Meter Reading Service

In compliance with this Request for Proposal (RFP), and subject to all the conditions thereof, the
signatory offers, if this bid is accepted within ninety (90) calendar days from the date of the
opening, to furnish any or all of the items and/or services upon which prices are quoted, at the
price set opposite each item, to be delivered at the time and place specified herein. The above
signature certifies the bidder has read, understands, and agrees to all terms, conditions, and
requirements of this bid, and is authorized to contract on behalf of firm named above.
SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS
Additional Request for Proposal documents are available on the Purchasing
https://www.suffolkva.us/Bids.aspx?CatID=17 or on the Commonwealth's bid board (eVA), or at
Demandstar.com. An e-mail request for the complete RFP form may be sent to the Contract
Officer listed on the front page.
Offers may be sent to proposals@suffolkva.us or through eVA. Electronic copies (CD or thumb
drive) may be delivered to the Purchasing Office, 442 W. Washington Street, Room 1086, Suffolk,
Virginia, 23434 prior to the closure date shown, if desired. Documents should be saved as a .pdf
document and should conserve disk space to allow transfers of data. Do not send Zip files. Zip
files cannot be accepted.
Questions concerning this project must be in writing (email is preferred) and addressed to the
Contract Officer listed on the front page of this solicitation, and, should be received no later than
five (5) business days preceding the date that the proposals are to be received. E-mail is the
preferred method and will get a timelier response.
IF YOU NEED ANY REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION FOR ANY TYPE OF DISABILITY IN
ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCUREMENT, PLEASE CONTACT THIS DIVISION AS
SOON AS POSSIBLE.
RFP 26131-JT Page 2

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
Meter Reading Services
SECTION/TITLE
1.0 PURPOSE ...........................................................................................................................4
2.0 BACKGROUND ..................................................................................................................4
3.0 COMPETITION INTENDED .............................................................................................4
4.0 TERM OF CONTRACT .....................................................................................................4
5.0 SCOPE OF SERVICES ....................................................................................................4
6.0 CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS ................................................................................9
7.0 INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING PROPOSALS ...................................................9
8.0 SPECIFIC PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS ..................................................................11
9.0 EVALUATION AND AWARD CRITERIA ......................................................................13
10.0 ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS .....................................................................................14
SIGNATURE SHEET ..................................................................................................................27
PROPRIETARY/CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION IDENTIFICATION ..............................28
EXCEPTIONS TO RFP ..............................................................................................................29
ANTICOLLUSION .......................................................................................................................30
PROOF OF AUTHORITY TO TRANSACT BUSINESS IN VIRGINIA ................................31
RFP 26131-JT Page 3

1.0 PURPOSE
The intent of this Request for Proposal is to establish a contract through competitive
negotiations with a qualified and experienced contractor for meter reading services for the
Department of Public Utilities.
2.0 BACKGROUND
The City requires an outside source/single contractor to provide meter reading services
associated with water usage for the entire area in order to accurately bill users for the utilities
provided to the residents of Suffolk.
3.0 COMPETITION INTENDED
It is the City's intent that this Request for Proposal (RFP) permits competition. It shall be
the offeror's responsibility to advise the Purchasing Agent in writing if any language
requirement, specification, etc., or any combination thereof, inadvertently restricts or
limits the requirements stated in this RFP to a single source. Such notification must be
received by the Purchasing Agent not later than five (5) business days prior to the date
set for acceptance of proposals.
4.0 TERM OF CONTRACT
The contract shall cover the period beginning August 1, 2026 (or upon receipt of signed
Contract) and continuing through July 31, 2027.
This contract may be renewed based on the terms and conditions at the expiration of its
term at the sole discretion of the City. Automatic renewals will occur for up to four (4)
additional one-year periods through July 31, 2031.
Initial rates and subsequent renewal rates must be guaranteed for a minimum of 12
months. Any request for an increase in rates following the initial contract period shall be
determined by the percentage defined in the "Transportation" Category of the PI-W section
of the Consumer Price Index of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics for the latest
twelve (12) months for which statistics are available. Price increases shall be justified in
writing and must be approved by the City. The City does not guarantee any rate increase.
5.0 SCOPE OF SERVICES
A. General
The Contractor is required to read approximately 30,000 water meters per month,
conforming to the City's monthly meter reading schedule, maintaining a 28- to 32-
day bill period. The City has three (2) types of meters in its system: manual read,
and touch read. Pricing of reading each type of meter is requested.
Six (6) routes will be read daily, Monday through Friday, approximately 18 work
days per month. The 18 work days are required to allow for holidays and inclement
weather. All routes are expected to be read in their entirety on the day issued by
the City, unless otherwise approved. Adverse weather conditions will not relieve
the Contractor of reading responsibilities, unless approved by the City.
RFP 26131-JT Page 4

