MCWD is requesting proposals from qualified and experienced collection service firms to provide professional delinquent account collection services for water, wastewater, recycled water, and related utility accounts. RFP PDF

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)
COLLECTION SERVICES FOR DELINQUENT ACCOUNTS
Marina Coast Water District (MCWD)
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO. FIN-2026-002
Period of Performance
Initial Term: One (1) year from the date of contract execution
Renewal Options: Up to three (3) additional one-year renewal terms, at the sole discretion of the
District.
NOTICE INVITING PROPOSALS
Marina Coast Water District ("District" or "MCWD") is requesting proposals from qualified and
experienced collection service firms to provide professional delinquent account collection services for
water, wastewater, recycled water, and related utility accounts.
The selected firm will assist the District in recovering outstanding customer balances while maintaining
professionalism, regulatory compliance, customer confidentiality, and sensitivity to public agency
operations.
Interested firms are invited to submit proposals in accordance with the requirements outlined in this
Request for Proposals (RFP).
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Overview
The District is committed to maintaining responsible fiscal stewardship while balancing customer service,
professionalism, regulatory compliance, and public accountability.
The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to identify a qualified firm capable of assisting the
District in recovering delinquent balances while maintaining respectful, lawful, and professional
customer interactions.
1.2 District Background
Marina Coast Water District provides potable water, recycled water, and wastewater collection services
within the Marina and Ord Community service areas in Monterey County, California.
The District generally ceases internal collection activity on unpaid final bills after a designated aging
period and may thereafter assign accounts to a contracted collection agency for collection processing.
Page 1 of 19

1.3 Purpose of the RFP
The District seeks to establish a contractual relationship with a qualified collection services provider
capable of supporting the District's financial operations through lawful, efficient, and customer-sensitive
recovery of delinquent customer accounts.
2. SCOPE OF SERVICES
2.1 Required Services
The successful proposer shall provide comprehensive collection services including, but not limited to:
* Collection of delinquent utility accounts;
* Skip tracing and debtor location services;
* Telephone, written, and electronic communications;
* Payment coordination and resolution support;
* Monthly financial reporting and account tracking;
* Credit reporting services, where applicable;
* Legal collection coordination only when authorized in writing by the District.
The successful proposer shall not initiate legal action, judgments, wage garnishments, liens, or other
legal recovery mechanisms without prior written authorization from the District.
2.2 Account Processing and Reporting
The District reserves the right to determine which accounts are referred, recall accounts, and continue
utilizing other lawful recovery mechanisms.
Monthly reporting shall include assigned accounts, resolved accounts, amounts collected, recovery
percentages, aging summaries, and collection activity summaries.
2.3 Customer Service Expectations
The successful proposer shall maintain courteous, professional, and respectful communication and avoid
aggressive, deceptive, abusive, or harassing collection practices.
3. TECHNOLOGY, SECURITY, AND PRIVACY REQUIREMENTS
3.1 Technology Requirements
Proposals shall describe electronic processing capabilities, reporting systems, secure file transfer
methods, cybersecurity controls, confidentiality protections, and incident response procedures.
Page 2 of 19

3.2 Cybersecurity and Privacy Requirements
The successful proposer shall maintain appropriate administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to
protect District information.
Cybersecurity incidents, unauthorized access, privacy breaches, or compromise of District information
shall be reported to the District immediately and no later than seventy-two (72) hours after discovery.
3.3 Protection of Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
The successful proposer shall safeguard personally identifiable information (PII), including customer
names, addresses, account numbers, billing information, phone numbers, email addresses, Social
Security numbers, and financial information.
Upon expiration or termination of the agreement, all District PII and confidential records shall be
returned or securely destroyed within thirty (30) calendar days unless otherwise required by law or
directed by the District.
3.4 District System Access Restrictions
The District will not provide direct access to District systems, VPN, remote desktop access, database
credentials, privileged accounts, or other internal infrastructure unless expressly authorized in writing.
4. CONTRACT TERM, QUALIFICATIONS, AND INSURANCE
4.1 Contract Term
The anticipated contract term shall begin July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, with up to four (4) optional
one-year extensions.
4.2 Minimum Qualifications
Proposers shall:
* Have a minimum of five (5) years of collection services experience;
* Demonstrate public agency or utility collection experience;
* Possess all required California licenses and registrations, including DFPI compliance where
applicable;
* Demonstrate financial and operational capability.
Page 3 of 19

