Description

This is a Request For Proposals (RFP) used when County expenditure will be more than $150,000 for the initial term of the resulting contract. PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE: There will not be a pre-proposal conference for this sourcing event. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND: Multnomah County’s Division of Assessment, Recording and Taxation (DART), assesses tangible assets for ad valorem taxation through a Return process as outlined in Oregon Revised Statutes. Tangible assets include, but are not limited to, Commercial/Industrial Personal Property, Industrial Machinery & Equipment and related Real Property assets, Floating Property and Commercial Moorages. Taxpayers are required to declare their assets and related costs to the county through the Return process in order for an assessment and potential property tax bill to be generated for them.   DART strives to offer its residents and businesses a variety of Return filing options with the county that will enhance customer service, reduce operating costs and increase organizational efficiency.  DART requires a hosted web application that allows Return forms and related asset lists to be filed electronically.  Personal Property (CPPR), Real Property (RP) and Floating Property Return Forms are currently received by DART in hard copy form through the mail or as PDFs through email. Additionally, any related asset lists are received as hard copy documents that accompany the mailed returns, or as attached excel spreadsheets (or other format) with an emailed return. This process requires an extensive amount of manual labor to reconcile with the property tax record and is susceptible to unintended error.  Periodic field inspections of these accounts are conducted for a variety of reasons during the assessment cycle. Staff verify the quality and accuracy of assets lists on the tax roll, identify businesses and properties omitted from the assessment roll, ascertain that floating property locations are correctly reflected in the tax record, and develop appraisals to defend values under appeal. Field Discovery efforts will initiate the process of creating new property tax accounts to be added to the tax roll and allow for corrections and improvements to be made to existing companies filing practices.   Maintaining accurate Real Market Values on all property directly affects the maximum bonding capacity and general obligation bond tax rates for all applicable taxing districts in the county. Property taxes account for approximately 65% of the County's General Fund revenues. Under the Measure 50 tax limitation measure, there is no assumption of a 3% increase in personal property taxable value; instead, each business annually reports existing taxable property. Failure to monitor this process will result in loss of taxable assessed value and tax revenue. The focus is on discovery of new taxable property, efficient processing of annual returns, and resolving value appeals to minimize cost to taxpayers.  The purpose of this RFP is to select a vendor that can satisfy the county’s need for the development and/or configuration, and implementation of an online efile system. It is the intent of Multnomah County to provide an application that will reduce the amount of labor currently expended by assessment staff in the manual reconciliation of asset lists, provide taxpayers a more efficient and intuitive option for filing their returns and related asset lists with the county, and produce  property tax account values that are more accurate with less cost to the citizens of Multnomah County.   CURRENT SERVICES/SOLUTION: During the month of December, notification letters are sent out to property owners as a reminder to file their real, personal property and floating property returns for their accounts. In this letter we remind taxpayers they can send their property returns to our email address instead of mailing paper returns. Currently, this is our only electronic solution for filing their property return, and is not universally available to all taxpayers.  Taxpayers can request the county’s current asset list for their M&E, PP, and LHI accounts via email. When we receive an asset list request we need to verify the requester is an authorized representative so sometimes the email request will include a signed ‘Tax Information Authorization’ and/or ‘Power of Attorney for Representation’ form as an attachment. A number of manual processes are involved in tracking and verifying data and requestors. If the filed return form is not signed, more background research needs to be completed before sending an asset list. After the requester has been verified as an authorized representative, the asset lists can be downloaded as a SQL report. In this report identifying factors such as the industrial site number, account number or owner ID needs to be entered so all of the accounts with asset lists will be  incorporated in the report including Machinery & Equipment, Personal Property, and Leasehold Improvements.  After the excel spreadsheet has been generated, verified and saved, we send the asset list spreadsheet via email. Hyperlinks or attachments to blank real and personal property return forms are also provided to the taxpayer in the email.   