RFP WS505-05 Document

CITY OF

FAYETTEVILLE

REQUEST FOR

PROPOSAL

Issue Date:

May 11, 2022

RFP Number:

#WS505-05

RFP Title: Utility Printing and Mailing

Services

RFP Due Date and Time:

June 9, 2022 and 2:00 P.M.

Number of Pages: 32

CONTACT INFORMATION

Procurement Agent and Contact for this

RFP: Carleetha Talmadge, Asst. Finance Dir

Procurement Official: Carleetha Talmadge, Assistant Finance Director

City of Fayetteville

Finance & Administrative Services

Department

210 Stonewall Avenue W

Fayetteville, GA 30214

Phone: (770) 461-6029

Fax: (770) 460-4238

Website: www.fayetteville-ga.gov

INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

Return Sealed Proposal to:

City of Fayetteville

Finance & Administrative

Services Department

210 Stonewall Avenue W

Fayetteville, GA 30214

Mark Face of Sealed Envelope/Package:

Offeror’s Name and Address

RFP Name and Number: Utility Printing and Mailing Services and #WS505-05

RFP Due Date & Time: June 9, 2022 &

2:00 P.M.

Special Instructions: Submit 1 original, 4 copies and 1 digital of all documents

IMPORTANT: SEE STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS

OFFERORS MUST COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING

Offeror Name & Address:

Authorized Signatory:

(Please Print Name and Sign in Ink)

Offeror Phone Number:

Offeror Fax Number:

Offeror Federal I.D. Number:

Offeror Email Address:

OFFEROR MUST RETURN THIS COVER SHEET WITH RFP RESPONSE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ITEM Page Number

Offeror’s Checklist

Schedule of Events 2

Section 1: Project Overview and Instruction 3

1.0: Project Overview 3

1.1: Single Point of Contact 3

1.2: Required Review 4

1.3: Submitting a Sealed Proposal 4

1.4: Offeror’s Certification 6

1.5: Cost of Preparing a Proposal 6

Section 2: RFP Standard Information 6

2.0: Authority 6

2.1: Offeror Competition 6

2.2: Receipt of Proposals and Public Inspection 7

2.3: Classification and Evaluation of Proposals 7

2.4: City’s Rights Reserved 9

Section 3: Scope of Project 10

3.0: City’s Intent 10

3.1: Required Information 13

Section 4: Offeror Qualifications 14

4.0: City’s Right to Investigate 14

4.1: Offeror Informational Requirements 14

Section 5: Cost Proposal 16

Section 6: Evaluation Criteria 17

Section 7: Standard Contract Information 18

7.1: Subcontractors 18

7.2: General Insurance Requirements 18

7.3: Compliance with Workers’ Compensation Act 18

7.4: Compliance with Security and Immigration Act 18

7.5: Compliance with Laws 21

Appendix A: Standard Terms and Conditions 22

Appendix B: Standard Forms 24

OFFEROR’S RFP CHECKLIST

The 10 Most Critical Things to Keep in Mind

When Responding to an RFP for the City of Fayetteville

1. _______ Read the entire document. Note critical items such as: mandatory requirements;

supplies/services required; submittal dates; number of copies required for submittal; funding amount and source; contract requirements (e.g. contract performance security, insurance requirements, performance and/or reporting requirements, etc.).

2. _______ Note the procurement agent's name, address, phone numbers and e-mail address. This is the only person you are allowed to communicate with regarding the RFP and is an excellent source of information for any questions you may have.

3. _______ Attend the pre-proposal conference if one is offered. These conferences provide an opportunity to ask clarifying questions, obtain a better understanding of the project, or to notify the City of any ambiguities, inconsistencies, or errors in the

RFP.

4. _______ Take advantage of the “question and answer” period. Submit your questions to the procurement agent by the due date listed in the Schedule of Events and view the answers given in the formal “addenda” issued for the RFP. All addenda issued for an RFP are posted on the City’s website and will include all questions asked and answered concerning the RFP.

5. _______ Follow the format required in the RFP when preparing your response. Provide point-by-point responses to all sections in a clear and concise manner.

6. _______ Provide complete answers/descriptions. Read and answer all questions and requirements. Don’t assume the City or evaluation committee will know what your company capabilities are or what items/services you can provide, even if you have previously contracted with the City. The proposals are evaluated based solely on the information and materials provided in your response.

7. _______ Use the forms provided, e.g. cover page, sample budget form, certification forms, etc.

8. _______ Check the City website for RFP addenda. Before submitting your response, check the City website at www.fayetteville-ga.gov to see whether any addenda were issued for the RFP. If so, you must submit a signed cover sheet for each addendum issued along with your RFP response.

9. _______ Review and read the RFP document again to make sure that you have addressed all requirements. Your original response and the requested copies must be identical and complete. The copies are provided to the evaluation committee members and will be used to rank your response.

10. _______ Submit your response on time. Note all the dates and times listed in the Schedule of Events and within the document, and be sure to submit all required items on time. Late proposal responses will not be accepted.