Routes consist of approximately 250-400 meters. The City may change existing
route structure(s) to include new accounts and improve uniformity, and the
Contractor is required to maintain the route schedule. The Contractor's work day
will begin no earlier than 7:00 a.m., with all work to be completed and returned to
the City by 3:30 p.m. The Contractor shall provide meter reading equipment and
provide a data file to the City for uploading onto the City's billing system.
The number of meter readings provided herein is estimated and does not obligate
the City to any specific number of meter readings during the contract period.
B. Backreads
If a reading is not acquired for an account, a backread will be generated the next
workday. All backreads shall be completed by the Contractor's employees on the
day received. The Contractor shall be assessed a penalty for each backread
issued. The penalty shall be ten dollars ($10.00) per backread and an additional
ten dollars ($10.00) for each day the backread is not completed.
The City is responsible for providing reasonable access to the contractor for all
meters assigned. The Contractor will not be assessed a penalty if it is determined,
after review, that access to a meter was not available. If the City determines that
a meter is not available, the City will perform the backread without penalty to the
Contractor.
The Contractor shall notify the City of any hazardous or irregular situations
observed at the meter reading sites by entering appropriate code in handheld unit
or by forwarding pertinent information to the City in writing, showing address and
scope of problem.
C. Miss-Reads
In the event that the City determines that the Contractor's meter reading was in
error, the Contractor shall be assessed a penalty of ten dollars ($10.00) and shall
not be paid for the initial meter reading.
D. Payment
The Contractor shall be paid monthly for the number of meters read, based on the
contract rates, less any backread and miss-read penalties.
E. Supervision
The Contractor shall provide appropriate local and on-site supervision daily for
contract employees working in the City of Suffolk. The Supervisor shall coordinate
reading schedules with the City and shall be readily accessible by phone during
normal working hours for problem resolution.
The Contractor will be responsible for scheduling and arranging work
assignments, field monitoring of meter readers, monitoring reader activity from
reports, preparing management reports, and resolution and follow-up of customer
complaints related to Contractor reading.
RFP 26131-JT Page 5

The Supervisor must demonstrate to the City's satisfaction, effective
communications skills, both written and verbal, to facilitate coordination of the
work with City staff and ensure progress of the work in a timely and effective
manner. The Supervisor shall represent the Contractor and all communications
given to the Supervisor shall be as binding as if given to the Contractor.
F. Meter Reading Environment
With few exceptions, all meters are pit set. High water tables or inclement weather
may cause pits to flood, making pumps and viewing tubes required equipment,
that shall be supplied by the Contractor. Contractor employees shall be required
to clean out meter boxes as necessary in order to acquire meter readings.
G. Equipment
1. Contractor Supplied Equipment
The Contractor shall provide meter reading units, as well as the software
and hardware required to upload and download meter reading information.
2. Vendor Supplied Equipment
All other equipment to be provided by the Contractor shall include, but is
not limited to, the following:
* Uniforms
* Transportation
* Communication equipment
* Pumps
* Viewing tubes
* Screw drivers
* Miscellaneous small tools
H. Uniforms
Uniforms shall be provided by the Contractor including, but not limited to, caps,
shirts, pants, jackets, and rain gear. While uniforms should not look like City
issued uniforms, they must be equivalent to City issued uniform. Uniforms shall
be standardized and easily recognizable as contractors to the City. They should
provide a professional appearance and are subject to approval by the City. Any
Contractor's employee not in full uniform will not be allowed to work. Uniforms
must be maintained properly and shall appear professional at all times.
I. Identification
Uniforms shall be worn at all times when performing City work. Badges must be
worn in plain view at all times, showing employee name and vendor name as
contractor to City.
RFP 26131-JT Page 6

