Retirement_Plan_Administration_(Addendum_#2_Revision).pdf

City of New Smyrna Beach

210 Sams Avenue New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168 https://www.cityofnsb.com/

RFQ 15-25-HR

RETIREMENT PLAN ADMINISTRATION

RELEASE DATE: June 2, 2025 DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS: June 13, 2025

RESPONSE DEADLINE: July 2, 2025, 5:00 pm

RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO:

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityofnsb https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityofnsb?status=all

City of New Smyrna Beach

RFQ 15-25-HR

Retirement Plan Administration

I. Public Notice II. Introduction

III. Description of Services IV. Minimum Qualifications V. General Information

VI. Criteria and Submittal Requirements VII. Insurance Requirements

VIII. Terms and Conditions IX. Required Responses

Attachments:

A - Public Records B - Draft Contract C - City Required Forms D - City of New Smyrna Beach RFI - Tab1 & Tab 2 Questionnaire E - Nationwide 457(b) Adoption Agreement F - MissionSquare 401(a) Adoption Agreement 2025 G - Secure Election Form H - Nationwide 457(b) Plan Assets I - MSQ 401(a) Plan Assets.pdf J - MSQ 457(b) Plan Assets.pdf

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I. Public Notice

15-25-HR, Retirement Plan Administration

The City of New Smyrna Beach is soliciting proposals from qualified firms to provide retirement plan administration to their 457(b) Deferred Compensation and 401(a) Governmental Money Purchase retirements plans.

As the City's Retirement Plan Investment Advisor, SageView Advisory Group, LLC, is assisting the City with oversight of the Plans' costs and benchmarking services.

Solicitation Documents can be obtained through the City's eProcurement Portal found at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityofnsb. All required documents shall be completed and submitted through the City's eProcurement Portal.

End of Advertisement

Publish: Daytona News Journal, Monday, June 2, 2025 City website: www.cityofnsb.com OpenGov: https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityofnsb

II. Introduction

Thank you for your interest in doing business with the City of New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

If you are interested in preparing a response to this solicitation, please read the solicitation package in its entirety prior to submitting a response.

Under Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, all responses to this solicitation shall be considered public record, subject to distribution pursuant to the request for records by any interested party.

For purposes of this solicitation the terms "Consultant" “Proposer,” “Respondent” and/or “Vendor,” are used interchangeably, and are in reference to the person or entity submitting the response to this solicitation.

II.A Summary

The City of New Smyrna Beach is seeking sealed qualifications from qualified and licensed contractors to provide Retirement Plan Administration services.

SageView Advisory Group is assisting the City of New Smyrna Beach with the solicitation process.

All questions must be submitted through the OpenGov procurement site. Proposing Firms are prohibited from contacting anyone at the City of New Smyrna Beach, other than the procurement contact.

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Expiration of the term of the contract will have no effect upon task assignments issued pursuant to the basic contract and prior to the expiration date. Obligations entered therein by both parties shall remain in effect until completion of the work previously authorized by the City.

If made, the recommendation of award will be made to the best overall provider whose proposal is most advantageous to the city, taking into consideration the evaluation factors set forth in this document.

Resulting contracts will be for an initial term of five (5) years. The City reserves the right to solicit for additional services related to projects funded by state, federal and/or programmatic grants.

The recommended Provider will be expected to execute an agreement (a draft agreement is provided in the Attachment Section of this document) and provide the required insurance certificates with endorsements under the agreement. If awarded, a contract to provide these services shall be effective on the date it is approved by the City of New Smyrna Beach City Commission (herein after, the “Commission”), signed by all required parties and filed with the City Clerk.

Proposers shall become familiar with all the terms contained in the agreement and be willing to execute the agreement before submitting a proposal. There shall be no exceptions to either the scope of services or the terms of the agreement.

II.B Background

The City serves an area of 41.6 square miles in size and serves a population of approximately 33,402. It is located off of Florida’s East Coast, in the County of Volusia, just north of Cape Canaveral with easy access to both Interstate 95 and Interstate 4. The City’s fiscal year begins on October 1st and ends on September 30th.

The city was created in 1887 by adoption of its first charter, which was replaced through Chapter 224.08, Special Acts of Florida, 1943, and subsequently amended, with the most recent update taking effect January 1, 2021.

The legislative branch of the city is composed of an elected five-member City Commission consisting of a mayor and four commissioners. The City Commission is governed by the City Charter and by state and local laws and regulations. The City Commission is responsible for the establishment and adoption of policy. The execution of such policy is the responsibility of the commission-appointed City Manager.

More detailed information on the government and can be found in City of New Smyrna’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). This report may be viewed on https://www.cityofnsb.com/105/Financial-Reports.

The City of New Smyrna is exempt from any and all state, local and federal taxes.