This checklist is provided for assistance only and should not be submitted with Offeror’s http://www.fayetteville-ga.gov/

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

MILESTONE DEADLINE DATE MILESTONE DEADLINE DATE

RFP advertised Wednesday, May 11, 2022

Deadline for question submission Tuesday, May 31, 2022 @ 5:00 PM

Addenda to RFP issued (if any) Thursday, June 2, 2022 @ PM

Deadline for submitting proposals Thursday, June 9 @ 2:00 PM

SECTION 1: PROJECT OVERVIEW AND INSTRUCTION

1.0 Project Overview

The City of Fayetteville is requesting proposals for qualified providers interested in providing utility billing, printing and mailing services. The City of Fayetteville is a municipality in

Fayetteville, GA that provides water, sewer, stormwater and sanitation service to more than 8,000 customers and more provide licensing to over 3,000 businesses.

The City of Fayetteville software is Tyler New World, and currently contracts with Enco to provide the printing and mailing services. Pursuant to this RFP process, the City of Fayetteville intends to contract with a company to perform printing, mailing, e-billing, text and robo call services using professional, high quality, efficient and cost-effective processes.

The City of Fayetteville is receiving proposals to contract with qualified service provider for the following services:

Receiving and formatting billing data to print, insert, sort, and mail, e-bill, text utility bills and business renewal forms. This process, if mailing, is to include the inserting of the monthly and annual statement(s) in a window envelop with a security tinted return envelope.

The City of Fayetteville has recently went to a lockbox service for the utility bills. The City of

Fayetteville is interested in reviewing and considering all services that may be offered by

Responders. Responders are encouraged, but not required to submit any details regarding additional services and may attach pertinent information as necessary.

The City of Fayetteville sends out robo calls to delinquent utility accounts on a weekly basis via phone call or text and is looking to utilize a service for other calls, i.e. water leak in the area, water boil advisory and such.

All proposals must include the following: Proposal for Billing (Exhibit “A”), Cost Proposal

(Exhibit “B”), and Exception Form (Exhibit “C”). Incomplete proposals will not be considered.

1.1 Single Point of Contact

From the date this Request for Proposal (the “RFP”) is issued until an offeror is selected and the selection is announced by the procurement officer, offerors are not allowed to communicate with any City staff or elected officials regarding this procurement. Any unauthorized contact may disqualify the offeror from further consideration. Contact information for the single point of contact is as follows:

Procurement Agent: Carleetha Talmadge

Address: 210 Stonewall Avenue W

Fayetteville, GA 30214

Telephone Number: 770-719-4161

Fax Number: 770-460-4238

E-mail Address: ctalmadge@fayetteville-ga.gov

1.2 Required Review

1.2.1 Review RFP: Offerors should carefully review the instructions, mandatory requirements, specifications, and standard terms/conditions as set out in this RFP and promptly notify the Procurement Agent, identified above, in writing or via e-mail of any ambiguity, inconsistency, unduly restrictive specifications, or error which they discover upon examination of this RFP.

1.2.2 Form of Questions: Offerors with questions or requiring clarification or interpretation of any section within this RFP must address these questions in writing or via e-mail to the

Procurement Agent referenced above on or before May 31, 2022. Each question must provide clear reference to the section, page, and item in question. Questions received after the deadline may not be considered.

1.2.3 City’s Answers: The City will provide by June 2, 2022, an official written answer to all questions received within the time frame stipulated under section 1.2.2. The City's response will be by formal written addendum. Any other form of interpretation, correction, or change to this RFP will not be binding upon the City. Any formal written addendum will be posted on the City’s website alongside the posting of the RFP at www.fayetteville-ga.gov by the close of business on the date listed.

1.2.4 Standard Terms and Conditions: By submitting a response to this RFP, offeror agrees to acceptance of the standard terms and conditions as set forth in Appendix A of this RFP.

Much of the language included in the standard terms and conditions reflects requirements of state law. Requests for exceptions to the standard terms and conditions or any added provisions must be submitted to the Procurement Agent referenced above by the date for receipt of written/e-mailed questions or with the offeror’s RFP response and must be accompanied by an explanation of why the exception is being taken and what specific effect it will have on the offeror’s ability to respond to the RFP or perform the contract. The City reserves the right to address non-material, minor, insubstantial requests for exceptions with the highest ranking offeror during negotiation. Any material, substantive, important exceptions requested and granted to the standard terms and conditions will be addressed in any formal written addendum issued for this RFP and will apply to all offerors submitting a response to this RFP.

1.2.5 Mandatory Requirements: To be eligible for consideration, an offeror must meet the intent of all mandatory requirements. The City will determine whether an offeror’s RFP response complies with the intent of the requirements. RFP responses that do not meet the full intent of all requirements listed in this RFP may be subject to ranking reductions during the evaluation process or may be deemed non-responsive.

