informationtechnologyrfps.com · web viewtutorial videos are available on you tube or by clicking...

BIDDER GUIDE

The following information is provided by the City of Columbus to assist you in navigating the formal bid procedures for this RFP. This information is not to supersede or replace any of the actual bid specifications or requirements; its sole purpose is to provide information on the process. If you have any questions regarding the process, please contact the appropriate City of Columbus representative listed on the bid solicitation (for specification questions see instructions below).

Any addenda issued by the City of Columbus will be posted on this site. The City of Columbus will send notification of addenda to Bidders that have an active login id and password with Columbus Vendor Services and are registered for the commodity code(s) associated with this solicitation.

Though the notification methods above will be utilized to notify bidders of addenda it is ultimately the Bidder’s responsibility to check this site for verification of any issued addenda.

IN ORDER FOR YOUR PROPOSAL TO BE CONSIDERED YOU MUST SUBMIT 2 COPIES OF YOUR PROPOSAL (ONE ORIGINAL, ONE SOFT COPY) IN THE FORMAT SPECIFIED BY THE BID CLOSING DATE OF NOVEMBER 9, 2017 BY 11:00 AM LOCAL TIME TO:

CITY OF COLUMBUS, PURCHASING OFFICE77 N. FRONT ST., 5TH FLOOR

COLUMBUS, OH 43215

Be sure to include:

_____ Five (5) completed Performance Questionnaires (Page 25)

_____ Completed Proposal (Page 26)

_____ Completed Affidavit (Page 27)

The City has instructional videos to assist bidders at the portal. Tutorial videos are available to be viewed through You Tube or by clicking the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTIkkGNM7GHIITzoqQVNJlA/videos?shelf_id=0&view=0&sort=dd

-1-



EQUAL OPPORTUNITY CLAUSE

(1) The contractor/vendor/bidder will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, disability, familial status or military status. The contractor will take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment without regard to their race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, disability, familial status or military status. Such action shall include, but not be limited to, the following: employment up-grading, demotion, or termination; rates of pay or other forms of compensation; and selection for training. The contractor agrees to post in conspicuous places, available to employees and applicants for employment, notices summarizing the provisions of this Equal Opportunity Clause.

(2) The contractor will, in all solicitations or advertisements for employees placed by or on behalf of the contractor, state that the contractor is an equal opportunity employer.

(3) It is the policy of the City of Columbus that business concerns owned and operated by M/WBEs shall have the maximum practicable opportunity to participate in the performance of contracts awarded by the city.

(4) The contractor shall permit access to any relevant and pertinent reports and documents by the ODI director for the sole purpose of verifying compliance with this Title and ODI regulations. All such materials provided to the ODI director by the contractor shall be considered confidential.

(5) The contractor will not obstruct or hinder the ODI director or his/her deputies, staff and assistants in the fulfillment of the duties and responsibilities imposed by Title 39 of the Columbus City Codes.

(6) The contractor and each subcontractor will include a summary of this Equal Opportunity Clause in every subcontract. The contractor will take such action with respect to any subcontractor as is necessary as a means of enforcing the provisions of the Equal Opportunity Clause.

(7) The contractor agrees to refrain from subcontracting any part of this contract or contract modification thereto to a contractor not holding a valid certification number as provided for in Title 39.

(8) Failure or refusal of a contractor or subcontractor to comply with the provisions of Title 39 may result in cancellation of this contract.

ALL CONTRACTORS MUST HOLD A VALID CONTRACT COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATION NUMBER ISSUED BY THE OFFICE OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION.

To obtain a Contract Compliance number register at the City of Columbus Vendor Services website: http://vendors.columbus.gov/sites/public

1. Login to the City of Columbus Vendor Services Site and register with the city of Columbus. Once that is completed and approved by the purchasing office, log back in and do the following:2. Select Questionnaires from the Common menu located on the left navigation bar.3. Next select EBO Quest. (this is the contract compliance application)4. Question 1 will be displayed; Answer question 1 and select Forward.5. Proceed through the questionnaire answering each question and selecting Forward to continue. Once you have reached and answered the last question select End to submit.6. Then the questionnaire will be received by the ODI Office, reviewed and process within 2 business days or less. For additional questions regarding this process, contact the Office of Diversity Inclusion at 614-645-4764.

City of Columbus Home Page: www.columbus.gov

-2-

INFORMATION FOR OFFERORS (RFP)

SPECIAL CONDITIONSSpecial conditions included in the specifications, if inconsistent with provisions included in "Information for Offerors (RFP)", shall take precedence over any provisions in "Information for Offerors (RFP)" to the extent inconsistent.

PERSONAL EXAMINATIONOfferors are required to satisfy themselves by personal examination of the proposed contract documents and investigation of the conditions at the site of the work in order that they may be fully informed of the contract requirements, the conditions existing, and the difficulties likely to be encountered in the execution of the work.

SUBMISSION OF RESPONSEResponses must be submitted as specified in this RFP and enclosed in a sealed envelope marked with the bid name and solicitation number. Offerors are invited to be present at the opening of the responses.

All proposals and other material submitted in response to this Request for Proposal (RFP) become the property of the City of Columbus. The City may choose to retain or return these materials to the offeror, at the offeror’s expense.

The City is not liable for any cost associated with the preparation of the proposal or any other costs incurred by any bidder prior to the execution of the contract. The rejection of any proposal in whole or in part, at its discretion, will not render the City liable for incurring any cost or damage.

If at any time prior to the closing date the invited offeror decides not to provide a proposal, the City will appreciate that a letter to that effect be supplied to the City prior to the deadline.

ACCEPTANCE AND REJECTIONThis response submitted by the offeror to the City of Columbus will be accepted or rejected within a period of 180 days from due date. The City reserves the right to waive technicalities, and to cancel and renew the request on the required service. If more than one service, prices shall be quoted on the services requested. However, each service may be considered a separate offer and the City reserves the right to award a contract on each service separately or on all services as a whole or any combination thereof. Offerors whose proposal is made on an "All or None" basis must clearly state such fact in their written responses.

Each invitation for Bids, Request for Statements of Qualifications, and Request for Proposals issued by the City shall state that the Bid or Request may be cancelled and that any bid or proposal may be rejected in whole or in part when it is for good cause and in the best interests of the City.

WITHDRAWAL OF RESPONSE PROPOSALSOfferors may withdraw their responses at any time prior to the time specified in the advertisement as the closing time for the receipt of responses. However, no offeror shall withdraw or cancel a proposal for a period of 180 calendar days after said advertised closing time for the receipt of the proposals.

SIGNATURE REQUIREDThe responses must be signed in ink. If the offeror is a firm or corporation, insert the corporate name followed by the signature of a person authorized to sign said response; if a partnership, indicate partnership name followed by the signature of one of the partners; if a sole proprietorship the signature of the owner is required. Where the person signing for a corporation is NOT an officer or Member of the Company, an affidavit or a resolution of

the Board of Directors showing the authority of that person to bind the corporation must be furnished.

DEFAULT PROVISIONIn case of default by the offeror or the contractor, the City of Columbus may procure the articles or services from other sources and hold the offeror or contractor responsible for any excess costs occasioned or incurred thereby.

CONTRACT AND BONDThe offeror to whom an award is made will be required to execute a written contract with the City of Columbus, Ohio within ten days after receiving such contract for execution, and if specified in the legal notice, furnish a good and approved bond conditioned upon the faithful performance of the same. The proposal, contract, proposal bond, (if applicable), and performance bond (if applicable) shall be in the form herein specified.

If, at any time during the continuance of the Contract, any surety shall, in the opinion of the contracting agent of the City, become irresponsible, then said agent shall have the right to require additional and sufficient surety or sureties. The Contractor shall furnish the surety or sureties to the satisfaction of the said agent, within ten (10) days after notice. In default thereof the default provision herein shall apply.

LIABILITY, INSURANCE, LICENSES AND PERMITSWhere offerors are required to enter or go onto City of Columbus property to deliver materials or perform work or services as a result of contract award, the offeror will assume full duty, obligation and expense of obtaining all necessary licenses, permits, and insurance when required. The offeror shall be liable for any damages or loss to the City occasioned by negligence of the offeror (or his agent) or any person the offeror has designated in the completion of his contract as a result of his response. Particular attention is directed to the statutory requirements of the State of Ohio relative to the licensing of corporation organized under the Laws of any other State.

TAXESThe City, being a municipality, is tax exempt and will provide appropriate artifact upon request. Federal and/or State Taxes are not to be included in prices quoted. The successful offeror will be furnished an exemption certificate if needed.

PRICINGOfferors are to quote firm or fixed prices for the duration of any contract, which may be a result of the proposal unless otherwise noted in the specifications. In case of discrepancy in computing the amount of the cost, the UNIT PRICE quoted will govern. In the event of a conflict between the price in numbers and the price in words, the price in words will control.

DELIVERYTime will be of the essence for any orders placed as a result of this response. Purchaser reserves the right to cancel such orders, or any part thereof, without obligations if delivery is not made within the time(s) specified. Delivery shall be made during normal working hours and to the destination shown on the proposal.