Once the taxpayer receives their asset list(s), they will amend the spreadsheet with additions (new assets purchased during the past year), retirements (assets that were disposed of during the prior year), assets transferred into and out of the business location, and ensure that exempt assets are identified correctly.  Floating Property and Moorage taxpayers receive the Floating Property Form and Confidential Personal Property Form (CPPR) respectively from the county. The owners will answer the questions on the form and sign it and send it back to the county for processing.   County staff review these returned forms and asset lists and reconcile new information with the information currently on the tax roll. This includes verifying that assets are properly accounted for as Additions and Retirements, new property is picked up, and that assets are coded properly. Many manual steps are required to ensure this process is completed correctly.   After the assets and account information is properly formatted outside of the tax database system, the staff will upload the data into the CAMA (Computer Aided Mass Appraisal) system as csv files, manually enter the data, or copy/paste into an asset grid. The CAMA system will then apply depreciation and trending factors to the new data sets and calculate a new Real Market Value from which to calculate the Assessed Value and ultimately the tax bill.    Returns and updated asset lists can be submitted from taxpayers through regular mail or email. GOALS, VALUES AND OTHER IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS DART seeks to achieve the following by implementing a comprehensive, hosted, web-based electronic filing solution: Replace current antiquated processes Improve speed and efficiency of taxpayers filing options Eliminate the current multiple method filing solution setup  Improve data structure and quality  Improve data security, tracking, and verification Improve customer experience MULTNOMAH COUNTY TECHNICAL ENVIRONMENT Not applicable to this sourcing event. FUNDING Adequate funding has been budgeted for the purchase of these services. SOLUTION REQUIREMENTS/SCOPE OF WORK 1.      FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS This solicitation identifies and describes the ten (10) areas of project and operational functional requirements (labeled A through J in the following subsections).  A.      County Submission of Online Filing  The system shall: Allow system users the ability to submit personal property tax forms through data entry (forms are included as attachments to this solicitation) which include but are not limited to: Personal Property Return CPPR Form Industrial Property Return RP Form Moorage report form Simplified Floating Property filing form Provider must be able to accept data dump from county and create asset lists to county specifications. Ability to provide property owners (external users) with a secure electronic portal displaying all pertaining current information. Ability to verify the identity of the external user logging in. Ability to allow external user to make all necessary updates. Ability to allow external user the ability to electronically sign the filing. Ability to provide taxpayers with an electronic confirmation of transaction. Allow system users the ability to scan/upload and attach additional supplemental forms to their submission. Provide ability to ‘lock’ the filing status to ‘read only’ during a set time (date range) till next season.  External user should always be able to see most recent list for reference even after the deadline. Ability to allow user to request changes from the system. Be user-friendly, expansive, and sophisticated to facilitate electronic filing of personal property tax forms and upload supporting documentation. Be scalable and allow for the easy integration of new forms into the program and workflow. Allow taxpayers to delegate an authorized agent, or Certified Personal Accountants (CPAs), to submit personal property tax forms on their behalf. Allow one authorized agent to act on behalf of one or many individuals upon the submission of an approved authorized agent agreement between parties. This should allow authorized agents to see all of the taxpayers that they file on behalf of, in one spot, without needing to manage multiple sets of credentials. Enable system users to register within the system, and require secure registration before utilizing the system. Allow system users to indicate one or more locations for the personal property tax form that is being submitted via direct data entry, or via various alternative methods. Contain validation on the forms to prevent incomplete forms from being submitted. Autosave incomplete work in case of a system failure on user’s side. Notify system users of all status changes for their submitted documents. Indicate, to all system users, the filing date as expressed in, generally March 15th. B.      Transmission to and Review by County Staff The system shall:  Store data securely, this may include encryption or other means. Provide a secure portal that will allow the County Staff to review, edit, and make changes as well as provide imports and exports of the data.  This may need to be done via an sFTP. Provide County Staff the ability to access and review the forms and supporting documentation submitted.  