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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRFPTHE SCHOOL BOARD OF SARASOTA COUNTY, FLORIDA REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) UTILITY & TRASH/GARBAGE BILL AUDITING SERVICES - RFP #2043 Request for Proposal Date: AUGUST 21, 2001 PROPOSAL MUST BE RECEIVED PRIOR TO: Date: SEPTEMBER 18, 2001 Time: 2:00 P.M. This document constitutes a request for sealed proposals, including prices, from qualified individuals and organizations to furnish those services and/or items as described herein. Proposals must be mailed or hand carried to the Director of Materials Management, School Board of Sarasota County, 101 Old Venice Road, Osprey, FL 34229. POSTING: Recommended awards will be posted on or about OCTOBER 9. 2001 . BOARD DATE: Results will be presented for Board action on OCTOBER 16. 2001, at 1980 Landings Boulevard, Sarasota, Florida, at 6:30 p.m. 6ik-od444- Pat Black Director of Materials Management THE SCHOOL BOARD OF SARASOTA COUNTY, FLORIDA REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) REQUIRED RESPONSE FORM TITLE: UTILITY & TRASH/GARBAGE BILL AUDITING SERVICES — RFP #2043 Anti -Collusion Statement/Public Domain I, the undersigned proposer have not divulged, discussed, or compared this proposal with any other proposers and have not colluded with any other proposer in the preparation of this proposal in order to gain an unfair advantage in the award of this proposal. I acknowledge that all information contained herein is part of the public domain as defined in the Public Records Act, Chapter 119, F.S. Proposal Certification I hereby certify that I am submitting the following information as my company's proposal and understand that by virtue of executing and returning with this proposal this REQUIRED RESPONSE FORM, I further certify full, complete and unconditional acceptance of the contents of this proposal, and all attachments and the contents of any addendum released hereto. PROPOSER (firm name): STREET ADDRESS: CITY & STATE: PRINT NAME OF AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE: SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE: TITLE: DATE: CONTACT PERSON: CONTACT PERSON'S ADDRESS: TELEPHONE: FAX: TOLL FREE: INTERNET E-MAIL ADDRESS PROPOSER TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER: NOTE: Entries must be completed In ink or typewritten. An orlainal manual sltinature is required. 2 THE SCHOOL BOARD OF SARASOTA COUNTY, FLORIDA REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) UTILITY & TRASH/GARBAGE BILL AUDITING SERVICES — RFP #2043 SPECIAL CONDITIONS PURPOSE The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to establish a five year contract to provide Utility & Trash/Garbage Bill Auditing for The School Board of Sarasota County, Florida, here after referred to as the Board. It is anticipated that the contract will be effective for 5 years from date of award. SCOPE The Board plans to establish a contract that will not result in any cost to the Board. The contractor(s) will be paid a fee that is a percentage of the savings that accrue to the Board as a direct result of the auditing services provided by the contractor(s). This proposal delineates the requirements for a Utility & Trash/Garbage Bill Auditing firm(s) to provide auditing services of the Board's utility and trash/garbage bills and provide necessary documentation for recovery of funds from errors and overpayments. The contract resulting from this proposal will be used to provide the following type auditing. 1. Gas 2. Electric 3. Water 4. Sewer 5. Telephone 6. Trash/Garbage ECONOMY OF PRESENTATION Each proposal shall be prepared simply and economically, providing a straightforward, concise delineation of proposer's capabilities to satisfy the requirements of this RFP. Fancy binding, colored displays, and promotional material are not appropriate; however, technical literature may be included in the proposal. Emphasis in each proposal must be on completeness and clarity of content. In order to expedite the evaluation of proposals, it is essential that proposer(s) follow the format and instructions contained herein. PROPOSAL FORMAT INSTRUCTIONS This section prescribes the format of the proposals that shall be submitted during the procurement process. There is no intent to limit the content of the proposal. Additional information deemed appropriate by the proposer should be included; however, cluttering the proposal with irrelevant material will make the evaluation more difficult. The following paragraphs contain instructions that describe the required format for proposals. Section 1: Management Summary Include a brief synopsis of the proposal. The synopsis should be prepared in such a manner that it will