8.A.
City Council Draft Agenda
- Meeting Date:
- 09/04/2018
- From:
- Sandy Corder, Revenue Director
TITLE:
Consideration and Approval of Cooperative Contract: Approve the Cooperative Purchase Contract with InfoSend, Inc. for Data Processing, Printing and Mailing Services.
STAFF RECOMMENDED ACTION:
1) Approve the Cooperative Purchase Contract with InfoSend, Inc. through the Town of Prescott Valley Service Agreement at the established contractual pricing identified in Bid No. INF20170303 and attachments; and
2) Authorize the City Manager to execute the necessary documents.
2) Authorize the City Manager to execute the necessary documents.
Executive Summary:
The City of Flagstaff had a cooperative purchase contract with InfoSend, Inc. (InfoSend) through City of Goodyear Contract #CON-12-2155. InfoSend provided the City of Goodyear data entry, printing, and mailing of municipal services, miscellaneous account receivables, collection, business licensing, and various other customer notifications. As the City of Goodyear will be returning the services in house, they will not be renewing the agreement expiring October 1, 2018.
The City of Flagstaff worked with InfoSend to create new Municipal Services Statements based on customer input and is in the process of establishing Business License and Miscellaneous Account Receivable modifications. Bidding out the services and locating a new provider would reset strides made to reach target timeframes by the end of the calendar year.
Because the City of Goodyear agreement will expire, staff researched a separate cooperative purchase contract with InfoSend to provide the City of Flagstaff Data Processing, Printing and Mailing Services. The Town of Prescott Valley has a Service Agreement with InfoSend and the City of Flagstaff seeks approval of a cooperative purchase contract based on that Service Agreement.
The City of Flagstaff worked with InfoSend to create new Municipal Services Statements based on customer input and is in the process of establishing Business License and Miscellaneous Account Receivable modifications. Bidding out the services and locating a new provider would reset strides made to reach target timeframes by the end of the calendar year.
Because the City of Goodyear agreement will expire, staff researched a separate cooperative purchase contract with InfoSend to provide the City of Flagstaff Data Processing, Printing and Mailing Services. The Town of Prescott Valley has a Service Agreement with InfoSend and the City of Flagstaff seeks approval of a cooperative purchase contract based on that Service Agreement.
Financial Impact:
The underlying Service Agreement between InfoSend and the Town of Prescott Valley does reflect a slight increase in overall fees, due to current paper, ink, and staffing costs. Though the increase is per item, there is no actual increase in the amount budgeted for the cooperative purchase contract, as staffs' work to promote sustainable e-statements has lowered the actual number of bills printed.
The City of Flagstaff currently has $108,000 budgeted for this service annually for the mailing of Municipal Services Statements, Miscellaneous Accounts Receivable billing, Delinquency and Collection Notices, as well as special mail outs, such as Business License Renewals.
The City of Flagstaff currently has $108,000 budgeted for this service annually for the mailing of Municipal Services Statements, Miscellaneous Accounts Receivable billing, Delinquency and Collection Notices, as well as special mail outs, such as Business License Renewals.
Policy Impact:
None.
Connection to Council Goal, Regional Plan and/or Team Flagstaff Strategic Plan:
Team Flagstaff Strategic Plan:
Strategic priority #1: Provide exceptional service
2. Serve the public through quality internal and external customer service.
3. Foster clear and consistent communication.
Has There Been Previous Council Decision on This:
No.
Options and Alternatives:
- Approve the Cooperative Purchase Contract between InfoSend and the City of Flagstaff; or
- Do not approve the Cooperative Purchase Contract between InfoSend and the City of Flagstaff. Staff will return with another option at a later date.
Background and History:
The City of Flagstaff has utilized bill print and mail services for approximately 14 years. The City currently has InfoSend as a third-party vendor print and mail approximately 20 separate monthly mailings: Municipal Services statements, Miscellaneous Accounts Receivable Statements, Collection Letters, and recently implemented Notification of Disconnect Postcards. Periodically, the City may insert materials in statements or complete unique mailing outs at a small additional charge.
In addition to the standard bill print and mail services, the City also has consistently utilized an archiving feature. With this feature, the City can outsource the storage of statement images on the vendor’s data infrastructure. The City utilizes the vendor's software via the internet to view and print these archived bill documents.
This Cooperative Purchase Contract will continue with the City’s long practice of outsourcing printing, mailing, and archiving. The significant change is from the City of Goodyear’s Cooperative Purchase Agreement, which will no longer be available, as the City of Goodyear will be returning the services in house, and will not be renewing the agreement expiring October 1, 2018.
In addition to the standard bill print and mail services, the City also has consistently utilized an archiving feature. With this feature, the City can outsource the storage of statement images on the vendor’s data infrastructure. The City utilizes the vendor's software via the internet to view and print these archived bill documents.
This Cooperative Purchase Contract will continue with the City’s long practice of outsourcing printing, mailing, and archiving. The significant change is from the City of Goodyear’s Cooperative Purchase Agreement, which will no longer be available, as the City of Goodyear will be returning the services in house, and will not be renewing the agreement expiring October 1, 2018.
Key Considerations:
The approximately 20 mailings each month by the City of Flagstaff equates to around 21,000 physical letters and postcards that must be printed, postage applied, and processed within 1 business day of receiving the City of Flagstaff's approved file. The City does not have staffing or machinery capable to handle this volume in house. Additionally, InfoSend archives the electronic format of all statements and works with our third party payment vendor, Point and Pay, in order to create a live interface for customers to view statements on-line. InfoSend is a highly recommended partner of other Arizona municipalities, as well as our third-party vendors.
Community Benefits and Considerations:
None.
Community Involvement:
Customers will not have any disruption in either printed or online statements.
Expanded Options and Alternatives:
Inform.