Request for Proposal (RFP) #13-15 FOR. Website Redesign, Development and Implementation Services for the City of Kenosha, Wisconsin

Request for Proposal (RFP) #13-15

FOR

Website Redesign, Development and Implementation Services for

the City of Kenosha, Wisconsin

Issued and Posted: June 5, 2015

Proposals must be submitted before or by 4:00 P.M., Tuesday June 30, 2015 at:

City of Kenosha

Department of Finance

625 - 52nd Street, Room 208

Kenosha, WI. 53140

ANY PROPOSALS SUBMITTED AFTER THIS DEADLINE WILL BE

REJECTED

Table of Contents

Page (s)

3.0 OVERALL PROGRAM GOALS 5-6

4.0 GUIDELINES 6-9

5.0 REQUESTED INFORMATION & PROPOSAL FORMAT 9-12 6.0 SELECTION CRITERIA & PROCESS 12-13 7.0 ANTICIPATED CALENDAR, REVIEW & APPROVAL PROCESS 14 8.0 OWNERSHIP OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 14

9.0 CITY RESPONSIBILITY 14

ATTACHMENT I

INSURANCE STANDARDS 15

ATTACHMENT II

1.0 INTRODUCTION:

The City of Kenosha, the fourth largest municipality in Wisconsin, is located on the shores of Lake Michigan, situated almost halfway between the metropolitan areas of Chicago and Milwaukee. The City is the seat for the County of Kenosha, home to three (3) universities, colleges and technical schools including the University of Wisconsin - Parkside, Carthage College and Gateway Technical College, as well as several satellite campuses including Concordia, National Louis, Cardinal Stritch and Herzing Universities. It has six (6) major public high schools and academies and two (2) parochial high schools. It is the home for several large businesses including Snap-On, Ocean Spray, Jockey International, Gordon Food Service and a major distribution center for Amazon.com.

Kenosha is a full service municipality, providing a myriad of quality of life services to 99,890 citizens (2013 U.S. Census) with its full-time work force of just over 525 full-time employees. The City has an Operating Budget for 2015 of $38,652,000 and a Capital Improvement Budget of approximately $11,000,000.

Kenosha possesses an incredible amount of park amenities and green space throughout the community and enhances its exposure to Lake Michigan with two marinas, several beaches, a chain of lakefront parks and three (3) downtown museums all conveniently connected to or near by a two-mile Electrical Streetcar Circuit. The Streetcar line not only serves the downtown amenities but also passes by the Metra Train Station that provides rail service to Chicago's northern suburbs as well as the Loop. The Tri-State interstate corridor connects Kenosha with Chicago, Milwaukee and Madison.

Additionally, Kenosha has four (4) full-service libraries, two (2) public swimming pools, a nine-hole city-operated golf course and the oldest operating bicycle velodrome in the United States.

According to the most recent census information, almost sixty percent of Kenosha's households are owner-occupied. The population's median age is 34 years old. Kenosha and Kenosha County residents are highly educated: 90 percent are high school graduates and close to 25 percent have earned a bachelor’s degree or a higher degree. Median household income is approximately $55,000. The ratio of women to men is very close to being 50:50.

2.0 INTENT:

The City of Kenosha is seeking the services of an experienced website design firm to review, redesign, develop and implement a new city website utilizing posted information from the existing website(s), while incorporating new information, products, technologies and features as suggested by the City and to promote the City's new branding initiative. As evidenced above, the City possesses a myriad of landmarks, amenities and year-round events that will need to receive exceptional focus using effective methods.

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Currently, the City’s existing website contains general city information and separate pages for its twenty-six (26) departments, divisions, authorities, utilities and commissions. It provides links so that visitors can review city budgets, its general and zoning ordinances,

council and commission meeting agendas and its minutes; conduct property searches; access bids, plans and seek procurement results; employment opportunities; and permitting and licensing. The website has a link to a city application termed Public Stuff Kenosha that allows residents to receive important press releases, construction updates, snow plowing updates and a portal to report infrastructural problems or service issues. Additionally, there are local links to the Chamber of Commerce, the Kenosha Area Business Alliance (KABA), Downtown Kenosha, Inc. and the Visitor's Bureau. Many of these website attributes are effective and will be a part of the overall redesign of the new website.