be understandable to individuals on a management level. Section 2: Resumes of Individuals Proposed to Work on this Contract Include resumes of the specific individuals proposed to work on this contract, specifying educational or work experiences deemed relevant to the type of work to be performed. One of the individuals shall be designated as the project leader, and shall be responsible for the coordination of work efforts of the other individuals, 3 THE SCHOOL BOARD OF SARASOTA COUNTY, FLORIDA REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) UTILITY & TRASH/GARBAGE BILL AUDITING SERVICES — RFP #2043 Section 3: Description of Similar Services Performed Descriptions of similar services performed should include enough detail to allow the evaluation committee to determine whether the work is similar to what is being requested in this RFP, and whether the organization for whom the work was performed is comparable to the School Board of Sarasota County, Florida in terms of its nature, size, mission, and diversity. Examples of similar work and compliance shall be included. Tab shall also include an overview of the company's experience as a utility and trash/garbage bill audit service provider and experience in the performance of services. Section 4: Description of Service Structure The proposer shall describe the method by which services will be provided. The proposer must indicate whether the services will be provided by an individual contractor or group of contractors. The description should include number of staff involved. Section 5: Description of Overall Technical Approach The vendor shall provide a narrative explanation of the proposed work plan. The proposals must clearly explain the proposed technical approach for providing the required performance. Section 6: Addenda Acknowledgment form Proposers shall complete and return each Addenda Acknowledgment form, if any are issued, with their proposal. Section 7: Enhancements Section 8: Identification of principals and firms participating in the contract Include companies and individuals, a statement of numbers of years of operation, and such information as the company's history, present status and projected corporate direction. Identify all subcontractors. Section 9: References In accordance with the requirements of this RFP, the proposer shall list the references requested. A form is attached for this purpose. Section 10: Authorization Provide a copy of your standard letter of authorization for contacting utility providers. Section 11: Progress Report Provide a copy of your monthly progress report. Section 12: Identify specific audit category/ies being proposed. 4 THE SCHOOL BOARD OF SARASOTA COUNTY, FLORIDA REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) UTILITY & TRASH/GARBAGE BILL AUDITING SERVICES — RFP #2043 PROPOSAL SUBMISSION Proposals shall be submitted simultaneously in two (2) separate sealed envelopes, one to be labeled Technical Proposal (including two (2) copies of same) and one to be labeled Fee Proposal. Any proposal received which includes the Fee in the Technical Proposal sealed envelope will be disqualified. INSTRUCTIONS TO PROPOSERS Proposals must be submitted in a sealed container, clearly identified as RFP for Utilities Auditing Services. Sealed proposals will be received prior to 2:00 p.m. (EDT) on September 18, 2001, in the School Board Purchasing Office at the address shown herein. The official clock for the purpose of receiving proposals is located in the Purchasing Office. All proposals must be date and time stamped by the official clock. Proposals will be opened in the Purchasing Office after the deadline for receiving proposals. Any proposal received in Purchasing after the deadline indicated above will be date and time stamped and will not be opened. It is the proposer's responsibility to see that their proposal is properly received at the correct location prior to the deadline. One manually signed original and four photocopies of the proposal must be submitted. All proposals must be signed by an officer or employee having authority to legally bind the proposer(s). Any corrections of unit prices must be initialed. This includes corrections made using correction fluid (white out) or any other method of correction. Proposers should become familiar with any local conditions that may, in any manner, affect the services required. The proposer(s) is/are required to carefully examine the RFP terms and to become thoroughly familiar with any and all conditions and requirements that may in any manner affect the work to be performed under the contract. No additional allowance will be made due to lack of knowledge of these conditions. Proposals not conforming with the instructions provided herein will be subject to