Water Utility Payment Solution

CITY OF PARK RIDGE
505 Butler Place
Park Ridge, IL 60068
P: 847-318-5200
www.parkridge.us
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
WATER UTILITY PAYMENT SOLUTION
FN-26-01
NOTICE TO PROPOSERS
The City of Park Ridge is seeking proposals for an online water utility payment solution that includes a
web-based electronic bill payment and presentation system that seamlessly integrates with the City's
core financial system.
Solicitation documents can be obtained from on the City's website (www.parkridge.us/purchasing) and
OpenBids. All responses must be received via OpenBids (preferred) or in-person at Park Ridge City Hall,
Finance Department, 505 Butler Place, Park Ridge, IL prior to the Due Date and Time set forth below.
Responses transmitted by fax or email will not be accepted. Responses received in person must be in a
sealed envelope marked and clearly labeled: Company Name and Address, Solicitation Number, and
Project Title.
Infrequent or first-time users of OpenBids are encouraged to upload their responses at least 24 hours prior
to the due date. The City is not responsible for submittal errors or incomplete submissions. For technical
issues or concerns, proposers may contact OpenBids support directly at hello@eunasolutions.com.
PHASE DATE TIME
RFP Issued May 14, 2026 -
Deadline for Questions May 28, 2026 5:00 P.M.
Final Questions and Answers Provided June 3, 2026 5:00 P.M.
Proposals Due June 18, 2026 10:00 A.M.
Anticipated Contract Award July 2026
Any communication regarding this invitation between the date of issue and date of award is to be in
writing and directed to procurement@parkridge.us. Answers to questions submitted in writing may be
distributed as an addendum. If a plan holder chooses not to submit a proposal, please fill out the
enclosed NO BID form and return it to the email above.

GENERAL CONDITIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS
1. GENERAL
Throughout this document, "City of Park Ridge" and "City" shall be synonymous and mean the City of Park Ridge.
The words "bid," "proposal," "proposer," "bidder," "vendor," "firm," "contractor," and "supplier" may be used in
the alternative in these General Conditions and Instructions as intended and described by the Scope of Work. The
phrases "request for proposal," "invitation for bids," "request for quotes," "request," "invitation," and
"solicitation" may also be used in the alternative.
2. EXAMINATION OF CONTRACT DOCUMENTS AND WORK SITE BY PROPOSER
The Proposer shall, before submitting its Proposal, carefully examine the plans, specifications, contract
documents, RFP, and bond and insurance requirements and visit the site to verify conditions under which work
will be performed. Each Proposer is responsible for reading the bid documents and familiarizing itself with all
requirements. Failure of a Proposer to do so shall not relieve the Proposer of any obligation with respect to said
bid. If the Proposer's bid is accepted, it shall be responsible for, and the City will make no allowance for any errors
in their Bid resulting from its failure or neglect to comply with these instructions.
3. QUALIFICATIONS OF PROPOSER
The City may take any action deemed necessary to investigate the qualifications of each Proposer. The City
reserves the right to qualify or disqualify Proposers as a result of lack of similar project experience and/or any
other information obtained from the project reference form, references listed thereon, or publicly available
information. Proposers must also demonstrate that they have sufficient resources (i.e. capital, laborers, sub-
contractors, etc.) to accomplish all tasks required within the schedule for the contract. In the event there are
additional eligibility requirements described in the Special Conditions or Specifications, such requirements shall be
supplemental to and not in limitation of this provision.
4. PREPARATION OF PROPOSAL
The Proposer shall prepare their Proposal on the attached Proposal Form or alternatively include all required
information in the Proposer's proposal package if a Proposal Form is not included. Unless otherwise stated, all
blank spaces on the Proposal page(s), applicable to the subject specification, must be correctly filled in. Either a
unit price or a lump sum price, as the case may be, must be stated for each item, either typed in or written in ink,
in figures, and, if required, in words. In the event of an error on the Proposal page in which there is a conflict
between the unit price and the extended price or the total proposal price, the City may exercise its reasonable
discretion to ascertain the actual price of the proposal.