4.3 Insurance Requirements
The successful proposer shall maintain the following minimum insurance coverage throughout the term
of the agreement:
Coverage Type Minimum Coverage
Commercial General Liability $2,000,000
Automobile Liability $1,000,000
Workers Compensation Statutory
Professional Liability (Errors & Omissions) $2,000,000
Cyber Liability / Data Breach $1,000,000
Cyber liability coverage shall include privacy breaches, ransomware, unauthorized access, and
compromise of personally identifiable information (PII).
4.4 Indemnification
The successful proposer shall defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the District, its Board members,
officers, employees, agents, consultants, and representatives from any claims, liabilities, damages,
losses, penalties, fines, costs, attorney's fees, cybersecurity incidents, privacy breaches, negligence,
misconduct, or violations of law arising from or related to the proposer's services, acts, omissions,
subcontractors, employees, or performance under the agreement.
5. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
5.1 Proposal Contents
Proposals shall include, at minimum, the following sections:
Required Section Description
Cover Letter Firm information and authorized representative signature
Firm Background Company history, organization, and years in business
Relevant Experience Similar work for public agencies or utilities
Collection Methodology Collection practices and customer communication approach
Technology Capabilities Security, reporting, and electronic processing systems
Fee Proposal Pricing, rates, and assumptions
References Minimum of three (3) references
Page 4 of 19

5.2 Pricing and Cost Adjustments
Pricing shall remain fixed during the first contract year.
Any requested pricing increase after year one shall require District review, negotiation, and written
approval.
No adjustment shall become effective without written approval.
5.3 Proposal Validity
Proposals shall remain valid for ninety (90) calendar days following submission.
6. EVALUATION AND AWARD
6.1 Evaluation Criteria
Proposals may be evaluated using the following criteria:
Evaluation Criteria Weight
Cost / Fee Structure 50%
Relevant Experience 20%
Collection Methodology 15%
Reporting & Technology 10%
References 5%
The District reserves the right to interview shortlisted proposers and is not obligated to select the
lowest-cost proposal.
6.2 Proposal Results and Notifications
The District intends to notify selected and non-selected proposers.
Notification may occur by email, written correspondence, Board action, District website posting, or other
methods determined appropriate by the District.
The District shall not be obligated to provide debriefings, evaluation commentary, scoring explanations,
ranking details, evaluator notes, or feedback directly to proposers as part of the procurement process.
Nothing in this section shall be interpreted as limiting disclosure obligations required under applicable
California Public Records Act requirements or other applicable laws.
Page 5 of 19

7. RFP SCHEDULE AND SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
7.1 Tentative Schedule
Milestone Date
RFP Release 7/6/2026
Questions Due 7/17/2026
Responses to Questions 7/24/2026
Proposal Due Date 8/3/2026
Tentative Award 8/17/2026
Contract Start 9/1/2026
The District reserves the right to revise the schedule at its sole discretion.
7.2 Submission Requirements
Proposals shall be submitted electronically in PDF format via email to:
Mary Lagasca
Director of Administrative Services
Marina Coast Water District
920 2nd Avenue
Marina, CA 93933
MLAGASCA@MCWD.ORG
Subject Line: RFP - Collection Services for Delinquent Accounts
Late submissions will not be accepted under any circumstances. The District is not responsible for
delayed, failed, incomplete, corrupted, or misdirected electronic transmissions.
7.3 Questions and Clarifications
Questions regarding this RFP must be submitted in writing or by email no later than the deadline
identified in the RFP Schedule.
Questions shall be directed to either of the following District representatives:
Contact Title Email
Mary Lagasca Director of Administrative Services MLAGASCA@MCWD.ORG
Teo Espero Information Technology Administrator TESPERO@MCWD.ORG
Page 6 of 19