J. Transportation
Any vehicles used by the Contractor's employees while performing work for the
City shall display signage indicating Contractor's company name and local phone
number, utilizing permanent markings or magnetic signs.
Vehicles must be properly licensed and inspected.
K. Meter Reading Training
The Contractor shall be required to provide meter reader training for their
employees including, but not limited to, classroom instruction and field training.
The Contractor shall be required to provide a copy of a comprehensive safety
training program that will be used for their employees including, but not limited
to current confined space entry and all other OSHA, VOSHA, City and Department
of Public Utilities safety regulations and policies.
The Contractor shall be solely responsible for expense of training employees.
L. Customer Service
The Contractor is responsible for ensuring that all customers and their property
are treated with respect and consideration and that proper customer relations
are maintained.
M. Contractor's Employees
The Contractor is responsible for ensuring that each employee reading City
meters and required to drive has a valid driver's license upon employment.
The Contractor must certify a valid license for each employee every six (6)
months.
The Contractor is responsible for performing a criminal history check for each
employee. At the City's discretion, these records may be reviewed by the City's
Human Resources Department. Any potential employees having criminal
records must be reviewed and approved by City prior to being hired
by the Contractor.
The Contractor is responsible for notifying the City immediately of any criminal
charges (Class 1 misdemeanors and felonies) incurred by their employees.
The Contractor is responsible for administering a drug screening test to each
potential employee who will perform work for the City. The administration and
results review of drug screening test must be conducted by a National Institute
of Drug Abuse (NIDA) approved laboratory.
All costs associated with the criminal history checks and drug screening will be
the responsibility of the Contractor.
RFP 26131-JT Page 7

The City shall have the right to require the Contractor to exclude from service
such employees that are incompetent, careless, insubordinate, unsuitable, or
otherwise objectionable. Telephone contact with the Contractor from designated
City representatives shall constitute sufficient notice to exclude such employees.
All personnel shall be employees of the Contractor and shall be subject to the
sole control and direction of the Contractor. The Contractor shall pay all salaries
and expenses of such employees, and all Federal Social Security Taxes, Federal
and State Unemployment Taxes, and any similar taxes relating to such
employees.
The Contractor's employees will observe the same holidays observed by the
City, which include, but are not limited to, the following:
* New Year's Day
* Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
* George Washington's Birthday
* Memorial Day
* Juneteenth
* Fourth of July
* Labor Day
* Columbus Day
* Veteran's Day
* Thanksgiving Day
* Day after Thanksgiving Day
* Christmas Day
N. Present or Former City Employees
The Contractor shall agree during the period of the agreement, not to employ at
any time, any present or former employee of City without prior approval of City.
O. Damages to Customer Property
The Contractor will be responsible for any damage claims to customer property
caused by their employees. Damage costs will be deducted from the monthly
payment to Contractor.
P. Contractor Requirements
Any expenses incurred by the City due to non-performance or negligence on
the part of the Contractor shall be the responsibility of the Contractor. The City
will deduct these expenses from any money still due the Contractor, and will
collect any balance directly from the Contractor.
Q. Additional Optional Services
As an option the City reserves the right to negotiate on a per job basis,
additional services to include residential meter change outs, delinquent accounts
turn off/on, and meter removes and placements.
RFP 26131-JT Page 8

