HomeMy WebLinkAboutRFP - 9993 Utility Bill Creation Presentment & Delivery Services9993 UTILITY BILL CREATION PRESENTMENT & DELIVERY SERVICES Page 1 of 17
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
9993 UTILITY BILL CREATION PRESENTMENT & DELIVERY SERVICES
RFP DUE: 3:00 PM MT (Mountain Time), June 21st, 2024
The City of Fort Collins is requesting proposals from qualified Service Providers to provide a
variety of utility billing services, including bill design/creation, bill and data storage, electronic bill
presentment, auditing and correction and printing and mailing delivery services of bills and related
documents.
Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System hosted by BidNet
As part of the City’s commitment to sustainability, proposals must be submitted online through
the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System (RMEPS) at http://www.bidnetdirect.com/colorado/city-
of-fort-collins. Note: please ensure adequate time to submit proposals through RMEPS. Proposals
not submitted by the designated Opening Date and Time will not be accepted by RMEPS.
A copy of the RFP may be obtained at http://www.bidnetdirect.com/colorado/city-of-fort-collins.
All questions should be submitted, in writing via email, to Moutaz Badawi, Buyer II at
abadawi@fcgov.com , no later than 3:00 PM MT on May 31st, 2024. Please format your e-
mail to include: RFP 9993 Utility Bill Creation Presentment & Delivery Services in the subject line.
Questions received after this deadline may not be answered. Responses to all questions
submitted before the deadline will be addressed in an addendum and posted on the Rocky
Mountain E-Purchasing System webpage.
Prohibition of Unlawful Discrimination: The City of Fort Collins, in accordance with the
provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252, 42 US.C. §§ 2000d to 2000d-
4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that any contract
entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded
full and fair opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated
against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.
The City strictly prohibits unlawful discrimination based on an individual’s gender (regardless of
gender identity or gender expression), race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, age
40 years or older, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, or other
characteristics protected by law. For the purpose of this policy “sexual orientation” means a
person’s actual or perceived orientation toward heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality.
The City also strictly prohibits unlawful harassment in the workplace, including sexual
harassment. Further, the City strictly prohibits unlawful retaliation against a person who engages
in protected activity. Protected activity includes an employee complaining that he or she has been
discriminated against in violation of the above policy or participating in an employment
discrimination proceeding.
The City requires its Service Providers to comply with the City’s policy for equal employment
opportunity and to prohibit unlawful discrimination, harassment and retaliation. This requirement
applies to all third-party Service Providers and their subcontractors/subconsultants at every tier.
Financial Services
Purchasing Division
215 N. Mason St. 2nd Floor
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.221.6775
970.221.6707
fcgov.com/purchasing
9993 UTILITY BILL CREATION PRESENTMENT & DELIVERY SERVICES Page 2 of 17
Public Viewing Copy: The City is a governmental entity subject to the Colorado Open Records
Act, C.R.S. §§ 24-72-200.1 et seq. (“CORA”). Any proposals submitted hereunder are subject to
public disclosure by the City pursuant to CORA and City ordinances. Professionals may submit
one (1) additional complete proposal clearly marked “FOR PUBLIC VIEWING.” In this version of
the proposal, Professionals may redact text and/or data that it deems confidential or proprietary
pursuant to CORA. All pricing will be considered public records subject to disclosure under CORA
and as such pricing cannot be redacted from the “FOR PUBLIC VIEWING” version of the
proposal. Failure to provide a public viewing copy will be considered a waiver of any claim of
confidentiality under CORA without regard to how the applicant’s proposal or certain pages of the
proposal are marked confidential, proprietary, or similar. Such statement does not necessarily
exempt such documentation from public disclosure if required by CORA, by order of a court of
appropriate jurisdiction, or other applicable law. Generally, under CORA, trade secrets,
confidential commercial information and financial data information may not be disclosed by the
City. Proposals may not be marked “Confidential” or ‘Proprietary’ in their entirety. By responding
to this RFP, Professionals hereby waives any and all claims for damages against the City for the
City’s good faith compliance with CORA. All provisions and pricing of any contract resulting
from this request for proposal will be public information.
Service Providers Registration: The City requires new Service Providers receiving awards from
the City to submit IRS form W-9 and requires all Service Providers to accept Direct Deposit
(Electronic) payment. If needed, the W-9 form and the Vendor Direct Deposit Authorization Form
can be found on the City’s Purchasing website at www.fcgov.com/purchasing under Vendor
Reference Documents. Please do not submit these documents with your proposal, however,
if you take exception to participating in Direct Deposit (Electronic) payments please clearly note
such in your proposal as an exception. The City may waive the requirement to participate in
Direct Deposit (Electronic) payments at its sole discretion.
Sales Prohibited/Conflict of Interest: No officer, employee, or member of City Council, shall
have a financial interest in the sale to the City of any real or personal property, equipment,
material, supplies or services where such officer or employee exercises directly or indirectly any
decision-making authority concerning such sale or any supervisory authority over the services to
be rendered. This rule also applies to subcontracts with the City. Soliciting or accepting any gift,
gratuity favor, entertainment, kickback or any items of monetary value from any person who has
or is seeking to do business with the City is prohibited.
Collusive or Sham Proposals: Any proposal deemed to be collusive or a sham proposal will be
rejected and reported to authorities as such. Your authorized signature of this proposal assures
that such proposal is genuine and is not a collusive or sham proposal.
The City reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to waive any irregularities or
informalities.
Utilization of Award by Other Agencies: The City reserves the right to allow other state and
local governmental agencies, political subdivisions, and/or school districts to utilize the resulting
award under all terms and conditions specified and upon agreement by all parties. Usage by any
other entity shall not have a negative impact on the City in the current term or in any future terms.
The selected Service Provider shall be required to sign the City’s Agreement prior to commencing
services (see sample attached to this document).
Sincerely,
9993 UTILITY BILL CREATION PRESENTMENT & DELIVERY SERVICES Page 3 of 17
Gerry Paul
Purchasing Director
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I. OBJECTIVE & BACKGROUND
A. Objective
The City of Fort Collins (City) is requesting proposals from qualified Service Providers to
provide a variety of utility billing services, including bill design/creation, bill and data
storage, electronic bill presentment, auditing and correction and printing and
mailing/delivery services of bills and related documents (such as letters and notices).
This request is for utility bills and all related documents (inserts, notifications, etc.). The
City is not requesting payment processing services.
This RFP aims to identify a single vendor that can offer the highest quality services for the
best value. The City will consider proposals that minimize the unique products and
services necessary to deliver the desired services. Service Providers must process and
mail documents from the United States; a Colorado company is preferred, for most
efficient delivery and customer expectations.
The City expects exceptional print quality, following City brand standards. Service
Providers should demonstrate how they ensure responsiveness, efficiency and timeliness.
Service Providers may partner with others to ensure their proposal encompasses the
complete bundle of services. However, any proposal involving more than one Service
Provider must list a single Service Provider as the primary point of contact and identify all
other Service Providers that would render any as subcontractors.
In addition to the services described above, the City is interested in additional functional
or technical enhancements offered by the Service Provider. The Service Providers shall
be required to measure and provide standard monthly performance reports associated
with service levels.
B. Background
The City provides community-owned essential utility services (electricity, water,
wastewater and stormwater) to nearly 90,000 residential and commercial accounts,
issuing more than 1 million bills and processing more than $250 million in revenue
annually. The City issues approximately 88,000 bills on a monthly basis in nine billing
cycles to approximately 78,000 residential customers and 12,000 commercial
customers. In addition, the City issues delinquency and final notices, as well as bill
inserts electronically and by snail mail to customers.
The City has partnered with VertexOne to implement a comprehensive Customer
Information Solution (CIS) to be live in 2025. This project will elevate how the City serves
utility customers through a modern, cloud-based CIS solution. The new solution includes
a suite of systems that is expected to improve customer and system user experience.
This solution includes:
• VXcis – Customer information system
• VXengage - web and mobile self-service platform. VXengage includes VXsmart to
provide customers with water and electric usage.
