Distribution Operations Control Center Planning Study

CITY OF ALBANY
FINANCE DEPARTMENT
PROCUREMENT DIVISION
ALBANY, GEORGIA
These instructions will bind proposers to terms and conditions herein set forth,
1. The following criteria are used in determining which proposal is in the best interests of the city.
(a) The ability, capacity and skill of proposer to perform required service.
(b) Whether proposer can perform service promptly or within specified time.
(c) The character, integrity, reputation, judgment, experience and efficiency of proposer.
(d) The performance of previous contracts.
(e) The suitability of equipment or material for City/County use.
(f) The ability of proposer to provide future maintenance and parts service.
2. Payment terms are Net 30 unless otherwise specified. Favorable term discounts may be offered and will be considered in
determining best proposer if they are deemed advantageous to the City.
3. All requested information should be included in submittal package. All desired information must be signed and included for
your proposal to receive full consideration. Failure to submit any required form will be cause for proposal to be
rejected as non-responsive.
4. All questions, inquiries and requests for clarification shall be directed to Procurement.
5. For multi-year contracts the following clauses pursuant to OCGA 36-60-13 apply: (1) The contract shall terminate absolutely
and without further obligation on the part of the City or County at the close of the calendar year in which it was executed and
at the close of each succeeding calendar year for which it may be renewed; (2) The contract may provide for automatic
renewal unless positive action is taken by the City or County to terminate such contract, and the nature of such action shall
be determined by the City or County and specified in the contract; (3) The contract shall state the total obligation of the City
or County for the calendar year of execution and shall further state the total obligation which will be incurred in each
calendar year renewal term, if renewed; and (4) The contract shall provide that title to any supplies, materials, equipment, or
other personal property shall remain in the vendor until fully paid for by the City or County.
6. Quote all prices F.O.B. Albany or our warehouse or as specified in proposal documents.
7. Each proposal shall be clearly marked on the outside of the package as a Sealed Proposal.
8. Proposal must be received and stamped by the Procurement Office before time stipulated in proposal documents. No
responsibility will attach to any City representative or employee for premature opening of proposal not properly addressed or
identified.
9. Proposals received late will not be accepted, and the City will not be responsible for late mail delivery.
10. Should a proposal be misplaced by the City and found later it will be considered.
11. Proposals requiring bid security will not be read or considered if security is not enclosed. Security may be in the form of
cash, certified check, cashier's check or Surety Bond issued by a Surety Company licensed to conduct business in Georgia.
12. All proposers must be recognized and authorized dealers in the materials or equipment specified and be qualified to advise
in their application or use. A proposer at any time requested must satisfy the Procurement Office and City Commission that
he has the requisite organization, capital, plant, stock, ability and experience to satisfactorily execute the contract in
accordance with the provisions of the contract in which he is interested.
13. Any alterations, erasures, additions or omissions of required information or any changes of specifications, or cost schedule
are done at the risk of the proposer.
14. When requested, SAMPLES will be furnished free of expense, properly marked for identification and accompanied by list
where there is more than one sample. The City reserves the right to mutilate or destroy any samples submitted whenever it
may be in the best interests of the City to do so for the purpose of testing.
15. City will reject any material, supplies or equipment that do not meet the specifications, even though proposal lists the trade
name or names of such materials on the price quotation form.
16. The unauthorized use of patented articles is done entirely at the risk of the successful proposer.
17. The ESTIMATED QUANTITY given in the specifications or advertisement is for the purpose of seeking a proposal. The City
may purchase more or less than the estimated quantity, and the vendor must not assume that such estimated quantity is
part of the contract.
18. Only the latest model equipment as evidenced by the manufacturer's current published literature will be considered.
Obsolete models of equipment not in production will not be acceptable. Equipment shall be composed of new parts and
materials. Any unit containing used parts or having seen any service other than the necessary tests will be rejected. In
addition to the equipment specifically called for in the specifications, all equipment catalogued by the manufacturer as
standard or required by the State of Georgia shall be furnished with the equipment. Where required by the State of Georgia
Motor Vehicle Code, vehicles shall be inspected and bear the latest inspection sticker of the Georgia Department of
Revenue.
19. The successful proposer on motor vehicle equipment shall be required to furnish with delivery of vehicle, Certificate of Origin
and Georgia vendors shall provide Georgia Motor Vehicle form MV1.
20. Proposers are responsible for examining the location of the proposed work or delivery and determining, in their own way, the
difficulties, which are likely to be encountered in the prosecution of the same.
21. All materials, equipment and supplies shall be subject to rigid inspection, under the immediate supervision of the
Procurement Officer and/or the Department to which they are delivered. If defective material, equipment or supplies are
discovered, the contractor, upon being instructed by the Procurement Officer, shall remove, or make good such material,
equipment or supplies without extra compensation. It is expressly understood and agreed that the inspection of materials by
the City will in no way lessen the responsibility of the contractor or release him from his obligation to perform and deliver to
the City sound and satisfactory materials, equipment or supplies. The proposer agrees to pay the cost of all tests on
defective material, equipment or supplies or allow the cost to be deducted from any monies due him by the City or Cou nty.
RFP #27-016 Distribution Operations Control Center Planning Study 2

