RFP Missoula Utility Rate Study and Financial Plan
| Location: | Montana |
|---|---|
| Posted: | Mar 13, 2026 |
| Due: | Apr 9, 2026 |
| Agency: | City of Missoula |
| Type of Government: | State & Local |
| Category: |
|
| Publication URL: | To access bid details, please log in. |
| Bid Title: |
RFP Missoula Utility Rate Study and Financial Plan
|
| Category: | Professional Services--General |
| Status: | Open |
|
Attachment Preview
Request for Proposal
for the Missoula Utility Rate Study and Financial Plan
for the City of Missoula, Montana
Proposal Submittal Due Date: April 9, 2026, 3pm MST (submit 1 electronic copy)
NOTICE TO QUALIFIED CONSULTING FIRMS: Notice is hereby given that the City of
Missoula, Montana, will receive written Proposals from qualified consultants to prepare the
Missoula Utility Rate Study and Financial Plan. A consultant contract resulting from this
selection process may be expanded to include similar or related work.
The City of Missoula is seeking proposals from consulting companies capable of
conducting studies of water, wastewater, and stormwater rates and related rate
infrastructure. The City of Missoula has an approximate population of 78,000 and owns
and operates three utility systems: Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater. Each utility is
accounted for in separate enterprise funds. See Addendum 1 for financial reference.
There are approximately 23,000 water meters, which includes approximately 17,775
single-family residential water meters, 4,388 multifamily or commercial meters and 800
irrigation meters. There are also approximately 2,500 flat rate water accounts that
need to be included in the rate study.
The City also has 26,000 wastewater accounts, spread across metered and flat rate
user classifications of single- and multi-family residential, general commercial, food
service, hospitals, schools, industrial, hauled waste and mixed use with food service.
Industrial users are permitted separately by the Wastewater Division and are charged
specifically for high strength wastes.
The City also has over 24,000 stormwater accounts that are currently billed based on
vehicle trip counts for various user classifications as determined by the Institute of
Transportation Engineers (ITE)’s Trip Generation Manual.
Growth of the general community is driving the need for improvements and upgrades to
infrastructure and an increase in capacity. In 2025, the City completed Water and Wastewater
Facilities Plans, which included detailed 20-year projections for Capital Improvement Plans
(CIP’s). The Stormwater Utility completed a Comprehensive Stormwater Quality Plan in 2025,
which includes a 10-year CIP to guide future investments in water quality protection and
stormwater infrastructure. The City maintains a long-term financial proforma for each of the
three utilities which can be provided to the selected consultant.
More information about the community, local government, and public utilities can be found at
www.ci.missoula.mt.us.
The most recent rate study for the wastewater utility was completed in 2017, and this will be the
second such study performed for the water utility (while under City ownership). The Stormwater
Utility was established in 2016, and a rate study was completed in 2019. The general goals for
this study are to validate equitable utility rates to reflect current and anticipated conditions;
adopt a financial plan for future operations and capital improvements. The City’s current rate
structure for water and wastewater is a uniform block rate structure, while stormwater rates are
based on vehicle trip counts, all of which the City intends to maintain.
Required Services
The general scope of work may include, but will not necessarily be limited to, the following:
1. Evaluate & recommend rates for residential and commercial domestic water
distribution including: irrigation and fire suppression services, tap installation,
meter installation cost and hydrant use billing.
2. Evaluate & recommend rates for residential, commercial and industrial
wastewater collection and treatment services. Consideration should be given
for re-evaluating commercial flat rate minimum charges.
3. Evaluate & recommend rates for residential and commercial stormwater utility services.
The City currently bills stormwater on a trip-based structure. The City can adjust the
Annual Regulatory Compliance Charge, Annual Operations and Maintenance Charge,
and Annual Trip Charge. The Average Daily Trips are not adjustable as it is determined
by the Institute of Transportation Engineers Trip Generation Manual. Evaluate &
recommend a rate component to support long-term maintenance of green stormwater
infrastructure, including medians, swales, and urban forest.
4. Evaluate and recommend rates for Water and Wastewater Development fees that can
be used to fund growth-related capital improvements per City Ordinance 3662. See
Addendum 2.
5. The Consultant should provide options for low-income utility assistance
programs as may be allowed by Montana law.
6. Provide the City with the rate model for the Water, Wastewater, and
Stormwater Utilities in an unlocked Excel-native format.