-3-

INFORMATION FOR OFFERORS (RFP) (Continued)

CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONSContractor hereby certifies the following: that it is familiar with Ohio Revised Code (“O.R.C.”) Section 3517.13; that all applicable parties listed in Division (I)(3) or (J)(3) of O.R.C. Section 3517.13 are in full compliance with Divisions (I)(1) and (J)(1) of that Section; that it is eligible for this contract under the law and will remain in compliance with O.R.C. Section 3517.13 for the duration of this contract and for one year thereafter.

QUALITYUnless otherwise stated by the offeror, the proposal will be considered as being in strict accordance with the specifications outlined in this RFP document.

SAMPLESSamples, when requested, must be furnished free of expense to the City and if not destroyed, will upon request be returned at the bidder's expense.

CHANGES AND ADDENDA TO RFP DOCUMENTSEach change or addenda issued in relation to this document will be published on the City’s Vendor Services website no less than five (5) working days prior to the scheduled RFP due date. In addition, to the extent possible, c notice will be e-mailed to each person registered as having interest in the commodities selected for this RFP. Total RFP inquiry or specific item cancellations may be issued later than that time specified above.

REPUDIATION OF AGREEMENTThe liability of the City for repudiation of any agreement which might result from this request shall be limited to the difference between the market price at the time and place for tender of the service and the unpaid sales price together with any incidental damages, but less expenses paid in consequence of the breach by the City. The liability of the city shall not be measured by the profits or overhead of seller.

CONTRACT MODIFICATIONAn agreement which may result from this request shall not be modified or altered by any subsequent course of performance between parties or by additional terms contained in any subsequent documents unless said additional or differing terms are incorporated by contract modification authorized to be entered into by ordinance.

APPLICABLE LAWSThe Revised Code of the State of Ohio, the Charter of the City of Columbus, and all City ordinances insofar as they apply to the laws of competitive bidding, contracts, and purchases, are made a part hereof.

REMEDIESAll claims, counterclaims, disputes and other matters in question between the City, its agents and employees, and the Contractor arising out of or relating to this agreement or its breach will be decided in a court of competent jurisdiction within the County of Franklin, State of Ohio.

OFFERORS TERMS AND CONDITIONSTerms and conditions, submitted with this proposal, which are contrary to City Code or Charter shall be disregarded for the purpose of any subsequent contract. The successful offeror shall be notified as to which terms and conditions, if any, have been deleted or changed.

PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTSThe City of Columbus, as a political subdivision of the State of Ohio, is subject to Ohio Revised Code Chapter 149, known as

the Ohio Public Records Law. Consequently, the Offeror understands that ALL documents submitted in response to this RFP are considered public records and WILL be released when a public records request is made by news media, competitors, or other interested parties, in accordance with the law. If you contend that certain CLEARLY MARKED portions of your response constitute an exception to Ohio’s public records law, you MUST submit your legal basis in support of that assertion with your response.

If a public records request is made for any portion of the documents that you have submitted and you have NOT clearly marked such documents as information constituting an exception to Ohio’s public records law, your information will be released immediately.

If a public records request is made for such information and you HAVE clearly marked portions of your response as information constituting an exception to Ohio’s public records law, AND you have submitted the legal basis supporting such claim, the City will release a redacted version of your information to the requestor and notify you that a request was made and that a redacted version of your response was released. Should the requestor indicate that the redacted version is not sufficient for their purposes, you then will be IMMEDIATELY responsible for obtaining an order from a Court of competent jurisdiction in Franklin County, Ohio enjoining release of your clearly marked information constituting an exception to Ohio’s public records law.

If a public records request is made for such information and you HAVE clearly marked portions of your response as information constituting an exception to Ohio’s public records law, but you have NOT submitted the legal basis supporting such claim, the City WILL RELEASE your information to the requestor and notify you that a request was made and that your response was released.

DO NOT mark your entire response/submittal as information constituting an exception to Ohio’s public records law. If your entire response/submittal is so marked, the City of Columbus will not consider your offer.

COSTS INCURRED FOR PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONSThe City is not liable for any cost associated with the preparation of the proposal or any other costs incurred by any offeror prior to the execution of the contract. The rejection of any proposal in whole or in part, at its discretion, will not render the City liable for incurring any cost or damage.

WITHDRAWL OF PROPOSALSIf at any time prior to the closing date the invited offeror decides not to provide a proposal, the City will appreciate that a letter to that effect be supplied to the City prior to the deadline.

CITY IS TAX EXEMPTThe City, being a municipality, is tax exempt and will provide appropriate certification upon written request.

SAFETY REQUIREMENTSSuccessful vendor shall at all times while performing duties, adhere to all rules of their particular industry, with regard to mandates by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and/or Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and any other regulation applicable to the circumstance.

(INFORMATION FOR OFFERORS continued next page)-3A-

Revised 6-28-07

NON-COLLUSION AFFIDAVITEach respondent is required to submit with his proposal an affidavit stating that neither he nor his agents, nor any other party for him, has paid or agreed to pay, directly or indirectly, any person, firm or corporation any money or valuable consideration for assistance in procuring or attempting to procure the Contract herein referred to, and further agreeing that no such money or regard will be hereafter paid. This affidavit must be on the form required, titled "Non-Collusion Affidavit.”

ADDITIONAL CONTRACT TERMS AND REQUIRED DOCUMENTS IN THE EVENT OF A CONTRACT

This section sets forth contract terms and the required contract documents that the successful offeror must execute following the award of the contract by the contracting authority.

PUBLICATIONSThe Contractor agrees to submit to the City’s Contract Administrator all advertising, sales promotion, and other publicity matters relating to this Contract wherein the City’s name is mentioned or language used from which the connection of the City’s name therewith may, in the City’s judgment, be inferred or implied. The Contractor further agrees not to publish, or use such advertising, sales promotion, or publicity matter without the prior written consent of the City except that may be required under law.

TERMINATION FOR CONVENIENCE The City upon thirty days written notice may terminate this agreement at its convenience. The party providing goods or services shall be entitled compensation for goods provided or services rendered under the terms of this contract up to the date of notification of termination.

TERMINATION FOR DEFAULT If either the City or the Contractor violates any material term or condition of this Contract or fails to fulfill in a timely and proper manner its obligations under this Contract, then the aggrieved party shall give the other party written notice of such failure or violation. The responsible party shall give the other party written notice of such failure or violation. The responsible party will correct the violation or failure within thirty (30) calendar days or as otherwise mutually agreed. If the failure or violation is not corrected, this Contract may be terminated immediately by written notice from the aggrieved party to the other party. The option to terminate shall be the sole discretion of the aggrieved party. If it determined for any reason the failure to perform is without the defaulting party’s control, fault, or negligence, the termination shall be deemed to be a Termination for Convenience.

APPLICABLE LAW, REMEDIESThis agreement shall be governed in accordance with the laws of the State of Ohio. All claims, counterclaims, disputes and other matters in question between the City, its agents and employees, and the Contractor arising out of or relating to this agreement or its breach will be decided in a court of competent jurisdiction within the County of Franklin, State of Ohio. The remedies provided for in this Contract shall not be exclusive but are in addition to all other remedies available under law.

ASSIGNMENTThis agreement may not be assigned or otherwise transferred toothers by the contractor without the prior written consent of the City.

SAVE HARMLESSContractor shall protect, indemnify and save the City harmless from and against any damage, cost, or liability, including reasonable attorneys’ fees resulting from claim, by third parties for any or all injuries to persons or damage to property arising from the acts or omissions of the Contractor, its officers, employees, agents, or Subcontractors in providing goods or services under the terms and conditions of this contract.

SAVE HARMLESS DISCLOSURE OF PROPRIETARY INFORMATIONThe Contractor agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the City of Columbus, Ohio and their respective officials, employees and other agents and representatives, against loss, claim, liability in tort or by statute imposed, charge, cost or expense, including without limitation, attorneys fees to the extent permitted; by law, which may be incurred in connection with, or in any manner of any damage or loss arising from disclosure of proprietary information.

PROPRIETARY INFORMATION INDEMNIFICATIONThe Contractor agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the City of Columbus, Ohio and their respective officials, employees and other agents and representatives, against loss, claim, liability in tort or by statute imposed, charge, cost or expense, including without limitation, attorneys fees to the extent permitted; by law, which may be incurred in connection with, or in any manner of any damage or loss arising from disclosure of proprietary information.

CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATIONThe director of the agency requesting proposals may choose to keep RFP information in confidence during the evaluation process and until the time a contract is executed. This information may include all proposal documentation, notes, including detailed prices, references, resumes, technical and cost information, etc. Thereafter, proposals and all submissions will become public information, as the City is subject to R.C. 149.43, the Public Records Act.

CONTRACTOR’S PROPRIETARY INFORMATIONContractor acknowledges that the City is subject to chapter R.C.149.43, the State of Ohio Public Records Law. The City agrees to keep any information confidential except as otherwise required to be disclosed by law including but not limited to the contract.

INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR STATUSThe Contractor shall perform its duties as an independent contractor and not as an employee. Neither the contractor nor any agent or employee of the contractor shall be or shall be deemed to be an agent or employee of the City of Columbus. The Contractor shall pay when due all required employment taxes and income tax on any monies paid pursuant to the contract. Contractor shall acknowledge that the contractor and its employees are not entitled to unemployment insurance benefits unless the contractor or a third party provides such coverage and that the City does not apply for or otherwise provide such coverage. Contractor shall have no authorization, express or implied, to bind the City to any agreements, liability, or understanding except as expressly set forth in the contract. Contractor shall provide and keep in force worker’s compensation (and show proof of such insurance) and unemployment compensation insurance in the amounts required by law, and shall be solely responsible for the acts of the contractor, it’s employees and agents.