disqualification at the sole option of the Board. Any proposal may be withdrawn prior to the date and time the proposals are due. Any proposal not withdrawn will constitute an irrevocable offer, for a period of 90 days, to provide the Board with the services specified in the proposal. TIME SCHEDULE Anticipated Schedule of Events August 21, 2001 September 18, 2001 October 9, 2001 October 16, 2001 Issuance of RFP RFP Opening Posting Of Recommendation School Board Award of Contract A reasonable, but not guaranteed, attempt of notification of any required changes to the time schedule will be made to proposer(s) by U.S. mail or by facsimile. Response to inquiries regarding the status of a proposal must not be made prior to the posting of award recommendation. 5 THE SCHOOL BOARD OF SARASOTA COUNTY, FLORIDA REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) UTILITY & TRASH/GARBAGE BILL AUDITING SERVICES — RFP #2043 BOARD CONTACT AND ADDRESS INFORMATION This RFP is issued by the Evaluation Committee. The Committee is the sole point of contact with regard to this RFP and all contractual matters related to the services described herein. All communications concerning this RFP must be addressed, in writing to: John O'Donnell, Purchasing Manager Materials Management Department The School Board of Sarasota County, Florida 101 Old Venice Road Osprey, Florida 34229 DOCUMENTATION All proposals must meet or exceed all conditions and specifications of the proposal. The proposals shall provide detailed sample analysis of the audits described in the "Scope". Submittal of the above documentation allows the evaluation of the services In determining compliance to the proposal. Failure to provide the required detailed documentation with the proposal submittal shall make the proposer non -responsive. REFERENCES All proposers shall include, as a minimum, the name, address, responsible personnel, and telephone numbers of four (4) firms or government agencies to whom they have provided an auditing service demonstrating the ability to handle a contract of this complexity. The Board reserves the right to contact the references regarding the services provided. AWARD The Board reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals. The Board reserves the right to waive any Irregularities and technicalities and may, at its sole discretion, request a clarification or other information to evaluate any or all proposals. The Board reserves the right, before awarding the contract, to require proposer(s) to submit evidence of qualifications or any other information the Board may deem necessary. The Board reserves the right, prior to Board approval, to cancel the RFP or portions thereof, without penalty. The Board reserves the right to: (1) accept the proposals of any or all of the items it deems, at its sole discretion, to be in the best interest of the Board; and (2) the Board reserves the right to reject any and/or all items proposed or award to multiple proposers. The proposal with the highest number of points will be ranked first; however, nothing herein will prevent the School Board of Sarasota County, Florida, from making multiple awards and to deem all proposals responsive, and to assign work to any firm deemed responsive. The Board reserves the right to further negotiate any proposal, Including price, with the highest rated proposer. If an agreement cannot be reached with the highest rated proposer, the Board reserves the right to negotiate and recommend award to the next highest rated proposer or subsequent proposers until an agreement is reached. 6 THE SCHOOL BOARD OF SARASOTA COUNTY, FLORIDA REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) UTILITY & TRASH/GARBAGE BILL AUDITING SERVICES — RFP #2043 RFP INQUIRIES Potential auditors may submit written questions by facsimile (FAX), addressed to the Materials Management Department, FAX # 941/486-2188. Questions must be received no later than September 4, 2001. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted, nor will answers be provided by telephone. It is the sole responsibility of the auditor to ensure that written questions will be received by the deadline indicated above. Responses will be distributed by facsimile to all auditors who have received a RFP. The Board may modify the Request for Proposal at any time prior to the proposal due date by issuance of a written addendum to all vendors who are participating. Addenda shall be numbered consecutively and initiated by the Director of Materials Management. No other person shall be authorized to make changes verbally or in writing. It shall be the responsibility of the proposer to be sure they received all addenda. No addendum will be Issued later than seven calendar days prior to the date for receipt of