1.3 Submitting a Sealed Proposal

1.3.1 Organization of Proposal: Offerors must organize their proposal into sections that follow the format of this RFP, with tabs separating each section. A point-by-point response to all numbered sections, subsections, and appendix is required. If no explanation or clarification is required in the offeror’s response to a specific subsection, the offeror shall http://www.fayetteville-ga.gov/ indicate so in the point-by-point response or utilize a blanket response for the entire section with the following statement:

“(Offeror’s Name)” understands and will comply.

1.3.2 Failure to Comply with Instructions: Offerors failing to comply with these instructions may be subject to ranking reductions. The City may also choose to not evaluate, may deem non-responsive, and/or may disqualify from further consideration any proposals that do not follow this RFP format, are difficult to understand, are difficult to read, or are missing any requested information.

1.3.3 Multiple Proposals: Offerors may, at their option, submit multiple proposals, in which case each proposal shall be evaluated as a separate document.

1.3.4 Cost Proposal Form: Offerors must respond to this RFP by utilizing the Cost Proposal form found in Section 5. The Cost Proposal form will be used as the primary representation of each offeror’s cost/price, and will be used extensively during proposal evaluations.

Additional information should be included as necessary to explain in detail the offeror’s cost/price. One Cost Proposal shall be submitted in a separate, sealed envelope marked

“Cost Proposal”, RFP #, RFP Name, and Due Date/Time. Additional Cost proposal sheets shall not be included in proposal original or copies.

1.3.5 Standard Forms: Offerors must respond to this RFP by completing the standard forms set forth under Appendix B. The standard forms include legal requirements that must be met before formal negotiations can be completed and the award process commenced.

1.3.6 Copies Required and Deadline for Receipt of Sealed Proposals: All proposals must be received in sealed packaging. Offerors must submit one (1) original (conspicuously marked “Original”), four (4) copies and one (1) digital to the address set forth in the Cover

Page. One (1) Cost Proposal shall be submitted in a separate, sealed envelope marked “Cost

Proposal”, RFP #, RFP Name, and Due Date/Time. Additional Cost Proposal sheets shall not be included in proposal original or copies.

Proposals must be received sealed and at the receptionist’s desk of the location noted in the Cover Page prior to June 9, 2022, local time 2:00 pm. Facsimile responses to requests for proposals are NOT accepted.

1.3.7 Late Proposals: Regardless of cause, late proposals will not be accepted and will automatically be disqualified from further consideration. It shall be the offeror’s sole risk to assure delivery to the receptionist's desk at the designated office by the designated time.

Late proposals will not be opened and may be returned to the offeror at the expense of the offeror or destroyed if requested.

1.4 Offeror's Certification

1.4.1 Understanding of Specifications and Requirements: By submitting a response to this

RFP, offeror agrees to an understanding of and compliance with the specifications and requirements described in this RFP.

1.4.2 Offeror’s Signature: The proposals must be signed in ink by an individual authorized to legally bind the business submitting the proposal. The offeror’s signature on a proposal in response to this RFP guarantees that the prices quoted have been established without collusion and without effort to preclude the City from obtaining the best possible supply or service. Proof of authority of the person signing the RFP response must be furnished upon request.

1.4.3 Offer in Effect for 90 Days: A proposal may not be modified, withdrawn, or canceled by the offeror for a 90-day period following the deadline for proposal submission as defined in the Schedule of Events, or receipt of best and final offer, if required, and offeror so agrees in submitting the proposal.

1.5 Cost of Preparing a Proposal

1.5.1 City Not Responsible for Preparation Costs: The costs for developing and delivering responses to this RFP and any subsequent presentations of the proposal as requested by the

City are entirely the responsibility of the offeror. The City is not liable for any expense incurred by the offeror in the preparation and presentation of their proposal.

1.5.2 All Timely Submitted Materials Become City Property: All materials submitted in response to this RFP become the property of the City and are to be appended to any formal documentation, which would further define or expand any contractual relationship between the City and offeror resulting from this RFP process.

SECTION 2: RFP STANDARD INFORMATION

2.0 Authority

This RFP is issued under the authority of the City of Fayetteville. The RFP process is a procurement option allowing the award to be based on stated evaluation criteria.

2.1 Offeror Competition

The City encourages free and open competition among offerors. Whenever possible, the City will design specifications, proposal requests, and conditions to accomplish this objective, consistent with the necessity to satisfy the City’s need to procure technically sound, cost-effective services and supplies.

2.2 Receipt of Proposals and Public Inspection

2.2.1 Public Information: During the opening of sealed proposals, only the name of each supplier shall be announced. No other information will be disclosed nor shall the proposals be considered open record until after council award. All information received in response to this RFP, including copyrighted material, is deemed public information and will be made available for public viewing and copying shortly after the council award with the following four exceptions: (1) bona fide trade secrets meeting confidentiality requirements that have been properly marked, separated, and documented; (2) matters involving individual safety as determined by the City; (3) any company financial information requested by the City to determine vendor responsibility, unless prior written consent has been given by the offeror;

and (4) other constitutional protections.

