Request for Proposals
Recreation Department Fee Study
Release Date: December 18, 2023
Deadline for Submittal
January 26, 2024
Contact: Antonio Banuelos, Accounting Manager
City of Richmond
Finance Department
INTRODUCTION
The City of Richmond is seeking proposals from qualified firms to conduct a study for fees included in Recreation's portion of the City's Master Fee Schedule. The City of Richmond wants to determine the true cost of services provided by the City to the community for use of recreation programs and use of park and facilities. Consultant will be tasked with estimating the fully burdened cost of said services, as well as providing recommendations on fee subsidies and fee structure. This request for proposal (RFP) describes the project, the required scope of services, the consultant selection process, and the minimum information that must be included in the proposal.
ABOUT THE CITY, RECREATION, AND PARKS
The City of Richmond is a Charter City located in Contra Costa County, part of the San Francisco Bay Area with a population of 110,567 residents. Richmond is one of the region’s most diverse communities: 42.5% of residents identify as Hispanic or Latino,
20.2% identify as Black or African American alone, 17.8% identify as White alone (not Hispanic of Latino), and 15.4% identify as Asian alone. Richmond is home to a multi- modal transit hub that includes BART, Amtrak and AC Transit, marinas, shopping, recreational and cultural amenities, and 32 miles of shoreline. This all contributes to making Richmond among the most desirable up-and-coming communities in California.
The City of Richmond provides a full range of municipal services including police and fire protection; construction and maintenance of highways, streets and infrastructure; library services; storm water and municipal sewer systems; operation of a wastewater treatment facility; and the administration of recreational activities and cultural events.
The City also operates the Richmond Memorial Convention Center and the Port of Richmond.
The City of Richmond is dedicated to enriching the quality of life of its residents and visitors through its parks, recreation programs, facilities, and cultural events. The City has over 54 parks and 13 recreation facilities which includes 2 aquatic centers and a convention center. Additional information about parks and recreation can be located here:
• Recreation: https://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/3452/Recreation-Programs
• Parks: https://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/71/Parks-and-Landscaping • Richmond Parks Master Plan (2010):
https://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/7196/NEW-Richmond- Parks-Master-Plan-Dec-22-2010?bidId=
PROJECT BACKGROUND
Local government agencies have authority to impose user fees to recover costs for certain services that are provided to the community. User fees are charges to customers for "personal choice services", which are services and programs (i.e. classes, facility rentals) that more directly benefit a person as an individual versus the services and programs (i.e. playgrounds, open space) that are provided for the general benefit of all taxpayers. As the cost to provide the services changes over time, the user fees that are imposed should also change to keep pace with the cost of providing the service.
The existing fees for Recreation services have not been updated for several years (Attachment A). The City has since increased in residential, commercial and industrial properties. The increase in land area, businesses and residents has created an additional demand on City parks, recreational facilities and programs. Parks and recreation attract businesses to an area and provide health and wellness benefits for employees. Parks are a crucial investment in the health and growth of a community.
Recovering fair and reasonable fees for user fee-based services increases the likelihood that those types of services can be maintained, and also helps to ensure that sufficient general taxpayer funds are available to maintain service levels for the benefit of the general public as a whole. Establishing user fees at appropriate levels helps meet the service level expectations of the community. Analyzing these user fees and establishing expectations of how much will be charged is imperative to maintaining a healthy budget.
The study should utilize a holistic approach to developing a fee plan that reflects the goals of Richmond and aligns available and future resources with services and commitments to include desired levels of service, sustainable fiscal stewardship, and industry best practices. The work should include but is not limited to the following:
• Develop a fee model and applicable policies that provide a framework for future planning, budgeting, pricing, and resource allocation for Richmond’s parks and recreational services
• A general review of the Richmond's current Recreation fees and current fee methodology and structure
• A determination of what it costs Richmond to provide various services at recreational and park facilities
• Any streamlining or changes in fees due to a shift in methodology or pricing rationale
• Recommendations for adjustments to the Richmond's fee schedule • An implementation plan that will ensure Richmond is strategically progressing to meet the needs of the community in a financially sustainable and equitable direction
SCOPE OF SERVICES
The firm that provides this study for the City of Richmond shall perform the following services as a part of the scope of services required as a minimum, but not limited to:
TASK I
Review Organization and Corresponding Data
1) Functions of the Recreation D ivision, including but not limited to programs, events, facilities, and services offered.