Enable County Staff the ability to review and verify the completeness of filings.  Enable County Staff ability to ‘code’ the data (add codes prior to exporting). Enable County Staff the ability to export the information, once verification is complete, in a format that is acceptable by the County CAMA system.  Enable the County Staff to respond to system users with any required changes or adjustments.  C.      Upload and Export  The system shall:  Enable system users the ability to upload tax information in a standard format (Excel or CSV).  Allow associated additional documents not explicitly identified in this solicitation to be uploaded and attached to submissions for download and review.  D.    Amended Filings The system shall: Allow filings to be amended by system users.  Have ability to limit amendments for each filing.  Allow an addendum to be submitted with information not on the original submission and resubmit. E.  Document Storage and Generation The system shall:  Provide document storage in accordance to the County retention policies.  Enable system users to generate a paper form of all submitted information to support the existing paper submission process in the event online submissions are not available.  F.  Notifications and Reporting The system shall:  Have an easy dashboard to navigate and run reports that are uncomplicated and intuitive. Provide standard reports to the County Provide notifications to system users, County Staff and others throughout the tax submission process. Additional details will be provided during the planning stage.  Allow County Staff to opt into a daily summary of submissions to their county via email.  Provide reporting capabilities for County staff to include analytics and metrics. Additional details will be provided during the planning stage. G.      Training and Materials The Contractor shall:  Outline a training plan, develop all training materials, and deliver training to system users, software vendors, and county officials.  Develop and deliver detailed process outline, including necessary technical documentation.  H.      Maintenance and Support The Contractor shall:  Provide ongoing support, access to a Help Desk and a dedicated Account Manager during regular business hours; Monday through Friday from 7am-5pm Pacific Standard Time/Pacific Daylight Time. Provide at least 30 days of close oversight to the new eFile system upon go-live. Maintain the system to ensure the system meets the agreed upon availability requirements.  Vigorously assess and correct any defects identified by the County.  Partner with the County by developing and utilizing a change management process to identify scope, estimate the level of effort and associated costs, and provide a timeline for delivery for enhancements.  I.  Administrative Module The system shall contain administrative module that allows for user administration, system administration as well as various other operational duties. J. Project Management the Contractor(s) shall deliver the overall Project Management services throughout the project and beyond using a mature, approved project methodology to include project planning, execution, implementation, and operations.  2.      TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS A.      Hosting Ability to provide a secure hosted solution. Ability to accept imports and provide exports of data in order to interact with existing County CAMA system. Enable the customers the ability to request a new account. Ability for customer to request closing accounts. B.      Maintenance and Blackout Days Ability for taxpayers to file 24 hours a day, seven days a week including evenings, weekends, and holidays.  Ability to have an expected uptime in excess of 99%.  Planned maintenance must not occur during regular business hours from 7am to 5pm Pacific Standard Time/Pacific Daylight Time as well as within the following dates. March 5th - 15th August 15th - 31th C.      Security Requirements 1.       Ability to provide an independent test report stating that the application is free from known security defects. 2.       Ability to comply with industry standard security requirements, including data encryption during transmission.  PRE-AWARD RISK ASSESSMENT Successful proposers whose contract award includes federal funding (as identified by a Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number) will be subject to a PreAward Risk Assessment (which includes an evaluation of financial stability, quality of financial /management systems, experience with federal funds, reports and findings from audits) completed by Multnomah County (if one has not been submitted in the last year) prior to the issuance of a contract. Contractors who fail to submit the required documents will not be eligible for a contract from the County. MINIMUM PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS Timely submission of responsive, responsible offers is the only minimum requirement for this sourcing event. FISCAL REQUIREMENTS AND REPORTING Not applicable to this sourcing event. PERFORMANCE MEASURES/PERFORMANCE CONTRACTING Not applicable to this sourcing event CONTRACT NEGOTIATION The County will initiate contract negotiations with the responsive and responsible Supplier with the highest scoring proposal. Multnomah County may, at its option, elect to negotiate general contract terms and conditions, services, pricing, implementation schedules, and such other terms as the County determines are in the County’s best interest. If negotiations fail to result in a contract, the County reserves the right to terminate the negotiations and initiate contract negotiations with the next highest scoring responsive and responsible Supplier. This process may continue until a contract agreement is reached.  