2.2.2 Procurement Agent’s Review of Proposals: Upon opening the sealed proposals received in response to this RFP, the Procurement Agent in charge of the solicitation will review the proposals and separate out any information that meets the referenced exceptions in Section 2.2.1 above, providing the following conditions have been met:

• Confidential information is clearly marked and separated from the rest of the proposal;

• The proposal does not contain confidential material in the cost or price section; and,

• An affidavit from an offeror’s legal counsel attesting to and explaining the validity of the trade secret claim is attached to each proposal containing trade secrets. Counsel must use the City’s Affidavit for Trade Secret/Private Information form in requesting information remain confidential. This affidavit form is available by contacting the

Procurement Agent at the contact number set forth under Section 1.1.

Information separated out under this process will be available for review only by the

Procurement Officer, Procurement Agent, the Evaluation Committee members, and limited other designees. Offerors must be prepared to pay all legal costs and fees associated with defending a claim for confidentiality in the event of a “right to know” (open records) request from another party.

2.3 Classification and Evaluation of Proposals

2.3.1 Initial Classification of Proposals as Responsive or Nonresponsive: All proposals will initially be classified as either “responsive” or “nonresponsive”. Proposals may be found nonresponsive any time during the evaluation process or negotiations if any of the required information is not provided; the submitted price is found to be excessive or inadequate as measured by criteria stated in the RFP; or the proposal is not within the plans and specifications described and required in the RFP. If a proposal is found to be nonresponsive, it will not be considered further.

2.3.2 Determination of Responsibility: The Procurement Officer will determine whether an offeror has met the standards of responsibility. Such a determination may be made at any time during the evaluation process and through negotiation if information surfaces that would result in a determination of non-responsibility. If an offeror is found non-responsible, the determination must be in writing, made a part of the procurement file and mailed to the affected offeror.

2.3.3 Evaluation of Proposals: The Evaluation Committee will evaluate the remaining proposals and recommend whether to award to the highest ranking offeror or, if necessary, to seek discussion/negotiation or a “best and final offer” in order to determine the highest ranking offeror. All responsive proposals will be evaluated based on stated evaluation criteria. In ranking against stated criteria, the City may consider such factors as accepted industry standards and a comparative evaluation of all other qualified RFP responses in terms of differing price, quality, and contractual factors. These rankings will be used to determine the most advantageous offering to the City.

2.3.4 Completeness of Proposals: Selection and award will be based on the offeror’s proposal and other items outlined in this RFP. Submitted responses may not include references to information located elsewhere, such as Internet websites or libraries, unless specifically requested. Information or materials presented by offerors outside the formal response or subsequent discussion/negotiation or “best and final offer,” if requested, will not be considered, will have no bearing on any award, and may result in the offeror being disqualified from further consideration.

2.3.5 Achieve Passing Ranking: Any proposal that fails to achieve a passing ranking for any part/section for which a passing ranking is indicated will be eliminated from further consideration.

2.3.6 Opportunity for Discussion/Negotiation and/or Oral Presentation/ Product

Demonstration: After receipt of all proposals and prior to the determination of the award, the City may initiate discussions with one or more offerors should clarification or negotiation be necessary. Offerors may also be required to make an oral presentation and/or product demonstration to clarify their RFP response or to further define their offer. In either case, offerors should be prepared to send qualified personnel to the City to discuss technical and contractual aspects of the proposal. Oral presentations and product demonstrations, if requested, shall be at the offeror’s expense.

2.3.7 Best and Final Offer: The “Best and Final Offer” is an option available to the City under the RFP process which permits the City to request a “best and final offer” from one or more offerors if additional information is required to make a final decision. Offerors may be contacted asking that they submit their “best and final offer,” which must include any and all discussed and/or negotiated changes. The City reserves the right to request a “best and final offer” for this RFP, if any, based on price/cost alone.

2.3.8 Evaluation Committee Recommendation for Award: The Evaluation Committee will provide a written recommendation for award to the Procurement Officer that contains the ranking and related supporting documentation for its decision. The Procurement Officer will review the recommendation to ensure its compliance with the RFP process and criteria before concurring in the Evaluation Committee’s recommendation.

2.3.9 Negotiation: Upon recommendation from the Selection Committee, the Procurement

Officer and/or City department representatives may begin negotiations with the responsive and responsible offeror whose proposal achieves the highest ranking and is, therefore, the most advantageous to the City. If negotiation is unsuccessful or the highest ranking offeror fails to provide necessary documents or information in a timely manner, or fails to negotiate in good faith, the City may terminate negotiations and begin negotiations with the next highest ranking offeror.

2.3.10 Award: Award, if any, will be made to the highest ranking offeror who provides all required documents and successfully completes the negotiation process.

2.4 City’s Rights Reserved

While the City has every intention to make an award as a result of this RFP, issuance of the RFP in no way constitutes a commitment by the City to award. Upon a determination such actions would be in its best interest, the City, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to:

• cancel or terminate this RFP;

• reject any or all proposals received in response to this RFP;

• waive any undesirable, inconsequential, or inconsistent provisions of this RFP which would not have significant impact on any proposal;

• not award if it is in the best interest of the City; or

• if awarded, terminate any contract if the City determines adequate funds are not available.