22. Unless otherwise specified by the procurement officer all materials, supplies or equipment quoted herein must be delivered
within thirty (30) days from date of notification or exception noted on price quotation sheet.
23. A contract will not be awarded to any corporation, firm or individual who is, from any cause, in arrears to the City/County or
who has failed in any former contract with the City/County to perform work satisfactorily, either as to the character of the
work, the fulfillment of the guarantee, or the time consumed in completing the work.
24. Reasonable grounds for supposing that any proposer is interested in more than one proposal for the same item will be
considered sufficient cause for rejection of all proposals in which he/she is interested.
25. Unless otherwise specified the City reserves the right to award each item separately or on a lump sum basis, whichever is in
the best interest of the City/County.
26. The City reserves the right to waive any minor discrepancies, reject any or all proposals, and to purchase any part, all or
none of the services, materials, supplies or equipment specified.
27. Failure of the proposer to sign the offer or have the signature of any authorized representative or agent on the proposal will
be cause for rejection of the proposal. Signature must be written in ink.
28. Any proposer may withdraw his proposal at any time before the time set for opening of proposals. No proposal may be
withdrawn without cause in the 60-day period after proposals are opened.
29. It is mutually understood and agreed that if any time the Procurement Officer shall be of the opinion that the contract or any
part thereof is unnecessarily delayed or that the rate of progress or delivery is unsatisfactory, or that the proposer is willfully
violating any of the conditions or covenants of the agreement, or is executing the same in bad faith, the Procurement Officer
shall have the power to notify the aforesaid proposer of the nature of the complaint. Notification shall constitute delivery of
notice, or letter, to address given in proposal. If after three working days of notification the conditions are not corrected to the
satisfaction of the Procurement Officer, he shall thereupon have the power to take whatever action he may deem necessary
to complete the work or delivery herein described, or any part thereof, and the expense thereof, so charged, shall be
deducted from any paid by the City out of such monies as may become due to the said proposer, under and by virtue of this
agreement. In case such expense shall exceed the last said sum, then and in that event, the bondsman or the proposer, his
executors, administrators, successors, or assigns, shall pay the amount of such excess to the City on notice by the
Procurement Officer of the excess due.
30. If the proposer proposes to furnish any item of a foreign make or product, he should write "Foreign" together with the name
of the originating country opposite such item on proposal.
31. Any complaint from proposer relative to the Request for Proposals or any attached specifications should be made prior to
the time of opening of proposals, otherwise such complaint cannot be properly considered.
32. Contracts may be cancelled by the City/County with or without cause with 30-day written notice.
33. All Corporations should provide the corporate seal, a copy of the Secretary of State's Certificate of Incorporation,
and a listing of the principals of the corporation with the bid/proposal.
34. All bidders/proposers should provide their tax identification number with the bid/proposal.
35. The Board of Commissioners passed a local preference ordinance on January 27, 2015. Where applicable,
this ordinance will govern. Local preference will not be a basis of award for projects that are federally funded.
36. The proposer shall secure all permits, license certificates, inspections (permanent and temporary) and occupational
tax certificate, if applicable, before any work can commence. Proposer as well as any and all known subcontractors must
possess or will be required to obtain a City of Albany Occupational Tax Certificate or Registration.
37. Prior to submitting proposal, check website at www.albanyga.gov or call the Procurement Office at 229-431-3211
for any subsequent addendums.
PROCUREMENT FORM - Revised 4/20/2018
RFP #27-016 Distribution Operations Control Center Planning Study 3