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The billing services requested in this RFP must be integrated with the VertexOne solution,
which will replace the 24-year-old Hansen Banner system, as well as the Kubra customer
portal. The City expects the solution to provide the latest in technology and functionality
to meet or exceed customer expectations.
All services must be compliant with federal and state laws.
The City is not requesting payment processing services.
II. SCOPE OF PROPOSAL
A. SCOPE OF WORK
1) Bill/Document Creation and Administration: Describe the platform used to design,
create and audit bills and notifications based on industry best practices and City’s
preferences for customer experience. Bills/documents must be accessible internally by
staff to review, audit and edit for design and accuracy prior to being released for printing
or electronic presentment. Proposals should include specific details about how individual
or multiple bills, or summary bills, may be reviewed electronically by staff, amended if
necessary for accuracy, and updated in the system prior to release to customers.
The service must include role-based access (permissions management to accommodate
multiple administrative levels, which can be assigned to allow different functionality based
on staff position requirements). Administration and reporting tools must be 100% self-
service, with either multi-factor authentication or single sign-on.
2) Bill and Data Storage: The Service Provider will provide a platform for bill and data
storage. In all cases, bills and all related data remain the property of the City before, during
and after implementation. Describe the platform the City (and its customers) will use to
access historical documents that would be viewable for at least 84 months. Describe
functionality allowing City staff to review customers’ bill view, print and/or notification
history. Please provide options for internal storage and accessibility. This must account
for federal and state laws, including Colorado law HB 21-1110.
3) Electronic Presentment: The Service Provider will provide a platform that will integrate
with the VertexOne systems (VXcis and VXengage) to present bills, notifications and
inserts electronically (for viewing online) in compliance with appropriate federal and state
accessibility laws (including Colorado law HB 21-1110). Electronic bills and other
documents must appear exactly like the printed image.
The system should be:
• Viewable for up to 84 months of billing history.
• Available 24/7.
• Compliant with ADA and other accessibility requirements, including Colorado law HB
21-1110.
• Device-and browser-agnostic working on all modern browsers.
4) Bill Print and Delivery: Proposals will include bill print and delivery options (electronic
and traditional mail). Service Provider shall be a full-service supplier that prints, folds,
inserts, and mails/emails bills and other requested mailings/inserts. Service Providers
must process and mail documents from the United States; a Colorado company is highly
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preferred, for most efficient delivery and customer expectations. Service Providers should
include details of related services provided to ensure best value and efficiency for postage
(e.g. CASS certification, route/bulk mailing using zip code sorting, etc.) . Service Provider
shall indicate whether the City will require a USPS permit. In addition:
a. Who will be responsible for postage account (where money for postage mailing is
deposited)?
b. If the Service Provider can host/maintain the postage account, how many months of
postage mailing money would the City need to deposit and maintain on an on-going
basis?
c. Who will be responsible for BRE (Business Reply envelope) creation/account with
USPS?
Proposals should include descriptions of:
• The process for securely transferring electronic files and the type of possible extract
files. Service Provider shall describe its ability to receive and submit secure
documents.
• Support options that may include web access to printer's platform for final file review
and omit item option, file approval, access to reports, search options, and file history
access options.
• Options for bill messaging, inserts, ability to print both static and variable information
on the front and back of the invoice, including usage graphs and use of multiple colors.
• Recognition of customers’ election of paper only, electronic only, or paper and
electronic bills.
• Electronic notifications and documents from the City by email or text that includes the
balance due and due date and ability to pay.
• The ability to mail multiple bills in one envelope based on criteria set by the City.
Form Specifications
The system components must be created, printed, and converted by the Service Provider
per the provisions detailed in the scope. Please describe and itemize options and costs
for recycled paper, color ink, fold options, etc. Current specifications include:
• UTILITY BILLS, DELINQUENCY NOTICES, OTHER NOTICES:
• SIZE 8 1/2 x 11 or in accordance with the requirements of the lock box provider
as it pertains to the remittance portion of the bill.
• PAPER 24# White OCR, Different color paper for delinquency notices
• INK Two (2) color face*, One color back. (Minimum)
• PERFORATION One (1) additional full width perforation.
• *One of the inks must be an OCR dropout.
• Conformance to City color palette.
• OUTGOING ENVELOPE #10 (Security)
• SIZE 4 1/8 x 9 1/2 window envelopes
• PAPER 24# White wove
• INK One (1) color face
• RETURN ENVELOPE #9 (Security)
• SIZE 3 7/8 x 8 3/4 window envelopes
• PAPER 24# White wove
• INK One (1) color face
• Seal gum on flap
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Service Level Agreements and Penalties
As part of the RFP, Service Providers shall describe support capabilities, including onsite,
business hours and after-hours. The Service Providers shall specifically include the
process for responding to incident reports and have as part of the process incident
classifications (i.e., including definitions) and the expected durations for the response.
The Service Providers shall clearly outline as part of their offering their ability to provide
post-production/post-deployment life cycle support for modifications or upgrades made to
the system's software following implementation. The ability to provide flexibility of services
and a partnership responsive to our customers’ needs and requirements due to potential
changes and enhancements in a post-production environment is critical. System
modifications and upgrades may include but are not limited to multi-system changes, pre-
planned product improvements, repair of deficiencies reported by the user, and other
types of system change packages. The Service Provider as part of the response shall
include a change management process.
In addition, Service Providers shall include any service level agreement/contract (SLA)
information and penalty credit information based on SLA timelines in the following key
areas:
• Timeline expectations based on receipt of bill data, email notifications and
presentment (i.e., the processing of bill files received from the biller so they are
available to the consumer. The Service Providers shall demonstrate that > 99.0% of
all files are processed within the specified window and/or state the associated
penalties.
• Accuracy of bill delivery.
• Systems availability via the Internet for all e-bill applications supported by the
Service Provider. The Service Provider is expected to maintain a 99% system
uptime, except for scheduled maintenance requiring advanced notice. Advanced
notice must be posted to customers forty-eight (48) hours in advance via the
website.
• The Service Provider shall be required to measure and provide standard monthly
performance reports associated with the service levels stated above.
Service Provider will be required to issue itemized billing statements to the City for services
rendered. Monthly invoicing costs that are associated with the utility bill print, mailing
services, etc. should include but not limited to the following:
1. Electronic Document Imaging Fee
1. Utility Bills (includes monthly, final, recalculated and bunch code utility
bills)
2. E-bill Utility Bills
3. New Customer Letter
4. Property Owner Notification
5. Delinquency Letter
6. Additional Letter(s)/inserts if requested
2. Electronic Document Editing Fee
3. Electronic Document Viewing Fee
4. Electronic Downloading Fee
5. Electronic Deleting Fee
6. Electronic Printing Fee
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7. Electronic Document Tracking Fee
8. Utility Bill Shell Changes
9. Bunch Code Utility Bill Changes
10. Delinquency Letter Changes
11. Other Letter Changes
12. Printing Utility Bill (which includes final bill)
13. Printing Delinquency Letters
14. Printing New Customer
15. Printing Property Owner Notification
16. Printing additional letters/inserts as needed
17. Envelopes – bills and letters
18. Business Return Envelopes
19. Folding
20. Bill Cancellation Before Printing Fee
21. Bill Cancellation After Printing Fee
22. Inserting Fee for Single Bills and Multiple bills in one envelope
23. Inserts (newsletters) Provided by Utilities Fee
24. Additional Per Piece Insert Fee
25. Returns and Forwarding Fee
26. Reporting
27. Postage, USPS Permit, and CASS Certification
28. Additional Fees
B. PROJECT DELIVERABLES/MILESTONES
The Service Provider shall prepare detailed project plans to implement. The project plans must
provide the timeline, from the contract award to Go-Live.