proposals except an addendum withdrawing the request for proposals or one that includes postponement of the date for receipt of proposals. No verbal or written information that is obtained other than by information in this document or by addendum to this RFP will be binding on the Board. LOBBYING PROPOSERS ARE HEREBY ADVISED THAT LOBBYING IS NOT PERMITTED WITH ANY BOARD PERSONNEL OR BOARD MEMBERS RELATED TO OR INVOLVED WITH THIS RFP. ALL ORAL OR WRITTEN INQUIRIES MUST BE DIRECTED THROUGH THE PURCHASING OFFICE. LOBBYING IS DEFINED AS ANY ACTION TAKEN BY AN INDIVIDUAL, FIRM, ASSOCIATION, JOINT VENTURE, PARTNERSHIP, SYNDICATE, CORPORATION, AND ALL OTHER GROUPS WHO SEEK TO INFLUENCE THE GOVERNMENTAL DECISION OF A BOARD MEMBER OR BOARD PERSONNEL ON THE AWARD OF THIS CONTRACT. ANY PROPOSER OR ANY INDIVIDUALS THAT LOBBY ON BEHALF OF THE PROPOSER WILL RESULT IN REJECTION/DISQUALIFICATION OF SAID PROPOSER. CANCELLATION OF AWARD/TERMINATION In the event any of the provisions of this proposal are violated by the proposer(s), the Board or designee will give written notice to the proposer(s) stating the deficiencies unless the deficiencies are corrected within ten (10) days, recommendation will be made to the Board for immediate cancellation. Upon cancellation hereunder, the Board may pursue any and all legal remedies as provided herein and by law. Notification of termination must be in writing and Issued by the Director of Materials Management or designee. This contract may be terminated upon 30 days written notice. Further, at the discretion of the School Board, the contract may be terminated in a period of less than 30 days in the event of poor performance or violation of these terms. DEFAULT In the event that the awarded proposer(s) should breach this contract, the Board reserves the right to seek remedies in law and/or in equity. 7 THE SCHOOL BOARD OF SARASOTA COUNTY, FLORIDA REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) UTILITY & TRASH/GARBAGE BILL AUDITING SERVICES — RFP #2043 LEGAL REQUIREMENTS It shall be the responsibility of the contractor to be knowledgeable of all federal, state, county and local laws, ordinances, rules and regulations that in any manner affect the items covered herein which may apply. Lack of knowledge by the proposer(s) will in no way be a cause for relief from responsibility. Proposer(s) doing business with the Board are prohibited from discriminating against any employee, applicant, or client because of race, creed, color, national origin, sex or age with regard to but not limited to the following: employment practices, rates of pay or other compensation methods, and training selection. FEDERAL AND STATE TAX The Board is exempt from federal and state taxes for tangible personal property. Proposer(s) doing business with the Board will not be exempted from paying sales tax to their suppliers for materials to fulfill contractual obligations with the Board, nor will any proposer be authorized to use the Board's Tax Exemption Number in securing such materials. CONFLICT OF INTEREST All proposers must disclose the name of any officer, director, or agent who is also an employee of the Board. All proposers must disclose the name of any Board employee who owns, directly or indirectly, any interest in the proposers' business or any of its branches. PUBLIC ENTITY CRIMES Per the provisions of Florida Statute 287.133(2)(A), "A person or affiliate who has been placed on the convicted vendor list following a conviction for a public entity crime may not submit a bid on a contract to provide any goods or services to a public entity, may not submit a bid on a contract with a public entity for the construction or repair of a public building or public work, may not submit bids on leases of real property to a public entity, may not be awarded or perform work as a contractor, supplier, subcontractor, or consultant under a contract with any public entity, and may not transact business with any public entity in excess of the threshold amount provided in Florida Statute 287.017 for Category Two for a period of 36 months from the date of being placed on the convicted vendor list." The prospective bidder certifies, by submission and signature of this bid, that neither the bidder, nor its principal, its agent or its representative is presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction or otherwise precluded by Florida Statute 287.133 from participating in this contract. FEDERAL DEBARMENT CERTIFICATION Certification regarding debarment, suspension, ineligibility and voluntary exclusion as required by Executive Order 12549, Debarment and Suspension, and implemented at 34 CFR, Part 85, as defined at 34 CFR Part 85, Sections 85.105 and 85.110-(EDBO-0013). a. The prospective lower tier ($100,000) participant certifies, by submission and signature of this bid, that neither it nor its principals is presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any federal department or agency. b. Where the prospective lower tier participant is unable to certify to any of the statements in this certification, such prospective participant shall attach an explanation to this bid. DRUG -FREE WORKPLACE CERTIFICATION Tie bid preference shall be given to businesses with drug -free workplace programs whenever two or more bids are equal with respect to price, quality, and service and are received by the state or by any political subdivision for the procurement 8 THE SCHOOL BOARD OF SARASOTA COUNTY, FLORIDA REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) UTILITY & TRASH/GARBAGE BILL AUDITING SERVICES — RFP #2043 of commodities or contractual services. Established procedures for processing tie bids, as more fully set forth herein, will be followed if none of the tied vendors have a drug -free workplace program. DISCRIMINATION Any entity or affiliate who has been placed on the discriminatory vendor list may not submit a bid on a contract to provide goods or services to a public entity, may not submit a bid on a contract with a public entity for the construction or repair of a public building or public work, may not submit bids on leases of real property to a public entity, may not award or perform work as a contractor, supplier, subcontractor, or consultant under contract with any public entity, and may not transact business with any public entity. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Definitions Proposer: The firm, partnership, or corporation to whom these specifications are submitted and from whom proposals are solicited and received. Contractor: The firm, partnership, or corporation to whom the contract is awarded by the Board and who is subject to the terms and conditions thereof. Tariff Rate/Fixed Cost Check: Verify rates are billed are at the correct tariff rate or Board special rate. Verify that any fixed costs are proper. INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS Contractor's Liability Insurance The insurance required shall be written for not Tess than any limits of liability required by law or those set forth below, whichever is greater, and shall include contractual liability insurance as applicable to the Contractor's obligations under and in conformance to the following sections: 1. "In consideration of $10.00 and other good and valuable considerations, the Contractor agrees to indemnify and save harmless the owner from all suits and actions and all costs and damage to the person or property of another resulting from the performance of the work, or by any Subcontractor to anyone directly or indirectly employed by either of them. The limit of the Contractor liability shall be the limits of liability as stated in the liability insurance policies covering this contract. 2. Certificates of Insurance and a copy of each policy shall be transmitted to the Contractor for forwarding to the owner, and any document found to be incomplete or not according to the proper form will be returned as being unsatisfactory. The prescribed form of Certificate of Insurance shall be the AIA Document G705, or other similar form approved by the owner. Coverage cannot be canceled without twenty (20) days' prior Notice to Owner. 3. The Contractor shall purchase and maintain the following minimum insurance from a company or companies properly licensed in the State of Florida and rated A -IX or better by A.M. Best Company and against which the owner will entertain no reasonable objection. 4. Workers' Compensation Insurance: The Contractor shall provide and maintain, during the life of this contract, adequate Workers' Compensation Insurance in accordance with the laws of the State of Florida for all his employees at the site of the project, and if any part of the work is sublet, the contract shall require each of the Subcontractors to maintain such insurance for all of their employees who will be so engaged, unless the Subcontractors' employees are protected by the principal Contractor's Workers' Compensation insurance. All persons employed directly and 9 THE SCHOOL BOARD OF SARASOTA COUNTY, FLORIDA REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) UTILITY & TRASH/GARBAGE BILL AUDITING SERVICES — RFP #2043 indirectly on the project site by the Contractor and his/her Subcontractors shall be adequately protected by Workers' Compensation Insurance. The Contractor shall provide employer's liability coverage as part of the Workers' Compensation Insurance with minimum limit of $1,000,000. Coverage shall be in compliance with Chapter 440, Florida Statutes. 