2) Historical financial reports and data for the Recreation Division’s rental fees. 3) Conduct interviews with staff as needed to gain an understanding of the division and City processes and operations.
4) Conduct a rental fee and a rental type comparison which will include a review of similar entities within neighboring cities with comparable rental facilities.
TASK II
Identify and/or Recommend Potential Fees and Charges
1) Conduct a revenue sufficiency analysis.
2) Prepare report that identifies each rental event and service and the cost to provide each item. Categorize by direct, indirect, and fixed costs. 3) Evaluate current fees and charges for all rental events and services, and independent contractors.
4) Adjust fee philosophy, set fee policies and expectations, to include, cost recovery goals and possible non-resident fees, where appropriate. 5) Establish data collection and performance measures, to include user input and feedback.
6) Conduct community meeting(s) to share information and solicit feedback on uses and fees. Meetings shall be provided in English and Spanish and may be virtual and/or in-person.
7) Recommend a User Fee Plan
TASK III
Identify Cost of Recovery Philosophy, Policy and Principles for Implementation Utilizing information gathered, recommend cost recovery goals, a fee policy and fee schedule, the policy should address, but not be limited to, the following issues relative to division rental services and events.
1) Which services should be subsidized and which self-supporting? 2) Recommendation of what the difference in fees should be for resident vs non-resident, non-profit, governmental entity, where appropriate. 3) Any other fee related/revenue recovery issue identified during the study process.
TASK IV
Fee Comparison Study
Utilizing information gathered in the analysis, create report comparing current and suggested rates with those of neighboring agencies with similar characteristics.
DELIVERABLES
1) Provide a comprehensive draft written report responding to the tasks outlined in the Scope of Services in an electronic format for review by staff. Revision requests may be provided by the City to the vendor.
2) Provide a final comprehensive written report, including any requested revisions in the form of three (3) bound copies and one (1) electronic copy. Final study shall incorporate comments from City Officials as appropriate. 3) Slide decks for all presentations (for review and approval by City staff) 4) A minimum of four (4) presentations of the preliminary and/or final report shall be required for the City Council, Recreation and Parks Commission, and/or a public meeting. Additional meetings shall be determined by City staff and can be charged at a per hourly rate by the vendor.
PROPOSAL FORMAT GUIDELINES
The proposal should be concise, well organized, and demonstrate the proposer’s qualifications and experience applicable to the Project. The proposal shall be limited to 10 double-sided pages (8.5 inches x 11 inches), inclusive of graphics, forms, pictures, photographs, dividers, etcetera, but not of cost proposal, resumes, required forms, certifications, front and back covers, or letters of commitment from sub-consultants.
The following proposal sections are to be included in the Vendor’s response:
Letter of Transmittal: Make a positive commitment to perform the required work contained in the Scope of Services. Make a statement that the firm has understood and complied with the requirements of this quotation request. Also, provide the name(s) of the person(s) who will be authorized to make representation for your firm, their title, and telephone number. Transmittal shall be signed by an individual of the firm authorized to bind the firm with the terms of this proposal. Please limit response to two pages.
Firm B ackground & Experience:
• Describe the organization, date founded, size, office location(s) and ownership of your firm. Identify and explain any significant changes in organizational structure, ownership, or management both firm-wide and within during the past five (5) years.
Qualification and Experience of Key Personnel/Team:
• Identify key members of firm’s team that will service the City of Richmond.
Identify the primary day -to-day contact(s) for the engagement and their
experience.
• Provide resumes for key team members that will service the City of Richmond, including title, role, number of years with the firm, number of years of experience, office location, professional designations or licenses, and other accomplishments or accolades.
Methodology Section
Provide a brief description of the Respondent’s approach to provide the services requested in this quotation.
The Methodology Section should include:
1) An implementation plan that describes in detail (i) the methods, including controls by which your firm manages projects of the type sought by this RFP; (ii) methodology for soliciting and documenting views of internal and external stakeholders; (iii) and any other project management or implementation strategies or techniques that the respondent intends to employ in carrying out the work.