Project timeline must conform to our CIS implementation timeline as follows: (Dates
subject to change)
1. Interface Design Approved completed by 12/20/2024
2. Bill Design completed by 1/31/2025
3. Interface Build completed by 3/1/2025
4. Interface & Application Testing completed by 5/5/2025
5. Dress Rehearsal 5/30/2025 - 6/06/2025
6. Go-Live weekend 6/19/2025 - 6/23/2025
List the steps required and the anticipated time needed for each step. Include what resources
the City and Service Provider will need to provide during start-up and over the contract term. In
addition, the Service Provider shall include in the project plan a timeline and fee proposal, which
at a minimum describe the critical phases of each component, including a logical description of
your organization's approach to implementation including but not limited to:
1. Database collection and mapping for all billing, payments, imaging, and applications
2. Configuration and analysis
3. Admin portal, bill presentment and printing services deployment
4. Anticipated test plans for all proposed services (the test plan shall be used during the
acceptance period to verify that the system has been installed and tested per the
Service Provider and City recommendations).
5. Interfaces
6. Reporting
7. Project status meetings
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8. Training
9. Implementation
C. Minimum Qualifications
The City expects the proposed solution(s) to meet the following minimum requirements and that
each of these requirements will be included in and clearly addressed as part of the Proposal. In
reviewing these minimum requirements, the Service Provider should consider each item’s
relevance to the specific solution or service being proposed and, if not relevant, explain the
reasons.
Proposals will be rejected at the sole discretion of the City if they do not meet these
minimum requirements:
1. The proposed Solution is implemented (not in the implementation phase) at a minimum of
three (3) electric utilities with a combination of water, wastewater, and stormwater services
in the United States or Canada that serve at least 100,000 active accounts per utility that
have been implemented within the last five (5) years.
2. The proposed Solution should be browser based, with a responsive design that works
with major browsers (Edge, Chrome, Firefox) as well as mobile hand-held devices. If the
proposed Solution requires client applications to be installed, identify, and explain use,
purpose and limitations, including but not limited to hardware and software requirements.
3. The primary components of the proposed solution would either be from the primary
software vendor or from a partner organization.
4. The proposed solution(s) are currently in production on a similar technical architecture
as that being proposed for the City.
5. The proposed Solution has been proven to be scalable.
6. The proposed solution will promote implementation of a functionally rich suite of
services, requiring minimal modifications. The Service Provider must be capable of
providing ongoing maintenance support and scheduled product releases as
demonstrated through a well-defined, robust product road map.
Attachments
Attachment 1: Utilities Billing Schedule
Attachment 2: Delinquency Notice
Attachment 3: Even Pay Letter
Attachment 4: Sample Bill
Attachment 5: Owner Notification
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D. Anticipated Schedule
The following represents the City’s target schedule for the RFP. The City reserves the
right to amend the target schedule at any time.
• RFP issuance: May 17th,2024
• Question deadline: 3:00 PM MT on May 31st,2024
• Final Addendum Issued: June 7th,2024
• Proposal due date: 3:00 PM MT on June 21st,2024
E. Interviews
In addition to submitting a written proposal, the top-rated Service Providers may be
interviewed by the RFP assessment team and asked to participate in an oral presentation
to provide an overview of the company, approach to the project and to address questions.
The evaluation criteria for the oral interviews will be the same as the criteria for the written
evaluations and is included in Section IV.
F. Travel & Expenses
Subject to the terms of the applicable Work Order, reasonable expenses may be
reimbursable per the current rates found at www.gsa.gov. Service Provider will be required
to provide original receipts to the City for all travel expenses.
G. Subcontractors/Subconsultants
Service Provider will be responsible for identifying any subcontractors and/or
subconsultants in their proposal. Please note that the City will contract solely with the
awarded Service Provider; therefore, subcontractors and/or subconsultants will be the
responsibility of the Service Provider.
H. Financial Qualifications (CONFIDENTIAL)
Service Providers selected as finalists may be required to submit a banking reference and
the most recent financial statement (audited preferred) including balance sheet and
income statement, as well as a statement of cash flows (the “Financial Information”).
I. Current standards
All work and/or materials must meet current standards in force by recognized technical
and professional societies, trade and materials supply associations, institutes and
organizations, bureaus and testing laboratories, and national, federal, state, county, and
local laws, codes and ordinances.
J. Fees, Licenses, Permits
The successful Service Provider shall be responsible for obtaining any necessary
licenses, fees or permits without additional expense to the City. All vehicles and equipment
shall be properly licensed and insured, carry the appropriate permits and be placarded as
required by law.
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K. Laws and Regulations
The Service Provider agrees to comply fully with all applicable local, State of Colorado
and Federal laws and regulations and municipal ordinances to include American
Disabilities Act (ADA).
L. Invoicing and Payment
Invoices should be emailed monthly to invoices@fcgov.com with a copy to the Project
Manager. The cost of the work completed shall be paid to the Service Provider each month
following the submittal of a correct invoice by the Service Provider indicating the project
name, Purchase Order number, task description, hours worked, personnel/work type
category, hourly rate for each employee/work type category, date of the work performed
specific to the task, percentage of that work that has been completed by task, 3rd party
supporting documentation with the same detail and a brief progress report.
Payments will be made using the prices stated in the Work Order and Agreement. In the
event a service is requested which is not stated in the Work Order and/or Agreement, the
Service Provider and the City will negotiate an appropriate unit price for the service prior
to the Service Provide initiating such work.
The City pays invoices on Net 30 terms.
III. PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL
Please limit the total length of your proposal to a maximum of twenty (20) 8 ½ x 11” pages
(excluding cover pages, table of contents, dividers and Acknowledgement form). Font shall
be a minimum of 10 Arial and margins are limited to no less than .5” for sides and top/bottom.
Extended page sizes, such as 11” x 17”, count as a single page and may be used for detailed
pricing. Links to other files or websites shall not be permitted. Proposals that do not conform
to these requirements may be rejected.
Service Providers are required to provide detailed written responses to the following items in
the order outlined below. The responses shall be considered technical offers of what Service
Providers propose to provide and shall be incorporated in the contract award as deemed
appropriate by the City. A proposal that does not include all the information required may be
deemed non-responsive and subject to rejection.
Responses must include all the items in the order listed below. It is suggested that the Service
Providers include each of the City’s questions with their response.
The City shall not reimburse any firm for costs incurred in the preparation and presentation of
their proposal.
A. Cover Letter / Executive Summary
The Executive Summary should highlight the content of the proposal and features of the
program offered, including a general description of the program and any unique aspects
or benefits provided by your firm.
Indicate your availability to participate in the interviews/demonstrations on the proposed
dates as stated in the Schedule section.
B. Service Provider Information
1. Describe the Service Provider’s business and background
2. Number of years in the business
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3. Details about ownership
4. An overview of services offered and qualifications
5. Size of the firm
6. Location(s) of offices. If multiple, please identify which will be the primary for our
account.
7. Primary contact information for the company including contact name(s) and title(s),
mailing address(s), phone number(s), and email address(s).
C. Scope of Proposal
1. Provide a detailed narrative of the services proposed if awarded the contract per the
scope above. The narrative should include any options that may be beneficial for the
City to consider.
2. Describe how the project would be managed and who would have primary
responsibility for its timely and professional completion.
3. Briefly describe the approach to execute the scope of work to include the methods and
assumptions used, and any exceptions and/or risks.
4. Describe the methods and timeline of communication your firm will use with the City’s
Project Manager and other parties.
5. Identify what portion of work, if any, may be subcontracted or outsourced to
subconsultants. Include all applicable information herein requested for each Service
Provider.
6. Can the work be completed in the necessary timeframe, with target start and
completion dates met?
7. Are other qualified personnel available to assist in meeting the project schedule if
required?
8. Provide an outline of the schedule for completing tasks.
D. Firm Capability and Assigned Personnel
Provide relevant information regarding previous experience related to this or similar
projects, to include the following:
1. Provide resumes for each professional and technical person to be assigned to the
project, including partners, subconsultants, and subcontractors. Please limit resumes
to one page.
2. References. Provide a minimum of three similar projects with public agencies in the
last 5 years that have involved the staff and subcontractors/subconsultants proposed
to work on this project. Include the owner’s name, title of project, beginning price,
ending price, contact name, email and phone number, subconsultants on the team
and a brief description of the work and any change orders. The Service Provider
authorizes the City to verify any and all information contained herein and hereby
releases all those concerned providing information as a reference from any liability in
connection with any information provided.