DISTRIBUTION OPERATIONS CONTROL CENTER
PLANNING STUDY
GENERAL INFORMATION
RFP #27-016
1. Submit one (1) original and six (6) copies of your proposal on company letterhead and have an authorized
official sign documents. Submittals should be clearly marked on the outside as "RFP #27-016,
DISTRIBUTION OERATIONS CONTROL CENTER PLANNING STUDY". Proposals should be
submitted to:
CITY OF ALBANY
PROCUREMENT DIVISION
222 PINE AVENUE, SUITE 260
ALBANY, GEORGIA 31701
2. Proposals must be received no later than 5:00 P.M. September 16, 2026, at the City of Albany
Procurement Office, 222 Pine Avenue, Suite 260, Albany, Ga. 31701. Sealed responses may be hand
delivered or mailed to the above listed address. SEALED SUBMITTALS MUST BE DELIVERED IN
WRITING. VERBAL RESPONSES ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE. The City of Albany assumes no responsibility for
submittals received after the advertised deadline or at any office or location other than that specified
herein, whether due to mail delays, courier mistake, mishandling, or any other reason. If submittals are
delivered by other than hand delivery, it is recommended that the respondent verify delivery. Any
submittal received after the specified time and date will not be considered and will be returned unopened
to the firm.
3. The contact person for this RFP is Destin Adams, Buyer, at (229) 302-1461. Explanation(s) desired by
proposer(s) regarding the meaning or interpretation of this RFP must be requested from the Procurement
office, in writing, as is further described below.
Proposers are advised that from the date of release of this RFP until award of the contract, NO contact
with the City of Albany personnel related to this RFP is permitted, except as authorized by
the Procurement office. Any such unauthorized contact may result in the disqualification of the
proposer's submittal.
4. Requests for additional information or clarifications must be made in writing no later than the date
specified in the RFP. The request must contain the proposer's name, address, phone number, and
facsimile number. Facsimile will be accepted at (229) 431-2184 or E-mail to jswilliams@albanyga.gov; cc:
kross@albanyga.gov.
The Procurement Office will issue responses to inquiries and any other corrections or amendments it
deems necessary in written addenda issued prior to the Proposal Due Date. Proposers should not rely on
any representations, statements or explanations other than those made in this RFP or in any addendum
to this RFP. Where there appears to be a conflict between the RFP and any addenda issued, the last
addendum issued will prevail.
It is the proposer's responsibility to be sure all addenda were received. The proposer should verify with
the designated contact person prior to submitting a proposal that all addenda have been received.
Proposers should acknowledge the number of addenda received as part of their proposals or sign a copy
of the addenda and include it with the proposal submission.
RFP #27-016 Distribution Operations Control Center Planning Study 4