7. Produce a written report summarizing the findings and recommendations for
the proposed rate structures and schedules. Separate rates should be
presented for each utility as well as separate Water and Wastewater
Development fees
8. Develop and present a Power Point presentation to City Council
9. Prepare all work products and reports in conformance with applicable regulations,
Montana state law, policies, and guidelines as necessary to facilitate applications for
state and federal funding programs.
10. All financial projections shall be based on at least a ten-year period including
assumptions for growth, O&M/capital needs, inflation, and reserve targets.
Length and Content of Submittal
Submittals shall be limited to no more than 25 pages, not including resumés, and shall include
the following:
1. The name of the firm, physical business address, contact person, email address, and
telephone number.
2. The location of each office to which the project or portions of the project will be
assigned.
3. A description of the firm’s organization and fields of expertise.
4. A description of at least five projects completed during the past five years that included
analysis and development of municipal water, wastewater, and stormwater utility
financial plans and rate studies for communities of not less than 50,000
population. Preferably, one or more of these projects should be for a rate study
completed in the State of Montana. Provide dates, references, and contact information
for each example project, as well as a statement of involvement and duties, by project,
for each staff person to be assigned to the Missoula rate study.
5. A resumé for each person who may be assigned to this project and a statement of
specific responsibilities.
6. Identification of key personnel and a commitment of dedication and continuity for these
personnel for the duration of this work.
7. Identification of sub-consultants, as well as their office location(s), specific roles, and
personnel.
8. Proposed project schedule with milestones
Submittal Deadline and Address
A digital copy of the written proposal clearly identified as the Missoula Utility Rate Study and
Financial Plan shall be submitted online through the link /FormCenter/Public-Works-14/Utility-
Rate-Study-and-Financial-Plan-Su-353 on or before 3:00 PM local time on Thursday April 9th,
2026. Submittals received after this deadline shall not be considered.
Selection Process, Negotiation, and Contract Award
A Selection Committee appointed for this purpose will evaluate the proposals in accordance
with the following criteria, with a total maximum score of 100 points:
• The firm’s knowledge of and experience with public utility financial requirements and
cost of service rate design (0-25 points).
• Technical capability and experience of individual personnel assigned to the project (0-25
points).
• The firm’s, as well as assigned individuals’, past performance on similar projects for
other public water and wastewater utilities.(0-25 points)
• Clarity of submittal and responsiveness to the Request for Proposal (0-20 points).
• Location of the office(s) in which the work will be performed (5 points will be given to
firms with project staff located in Montana)
The three or four highest ranked candidates will be interviewed virtually by the Selection
Committee at which time additional information will be requested. The scope of services and
proposed costs may be discussed in more detail during the interview phase. The City’s goal is
to complete interviews no later than April 28,2026 and award a consultant contract as soon as
possible thereafter.
Public Works staff will commence contract negotiations with the top-ranked firm as soon as
possible following the interviews. Contract negotiations will include, but not necessarily be
limited to, the scope of work, concepts, project timetable, products of work, and fees. If the
negotiations result in mutually acceptable terms, an award recommendation will be referred to
City Council.
If mutually acceptable terms cannot be reached, as determined by the City at its sole discretion,
the next highest-ranked firm will be invited to participate in contract negotiations. This process
will continue until a contract is awarded or the list of preferred proposals is exhausted. If the list
of preferred consultants is exhausted without a contract being awarded, the request for
qualifications may be re-advertised.
The City of Missoula reserves the right to select a firm that the Selection Committee deems to
be in the City’s best interest and to reject any proposals deemed not to be in the City’s best
interest for any reason.
Other Information:
A consultant contract resulting from this selection process may be expanded to include similar
or related work.
The City does not reimburse costs associated with the preparation, submittal, or presentation of
statements of qualification or proposals. Consultant firms are advised that in accordance with
Montana law, any information submitted may be subject to public inspection.
Questions may be directed to Mercedes Price, Utility Billing Manager, by e-mailing
pricemj@ci.missoula.mt.us, no phone calls will be accepted. Questions will be answered within
48 hours unless received on a weekend. All questions must be emailed 72 hours prior to the
deadline. No questions will be answered if received after 3pm on April 3,2026.
RFP Issue Date: March 13, 2026
RFP Deadline: April 9, 2026
Question Period: March 13 – April 3, 2026
Publish:
March 22, 2026
March 29, 2026
Target Contract Execution: May 5, 2026
This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.
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