The City will seek the most cost-effective way to achieve its web redesign project goals and it is highly motivated to hear the respondent's critiques, ideas for content and recommended approaches to achieving project goals. To this end, it will encourage respondents to consider and to propose alternative and innovative methodologies and solutions that they feel will improve the website and exemplify the showcasing of the City and its resources.

2.1 PROJECT MISSION STATEMENT

A redesigned City of Kenosha website shall be the public face of the local government and the community as a whole. It is desirous that the website will assist in attracting businesses, providing easier access to the City and its services for the public and improving communication between the City and the public.

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A redesigned City of Kenosha website will serve as a virtual City Hall that offers 24/7 contact to the City for a wide range of users. It will introduce the City of Kenosha to prospective residents, visitors and business proprietors while making it simpler for current residents to get the help and information that they need from their local government and to provide the opportunity to conduct business as usual when City Hall is not open.

The City of Kenosha website shall be a benefit to:

2.1.1 Current Residents by being the “go to” place at any time to find the answers to questions regarding city services. The website should be viewed as a way to save trips to the City Hall and /or phone calls during normal business hours. The website shall provide up-to-date news and releases, calendars of community events, e-newsletters, service notifications and procedures. An e-commerce capability that will support secure online credit card payments of taxes, fines, fees for city services, etc. will be a primary focus. It will include an ability to optionally sign up for automatic notifications by email, PDA and/or phone for a variety of circumstances including but not limited to: Emergency and hazardous conditions, construction updates, etc.

The promotion of e-government capability will benefit citizens by providing them a platform to effectively communicate with City Administration and the City Council, City Commissions, continuing to stream city-held meetings and to access textual archives of City Council and Commission meetings.

2.1.2 Businesses by providing instant access to city information and regulations, online permitting and fee payments, vendor registration and e-procurement.

2.1.3 Prospective homeowners and business owners by offering them a comprehensive profile of the community, including attractive photos, demographics, school district information, recreational and cultural opportunities, information on local organizations and churches, and residential and commercial real estate data. The website should be a highly utilized marketing tool that conveys the upscale look and feel of a desirable destination. The user interface, images and copy tones should be consistent with achieving this objective.

2.1.4 Visitors and tourists by presenting an engaging, enticing view of the City. Specific functions for visitors would include, but not be limited to, driving and public transit directions, maps, parking information, special events listings, descriptions of amenities, parks, and open spaces, information and diagrams of pedestrian and bike trails as well as promotional information regarding local businesses which would benefit from an influx of returning and first-time visitors.

2.1.5 City employees by relieving them of time-consuming, possibly redundant requests for information. Instead, staff would direct the inquiring public to details on the website or to an online application. The need for face to face transactions at City Hall generating long lines such as tax payments, fees and licensing could instead be accomplished through an online interface.

A redesigned website shall be easy to maintain, as authorized users should be able to post, edit, update and delete specific content in a timely manner to keep their particular sections of the website current. The improved website would support efficient use of City computing resources by connecting the intranet and ancillary sites.

2.1.6 Service providers who serve both homeowners and businesses as an effective interface to up-to-date information on regulatory information and online access to requisite procedural forms.

3.0 OVERALL PROJECT GOALS:

3.1 Develop a highly beneficial, cost-effective, simple, interactive, architecturally sound and flexible website that will support the City’s needs;

3.2 Create a standardized format and enhanced user experience for all website pages that will establish a unifying theme, yet still allow for a level of individuality and/or functionality between each function and department;

3.3 Create a website that allows multiple users in different departments to have responsibility in managing their own information in order to keep their specific sections of the website timely and effective;

3.4 Incorporate design elements that make the website ADA Section 508 accessible, eye-catching and appealing, yet functional and easily navigable;

3.5 Provide multi-lingual ability such as Google Translate;

3.6 Provide a framework and architectural structure that will permit future expansion and addition of new online services as the City’s budget, technological needs and advancements, regulatory changes and user demands dictate in order to make the website viable for many years to come;