5. Proposals received after the Proposal Due Date and time are late and will not be considered. The
proposer may withdraw his/her submitted proposal by providing a written request to the Procurement
Division before the stipulated closing date and time. Withdrawal of your proposal will not cause prejudice
or interfere with the right of the proposer to submit a new proposal, provided the latter is received by
the predetermined date and time provided herein. No proposal may be withdrawn for a period of sixty
(60) days following the stipulated closing date.
6. The City of Albany may, at its sole and absolute discretion, reject any and all, or parts of any and all,
proposals; re-advertise this RFP; postpone or cancel, at any time, this RFP process; or waive any
irregularities in this RFP or in the proposals received as a result of this RFP.
7. All expenses involved with the preparation and submission of proposals to the City, or any work
performed in connection therewith shall be borne by the proposer(s). No payment will be made for any
responses received, or for any other effort required of or made by the proposer(s) prior to
commencement of work as defined by a contract approved by the City of Albany Board of
Commissioners.
8. Proposers may be required to give oral presentations in support of their proposals or to exhibit or
otherwise demonstrate the information contained therein.
9. Proposers may take exceptions to any of the terms of this RFP unless the RFP specifically states where
exceptions may not be taken. Should a proposer take exception where none is permitted, the proposal
may be rejected as non-responsive. All exceptions taken must be specific, and the Proposer must
indicate clearly what alternative is being offered to allow the City a meaningful opportunity to evaluate
and rank proposals.
Where exceptions are permitted, the City shall determine the acceptability of the proposed exceptions
and the proposals will be evaluated based on the proposals as submitted. The City, after completing
evaluations, may accept or reject the exceptions. Where exceptions are rejected, the City may request
that the Proposer furnish the services or goods described herein or negotiate an acceptable alternative.
No proposal shall be accepted from, nor will any contract be awarded to, any proposer who is in arrears
to the City of Albany upon any debt, fee, tax or contract, or who is a defaulter, as surety or otherwise,
upon any obligation to the City, or who is otherwise determined to be irresponsible or unreliable by the
City of Albany.
10. The City of Albany may award a contract on the basis of information received without the RFP moving
through all three phases described in the Selection Process section of the RFP. Therefore, each proposal
phase should contain a proposer's best presentation of its position to serve.
Selection Process Clause: A Proposal Analysis Group (PAG) will review all proposals submitted. Based
upon the background information reported in the RFP, the PAG will determine whether the respondent is
qualified or unqualified. Cost will not be the sole determining factor in selecting a firm. The Proposal
Analysis Group will rank the qualified firms based on the data submitted. The PAG may require each firm
to make a formal presentation regarding its qualifications to perform the requested services. The top
ranked firms will be selected for final negotiations.
11. The proposer shall comply with all laws, ordinances and regulations applicable to the services
contemplated herein, including those applicable to conflict of interest and collusion. Proposers are
presumed to be familiar with all Federal, State and local laws, ordinances, codes and regulations that
may in any way affect the services offered. No reimbursement will be made by the City of Albany for any
costs incurred prior to a formal Notice To Proceed should an award of contract result from this
solicitation.
13. INDEMNIFICATION: Proposer assumes and agrees to be responsible for all claims for damages for
RFP #27-016 Distribution Operations Control Center Planning Study 5