SECTION 3: SCOPE OF PROJECT

3.0 City’s Intent

For the purpose of this proposal, service providers should base proposal responses on approximately 8,800 utility bills per month and approximately 3,000 business license renewals annually.

The City of Fayetteville hereby request proposals for the service inclusive of processing, printing, folding, inserting, sorting, mailing, e-billing, texting of bills on a monthly scheduled basis in 5 different bill cycles and on an annual basis in 4 different bill cycles.

The City of Fayetteville may, on occasion, have inserts for the bills. Proposals shall include a billing and services sample contract/agreement.

1. Scope of Proposal

Service Provider will design in conjunction with the City of Fayetteville a two-color (black with a second variable laser highlight color of green), two-sided bill form that is 8 ½” x

11” in size.

The bill design will include an appropriate scan line for remittance processing, a message area (variable data text messages shall be printed in the highlight color ink), different sized fonts to enhance readability, a bar chart (if requested by the City) and a City of Fayetteville logo.

Service Provider will agree to purchase and maintain a sufficient supply of billing forms and envelopes to ensure an uninterrupted supply for printing requirements.

Service Provider will notify the City of Fayetteville in writing, and receive approval from the City, of any required changes to forms or envelopes prior to implementation.

The City of Fayetteville will provide Service Provider with any additional forms to be inserted with the bills. The Service Provider must agree to receive a drop shipment of the inserts necessary to supply a one-month cycle of bills.

2. Programming

Service Provider will provide a quote for initial programs required to print billing information from the data/print file provided by the City of Fayetteville to the approved bill form. Provide a quote for the programming fee for set-up and changes on the Proposal

Sheet.

3. Computer Related Processing Requirements

The City of Fayetteville’s print files will be transferred to the Service Provider via FTP. It will be the responsibility of the Service Provider to assist the City during the configuration process of the FTP link. The City of Fayetteville will transmit 15-20 data/print files to the

Service Provider each month. Each one of these data/print files will be treated as a separate billing, and each shall be subject to the requirements set forth in this proposal.

4. Performance Requirement

Service Provider will print, insert, mail, e-bill, text utility bills and business renewal forms for the City of Fayetteville within 48 hours after successful receipt of the data/print file from the City.

The Service Provider shall provide the City of Fayetteville a document, or another method, indicating the number of bills received electronically for printing, e-billing, texting, as well as the postage breakdown as USPS Automation Qualified starting at First Class 5-Digit

Rate of the billing cycle prior to the mailing of bills.

Upon award of contract, the successful Service Provider must be ready to accept the first production data/print file within 60 days from the date of receipt of all required information from the City of Fayetteville.

5. Record Retention and Data Backup

Service Provider will retain the City of Fayetteville’s data/print file until the Service

Provider receives the next data/print file. Service Provider should comment on daily backup rotation and storage of data in the proposal package.

6. Service Provider Invoice Procedure

The Service Provider will provide the City of Fayetteville a monthly invoice broken down by each data/print file or cycle sent by the City. The invoice will detail the number of bills processed and the amount of postage paid for each data/print file along with any other itemized charges.

7. Postage Rates

All postage costs will be incurred by the Service Provider and billed at cost to the City of

Fayetteville as part of the monthly bill. The vendor will provide a monthly manifest detailing the total bills printed, mailed and the dollars billed to the City for postage services.

The City of Fayetteville stipulates that the price of the contract may change only as a result of changes in the United States Postal Service postage rates. It is dependent upon the

Service Provider to keep the City informed of any changes in the postal rates.

The Service Provider must mail the bills starting at the USPS 5-Digit Rate (or lowest) as qualifies to obtain the largest postage discounts. The Service Provider must have postal software in-house to process and sort.

The Service Provider shall make periodic recommendations for improving mail delivery, postage savings and reducing mailing costs.

8. Confidentiality

Service Provider on behalf of itself and its employees agrees to keep confidential all records and other information with respect to the City of Fayetteville and its customers.

The City of Fayetteville agrees to keep all information with respect to the Service

Provider’s system confidential, subject to Open Records Act. However, if either party is required to produce any such information by order of any governmental agency or other regulatory body, it may, upon not less than five (5) days written notice to the other party, release the required information.

9. Data Ownership

All records, data, files, input materials, reports, forms and other data received, computed, developed, and used and/or stored pursuant to this agreement are the exclusive property of the City of Fayetteville. All such records and other data shall be furnished without additional charge, except for the actual processing costs, to the City in available machine-readable form promptly upon termination of this agreement for any reason whatsoever.

Furthermore, upon the City of Fayetteville request at any time or times while this agreement is in effect, the Service Provider shall promptly deliver to the City at no additional cost, any or all of the data and records held pursuant to this agreement, in the form as requested by the City.

10. Paper and Print Quality and Requirements

Printing shall be laser quality with a resolution of at least 300 x 300 DPI. The paper shall be of a brightness factor to allow for a contrast ratio of paper to print to ensure reliable

OCR scanning. Bills will be printed on 8 ½” x 11”, 24# bond, with perforation. The Service

Provider must have the capability to print a bar chart displaying the customer’s usage over a 12-month period.