(INFORMATION FOR OFFERORS continued next page)

-3B-Revised 6-28-07

IN THE EVENT OF A CONTRACT (continued)

PROTECTION OF CITY’S CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATIONThe contractor shall acknowledge that some of the material and information which may come into its possession or knowledge in connection with the contract or its performance, may consist of confidential information, the disclosure of which to, or use by, third parties could be damaging. Therefore, access to information concerning individual recipients of the City’s services to individual clients, among other items, shall not be granted except as authorized by law or agency rule. The contractor shall agree to hold all such information in strictest confidence, not to make use thereof for other than the performance of the contract, to release it only to authorized employees or subcontractors requiring such information, and not to release or disclose it to any other party. The contractor shall agree to release such information or material only to subcontractors who have signed a written agreement expressly prohibiting disclosure. The contractor shall further agree to either destroy or return all such information at the end of the term of the contract.

This section does not impose any obligation on the contractor if the information is: (1) publicly known at the time of disclosure; (2) already known to the receiving party at the time it is furnished to the contractor; (3) furnished by the City to others without restrictions on its use or disclosure; or (4) independently developed by the receiving party without use of the proprietary information.

WITHHOLDING OF CITY INCOME TAXPursuant to Section 361.34 Columbus City Codes, 1959: "Said Contractor hereby further agrees to withhold all City income tax assessment due or payable under the provisions of Chapter 361, Columbus City Codes for wages, salaries and commissions paid to its employees and further agrees that any of its subcontractors shall be required to agree to withhold any such City income tax assessments due under said chapters for services performed under this Contract."

WORKER'S COMPENSATION INSURANCEThe contractor shall take out and maintain, during the life of the contract, adequate worker's compensation insurance for all his employees employed at the site of the project and, in case any work is sublet, the contractor shall require the subcontractor similarly to provide worker's compensation insurance for the latter's employees, unless such employees are covered by the protection afforded by the contractor. The contractor shall furnish three (3) copies of the worker's compensation certificate showing that the contractor has paid his industrial insurance premium.

AUTHORITY TO BINDThe signatories to this Contract represent that they have the authority to bind themselves and their respective organizations to this Contract.

PUBLIC LIABILITY INSURANCEThe contractor shall take out and maintain during the life of the contract, such public liability (bodily injury and property damage) Insurance as shall protect him from claims from damages for personal injury, including accidental death, as well as from claims for property damage which may arise from operations under the contract, whether such operation be by himself or any subcontractor or by anyone directly or indirectly employed by either of them. Such insurance policy shall include the City as named insured. The contractor shall maintain coverage of the types and in the amounts specified

below. Proof of such insurance coverage shall be evidenced by submitting a certificate of insurance. A contractor's "umbrella" type policy with limits specified below may be submitted for this requirement with the City as named insured.

The amount of such insurance shall be as follows:

Bodily Injury Liability:

Each Person $1,000,000.00Each Accident 1,000,000.00

Property Damage Liability:

Each Person $1,000,000.00All Accidents 1,000,000.00

Such insurance shall remain in full force and effect during the life of the contract.

Insurance may not be changed or cancelled unless the insured notifies the City in writing not less than thirty days prior to such change or cancellation. If any part of the contract is sublet, the contractor is responsible for the part sublet being adequately covered by insurance hereinabove described.

Contractor assumes all risk of loss and damage to the equipment provided unless loss or damage occurs at the time the operator and equipment are being operated for the purpose designated by the City and such loss or damages is caused by an act of the City or its employee which constitutes gross negligence or wanton misconduct

-3C-Revised 10-2-07

City of Columbus Department of Public Safety

Request for ProposalsTowing Management System

1.0 SCOPE AND CLASSIFICATION

1.1 Background: The City of Columbus is the 14th largest city in the United States. The Department of Public Safety oversees the Divisions of Police, Fire and Support Services and comprises nearly 70% of the city’s budget. The Division of Police is one of the top 25 largest departments in the United States with approximately 1,900 sworn personnel serving a diverse community of over 850,106 residents and patrolling over 226 square miles in Franklin and contiguous counties. The Division of Police is responsible for the safety and welfare of the traveling public on all public streets, state routes, interstates, and waterways, as well as those endangered by parking violations, accidents and/or abandonment of vehicles and watercraft within the Metropolitan Columbus Area as well as on City owned land.

The City of Columbus, Department of Public Service, Parking Violations Bureau (“PVB”) is committed to providing and enforcing an orderly turnover of parking in the downtown and other business districts that enhance the City’s quality of life and economic vitality. The PVB works side-by-side with the Columbus Division of Police (“CPD”) on all enforcement aspects from ticketing, towing, impounding, and releasing vehicles in violation of the law.

The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) recently pledged $40 million to Columbus, Ohio as the winner of the Smart City Challenge. With this funding, Columbus intends to define what it means to be a “Smart City” and serve as a model for other cities wishing to fully integrate innovative technologies, such as self-driving cars, connected vehicles, and smart sensors, into the transportation network. Columbus is acting as a laboratory for Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and disseminating lessons learned and best practices to cities across the United States in an effort known as Smart Columbus. The goal of the Smart Columbus project is to connect people by creating opportunity for city residents to better access jobs and services while improving the overall safety and efficiency of the transportation network. The goal of the Smart Columbus project is both exciting and ambitious given the four-year implementation time frame which began in the summer of 2016 and will conclude in the summer of 2020.

In an effort to assist in improving the transportation network and accessing innovative technology, the City of Columbus seeks a smart solution to towing management services. The Departments of Public Safety and Public Service are committed to leveraging technology to increase transparency, accountability and efficiency aligning with best practices in the rapidly evolving fields of law enforcement and parking violations. In 2017, a committee was convened to investigate the use of Towing Management Services (TMS) as a way to streamline the towing of vehicles in response to clearing accident scenes, violations of parking codes and improving the landscape of the City by towing abandoned vehicles. The committee, comprised of stakeholders from various City agencies, reviewed towing operations and RFPs from other cities that have contracted with a TMS, along with mapping the current towing procedure that the City currently employs. In an effort to increase transparency and accountability, and decrease response time/down time of police officers and parking enforcement officers, the committee is focused on improving the efficiency of dispatching services.

4



The purpose of the Request for Proposals (“RFP”) is for the City to enter into a contract for a TMS solution with a qualified Offeror (the “Contractor”).

1.2 Scope: Pursuant to Columbus City Code Chapter 2107, the City of Columbus may tow and/or impound motor vehicles. A towing management service would facilitate the expediency and efficiency of dispatching tow vehicles, and all necessary equipment and services relevant for the removal of a motor vehicle. As such, it is the intent of the City of Columbus, Department of Public Safety to seek a RFP to establish a contract for the Division of Police for a management service for towing and/or impounding of motor vehicles and watercraft. It is required that technology be leveraged for dispatching services and that the successful Offer have a procedure in place to manage web-based and mobile application system maintenance with 99.9% uptime. The City is seeking proposals from responsible Offerors capable of providing any necessary services and requested components. The term shall be for a period of three (3) years starting April 1, 2018 through March 31, 2021, with the possible extension of three (3), one (1) year extensions (as per section 3.1.1). The successful Offeror will be responsible for accepting CPD Officers and Parking Enforcement Officers (PEOs) requests for a tow and for dispatching the appropriate tow vehicle(s), with the expectation of accepting and dispatching approximately twenty three thousand (23,000) tow requests and watercraft annually, based on prior year’s volume.

1.3 Classification: Offerors are encouraged to submit proposals that demonstrate the Offeror’s competence, ability, past performance, quality, feasibility, and cost, as defined in this request. The City may contract with one or more Offerors chosen through this RFP process.

1.4 Specification Questions: Questions regarding this RFP must be submitted on the Vendor Services portal no later than 11:00 a.m. (local time) on October 24, 2017. Responses and any necessary addendums will be posted to this solicitation on the City’s website (vendors.columbus.gov/sites/public) no later than 4:00 p.m. (local time) on October 31, 2017.

1.5 For additional information concerning this RFP, including procedures on how to submit a proposal, please visit the City of Columbus Vendor Services website at http://vendors.columbus.gov/sites/public and view this bid number. Tutorial videos are available on You Tube or by clicking the following link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTIkkGNM7GHIITzoqQVNJlA/videos?shelf_id=0&view=0&sort=dd

2.0 APPLICABLE STANDARDS AND PUBLICATIONS

2.1 Proposals submitted to the City of Columbus Department of Public Safety failing to comply with all or part of any applicable Columbus City or Ohio Revised code sections, including Columbus City Code Chapter 2107, may be deemed non-responsive and will need to be remedied before the City could consider entering into a contract. If there is a substantive change in the Columbus City Code resulting in additional legal requirements, the successful Offeror will be required to comply with any such changes.

5





2.2 The successful Offeror must meet or exceed all State of Ohio and Federal safety guidelines and standards.

2.3 The successful Offeror must meet or exceed all OSHA applicable guidelines and standards.

2.4 The successful Offeror must meet or exceed all applicable lighting and equipment standards per the Department of Transportation (D.O.T.) and Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (F.M.V.S.S.)

