Electronic code compliance technology platform

TOWN OF OSSINING BUILDING DEPARTMENT 101 ROUTE 9A, OSSINING, NY 10562 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) ADVANCING ENERGY CODE COMPLIANCE TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM 1. Background The Town of Ossining, New York is located in Westchester County and is comprised of the Village of Ossining, a majority of the Village of Briarcliff Manor, and the Unincorporated Town. The entire Town (including the Villages) is 11.5 square miles in area with a population of 40,061 people, according to the 2020 Census. The Unincorporated Town of Ossining is approximately 3.1 square miles with a population of 5,626. This RFP only relates to the Unincorporated Town of Ossining that is within the jurisdiction of the Town Building Department. 2. Objective Acquire a highly reliable electronic technology platform to facilitate and streamline building energy code compliance plan review and inspection processes to assist the Building Department. The platform will be a next-generation solution capable of modernizing, supporting, and

enhancing current processes through a user-friendly interface. This RFP is being funded through a grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (“NYSERDA”) and therefore the vendor must comply with all requirements and regulations set forth by NYSERDA, as well as those of the Town. 3. Scope of Services The electronic code compliance technology platform must include but is not limited to the following capabilities: • Electronic plan submittal and review • Permitting • Scheduling inspections • Fee calculation and collection • Project tracking • Administrative workflow • Virtual inspections • Communication and technical support for all users: applicants and community • Departmental communications and management 4. Required Technology Platform Specifications The electronic code compliance technology platform shall have the following features and functions: • Project/building and owner information data management • Web portal for public use and information entry/ user interface capable of operating across all major web browsers • Permit intake, processing, and issuance: full workflow and functionality • Search function • Automatic notifications • Plan review and inspection process: full workflow and functionality • Financial administration • Reporting • Ability to receive real time and/or weekly updates from Town Assessor’s office updating changes in property ownership The Vendor shall provide direction and guidance (both written and oral) of the system technology: • Options for technical architecture: hosted, on-premises, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), cloud- based, and the reason for this choice • Hardware specifications and requirements • Operating system requirements • How your solution supports remote technologies and encryption (VPN, synchronization, etc.) • How data would be delivered or provided to the municipality if/when the relationship with the Vendor is terminated • Details on data backup and recovery • Schedule and frequency of software updates and maintenance • Maintenance of enhancements or customizations 5. Deployment and Support The vendor shall provide detailed documentation and support for hardware, software, network architecture, system administration, connectivity, and any other relevant minimum requirements necessary to launch and operate the electronic technology platform. The vendor is to provide services for system design configurations, deployment, documentation, testing, and training. It is expected that implementation consultants will participate in configuring a fully functional solution and provide consultation regarding process efficiencies and best practices. Support services shall also include: • System administration support for performance issues and monitoring, loading, and version releases • User support: live support and ticketing system with hours of service specified • Online training resources • System backup and redundancy 6. Timeline • Notice of Intent to Bid - September 26, 2023 • Submission of Proposals and Bid Opening Date- October 17, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. • Anticipated Service Start Date – January 1, 2024 7. ADA Requirements The vendor shall comply with NYSERDA’s requirements that contractors producing content and functionality intended to be published to the Web to adhere to New York State Enterprise IT Policy NYS- P08-005, “Accessibility of Information Communication Technology” (hereafter referred to as NYS Accessibility Policy). https://its.ny.gov/document/accessibility-web-based-information-and-applications-compliance-reporting The NYS Accessibility Policy aligns with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 – All Level A and AA guidelines, found at https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/. 