If the Proposer is a corporation, the President and Secretary shall execute the Proposal, and the Corporate Seal shall
be affixed. In the event that the Proposal is executed by an officer other than the President, sufficient evidence of
such signatory's authority shall be submitted. If the Proposer is a partnership, majority owning partners or general
partners shall execute the Proposal, unless one partner has been authorized to sign for the partnership, in which
case sufficient evidence of such authority shall be submitted. If the Proposer is a limited liability company, the
manager shall execute the Proposal, unless another officer has been authorized to sign for the company, in which
case sufficient evidence of such authority shall be submitted.
Each Proposal must contain all required certifications and signatures. In addition, if any addenda are issued by the
City, the Proposer shall be required to acknowledge receipt of the formal addendum on the Proposal form or
proposal, as applicable. Failure of a Proposer to acknowledge any of the addenda issued or submit essential
required documents contained in the solicitation shall deem its proposal non-responsive; provided, however, that
the City in reliance upon its home rule powers, may choose to waive this requirement if the City determines from
the context of the Proposal that the Proposer has considered the terms and conditions of the addendum.
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The Proposal submitted must not contain erasures, interlineations, or other corrections unless each correction is
suitably authenticated by affixing in the margin immediately opposite the correction the surname or surnames of
the person or persons signing the proposal.
Modifications of proposals already submitted will be considered if received at the office designated in the
Invitation to Proposal by the time set for opening of proposals. Unless called for, alternate proposals will not be
considered. No compensation will be allowed due to any difficulties which the Proposer could have discovered or
reasonably known prior to bidding.
5. SUBMISSION OF PROPOSAL
All prospective Proposers shall submit their Proposal in the manner specified in the Notice to Proposers by the
specified due date and time of the proposal. Proposals received beyond the date and hour set for the proposal
opening will not be considered.
Submission of a proposal will be considered presumptive evidence that the Proposer has visited the sites and is
conversant with local facilities and difficulties, the requirements of the documents and of pertinent State or Local
Codes, the state of Labor and Material Markets, and has made due allowance in the proposal for all contingencies.
Include in proposal all costs of labor, material, equipment, allowance, fees, permits, guarantees, applicable taxes,
insurance and contingencies, with overhead and profit necessary to produce a complete project, or to complete
those portions of the work covered by the Specifications on which the Proposal is made including all trades,
without further cost to the Owner. Unless otherwise described in the Special Conditions or Specifications,
Proposers shall be responsible to obtain all permits and arrange for all inspections. No unsolicited supplemental
information will be accepted and will be returned without being considered by the City.
6. WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSAL
A Proposer may withdraw their Proposal at any time prior to the time specified in the notice as the closing time
for receipt of proposals. However, no Proposer shall withdraw, cancel or modify their Proposal for a period of
sixty (60) calendar days after the specified closing time for the receipt of proposal. Where this contract is subject
to approval by another agency, such as the Federal Government or the State of Illinois, then the Proposer shall
not withdraw, cancel or modify their Proposal for a period of ninety (90) calendar days after the specified closing
time for the receipt of proposals.
7. CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSALS
No Proposal will be accepted from or contract awarded to any person, firm or corporation that is in arrears or is in
default to the City of Park Ridge upon any debt or contract, or that is a defaulter, as surety or otherwise, upon any
obligation to the City, or had failed to perform faithfully any previous contract with the City. The Proposer, if
requested, shall present within 48 hours evidence satisfactory to the City of performance ability and possession of
necessary facilities, pecuniary resources and adequate insurance to comply with the terms of these specifications
and contract documents.
Each Proposer shall submit where necessary, or when requested by the Procurement Officer, catalogs, descriptive
literature or detailed drawings fully detailing features, designs, construction, appointments, finishes and the like
not covered in the specifications, necessary to fully describe the material or work they propose to furnish.
The City of Park Ridge reserves the right to disregard any informality in the proposals, to waive technicalities, or to
reject any and all proposals when, in the opinion of the City Council, the best interest of the City will be served by
such action.