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3. Provide any information that distinguishes Service Provider from its competition and
any additional information applicable to this RFP that might be valuable in assessing
Service Provider’s proposal.
E. Sustainability/TBL Methodology
In concise terms (no more than two pages), please describe your organization’s
commitment to sustainability and supporting values.
Each element of the TBL sustainability criteria will receive equal consideration in
determining the final Sustainability/TBL score.
1. Address how your firm strives to incorporate all three aspects (social,
environmental, and economic) of Triple Bottom Line (TBL) sustainable practices
into the workplace. Provide examples along with any metrics used to measure
success within your firm.
2. Also provide examples of how your firm has incorporated all three aspects of TBL
sustainable practices in previous similar projects on which your firm has been the
prime Service Provider.
Some examples are provided below:
a. Environmental – Experience delivering projects / programs focused on
environmental health priorities in the areas of climate resiliency, water quality
and watershed protection, regulatory performance, management systems,
air quality, renewable energy, sustainable building and design, construction
materials management, and solid waste reduction.
b. Economic – Experience working and delivering projects with an emphasis
on strategic financial planning, job creation, business development, asset
management, various project delivery methods, value engineering, regional
partnerships, transparency, stakeholder engagement, strategic investments,
aging infrastructure, repurposing of existing facilities, and competing
financial priorities.
c. Social - Experience working and delivering projects, programs, and/or
initiatives that support Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion throughout your firm’s
workplace, including leadership, and supply chain. Examples of this may be
demonstration of working within cultural and language gaps, development of
diversity programs, diverse project teams, equitable opportunity vendor
supply chain, and how your firm has applied an equity lens to processes
such as recruitment, hiring, purchasing, career pathways, salaries, and staff
engagement.
F. Cost and Work Hours
In your response to this proposal, please provide the following:
1. Estimated Hours by Task: Provide estimated hours for each proposed task by job title
and employee name, including the time required for meetings, conference calls, etc.
2. Cost by Task: Provide the cost of each task identified in the Scope of Proposal section.
Provide a total not to exceed cost for the Scope of Proposal. Price all additional
services/deliverables separately.
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3. Schedule of Rates: Provide a schedule of billing rates by category of employee and
job title to be used during the term of the Agreement. This fee schedule will be firm for
at least one (1) year from the date of the Agreement. The fee schedule will be used as
a basis for determining fees should additional services be necessary. Include a per
meeting rate in the event additional meetings are needed. A fee schedule for
subconsultants/subcontractors, if used, shall be included.
4. All direct costs (i.e., travel, printing, postage, etc.) specifically attributed to the project
and not included in the billing rates must be identified. Reasonable expenses may be
reimbursable as per the current rates found at www.gsa.gov. Service Provider will be
required to provide original receipts to the City for all travel expenses.
5. Include any applicable recurring annual costs for support & maintenance for 5 years.
G. Acknowledgement
The Acknowledgement form is attached as Section V. Complete the attached form
indicating the Service Provider hereby acknowledges receipt of the City of Fort Collins
Request for Proposal and acknowledges that the Service Provider has read and agrees
to be fully bound by all of the terms, conditions and other provisions set forth in the RFP.
H. Sample Agreement
Included with this request for proposals, attached Section VI., is a sample Agreement that
the City intends to use for obtaining the services of the Service Provider. The Service
Provider is required to review this Agreement and indicate any objections to the terms of
the contract. If revisions to the contractual terms are requested, provide suggested
revisions.
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IV. REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
I. PROPOSAL AND INTERVIEW CRITERIA
Service Providers will be evaluated on the following criteria. This set of criteria will be the
basis for review and assessment of the written proposals and optional interview session.
At the discretion of the City, interviews of the top-rated Service Providers may be
conducted.
The rating scale shall be from 1 to 10, a rating of 1 doesn’t meet minimum requirements,
a rating of 5 means the category fulfills the minimum requirements, and 10 exceeds
minimum requirements in that category.
CRITERIA
NUMBER
CRITERIA WEIGHTING FACTOR
1 FIRM CAPABILITY & EXPERIENCE 45%
2 COST & WORK HOURS 30%
3 PROJECT APPROACH/SCHEDULE 20%
4 SUSTAINABILITY/TBL METHODOLOGY 5%
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V. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Service Provider hereby acknowledges receipt of the City of Fort Collins Request for Proposal
and acknowledges that it has read and agrees to be fully bound by all of the terms, conditions
and other provisions set forth in the RFP 9993 Utility Bill Creation Presentment & Delivery
Services and Sample Agreement except as otherwise noted. Additionally, Service Provider
hereby makes the following representations to City:
a. All of the statements and representations made in this proposal are true to the best of the
Service Provider’s knowledge and belief.
b. Service Provider commits that it is able to meet the terms provided in this proposal.
c. This proposal is a firm and binding offer, for a period of 90 days from the date hereof.
d. Service Provider further agrees that the method of award is acceptable.
e. Service Provider also agrees to complete the proposed Agreement with the City of Fort
Collins within 10 days of notice of award. If contract is not completed and signed within
10 days, City reserves the right to cancel and award to the next highest rated firm.
f. Service Provider acknowledges receipt of addenda.
g. Service Provider acknowledges no conflict of interest.
h. Service Provider acknowledges that the City is a governmental entity subject to the
Colorado Open Records Act, C.R.S. §§ 24-72-200.1 et seq. (“CORA”). Any proposals
submitted hereunder are subject to public disclosure by the City pursuant to CORA and
City ordinances. Professionals may submit one (1) additional complete proposal clearly
marked “FOR PUBLIC VIEWING.” In this version of the proposal, Professionals may
redact text and/or data that it deems confidential or proprietary pursuant to CORA. All
pricing will be considered public records subject to disclosure under CORA and as such
pricing cannot be redacted from the “FOR PUBLIC VIEWING” version of the proposal.
Failure to provide a public viewing copy will be considered a waiver of any claim of
confidentiality under CORA without regard to how the applicant’s proposal or certain
pages of the proposal are marked confidential, proprietary, or similar. Such statement
does not necessarily exempt such documentation from public disclosure if required by
CORA, by order of a court of appropriate jurisdiction, or other applicable law. Generally,
under CORA, trade secrets, confidential commercial information and financial data
information may not be disclosed by the City. Proposals may not be marked “Confidential”
or ‘Proprietary’ in their entirety. By responding to this RFP, Professionals hereby waives
any and all claims for damages against the City for the City’s good faith compliance with
CORA. All provisions and pricing of any contract resulting from this request for
proposal will be public information.
Legal Firm Name:
Physical Address:
Remit to Address:
Phone:
Name of Authorized Agent of Firm:
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Signature of Authorized Agent:
Primary Contact for Project:
Title: Email Address:
Phone: Cell Phone:
NOTE: ACKNOWLEDGMENT IS TO BE SIGNED & RETURNED WITH YOUR PROPOSAL
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VI. SAMPLE AGREEMENT (FOR REFERENCE ONLY – DO NOT SIGN )
SERVICES AGREEMENT
This SERVICES AGREEMENT (AGREEMENT) made and entered into the day and year
set forth in the Agreement Period section below by and between the CITY OF FORT COLLINS,
COLORADO, a Colorado Municipal Corporation, (CITY) and , a(n) [enter state] [business
type], (SERVICE PROVIDER).
WITNESSETH:
In consideration of the mutual covenants and obligations herein expressed, it is agreed by
and between the parties hereto as follows:
1. Scope of Services. The SERVICE PROVIDER agrees to provide Services in accordance
with the Scope of Services (Services) attached hereto as Exhibit A, consisting of [# of Pages]
and incorporated herein. Irrespective of references to named third parties in this
AGREEMENT and its Exhibits, the SERVICE PROVIDER shall be solely responsible for
performance of all duties hereunder.
2. Project Schedule. The Services to be performed pursuant to this AGREEMENT shall be
performed in accordance with the Project Schedule attached hereto as Exhibit [choose one],
consisting of [# of Pages], and incorporated herein.