injuries to persons or property arising out of the performance of its contract, whether due to its own
default or negligence of its sub-contractors. The proposer agrees to indemnify the City of Albany on
account of such claims and further agrees that it will indemnify the City fully against any damages, fines,
penalties or forfeitures of any kind which may be imposed upon or levied against the City as the result of
the proposer's violation or failure to comply with any valid law, ordinance or regulation of the United
States, State of Georgia, or the City of Albany, including the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Act
of 1970 as amended from time to time or any federal regulation adopted pursuant thereto.
The proposer shall not be liable for any losses, damages, or expenses caused by negligent, willful or
wanton acts, errors or omissions of the City, its officers, employees, agents or representatives.
To further assure the performance of the covenant, the proposer shall procure and maintain in force, at
its expense, liability insurance including Automobile, General and Errors and Omissions of at least
$1,000,000 per occurrence and an annual aggregate, where it applies, of at least $2,000,000. The
proposer must also certify for Workers Compensation statutory coverage and Employers Liability of at
least $1,000,000.
14. TERMINATION OF CONTRACT FOR CONVENIENCE: The City of Albany shall have the right to terminate
any contract to be made hereunder for their convenience by giving the proposer sixty (60) calendar
days written notice of their election to do so and by specifying the effective date of such termination.
The proposer shall be paid for its services through the effective date of such termination.
15. TERMINATION OF CONTRACT FOR CAUSE: Provided a contract is awarded, if a proposer shall fail to
fulfill any of its obligations hereunder, The City of Albany may terminate the agreement with said
proposer for such default by giving written notice to the proposer at issue. If this agreement is so
terminated, the proposer shall be paid only for work satisfactorily completed. Any termination that could
occur would not happen without an opportunity to cure per the conditions outlined in the Contract
between the successful proposer and the City.
16. Upon receipt of the proposals by the City of Albany, the proposal shall become property of the City
without compensation to the proposers, for disposition or usage at discretion of the City of Albany.
17. Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act: The successful consultant will provide
certification that they are in compliance with the Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act,
certifying that the provisions of O.C.G.A 36-60-13, Chapter 300-10-1, per the Georgia Department of
Labor, if applicable, have been complied with in full. Pursuant to O.C.G.A 36-60-13, all sub-consultants
entering into a contract or agreement for hire on this Project must be registered and participate in the
Federal Work Authorization Program. (See attached document at the end of proposal)
18. PROPOSAL RESPONSE: All vendors/respondents should provide information as detailed in this RFP
and any other pertinent information which will assist the Evaluation Committee in selecting the most
qualified firm. The City of Albany Staff will be available at the pre-proposal conference to answer
questions and offer explanations as needed. Any reply resulting in a change in the Request For Proposals
(RFP) will be sent to all attendees. It is highly recommended that all interested proposers attend this
conference. This will be the only site visit and tour.
19. Proposer shall provide satisfactory evidence of competency to perform the work presented in the RFP.
The minimum requirements are a permanent office, adequate work force and technical
qualifications/experience, along with having a suitable financial status to meet obligations incidental to
the workplace. Submit with your proposal satisfactory evidence to meet these requirements.
RFP #27-016 Distribution Operations Control Center Planning Study 6

20. The proposer will give immediate notice to the City of Albany of any claims or suits made
or filed against the vendor or its subcontractors on any matter pertaining to this contract.
The vendor shall cooperate, assist, and consult with the City in any claim, suit, or action
made or filed against the City as a result of or relating to the vendors obligation under this
contract. Any cancellation or lapse of insurance affecting the operation of the City shall be
deemed a material breach of contract and the Administrator must be notified immediately.
21. EVALUATION CRITERIA:
Qualifications & Experience 25%
References & Portfolio 25%
Project Approach & Understanding 25%
Education/Certifications 15%
Fees (cost) 10%
Award will be made to the responsible proposer whose proposal best meets the needs of
the City of Albany as set forth herein. Proposers will be evaluated on the following
criteria:
* Experience/Qualifications: The City will consider the proposer's financial stability, staff
experience and quality, as well as the proposer's performance on similar projects. Weight
-25%
* References and Portfolio: The City will evaluate the respondent's portfolio and
references provided. Please provide at least three references from previous clients within the
past seven years. Links or attachments of a project of a similar scale should be submitted for
proposer's portfolio. Weight -25%
* Project Approach and Understanding: The City will evaluate the respondent's
understanding of the work to be performed. The vendor should address the overall
concept with this proposal including staffing and responsibilities. Submittal should clearly
express the firm's understanding and approach to the proposed project. Weight -25%
* Education/Certifications: Proposals submitted will be evaluated on any
education or certifications of the proposed staff assigned to the project that
correlate to the project and scope of work. Weight -15%
* Fee Proposal: Vendor shall propose a fee schedule with a detailed breakdown of
pricing with specific payment terms. Weight -10%
22. Certificate of Non-Collusion: An executed copy of this form should accompany your
submittal. (See Attached).
23. Governing Law & Venue: An executed copy of this form should accompany your
submittal. (See Attached).
RFP #27-016 Distribution Operations Control Center Planning Study 7