2.5 Any proposed solution must meet or exceed guidelines and standards outlined in the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Security Policy for creation, viewing, modification, transmission, dissemination, storage, and destruction of Criminal Justice Information (CJI).

3.0 SPECIFICATIONS

3.1 General Information:

3.1.1 Term: The term shall be for a period of three (3) years starting April 1, 2018 through March 31, 2021 with the possible extension of three (3), one (1) year extensions.

3.1.2 Quantity Estimate: It is estimated that twenty-three thousand (23,000) vehicles will be towed annually, based on prior experience (2014 - 21,006; 2015 - 22,974; 2016 - 25,068). The services and quantities shown are examples of the needs of the City and are for bidding purposes only. Any estimates are not to be construed as representing an actual request for that amount of services, or a guarantee that any minimum amount will actually be realized.

3.1.3 Non-disclosure: The Offeror agrees that no information will be disclosed to third parties or published in case studies, advertisements, white papers, customer testimonials, etc. without the written consent of the City.

3.2 Offeror Requirements:

3.2.1 Experience Required: Documentation shall include (at a minimum) information complying with the following criteria:

3.2.1.1 Offeror Performance: The Offeror and any proposed subcontractors shall provide documentation of at least fifteen thousand (15,000) successful tows annually for the past two (2) years. This history is to include tows of vehicles that weigh in excess of fourteen thousand nine hundred ninety-nine (14,999) pounds. The use of any proposed subcontractors to fulfill this total shall be shown in the distribution breakdown. Please attach any supplemental pages as may be necessary to meet these requirements. The City has the right to audit these totals prior to awarding a contract.

6



3.2.2 Subcontractor Information Required: If known at the time of submission, please list any subcontractor names, addresses, telephone numbers, and contact person for each subcontractor. Attach any supplemental pages as may be necessary to meet these requirements. All subcontractors must have valid contract compliance certification with the City of Columbus before a contract can be signed.

3.2.2.1 Subcontractor Contact: Should the successful Offeror use subcontractors, the City shall use the Offeror as the primary contact point.

3.2.2.2 On a semi-annual basis during this contract, the successful Offeror will submit a listing of all subcontracted towing companies.

3.2.2.3 Updates are to be forwarded to the Columbus Division of Police, Impound Unit within twenty-four (24) hours of any changes occurring to the list of subcontracting towing companies.

3.2.3 Competence and Training: The successful Offeror must assure that any towing company performing work on behalf of the City of Columbus is fully equipped and has drivers that are properly trained and capable of safely impounding or towing vehicles. Please indicate training methods and programs used to ensure compliance with this request.

3.2.4 Minimum Dispatched Tow Vehicles: As determined and directed by the Director of Public Safety, the successful Offeror shall have at its dispatch disposal a minimum of thirty (30) suitably equipped tow vehicles to provide for the movement or removal of motor vehicles and watercraft from the public streets, alleys, highways, private property, public property and waterways only upon specific written, verbal or technically leveraged requests from a CPD Officer or PEO.

3.2.5 Special Event Tow Requests: The successful Offeror shall independently and in advance be aware of and prepared for the need to ensure that a fleet of up to forty (40) additional tow vehicles are on standby during special events to remove vehicles (e.g. street sweeping schedules, OSU games, etc.). CPD and/or PVB shall contact the successful Offeror in advance of such special events and establish staging times for towing vehicles. Notwithstanding this requirement, these special event tow vehicles are separate and independent from the minimum number of tow vehicles required as referenced in 3.2.4.

3.2.6 Equipment List: Please submit a complete inventory of all vehicles and equipment available to fulfill the needs of this proposal with Offeror’s response. If known at the time of submission, please describe by subcontractor using the following format: Vehicle Unit/Year/Make/Model/Type of Tow and Vehicle Manufacturer of Body and Lift Assembly.

7



3.2.7 Licensing: For the duration of this contract, the contractor shall obtain and maintain all license and certificates required by the State of Ohio, Franklin County, Ohio and the City of Columbus.

3.2.8 Towing management service and towing services shall be provided twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week, three hundred sixty five (365) days per year including holidays and other observances.

3.2.9 Upon notification for a towing vehicle (or heavy equipment), the tow vehicle and operator shall arrive within thirty (30) minutes after dispatch to the location within the Metropolitan Columbus Area. Time limits specified in this section are intended to pertain to responses within the general boundaries of Columbus Metropolitan Area, under ideal weather conditions. When distances are considerable and/or weather conditions are inclement, “reasonable” extensions may be granted.

3.2.10 Towing companies shall use the Quick Clearance Policy when applicable.

3.2.10.1 The Quick Clearance Policy is defined as: “A planned and coordinated action to detect and remove roadway obstructions as quickly and as safely as possible, in order to restore the normal flow of traffic.” The policy of the Columbus Division of Police is: “On the freeway system, all personnel will utilize a quick clearance policy. In instances where a vehicle other than a commercial motor vehicle has been involved in a property damage or injury accident, that vehicle will be removed from the active roadway as soon as safely possible. The preferred course of action is to remove all vehicles from the freeway system and then complete all necessary paperwork. When encountering roadway obstructions involving commercial motor vehicles, officers will have a plan before attempting to clear the roadway of the commercial motor vehicle. This plan will constitute at the least, input from the senior on-scene Traffic and Engineering personnel (ODOT or City of Columbus), a traffic supervisor and a representative from the involved towing company. Under no circumstances will officers attempt to move a motor vehicle when the following circumstances exist:

A vehicle carrying Hazardous Material has overturned or received significant structural damage: or

The vehicle is involved in a fatal or potential fatality.

In the instances above, approval MUST BE OBTAINED FROM THE PROPER FIRE OFFICIALS, THE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION UNIT, OR BOTH, BEFORE MOVING THE VEHICLE. In the course of implementing this policy, additional damage may be caused to the vehicle being moved. Officers will assess the situation and determine what is in the best interest of the motoring public. Additional damage to vehicles and the roadway is acceptable if it is necessary for the safety of the motoring public.”

8



3.2.11 To tow vehicles to clear streets in emergency situations other than accidents, i.e. fallen trees, telephone poles, etc. (Stand-by time will be included in the hourly rate.)

3.2.12 To tow vehicles impounded for impoundable offenses. (Stand-by time will be included in the hourly rate.)

3.2.13 Respond to calls by CPD and PVB to relocate vehicles or impound, for such activities as parades, Ohio State University football games, paving of streets, etc. Usually advance notice will be given when possible. (Stand-by time will be included in the hourly rate.)

3.2.14 Recover watercraft and vehicles from reservoirs, quarries, rivers, ponds, etc. (Stand-by time will be included in the hourly rate.)

3.2.15 To tow disabled or stranded City of Columbus CPD or PVB vehicles to the Municipal Garage located at 4211 Groves Road or other city facility as directed by the Division of Police or PEOs.

3.2.16 To provide services for CPD and PVB vehicles stuck or stranded in the mud or snow.

3.2.17 To provide services for CPD and PVB vehicles not requiring towing; i.e. gasoline, battery jump, tire change and other minor problems. An officer will handle a tire change by making an assistance request call and letting the tow vehicle know if there is a spare tire on board. If so, the tow vehicle will proceed to the location and change the tire. If no spare tire is on board, the tow vehicle will tow the vehicle to the Municipal Garage or any other facility as directed.

3.2.18 Prior to leaving a towing scene, the tow vehicle is required to remove any debris from the roadway that is connected with the incident and/or vehicle being towed.

3.2.19 To tow vehicles upon the request of the owner or operator.

3.2.20 Once the vehicle is loaded or hitched or otherwise secured for towing services, the towing service shall transport the vehicle to the appropriate destination immediately, without unnecessary delay or otherwise.

3.2.21 The successful Offeror shall monitor a system of quality control over any subcontractor and shall enforce such system for any tow company that fails to meet the standards and requirements of the City’s codes, licensing, or procedures outlined in the Towing Management Services contract.

3.2.22 On at least a monthly basis, the successful Offeror shall contract and arrange for up to eight (8) tow vehicles to straighten, consolidate and/or rearrange all vehicles in the City’s Police Impound Lot. This shall be completed at the request and direction of the Impound Lot Sergeant.

9



3.2.23 Prior to departing the scene, the successful Offeror shall require any tow vehicle removing a vehicle from the scene to verify that all towing information is accurate including vehicle make, model, and color.

3.2.24 The successful Offeror shall correctly dispatch requested and appropriate towing equipment for the incident.

3.2.25 The successful Offeror shall determine the location of the incident for CPD Officers and PEOs who do not have GPS capabilities.

3.2.26 For CPD Officers and PEOs who call dispatch directly, the successful Offeror shall follow a similar line of questions and prompts to determine the proper equipment to be sent to the location/incident.

3.2.27 Any web-based software and/or mobile application used by the successful Offeror must have the ability to manage towing and impound services and records.

3.2.28 Any web-based software and/or mobile application used to manage towing and impound services and records must be configured for multiple mobile platforms.

3.2.29 Any web-based software and/or mobile application utilized by the successful Offeror must have the ability to route a call for service to a tow vehicle driver.

3.2.30 Any web-based software and/or mobile application used by the successful Offeror must have the ability to utilize GPS to locate tow vehicles and requesters of service.