3. Changes. The CITY may, at any time during the term of the AGREEMENT, make changes
to the AGREEMENT. Such changes shall be agreed upon in writing by the parties.
4. Agreement Period. This AGREEMENT shall commence , 20 (the Effective
Date) and shall continue in full force and effect until , 20 , unless sooner
terminated as herein provided. In addition, at the option of the CITY, the AGREEMENT may
be extended for additional one-year periods not to exceed [choose one] additional one-year
period(s). Renewals and pricing changes shall be negotiated by and agreed to by both
parties only at the time of renewal. [Any price changes shall not exceed percent (%)
per annual renewal]. Written notice of renewal shall be provided to the SERVICE
PROVIDER no later than thirty (30) days prior to AGREEMENT end.
5. Early Termination by CITY. Notwithstanding the time periods contained herein, the CITY
may terminate this AGREEMENT at any time without cause or penalty by providing at least
ten (10) calendar days written notice of termination to the SERVICE PROVIDER.
In the event of early termination by the CITY, the SERVICE PROVIDER shall be paid for
Services rendered to the date of termination, subject only to the satisfactory performance of
the SERVICE PROVIDER's obligations under this AGREEMENT. SERVICE PROVIDER
shall submit a final invoice within ten (10) calendar days of the effective date of termination.
Payment shall be the SERVICE PROVIDER's sole right and remedy for such termination.
6. Notices. All notices provided under this AGREEMENT shall be effective immediately when
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emailed or three (3) business days from the date of the notice when mailed to the following
addresses:
SERVICE PROVIDER: CITY: Copy to:
Attn:
Email Address
City of Fort Collins
Attn:
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
Email Address
City of Fort Collins
Attn: Purchasing Dept.
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
purchasing@fcgov.com
All notices under this AGREEMENT shall be written.
7. Compensation. In consideration of the Services to be performed pursuant to this
AGREEMENT, the CITY agrees to pay the SERVICE PROVIDER [on a time and
reimbursable direct cost basis] [a fixed fee in the amount of ???? ($????)] [a fixed fee in the
amount of ???? ($????) plus reimbursable direct costs, wherein all such fees and costs
shall not exceed ???? ($????)] in accordance with Exhibit [choose one], consisting of [# of
Pages], attached and incorporated herein. Monthly partial payments based upon the
SERVICE PROVIDER's billings and itemized statements are permissible. The amounts of
all such partial payments shall be based upon the SERVICE PROVIDER's CITY-verified
progress in completing the Services to be performed pursuant hereto and upon the CITY's
approval of the SERVICE PROVIDER's actual reimbursable expenses. Final payment shall
be made following acceptance by the CITY of the Services.
Invoices shall be emailed to invoices@fcgov.com with a copy to the CITY Project Manager.
The cost of the Services completed shall be paid to the SERVICE PROVIDER following the
submittal of a correct itemized invoice by the SERVICE PROVIDER. The CITY is exempt
from sales and use tax. The CITY’s Certificate of Exemption license number is
09804502. A copy of the license is available upon written request.
The CITY pays undisputed invoices on Net 30 days from the date of the invoice submittal
to the CITY or, for disputed invoices, Net 30 days from the date of CITY Project Manager’s
approval.
8. Design and Service Standards. The SERVICE PROVIDER warrants and shall be
responsible for the professional quality, technical accuracy, accessibility requirements under
ADA and Public Accommodations and Technology Accessibility sections below, timely
completion and the coordination of all Services rendered by the SERVICE PROVIDER, and
the Project Instruments as defined in the Project Instruments and License section below.
The SERVICE PROVIDER shall, without additional compensation, promptly remedy and
correct any errors, omissions, or other deficiencies from such standards.
9. Indemnification. The SERVICE PROVIDER shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the
CITY and its officers and employees, to the maximum extent permitted under Colorado law,
against and from any and all actions, suits, claims, demands, or liability of any character
whatsoever claimed by the SERVICE PROVIDER or third parties against the CITY arising
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out of or related to this AGREEMENT (including but not limited to contract, tort, intellectual
property, accessibility, or otherwise). This obligation extends to reimbursement of the
CITY's defense costs and reasonable attorney’s fees.
10. Insurance. The SERVICE PROVIDER shall maintain insurance in accordance with Exhibit
[choose one] consisting of [# of Pages], attached and incorporated herein.
11. Appropriation. To the extent this AGREEMENT or any provision in it. requires payment of
any nature in fiscal years subsequent to the current fiscal year and constitutes a multiple
fiscal year debt or financial obligation of the CITY, it shall be subject to annual appropriation
by Fort Collins City Council as required in Article V, Section 8(b) of the City Charter, City
Code Section 8-186, and Article X, Section 20 of the Colorado Constitution. The CITY shall
have no obligation to continue this AGREEMENT in any fiscal year for which there are no
pledged cash reserves or supporting appropriations pledged irrevocably for purposes of
payment obligations herein. Non-appropriation by the CITY shall not be construed as a
breach of this AGREEMENT.
12. Project Instruments and License.
a. Upon execution of this AGREEMENT, the SERVICE PROVIDER grants to the CITY an
irrevocable, unlimited and royalty free license to use any and all sketches, drawings, as-
builts, specifications, designs, blueprints, data files, calculations, studies, analysis,
renderings, models, plans, reports, and other deliverables (Project Instruments), in any
form whatsoever and in any medium expressed, for purposes of constructing, using,
maintaining, altering and adding to the project, provided that the CITY substantially
performs its obligations under the AGREEMENT. The license granted hereunder
permits the CITY and third parties reasonably authorized by the CITY to reproduce
applicable portions of the Project Instruments for use in performing the Services or
construction for the project. In addition, the license granted hereunder shall permit the
CITY and third parties reasonably authorized by the CITY to reproduce and use the
Project Instruments for similar projects, provided however, in such event the SERVICE
PROVIDER shall not be held responsible for the design to the extent the CITY deviates
from the Project Instruments. This license shall survive termination of the
AGREEMENT by default or otherwise.
b. Upon payment of each invoice, associated Project Instruments rendered by the
SERVICE PROVIDER shall become the CITY’s property. The SERVICE PROVIDER
shall provide the CITY with the Project Instruments in electronic format in a mutually
agreed upon file type.
13. CITY Project Manager. The CITY will designate, before commencement of the Services, the
CITY Project Manager who will make, within the scope of their authority, all necessary and
proper decisions with reference to the Services provided under this AGREEMENT. All
requests for contract interpretations, change order, and other clarification or instruction shall
be directed to the CITY Project Manager.
The initial CITY Project Manager for this AGREEMENT is [Enter Name] and can be reached
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at [Enter Email] or [Enter Phone]. The CITY Project Manager is subject to change by the
CITY.
14. Project Status Report. Project status reports may be required by Exhibit A – Scope of
Services and shall be submitted to the CITY Project Manager. Failure to provide any
required status report may result in the suspension of the processing of any invoice.
15. Independent Contractor. The Services to be performed by the SERVICE PROVIDER are
those of an independent contractor and not of an employee of the CITY. The CITY shall not
be responsible for withholding or remitting any portion of SERVICE PROVIDER's
compensation hereunder or any other amounts on behalf of SERVICE PROVIDER for the
payment of FICA, Workmen's Compensation, unemployment insurance, other taxes or
benefits or for any other purpose.
16. Personal Services. It is understood that the CITY enters into the AGREEMENT based on
the special abilities of the SERVICE PROVIDER and that this AGREEMENT shall be
considered as an AGREEMENT for personal services. Accordingly, the SERVICE
PROVIDER shall neither assign any responsibilities nor delegate any duties arising under
the AGREEMENT without the prior written consent of the CITY.
