Answering Service for Public Utilities Department

Collier County Board of County Commissioners Procurement Services Division is requesting bids on 24-hour answering and dispatch services for the Public Utilities Department under ITB 26-8670, with bids due August 13, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. EST. A local-vendor preference applies under Collier County Procurement Ordinance Section Sixteen to vendors maintaining a physical business address within Collier County with a current local Business Tax Receipt.

The scope encompasses telephone answering and dispatch for potable water, irrigation quality water, wastewater, solid waste collection, utility billing, and capital improvement project inquiries. Normal service hours are 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. Monday through Friday and 24 hours daily on weekends and 11 County-observed holidays. The contractor must handle normal incoming call volumes of up to 20 simultaneous calls and extraordinary volumes exceeding 100 calls per hour. Required capabilities include call recording with 90-day retention, bilingual English and Spanish support, daily call reports by 9:00 a.m. on weekdays, four-ring answer-time performance, ten-minute service dispatch response time, and a written emergency response plan addressing hurricanes, fires, and computer service loss.

The contract term is three years with one optional two-year renewal period. Pricing is structured with a base monthly fee covering up to 5,000 incoming and outgoing dispatch calls, with additional charges for calls exceeding 5,000 per month. Historical annual spending is approximately $60,000, though the County notes this may not reflect future patterns. Bid prices must remain firm for 180 calendar days from bid opening.

Bidders must provide three references from similar projects within the last five years, complete all County certification forms (conflict of interest, E-Verify immigration compliance, local-vendor preference, and vendor declaration), and submit a W-9. A bid bond of 5% of the cost proposal is required. The County reserves the right to award to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder or to select multiple bidders on a line-item basis.