3.2.31 Any web-based software and/or mobile application shall not store any towing information local to the device to which it’s being entered.

3.2.32 CPD Officers, CPD Dispatch, and PEOs shall have real-time or immediate access to any and all electronic records and reports and the ability to update information.

3.2.33 Any web-based software and/or mobile application shall allow CPD Officers and PEOs the ability to input specific incident criteria.

3.2.34 Any web-based software and/or mobile application shall have the ability to interface with CPD vehicle electronic databases.

3.2.35 The successful Offeror must have the ability to generate real-time and/or comprehensive reports for all towing services.

3.2.36 In the event of a web-based and/or mobile application system disruption, data loss, data corruption or likewise, the Offeror must have a means to handle daily back-ups and data recovery and store forward capability.

10



3.2.37 The successful Offeror must have a procedure to handle web-based and mobile application system maintenance with minimal 99.9% uptime.

3.2.38 In the event of a disaster, the Offeror must have a recovery time objective of forty-eight (48) hours for the web-based and/or mobile based system.

3.3 Price: Pricing is not requested during the initial stage of the RFP process. However, prices shall be firm for the duration of the final contract.

3.3.1 The impounding fees set forth in Section 2107.06 of the Columbus City Codes (Attachment A) are the maximum towing fees that may be bid.

3.3.2 Monthly payments will be made to the successful Offeror pursuant to the terms of this proposal pertaining to towing. However, fifteen dollars ($15.00) of the towing fee will go to the City of Columbus as an Administrative charge per motor vehicle or watercraft, towed by the successful Offeror upon the authorization of a CPD Officer or PEO.

3.3.3 Escalator Clause: If there is a change in the Columbus City Code resulting in an increase for towing charges, the successful Offeror may request an increase in the cost of the towing services contracted during the balance of the contract period. Upon thirty (30) days advanced written notice, an increase may be allowed, if proper documentation is submitted as proof. The written notice and proper documentation shall be sent to: City of Columbus, Department of Public Safety, Division of Police Impound Lot, 2700 Impound Lot Road, Columbus, Ohio 43207.

3.3.3.1 “Proper Documentation” is defined as: Business publications, market quotations or trade journals recognized in the trade or industry as reflecting accurate pricing information for the finished goods or services in this contract, published price lists generally used by the vendor in his/her trade or business, including information which reflects the increase in cost of materials, supplies or components used in the finished product in contract.

3.4 Citizen’s Complaint System: The successful Offeror shall have a Citizen’s Complaint System to manage reported damaged or missing parts/property claims, as a result of a towing service at the order of a CPD Officer or PEO. The successful Offeror will be responsible for promptly investigating each complaint and making a just disposition. The City will not be liable for any negligent damage caused during towing or impounding of a vehicle by the Offeror or any subcontractor. Consecutively numbered forms will be used to record and document all activities related to the complaint. The forms will be kept on file with the successful Offeror and open for inspection by appropriate Division of Police personnel as needed. Please provide with your proposal an example of a form and an explanation of your Citizen’s Complaint System.

3.5 Bond: The successful Offeror will be required to provide a performance bond or certified check in the amount of five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) within ten (10) business days of the

11



award of this contract. No contract shall be considered as fully executed unless the performance bond/certified check is received by the City.

3.6 Specification Questions: Questions regarding this RFP must be submitted on the Vendor Services portal no later than 11:00 a.m. (local time) on October 24, 2017. Responses and any necessary addendums will be posted to this solicitation on the City’s website (vendors.columbus.gov/sites/public) no later than 4:00 p.m. (local time) on October 31, 2017. Offerors who have not registered and received a login and password from the City’s web portal are strongly encouraged to do so as soon as possible. Notice of any notes and addendums will only be sent to Offerors whom have registered at the site. Offerors will not be able to respond unless registered at the City’s web portal.

3.6.1 For detailed instructions on how to submit and view vendor questions and answers, please refer to the City of Columbus Vendor Services User Guide at http://vendors.columbus.gov/_layouts/ep/custom/VendorUserGuide.pdf, page 16.

4.0 PAYMENT

4.1 Successful Offerors will invoice the City of Columbus on a monthly basis for each service less the City Administrative Fee per Section 3.3.2.

4.2 Original invoices are to be sent to:City of Columbus Division of Police Impound Lot2700 Impound Lot RoadColumbus, OH 43207

5.0 STANDARDS OF OPERATION

5.1 Towing companies that cannot have the necessary equipment to the scene within thirty (30) minutes, without just cause, will be prohibited from being dispatched on City of Columbus calls for a period of two (2) weeks. Enforcement shall occur during monthly billing audits. Excessive violations may be subject to dismissal of the offending subcontractor or its employees.

6.0 NOTICES

6.1 Every Offeror must recognize that even though the proposal is accepted and the documents are signed by the Offeror to whom an award is made and by the Director of Public Safety on behalf of the City, that no such award of signing by the Director of Public Safety shall be considered a binding contract without the approval of the City Attorney as to the form and legality of the contract.

6.2 Each Offeror, who is a foreign corporation, that is a corporation not chartered in Ohio, may be required to submit an affidavit duly executed by the President, Vice President, or General Manager of the corporation stating that said foreign corporation has, in accordance with the

12



provisions of the Revised Code of the State of Ohio, obtained a certificate authorizing the corporation to do business in the State of Ohio. (These certificates or certified copies are obtainable from the Office of the Secretary of State, Columbus, Ohio.) The successful Offeror shall provide such documents upon request.

7.0 INSURANCE

7.1 Insurance Requirements and Workers Compensation: The successful Offeror is required to provide the following before final execution of the contract:

7.1.1 Liability Insurance: The Contractor shall obtain and maintain during the life of the contract, such Public Liability (bodily injury and property damage) Insurance as shall protect the Contractor from claims from damages for personal injury, including accidental death, as well as from claims for property damage which may arise from operations under the contract, whether such operation be by the Contractor or any subcontractor or by anyone directly or indirectly employed by either of them. Such insurance policy shall include the City as named insured. The Contractor shall maintain coverage of the types and in the amounts specified below. Submitting a certificate of insurance shall evidence proof of such insurance coverage. A Contractor's "umbrella" type policy with limits specified below may be submitted for this requirement, with the City as named insured.

The amount of such insurance shall be as follows:

Bodily Injury Liability Each Person . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$ 1,000,000.00 Each Accident . . . . . . . . . . . .$ 1,000,000.00

Property Damage Liability Each Person . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$ 1,000,000.00 Each Accident . . . . . . . . . ….$ 1,000,000.00

Such insurance shall remain in full force and effect during the life of the contract.

Insurance may not be changed or cancelled unless the insured and the City are notified in writing not less than thirty (30) days prior to such change or cancellation. If any part of the contract is sublet, the Contractor is responsible for the part sublet being adequately covered by insurance herein above described.

The Contractor assumes all risk of loss and damage to the equipment provided unless loss or damage occurs at the time the operator and equipment are being operated for the purpose designated by the City and such loss or damages is caused by an act of the City or its employee which constitutes gross negligence or wanton misconduct.

13



7.1.2 Workers Compensation: The successful Contractor shall obtain and maintain during the life of this contract, adequate worker’s compensation insurance for all employees employed at the site of the project and, in case any work is sublet, the Contractor shall require the subcontractor similarly to provide worker’s compensation insurance for the latter’s employees, unless such employees are covered by the protection afforded by the contractor. The successful Contractor shall furnish one (1) copy of the worker’s compensation certificate showing that the Contractor has paid the required industrial insurance premium.

8.0 RFP OVERVIEW AND EVALUATION PROCESS

8.1 RFP Overview: The Offeror’s response to this RFP should be a clear and concise description of the Offeror’s capabilities and proposed offerings. The RFP will be evaluated using (1) the competence of the Offeror to perform under the contract as indicated by the technical training, education and experience of the Offeror's personnel who would be assigned to perform the work; (2) the quality and feasibility of the Offeror's technical proposal; (3) the ability of the Offeror to perform under the contract competently and expeditiously as indicated by the Offeror's workload and the availability of necessary personnel, equipment and facilities; and (4) past performance of the Offeror as reflected by evaluations of the city agency, other city agencies and other previous clients of the Offeror with respect to such factors as quality of work, success in controlling costs, and success in meeting deadlines. Each of these factors is to be responded to in the manner described herein. The City of Columbus is not asking for a cost structure during the initial phase of the RFP process. Selected Offerors will be invited to provide cost structure information at later stages of the process.

8.2 Process Summary: The City will appoint an evaluation committee to evaluate proposals received. The committee will evaluate all Offerors and proposals received and rank the Offerors based upon the evaluation criteria specified in the RFP. The committee may then select two (2) or more of the highest qualified Offerors with which to hold additional discussions. The discussions may include, but are not limited to, presentations by the Offerors to the committee to elaborate upon the Offeror’s qualifications, proposals, and/or other pertinent information. Based upon the content of the proposals received including any revisions thereto, and upon any additional discussions with the Offerors, the committee shall rank the remaining Offerors based upon the evaluation criteria specified in the RFP. The committee shall submit its ranking of the Offerors along with a written explanation to the Public Safety Director and Public Service Director. The Public Safety Director and the Public Service Director shall select the Offeror(s) with which to enter into contract negotiations. If negotiations fail, negotiations with the Offeror(s) shall be terminated, and the City may enter into contract negotiations with other respective Offeror(s).