Multnomah County reserves the right to score the acceptance of its standard contract terms and conditions as a part of this sourcing event. CONTRACT AWARD County is seeking to award one contract through this sourcing event.  Award, as determined by the County, will be made to the responsible Supplier whose Proposal the County determines is most advantageous to the County based on the evaluation process and evaluation factors described in this sourcing event.  Multnomah County strongly encourages the participation of Minority-Owned, Women-Owned, and Emerging Small Businesses and Organizations in providing these services. CONTRACT TERM The contract term will be negotiated at time of contract award and will be dependent upon the product and/or services provided. The Negotiated contract term will be in compliance with all public procurement laws and Multnomah County PCRB public contracting rules. COMPENSATION AND METHOD OF PAYMENT Compensation method for implementation services and hardware: deliverables-based payments upon acceptance with a not to exceed cap. Compensation method for ongoing services, software maintenance and support or subscriptions, etc. will be subject to negotiation once the County has selected a Supplier. INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS The Supplier awarded a Contract as a result of this sourcing event will be required to provide at a minimum the insurance outlined in the table below. The type of insurance required will depend on the type of services and or products provided under the contract which will be negotiated during the contract process. Type of Insurance Per Occurrence Aggregate Professional Liability $1,000,000 $2,000,000 Commercial General Liability $1,000,000 $2,000,000 Cyber Liability (only if Software as a Service) $5,000,000 $10,000,000 Workers Compensation Required  MULTI-STAGE SOURCING EVENT SUMMARY Multnomah County will follow a multi-stage sourcing event that incorporates the following potential steps in the Multco Marketplace Supplier Portal: Panel Questionnaire Solution and Supplier Research (Unscored) Autoscored Supplier Qualification based on Solution Requirements Scripted Remote Demo Site Visit Panel Questionnaire Proposal Solution Requirements Panel Questionnaire Proposal Doing Business with Multnomah County Oral Evaluation Pricing Evaluation Best and Final Offer (BAFO) The purpose of a multistage process is to identify and adjust the competitive range between proposed solutions based on the evaluation of each stage with the goal of identifying the most advantageous solution at the conclusion of the process.  The first stage for this Sourcing Event will be an autoscored supplier qualification based on solution requirements.  The follow-on stages will be determined based on the results of the first stage. Multnomah County reserves its right, at its sole discretion, to modify, adjust, re-order, repeat, re-schedule or cancel individual steps by written notification to all affected parties.  Multnomah County may, at its sole discretion, make an award at such time as the most advantageous solution for the County has been identified through this competitive process.   EVALUATION PROCESS AND CRITERIA Proposed solutions will be evaluated using a combination of auto-scoring and scoring by an evaluation panel depending on the stage.  Scores of each stage will be added together for a total score for all stages excluding BAFO.  If the County uses an optional BAFO process, prior scores will be considered but a new score will be determined based on evaluation of Best and Final Offers. Multnomah County is seeking a solution and/or services that meets or exceeds its identified requirements based on the judgment of the evaluators and the score of the supplier’s offer determined by this process, at a cost that is deemed by evaluators to be reasonable, responsible and optimal for purchase with public dollars. DETERMINATION OF COMPETITIVE RANGE Multnomah County will determine Competitive Range based on a natural break in scores for those proposers that are determined to be closely competitive and have a reasonable chance to be the Most Advantageous Proposer.  At the conclusion of each stage, all proposers will receive notification of which Proposers have been determined to comprise Competitive Range.  Proposers determined to be within the Competitive Range will continue to the next stage.                2.     Provider must be able to accept data dump from county and create asset lists to county specifications.

Attachments

This project has the following solicitation documents. You will need to visit the agency's original website to download these documents.

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