The Service Provider must have the ability to print variable messages and data on the bills by utilizing highlight color text when requested.

Envelopes should be a double window (#10) that will allow for the outgoing address on the bottom, with the return address and the City of Fayetteville logo in the top window.

Payment stubs will be designed with the payment address revealed when inserted into vendor provided return window envelopes. The appropriate size return window envelopes must be security tinted on the inside.

Service Provider must include in the proposal one set price per piece (bill) that is all-inclusive for the production of the billing statement. This would include the processing, sorting, variable highlight color laser printing, paper, folding, inserting, mailing envelope, return envelope and delivery to USPS.

11. Customer Service and Quality Controls

Service Provider should indicate its customer service organizational structure for the services included. Service Provider should describe the chain of command for problem solution.

Service Provider should describe its quality assurance and control check points within the printing and inserting operation and describe the process used to ensure that the correct undamaged data production file was received.

Data formatting on the customer bill/statement and return envelopes will be in accordance with the requirements of the U.S. Postal Service. Any data receipt problems, print or insert errors should be reported to the City of Fayetteville immediately upon recognition of such errors.

12. Continuity of Service

The Service Provider should describe its resources and capabilities to provide continuity of service in terms of redundancy of systems, multiple locations or other capacities to assure an uninterrupted billing service to the City of Fayetteville.

13. Service Enhancements

The City of Fayetteville is always seeking ways to be more efficient and to position itself for the future, utilizing the latest technology to meet the needs to the ever-growing variable data applications. The Service Provider should comment on ancillary services that they are able to perform such as on-line services and electronic bill presentment, pay by phone, pay by text, along with other existing or new features and offerings, etc.

14. Additional Information

Describe any other information not previously mentioned that should be given consideration.

3.1 Required Information

Offerors shall provide the following information in 8 ½” x 11” format:

1. Cover Letter – statement of interest expressing the professional experience of the consultant including documentation of similar projects completed.

2. References: List of at least 5 professional references to support professional experience.

3. Organizational Chart – identification of key team members and information on professional experience, affiliations, and experience with comparable projects.

4. Scope of Services – an overview of the project and the work that the consultant proposes to perform.

5. Time Line – a chart showing key aspects of the project with corresponding completion dates.

6. List of Current Projects – identification of all existing team responsibilities and current commitments.

7. Cost Proposal – submitted in separate envelope detailing proposed budget and expenses for project.

SECTION 4: OFFEROR QUALIFICATIONS

4.0 City’s Right to Investigate

The City may make such investigations as deemed necessary to determine the ability of the offeror to provide the supplies and/or perform the services specified.

4.1 Offeror Informational Requirements

In determining the capabilities of an offeror to perform the services specified herein, the following informational requirements must be met by the offeror. (Note: Each item must be thoroughly addressed. Offerors taking exception to any requirements listed in this section may be found non-responsive or be subject to ranking reductions).

4.1.1 References: Offeror shall provide a minimum of three references that are using services of the type proposed in this RFP. The references may include any government or universities where the offeror, preferably within the last two to five years, has successfully completed Printing and Billing Services for a Municipal Government. At a minimum, the offeror shall provide the company name, the location where the services were provided, contact person(s), customer’s telephone number, a complete description of the service type and dates the services were provided. These references may be contacted to verify offeror’s ability to perform the services requested. The City reserves the right to use any information or additional references deemed necessary to establish the ability of the offeror to perform the conditions of this request. Negative references may be grounds for proposal disqualification.

4.1.2 Resumes/Company Profile and Experience: Offeror shall specify how long the individual/company submitting the proposal has been in business of providing services similar to those requested in this RFP. A resume or summary of qualifications, work experience, education, skills, etc., which emphasizes previous experience in this area should be provided for all key personnel who will be involved with any aspects to perform the services requested. Offeror should specify how long it has been in the business of providing these services and under what company name.

4.1.3 Method of Providing Services: Offeror should provide a description of the work plan and the methods to be used that will convincingly demonstrate to the City what the offeror intends to do, the timeframes necessary to accomplish the work, and how the work will be accomplished.

4.1.4 Draft Contract: We are requesting that all Offerors include a draft contract in their

Proposal. The City will review of the standard contract language immediately upon selection of the winning Proposal. Your draft contract language will not be reviewed during the selection process nor be used for selecting the winning Proposal.

SECTION 5: COST PROPOSAL

An appropriate worksheet should be tailored for the project.

Award will consider price, but price will not be the sole, determining factor.

Instructions for submitting Cost Proposal: One Cost Proposal shall be submitted in a separate, sealed envelope marked “Cost Proposal, RFP #, RFP Name, and Due Date/Time. Additional Cost proposal sheets shall not be included in proposal original or copies.

Proposal Price Certification

In compliance with the attached specification, the undersigned offers and agrees that if this proposal is accepted by the City Council within ninety (90) days of the date of proposal opening, that the undersigned will furnish any or all of the deliverables upon which prices are quoted, at the price set opposite each, to the designated point(s) within the time specified.