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
DISTRIBUTION OPERATIONS CONTROL
CENTER PLANNING STUDY
RFP #27-016
Background Information
The City of Albany Utility Operations Department is seeking professional consulting services to
conduct a Phase 1 Planning Study for a new Distribution Operations Control Center (DOC). The
DOC is a 24/7 mission-critical facility responsible for monitoring and controlling electric, water,
and gas systems and coordinating utility response operations.
This planning effort is intended to support early decision-making, establish operational
requirements, and develop a conceptual framework for a future utility operations facility.
Scope of Work
1. Discovery & Stakeholder Engagement
* Conduct a physical walkthrough survey of existing facilities (if applicable)
* Facilitate a discovery session with project stakeholders, including but not limited
to:
DOC Operators
SCADA Technicians
AMI Operations staff
Utility Operations leadership
TAC / Communications
Security and Facilities staff
* Identify and document project objectives, workflows, and requirements
2. Facility Programming & Space Planning
* Define space requirement for a utility operation facility, including:
DOC control room
AMI operations workspace
SCADA Technician workspace and support areas
Offices, break areas, and support spaces
Workshop areas for SCADA Technicians and meter technicians, including
space for equipment, tools, and RTU-related work
* Identify functional relationships and adjacencies between departments
3. Conceptual Layout Development
* Develop preliminary conceptual layouts
* Layouts shall consider:
Control room configuration (operator consoles, video display systems)
Integration of DOC, AMI, and SCADA functions
Workshop and support space needs
Operational efficiency and workflow
RFP #27-016 Distribution Operations Control Center Planning Study 8

* Provide multiple layout options, if appropriate
4. Design Narrative
* Prepare a design narrative describing the proposed concepts, including:
Operational improvements
Functional layout considerations
Technology and infrastructure considerations
Recommendations to support a future DOC facility
5. 3D Visualization
* Produce representative 3D renderings illustrating the proposed layout(s)
* Renderings shall provide a clear visual understanding of the proposed design and
operational environment
6. Cost Estimating
* Develop a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost estimate for the proposed facility
and/or modifications
* Estimate shall be suitable for budgeting and planning purposes only
Key Deliverables
* Conceptual layout drawings
* Design narrative report
* 3D renderings
* Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost estimate
* Summary presentation of findings and recommendations
Exclusions
* Detailed engineering design
* Permit or construction drawings
* Bid-phase services
* Construction administration
Future Phases
The City may, at its discretion, consider the selected consultant for future phases of this project,
which may include detailed design, construction documentation, and implementation support.
RFP #27-016 Distribution Operations Control Center Planning Study 9

**COMPLETE AND SUBMIT**
RFP REFERENCE
NO. 27-016
ADDENDUM ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM
Instructions: Please acknowledge receipt of addenda received by completing this
addendum acknowledgement form. Check the box next to each addendum received
and sign below. This addendum acknowledgement form should be
submitted with your bid to expedite document processing.
Acknowledgement: I, the undersigned, acknowledge receipt of the following addenda
to the above referenced Invitation To Bid and have made any necessary revisions to
my response or submittal. I understand that failure to confirm the receipt of addenda
may be cause for rejection of this bid.

Addendum No. 1 Addendum No. 3

Addendum No. 2 Addendum No. 4

No Addenda received for Bid Reference NO. 27-016.
Print Name and Title of Authorized Signer
Authorized Signature
Date
RFP #27-016 Distribution Operations Control Center Planning Study 10