6.0 CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS
To be eligible to bid, Contractor must meet the following requirements:
* The Contractor must have a minimum of three (3) years' experience in contract
meter reading.
* The Contractor must provide at least three (3) references from contract meter
reading clients. References must have a minimum of one (1) year of experience
with vendor. References will be submitted with bid.
* The Contractor must be able to start providing required service within thirty (30)
days from award of bid.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING PROPOSALS
A. Submission of Proposals
An electronic document shall be submitted by e-mail attachment to
proposals@suffolkva.us or through eVA with the RFP number, title, and closing
date in the subject line. Electronic copies may be delivered to the Purchasing
Office, 442 West Washington Street, Room 1086, Suffolk, Virginia prior to the
closure date shown, if desired. Documents should be saved as a .pdf document
and should conserve disk space to allow transfers of data. ZIP files cannot be
accepted; they do not work in the City's system. To receive confirmation of
receipt of proposal, send request to the contracting officer at
jeturner@suffolkva.us. Do NOT send proposal directly to contracting officer.
The intent of using electronic submissions is to reduce paper usage and provide
economical approaches while permitting the offeror to demonstrate their skills,
education, experience, pricing, and ingenuity that would qualify them to be
selected for interview.
Offerors so selected will be allowed to make a formal presentation of their
qualifications and job approach, and may be selected for final negotiations of
contract. Therefore, care should be given to address the issues relating to the
criteria to follow.
Read the entire solicitation before submitting a proposal. Failure to read any part
of this RFP shall not relieve any offeror from his or her contractual obligations.
B. Questions and Inquiries
Questions and inquiries pertaining to the Request for Proposals will be accepted
from any and all firms via e-mail (jallison@suffolkva.us) or fax. Inquires must
provide RFP number, title and acceptance date. Material questions will be
RFP 26131-JT Page 9

answered by Addendum and will be posted on the City's website:
https://www.suffolkva.us/Bids.aspx?CatID=17 and to all firms who receive the RFP
provided that all questions are received five (5) business days prior to opening
date.
Julie Turner, Senior Buyer, is the designated authorized spokesperson for the City
of Suffolk with respect to this RFP. All questions and/or comments should be
directed to her attention. The respondents to this RFP shall not contact, either
directly or indirectly, any other employee or agent of the City regarding this RFP.
This prohibition shall also extend to the Suffolk City Council and other elected City
officials. Any such unauthorized contact may disqualify the offeror from the
procurement.
C. Addendum and Supplement to Request
If it becomes necessary to revise any part of this request or if additional data are
necessary to enable an exact interpretation of provisions of this request, an
addendum will be issued. It is the responsibility of the offeror to ensure that he has
received all addendums prior to submitting a proposal. All addenda can be
downloaded from https://www.suffolkva.us/Bids.aspx?CatID=17
D. Firm Pricing for City Acceptance
Offers made during negotiation must be honored for City acceptance for 120 days
from the date of offer.
E. Proprietary Information
Trade secrets or proprietary information submitted by an offeror in connection with
this solicitation shall not be subject to disclosure under the Virginia Freedom of
Information Act; however, the offeror must invoke the protections of this section
prior to or upon submission of the data or other materials, and must clearly identify
the data or other materials to be protected and state the reasons why protection is
necessary. Offerors shall not mark sections of their proposal as proprietary if they
are to be part of the award of the contract and are of a "Material" nature. Any
propriety information must be listed on the attached "Proprietary/confidential
Information Identification" form and submitted with the proposal. An all-inclusive
statement that the entire proposal is proprietary will result in rejection of the
proposal.
F. Authority to Bind Firm in Contract
Proposals must give full firm name and address of offeror. Failure to sign proposal
may disqualify it. Person signing proposal should show title or authority to bind his
firm in a contract. Firm name and authorized signature must appear on proposal
in the space provided on the pricing page.
G. Preparation and Submission of Proposals
1. All proposals shall be signed by the individual or authorized principals of
the firm.
RFP 26131-JT Page 10