17. Subcontractors/Subconsultants. SERVICE PROVIDER m may not subcontract any of the
Work set forth in the subsequent Work Orders without the prior written consent of the CITY,
which shall not be unreasonably withheld. If any of the Work is subcontracted hereunder
(with the consent of the CITY), then the following provisions shall apply:
a. the subcontractor must be a reputable, qualified firm with an established record of
successful performance in its respective trade performing identical or substantially
similar work;
b. the subcontractor will be required to comply with all applicable terms of this
AGREEMENT;
c. the subcontract will not create any contractual relationship between any such
subcontractor and the CITY, nor will it obligate the CITY to pay or see to the payment of
any subcontractor; and
d. the work of the subcontractor will be subject to inspection by the CITY to the same extent
as the work of the SERVICE PROVIDER.
The SERVICE PROVIDER shall require all subcontractor/subconsultants performing
Service(s) hereunder to maintain insurance coverage naming the CITY as an additional
insured under this AGREEMENT in accordance with Exhibit [choose one]. The SERVICE
PROVIDER shall maintain a copy of each subcontractor’s/subconsultant’s certificate
evidencing the required insurance. Upon request, the SERVICE PROVIDER shall provide
the CITY with a copy of the certificate(s) within two (2) business days.
The SERVICE PROVIDER shall be responsible for any liability directly or indirectly arising
out of the Services performed under this AGREEMENT by a subcontractor/subconsultant,
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which liability is not covered by the subcontractor/subconsultant's insurance.
18. Acceptance Not Waiver. The CITY's approval of Project Instruments furnished hereunder
shall not in any way relieve the SERVICE PROVIDER of responsibility for the quality or
technical accuracy of the Services. The CITY’S approval or acceptance of, or payment for
any of the Services shall not be construed to operate as a waiver of any rights or benefits
provided to the CITY under this AGREEMENT.
19. Warranty.
a. SERVICE PROVIDER warrants that all Services performed hereunder shall be
performed with the highest degree of competence and care in accordance with accepted
standards for Services of a similar nature.
b. Unless otherwise provided in the AGREEMENT, all materials and equipment
incorporated into any Services shall be new and, where not specified, of the most
suitable grade of their respective kinds for their intended use, and all Services must be
of a quality acceptable to CITY.
c. SERVICE PROVIDER warrants all equipment, materials, labor and other Services,
provided under this AGREEMENT, except CITY-furnished materials, equipment and
labor, against defects and nonconformances in design, materials and Service quality for
a period, the longer of; i.) The original manufacturer’s warranty term; or ii.) beginning
with the start of the Services and ending twelve (12) months from and after final
acceptance under the AGREEMENT, regardless of whether the same were furnished or
performed by SERVICE PROVIDER or by any of its subcontractors/subconsultants of
any tier. Upon receipt of written notice from CITY of any such defect or
nonconformances, the affected item or part thereof shall be redesigned, repaired, or
replaced by SERVICE PROVIDER in a manner and at a time acceptable to CITY.
20. Default. Each and every term and condition hereof shall be deemed to be a material element
of this AGREEMENT. In the event either party should fail or refuse to perform according to
the terms of this AGREEMENT, that party may be declared in default upon notice.
21. Remedies. In the event a party has been declared in default, that defaulting party shall be
allowed a period of ten (10) calendar days from the date of notice within which to cure said
default. In the event the default remains uncorrected, the party declaring default may elect
to:
a. terminate the AGREEMENT and seek damages;
b. treat the AGREEMENT as continuing and require specific performance; or
c. avail themselves of any other remedy at law or equity.
In the event of a dispute between the parties regarding this AGREEMENT, each party shall
bear its own attorney fees and costs, except as provided for in the Indemnification and
Technology Accessibility sections.
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22. Entire Agreement; Binding Effect; Authority to Execute. This AGREEMENT, along with all
Exhibits and other documents incorporated herein, shall constitute the entire AGREEMENT
of the parties regarding this transaction and the matter recited herein. This AGREEMENT
supersedes any prior agreements, promises, or understandings as to the matter recited
herein. The AGREEMENT shall be binding upon said parties, their officers, employees,
agents and assigns and shall inure to the benefit of the respective survivors, heirs, personal
representatives, successors and assigns of said parties. Covenants or representations not
contained in this AGREEMENT shall not be binding on the parties. In the event of a conflict
between terms of the AGREEMENT and any exhibit or attachment, the terms of the
AGREEMENT shall prevail. Each person executing this AGREEMENT affirms that they
have the necessary authority to sign on behalf of their respective party and to bind such
party to the terms of this AGREEMENT.
23. Law/Severability. The laws of the State of Colorado and the City of Fort Collins Charter and
Municipal Code shall govern the construction, interpretation, execution, and enforcement of
this AGREEMENT—without regard to choice of law or conflict of law principles. The Parties
further agree that Larimer County District Court is the proper venue for all disputes. If the
CITY subsequently agrees in writing that the matter may be heard in federal court, venue
will be in U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. In the event any provision of this
AGREEMENT shall be held invalid or unenforceable by any court of competent jurisdiction,
that holding shall not invalidate or render unenforceable any other provision of this
AGREEMENT.
24. Use by Other Agencies. The CITY reserves the right to allow other state and local
governmental agencies, political subdivisions, and/or school districts (collectively Agency)
to use the CITY’s award determination to the SERVICE PROVIDER. Use by any other
Agency shall not have a negative impact on the CITY in the current term or in any future
terms. Nothing herein shall be deemed to authorize or empower the Agency to act as an
agent for the CITY in connection with the exercise of any rights hereunder, and neither party
shall have any right or authority to assume or create any obligation or responsibility on behalf
of the other. The other Agency shall be solely responsible for any debts, liabilities, damages,
claims or expenses incurred in connection with any agreement established between them
and the SERVICE PROVIDER. The CITY’s concurrence hereunder is subject to the
SERVICE PROVIDER’s commitment that this authorization shall not have a negative impact
on the Services to be completed for the CITY.
Prohibition Against Unlawful Discrimination. The SERVICE PROVIDER acknowledges that
the CITY, in accordance with the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78
Stat. 252, 42 US.C. § 2000d to 2000d-4); C.R.S. § 24-34-401, and any associated State or
Federal laws and regulations strictly prohibits unlawful discrimination based on an
individual’s gender (regardless of gender identity or gender expression), race, color, religion,
creed, national origin, ancestry, age 40 years or older, marital status, disability, sexual
orientation, genetic information, or other characteristics protected by law. Pursuant to CITY
policy “sexual orientation” means a person’s actual or perceived orientation toward
heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality. The CITY also strictly prohibits unlawful
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harassment in the workplace, including sexual harassment. Further, the CITY strictly
prohibits unlawful retaliation against a person who engages in protected activity. Protected
activity includes an employee complaining that he or she has been discriminated against in
violation of the above policy or participating in an employment discrimination proceeding.
The SERVICE PROVIDER shall comply with the CITY’s policy for equal employment
opportunity and to prohibit unlawful discrimination, harassment and retaliation. This
requirement applies to all third-party vendors and their subcontractors at every tier.
25. ADA and Public Accommodations. In performing the Services required hereunder, the
SERVICE PROVIDER agrees to meet all requirements of the Americans with Disabilities
Act of 1990, C.R.S. § 24-85-101, and all applicable rules and regulations (ADA), and all
applicable Colorado public accommodation laws, which are imposed directly on the
SERVICE PROVIDER or which would be imposed on the CITY as a public entity.
26. Technology Accessibility. The SERVICE PROVIDER represents that the Project
Instruments hereunder, shall fully comply with all applicable provisions of C.R.S. §
24-85-101, and the Accessibility Standards for Individuals with a Disability, as established
by the State of Colorado Governor’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) pursuant to
C.R.S. § 24-85-103 (2.5), including all updates and amendments to those standards as
provided by the OIT. The SERVICE PROVIDER shall also comply with all State of Colorado
technology standards related to technology accessibility and with Level AA of the most
current version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), incorporated in the
State of Colorado technology standards.
To confirm that the Project Instruments meet these standards, the SERVICE PROVIDER
may be required to demonstrate compliance. The SERVICE PROVIDER shall indemnify,
save, and hold harmless the CITY against any and all costs, expenses, claims, damages,
liability, court awards and other amounts (including attorneys’ fees and related costs)
incurred by the CITY in relation to the SERVICE PROVIDER’s failure to comply with C.R.S.