8.2.1 RFP Sequence of Events: The following RFP sequence of events represents the City’s best estimate of the schedule that will be followed. Exact times for questions / answers (in Section 3.6) and due date (on the RFP cover page) are noted in this document and will be published on Vendor Services and in the City Bulletin: - RFP Issued October 10- Deadline for written questions: October 24

14



- City response to questions: October 31 - RFP Due: November 9- Notification of finalists: By December 1- Presentations to City: Week of January 7,2018- Negotiations begin: Week of January 14, 2018- Contract completed: By March 11, 2018- Contract Commencement: April 1, 2018

8.3 Communications: During the proposal and evaluation process, Offerors are strictly prohibited from communicating with any City employees or officers regarding this solicitation except through the method stated immediately above during the Question & Answer Period. Any communication from the vendor to the City after the Question & Answer period should be limited to only what is necessary. Necessary communication required by the City will be communicated clearly to Offerors. If any Offeror has a need to communicate with the City, the communication should come only to the Chair of the Committee. If a City employee attempts to communicate with an Offeror contrary to this provision, the Offeror shall report said incident to the Chair of the Committee. The Chair is Mr. Richard Metheney. He can be reached at [email protected] or 614-645-4641. A violation of this section on the part of the Offeror will lead to disqualification.

8.4 Proposal Submittal Guidelines: Submit one (1) original, and one (1) soft copy on a flash drive or CD, including copies of any literature, brochures, etc. The original and each copy should be bound or placed in a three ring type binder and clearly labeled with the RFP number and name of the Offeror. It is preferred that proposals provide responses in the order presented and that sections are separated by tabbed inserts or otherwise clearly delineated for ease of review. Please submit proposals by the submission deadline to:

City of Columbus, Purchasing Office77 N. Front St., 5th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215

8.5 Evaluation Criteria: The City will use the requirements of this section to determine if each Offeror meets the minimum standards to be considered a responsible Offeror.

8.5.1 Section One – Competence (15 points): The competence of the Offeror to perform the required service as indicated by the technical training, education and experience of the Offeror's personnel who would be assigned to perform the work.

8.5.2 Section Two – Quality and Feasibility (50 points): The quality and feasibility of the Offeror's technical proposal. Offeror will demonstrate through the conversion of the RFP technical specifications into detailed line drawings and documents that clearly explain how the Offeror meets the operational needs expressed by the preferences of the technical specifications. The committee will give points to Offerors who clearly demonstrate their compliance with the needs defined in the technical specifications. If the Offeror does not include a specific item preferred in the technical specification, the Offeror will be scored based on its ability to demonstrate how the offer meets the high

15

mailto:[email protected]



quality demands of the City of Columbus and the feasibility of Offeror’s proposed solution.

8.5.3 Section Three – Ability (15 points): The ability of the Offeror to perform the required service competently and expeditiously as indicated by the Offeror's workload and the availability of necessary personnel, equipment and facilities.

8.5.4 Section Four – Past Performance (20 points): The past performance of the Offeror as reflected by evaluations of the City, other city agencies and other previous clients of the Offeror with respect to such factors as quality of work, success in controlling costs and success in meeting deadlines.

8.5.5 Section Five – Cost (30 points): Do not submit a cost structure with the proposal. The highest scoring Offerors will be invited to submit cost proposals during a later phase. This is not a scored component in the first phase.

8.6 Section One – Competence (15 points):

8.6.1 Provide sufficient information in a clear, concise manner to the City to evaluate the competence of the Offeror to perform the requested services. Information in Section One should be limited to no more than seven (7) pages and should include:

• The technical training of staff assigned to perform this service;• Experience of personnel and subcontractors assigned to perform this service; and• Experience of lead project manager assigned to oversee this service.

8.7 Section Two – Quality and Feasibility (50 points):

8.7.1 Provide detailed information in a clear, concise manner addressing each of the technical specifications listed below. Information in Section Two will not have a page limit.

8.7.2 Technical Specifications:

8.7.2.1 Scope: It is the intent of these specifications to describe the towing management solution in sufficient detail to secure proposals. Offerors should address each subsection in the proposal. The technical specifications are to provide Offerors with guidelines and are not meant to prevent Offerors from proposing alternate solutions. In all instances, the Offeror is to clearly indicate how the proposed solution meets the desire of the City of Columbus for a commercially available towing management solution. The Offeror shall include an appropriate explanation of the type of equipment offered in detail, and with full supporting data to ensure that the City can properly evaluate the proposal.

16



8.7.2.2 All parts not mentioned, which are necessary to provide a complete commercially available towing management solution, shall be included in the offer and shall conform in strength and quality of workmanship to what is usually provided to the trade in general.

The proposal should preferably not include components, or finished units that are of a prototype nature, or have not been in production for a sufficient period of time to prove the Offerors performance capabilities. The City will determine the acceptability of any proposal of prototype/refurbished equipment.

Mention in the technical specification of any equipment or material by brand name is intended to convey to the Offeror the degree of quality requested.

8.7.2.3 Offerors shall submit detailed specifications for hardware, physical environment and infrastructure needs which clearly show all of the necessary components of the commercially available towing management solution being offered. Offerors may also submit descriptive literature, brochures, etc.

8.7.3 City Technology:

8.7.3.1 Mobile Systems: Mobile Data connectivity in Police cruisers is achieved through both built-in Wi-Fi and external modem connected to private Wi-Fi and public 4G LTE wireless networks that first passes through the VPN application NetMotion. NetMotion provides a persistent connection for the MDC, and creates a VPN tunnel through the 4G LTE public network into the City’s LAN via the internet. Only video upload is accomplished through private Wi-Fi connections.

8.7.3.1.1 Police MDCs are routinely used as an extension of the user’s desktop, with Active Directory authentication, folder redirection, Mobile CAD, and other standard desktop applications. Additional applications used by officers in the field are to include Panasonic Arbitrator, Motorola PremierOne records management system, State of Ohio Law Enforcement Automated Data System (LEADS), Intergraph Computer-Aided Dispatch, DataWorks Mugshot, Franklin Co Sheriff License plate reader, Safran MorphoTrac AFIS, Matrix case management, Divisional Intranet, custom application Patrol View, Orion AgencyWeb, SharePoint and other various applications.

8.7.3.1.2 Mobile data in the City of Columbus environment consists of the following:

Fujitsu T732 Fujitsu T731

17



i7 processors i7 processors

Windows 7 Enterprise – 64 bit OS Windows 7 Enterprise – 64 bit OS

8 GB RAM 8 GB RAM

320 GB HDD 250 GB HDD

DVD CD/ROM Drive DVD CD/ROM Drive

Wi-Fi AC and Bluetooth Wi-Fi AC and Bluetooth

Ethernet Ethernet

Touch Screen Touch Screen

NetMotion Wireless Mobility client NetMotion Wireless Mobility client

Mobile Communications Mobile Communications

Verizon 4G LTE data services Verizon 4G LTE data services

8.7.3.2 Network: Any network connections with the City to interface data between systems must be approved by the Departments of Technology, Public Safety and Public Service.

8.7.4 Security: The City seeks to implement security controls that are both reasonable and appropriate for protecting the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the City’s information resources. For guidance, the City uses NIST special publications and regulatory frameworks such as CJIS. While a formal risk assessment and system categorization are not yet available, the breach of confidentiality, integrity and/or availability of the proposed body camera system would be expected to have a serious, possibly severe, adverse effect on City operations, City assets, or individuals. Security controls must be appropriately designed and implemented accordingly.

8.7.5 Vendor Specifications:

8.7.5.1 Vendor company information

8.7.5.1.1 Please provide detailed information on the Offeror’s company’s services and capabilities, background and history (including acquisitions, bankruptcies, and reorganizations) management and key personnel bios.

8.7.6 Technical Support: The selected Offeror must have technical support services available. The City requires this support be on a toll free basis, twenty-four (24) hours

18



a day, seven (7) days a week, three hundred sixty-five (365) days a year during the entire contract period with a thirty (30) minutes or less response time to problems, with a clearly defined priority escalation process. The selected Offeror shall also provide on-site technical support when required. This on-site support shall be requested when it is determined the problem cannot be corrected by telephone support. Offerors shall include a description in the proposal response outlining the support services offered and any limitations thereof.

Severity Definition ResponseTime

ResolutionTime

Status Frequency Update

1=Critical A major component of the System is in a non-responsive state and severely affects Users’ productivity or operations. A high impact problem which affects the Users.

Thirty (30) Minutes

Four (4)Hours

Thirty (30) Minutes

2=Urgent Any component failure or loss of functionality not covered in Severity 1, which is hindering operations, such as, but not limited to: excessively slow response time; functionality degradation; error messages; backup problems; or issues affecting the use of a module or the data.

One (1)Hour

Eight (8)Hours

Two (2)Hours

3=Important Lesser issues, questions, or items that minimally impact the work flow or require a work around.

Four (4) Hours

Seventy-two(72) Hours

Four (4)Hours

4=Minor Issues, questions, or items that don’t impact the work flow. Issues that can easily be scheduled such as an upgrade or patch.