In addition to price and evaluation criteria specified in this RFP, the City may consider: (1) compliance with
proposal and contract requirement including bonds and insurance; (2) ability, capacity, and skill to perform; (3)
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adequacy of facilities, equipment, materials, financial resources, organization, and staffing; (4) character,
integrity, reputation, judgment, experience, and efficiency; (5) quality of past performance; (6) compliance with
past contracts and applicable laws; (7) ability to provide future maintenance and service; (8) conditions or
exceptions placed on the proposal.
8. ACCEPTANCE OF PROPOSALS
The City will accept one of the proposals or reject all proposals within sixty (60) calendar days, or within ninety
(90) calendar days where approval by other agencies is required, from the date of opening of proposals, unless
the successful Proposer, upon request of the City, extends the time of acceptance to the City. The contract will be
awarded based on the City's independent assessment of the proposal by reference to the evaluation criteria
described in the proposal solicitation. Where no evaluation criteria are specified, the contract will be awarded to
the lowest responsible and responsive proposer whose proposal is most favorable to the City's interests. The City
may rely on any information presented in the proposal and any publicly available information to assess the
qualifications, responsiveness and responsibility of a proposal.
9. INTERPRETATION OF CONTRACT DOCUMENTS
Any Proposer in doubt as to the true meaning of any part of the specifications and contract documents may
submit to the Procurement Officer a written request for an interpretation thereof by the deadline described in the
Notice to Proposers. No oral comments will be made to any Proposer as to the meaning of the General or Special
Conditions or any other contract documents and any inadvertently made are hereby disclaimed and void. The
person submitting the request shall be responsible for its prompt delivery. Questions received after the deadline
described in the Notice to Proposers cannot be considered. Such interpretation will be made only in the form of a
written addendum duly issued by Procurement Officer. A copy of such addendum will be posted on the City's
website and DemandStar. Failure on the part of the prospective Proposer to receive a written interpretation prior
to the time of the opening of proposals will not be grounds for withdrawal of their Proposal. The Proposer shall
acknowledge receipt of each addendum issued.
Addenda may modify or interpret the Bidding Documents and will become part of the Contract Documents when
the Contract is executed. Subsequent addenda shall govern over prior addenda only to the extent specified.
Any references in these specifications to manufacturer's name, trade name, or catalog number (unless otherwise
specified) is intended to be descriptive but not restrictive and only to indicate articles or materials that will be
satisfactory. Proposals on other makes and catalogs will be considered, provided each Proposer clearly states on
the face of their Proposal exactly what is proposed to be furnished. Unless so stated in the Proposal, it shall be
understood that the Proposer intends to furnish the item specified and does not propose to furnish an "equal".
The City hereby reserves the right to approve as an equal, or to reject as not being an equal, any article the
Proposer proposes to furnish which contains minor or major variations from specification requirements.
10. CHANGES:
Illinois law (720 ILCS 5/33E-9) requires that aggregate changes in excess of $25,000 or aggregate extensions
greater than one hundred eighty (180) days must comply with the Criminal Code. Likewise, Illinois law (50 ILCS
525/5) expresses for a change order that authorizes or necessitates any increase in the contract price that is 50%
or more of the original contract price or that authorizes or necessitates any increase in the price of a subcontract
under the contract that is 50% or more of the original subcontract price, then the portion of the contract that is
covered by the change order must be resubmitted for bidding in the same manner for which the original contract
was proposal. Upon approval, the Procurement Officer shall issue to the successful contractor a written change
order to the original contract; such change orders shall be binding upon both parties thereto and shall in no way
invalidate or make void the terms of the original contract not modified by such change.
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11. FAIR EMPLOYMENT
Proposer's signature on the Proposal Form will be construed as acceptance of and willingness to comply with all
provisions of the acts of the General Assembly of the State of Illinois relating to wages of laborers and
discrimination and intimidation of employees. Provisions of said acts are herein incorporated by reference and
become a part of this Proposal and Specifications
12. DRUG FREE WORKPLACE ACT
At the time of contract, the Contractor will make certification required in the Contract and will comply with all
provisions of the Drug Free Workplace Act that are applicable to the Company. False certification or violation of
the requirements of the Drug Free Workplace Act may result in sanctions including but not limited to suspension
of the Contract with the City, termination of the Contract and debarment of contracting with the City for at least
one (1) year but not more than five (5) years.