§ 24-85-101, or the Accessibility Standards for Individuals with a Disability as established
by OIT pursuant to C.R.S. § 24-85-103 (2.5).
The CITY may require the SERVICE PROVIDER’s compliance to the State’s Accessibility
Standards to be determined by a third party selected by the CITY to attest to the Project
Instruments and software compliance with C.R.S. § 24-85-101, and the Accessibility
Standards for Individuals with a Disability as established by OIT pursuant to C.R.S. §
24-85-103 (2.5).
27. Data Privacy. SERVICE PROVIDER will comply with all applicable data privacy regulations
and laws, specifically including Colorado’s Privacy Act, C.R.S § 6-1-1301 (the Privacy Act).
SERVICE PROVIDER shall ensure that each person processing any personal data
connected to the Services is subject to a duty of confidentiality with respect to the data. If
applicable, SERVICE PROVIDER shall require that any subcontractors meet the obligations
of SERVICE PROVIDER with respect to any personal data connected to this AGREEMENT.
The Parties agree that upon termination of the Services that SERVICE PROVIDER shall, at
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the CITY’s choice, delete or return all personal data to the CITY unless retention of the
personal data is required by law. SERVICE PROVIDER shall make available to the CITY all
information necessary to demonstrate compliance with the obligations of the Privacy Act.
SERVICE PROVIDER shall allow for, and contribute to, reasonable audits and inspections
by the CITY or the CITY’s designated auditor.
28. Governmental Immunity Act. No term or condition of this AGREEMENT shall be construed
or interpreted as a waiver, express or implied, of any of the notices, requirements,
immunities, rights, benefits, protections, limitations of liability, and other provisions of the
Colorado Governmental Immunity Act, C.R.S. § 24-10-101, and under any other applicable
law.
29. Colorado Open Records Act. The SERVICE PROVIDER acknowledges the CITY is a
governmental entity subject to the Colorado Open Records Act, C.R.S. § 24-72-201
(CORA), and documents in the CITY’s possession may be considered public records subject
to disclosure under the CORA.
30. Delay. Time is of the essence. Subject to Force Majeure , if the SERVICE PROVIDER is
temporarily delayed in whole or in part from performing its obligations, then the SERVICE
PROVIDER shall provide written notice to the CITY within two (2) business days defining
the nature of the delay. Provision of written notice under this Section shall not operate as a
waiver of any rights or benefits provided to the CITY under this AGREEMENT.
31. Force Majeure. No Party hereto shall be considered in default in the performance of an
obligation hereunder to the extent that performance of such obligation is delayed, hindered,
or prevented by force majeure. Force majeure shall be any cause beyond the control of the
party that could not reasonably have been foreseen and guarded against. Force majeure
includes, but is not limited to, acts of God, fires, riots, pandemics, incendiarism, interference
by civil or military authorities, compliance with regulations or orders of military authorities,
and acts of war (declared or undeclared), provided such cause could not have been
reasonably foreseen and guarded against by the affected party. Force majeure shall not
include increases in labor, commodity, utility, material, supply, fuel, or energy costs, or
compliance with regulations or orders of civil authorities. To the extent that the performance
is actually prevented, the SERVICE PROVIDER must provide notice to the CITY of such
condition within ten (10) calendar days from the onset of such condition.
32. Dust Control. The SERVICE PROVIDER shall abide by the City of Fort Collins “Dust Control
and Prevention Manual,” which is available for public download at https://www. fcgov.com/
airquality/pdf/dust-prevention-and-control-manual.pdf, and is incorporated herein by this
reference. The CITY has implemented this manual for all projects performed for the CITY
or located within Fort Collins city limits.
33. Special Provisions. Special provisions or conditions relating to the Services to be performed
pursuant to this AGREEMENT are set forth in Exhibit [choose one] - Confidentiality,
consisting of four (4) pages, incorporated herein.
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34. Order of Precedence. In the event of a conflict or inconsistency within this AGREEMENT,
the conflict or inconsistency shall be resolved by giving preference to the documents in the
following order of priority:
a. The body of this AGREEMENT (and any written amendment),
b. Exhibits to this AGREEMENT, and
c. The Purchase Order document.
35. Prohibited Terms. Nothing in any Exhibit or other attachment shall be construed as a waiver
of any provision above. Any terms included in any Exhibit or other attachment that requires
the CITY to indemnify or hold SERVICE PROVIDER harmless; requires the CITY to agree
to binding arbitration; limits SERVICE PROVIDER’s liability; or that conflicts with statute,
City Charter or City Code in any way, shall be void.
[Signature Page Follows]
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THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS, COLORADO
By:
Gerry Paul, Purchasing Director
Date:
ATTEST:
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
SERVICE PROVIDER
By:
Printed:
Title:
Date:
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EXHIBIT A
SCOPE OF SERVICES
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EXHIBIT [CHOOSE ONE]
BID SCHEDULE/ COMPENSATION
The following pricing shall remain fixed for the initial term of this AGREEMENT. Any applicable
price adjustments may only be negotiated and agreed to in writing at the time of renewal.
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EXHIBIT [CHOOSE ONE]
INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS
The SERVICE PROVIDER will provide, from insurance companies acceptable to the CITY, the
insurance coverage designated hereinafter and pay all costs. Before commencing work under
this bid, the SERVICE PROVIDER shall furnish the CITY with certificates of insurance showing
the type, amount, class of operations covered, effective dates and date of expiration of policies.
In case of the breach of any provision of the Insurance Requirements, the CITY, at its option, may
take out and maintain, at the expense of the SERVICE PROVIDER, insurance as the CITY may
deem proper and may deduct the cost of such insurance from any monies which may be due or
become due the SERVICE PROVIDER under this AGREEMENT.
Insurance certificates should show the certificate holder as follows:
City of Fort Collins
Purchasing Division
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
The CITY, its officers, agents and employees shall be named as additional insureds on the
SERVICE PROVIDER's general liability and automobile liability insurance policies by
marking the appropriate box or adding a statement to this effect on the certificate, for any
claims arising out of work performed under this AGREEMENT.
Insurance coverages shall be as follows:
A. Workers' Compensation & Employer's Liability. The SERVICE PROVIDER shall maintain
Worker’s Compensation and Employer’s Liability insurance during the life of this
AGREEMENT for all of the SERVICE PROVIDER's employees engaged in work performed
under this AGREEMENT. Workers' Compensation & Employer’s Liability insurance shall
conform with statutory limits of $100,000 per accident, $500,000 disease aggregate, and
$100,000 disease each employee, or as required by Colorado law.
B. General Liability. The SERVICE PROVIDER shall maintain during the life of this
AGREEMENT General Liability insurance as will provide coverage for damage claims of
personal injury, including accidental death, as well as for claims for property damage, which
may arise directly or indirectly from the performance of work under this AGREEMENT.
Coverage for property damage shall be on a (broad form) basis. The amount of insurance for
General Liability shall not be less than $1,000,000 combined single limits for bodily injury and
property damage.
C. Automobile Liability. The SERVICE PROVIDER shall maintain during the life of this
AGREEMENT Automobile Liability insurance as will provide coverage for damage claims of
personal injury, including accidental death, as well as for claims for property damage, which
may arise directly or indirectly from the performance of work under this AGREEMENT.
Coverage for property damage shall be on a (broad form) basis. The amount of insurance for
Automobile Liability shall not be less than $1,000,000 combined single limits for bodily injury
and property damage.
D. Errors and Omissions. The SERVICE PROVIDER shall maintain errors and omissions
insurance in the amount of $1,000,000.
E. Cybersecurity. The SERVICE PROVIDER shall maintain cybersecurity insurance in the
amount of $5,000,000.
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EXHIBIT [CHOOSE ONE]
CONFIDENTIALITY
IN CONNECTION WITH THE SERVICES to be provided by SERVICE PROVIDER under
this AGREEMENT, the parties agree to comply with reasonable policies and procedures with
regard to the exchange and handling of confidential information and other sensitive materials
between the parties, as set forth below.