II.C Contact Information

Janet Vivian Purchasing Agent https://www.cityofnsb.com/105/Financial-Report

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Email: jvivian@cityofnsb.com Phone: (386) 410-2600 Ext: 2654 Department:

Purchasing

II.D Timeline

Issue RFQ Notice June 2, 2025

Deadline for Written Questions June 13, 2025, 5:00pm

Proposal Submission Deadline July 2, 2025, 5:00pm

Opening of Submittals July 3, 2025, 9:00am Microsoft Teams Meeting, (audio only) Dial by Phone: 786-636-1338 Phone Conference ID: 337 372 730#

Note: A link to join the meeting is posted on the city website, under the Finance Department, then bids

Scoring of Proposals July 17, 2025, 9:00am Microsoft Teams Meeting, (audio only) Dial by Phone: 786-636-1338 Phone Conference ID: 958 471 338#

Note: A link to join the meeting is posted on the city website, under Finance, then bids

Presentations (If Applicable) July 28, 2025, 9:00am

Recommendation of award to City Commission

August 26, 2025 mailto:jvivian@cityofnsb.com tel:(386)410-2600;ext=2654

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III. Description of Services

III.A Overview

The City of New Smyrna Beach is soliciting proposals from qualified firms to provide retirement plan administration to their 457(b) Deferred Compensation and 401(a) Governmental Money Purchase retirements plans.

The primary goal is to identify and select a single, qualified recordkeeper to provide comprehensive, cost-effective, and compliant administration of the City’s retirement plans. The selected provider will be responsible for delivering accurate recordkeeping, regulatory compliance, participant education, robust technology, and responsive service tailored to the needs of public-sector employees and the plan sponsor. The objective is to enhance plan efficiency, improve participant engagement and retirement readiness, and ensure the long-term operational efficiency of the plan.

The City of New Smyrna Beach, Florida has 350 employees. All full-time and part-time employees are permitted to participate in the 457(b) Plan. For eligible participants, the City matches up to 2% of the employees’ contributions. Both Pre-Tax and Roth contributions are permitted. General full-time employees (all employees excluding the fire and police department employees) are eligible for the 401(a) plan, which has an 8% non-elective contribution, and a 5-year graded vesting schedule applies, with an exception of a class of employees with immediate vesting. The City’s payroll is done in house, using Munis/Tyler.

III.B Scope of Services

The selected recordkeeper will provide full-service recordkeeping, administration, and participant support for the City of New Smyrna Beach non-ERISA governmental 457(b) deferred compensation plan and 401(a) Money Purchase Plan. The scope of services includes but is not limited to the following:

• Plan Recordkeeping & Administration

• Compliance & Regulatory Support

• Participant Services & Education

• Plan Sponsor Services

• Investment Platform & Oversight

• Conversion & Implementation Services

• Cybersecurity & Data Protection

III.C Plan Details

Plan Details are provided below.

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Investment menu and assets for each Plan is provided as an attachment, as well as the Adoption Agreements for each Plan.

Nationwide 457(b) Plan

MissionSquare

457(b) Plan

MissionSquare

401(a) Plan

Assets $3,034,804.49 $7,146,513 $8,708,841

Fixed Account Assets

(MVA)

$860,300 N/A N/A

Stable Value Assets

(12 month put)

N/A $1,482,778.00 $906,566

Total Participants 72 184 294

Active Participants (Contributing)

44 112 187

Terminated Participants 27 62 106

2024 Plan Year

Contributions

$252,469 $932,048.61 $1,230,823

2024 Plan Year

Distributions

$391,740 $261,559 $104,903

YTD Contributions $80,586 $302,227.02 $291,711

YTD Distributions $24,000 $108,867 145,000

Outstanding Loans $26,121.12

(6 loans; payroll deduction)

$36,124

(9 loans; payroll deduction)

N/A

Managed Account Assets $1,346,972 $572,114 $783,000

Managed Account Participants

30 13 8

Default Fund Nationwide Destination Target Date Funds

MissionSquare Retirement R10 Target Date Fund

MissionSquare Retirement R10 Target Date Fund

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IV. Minimum Qualifications

IV.A Minimum Qualifications

In order to qualify to submit a proposal, the administrator needs to meet the following criteria:

• Must have been provided recordkeeping / administration services to deferred compensation plans, sponsored by governmental entities, for a minimum of ten years.

• Must provide recordkeeping / administration to a minimum of two hundred 457 plans.

• Must provide recordkeeping / administration to a minimum of one million participants, enrolled in defined contribution retirement plans, on your recordkeeping system.

• Must be able to support an open architecture investment platform with no proprietary investment requirements.

• Registered through the Florida Division of Corporation (Sunbiz) with an "Active" Status.

V. General Information

V.A Ambiguity, Conflict, or Other Errors

If a proposer discovers any ambiguity, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or any other errors in this document, the proposer shall immediately notify the Purchasing Agent, noted herein, of such error in writing and request a modification or clarification of the document. The Purchasing Agent shall make modifications by issuing an addendum and shall post to the City's e- Procurement portal and give written notice to all parties who have received this document. No interpretation shall be considered binding unless provided in writing by the City of New Smyrna Beach.