5. Comprehensive Automobile Liability: per person/per occurrence. Coverage shall apply (to ALL VEHICLES owned, rented, or used by the Contractor) for the following limits: a. Bodily Injury Liability - per person $250,000 - per occurrence $500,000 b. Property Damage Liability - per occurrence $250,000 c. Special Insurance - as required by railroads or others. 6. Comprehensive General Liability: a. Bodily injury, personal injury, and property damage at $500,000 per Incident or occurrence and $500,000 per claimant. Ib. Blanket Contractual to include comprehensive general liability, products and completed operations liability, and contractual liability. 7. Continoent Liability: a. The Contractor shall produce, pay for, and maintain such insurance as will protect the owner from his contingent liability for damages, for injury to the person or property of another which may arise from the operations of all Subcontractors under this Contract. Contractor shall provide Owner's and Contractor's protective liability. The limits of coverage shall be the same as the Contractor's Comprehensive General Liability. The Contractor shall furnish to the owner a letter from Contractor's insurance agent, certifying that the Contractor does carry valid Contractor's Contingent Liability Insurance. 6. Insurance certificates regarding liability coverages, as required by the Contract Documents, shall name Owner as additional named insured. 9. Contractor and Subcontractors will be responsible for insurance on their tools and equipment. PUBLIC RECORDS LAW All proposal documents or other materials submitted by the proposer in response to this RFP will be open for inspection by any person and in accord with Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. PERMITS AND LICENSES The proposer(s) will be responsible for obtaining any necessary permits and licenses and will comply with laws, rules, and regulations whether state or federal and with all local codes and ordinance without additional cost to the Board. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS The proposer(s) will indemnify and hold harmless, the Board from liability of any nature or kind; including costs and expenses for or on account of any copyrighted, service marked, trademarked, patented or unpatented invention, process, article or work manufactured or used in the performance of the contract, including its use by the Board. If the proposer(s) uses any design, device, materials or works covered by letters, service mark, trademark, patent, copyright or any other intellectual property right, it is mutually agreed and understood without exception that the proposal prices will include all royalties of costs arising from the use of such design, device, or materials in any way involved in the work. This article will survive the termination of any contract with the School Board. 10 THE SCHOOL BOARD OF SARASOTA COUNTY, FLORIDA REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) UTILITY & TRASH/GARBAGE BILL AUDITING SERVICES — RFP #2043 SU B-CONTRACTS Nothing contained in this specification will be construed as establishing any contractual relationship between any sub- proposer(s) and the Board. The proposer(s) will be fully responsible to the Board for the acts and omissions of the sub proposer(s) and their employees. After award of contract, any changes in subcontractors or subproposers requires prior School Board written approval. INDULGENCE Indulgence by the Board on any non-compliance by the proposer does not constitute a waiver of any rights under this RFP. PROPOSER'S MAILING ADDRESS It is the responsibility of every proposer to register and maintain their current mailing address with the Sarasota County School Board Materials Management Department. ASSIGNMENT OF CONTRACT AND/OR PAYMENT This contract or agreement is personal to the parties herein and may not be assigned, in whole or in part, by the proposer without prior written consent of the School Board. The proposer herein shall not assign payments under this contract or agreement without the prior written consent of the School Board. POSSESSION OF FIREARMS Possession of firearms will not be tolerated on School Board property. "Firearm" means any weapon (including a starter gun or antique firearm) which will, is designed to, or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive; the frame or receiver of any such weapon; any destructive device, or any machine gun. No person who has a firearm in their vehicle may park their vehicle on School Board property. Furthermore, no person may possess or bring a firearm on School Board property. If any employee of an independent contractor or sub -contractor is found to have brought a firearm on School Board property, said employee will be terminated from the School Board project by the