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RFP Copier & Printer Lease & Maintenance Services - Q&As 2023-09-26taQa�tra CALIFORNIA PRINTER AND COPIER LEASE RFP SEPTEMBER 26, 2023 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 1. May a vendor come onsite to do an assessment and inspect? A. No, the City would like your bid to explain how, if selected, you would do an onsite assessment. The cost for this and the overall services for maintaining the existing printers listed is what we are looking for at this time, with input on how to address the remainder of the scope of work by your team. Assumptions should be made based on existing equipment versus current market standards for local government of our size for recommended upgrades (if necessary). 2. Do the replacements for the Canon need finishing? (Stapling, 3 -Hole punch, booklet capability)? A. Yes. 3. How should the free standing/consoles be configured? Number of paper trays, stapling, faxing etc.? A. Configuration will be subject to change based upon the initial assessment that is conducted by the selected vendor, however, the City will request that any upgrades that may occur are conducted with a rationale that would explain why a reduction in overall features that were previously available is warranted. (E.g., less paper trays than the previous machine is necessary as there is a lack of use overall, and the 4 paper trays were excessive, so only 2 would be recommended). 4. How many should be in full color? Black and White? A. All machines should have capability of printing in full color and black and white. 5. In reference to an initial assessment mentioned in Section II, please clarify if you would like vendors to conduct an assessment prior to RFP submission? How can we coordinate date/time? taQa�tra CALIFORNIA A. Only the selected vendor would conduct an initial assessment, the responses will be assessed based on their description of their overall approach to services. This starts with how an onsite assessment would be conducted, what next steps would be, and ongoing maintenance and services for existing machines as described in the Scope of Work. 6. Will you entertain the MFP/Printers have the same manufacturer and the Wide Format an alternate as they are (2) different technologies OR are you wanting ALL equipment to be the same manufacturer? A. To clarify, we will entertain equipment from different manufacturers, but prefer only machines that your team will be able to maintain. (Example: Canon certified technicians will not service HP products. We understand and would like for you to explain what your team will do if you encounter this issue when requested to service a machine your firm may not typically repair). 7. In reference to Section 11, Question 9; what is the heaviest weight of card stock the city utilizes? A. The City may use up to 801b cardstock, though this can vary depending on what recommended upgraded machines we purchase can handle, and if in- house production of certain documents would be economical versus outsourcing. 8. Speed preference (copies and prints per minute) as an example: 30, 45, 55 or more? A. Current expectations of staff are minimum 35 ppm (Letter) for both print and copy, any new machines recommended would need to meet or exceed this. 9. In response to Termination of convenience, please clarify that this includes waiving all payments on the municipal lease OR just the service portion. A. This would be determined once a vendor is selected, and we are negotiating the lease agreement for the machines selected. Standard taQa�tra CALIFORNIA agreement terms are enclosed in the sample agreement. 10. Do any of the devices needs Fax capabilities? A. Yes, all major printers should have Fax/eFax capability. Desktop printers (smaller printers) do not need that functionality. 11. Desktop printers (these devices just print) How many in full color, how many in black and white? Desktop MFP (these desktops copy, print & scan). How many in full color, how many in black and white? A. This will be decided after the initial assessment by the selected vendor. 12. Will you be able to provide exact configurations of existing equipment so we can build like for like? A. We ask that vendors provide bids based on the provided inventory in the RFP, assuming standard configurations based on industry norms for local agencies such as a City. The selected vendor will provide a site assessment and may modify existing machines. 13. Is it at the vendors discretion to provide the fixed buyout amount or will the City provide guidance at the end of the municipal lease? A. The lease end purchase option should ideally be designed to have all payments toward the fair market value of the machine to allow for a $1 buy- out option, or something similar, where which complete ownership is anticipated. 14. Will any of the devices, consoles or desktops be connected to Macs or need to air print? A. Yes. 15. What is the average monthly volume of copies/prints for each of your devices? Hint, the last year average may be the most accurate. A. An average monthly volume can be considered to be 12,000 B&W, and 11,000 Color pages from the majority of printers. taQa�tra CALIFORNIA 16. Would you prefer service/supplies to be included in the lease payment or billed separately? A. Service and Supplies being included in the lease payment would be preferable. 17. How long should Lease quote be for? (36 months, 48 months, 60 months)? A. 60 Months will be requested but we may request a modified timeline as we want to sync this up with our FY schedule. 18. Is quarterly volume allowance 10,000? A. To be reviewed and negotiated, using 10,000 as a "sample amount" for a cost proposal or agreement structure is amenable for the City's review during this process. 19. How much color volume do you want for a quarterly allowance? A. To be reviewed and negotiated, using 10,000 as a "sample amount" for a cost proposal or agreement structure is amenable for the City's review during this process. 20.As it relates to WIDE FORMAT PRINTERS, is this a type of printer you'll have to have in the RFP? A. Wide Format Printer services are not mandatory, but desired. 21. What if our manufacturer is not a producer of wide format printers? Are you willing to purchase those separately elsewhere? A. Yes, but we would desire that you make the recommendation and conduct research for a preferable purchase, as our vendor responsible for these services. This would include a request to identify a vendor that could be subcontracted by you, or paid independently by the City at a reasonable expense to service the wide format printers. 22. Lease type: "lease end purchase -option" — are you good with a Fair Market Value Lease? This would enable you to purchase the devices at end of lease for the "fair market value" as provided by the leasing company. taQa�tra CALIFORNIA A. Yes. 23. Vendor Lease: Volume Commitment Do you have a specific volume amount you would like included in the lease quote? Or do you want this to be handled separately as a service/supply base charge which includes XX copies per quarter? i. The City has no requirement one way or the other, but would be interested in a separate service/supply base charge. Equipment added during term to have same pricing? Since this would be for a shorter term, the monthly cost would be higher. Is this acceptable? (The value would be the same as at the beginning, but the monthly payment would be different due to shorter term). i. This is acceptable. Please see the following (No. 3 Vendor Lease details for Scope of Work: Equipment added during the term of the agreement will have the same pricing and commitments and be billed exactly the same as the rest of the "Fleet" except that all equipment will be co -terminus with the term of the Agreement.) Minimum bid specifications — I do not see this in the RFP documents. (need what speeds, features, color vs. bw, desktop vs free standing etc). i. Minimum bid specifications are to meet existing machine performance for the most commonly used printer at City Hall, which is the Canon ImageRunner C5535i (Specs here: https://www.usa.canon.com/support/p/imagerunner-advance-c5535i) ii. There is an expectation for the following: Each bidder's response to the RFP shall offer one machine model per machine description, and detail a full-service scenario whereby the vendor provides, installs, maintains, and services the equipment, including all replenishment supplies (excluding paper) and equipment parts. Remove/Dispose of old equipment — this can only be done for owned devices. Leased equipment will need to be returned to the leasing company. Can you tell us where that return would be to if applicable? taQa�tra CALIFORNIA i. Leased equipment is currently on a "lease end purchase option" which will be ending by the end of this calendar year (2023). We will share contract details and discuss strategies for existing equipment/upgrades as part of the onboarding process for the selected vendor. 24. Complete Pricing List - The biggest question is that we need to know what you need and how many of each so that we can get the correct pricing on the piggybackable contracts. A. The City does not have a complete understanding at this time of what we need, we are looking to the vendor selected to provide an initial assessment, which will then describe what the recommended needs are. At this time, Ongoing maintenance of existing equipment and comparison of existing equipment described with current marketplace commercial devices that would be a logical upgrade is what we will be anticipating in responses to the bid. 25. Can the City of La Quinta business license be acquired after award? A. Yes. 26. Does the City have an IT department or any IT staff? A. The City contracts IT services, they are not directly responsible for any Printer Maintenance/Management other than access for workstations to connect to the printers and placement on our network for security protocol. 27. Can you advise whether hardcopy submission is mandatory? A. Please electronically submit. 28.Are you utilizing UniFLOW currently on your Canon devices? A. We are not. 29. Would you consider continuing to use a hybrid Canon/HP solution? A. Yes, though it would be preferable to go with one brand to make maintenance easier. The City is open to having multiple brands if it is deemed most efficient for certain needs. (E.g., Canon for larger print jobs, taQa�tra CALIFORNIA HP for desktop printers, Canon for scanners, HP for copiers, etc.) 30. How are you currently being billed for your wide format devices? A. The Printers are owned, not leased, and expenditures are limited to cost of operation for paper and ink, as well as outside maintenance (not currently covered by our existing maintenance agreement). 31. Are you in need of accounting keycodes to track and control each usage? A. No. Though we are open to seeing that as an additional optional cost in the bid. 32. Do you have any other requirements when it comes to scanning that might need additional software to support? A. The City does not have any specific requirements but is interested in hearing about additional software that may have been provided to similar organizations you might recommend. 33. It sounds like the City would like a CPC lease, where the service is included on the equipment invoice, as opposed to separate invoices for service and equipment. Is that accurate? A. The City would like to keep service and equipment separate to understand what services are rendered on a visit -to -visit basis. Monthly equipment and supplies would be charged in one invoice, while individual service, including unexpected service visits, would be billed separately to keep track of frequency and productivity of the vendor's servicing of the equipment. 34. Does the City want staples included in the service agreement. I saw one spot where "staples and paper" were excluded, and another where "paper" was excluded. Just want to be sure because staples add a few ticks to the cost -per - copy. A. For clarification, the City does want staples included. taQa�tra CALIFORNIA 35. Page 6, Section II —Vendor Lease, Item 1 = RFP indicates billing quarterly in arrears, does quarterly billing apply to the equipment payment or just the service and supplies? Would the city agree to equipment lease payments invoiced monthly and maintenance services invoiced quarterly in arrears? A. Quarterly billing can be for service and supplies, equipment would be monthly. 36. Page 6, Section II — Vendor Lease, Item 3 = RFP indicates that equipment added to the contract by the city after the initial award will be coterminous to the original equipment and at the same rate as the original contract pricing. Would the city allow equipment additions that occur with 36 months or less remaining in the contract term to be installed using refurbished or used equipment of similar capability? A. This is something the City may be open to, but would only be necessary if there is a true need in the tail end of the contract. Further, we would be interested in procurement of new equipment with an expedited payment schedule and a contract amend ment/revision potentially, rather than refurbished or used equipment, while maintaining our lease -to -own preference. 37. Page 6, Section II — Vendor Lease, Item 6 = Would the city accept a proposal that provided one brand of equipment for A3 MFP's and a separate brand of equipment for A4 printer products? A. It is desired to maintain one manufacturer for all equipment, though the City understands certain capabilities or upgrades may necessitate multiple manufacturers. 38. Page 7, Section II — Vendor Lease, Item 10 = Would the city identify the location in the RFP for the minimum bid specifications of the equipment required for each location? Does the city require that proposed equipment be of similar or greater operational speed than the current model? What paper capacity or sources are required? What finishing capabilities are required? Do some devices require fax capabilities? taQa�tra CALIFORNIA A. Please see previous responses and particularly our answer regarding bid specifications in Question 23 C. 39. Would the city like the proposing vendors to include a copy of their lease document for city review? A. The City is interested in methodology of conducting an onsite assessment, how traditional maintenance services are rendered, standard lease terms expected, and all other relevant information you deem fit for your proposal to represent your firm. 40. Would the city like the proposing vendors to include their terms for their maintenance agreement to include response times, uptime guarantees or factory certifications of service technician personnel? A. Yes, though not mandatory. 41. Would the city agree to assignment of invoice processing to a finance partner be approved by the city while the responsibility for the terms and conditions of the contract remain between the city and the awarded vendor? A. Yes, As long as it is spelled out clearly in the agreement (a) the name and contact info for the company we would be expecting the invoices from and (b) that the vendor selected release all claims against the City if we pay that finance company and then the vendor does not get their money due to an error from the finance partner. 42. Could the City provide a copy of your conflict of interest form mentioned on page 5 of 13 (form#700)? A. https://www.fppc.ca.gov/Form700.htmi 43. In your RFP you state your addendum will be released September 26 and the RFP is due September 29. Would the City please allow a one-week extension to give vendors time to properly respond? A. The City does not anticipate a one-week extension at this time. taQa�tra CALIFORNIA 44. Page 6 Introduction — "Specific goals for this RFP include cost/value for, reliability, durability, increased speed, and enriched features." How will reliability and durability be tested and assessed? A. Industry standards and vendor guarantee of the equipment meeting expectations, with replacement/warranty/alternatives planned for any reason that a machine does not perform. This is an ongoing portion of the contract once a vendor is selected and expected as someone that works with the City of La Quinta. 45. Page 6 Scope of Services — The City requires "An initial assessment of all onsite printing equipment will be mandatory and part of responses to be considered." When will the City provide access to the vendors in order to provide the initial assessment to be compliant with this mandate? A. Clarification: The initial assessment as part of the bid/scope of work detailed is what will be considered, the City is not having vendors come onsite to do an assessment prior to submitting a bid. Please explain your methodology, your expectations, your anticipated outcome, any documentation to be provided, etc., as part of this process. 46. Page 6 Scope of Services — States "Each bidder's response to the RFP shall offer one machine model per machine description." There does not seem to be any machine descriptions listed. Please provide machine descriptions. A. See list of equipment. 47. Page 6 #3 — States all equipment added during the term of the agreement will be co -terminus and have the "same pricing". That would be true except the City must accept that a shorter term will cause the monthly payment to increase even though the cost of the equipment is the same. A. The City accepts this. 48. Page 7 #11 — Can you specify how may moves/relocations took place over the current contract period? A. The existing contractor did not track the printer plan, staff anticipates approx. 2 major printers were moved between departments, though overall W W CALIFORNIA volumes did not change. 49. Page 7 Current Inventory — Does the City intend to replace every unit on this list, including the Wide -Format Canon and HP units? A. This would be concluded based on a vendor selected, an onsite assessment conducted, and a recommendation for any units to be replaced. We are looking for your explanation of how you will undergo this process, should you be selected, by describing your methodology for how you provide maintenance without any upgrades, and if there are upgrades, what the replacement process, disposal (if offered), updates, and new maintenance/services would go. 50. Page 7, Current inventory - Can the City please provide device locations and power requirements per machine? A. Not at this time, we will work with our IT Consultant and the eventual vendor selected to update and provide a useful printer floor plan with power specs and machine locations. 51. Page 8, item 2 - How many government agency references will be the minimum requirement? A. The City will not require a minimum for this bid process. We request that you provide at least one reference, private sector or public sector, as we are allowing for bids that may not have had previous experience with a government agency. 52. Page 8, item 6, Subcontracting services - Assignment is prohibited, please explain or elaborate. A. It is expected that the vendor selected is the firm providing the entirety of the maintenance services. Subcontracting, if necessary, will need to be explicitly defined in your response with a rationale for why. Procurement of machines and equipment through manufacturers and providers is not considered subcontracting for this RFP's anticipated responses. taQa�tra CALIFORNIA 53. Is the City currently using MFP proximity cards/fobs or user codes to access the machine and authenticate users? A. No. Questions regarding Canon IPF750 and HP DesignJet T920 Postscript below: 54. Does the City use both printers for the same applications or different? What are they (technical documents or graphic posters)? A. Same applications, technical documents such as plans and large scale print jobs, at times graphic posters for marketing and wayfinding signage for events (B&W typically for signage). 55. Does the City require greater media width capability than 36"? A. No. 56. Does the City require multiple roll capacity? A. No. 57. Does the City require scanning capabilities? A. Yes If your question was not answered, this is due to it being received after the deadline of Friday, September 22nd, 2023, or was redundant and answered as part of another question listed here. Thank you and we look forward to receipt of your proposal. 0 CALIFORNIA - Doug Kinley III I Management Analyst City Manager's Office City of La Quinta 78495 Calle Tampico I La Quinta, CA 92253 Ph. 760.777.7085 Main: 760.777.7000 E. DKinley(o)LaQuintaCA.Gov www.laquintaca.gov www.playinlaquinta.com