The proposer is responsible for clarifying any ambiguity, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or other error in this document prior to submitting a response or it shall be waived.

V.B Americans with Disabilities Act

Persons with disabilities needing special accommodation at public meetings should contact the Purchasing Department at 386-410-2654, no later than seven (7) days prior to the appropriate date on which the accommodation is requested.

V.C Assignment

The Proposer shall not assign or transfer any contract resulting from this solicitation, including any rights title or interest therein, or its power to execute such contract to any person, company, or corporation without the prior written consent of the City.

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V.D Cancellation

The City reserves the right to cancel, in whole or in part, any solicitation when it is in the best interest of the City. Availability of all information related to a cancelled solicitation is subject to Chapter 119, Florida Statutes.

V.E City's Rights to Accept or Reject Proposals

The Owner reserves the unqualified right, in the Owner’s sole and absolute discretion, to reject any and all proposals, to waive any irregularities, or to accept a proposal which in the Owner’s sole and absolute judgment, shall, under all circumstances, best serve the public interest.

Any proposal may be rejected which contains any omissions, erasures, alterations, additions, irregularities of any kind, or items not called for, or which does not contain prices set opposite to each of the items in the bid form, or in which any of the prices are obviously unbalanced, or which shall in any manner fail to conform to the conditions of the published notice inviting proposals.

The City also reserves the right to award a contract based on experience and qualifications or to award only a portion of the services specified, if deemed to be in the City’s best interest.

V.F Collusion Among Firms

More than one (1) proposal from an individual, firm, partnership, corporation, or association under the same or different names will not be considered. Reasonable grounds for believing that a Proposer is involved in more than one proposal will be cause for rejection of all proposals in which such Proposers are believed to be involved. Any or all proposals will be rejected if there is reason to believe that collusion exists between Proposers. Proposals in which the prices obviously are unbalanced will be subject to rejection.

The Proposer, by affixing its signature to a submitted proposal, certifies that its proposal is made without previous understanding, agreement, or connection with any person, firm or corporation submitting and making a bid for the same item(s), and is in all respects fair, without outside control, collusion, fraud, or otherwise illegal action.

V.G Completeness and Compliance

Submitted proposals shall contain the information as required in this solicitation. Failure to submit the required information, or proposals that are incomplete and/or lack key information, may be rejected by the City.

All items contained in the proposal must be in total compliance with the specifications of this solicitation. Alternate proposals will not be considered unless specifically called for in this solicitation. Proposers’ attention is specifically called to the terms, conditions, and special provisions of this solicitation. Please be aware that, under the competitive process, the stipulations set forth herein are fully binding on the Proposer to the extent that you confirm acceptance by your electronic submission.

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By submitting a response, the Proposer certifies that the Proposer has fully read and understands this solicitation document and has full knowledge of the scope, nature, quantity, and quality of work to be performed; the detailed requirements of the services to be provided;

and the conditions under which the services are to be performed.

V.H Cone of Silence/Lobbying

Lobbying is defined as any action taken by an individual, firm, association, joint venture, partnership, syndicate, corporation, and/or all other groups who seek to influence the governmental decision of a City Commission Member, the City Manager, any requesting or evaluating Department/Division/Office personnel and/or any member of the Evaluation Committee concerning an active solicitation during the black-out period.

A lobbying black-out period commences upon the issuance of this solicitation document.

If a recommendation to award is presented to City Commission for approval or for a request to provide authorization to negotiate a Contract(s) and the City Commission refers the item back to the City Manager, Procurement Department and/or the requesting Department further review or otherwise does not take action on the item, the Cone of Silence/Lobbying Black-out Period will be reinstated until such time as the City Commission meets to consider the item for action.

Bidders, respondents, potential vendors, service providers, lobbyists, consultants, or vendor representatives shall not contact any City Commission member, the City Manager and/or any member of the evaluation committee concerning an active solicitation during the Cone of Silence/Lobbying Black-out Period.

V.I Conflict of Interest

The award of any contract hereunder is subject to the provisions of Chapter 112, Florida Statutes. Proposers must disclose with their proposal the name of any officer, director, partner, proprietor, associate, or agent who is also an officer or employee of the City or any of its agencies. Further, all Proposers must disclose the name of any officer or employee of the City who owns, directly or indirectly, any interest in the Offeror’s firm or any of its branches or affiliate companies.

V.J Contract

A contract resulting from this solicitation shall be subject to the terms and conditions set forth in a standard City agreement. The City reserves the right to include in any contract document such terms and conditions as it deems necessary for the proper protection of the rights of the City.

The City shall not be obligated to sign any contracts, maintenance and/or service agreements, or other documents supplied by the proposer.