1. Definitions.
For purposes of this AGREEMENT, the party who owns the referenced information and is
disclosing same shall be referenced as the “Disclosing Party.” The party receiving the
Disclosing Party’s information shall be referenced as the “Receiving Party.”
2. Confidential Information.
Confidential Information controlled by this AGREEMENT refers to information that is not public
and/or is proprietary, including but not limited to location information, network security system,
business plans, formulae, processes, intellectual property, trade secrets, designs,
photographs, plans, drawings, schematics, methods, specifications, samples, reports,
mechanical and electronic design drawings, customer lists, financial information, studies,
findings, inventions, ideas, CITY customer identifiable information (including account,
address, billing, consumption, contact, and other customer data), utility metering data, service
billing records, customer equipment information.
To the extent practical, Confidential Information shall be marked “Confidential” or
“Proprietary.” Nevertheless, SERVICE PROVIDER shall treat as Confidential Information all
customer identifiable information in any form, whether or not bearing a mark of confidentiality
or otherwise requested by the CITY, including but not limited to the non-exclusive list of
Confidential Information above. In the case of disclosure in non-documentary form of non-
customer identifiable information, made orally or by visual inspection, the Disclosing Party
shall have the right, or, if requested by the Receiving Party, the obligation to confirm in writing
the fact and general nature of each disclosure within a reasonable time after it is made in
order that it is treated as Confidential Information. Any information disclosed to the other party
before the execution of this AGREEMENT and related to the services for which SERVICE
PROVIDER has been engaged shall be considered in the same manner and be subject to the
same treatment as the information disclosed after the execution of this AGREEMENT with
regard to protecting it as Confidential Information.
3. Use of Confidential Information.
Receiving Party hereby agrees that it shall use the Confidential Information solely for the
purpose of performing its obligations under this AGREEMENT and not in any way detrimental
to Disclosing Party. Receiving Party agrees to use the same degree of care Receiving Party
uses with respect to its own proprietary or confidential information, which in any event shall
result in a reasonable standard of care to prevent unauthorized use or disclosure of the
Confidential Information. Except as otherwise provided herein, Receiving Party shall keep
confidential and not disclose the Confidential Information. The CITY and SERVICE
PROVIDER shall cause each of their directors, officers, employees, agents, representatives,
and subcontractors to become familiar with, and abide by, the terms of this Exhibit, which shall
survive this AGREEMENT as an on-going obligation of the Parties.
SERVICE PROVIDER shall not use such information to obtain any economic or other benefit
for itself, or any third party, other than in the performance of obligations under this
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AGREEMENT.
4. Exclusions from Definition.
The term “Confidential Information” as used herein does not include any data or information
which is already known to the Receiving Party or which before being divulged by the
Disclosing Party: (a) was generally known to the public through no wrongful act of the
Receiving Party; (b) has been rightfully received by the Receiving Party from a third party
without restriction on disclosure and without, to the knowledge of the Receiving Party, a
breach of an obligation of confidentiality; (c) has been approved for release by a written
authorization by the other party hereto; or (d) has been disclosed pursuant to a requirement
of a governmental agency or by operation of law, subject to Paragraph 5 below.
5. Required Disclosure.
Notwithstanding Paragraph 4(d) above, if the Receiving Party receives a request (by
interrogatories, requests for information or documents, subpoena, civil investigative demand
or similar process, or by federal, state, or local law, including without limitation, the Colorado
Open Records Act) to disclose any Confidential Information, the Parties agree the Receiving
Party will provide the Disclosing Party with immediate notice of such request, so the Disclosing
Party may seek an appropriate protective order before disclosure or waive the Receiving
Party’s compliance with this Exhibit.
The Receiving Party shall furnish a copy of this Exhibit with any disclosure.
Notwithstanding this Paragraph 5, Receiving Party shall not disclose Confidential Information
to any person, directly or indirectly, nor use it in any way, except as required by law or
authorized in writing by Disclosing Party.
6. Red Flags Rules.
If applicable, SERVICE PROVIDER must implement reasonable policies and procedures to
detect, prevent and mitigate the risk of identity theft in compliance with the Identity Theft Red
Flags Rules found at 16 Code of Federal Regulations part 681. Further, SERVICE
PROVIDER must take appropriate steps to mitigate identity theft if it occurs with any of the
CITY’s covered information and must notify the CITY in writing within twenty-four (24) hours
of discovery of any breaches of security or Red Flags to the CITY.
7. Data Protection and Data Security.
SERVICE PROVIDER shall have in place information security safeguards designed to
conform to or exceed industry best practices regarding the protection of the confidentiality,
integrity and availability of Confidential Information and shall have written agreements
requiring any subcontractor to meet those standards. These information security safeguards
(the “Information Security Program”) shall be materially consistent with, or more stringent than,
the safeguards described in this Exhibit.
(a) SERVICE PROVIDER’s information security safeguards shall address the following
elements:
• Data Storage, Backups and Disposal
• Logical Access Control (e.g., Role-Based)
• Information Classification and Handling
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• Secure Data Transfer (SFTP and Data Transfer Specification)
• Secure Web Communications
• Network and Security Monitoring
• Application Development Security
• Application Security Controls and Procedures (User Authentication, Security
Controls, and Security Procedures, Policies and Logging)
• Incident Response
• Vulnerability Assessments
• Hosted Services
• Personnel Security
(b) Subcontractors. SERVICE PROVIDER may use subcontractors, though such activity shall
not release or absolve SERVICE PROVIDER from the obligation to satisfy all conditions
of this AGREEMENT, including the data security measures described in this Exhibit, and
to require a substantially similar level of data security, appropriate to the types of services
provided and Confidential Information received, for any subcontractor SERVICE
PROVIDER may use. Accordingly, any release of data, confidential information, or failure
to protect information under this AGREEMENT by a subcontractor or affiliated party shall
be attributed to SERVICE PROVIDER and may be considered to be a material breach of
this AGREEMENT.
8. Information Storage. Confidential Information is not to be stored on any local workstation,
laptop, or media such as CD/DVD, USB drives, external hard drives or other similar portable
devices unless the SERVICE PROVIDER can ensure security for the Confidential Information
so stored. Workstations or laptops to be used in the Services will be required to have personal
firewalls on each, as well as have current, active anti-virus definitions.
9. Continuing Obligation. The agreement not to disclose Confidential Information as set forth in
this Exhibit shall apply during the term of the Services and or AGREEMENT and at any time
thereafter unless specifically authorized by the CITY in writing.
10. Termination Remedy. If SERVICE PROVIDER breaches any of the terms of this Exhibit, in
the CITY’s sole discretion, the CITY may immediately terminate this AGREEMENT and
withdraw SERVICE PROVIDER’s right to access Confidential Information.
11. Return of Information. Notwithstanding any other provision of this AGREEMENT to provide
Project Instruments and work product, all material, i.e., various physical forms of media in
which Confidential Information is stored, including but not limited to writings, drawings, tapes,
diskettes, prototypes or products, shall remain the sole property of the Disclosing Party and,
upon request, shall be promptly returned, together with all copies thereof to the Disclosing
Party. Upon return of such materials, all digital and electronic data shall also be deleted in a
non-restorable way by which it is no longer available to the Receiving Party. Upon Disclosing
Party’s request, written verification of the deletion (including date of deletion) is to be provided
to the Disclosing Party within ten (10) days after completion of engagement, whether it be via
termination, completion or otherwise.
12. Injunctive Relief. SERVICE PROVIDER Receiving Party acknowledges that the Disclosing
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Party may, based upon the representations made in this AGREEMENT, disclose security
information that is critical to the continued success of the Discloser’s business. Accordingly,
Receiving Party agrees that the Disclosing Party does not have an adequate remedy at law
for breach of this AGREEMENT and therefore, the Disclosing Party shall be entitled, as a non-
exclusive remedy, and in addition to an action for damages, to seek and obtain an injunction
or decree of specific performance or any other remedy, from a court of competent jurisdiction
to enjoin or remedy any violation of this AGREEMENT.