DATE:
February 1, 2022
TO:
Chair and Board Members, Hesperia Water District
FROM:
Nils Bentsen, City Manager
BY:
Casey Brooksher, Director of Administrative Services
Anne Duke, Deputy Finance Director
SUBJECT:
Amendment to Agreement for Interactive Voice Response, Online Bill Pay, Presentment Services, Data Processing, and Printing and Mailing Services for Water/Sewer Utility Bills through Fiscal Year 2023-24
RECOMMENDED ACTION
It is recommended that the City Council and Board of Directors of the Hesperia Water District authorize the City Manager to approve an amendment of $299,066 to the existing contract with InfoSend, Inc. (InfoSend), for a total revised not-to-exceed amount of $449,066, for the continued Interactive Voice Response, Online Bill Pay, Presentment Services, Data Processing, and Printing and Mailing Services for Water/Sewer utility bills through Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-24.
BACKGROUND
The Hesperia Water District (District) has utilized InfoSend since 2010 to provide customers with the ability to pay their water/sewer bills online. As a result of a Request for Proposal (RFP), Infosend was awarded an agreement for Interactive Voice Response, Online Bill Pay, and Presentment services in December 2020. InfoSend hosts a secure website that is available 24-hours a day where the customer can view and pay their bill. A customer can make a one-time payment as a guest or, upon enrolling for an online payment account, the customer can setup automatic payments. Additionally, the customer can elect paperless billing.
To help remedy wait times, as well as provide further customer options during the pandemic, the District added additional payment options, including, Interactive Voice Response System (processing electronic ACH and debit/credit card transactions, via phone), as well as a text-to-pay option for mobile payments. In addition, for cost efficiencies, bill printing and mailing services were also added to the agreement with Infosend.
ISSUES/ANALYSIS
The added components have provided District customers with additional options for payment, including automated English and Spanish phone service; reduced need for face to face transactions; ability to pay multiple accounts under one shopping cart; ability for text message notifications and text-to-pay. In addition, the inclusion of printing and mailing services into the Infosend agreement has enabled the District to substantially reduce its printing and postage costs. Additional funds are necessary to facilitate the continuation of timely and efficient water/sewer utility billing services through FY 2023-24.
FISCAL IMPACT
The District currently has an agreement and Fiscal Year (FY) 2021-22 Budget authority with InfoSend in the amount of $150,000. An amendment to the existing agreement in the amount of $299,066, is requested for a total not-to-exceed contract amount of $499,066 for the continued Interactive Voice Response, Online Bill Pay, Presentment Services, Data Processing, and Printing and Mailing Services for Water/Sewer Utility Bills through FY 2023-24.
ALTERNATIVES
Provide alternative direction to staff.
ATTACHMENTS
None.
City of Hesperia STAFF REPORT City of Hesperia STAFF REPORT City of Hesperia
STAFF REPORT
City of Hesperia
STAFF REPORT
Staff Report to the Board Members of the Hesperia Water District Amendment to Agreement for Interactive Voice Response, Online Bill Pay, Presentment Services, Data Processing, and Printing and Mailing Services for Water/Sewer Utility Bills through Fiscal Year 2023-24 February 1, 2022