independent contractor or sub -contractor. If the sub -contractor fails to terminate said employee or fails to terminate the agreement with the sub -contractor who fails to terminate said employee, the independent contractor's agreement with the School Board shall be terminated. AGREEMENT The RFP, the proposal, and negotiated terms will constitute the complete agreement between the proposer and the District. If the proposer requires an additional contract, then the proposer should include their sample contract as an attachment to the proposal submitted for review. JOINT PROPOSAL In the event multiple proposers submit a joint proposal in response to the RFP, a single proposer shall be identified as the Prime Vendor. If offering a joint proposal, Prime Vendor must include the name and address of all parties of the joint 11 THE SCHOOL BOARD OF SARASOTA COUNTY, FLORIDA REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) UTILITY & TRASH/GARBAGE BILL AUDITING SERVICES — RFP #2043 proposal. Prime Vendor shall provide all bonding and insurance requirements, execute any Contract, complete the REQUIRED RESPONSE FORM shown herein, have overall and complete accountability to resolve any dispute arising within this contract. Only a single contract with one proposer shall be acceptable. Prime Vendor responsibilities shall include, but not be limited to, performing of overall contract administration, preside over other proposers participating or present at District meetings, oversee preparation of reports and presentations, and file any notice of protest and final protest as described herein. The District shall issue only one check for each consolidated invoice to the Prime Vendor for services performed. Prime Vendor shall remain responsible for performing services associated with response to this RFP. POSTING OF RFP RECOMMENDATION RFP recommended awards will be posted for review by interested parties, at 101 Old Venice Road, Osprey, Florida on or about OCTOBER 9, 2001, and will remain posted for a period of 72 hours. Failure to file a protest within the time prescribed in Section 120.57(3) Florida Statutes, or failure to protest the bond or other security required by law within the time allowed for filing a bond shall constitute a waiver of proceedings under Chapter 120, Florida Statutes. If a bidder wishes to protest a bid, they must do so in strict accordance the procedures outlined in School Board Rule 6.104. Copies of this procedure are available from the Materials Management Department. VENUE The laws of the State of Florida shall govern this contract. Venue shall be in Sarasota County, Florida and the sole and exclusive jurisdiction to resolve any disputes arising under the contract shall be in the county or circuit court for the Twelfth Judicial Circuit in and for Sarasota County, Florida STATEMENT OF SERVICES REQUIRED The Board will contract for Auditing Services of the utilities it selects. The contractor(s) shall maintain books, records and documents in accordance with standard accounting procedures and practices which sufficiently and properly reflect all gross revenues generated. The Board may unilaterally cancel any resultant contract for refusal by the contractor to allow public access to all documents, papers, letters or other material originated or received by the contractor in conjunction with this contract subject to the provisions of Florida Statutes, Chapter 119. INSPECTION AUDIT AND MAINTENANCE OF REPORTS The Board, the Comptroller of the State, or the Auditor General of the State of Florida, or their duly authorized representatives shall have access to any books, documents, papers and records of the contractor as they may relate to this contract. LICENSES, PERMITS, AND TAXES The contractor(s) shall pay for all licenses, permits, taxes, and Inspection fees required for this project; and shall comply with all federal, state and local codes, laws, ordinances, regulations and other requirements applicable to the work specified at no additional cost to the purchaser. SUMMARY OF SERVICES The contractor(s) shall furnish The Board's Financial Services Department a detailed Summary of Services provided at the end of each quarterly contract period. The Summary shall include the total of all credits provided to each agency and contractor payments. Failure to provide this information, including no service provided, within thirty (30) calendar days following the end of each quarter may result in the contractor being found in default. 