13. HAZARD COMMUNICATION
All on-site contractors shall be informed of chemical hazards to which their employees could possibly be exposed
while working for the City. Upon request, this information is made available to the contractors and their
subcontractors by the prime contractor. It is the contractors and subcontractor's responsibility to train their own
employees on Hazardous Communications and the handling of hazardous materials. It is the responsibility of the
contractor to inform the City of any hazardous substances brought and stored on City property. The contractor
must also provide a Safety Data sheet for such chemicals.
14. WARRANTY/GUARANTEE
The Proposer warrants to the City that the labor shall be first class and conform to the requirements of the
Specifications and shall be performed by persons qualified in their respective trades. Materials furnished under
the Contract will be of good quality and new unless otherwise required or permitted under the Specifications, and
that materials will be free from defects not inherent in the quality required or permitted. Work and materials not
conforming to the Specifications, including substitutions not properly approved and authorized, may be
considered defective and will be rejected by the City. This warranty excludes remedy for damage or defect caused
by abuse, modifications not executed by the Proposer, improper or insufficient maintenance, improper operation,
or normal wear and tear and normal usage. Unless otherwise described in the specifications, materials provided
under this agreement will be guaranteed for a period of one year, or the term of the manufacturer's warranty,
whichever is greater. Unless otherwise described in the specifications, labor provided under this agreement will
be guaranteed for a period of one year.
15. NON-BARRED BIDDING
The Proposer must certify that it is not barred from bidding on this contract as a result of a conviction for the
violation of state laws prohibiting proposal-rigging or proposal rotating by executing the included certification as
required by 720 ILCS 5/33E-11.
16. ILLINOIS FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA)
Contractor understands that amendments to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (P.A. 96-0542), which took
effect January 1, 2010, requires the Contractor to produce to the City any of its company records and documents
which are in any way related to the performance of services under this agreement and not exempt from
disclosure within five (5) business days of the City's receipt of a request for said records. Accordingly, the
Contractor. agrees to be bound by the provisions of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/1 et seq.),
and agrees to deliver to the City all records in its possession relating to this agreement within three (3) business
days of a request by the City for said records. Contractor agrees to reimburse the City any fees, fines, or costs
incurred by or assessed against the City for its failure to deliver requested records in the possession of the
Contractor, and which the Contractor failed to deliver to the City within three (3) business days of its receipt of a
request from the City to do so. An e-mail request for records and documents sent during business hours will be
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considered received by the Contractor on the day sent. The Contractor shall not be entitled to receive any wages,
fees, or costs of any kind from the City for the production of documents and records in response to a Freedom of
Information Act request.
17. INDEMNITY
To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Contractor shall waive any right of contribution against the City and
shall indemnify and hold harmless the City and their officers, officials, employees, volunteers and agents from and
against all claims, damages losses and expenses, including, but not limited to, legal fees (attorney's and
paralegal's fees, expert fees and court costs), arising out of or resulting from the performance of the Contractor's
work provided that any such claim, damage, loss or expense is attributable to bodily injury, sickness, disease or
death, or injury to or destruction of property, other than the work itself, including the loss of use resulting
therefrom, or is attributable to misuse or improper use of patent, trademark or copyright protected material or
otherwise protected intellectual property, to the extent it is caused by any wrongful or negligent act or omission
of the Contractor, any Subcontractor, anyone directly or indirectly employed by any of them or anyone for whose
acts any of them may be liable. Such obligation shall not be construed to negate, abridge or otherwise reduce any
other right to indemnity that the Owner would otherwise have. The Contractor shall similarly, protect, indemnify
and hold and save harmless, the Owner, its officers, officials, employee, volunteers and agents against and from
any and all claims, costs, causes, actions and expenses, including, but not limited to, legal fees, incurred by reason
of Contractor's breach of any of its obligations under, or Contractor's default of any provisions of the Contract.