The successful Proposer shall execute and return the agreement to the City, within fourteen (14) days after receipt along with any and all additional contractual documents, performance and payment bonds, insurance certificates/verifications and any other documents required as

10 | P a g e outlined in this solicitation document. Component Parts of the Contract are outlined in the draft contract, which is available as an attachment to this solicitation.

In no event shall an agreement be considered binding upon the City until it has been properly executed by all parties.

In conjunction with the agreement, a purchase order or other form of payment will be established by the City prior to the start of any project, service, or work by the Proposer.

Failure on the part of the successful Propose to execute an Agreement(s) as required will be just cause for the rescindment of the award. In this event, the Proposer shall forfeit the security bond guarantee to the City in the manner previously described herein.

In the event of a conflict in the interpretation of the Contract or the terms of the Contract, the interpretation most favorable to the Owner shall prevail.

Contract Negotiations: The City will attempt to negotiate an agreement with the top ranked firm(s) or individual which is determined to be in the best interests of the City. The agreement will cover all aspects of the scope of services as described herein.

Contract Term: Contract period is five (5) years

V.K Cost of Submittal

Proposer understands that any and all costs related to the submittal of a proposal is considered an operational cost to the Proposer and shall not be passed on to or be borne by the City. By submission of a proposal, the Proposer agrees that any and all costs associated with the preparation of the proposal will be the sole responsibility of the Proposer. The Proposer also agrees that the City shall bear no responsibility for any costs associated with the preparation of the proposal including but not limited to any administrative or judicial proceedings resulting from the solicitation process.

V.L Determining Responsibility

The determination as to whether a Proposer is considered responsible shall be at the sole discretion of the City. The City may request information relating to contracts similar to the requirements of this solicitation.

The City also reserves the right to reject the proposal of a proposer who has previously failed to perform properly or complete projects timely, whose investigations show that the proposer is not in a position to perform the contract.

In determining responsibility, the following qualifications, in addition to price, may be considered:

A. The Proposer's ability, capacity, and skill to provide the goods or to perform the service within the time specified;

B. The character, integrity, reputation, judgement, experience and efficiency of the Proposer;

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C. The quality of performance of previous contracts or services including previous performance with the City;

D. The sufficiency of financial resources to meet the obligations of the required contract and to perform the services;

E. Quality Control Program.

F. Contract claims, litigation filed against the Proposer or filed by the Proposer for equitable adjustment; Reprimand of any nature or suspension by the Department of professional Regulation or any other regulatory agency or professional association in the past five (5) years.

G. Ability to provide future maintenance, service, and support of the goods/services under contract; and, H. Whether the Proposer is in arrears to the City on a debt or a contract or is a defaulter on surety to the City; or whether the Proposer's taxes or assessments are delinquent.

I. Such other information as may be relevant or secured.

V.M Due Date

Electronic proposals shall be received prior to 5:00 pm on Wednesday, July 2, 2025 via the City’s e-Procurement Portal.

Submittals will not be permitted or accepted after this date and time. There is no expressed or implied obligation for the City of New Smyrna Beach to reimburse responding proposers for any expenses incurred in preparing a response to this solicitation.

Contact OpenGov technical support at support@opengov.com if technical difficulties arise during the submission of a proposal.

Received proposals are subject to the conditions specified herein and on any attached sheets, specifications, special conditions, or vendor notes.

The City is not responsible for the failure of a Proposer or the Proposer’s agent to submit responses in a timely manner. Proposals by email, telephone or fax shall be rejected as non-responsive.

V.N Evaluation of Submittals

The City's Retirement Plan Investment Advisor, SageView Advisory Group, LLC, is assisting the City with the evaluation and will provide staff with comments and analysis of the received proposals based on the criteria set forth in this document.

Presentations or demonstrations may be scheduled for the top-ranked proposer(s). If an award of contract is recommended it will be based on the combined scores from the proposal review and presentations, if applicable. The consensus of the city will be the deciding factor on how to move forward.

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A submission of a proposal to the City, or a receipt of a proposal by the City, offers no rights upon the consultant nor obligates the City in any manner. Acceptance of a proposal does not guarantee issuance of any other governmental approvals.

V.O Federal and State Tax

The City of New Smyrna Beach is exempt from Federal and State Sales and Use Taxes for tangible personal property. Anyone doing business with the City shall not be exempted from paying sales tax to their Suppliers for materials to fulfill contractual obligations with the City nor shall any Contractor be authorized to use the City’s Tax Exemption Number in securing such materials.

V.P Foreign Corporation

In accordance with Section 607.150 of the Florida Statutes, and provided an exemption is not available, a foreign corporation may not transact business in Florida until it obtains a certificate of authority from the Florida Department of State.

Foreign corporations may submit proposals prior to obtaining a certificate of authority from the Florida Department of State. A foreign corporation must be in compliance with F.S. 607.150, prior to entering into a Contract with the City.

V.Q Governing Law/Jurisdiction

The interpretation, effect, and validity of any contract(s) resulting from this solicitation shall be governed by the laws and regulations of the State of Florida. In the event that a suit is brought for the enforcement of any term of the contract(s), venue of any court action shall be in Volusia County, Florida.