Twenty-four (24) Hours

One (1) Month for an acceptable work around until final resolution

WeeklyStatus Call

19



8.7.7 SPECIFICATIONS FOR TOWING MANANGEMENT SOLUTION – PROVIDE A DETAILED RESPONSE TO EACH OF THE ITEMS FOR THE OFFEROR’S PROPOSAL:

Towing Management1 Proposed solution must be able to supply all necessary equipment to tow, impound or recover

any type of vehicle or watercraft and clear the scene of any debris. Please describe how you will meet that requirement.

2 A minimum of thirty (30) suitably equipped tow vehicles must be available at all times to provide for the movement or removal of motor vehicles and watercraft from the public streets, alleys, highways, private property, public property and waterways. Please describe how you will meet this requirement.

3 The Offeror must assure that any towing company performing work on behalf of the City of Columbus is fully equipped, has drivers that are properly trained and capable of safely impounding or towing vehicles. Please describe how you will maintain this level of integrity for tow vehicles and drivers.

4 Management of towing must include tows to both City and Private lots. Please detail how you will accommodate this requirement.

5 Once the vehicle is loaded or hitched to the tow vehicle it is expected for the tow vehicle operator to immediately transport the vehicle to the lot. How will you assure this action is happening as expected?

6 Management of towing must also include requests for tows for stranded vehicles. Please detail how you will accommodate this requirement.

7 Describe how you will handle towing companies that fail to meet the standards and requirements of the City’s codes and licensing, procedures outlined in the contract.

8 On at least a monthly basis, up to eight (8) to tow vehicles must straighten, consolidate, and/or rearrange all vehicles in the City’s Police Impound Lot. Please describe how you will meet this requirement.

9 How will you assure that all vehicle information and related data collected on each tow is accurate?

10 How will you assure that the correct towing equipment is on scene as requested?11 How will you assure how to best determine a location for officers who do not have GPS

capability?12 Please describe how you will handle a dispatch conversation for Officers who call dispatch

directly.Towing Management – Special Events13 The towing management company shall independently and in advance be aware of and

prepared for the need to ensure that a fleet of up to forty (40) tow vehicles are on standby during special events to remove vehicles (e.g. street sweeping schedules, OSU games, etc.) as referenced in 3.2.5. Describe in your proposal how you will meet this requirement.

Software14 Please describe if your proposal includes software or if it will continue to use our in-house

software to manage towing and impound records.15 If your proposal includes software, is it an onsite or hosted solution?

20



16 If your proposal includes software, is the software web-based or client/server configuration?17 Is your proposed software developed and maintained by your company? If your proposed

software solution is from a third party provider, who manages and maintains the system?18 Describe how your system routes a call for service to a towing driver?19 The system must have configurable selections for towing requirements, vehicle and incident

conditions, who is requesting and type of towing vehicle/equipment required. Please describe how your system is configurable to meet this requirement

20 It is required that CPD Officers, CPD Dispatch, and PEOs have real-time or immediate access to records inputted. If applicable, please describe if your software will meet this requirement.

21 It is preferred that the system has configurable drop down selections for towing requirements, vehicle and incident conditions, who the tow is for, type of tow equipment needed. Please describe how your system is configurable to meet this requirement.

22 It is preferred that the system has the ability to interface with other applications (CAD, Parking Violation, and Impound Management). Please describe the capabilities to interface and share data with other systems.

23 Describe the reporting capability of your system. What reports are standard? Is there an ability to create ad hoc reports?

24 The City requires a 99.9% uptime for system maintenance and updates. Describe how your system maintenance is performed.

25 Please describe how you will handle back-ups and data recovery in the event of data loss or corruption.

Mobile Application26 It is required that the system also offers a mobile application (iOS, Android, or Windows) for

use with mobile devices. Describe what your software has?27 Describe how your mobile system routes a call for service to a towing driver?28 Data should not be stored on device. Please describe how your system accomplishes this

requirement.29 The system must have configurable selections for towing requirements, vehicle and incident

conditions, who is requesting and type of towing vehicle/equipment required. Please describe how your system is configurable to meet this requirement.

30 The City requires a 99.9% uptime for system maintenance and updates. Describe how your system maintenance is performed.

8.7.8 PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS FOR VENDOR HOSTED (CLOUD) STORAGE – PROVIDE A DETAILED RESPONSE TO EACH OF THE ITEMS FOR THE OFFEROR’S PRODUCT:

1

Provide a detailed explanation of data security standards, to include but not limited to, defining the physical environment, location of all host servers, protections against natural and man-made disasters, encryption, transfer, storage, redundancy and recovery of files, the loss of data occurring from criminal actions, as well as other issues that impact data integrity, such as unauthorized data access by contract personnel. Include information regarding Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Protection.

21



2 The storage solution must be compliant with Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) requirement. How does your storage solution meet this requirement?

3 Described what happens at end of a contract – ability for transfer of stored information and definition of format to owner or other vendor?

4

Describe how you will provide the City with the ability to export/download and move original recordings with all metadata to other storage options, i.e. local storage or a local Digital Evidence Management System after a set time period for long term storage as determined by the City.

5 Describe archival, hot and cold storage solutions.

6 Discuss different cost savings as defined by system storage days for the various storage solutions.

7 Describe capability to respond to requests to pull video from ‘cold storage’, include time required to download video from storage.

8 Third party vendor access to storage system should be prohibited unless allowed by authorized personnel at CPD and PVB. How does your solution prevent this access?

9 Storage solution should have the ability to send email messages from the hosted solution interface to end users. Does your solution offer that capability?

10

Options preferred for Two Factor Authentication is IP access restriction, and/or security challenge questions upon access from an unknown or previously used location. How does your system accommodate two factor authentication?

8.7.9 Training

8.7.9.1 Operations: The City prefers that the Offeror provides CPD and PVB personnel with a "train-the-trainer" level course and instruction. Trainings should, at a minimum, include all operational and administrative requirements based upon CPD’s usage policies, which will be made available to the Offeror after award. Identified City personnel shall be provided with sufficient training materials and equipment for all trainings scheduled for the life of the Contract so to remain current with any hardware and software updates. If a “train-the-trainer” training program is not available, please provide a description of training solutions offered by the Offeror’s company.

[8.7.9.2] Advanced/IT Support Training: The Offeror shall provide an advanced training course for a recommended number of personnel consistent with the size of the proposed towing management program. The training should at minimum, focus on the areas related to the towing management system operation; use of equipment, maintenance, troubleshooting, assigning equipment, change out of components in need of repair, account management, video management, and video security, to remain current with hardware and software updates.

22



8.7.9.1.1[8.7.9.2.1] Stakeholder Access Training: Describe the available training options for additional agencies, such as the City/County Attorney’s Office, which will require access to stored audio/video.

8.7.9.1.2[8.7.9.2.2] Provide a description of each training plan and schedule.

8.7.10 Inspections and Demonstration

8.7.10.1 Inspection: The City reserves the right to inspect the facilities of any and all Offerors prior to making an award and to make such inspection for adequate towing vehicle inventory without prior notice, between the hours of 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM, during the bid evaluation period, and during the contract period, if so desired.

8.7.10.2 Demonstration: Prior to the successful Offeror being awarded a contract following this RFP process, said Offeror shall demonstrate in-person to all relevant parties any proposed electronic systems intended for use in the towing management operation.

8.8 Section Three – Ability (15 points):

8.8.1 The ability of the Offeror to perform the required service competently and expeditiously as indicated by the Offeror's workload and the availability of necessary personnel, equipment and facilities. Information in Section Three should be limited to no more than 5 pages and should include:

Indicate clearly: current workload

availability of necessary personnel availability of necessary equipment availability of necessary facilities

8.9 Section Four – Past Performance (20 points):

8.9.1 The past performance of Offeror as reflected by evaluations of the city agency, other city agencies, and other previous clients of the Offeror with respect to such factors as: utilizing, managing and maintaining a data information system for the purpose of collection Level III data, quality of work, success in controlling costs, success in meeting deadlines, knowledge of the deregulated electric market in Ohio, ability to manage the bidding process and knowledge of general energy topics.

8.9.1.1 Service History: Offeror shall provide a brief history of its provision of service to organizations of similar size and/or complexity. This service must include at least one (1) large governmental organization.

23



8.9.1.2 Local Service History: A brief description of the company’s background and qualifications with respect to the delivery providing electric supply consulting and utility bill management services in the Columbus metropolitan area as described in the technical proposal.

8.9.1.3 Professional References: The Offeror must provide professional references, in the form of the “Performance Questionnaire” on page 25, to verify its capabilities, experience, and work history in electric supply consulting and utility bill management services for the past five years. A minimum of five (5) references are required with at least three (3) coming from a governmental organization. References should consist of projects of a similar scope, complexity and cost.

8.9.1.4 Note: The entirety of the professional references will be considered only from the Offeror including in the proposal five (5) of the “Performance Questionnaires” on page 25 as completed by customers of Offeror. The Offeror may not ask the City of Columbus to complete this form.

8.10 Section Five – Cost (30 points):

8.10.1 DO NOT INCLUDE COST WITH THIS PROPOSAL. THE HIGHEST SCORING OFFERORS WILL BE INVITED TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO THE CITY, INCLUDING COST PROPOSALS.

PERFORMANCE QUESTIONNAIRE – TOWING MANAGEMENT SERVICES

To: …………………………………………………………………………..(Name of person completing survey)

Phone: ………………………………… Fax: …………………………….