COMPANY__________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS___________________________________________________________________

AUTHORIZED

SIGNATURES_____________________________________________________

PRINT / TYPE NAME __________________________________________________________

SECTION 6: EVALUATION CRITERIA

6.0 Evaluation Criteria

The selection will be based on the qualifications of the consultant team and the quality of the Proposal. However, the City of Fayetteville reserves the right to call references provided in the submittal and to require phone or personal interviews with firms requiring additional evaluation. The following criteria will be used for the evaluation:

Weight Item

15 Professional Qualification of the Project Manager, the individuals assigned to perform the work, and the Firm;

30 Project Approach and related experience of the firm/team with similar projects comparable in type, size, and complexity. Overall experience in planning, drafting zoning codes and design guidelines, real estate market analysis and forecasts, and community engagement.

30 Specialized Experience and technical competence of the firm and individuals in the type of work described in the solicitation;

15 Demonstrated Success on similar projects, and Past Performance on contracts in terms of outcomes, quality and schedule, and adherence to projected budget. [Past performance may be used both to determine responsibility and as an evaluation factor.]

10 Cost over all proposed cost of the project (provide in a separate package, but within the overall submittal packet).

Evaluation

The City of Fayetteville reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to reject or accept any submittal it considers to be non-responsive. Should the City of Fayetteville fail to reach agreement with any firm or teams initially selected, the City reserves the right to commence negotiations with the next highest ranked firm or team. The City of Fayetteville may select a firm without an interview or may choose to interview all or a limited number of applicants.

SECTION 7: STANDARD CONTRACT INFORMATION

7.0 Additional Contract Provisions and Terms

This RFP and any addenda, the offeror’s RFP response, including any amendments, a best and final offer, any clarification question responses, and any negotiations shall be included in any resulting contract. The Standard Terms and Conditions do not define the total extent of the contract language that may be negotiated. In the event of a dispute as to the duties and responsibilities of the parties under any resulting contract, the contract, along with any attachments prepared by the

City, will govern in the same order of precedence as listed in the contract.

7.1 Subcontractors

The highest ranking offeror will be the prime contractor if a contract is awarded and shall be responsible, in total, for all work of any subcontractors. All subcontractors, if any, must be listed in the proposal. The City reserves the right to approve all subcontractors. The Contractor shall be responsible to the City for the acts and omissions of all subcontractors or agents and of persons directly or indirectly employed by such subcontractors, and for the acts and omissions of persons employed directly by the Contractor. Further, nothing contained within this document or any contract documents created as a result of any contract awards derived from this RFP shall create any contractual relationships between any subcontractor and the City.

7.2 General Insurance Requirements

7.2.1 General Requirements: The Contractor shall maintain for the duration of the contract, at its cost and expense, insurance against claims for injuries to persons or damages to property, including contractual liability, which may arise from or in connection with the performance of the work by the Contractor, agents, employees, representatives, assigns, or subcontractors. This insurance shall cover such claims as may be caused by any negligent act or omission. Proof of insurance must be received at the address listed under Section 1.1 within acceptable time limits established during the contract negotiation process.

7.3 Compliance with Workers’ Compensation Act

The Contractor is required to supply the City with proof of compliance with the Workers’

Compensation Act while performing work for the City. Neither the Contractor nor its employees are employees of the City. Proof of compliance must be received at the address listed under Section

1.1 within acceptable time limits established during the contract negotiation process.

7.4 Compliance with Security and Immigration Act

7.4.1 Work Eligibility Verification Requirement:

(1) Pursuant to O.C.G.A. 13-10-91, every public employer, every contractor of a public employer, and every subcontractor of a public employer’s contractor must register and participate in a federal work authorization program, as follows:

(a) On or after July 1, 2007, every public employer shall register and participate in a federal work authorization program to verify the work eligibility information of all new employees.

(b) No public employer shall enter into a contract for the physical performance of services within the State of Georgia unless the contractor registers and participates in a federal work authorization program to verify the work eligibility information of all new employees.

(c) No contractor or subcontractor who enters into a contract with a public employer shall enter into such a contract or subcontract in connection with the physical performance of services within the State of Georgia unless such contractor or subcontractor registers and participates in a federal work authorization program to verify the work eligibility information of all new employees.

(2) In accordance with O.C.G.A. 13-10-91, the requirements of paragraphs (b) and (c) of paragraph (1) shall apply to public employers, their contractors and subcontractors, as follows:

(a) On or after July 1, 2007, to public employers, contractors, or subcontractors of

500 or more employees;

(b) On or after July 1, 2008, to public employers, contractors or subcontractors of

100 or more employees; and

(c) On or after July 1, 2009, to all other public employers, their contractors, or subcontractors.

(3) As of the date of enactment of O.C.G.A. 13-10-91, the applicable federal work authorization program is the “Employment Eligibility Verification (EEV)/Basic Pilot

Program” operated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Bureau of the U.S.