Mailing Address:
Marina Coast Water District
Attn: Mary Lagasca / Teo Espero
920 2nd Avenue
Marina, CA 93933
Interpretations, clarifications, corrections, or changes to this RFP shall only be made through written
addenda issued by the District.
Oral statements, discussions, or representations by District personnel shall not be binding upon the
District.
Questions and responses that materially affect this solicitation may be issued to all prospective
proposers through a written addendum and made available on the District's website at www.mcwd.org.
7.4 Addenda
Addenda, notices, updates, clarifications, schedule changes, and other pertinent RFP information may be
made available through the District website at www.mcwd.org.
Proposers are responsible for periodically reviewing the District website and ensuring receipt of all
addenda prior to proposal submission.
8. GENERAL CONDITIONS
8.1 District Rights Reserved
The District reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, waive irregularities, negotiate modifications,
cancel or reissue the RFP, or reopen the RFP if no successful vendor is selected.
8.2 Public Records (CPRA)
Proposals, contracts, scoring summaries, evaluation materials, and procurement records may be
obtained in accordance with applicable California Public Records Act requirements.
The District does not guarantee confidentiality.
8.3 Compliance With Laws
The successful proposer shall comply with:
* Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA)
* California Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
* California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
* Applicable California Civil Code and Business & Professions Code provisions
Page 7 of 19

8.4 Termination
The District reserves the right to terminate the agreement for convenience or cause.
Excessive customer complaints, privacy breaches, cybersecurity incidents, regulatory violations, or
conduct that negatively impacts public trust may constitute grounds for termination.
8.5 Records Retention and Audit Rights
The successful proposer shall maintain records for a minimum of five (5) years following contract
completion.
The District reserves the right to request documentation or to conduct an audit to verify compliance.
8.6 Conflict of Interest
Failure to disclose conflicts may result in disqualification, rejection, or termination of contract.
8.7 No Guarantee of Work Volume
The District makes no guarantee regarding the number of accounts assigned or dollar value of work.
8.8 Governing Law
This RFP and resulting agreement shall be governed by California law. Venue shall be Monterey County,
California.
9. ATTACHMENTS
The following attachments are incorporated into and made part of this Request for Proposals:
* Attachment A - Professional Services Agreement
* Attachment B - Non-Disclosure Agreement
The District reserves the right to revise, modify, or supplement the attachments prior to contract award.
Submission of a proposal constitutes acknowledgment by the proposer that it has reviewed the
attachments and understands the contractual and confidentiality requirements associated with this
solicitation.
The successful proposer may be required to execute the District's Professional Services Agreement and
Non-Disclosure Agreement as conditions of contract award.
Page 8 of 19

ATTACHMENT A
Marina Coast Water District (MCWD)
Professional Services Agreement
Page 9 of 19

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT FOR
___________________________________________
BETWEEN
MARINA COAST WATER DISTRICT
AND
_________________________________________
Funding:
Task No.
Some of the important terms of this Agreement are printed on Page 2. For your protection, make sure
that you read and understand all provisions before signing. The terms on Page 2 are incorporated in this
document and will constitute a part of the Agreement between the parties when signed.
TO: Marina Coast Water District DATE:
920 2nd Ave., Ste. A Agreement No.
Marina, CA 93933
The undersigned Consultant offers to furnish the following:
The Executive Search Recruitment Services Project is an effort by Marina Coast Water District (MCWD) to
hire a qualified executive recruitment firm to assist with recruiting and selecting a District Engineer. The
selected firm will support candidate outreach, screening, recruitment coordination, and the overall hiring
process to help the District identify a highly qualified candidate for this key leadership role.
Contract price $ 27,000.00
Completion date 06/30/2027
Instructions: Sign and return original. Upon acceptance by the Marina Coast Water District, a copy will be
signed by its authorized representative and promptly returned to you. Insert below, the names of your
authorized representative(s).
Page 10 of 19