V.R Human Trafficking

Compliant with Florida Statures, 787.06.

(1)(a) The Legislature finds that human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery. Victims of human trafficking are young children, teenagers, and adults. Thousands of victims are trafficked annually across international borders worldwide. Many of these victims are trafficked into this state. Victims of human trafficking also include citizens of the United States and those persons trafficked domestically within the borders of the United States. The Legislature finds that victims of human trafficking are subjected to force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labor.

(b) The Legislature finds that while many victims of human trafficking are forced to work in prostitution or the sexual entertainment industry, trafficking also occurs in forms of labor exploitation, such as domestic servitude, restaurant work, janitorial work, sweatshop factory work, and migrant agricultural work.

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(c) The Legislature finds that traffickers use various techniques to instill fear in victims and to keep them enslaved. Some traffickers keep their victims under lock and key. However, the most frequently used practices are less obvious techniques that include isolating victims from the public and family members; confiscating passports, visas, or other identification documents;

using or threatening to use violence toward victims or their families; telling victims that they will be imprisoned or deported for immigration violations if they contact authorities; and controlling the victims’ funds by holding the money ostensibly for safekeeping.

(d) It is the intent of the Legislature that the perpetrators of human trafficking be penalized for their illegal conduct and that the victims of trafficking be protected and assisted by this state and its agencies. In furtherance of this policy, it is the intent of the Legislature that the state Supreme Court, The Florida Bar, and relevant state agencies prepare and implement training programs in order that judges, attorneys, law enforcement personnel, investigators, and others are able to identify traffickers and victims of human trafficking and direct victims to appropriate agencies for assistance. It is the intent of the Legislature that the Department of Children and Families and other state agencies cooperate with other state and federal agencies to ensure that victims of human trafficking can access social services and benefits to alleviate their plight.

V.S Immigration Reform and Control Act

Proposer acknowledges, and without exception or stipulation, any proposer receiving an award shall be fully responsible for complying with the provisions of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 as located at 8 U.S.C. 1324, et seq. and regulations relating thereto, as either may be amended. Failure by the awarded proposer to comply with the laws referenced herein shall constitute a breach of the award agreement and the City shall have the discretion to unilaterally terminate said agreement immediately.

V.T Inquiries

To ensure fair consideration for all parties, the City prohibits communication to or with any department, division, employee, or City representative from the issuance date of this solicitation until the City’s final action. Unauthorized contact regarding this solicitation with any employee, and/or elected City officials of the City of New Smyrna Beach other than purchasing may result in disqualification from this procurement process of the contacting individual/firm submittal.

All questions related to this solicitation shall be submitted in writing via the OpenGov Question/Answer Tab via the City's e-Procurement portal, on or before 5:00 pm on Friday, June 13, 2025. Please include the section title for each question, if applicable, in order to ensure that questions asked are responded to correctly.

When asking questions, be sure to enter each question separately.

Proposers must clearly understand that the only official answer or position of the City shall be the one stated in writing by the City.

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All responses to questions will be in the form of an addendum that will be posted on OpenGov.

Proposers are required to acknowledge receipt of the posted addendums, if any, by signing a posted addendum and submitting a signed copy with a submitted proposal.

It is the responsibility of the prospective respondents to check OpenGov for addendum(s) and other important information pertaining to this solicitation. The City reserves the right to make a written request for additional information from a Contractor/Vendor to assist in understanding or clarifying a proposal. The responses are to be provided in writing.

The City is not responsible for the content of any public solicitation package received through any 3rd party service or any source not listed above. It is the sole responsibility of the contractor to ensure the completeness of the documents received from any 3rd party. The City is not responsible for errors and omissions occurring in the transmission or downloading of any specifications from our or any website.

V.U Joint Ventures

Proposers that are intending to submit a proposal as a joint venture are required to have filed proper documents with the Division of Corporations, and/or any other State or local licensing agency prior to submitting a proposal. Please refer to Section 489.119 Florida Statutes.

Joint venture proposers must provide an affidavit attesting to the formulation of a joint venture and provide either proof of incorporation as a joint venture or a copy of the formal Joint Venture Agreement between all joint venture parties, indicating their respective roles, responsibilities, and levels of participation for the project or services outlined herein.

V.V Judgements/Legal Findings

By submitting a proposal for consideration, the proposer affirms that they currently have no judgements or other legal findings nor have any pending judgements or other legal findings against the company or any of its executives, with any federal, state or local governmental entities that in any way could impact or have the potential to impact their ability to complete any contract awarded them as a result of this solicitation. Failure to disclose any such judgments and/or findings will result in the termination of any contracts and other penalties as deemed legal and appropriate by the City.

V.W Legal Requirements

Federal, State, County and local laws, ordinances, rules, and regulations that in any manner affect the item(s) covered herein apply. Lack of knowledge by the proposer will in no way be cause for relief from responsibility.