The indemnification obligations under this paragraph shall not be limited in any way by any limitation on the
amount or type of damages, compensation, or benefits payable by or for the Contractor or any subcontractor
under Workers' Compensation or Disability Benefit Acts or Employee Benefit Act.
18. SUBLETTING OR ASSIGNMENT OF CONTRACT OR CONTRACT FUNDS
No contract shall be assigned or any part of the same subcontracted without the prior written consent of an
authorized agent of the City; but in no case shall such consent relieve the Contractor from their obligation or
change the terms of this contract. The Contractor shall not transfer or assign any contract funds or claims due or
to become due without the prior written approval of an authorized agent of the City having first been obtained.
The unauthorized transfer or assignment of any contract funds in whole or in part, or any interest therein, which
shall be due or to become due to the Contractor, shall cause the annulment of said transfer or assignment so far
as the City is concerned.
19. CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The Proposer covenants that to the best of its knowledge no member of the governing body of the City, and no
other officer, employee, or agent of the City who exercises any functions or responsibilities in connection with the
solicitation or approval of this contract, shall have or does have any personal interest, direct or indirect, in this
contract.
The Proposer covenants that it presently has no interest and shall not acquire any interest, direct or indirect, in
the work to which this contract pertains which would conflict in any manner or degree with the performance of its
services hereunder. The Proposer further covenants that in the performance of this contract, it shall not employ
any officer, employee, or agent of the City who exercises any functions or responsibilities in connection with the
solicitation or approval of this contract.
20. COMPLETION
Proposer shall complete the services within the timeline set forth in the Proposal Documents. Failure of the
Proposer to complete these services in accordance with the Specifications shall constitute a breach of the
Contract.
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21. TERMINATION, CANCELLATION AND DAMAGES
This contract may be terminated for convenience upon mutual agreement of both parties. The City may terminate
based on the Contractor's breach or default. Unless the breach or default creates an emergency situation, as
determined in the City's sole discretion, the Contractor shall be given notice and a five (5) day opportunity to
correct before the termination becomes effective.
If the City terminates this Contract because of the Contractor's breach or default, the City shall have the right to
purchase items or services elsewhere and to charge the Contractor with any additional cost incurred, including
but not limited to the cost to cover, incidental and consequential damages and the cost of re-bidding. The City
may offset these additional costs against any sums otherwise due to the Contractor under this proposal or any
unrelated contract
Upon such termination, Contractor shall be entitled to payment only as follows: (1) the actual cost of the work
completed in conformity with this Agreement; plus, (2) any additional costs actually incurred by Contractor as are
permitted by the prime contract and approved by City. The Contractor shall not be entitled to any claim or claim
of lien against City for any additional compensation or damages in the event of such termination and payment.
If the City of Park Ridge fails to appropriate funds to enable continued payment of yearly or multi-year Contracts,
the City may cancel, without termination charges, provided Contractor received at least thirty (30) days prior
written notice of termination.
22. TAX EXEMPTION
Federal Excise Tax does not apply to materials purchased by the City of Park Ridge by virtue of Exemption
Certificate No. 36-600-6041. Illinois Retailers' Occupation Tax, Use Tax, and Municipal Retailers' Occupation Tax
do not apply to materials or services purchased by the City of Park Ridge by virtue of Statute. Illinois Tax
Exemption Identification No. E9998-1408-05. The prices quoted herein shall comply with all Federal Laws and
Regulations.
23. PAYMENTS
Payment terms shall be in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Prompt Payment Act, 50 ILCS
505/1 et seq., after receipt by the City of the Contractor's invoice.
24. PRICING
Pricing shall remain consistent with the original terms accepted by the City for the term of the contract.
25. PUBLIC RELATIONS
The Contractor shall endeavor at all times to maintain good public relations and to present the City in a positive
light. Any action by the Contractor which damages the City's good will shall be considered a breach of this
Agreement.