Subject: Past Performance Survey of: …………………………………………

24



(Name of Company)…………………………………………..(Name of individuals)

City of Columbus (the City) is implementing a process that collects past performance information on firms and their key personnel. The information will be used to assist the City in the selection of firms. The Offeror listed above identified you as someone for whom the Offeror either currently provides a service and/or product or for whom the contractor has provided this service and/or product in the past. Please take a moment to tell us about this Offeror’s performance.

HOW SATISFIED. Rate each of the criteria on a scale of 1 to 10, with a 10 representing highly satisfied and a 1 representing highly dissatisfied. Use a number in between to show different degrees of satisfaction. Please rate each of these criteria to the best of your knowledge. If you have no knowledge of past performance in a particular area, leave it blank.

NO CRITERIA UNIT YOUR SCORE1 Ability to meet customer expectations (1-10)2 Ability to financially perform in the best interest of

the client and citizens(1-10)

3 Ability to maintain schedules and meet deadlines (1-10)4 Ability to increase value (1-10)5 Quality of service (1-10)6 Ability to identify and minimize the users risk (1-10)7 Leadership ability (minimize the need of

owner/client direction)(1-10)

8 Your comfort level in hiring the firm/individual again based on performance

(1-10)

_____________________________________ Printed Name (of Evaluator)_____________________________________ Signature (of Evaluator)

Thank you for your time and effort in assisting us in this important endeavor. Please fax survey back to (Vendor enter your fax number here).

25

ATTACHMENT A

PROPOSAL

To the Finance & Management Director of the City of Columbus, Ohio:

We (I) propose to furnish the following article(s) and/or service(s) at the price(s) and terms stated subject to all instructions, conditions, specifications and all attachments hereto. We (I) have read all attachments including the specifications and fully understand what is required.

Delivery: ______________________________________ - calendar day(s) after receipt of order.

Terms:

________________________________________________________________________________

Company Name or Bidder's Name:

________________________________________________________________________________

Business Address of Bidder:

________________________________________________________________________________

REQUIRED Company Employee Information:Total number of company employees = ____________Total number of company employees working in Columbus = ___________________Additional number of employees that will be working in Columbus in the event this contract is awarded to your company = _____________________________________

The full name and residence of all persons and parties interested in the foregoing bid are: (If a corporation, give the name and address of the president and secretary; if firm or partnership, the names and address of the Members or partners.)

Name Address

________________________________________ _______________________________________

________________________________________ _______________________________________

________________________________________ _______________________________________

________________________________________ _______________________________________

Authorized Signature X ________________________________ Title: _____________________________ (SIGNATURE MUST IN WRITING IN OTHER THAN BLACK INK) (TITLE MUST BE GIVEN)

REVISED 10-5-05

26

ATTACHMENT A

CONTRACT SIGNATURE AFFIDAVIT

(Must be completed when the individual signing the contract is NOT an officer or Member of the Company.)

STATE OF:___________________________

COUNTY OF: ________________________

__________________________________________, being duly sworn, deposes and says that he/she is

_________________of________________________, a Corporation, LLC, or LLP organized and existing (Title) (Company Name)

under and by virtue of the laws of the State of _____________________, and having its principal office at

____________________________________________________________________________________City, State, Zip Code

Affiant further says that he/she is familiar with the records, minute books and by-laws of

____________________________________________________________________________________(Company Name)

Affiant further says that _______________________________________is ________________________(Name of Person Signing Contract) (Title)

Of the Company and is duly authorized to sign the Contract for: ________________________________

For said Company by virtue of __________________________________________________________(State whether the provision of by-laws or a resolution of the Board of Directors. If resolution, give date of adoption.)

__________________________________________________Signature of Affiant**

** AFFIANT MUST BE SOMEONE OTHER THAN THE INDIVIDUAL SIGNING THE CONTRACT**

Sworn to before me and subscribed in my presence this________ day of __________________,20____

______________________________________Notary Public

My Commission Expires: __________________

27

ATTACHMENT A

2107.06 - Impounding fee and storage charge—Exceptions. (a) No vehicle impounded under the provisions of this chapter, except as provided in subsections (b) and (c) hereof, shall be removed from such vehicle pound except upon the payment by the owner, chauffeur, driver or other person in charge of such vehicle, of a service charge of one hundred twenty-five ($125.00) dollars to the parking violations bureau for any motor vehicle weighing not more than seven thousand (7,000) pounds. There is no additional fee charged if a dolly or rollback is required to tow said motor vehicle to the vehicle pound. A service charge of one hundred fifty-five ($155.00) dollars shall be paid to the parking violations bureau for any motor vehicle weighing more than seven thousand (7,000) pounds but not more than ten thousand fifty (10,050) pounds. A service charge of two hundred ($200.00) dollars shall be paid to the parking violations bureau for any motor vehicle weighing more than ten thousand fifty (10,050) pounds but not more than fourteen thousand nine hundred ninety-nine (14,999) pounds. A service charge of two hundred eighty ($280.00) dollars shall be paid to the parking violations bureau for any motor vehicle weighing more than fourteen thousand nine hundred ninety-nine (14,999) pounds. In addition to the rate set forth above for all motor vehicles, an additional hourly fee may be charged for extra services that are required in connection with towing said motor vehicles such as to upright an overturned vehicle, clean excessive debris from the roadway, recover a vehicle not on the traveled portion or berm of a highway, or to separate vehicle or pull a vehicle from an obstruction, an additional hourly rate will be charged. This additional charge will be at the following rates: 1. One hundred twenty-five ($125.00) dollars per hour for vehicles weighing seven thousand (7,000) pounds or less. 2. One hundred fifty-five ($155.00) dollars per hour for vehicles weighing more than seven thousand (7,000) pounds, but not more than ten thousand fifty (10,050) pounds. 3. Two hundred seventy ($200.00) dollars per hour for vehicles weighing ten thousand fifty (10,050) pounds but not more than fourteen thousand nine hundred ninety-nine (14,999) pounds. 4. Fees for vehicles weighing over fourteen thousand nine hundred ninety-nine (14,999) pounds are as follows: Hourly charge after thirty (30) minutes is sixty-three ($63.00) dollars per quarter hour. Extra manpower fee is forty-five ($45.00) dollars per hour per worker. Four-wheel drive wrecker fee is one hundred twenty-five ($125.00) dollars per hour. Crane fee is two hundred fifty ($250.00) dollars per hour. Heavy duty service truck fee is one hundred twenty-five ($125.00) dollars per hour. 5. A fee of one hundred twenty-five ($125.00) dollars may be added if a trailer dolly is required due to the trailer not being attached to a tractor. A storage fee of eighteen ($18.00) dollars per day for each twenty-four (24) hours, or fraction thereof, shall be charged for vehicles with a gross vehicle rating less than ten thousand fifty (10,050) pounds. A storage fee of twenty-three ($23.00) dollars per day for each twenty-four (24) hours, or fraction thereof shall be charged per vehicle and per trailer with a gross vehicle rating of ten thousand fifty (10,050) pounds or more. (Ord. 2808-90; Ord. 80-02 § 4.) (b) Any stolen vehicles that have been recovered and impounded by the police pending notification of the legal owner or agent shall be subject to a reduced impounding fee of fifty-five ($55.00) dollars and/or the applicable storage charge. However, the storage shall be charged beginning the fourth day after impoundment, provided the legal owner or agent has been notified, or notification has been sent to the last known address of the owner or agent. The reduced impounding fee of fifty-five ($55.00) dollars for a stolen vehicle is a one-time reduction per owner. Subsequent impounding fees related to stolen vehicles shall be at the normal impounding rate. (c) Any vehicle weighing less than seven thousand (7,000) pounds of which has been impounded for the sole purpose of "safekeeping" and from which the driver or operator has been removed due to illness or injury shall be subject to the impounding fee and storage charge. However, the storage fee shall be charged beginning the fourth day after the date of impoundment. Any vehicle weighing seven thousand (7,000) pounds or more and/or a commercially registered vehicle which has been impounded for the sole purpose of "safekeeping" which the driver or operator has been removed due to illness or injury shall be

28

ATTACHMENT A

subject to the impounding fee and storage charges. Additional service fees incurred for all vehicles other than towing and storage will be assessed the owner or agent thereof and shall be paid before the vehicle is released. (d) The owner of a vehicle that has been removed from the streets, sidewalks or public grounds pursuant to Section 2107.01 of the city codes and that has been determined by the violations clerk to be a victim of violent crime against person or other special circumstance shall not be held liable for the payment of any fees associated with the towing and/or impounding of said vehicle. (e) In addition to the towing charges or expenses incurred in the removal and storage of vehicles as listed above, the owner or lienholder shall pay an additional administrative processing fee of thirty dollars ($30.00). (Ord. 2555-91 §§ 1, 2; Ord. 854-01 § 1 (part); Ord. 1230-01 § 1: Ord. 2120-03 § 1 (part): Ord. 1544-04 § 1: Ord. 0105-2007 § 1 (part); Ord. No. 1667-2008, § 1, 10-27-2008; Ord. No. 2608-2014, § 1, 12-15-2014)

29

informationtechnologyrfps.com · web viewtutorial videos are available on you tube or by clicking...

Documents