Request for Proposals: GIS Map-Based Software System for Environmental Compliance NPDES Stormwater Management

Request for Proposals: GIS Map-Based Software System for Environmental Compliance NPDES Stormwater Management

This proposal seeks a GIS map-based software solution that supports the City’s environmental compliance NPDES stormwater programs, including inspections, incident response, and enforcement.

The City’s Environmental Compliance Division is seeking proposals from qualified firms to provide a cloud-based (SaaS) geographic information system (GIS) software solution. This system will serve as a comprehensive database and application for managing various elements of the City’s environmental compliance programs primarily focused on NPDES stormwater permit implementation, compliance, and enforcement. The software must offer user-friendly, integrated functionality to effectively support the implementation of these programs.

About the City

The City of Lake Forest is located in southern Orange County, California, in the area commonly referred to as the Saddleback Valley, with a population of approximately 85,000. It is the County's thirty-first city and the second largest city within the Saddleback Valley, encompassing 16.6 square miles. The City of Lake Forest's fiscal year begins on July 1 and ends on June 30.

The City was incorporated in 1991, operates under the Council/Manager form of government and is considered a contract city. The five members of the City Council are elected by district. They serve staggered four-year terms, with the Mayor being selected annually from among the Council Members. The Council meets on the first and third Tuesdays of each month.

City Hall is located at 100 Civic Center Drive, Lake Forest, California 92630. The telephone number is (949) 461-3400, and the fax is (949) 461-3511. The City website address is http://www.lakeforestca.gov .

Project Description

Request for Proposals: GIS Map-Based Software System for Environmental Compliance Management

The City’s Environmental Compliance Division is seeking proposals from qualified firms to provide a cloud-based (SaaS) geographic information system (GIS) software solution. This system will serve as a comprehensive database and application for managing various elements of the City’s environmental compliance programs primarily focused on NPDES stormwater permit implementation, compliance, and enforcement. The software must offer user-friendly, integrated functionality to effectively support the implementation of these programs.

Performance Tasks and Required Capabilities

1. Inspection Program Elements

The inspection program requires the development and maintenance of an inventory of industrial, commercial, construction sites, and structural Best Management Practice (BMPs) devices within the City’s jurisdiction. Each respective inventory will be managed as both a GIS map-based inventory and a tabular inventory, capturing key facility information, including:

• Facility name or BMP device identifier
• Address
• Point of contact and contact information
• GPS coordinates
• Violations and inspection results

Each inventory will be prioritized for initial inspections and assigned reinspection frequencies as needed. Inspections will be documented electronically within the application, utilizing fillable forms with dropdown menus and input cells for data entry.

The software must support:

• Photograph capturing during inspections, with photos stored in the database and linked to the specific site inspection.
• Signature capture via touchscreen (using a finger or stylus) for the responsible party.
• Electronic transmission and/or printed copies of signed inspection forms.

The system must allow for:

• Saving inspection data, including photos and documents (e.g., PDF, JPG, HEIC, DOCX).
• Storing inspection records and associated attributes (e.g., GPS coordinates, facility name, violations) for easy retrieval.
• Searchable database records by attributes such as facility name, GPS coordinates, and inspection data.
• Exporting data to spreadsheet formats (e.g., Microsoft Excel).

2. Incident Response Program Elements

The City’s Environmental Compliance Division responds to emergency incidents such as hazardous material spills, illegal discharges, citizen pollution reports, and source investigations triggered by water sampling results. The software must support:

• Creation of an incident investigation report, capturing data through a fillable form with dropdown menus and input cells.
• Automatic generation of latitude and longitude data based on GPS location, linked to incident records.
• Documenting incidents with photos and various file formats (e.g., PDF, JPG, HEIC, DOCX).
• Searchable incident records by GPS coordinates, major cross streets, responsible party, pollutant type, date, and other relevant information.
• Exporting incident data to spreadsheet formats (e.g., Microsoft Excel).
• The capability to electronically transmit incident reports and/or print them as hard copies.

3. Enforcement Program Elements

The Environmental Compliance Division also manages an enforcement program, which includes issuing administrative citations, such as:

• Notices of Violation
• Cease and Desist Orders
• Administrative Compliance Orders
• Stop Work Orders

The software must facilitate:

• Generation of administrative citations in a fillable form format, with dropdown menus and input fields for relevant information.
• Automatic generation of unique serial numbers for each citation, ensuring it is linked to the corresponding enforcement action.
• Signature capture via touchscreen (using a finger or stylus) from the responsible party.
• Electronic transmission and/or printing of the signed administrative citation.

4. General Requirements

• Customization and Modification: The software solution must be easily customizable and modifiable to include modifications to the application(s) supporting field activities such as inspections, incident response, and enforcement, with capabilities and permissive authority for City staff to make modifications.

The software solution must also facilitate customization and modifications for the storage, organization, and export of data for reporting purposes and/or in response to public records requests.

To the extent that professional support is needed for customization and modifications as described above, the software solution must be intrinsically flexible to ensure the work associated with these tasks is easy to complete at minimal time and cost to the City, or be fully incorporated into the lump sum costs of services.

• Data Ownership: The City must retain sole ownership of all data and records within the system.
• Service Termination: If the cloud-based SaaS services are terminated or interrupted, the service provider must ensure the transfer of all electronic records and data back to the City prior to the discontinuation of services.

Conclusion

This proposal seeks a GIS map-based software solution that supports the City’s environmental compliance NPDES stormwater programs, including inspections, incident response, and enforcement. The software must be capable of handling large volumes of data, ensuring ease of use, and facilitating seamless integration with existing systems.

The services are expected to be completed within three years from contract award. The City anticipates awarding a contract with an initial term of 02 APRIL 2025 to 03 APRIL 2028 . The City will have the option, at its sole discretion, to extend the agreement for up to two (2) additional one year terms. If the parties are unable to reach an agreement, the City, at its sole discretion, will not move forward with the renewal option and shall re-procure the work.