26. NOTIFICATION OF SURETY COMPANIES
The surety companies, other signers of any required bonds, and the insurance companies shall familiarize
themselves with all of the conditions and provisions of these specifications and contract documents, and shall
waive all rights of special notification of any change or modification of this contract in regard to the scope of the
work, time of completion, cancellation or termination, or of any other act or acts by the City of Park Ridge or its
authorized employees and agents under the terms of this contract. Failure to notify the previously mentioned
surety or insurance companies of change or modification shall in no way relieve the surety or insurance
companies of their obligations under this contract.
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INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS
Successful Proposer shall, within fifteen (15) calendar days, but before commencing work or furnishing materials,
furnish to the City a certificate of insurance evidencing coverage in the types and amounts specified below. Such
coverage shall be placed with a company acceptable to the City, licensed to do business in the State of Illinois, and
with a minimum insurance rating of A:VII as found in the current edition of A. M. Best's Key Rating Guide. If the
rating is less than A:VII or a Best's rating is not obtained, the City may reject the insurer. The contractor shall
maintain all required insurance in full force and effect during the life of the contract, and until such time as all work
has been approved and accepted by the City.
1. Commercial General Liability: including bodily injury and property damage in the following minimum
amounts:
* $2,000,000.00 general aggregate
* $1,000,000.00 per occurrence
* $1,000,000.00 products/completed operations aggregate
2. Workers' Compensation and Employer's Liability
* Workers' Compensation: Statutory limits (Illinois) for all persons employed directly or through
subcontractors in carrying out the work under this contract. Such insurance shall hold the City free
and harmless of all related personal injury claims.
* Employer's Liability: $500,000 minimum liability, for each accident/injury and disease.
3. Commercial Automobile Liability (Owned, Non-owned, Hired): including bodily injury and property
damage, which may arise from the use of motor vehicles engaged in various operations under this
contract. Coverage shall be provided in the minimum amount of $1,000,000 for combined single limit per
accident.
4. Umbrella Liability: $2,000,000 minimum per occurrence. The scope of coverage provided by the Umbrella
or Excess policy shall follow form with the general liability policy.
5. Technology Errors & Omissions Liability and Cyber Liability covering liabilities arising from software
services, data processing, network security failures, privacy breaches, unauthorized access, ransomware,
payment card exposures, and related technology services with limits of not less than $2,000,000 per claim
and aggregate. Coverage may be written on a claims-made basis and shall remain in force for the duration
of the Agreement and for not less than two (2) years following termination.
The City of Park Ridge, its officers, officials, employees, and volunteers shall be named as an additional insured
on the Contractor's Commercial General Liability, Automobile Liability, and Umbrella Liability policies with
respect to liability arising out of the Contractor's operations, services, and performance under the Agreement.
Such coverage shall be provided on a primary and non-contributory basis. Additional insured status shall not be
required for Workers' Compensation, Technology Errors & Omissions Liability, Professional Liability, or Cyber
Liability policies unless such status is commercially available and customarily provided by the insurer.
The requirement to obtain and maintain insurance shall be solely the responsibility of the Contractor and cannot
be waived by any act or omission of the City. The Contractor shall cause each subcontractor engaged in work
described in this contract to obtain insurance of the kind required herein. When requested by the City, Contractor
shall furnish copies of certificates of insurance evidencing coverage for each subcontractor. When requested by
the City, Contractor shall furnish copies all insurance policies and endorsements relied upon by the Contractor to
meet these requirements.
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Water Utility Payment Solution
FN-26-01
Section 1: General Information
Purpose
The City is seeking proposals for an online water utility payment solution that includes a web-based electronic bill
payment and presentation system that seamlessly integrates with the City's core financial system and provides
City staff with a clean and intuitive backend to view and manage resident payments.
Term of Contract
Notwithstanding the Effective Date, the initial term of this contract shall commence upon the successful
implementation and "Go-Live" date of the services, as determined by the City, and shall continue for a period of
three (3) years thereafter, unless earlier terminated in accordance with the terms of the contract. This contract
may be renewed for up to two (2) additional one (1)-year periods under the same terms, conditions, and pricing
accepted by the City. The Vendor shall notify the City at least ninety (90) days prior to the expiration of the
Contract as to whether they are agreeable to such extension.