12 SCHOOL BOARD OF SARASOTA COUNTY, FLORIDA REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) UTILITY & TRASH/GARBAGE BILL AUDITING SERVICES — RFP #2043 ENHANCEMENTS Proposers are encouraged to offer additional services with their proposals. Services offered should be explained in detail along with the pricing structure required for such service. The Board reserves the right to include any additional service offered in any contract resulting from this RFP. In addition to recovery of monies for the Board from supplier over billings, the audit firm is expected to provide recommendations to reduce expenses going forward. Most often this would be improved operating efficiencies and/or process enhancements to reduce costs. These efficiencies and/or enhancements should generate Forward Savings to the Board. Proposal containing fees for Forward Saving are not favored by the School Board. Proposals offering additional services may receive a higher evaluation than proposals not offering such services. INTERFACE REQUIREMENTS The Utility Auditing firm will be responsible for collection of data. The contracted auditing firm will then provide a monthly progress report to the Board of their findings, and the Board will forward the findings to the Utility Service Provider for verification and crediting the Board. As an alternative, the Board may authorize the audit firm to contact directly the utility services provider. A letter of authorization to permit the auditing service to contract directly with the utility service provider is required. A copy of your standard letter of AUTHORIZATION shall be provided. BILLING CORRECTIONS & CONTRACTOR BILLING The Utility Auditing contractor(s) will provide all billing corrections to the Board along with an invoice for services. The utility auditing contractor will issue a letter to the Utility Service Provider requiring that all erroneous billing be corrected and that a refund be issued. The contractor will be paid following receipt of the refund. BACK BILLING The Utility Auditing contractor(s) will normally be allowed to audit in arrears for six (6) years of the Board's Utility and trash/garbage bills. ADDITION/DELETION OF ITEMS The Purchasing Office reserves the right to add or delete any related service from this RFP or resulting contract when deemed to be in the Board's best interest. EVALUATION AND AWARD EVALUATION COMMITTEE Responders will be evaluated by an evaluation committee, composed of employees of the Board. 13 THE SCHOOL BOARD OF SARASOTA COUNTY, FLORIDA REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) UTILITY & TRASH/GARBAGE BILL AUDITING SERVICES — RFP# 2043 Proposals that do not conform to mandatory requirements will be rejected and pricing not opened. The evaluation committee's recommendations and findings will be tabulated and ranked by the committee. The committee will evaluate the respondents as follows: EVALUATION PROCEDURES Proposals will be submitted in two sealed envelopes, one to be labeled "TECHNICAL PROPOSAL" and another to be with to "FEE PROPOSAL." administrative Fee proposals willation committee will review the technical be opened only on those proposals determined osals first, to determine iance to be with technical and points. The PROPOSAL having the technically and administratively compliant and having a minimum of sixty-five (65) p ' highest total points will be awarded the contract. TECHNICAL EVALUATION Proposals will be evaluated first on the information provided in Sections 1 through 12. Only the top three proposers, per category, will then have their pricing opened and evaluated. Twenty points will be awarded to the proposers offering the lowest fee. Points will be awarded to the other proposers using the following formula: 20 x (100-X) (100 - Y) = points awarded 20 Where X = fee percentage of the proposal being evaluated and Y = fee of proposal offering the lowest fee (percentage) a. Technical Services Offered 40 1) Management Summary (Sections 1 through 2) 2) Description of Service Structure (Sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 10,11, and 12) 3) Enhancements (Section 7) b. Responsibleness of Proposer 40 1) Identification of Principles and Participants (Section 8) 2) References (Section 9) TOTAL 100 Feestem will result in ection of em I offered be willevaluated valuat d onl forr propose s receiving 65 or mo a rior to fee evaluation. A score of less than 65 points on oints on iItem i1. Points for fees wi l be awarded) as wi11 be ev Y described above. An award will be made by category to the responsive proposer scoring the most points. All other provisions of Awards Paragraph, General Conditions, shall prevail. 14 SEALED BID- DO NOT OPEN BID TITLE: UTILITY & TRASH/GARBAGE BILL AUDITING SERVICES — BID #2043 BID TO BE OPENED ON: SEPTEMBER 18, 2001 AT: 2:00 P.M. Deliver To: PURCHASING DEPARTMENT The School Board of Sarasota County, Florida 101 Old Venice Road Osprey, Florida 34229 Please attach the above "Sealed Bid" notice to the outside of your bid response envelope. 15