverable letters or returned letters need to be sent back to the contractor and the contractor must provide the City Water Resources Department an export in the form of a csv, google or excel spreadsheet. The export must include the location/address, mailing address, customer name and date returned. Cost for this request can be included in the miscellaneous costs of the bid form.

Answers to Questions

Question #1 - Is there just the one letter, double sided, going into the envelope?

Response: Yes, one letter to each customer. But there are 3 different types of letters that will be sent out. The spreadsheet the City will provide will designate the type of letter each customer needs to receive.

Question #2 - Does the envelope just print in 1 color or is the 2 color with logo and address?

Response:We prefer that the City Logo and return address be printed in blue. The customer mailing address can be printed in blue as well.

http://www.ashevillenc.gov/bids

Question #3: Are the letters just two pages or are they 3 pages?

Response: Two pages (front and back) 3-4 pages total as of right now. As the bid states, the City is still waiting on state approval. The number of pages could change but they should not be more than 4 pages total or 2 pages front and back. Therefore, a total of 90,000 pages printed for the letters.

Question #4: Does this bid require in office activity during the term of the contract? If so how many times a week/ month?

Response: The work performed will not occur onsite at the City of Asheville Water Resources department. We need complete printing of letters and envelopes, postage for mailing and the vendor to take the letter to the Post Office for mailing. This would require the vendor to have their own location to perform the work. Work must be completed 30 days from when the contractor is supplied with the list of 45,000 customers. This is a federal requirement.

Questions #5:Will the awarded company be responsible for physically transporting the letters to each home or more so just printing and mailing them?

Response: Vendor/company will be required to provide postage using their own postal indica or other type of postage and will also provide transport of letters to the Post Office.

Questions #6: Regarding remote or in office will be advised which letters and how many each month during the term and how long will this contract be awarded for ? ( months / years etc) Response: The contract is just for the month (30days) it will take to print and mail the letters to the 45,000 customers. Contract is not renewable.

Question #7:What paper stock is required?

Response: Paper stock required - 20lb weight/92 Brightness Multipurpose copy paper.

Question 8:Will the letter be printed all in one color?

Response: No, the letters will need two colors, black and blue. The letter templates that will be provided will have the preferred blue color.

Question 9: Is the return address logo on the envelope: 1 color, 2 color, or 4 color?

Response: Envelope must be printed in 1 color. The blue color used will be the blue color of the City of Asheville Logo. Logo will be provided when awarded.

Question 10: Do you want matching linen stock for letters? or something else?

Response: Letters can be on copy paper (20lb weight, 92 brightness).

Question 11: Is it 45,000 total letters (3 different mailings at 15,000 each? or some other combo that equals 45,000) ?

Response: Total letters mailed will be 45,000. The Unknown will be the biggest quantity, but the actual number of each type of letter cannot be confirmed at this time as the City is still working on the inventory.

Question 12: You have the variable data areas highlighted in yellow within the first paragraph on the front of the first sheet of each of the letters. Could you confirm that this will be the only area within the letter that receives the variable and the rest of the letter for each lot will be static, and that the variable data will only be in black?

Response: As of right now this is correct but the City is still waiting on approval from the state regulators on these letters as stated in the bid request. This could change. It can be confirmed that the variable data will be in black bold type.

Question 13: Are you interested to see a price on a standard white env to see the cost difference from linen, or are you 100% set on linen envelopes?

Response: As stated in the meeting the bid request will not change, please price for linen envelopes. The envelope requested is #10 linen finish, brilliant white, 24lb, no window.

Question 14: For the letters - for best pricing, we plan to use a hybrid of digital printing for the black variable data on page 1 & offset for the static shell of the letterhead blue logo on page 1, the black & blue printing of page 2 and page 3. The Black digital will be a little darker than the black offset. Will this be OK?

Response: Yes.

Question 15: Does each "sheet" of the letter get a logo or only the first sheet of the letter?

Response: Only Page 1 of each letter type needs the logo.

Question 16:We just had one question regarding any required or preferred weight of the envelope stock?

Response: The preferred weight of the envelope stock is 24lb.

Question 17:What is the expected award date?