"Go-Live Date" means the date on which the services, system, or operations are fully implemented, operational,
and accepted by the City for intended use.
Background
The City of Park Ridge has approximately 12,770 water/wastewater utility customers. The City moved to advanced
metering infrastructure (AMI) for water in 2019. Meter reading software is provided by Neptune Technology
Group and read information is provided through Neptune 360 and imported into Tyler's Enterprise ERP Software.
Customer account information is sent daily to WaterSmart via a file transfer process. Customers can access their
account information and usage via the WaterSmart/VertexOne portal. Currently, electronic payment services are
provided by Illinois State Treasury ePAY system.
The Finance Department performs the monthly billing for utilities and currently receives payments in-person,
online, and by mail. The City processes approximately 47,630 online water billing transactions annually with
approximately $9,000,000 in revenue.
Section 2: Scope of Services
The City seeks an online water utility payment solution that includes the following desired features:
1. System Integration & ERP Compatibility
a. Fully integrate with the City's existing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and utility billing system,
including:
a. Real-time (preferred), near real-time data synchronization, or file transfer
b. Support industry-standard integration methods (API, web services, secure file transfer, etc.)
c. Accommodate current and future ERP upgrades without requiring full system replacement
d. Provide testing, validation, and certification of integration prior to go-live
e. Ability to add additional payment solutions for non-utility payments
2. Customer Online Portal - Required Features
a. Secure, user-friendly web-based portal accessible via desktop and mobile devices
b. Ability for customers to:
i. View current and historical bills and balances
ii. Make one-time payments as a guest or enroll in recurring/auto-pay
iii. View confirmation of payment
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iv. Store multiple payment methods securely
v. View payment history and receipts
vi. Enroll in paperless billing and electronic notifications
vii. Update contact information and manage account preferences
c. Support for multiple accounts per user login
d. ADA-compliant design and accessibility standards
e. Multilingual support (or ability to add languages in the future)
f. Encourage customers to sign up for paperless/e-billing and autopay.
3. Cashiering & Point-of-Sale (POS) Functionality
a. Accept multiple payment types, including:
i. Credit cards
ii. Debit cards
iii. ACH / e-checks
iv. Other desirable payment types (PayPal, Apple Pay, Venmo)
b. Enable real-time posting of payments to customer accounts
c. Support payment reversals, refunds, voids, and adjustments with proper audit trails
d. Accept and integrate payments for general invoices and non-invoiced payments
e. Allow role-based access for cashier staff and supervisors
4. Transaction Security & Compliance
a. Comply with all applicable security standards and regulations, including:
i. PCI-DSS compliance for payment card processing
ii. Data encryption in transit and at rest
b. Utilize secure authentication and authorization protocols
c. Implement fraud detection and prevention measures
d. Maintain detailed audit logs of all transactions and system activity
e. Ensure customer payment data is never stored on City servers unless explicitly authorized
5. Payment Transaction Processing
a. Process payments in real time or near real time
b. Support configurable payment rules (fees, convenience fees, partial payments, thresholds)
c. Provide clear transaction status indicators (pending, completed, failed, refunded)
d. Minimize payment posting delays and reconciliation issues
e. Offer high system availability and uptime with redundancy and disaster recovery capabilities
6. Financial Processing & Reconciliation
a. Provide automated daily settlement and reconciliation reports
b. Support general ledger (GL) posting and export compatible with the City's chart of accounts
c. Clearly identify and separate fees, revenues, chargebacks, and refunds
d. Support fund, department, and account-level reporting
e. Facilitate end-of-month and year-end financial close processes
7. Reporting & Administrative Tools
a. Provide a robust administrative dashboard for City staff
b. Standard reports to include:
i. Payment activity by date, method, and channel
ii. Revenue summaries
iii. Failed or returned payments
iv. Customer usage and adoption metrics
c. Ability to generate ad hoc and custom reports
d. Export reports in common formats (CSV, Excel, PDF)
e. Support role-based permissions and configurable user access
f. Maintain full audit trails for administrative actions
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