2) Detailed description of efforts your firm will undertake to achieve client satisfaction and to satisfy the requirements of the "Scope of Services" section. 3) Detailed project schedule, identifying all tasks and deliverables to be performed, durations for each task, and overall time of completion. 4) Detailed description of specific tasks you will require from City staff. Explain what the respective roles of City staff and your staff would be to complete the tasks specified in the Scope of Services.
Fees/Costs:
• Provide the proposed fee to be charged in connection with the services described in this quotation.
• Fees proposed must include all charges relating to the services required under the contract and all out -of-pocket expenses, such as telephone, postage and shipping, printing and/or copy costs, and travel, if any.
References:
• Provide at least four (4) client references for whom the firm provided similar services within the past three (3) years. If possible, the references should be California based municipal clients. For each reference, include the contact person’s name, entity, title, address, phone number, and email address. Briefly describe the services and experience provided for each reference.
Exceptions to this Request for Proposals
The proposer shall state whether or not it takes exception(s) to this RFP, including but not limited to the City of Richmond’s Standard Services Agreement – RFP (Attachment B). If the proposer does take exception(s) to any portion of the RFP or contract, the specific portion to which exception(s) is taken must be identified by section number and explained. Requests for changes or additions to sections of City of Richmond’s
Standard Services Agreement must be shown by requesting deletion of specific words and/or by providing new requested contract language. Requests for complete replacement of the City of Richmond’s Standard Services Agreement for another contract will not be granted. Failure to make exceptions to the RFP or Standard Services Agreement within the proposal will be deemed a waiver of any objection.
Exceptions will be considered during the proposal evaluation process.
PROCESS FOR SUBMITTING PROPOSALS
Submission of Proposals and Questions
All questions must be submitted via the electronic BidsOnline system on the Q&A tab by 5:00pm PST, on January 18, 2024. If the City finds it necessary to issue an addendum, prospective Offerors will receive e-mail notification of addendum.
Otherwise, answers to questions received will be provided on the Q&A tab and notification will be sent by January 19, 2024. It is the proposer’s responsibility to periodically check the BidsOnline website www.ci.richmond.ca.us/bids for any possible Addenda to the RFP that may have been posted.
Any party submitting a proposal shall not contact or lobby any City Council member, City official, employee (except those specified for contact) or agent regarding the RFP.
Any party attempting to influence or circumvent the RFP, bid submittal, and review process may have their proposal rejected for violating this provision of the RFP.
Interested parties may download copies of the above mentioned proposal by visiting the City's web site, www.ci.richmond.ca.us/bids. To download RFP, new vendors will be required to register. Once the vendor downloads any documents relative to a solicitation, that vendor's name will appear on the Prospective Bidders list for that project and will receive any addenda or notifications relating to the RFP.
The proposal and any required certifications shall be signed by an individual or individuals authorized to execute legal documents on behalf of the proposer.
Electronic Proposals shall be submitted via the City’s secure online bidding system. All required sections of the proposal must be submitted via the website. Contractor is solely responsible for “on time” submission of their electronic proposal. The Bid Management System will not accept late proposals and no exceptions shall be made. Contractors will receive an e-bid confirmation number with a time stamp from the Bid Management System indicating that their bid was submitted successfully. The City will only receive those proposals that were transmitted successfully.
The proposal must be received no later than 11:00 a.m., local time, on Friday, January 26, 2024.
The City of Richmond reserves the right to waive inconsequential irregularities.
GENERAL GUIDELINES
This RFP does not commit the City of Richmond to award a contract, to defray any costs incurred in the preparation of a proposal pursuant to this RFP, or to procure or contract for work. The City of Richmond may reject a proposal without providing the reason(s) underlying the declination. A failure to award a contract to the proposer with the lowest cost proposal shall not constitute a valid cause of action against the City of Richmond. The City may investigate the qualifications of any respondent under consideration, require confirmation of information furnished by the respondent, and require additional evidence or qualifications to perform the Services described in this RFP.