8. Cybersecurity Requirements The vendor shall comply with NYS Office of Information Technology Services (ITS) policies, standards, and guidelines for information security (collectively referred to as “ITS Security Policies”) for State Entities, including NYSERDA, which ITS establishes and regularly updates. Contractors, vendors, and solution providers conducting work on behalf of NYSERDA (such as the selected vendor for this RFP) including, but not limited to, application development, web development, hosting, or managing NYSERDA’s sensitive data, are required to comply with the NYS requirements. These requirements include, but are not limited to, the NYS Information Security Policy NYS-P03-002 which sets forth the minimum requirements, responsibilities and accepted behaviors to establish and maintain a secure environment and achieve the State's information security objectives. In addition to this umbrella policy, the following standards establish specific minimum information security requirements: • Vulnerability Scanning Standard (NYS-S15-002) • Security Logging Standard (NYS-S14-005) • Patch Management Standard (NYS-S15-001) • Encryption Standard (NYS-S14-007) • Information Security Policy for the Village and Town of Ossining Users dated 6/8/2023. A complete list of ITS Security Policies is available at: https://its.ny.gov/tables/technologypolicyindex Contractor shall notify NYSERDA’s Information Security Officer and the Town immediately upon discovery or notification of any security breaches or vulnerabilities: • information.security@nyserda.ny.gov • (518) 862-1090 x3486. 9. Term of Contract The successful bidder will be required to enter into a contract memorializing the terms of service. The contract will be for a three-year term with the Town of Ossining having the option, in its sole discretion, to extend the agreement beyond its initial term. 10. Right to Modify RFP or Reject Proposals This RFP does not commit the Town of Ossining to award a contract, pay any cost incurred in the preparation of a proposal in response to this RFP, or to procure or contract for services. The Town of Ossining reserves the right to amend this RFP. The Town of Ossining reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals, to negotiate with all qualified proposers, or to cancel this RFP in part or entirely. https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/ https://its.ny.gov/document/vulnerability-scanning https://its.ny.gov/document/vulnerability-scanning https://its.ny.gov/document/security-logging https://its.ny.gov/document/security-logging https://its.ny.gov/document/patch-management https://its.ny.gov/document/patch-management https://its.ny.gov/document/encryption-standard https://its.ny.gov/document/encryption-standard https://its.ny.gov/tables/technologypolicyindex mailto:information.security@nyserda.ny.gov https://its.ny.gov/document/vulnerability-scanning https://its.ny.gov/document/security-logging https://its.ny.gov/document/patch-management https://its.ny.gov/document/encryption-standard 11. Insurance Requirements General Liability Insurance: The selected vendor is required to maintain general liability insurance in the minimum amount of $1,000,000. The vendor is also required to have Technology Professional Liability Errors and Omissions Insurance with limits not less than $5,000,000 per occurrence to cover any claims connected to the performance of this contract. Coverage shall include, but not be limited to, claims involving infringement of intellectual property, copyright and trademark, privacy violations, information theft, release of private information, and network security. 12. Price Proposal The proposal shall include itemized pricing for all products and services to satisfy the requirements of this RFP. 13. Evaluation Criteria Evaluation criteria will be weighted as follows: • Software functional capabilities, demos – 25% • User-friendliness – 25% • Training and ongoing support – 20% • Price proposal – 10% • Vendor qualifications, site visit – 20% 14. Method of Award State Finance Law § 163(4)(d) mandates that a contract for services, including technology, be awarded based on best value, which takes into consideration cost as well as other technical or non-cost factors. The Town of Ossining anticipates and prefers a single award pursuant to the solicitation. 15. Payment Invoices shall be fully itemized and provide descriptions sufficient for payment approval and audit. 16. The Town of Ossining Requirements/Other Requirements a. It is recommended but not required that the electronic code compliance technology platform shall have the ability to access and respond to building permitting processes in the Spanish language. b. The software is compatible with the Town’s other document software systems. 17. Proposal Submission Requirements One hard copy and one electronic copy of the proposal should be submitted to the Town Clerk as follows: Electronically to sdonnelly@townofossining.com mailto:sdonnelly@townofossining.com Hard copy to Town Clerk, 16 Croton Avenue, First Floor, Ossining, NY 10562.