Response: Once the bid closes on 9/12/24 at 4:00pm, the bids received will be reviewed by the ABI committee. This happens about a week after the bid. So vendors should hear back within 2 weeks after the bid closes.

Question 18: Can the mail for the project be dropped at our local Post Office using our certified Mail Anywhere status?

Response: Yes, you can drop off at the local post office. The state regulators are not requiring certified mail. As long as we are provided the export (csv, google, excel spreadsheet) requested with the dates each location/customer was mailed, the City will meet regulation requirements.

Question 19:What size are the letters?

Response: The page size is 8.5” x 11” 3-4 pages total, depending on letter type. They need to be printed front and back.

Question 20: Can a window envelope be used instead so the mailing address can show through?

Response: Please quote the requested envelope. The envelope is #10 Linen Finish, Brilliant White, 24lb, no window, gummed. Does not have to be a security envelope.

Question 21: Mailing Cost is typically the data processing & sorting, inserting, USPS paperwork, & delivery to the post office. Is the County requesting estimated Postage?

Response: The city requires the entire cost of postage to be included in the mailing cost.

Question 22:What type of things fall under Miscellaneous Costs?

Response: Anything else that may be included that was not covered in the bid request form.

The clarification in this addendum for return letter handing must be included in this section of the bid form.

Question 23:What is the tax rate?

Response: Total Tax rate is 7.0%, Buncombe County 2.25% NC State Tax is 4.75%

Question 24: How much of the Good Faith score does the MWBE Subcontracting impact? Is it possible to receive full credit without subcontracting, if a vendor is able to fulfill the entire project in house?

Response: As an Organization we are wanting and encouraging businesses to contract with MWBE businesses. The bidding process results in the decision of the Project Manager to include the lowest, responsive, responsible bidder; including all ABI documents completely filled out and included in their bid package.

Question 25: Are security envelopes necessary?

Response: No.

Question 26: Does the .png image of the return mailing address for the envelope contain a logo?

Response: Yes. City of Asheville logo

Question 27: Is it important that all of the letters are mailed at the same time?

Response: No, that can be mailed in different batches as long as all work is completed within 30 days of being provided the list of customers, letter templates and logo.

Question 28: Once the project is awarded, should the vendor submit an invoice at the completion of the project or is there another preferred invoicing schedule?

Response: Please submit the invoice at the completion of the project.

Question 29:Will the notifications be one page, single-sided, black-and-white prints?

Response: No, notifications are 3-4 pages, and will need to be printed front and back. The letters will have two colors, black and blue.

Question 30: Does a specific type of envelope need to be used?

Response: The envelope requested is #10 linen finish, brilliant white, 24lb, no window.

Question 31: Is subcontracting acceptable?

Response: Yes. The City of Asheville encourages businesses to subcontract with MWBEs.

Question 32: Can you also share if all of the letters will be mailed to addresses within North Carolina?

Response: Most letters will have a North Carolina mailing address, but several letters will need to be mailed outside of the state.

Question 33:Would the City approve the use of pre-stamped envelopes purchased through

USPS?

Response: Yes.

Question 34: Is the City open to customizing customer information on the envelope while using “Dear Customer” in the letters?

Response: No.

Question 35: To meet the Lead and Copper Rule Revision (LCRR) compliance requirement for customer notification within 30 days of the compliance deadline, would the City like an export of the addresses where letters were mailed, including the date letters were mailed?

Response: Yes. This is part of the requirements of the bid. We ask for an export (csv, google or excel spreadsheet) of the dates the letters were mailed.

Question 36: In cases where letters are returned to sender, should they be returned to the Contractor or the City? If returned to the Contractor, would the City like this information documented in a data export, noting the addresses where letters were returned?

Response: Undeliverable letters or returned letters need to be returned back to the contractor and the contractor must provide the City Water Resources Department an export in the form of a csv, google or excel spreadsheet. The export must include the location/address, mailing address, customer name and date returned. Cost for this request can be included in the miscellaneous costs of the bid form.

I understand that failure to acknowledge any addenda may cause this bid/proposal to be deemed non-responsive.

Authorized Signature Company Date

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