Department of Homeland Security, in conjunction with the Social Security Administration

(SSA). Public employers, contractors and subcontractors subject to O.C.G.A. 13-10-91 shall comply with O.C.G.A. 13-10-91 and this rule by utilizing the EEV/Basic Pilot

Program. The EEV/Basic Pilot Program can be accessed from the USDHS U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Internet website at http://www.uscis.gov/. Information and instructions regarding EEV/Basic Pilot Program Registration, Corporate Administrator

Registration, and Designated Agent Registration can be found at that website address.

(4) All rules, regulations, policies, procedures and other requirements of the EEV/Basic

Pilot Program or any other federal work authorization program defined in Rule 300-10-1-

.01 and permitted to be used to satisfy the requirements of O.C.G.A. 13-10-91 and these rules, shall be considered additional requirements of this rule.

(5) In accordance with O.C.G.A. 13-10-91, public employers, contractors and subcontractors may utilize any other federal work authorization program operated by the

United States Department of Homeland Security or any other equivalent federal work authorization program operated by the United States Department of Homeland Security to verify information of newly hired employees, pursuant to the Immigration Reform and

Control act of 1986 (IRCA), P.L. 99-603, as such work authorization programs become available.

(6) A copy of these Chapter 300-10-1 rules, including any forms prescribed or available to administer and effectuate these rules, shall be published on the Georgia Department of

Labor’s website.

7.4.2 Contractor and Subcontractor Evidence of Compliance:

(1) Pursuant to O.C.G.A. 13-10-91, public employers who enter into a contract for the physical performance of services within the State of Georgia shall include in such contract all of the following provisions:

(a) A provision stating that compliance with the requirements of O.C.G.A. 13-10-

91 and Rule 300-10-1-.02 are conditions of the contract;

(b) A provision listing the three statutory employee-number categories of “500 or more employees,” “100 or more employees,” and fewer than 100 employees,” as identified in O.C.G.A. 13-10-91, with a space provided for the contractor to check, initial or otherwise affirmatively indicate the employee-number category applicable to the contractor (See Appendix B for the applicable form); and

(c) Provisions stating that: (1) the contractor’s compliance with the requirements of O.C.G.A. 13-10-91 and Rule 300-10-1-.02 shall be attested by the execution of the contractor affidavit as shown in Rule 300-10-1-.07 which document shall become part of the covered contract; and (2) the contractor’s agreement that, in the event the contractor employs or contracts with any subcontractor(s) in connection with the covered contract, the contractor will secure from the subcontractor(s) such subcontractor(s) indication of employee-number category applicable to the subcontractor (See Appendix B for the applicable form).

(2) Pursuant to O.C.G.A. 13-10-91, public employers shall include in all covered contracts a provision stating the contractor’s agreement that, in the event the contractor employs or contracts with any subcontractor(s) in connection with the covered contract, the contractor will secure from such subcontractor(s) attestation of the subcontractor’s compliance with O.C.G.A. 13-10-91 and Rule 300-10-1-.02 by the subcontractor’s execution of the subcontractor affidavit shown in Rule 300-10-1-.08 and maintain records of such attestation for inspection by the City at any time. Such subcontractor affidavit shall become a part of the contractor/subcontractor agreement and is available from the Georgia Department of Labor.

(3) All portions of contracts pertaining to compliance with O.C.G.A. 13-10-91 and these rules, and any affidavit related hereto, shall be open for public inspection in this State at reasonable times during normal business hours.

Forms necessary to ensure compliance with this section are included under Appendix B and must be must be received at the address listed under Section 1.1 within acceptable time limits established during the contract negotiation process.

7.5 Compliance with Laws

The Contractor must, in performance of work under this contract, fully comply with all applicable federal, state, or local laws, rules and regulations, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age

Discrimination Act of 1975, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and Section 504 of the

Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Any subletting or subcontracting by the Contractor subjects subcontractors to the same provision. The Contractor agrees that the hiring of persons to perform the contract will be made on the basis of merit and qualifications and there will be no discrimination based upon race, color, religion, creed, political ideas, sex, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, or national origin by the persons performing the contract.

APPENDIX A: STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS

No proposals received after said time or at any place other than the time and place as stated in the notice shall be considered. Unsealed proposals will not be accepted. No responsibility shall attach to The City of Fayetteville for the premature opening of a proposal not properly addressed and identified.

WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSAL:

An offeror may withdraw his proposal before the expiration of the time during which proposals may be submitted without prejudice to the proposer, by submitting a written request of withdrawal to The City of Fayetteville Purchasing Office.

REJECTION OF PROPOSAL:

The City of Fayetteville may reject any and all proposals, and must reject a proposal of any party who has been delinquent or unfaithful in any formal contract with The City of Fayetteville. Also, the right is reserved to waive any irregularities or informalities in any proposal in the proposing procedure. The City of Fayetteville shall be the sole judge as to which proposal is best, and in ascertaining this, will take into consideration the business integrity, financial resources, facilities for performing the work, and experience in similar operations of the various offerors.

STATEMENT OF EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS: