Questions and Answers Utility Billing Software RFP 012226.pdf

www.Ashlandoregon.gov

20 East Main Street

Ashland, Oregon 97520

541.552.2009

ASHLAND | OREGON

Purchasing

Questions and Answers

Utility Billing Software RFP

To: Plan Holders

Date: January 21, 2026

Clarifications to the Request for Proposals:

1. Question: I see in a previous response that there will be 10 concurrent users for the Utility Billing application. Can you please confirm how many field technicians will require access to the mobile service order portion of the system?

Answer: 5

2. Question: Scope of Services – Mobile Field Service (Page 11)

Most modern, cloud-native CIS solutions include a Mobile Field Service (MFS) module purpose-built for short-cycle work (e.g., service orders generated from the CIS related to customers, meters, or premises). This is an industry best practice versus using a Work Order/Asset

Management system (e.g., Lucity, Cartegraph, CityWorks) for short-cycle work.

• Should Mobile Field Service for Service Orders be included in scope with the CIS solution? Yes

• As the application is priced by named users, please confirm the user counts below:

o Full Users: Can create, edit, and close service orders. 5 o Light Users: Read-only access, reporting, and dashboards only (no record edits); typically managers. 10 Answer: Full 10, Light 5

3. Question: User Counts and Training (City of Ashland Overview, Page 11)

The RFP references 175 users.

• Are most of these read-only users? Yes

• How many users does the City expect to train at one time? 5-7

• Does the City have facilities to support training at this scale? Yes

• Does the City plan to use a “train-the-trainer” model? Yes

• Please describe the City’s overall training plan. We would like train the trainer, in person, and remote training.

Answer: See above http://www.ashlandoregon.gov/

Ashland, Oregon 97520

541.552.2009

4. Question: Proposal Submission Requirements (Pages 18–19)

Would the City consider extending the proposal submission deadline to Monday, February

16?

Given winter weather, and shipping lead times, an extension would help ensure that required hard-copy materials arrive on time and in full compliance with the City’s submittal instructions—reducing the risk of avoidable disqualification, last-minute delivery issues, or incomplete packages. It also supports the City’s best interest by preserving a fair, competitive process and enabling vendors to submit their strongest, most accurate responses.

Thank you for considering this request. We appreciate the City’s focus on a smooth, well -documented evaluation.

The RFP appears to require:

• Original technical proposals with ink signatures

• Separate original pricing proposals with ink signatures

• Submission via the OregonBuys portal Please clarify:

• Is submission through the OregonBuys portal alone sufficient, or are both electronic and original paper copies required?

• Is an original, ink-signed copy of the redacted proposal also required?

Answer: We will not consider extending the deadline at this time. Submission through the

OregonBuys portal alone is sufficient. If you would like to provide multiple copies, we will accept them. All proposals are public records and are subject to public inspection after the notice of intent to award is issued. If your proposal contains trade secrets, you should submit a redacted version of your proposal to protect trade secrets. Per the RFP, if a proposer fails to identify the portions of the proposal that proposer claims are exempt from disclosure, the proposer has waived any future claim of non-disclosure of that information.

5. Question: Oregon Printing Requirement (ORS 282.210 – Page 8)

The RFP states: “All printing, binding, and stationery work done for the City shall be performed within the State of Oregon.”

• Does this requirement apply to RFP responses (printing/binding)?

• Does it also apply to utility bill printing for the City?

Answer: Does not apply to the RFP responses but it does apply to utility bill printing.

See ORS 282.210

1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, all printing, binding and stationery work, including the manufacture of motor vehicle registration plates and plates required to be affixed to motor carriers, for

Ashland, Oregon 97520

541.552.2009 the state or any county, city, town, port district, school district, or other political subdivision thereof, shall be performed within the state. All requests for bids and all contracts for such work shall so stipulate.

(2) The work referred to in subsection (1) of this section may be performed outside the state if it is established that:

(a) The work cannot be performed within the state;

(b) The lowest price for which such work can be procured within the state exceeds the charge usually and customarily made to private individuals and corporations for work of similar character and quality; or (c) All bids for the work, or any part thereof, are excessive and not reasonably competitive. [Amended by 2003 c.758

§2]

6. Question: Turnkey Solution and Hardware Expectations (Page 4)

The RFP states that the successful vendor will deliver a turnkey solution, including resources related to system hardware, software, training, data conversion, maintenance, and support.

• For a true cloud-based SaaS solution, what specifically are the City’s expectations regarding system hardware?

• Is the expectation that the vendor will recommend hardware, or provide it?

Answer: The vendor must supply all cloud hardware. Vendor is not expected to provide hardware for client access (e.g., desktop computers).

7. Question: Customers, Services, and Accounts

The RFP states the City provides Water, Wastewater, Stormwater, Electric, and

Telecommunications services to over 13,000 customers.

• Are all 13,000 customers billed for all services? Yes

• Please clarify what telecommunications services are provided (e.g., fiber/broadband).

• Please provide account counts by service:

o Electric 13,000 o Water 9,000 o Wastewater/Sewer 9,000 o Stormwater 9,000 o Fiber/Telecommunications 4,415

Answer: See above. Telecommunications services include cable modem service, XGS-PON, G.hn, and fixed wireless.

8. Question: Metering, AMR/AMI, and MDM (Pages 12–13)

• The RFP notes use of Itron AMR meters. Are any other meter brands in use?

• Does the City have AMI meters for electric, water, or both? Both

• If not, is the City planning to migrate from AMR to AMI?

• Has a preferred AMI vendor been identified? No

• Is there an AMI project included in the City’s technology roadmap? Not at this time, but next

Ashland, Oregon 97520

541.552.2009 biennium.

• Does the City currently use a Meter Data Management (MDM) system? Is one planned?

Answer: See above and below.

From our Water Department: First the Meter Data Management. The system we use for reading meters and communicating with billing is the extent of the data management system. I think with the discussion about AMR/AMI the discussion is looking for more of an asset management tool that communicates meter data in real time, and that we do not have. We have components of asset management within OpenGov and Munis for meter location and asset depreciation, but that is all we really do outside of the meter reading software.

As for AMR meters, we don’t have a lot. We have a share of old touch read Sensus meters and both old and new Itron radio read ERTs, but only about 15-20% of the meters are radio read.

The vast majority are old six dial manual read Badger meters, which are the current register and body we use.

The only AMR type we use is Itron ERTs, which are compatible to the Badger and the handful of Zenner meters we have used.

In terms of our manual read meters, we have Badger, Sensus, Master Meter, Rockwell, and Neptune in the system; each one placed historically when they were the hot industry item.

Currently, we install a majority of Badger meters. We use Zenner as the occasional backup in the event of delivery delays with Badger meters. On rare occasion we might get a master meter for a large meter replacement we need immediately.

We are NOT intending to pursue an AMR/AMI revolution anytime soon. We reserve the radio reads for high-risk locations or difficult to reach. New subdivisions are getting Badger M35 standard manual read 6 dial meters. A system wide upgrade would be cost prohibitive and not supported by a large part of the community.

From our Electric Department: We do have a few other brands of meters scattered out there, all new meters purchased in the last 10+ years have been Itron. We do not have an MDM system currently.

9. Question: Customer Portal and IVR (Page 12)

• Is the City currently using an online customer portal powered by Tyler Technologies, or another vendor? Tyler

• Does the City provide an IVR? If so, what services are available to customers? Yes, payment and outbound calls.

Ashland, Oregon 97520

541.552.2009

10. Question: Bill Printing and Mailing – Moonlight BPO (Page 12)

• Is the City open to replacing Moonlight BPO? Yes

• What type of integration exists today (file-based or API-based)? File based

• Can customers view their bill in the current online portal? Yes

• Do customers see the same information in the portal that CSRs see in Tyler Munis Utility Billing?

No-Tyler shows more

11. Question: Integration Requirements (Page 13)

The RFP requires integration with MUNIS, Itron, and ESRI ArcGIS.

• Please list all systems the CIS/Utility Billing system must interface with, including financial and lockbox systems. Financials is Munis. No other.

• For each integration, please specify:

o One-way or two-way: One Way o File-based or API-based: File-based or API if available

12. Question: Backflow / Cross-Connection (Page 11)

• How many backflow/cross-connection devices does the City test?

• What backflow testing software is currently used?

• Is backflow management in scope for this RFP?

Answer: The city has 2215 assemblies as of the last ASR (Annual summary report). The

Water Department tests about 25 of those and then facility maintenance contracts to private testers for another 40 that are in city facilities. The rest are owned by customers and they are responsible for hiring annual testers.

13. Question: Point of Sale / Cashiering

• Is the City amenable to the CIS/Utility Billing provider supporting Point of Sale (cashiering) for non-utility payments?

Answer: Yes

14. Question: Data Conversion (Page 13)

• Will the City consider converting less than eight years of utility billing data?

• Industry best practice is 2–3 years of active data, with older data archived.

• Will City staff familiar with the current system/database be made available to support extraction and conversion?

Ashland, Oregon 97520

541.552.2009

Answer: No, we will require 8 years. Yes, staff will be available.

15. Question: Payment Processing

• What payment processor is currently used (e.g., Tyler Payments)? Tyler Cashiering

• Is replacement of the existing payment processor in scope? Yes, as we will no longer use Tyler

If replacement is planned, please clarify:

• Is the future processor intended for utility-only or city-wide payments? Utility only

• Does the City plan to continue the $3.95 convenience fee model? We do not charge that for utilities

• What card types are accepted? Visa and Mastercard

• Monthly card volume for the past 12 months (merchant statements acceptable)

• Maximum payment limits (card and/or ACH) none

• Annual ACH volume and merchant (e.g., SEW) Wells Fargo

• Annual e-check volume

• Average Payment Amount (APA) $300

• Desired settlement timing (T+1 or T+2) T+1

• Is IVR payment required? Yes

• Are digital wallets accepted (Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, Venmo, etc.)? Not currently

• Average monthly cash payment volume (POS, kiosk, retailer, etc.)

Answer: See above and attached

16. Question: In-Office Payment Hardware

• Does the City require the vendor to provide cash drawers, terminals, receipt printers, etc., or only to make recommendations?

Answer: Either provide or make recommendations

17. Question: Contracting (Exhibit D – Page 25)

• Is the City open to using the offeror’s Master Services Agreement in lieu of the City’s sample agreement?

• Should offerors include sample agreements with their proposal?

Answer: You are welcome to submit the Master Services Agreement and sample agreements with your proposal, but these will be subject to review and approval by our legal team.

Keanna Khlafallah, Procurement Specialist City of Ashland

Ashland, Oregon 97520

541.552.2009