Water Meter Transmission Units

The City of Bend, Oregon is issuing an Invitation to Bid (ITB) for the establishment of a Price Agreement to procure Aclara RF 3450 Water Meter Transmission Units (MTUs), with sealed bids due electronically through the City's eProcurement Portal by May 27, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. The initial contract term is one year with options to extend for up to four additional renewal periods, not to exceed a total of five years. The required MTUs must be Aclara RF 3450 or newer units that are compatible with the City's existing AclaraOne Automated Meter Reading System, capable of providing detailed hourly time-stamped reads, transmitting up to nine digits of meter data, operating on 450-470 MHz FCC licensed radio frequencies, offering on-demand and snapshot reads with redundant transmission and collection paths, and powered by a 20-year lithium battery. All goods must be delivered F.O.B. destination to the City of Bend Public Works Facility at 21051 NE Talus Place, Bend, Oregon 97701, with all packing, storage, shipping, and delivery costs included in the bid price. Bidders must submit complete bid forms with certifications of nondiscrimination and resident bidder status where applicable, along with manufacturer's technical literature, descriptive materials, and warranty information; failure to include these documents or acknowledge receipt of any issued addenda renders the bid non-responsive. The contract will be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder, with unit prices governing in cases of conflict with extended amounts, and payment will be based on actual quantities furnished and accepted at monthly invoicing intervals with payment due within 30 days of receipt.

While no specific set-aside designations are mandated, the City of Bend encourages participation from minority-owned, women-owned, emerging small, and veteran-owned businesses. The procurement specifies that no approved equal products are acceptable, meaning only the Aclara RF 3450 or newer units meeting the exact technical specifications will be considered, thereby creating an integration requirement with the City's existing AclaraOne system infrastructure. Contractors must maintain commercial general liability insurance with minimum coverage of $2,000,000 per incident and $2,000,000 in aggregate, commercial automobile liability insurance with combined single limits of $2,000,000, and workers' compensation insurance as required by Oregon law. Rate increases are prohibited during the initial contract year, with any subsequent increases limited to the lesser of the contractor's published rate increase or the Consumer Price Index (All Urban Customers, West - Size B/C), requiring 60 days' notice and City approval. The contract specifies a maximum payment amount of $500,000, though the City does not guarantee any minimum quantity of work under this on-call services arrangement.