V.X Liability

The City of New Smyrna Beach assumes no responsibility for the cost of preparing a response to this solicitation. The awarded proposer(s) shall hold and save the City of New Smyrna Beach, its

15 | P a g e officers, agents, and employees harmless from liability of any kind in the performance of or fulfilling the requirements of a contract which may result from award of this solicitation.

Neither party shall be held responsible for failure to complete contract due to causes beyond its control, including, but not limited to, work stoppage, fires, civil disobedience, riots, rebellions, acts of nature and similar occurrences making performance impossible or illegal.

The proposer shall hold and save the City of New Smyrna Beach, its officers, agents, and employees harmless against claims by third parties resulting from the proposer r's breach of contract or negligence, including all attorney’s fees and costs, and shall pay any and all damages, fees, and costs assessed on behalf of the City. The City expressly reserves all rights, privileges, and benefits of sovereign immunity.

V.Y Method of Source Selection

The City of New Smyrna Beach is using the competitive sealed proposal methodology of source selection for this procurement, as authorized by the City Purchasing Policy.

V.Z On-line Provider Disclaimer

The City of New Smyrna Beach is the official source to obtain information relating to the City solicitations.

All documents regarding this solicitation are posted utilizing an online management system, OpenGov. There is no charge to register with OpenGov and/or to participate in the solicitation process.

It is recommended that proposer register and maintain their registration with OpenGov at www.OpenGov.com. This is a third-party provider that provides a platform to communicate solicitation information to the Public. OpenGov does not represent the City nor does communications through this provider constitute communications to the City. The City of New Smyrna Beach is not responsible for errors and omissions occurring in the transmission or downloading of any documents from the online website.

In the event of any discrepancy between information on this website and the hard copy specifications, the terms of the hard copy specification will control.

V.AA Opening of Proposals

Electronic proposals will remain sealed until the time of the opening listed in the Timeline of Section II.D of this document. Through Microsoft Teams, the received proposals will be publicly opened and the Proposers' names read aloud at that time. It is important to note that this is public meeting, and the meeting will be recorded.

Proposers may contact the City's Purchasing Agent to obtain information to view the opening of the received proposals. No discussion of the proposals will occur at this time.

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V.BB Payment

Florida Statute 218.70, et seq, known as the "Florida Prompt Payment Act" sets forth "the policy of this state that payment for all purchases by local governmental entities is made in a timely manner". This is also the policy of the City of New Smyrna Beach.

V.CC Principals/Collusion

By submission of this proposal, the undersigned, as proposer, does declare that the only person or persons interested in this solicitation as principal or principals is/are named therein and that no person other than therein mentioned has any interest in this solicitation or in the contract to be entered into; that this proposal is made without connection with any person, company or parties submitting a proposal, and that it is in all respects fair and in good faith without collusion or fraud.

V.DD Prohibition of Gifts to City Employees

No organization or individual shall offer or give, either directly or indirectly, any favor, gift, loan, fee, service, or other item of value to any City employee, as set forth in Chapter 112, Part III, Florida Statutes, the current City Ethics Ordinance, and City Administrative Policy. Violation of this provision may result in one or more of the following consequences:

A. Prohibition by the individual, contractor, and/or any employee of the contractor from contact with City staff for a specified period of time;

B. Prohibition by the individual and/or contractor from doing business with the City for a specified period of time, including but not limited to: submitting proposals, responses, and/or quotes and;

C. Immediate termination of any contract held by the individual and/or proposer for cause.

V.EE Proposal, Presentation, and Protest Costs

The City shall not be liable in any way for any costs incurred by any proposer in the preparation of its proposal in response to this solicitation, nor for the presentation of its proposal and/or participation in any discussions, negotiations, or, if applicable, any protest procedures.

V.FF Proprietary Information

In accordance with Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes (Public Records Law), and except as may be provided by other applicable State and Federal Law, all proposers should be aware that Requests for Proposals and the responses thereto are in the public domain. However, the proposers are requested to identify specifically any information contained in their proposals which they consider confidential and/or proprietary and which they believe to be exempt from disclosure, citing, specifically the applicable exempting law.

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A generic notation that information is “confidential” is not sufficient. Failure to provide the Procurement Agent with a detailed explanation and justification including statutory cites and specific reference to a submitted proposal detailing what provisions, if any, you believe are exempt from disclosure, may result in your entire proposal being subject to disclosure in accordance with Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes

All proposals received from proposers in response to this solicitation will become the property of the City of New Smyrna Beach and will not be returned to the proposers. In the event of contract award, all documentation produced as part of the contract will become the exclusive property of the City.

V.GG Protest Procedures

A. Proposers who do not agree with the City's recommendation for award shall be afforded the opportunity to protest the recommendation by submitting written notice to the Purchasing Division. Proposals not meeting the minimum published requirements, including specifications, Scope of Services, or required documents, are not subject to protest.

B. Such notice shall be given within three (3) business days after the City posts its notice of intent to award.

C. A formal written protest shall be made to the Purchasing Division within five (5) working days after filing the notice of protest, which shall state the grounds for the protest and the action requested.

D. The formal written protest shall include with it a protest bond in the amount of one percent (1%) of the estimated contract amount, as provided in Florida Statutes § 287.042(2)(c) and Rule 28-110.005 of the Florida Administrative Code. The notice of protest must be either hand-delivered and date and time stamped by the Finance Department, or sent via Certified U.S. mail, return receipt requested. Failure to file a protest within the timeframe specified herein shall constitute a full waiver of all rights to protest the City’s decision regarding award of the solicitation. For full protest guidance, consult Section 9.1, Notice of Protest, of the City of New Smyrna Beach’s purchasing policy.

V.HH Public Entity Crimes

Pursuant to Section 287.133(12)(a) of the Florida Statutes, “A person or affiliate, who has been placed on the convicted vendor list following a conviction for a public entity crime, may not submit a bid on a contract to provide any goods or services to a public entity, may not submit a bid on a contract with a public entity for the construction or repair of public building or public work, may not submit bids on leases of real property to a public entity, may not be awarded or perform work as a contractor, supplier, subcontractor, or contractor under a contract with any public entity, and may not transact business with any public entity in excess of the threshold

18 | P a g e amount provided in Section 287.017, for CATEGORY TWO ($25,000) for a period of 36 months from the date of being placed on the convicted vendor list.”

V.II Public Records

All material submitted regarding this solicitation becomes the property of the City. Solicitation documents may be reviewed by any person ten (10) days after the public opening. The proposer should take special note of this as it relates to any proprietary information that might be included in its offer. Any resulting contract may be reviewed by any person after the contract has been executed by the City.

The City has the right to use any or all information/material submitted in response to this solicitation and/or any resulting contract from same. Disqualification of a proposer does not eliminate this right. This section is further subject to F.S. 119.01 et. seq.

IF THE CONSTRACTOR HAS QUESTIONS REGARDING THE APPLICATION OF

CHAPTER 119, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO THE CONSTRACTOR’S DUTY TO PROVIDE

PUBLIC RECORDS RELATING TO THIS CONTRACT, CONTACT THE CITY'S CUSTODIAN

OF PUBLIC RECORDS, CITY CLERK, AT 386/410-2630, CLERK@CITYOFNSB.COM,

CITY OF NEW SMYRNA BEACH, 210 SAMS AVENUE, NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FL

32168.

The contractor is required to comply with public records laws, specifically to:

A. Keep and maintain public records required by the public agency to perform the service.

B. Upon request from the public agency’s custodian of public records, provide the public agency with a copy of the requested records or allow the records to be inspected or copied within a reasonable time at a cost that does not exceed the cost provided in this chapter or as otherwise provided by law.

C. Ensure that public records that are exempt or confidential and exempt from public records disclosure requirements are not disclosed except as authorized by law for the duration of the contract term and following completion of the contract if the contractor does not transfer the records to the public agency.

Upon completion of the contract, transfer, at no cost, to the public agency all public records in possession of the contractor or keep and maintain public records required by the public agency to perform the service. If the contractor transfers all public records to the public agency upon completion of the contract, the contractor shall destroy any duplicate public records that are exempt or confidential and exempt from public records disclosure requirements. If the contractor keeps and maintains public records upon completion of the contract, the contractor shall meet all applicable requirements for retaining public records. All records stored electronically must be provided to the public agency, upon request from the public agency’s custodian of public records, in a format that is compatible with the information technology systems of the public agency.

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V.JJ Relation of City

It is the intent of the parties hereto that the contractor shall be legally considered an independent contractor, and that neither the contractor nor their employees shall, under any circumstances, be considered employees or agents of the City, and that the City shall be at no time legally responsible for any negligence on the part of said contractor, their employees or agents resulting in either bodily or personal injury or property damage to any individual, consultant, or corporation.

V.KK Requests for Clarification

The City may, as it deems necessary, conduct discussions with responsible proposers for the purpose of clarification to assure full understanding of, and responsiveness to solicitation requirements.

Requests by the Purchasing Agent to a proposer(s) for clarification of a submittal(s) shall be in writing. Proposer’s failure to respond to request for clarification may deem proposer to be non-responsive and may be just cause to reject its proposal.

V.LL Single Proposal

Each proposer must submit, with their proposal, the required forms included in this solicitation.

Only one proposal from a legal entity as a primary shall be considered. A legal entity that submits a proposal as a primary or as part of a partnership or joint venture submitting as primary may not then act as a sub-contractor to any other proposer submitting under the same solicitation.

The received proposals in violation of this requirement shall be deemed non-responsive and rejected from further consideration.

V.MM State Registration Requirements

Proposers submitting a proposal in response to this solicitation shall either be registered or have applied for registration with the Florida Department of State in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 607, Florida Statutes. A copy of the registration/application may be required prior to award of a contract.

Any partnership submitting a response to this Solicitation shall have complied with the applicable provisions of Chapter 620, Florida Statutes. For additional information on these requirements, please contact the Florida Secretary of State’s Office, Division of Corporations at (800) 755-5111 or visit the following website: (http://www.dos.state.fl.us).

V.NN Title VI

No person shall on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, family or religious status, as provided by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, the Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992 and other nondiscrimination authorities, be excluded

20 | P a g e from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination or retaliation under any program or activity of the City of New Smyrna Beach.

V.OO Validity of Submittal

Submittals cannot be withdrawn after they are filed unless the respondent makes their request in writing to the City prior to the time set for the closing of solicitation.

All submittals shall be valid for a period of one hundred eighty (180) days from the submission date to accommodate evaluation and selection process.

VI. Criteria and Submittal Requirements

Firms submitting a response shall be in strict compliance with the requirements listed herein. Failure to comply with all provisions of this solicitation may result in disqualification.

VI.A Evaluation Committee and Evaluation Factors

Proposals shall be evaluated on a total score basis, with a maximum score of one hundred (100) points. The following criteria shall be used in the evaluation process to determine the successful respondent(s):

Criteria Maximum Points

Questionnaire, Tab 1 Project Approach and Management

Questionnaire, Tab 1, Pricing 30

Questionnaire, Tab 2 Experience and Qualifications 20

References 20

Total 100

Evaluation factors are based on the abilities of the proposer to efficiently perform the Scope of Services as generally outlined in this solicitation. The city shall seek to identify the submittal(s) which shall best meet the needs of the city as determined from the responses received.

If no single top-ranked firm can be clearly identified by review of the written submittals alone, presentations shall be scheduled with the top ranked firm(s) for oral presentations/interviews. If Oral Presentations are required, the shortlisted firms will be re-ranked based solely on the presentations. The evaluation criteria may be modified for the oral presentation portion of the evaluation. The consensus of the committee will be the deciding factor on how to move forward.

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Contract Negotiations: After the ranking is completed, the City will attempt to negotiate an agreement with the top ranked firm which is determined to be in the best interests of the City.

The agreement will cover all aspects of the scope of services as described herein. If no agreement is reached with the top ranked firm negotiations will be terminated and initiated with the next-ranked firm or individual, and so on, until an agreement is reached.

VI.B Response Format

Submittals shall be deemed an offer to provide services to the City. In submitting, the professional consultant declares that he/she understands and agrees to abide by all specifications, provisions, terms and conditions of same, and all ordinances and policies of the City. The Proposer agrees that if the contract is awarded to him/her, he/she shall perform the work in accordance with the provisions, terms and conditions of the contract.

In order to maintain comparability and to facilitate the review process, it is requested that proposals be organized in the manner specified below. Proposals shall be submitted in a professional manner is a representation of the consultant.

Any portions of the proposal that do not comply with these guidelines must be so noted and explained the Acceptance of Conditions section of the bid. However, proposals which contain such variances may be considered non-responsive.

VI.C Introduction and Executive Summary

At a minimum shall include:

An introduction and executive summary of not more than three (3) pages that highlight each of the key areas of the proposal and that summarizes the Proposer’s experience and qualifications as to why their firm shall be selected as one of the City’s Professional Planning Consultants.

Executive summary shall be signed by a corporate officer or principal or an authorized representative of the prime consultant authorized to obligate the firm and/or joint venture contractually. The letter shall include the business address, telephone number, facsimile number, e-mail and the name of the prime consultant or joint venture that the City can contact for additional information. The respondent or authorized representative is attesting that the information provided is current and factual and that all firms on the proposed team agree to work on the project together.

VI.D Questionnaire, Tab 1 Project Approach and Management

Evaluated based on information provided in the Provider Questionnaire spreadsheet requesting general information about the services requested as well as the service team that would potentially work with the City.

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VI.E Questionnaire, Tab 1, Pricing

Submittals shall include a detailed list of professional hourly rates, fees schedule, and any reimbursable items such as additional copies, postage, etc. The City shall only be billed for reimbursable items with prior approval of the Designated Representative. Any work performed by the Consultant without approval by the City is performed at the Consultant’s own election.

Compensation to the Consultant for the services performed shall be as set forth on city issued purchase order as a result of a detailed proposal from the awarded consultant.

The City shall not pay for reimbursable items such as gas, tolls, mileage, meals, etc. and other items not directly attributable to items produced for each project.

In the event the City fails to provide compensation under the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Consultant shall notify the City’s Designated Representative in order that the City may take remedial action.

VI.F Questionnaire, Tab 2 Experience and Qualifications

Experience based on information shared on Defined Contribution/Deferred Compensation ("DC") Plan Information questionnaire spreadsheet.

This information provides an overview of the firm’s experience with defined contribution plans, deferred compensation plans and…