The City reserves the right to:
1. Reject any or all proposals.
2. Issue subsequent Requests for Proposal.
3. Postpone opening for its own convenience.
4. Remedy technical errors in the Request for Proposal process.
5. Negotiate with any, all, or none of the Respondents.
6. Solicit best and final offers from all or some of the Respondents.
7. Select one or more Respondents.
8. Accept other than the lowest proposed fees.
9. Waive informalities and irregularities in proposals.
Insurance Requirements
The City of Richmond requires consultants doing business with it to obtain insurance, as shown in RFP (Attachment C). The required insurance certificates must comply with all requirements of the standards as shown and must be provided within fifteen (15) days of issuance of the Notice of Intent to Award and prior to the commencement of any work on the Project.
Business Licenses
The successful Contractor and all subcontractors used in the work will be required to hold or to obtain a City of Richmond business license for which the fee will not be waived.
Compliance with City Ordinances
The contractor and all subcontractors shall comply with the City of Richmond Nondiscrimination Clauses in City Contracts Ordinance ( Richmond Municipal Code
(RMC) Chapter 2.28), Business Opportunity Ordinance (RMC Chapter 2.50), Local Employment Program Ordinance (RMC Chapter 2.56), Living Wage Ordinance (RMC Chapter 2.60) and Ordinance Banning the Requirement to Provide Information of Prior Criminal Convictions on all Employment Applications (“Ban the Box”) (RMC Chapter
2.65), which are incorporated into the Contract Documents by this reference.
Sanctuary City Contracting Ordinance (SCCO)
The Richmond Sanctuary City Contracting Ordinance No. 12-18 prohibits the City from granting and or retaining contracts with any person or entity that provides Data Broker or Extreme Vetting services to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division of the United States Department of Homeland Security (“ICE”). Proposers must submit the attached Sanctuary City Compliance Statement with their Proposal. (Attachment D)
PROPOSAL EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCESS
The criteria upon which the evaluation of the proposals will be based include, but are not limited to, the following:
The Proposal/Methodology and Approach to Work – 20%
The proposer’s responsiveness to the RFP including completeness and thoroughness of proposal; all required information must be provided in the format specified. This category will also evaluate:
• Ability to provide services as outlined in the RFP.
• Approach and proposed methodology to project scope
• Demonstrated knowledge of the work required
• Explanation of the Project or services required
• Innovative approaches and internal measures for timely completion of Project
Experience/Past Performance/References – 40%
Consideration will be given based upon the firm’s experience, years in business, past and current client references; technical expertise and professional competence in areas directly related to this RFP; number of years of experience in performing similar work.
Proposer Qualifications – 20%
This category will evaluate the respondent’s ability to take upon itself the responsibilities set forth in the Scope of Services and produce the required outcome in a timely manner.
Consideration will be given for the overall quality of the proposal, including a demonstrated understanding of the purpose, scope and objective of the services to be performed. It is the intention of the City of Richmond to award a contract to the Respondent who furnishes satisfactory evidence that the Respondent has the requisite experience and ability to enable the Respondent to execute the work successfully and properly, and to complete services in a timely manner. To determine the degree of responsibility to be credited to the Respondent, the City of Richmond will weigh the evidence that the Respondent has performed satisfactorily other contracts of like nature, magnitude and comparable difficulty and comparable rates of progress.
Cost Proposal – 20%
Pre-Award Negotiations
After the proposals are opened, but prior to award, the City may elect to conduct negotiations with the highest ranked respondent for purposes of:
• Resolving minor differences and information
• Clarifying necessary details and responsibilities
• Emphasizing important issues and points
• Receiving assurances from respondents
• Cost/budget clarifications
If the City cannot successfully negotiate a contract with the highest ranked respondent , the City may begin negotiations with the second highest ranked respondent.
Selection may be made without further discussion, negotiations or respondent’s presentations; therefore, Consultant shall offer the most favorable terms in response to this RFP. Respondent must demonstrate an understanding of the scope of service to be provided and the ability to accomplish the tasks set forth. The City reserves the right to request additional information or clarification on any matter included in the proposal response, to enable the City to arrive at the final award decision.
Award - When the Review Panel has completed its work, City staff will then recommend a firm to conduct a Recreation Department Fee Study to the City Manager and City Council for approval. The services provided by the successful bidder shall be governed by a Standard Services Agreement (Attachment B).
Attachments
A. Recreation Fee Schedule
B. Standard Contract
C. Insurance Requirements
D. Sanctuary City Compliance Statement