This is a service / maintenance or supply contract in Farmersville, California. Contact the soliciting agency for additional information.

The City of Farmersville (City) is inviting qualified consultants to submit proposals for Water and Wastewater Rate Study Consulting services. The City is seeking an experienced firm with depth in technical skill and legal acumen to appropriately evaluate, project, and develop rate schedules for both enterprises that are compliant with the requirements of Proposition 218. Collaborative team proposals are encouraged. The primary responsibilities will be assisting the City in a comprehensive approach from beginning to end of the entire rate study process with effective communication throughout with all interested stakeholders and existing City consultants. The consultant will need to be able to effectively communicate with Councilmembers, City staff, Contracted City staff (advisors and professionals), and a diverse population of voters to ensure success of the Prop 218 noticing and education process The City reserves the right to retain all proposals submitted and to use any ideas in a proposal regardless of whether that firm is ultimately selected. Submission of a proposal indicates acceptance by the firm of the conditions contained in this RFP, unless clearly and specifically noted in the proposal submitted and confirmed in the subsequent contract between the City and the firm selected. The City wishes to negotiate a fixed price "Not to Exceed" contract for the project services based on a clearly defined scope of work. The desired terms of the contract will last through the Proposition 218 hearing process and any close-out work needed to establish the rate and train appropriate staff on the changes. Consultants are encouraged to address any other considerations not listed in this RFP they feel is important and provide consulting rates for additional work after the project as needed. The City of Farmersville, population nearly 11,000, is nestled in the Central Valley of California and is the last main stop before Kings Canyon & Sequoia National Parks the first stop back from the parks on California Highway 198. The City is located 2 miles East of Visalia, the County Seat for Tulare County. The water enterprise has 2,687 active accounts for billable services with 28 miles of water pipelines and 263 hydrants. The current water production of the City is based upon 4 wells that produce nearly 72 million cubic feet of water annually, which is 100% of the water supply. There is no water storage currently in place. The wastewater enterprise has 2,529 active accounts for billable services. The wastewater treatment facility has a current maximum capacity of 1.4 million gallons. Average daily treatment is over 700,000 gallons. Recycled water from the wastewater treatment facility is currently returned to the aquafer and not used for any other purposes. The City currently contracts with Central Cal Waterworks for oversight and management of the wastewater treatment facility and water system. The City is also actively working (and planning to work on) several capital improvement projects related to water and wastewater planning and infrastructure such as master planning, backup generators, water storage, and asset replacement. These capital items have been, and are planned to be, paid for through various grants, CWSRF loans, and pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) methods. The City is a severely disadvantaged community and has historically been successful in aggressively pursuing grant funding for projects such as these. The City currently has parity debt in a 30-year and 40-year loan with CWSRF and USDA respectively with a 1.10x debt service coverage requirement in the wastewater fund. There is no allowance for a rate stabilization fund in the covenant. The City anticipates changes in the future with increased residential and commercial development, Groundwater Sustainability Authority influence, drought restrictions, and a dynamic water management approach from the State. All these factors will be necessary to evaluate as part of the study Contract awarded by City Council February 13, 2023 Request for Clarifications due January 9, 2023 Clarification Responses Provided January 16, 2023 The method of Contractor Selection has not been Determined at this time.