3.7 Provide a secure site that meets emerging industry standard guidelines on privacy and accessibility.

4.0 GUIDELINES:

In preparing their proposals, respondents should consider the following criteria: 4.1 User Criteria:

4.1.1 Website must be visually appealing. Design of this site in this

regard is imperative to the project. The goals contained in the mission statement should be conveyed from the initial impression that it receives from the homepage. The redesigned website should draw the viewer in and navigation should be simple enough that it will facilitate further exploration of the website and make it an overall enjoyable experience that will induce the visitor to return to it;

4.1.2 Common themes exist throughout. Each section of the website

should have a unified look and feel that reinforces Kenosha's new image. Each section of the site should be visually related, yet retain some degree of individuality that reflects the service, department or audience being served by that particular page;

4.1.3 Capability to be easily updated. Once the website has been

completed and accepted by the City, the site requires the capability to be maintained by city-defined authorized departmental users with these assignments established under "protocols and procedures" to be defined by City Administration. The ability to update shall be simple enough so that authorized staff with less-technical capabilities can still make changes and updates. The content management system should provide for at least page-level specific permission, approvals and roles, including creating and publishing as well as version control, all of which to be defined and authorized by City Administration with assistance from the designer. Open Source content management systems are preferable;

4.1.4 Easy navigation. The site should be easy to navigate, with

information grouped and presented in a very logical and methodical manner. During the initial phase of the project, the successful designer will be required to

develop a comprehensive site map, which shows the strategy behind these architecture decisions;

4.1.5 Search engine. The site should provide a rapid search capability

of the entire site that generates results that are of high relevance to its users from their search queries;

4.1.6 Future flexibility. The site should include a flexible design

template that can easily accommodate the addition of new functionality at a later date;

4.1.7 Mailing list data base. There should be a mechanism that permits

users to sign up (using a double opt in system) to be on various mailing lists targeted at different topic interests. Users should also be able to opt out at any time.

4.2 System Operations and Technical Features:

4.2.1 The website must provide for high-speed upload/download

response times for low-end to high-end computers that are used by the average citizen and the site should be developed to minimize loading times for analog dial-up customers;

4.2.2 The site must provide the same level of service to individuals with visual, hearing, motor or cognitive disability as to the general public, pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act. All proposals must be Section 508 ADA compliant and include the utilization of W3C Content Accessibility Guidelines with the website development. RFP Respondents are requested to offer suggestions regarding accessibility;

4.2.3 The site must be accessible and useable with current versions of commonly used browsers including IE, Opera, Safari, Chrome and Firefox across most widely used operating environments. Respondents should provide a test matrix by platform, operating system and browser on desktops, laptops and mobile devices;

4.2.4 The site must be designed to be manageable from the existing client infrastructure that exists;

4.2.5 All documents, including maps and tables, should be in HTML, Portable Document Format (PDF), or in a format approved by the City to provide ease of viewing, printing and downloading, and in alternate ADA acceptable download formats;

4.2.6 All documents formatted in PDF must include the ability to perform a full text search within the PDF document;

4.2.7 The site should be able to provide a news feed via Real Simple Syndication (RSS);

4.2.8 The site should include capability for e-commerce functions, including secure online credit card purchases, verification, fulfillment and acceptance;

4.2.9 The site should provide a basis for e-government transactions, such as tax payments, business license renewals, pet license renewals and payment of water bills along with all other interactive forms defined by the City; 4.2.10 Email feedback/contact forms should have configurable distribution lists and be offered on the home page as well as on departmental pages;

4.2.11 The site should support the functional use of the City’s existing computing resources and its ancillary sites, including but not limited to the Kenosha Public Library System.

4.3 Website Security:

4.3.1 The designer must consider the appropriate and secure use of

interactive forms for confidential information such as personnel applications and records;

4.3.2 The site must be secured from email harvesters;

4.3.3 The site should be built to withstand security attacks including Cross Site Scripting (XSS) and Cross Site Request Forgeries (CSRF);

4.3.4 Any mailing list modules must be secure in compliance with the stated privacy policies of the City;

4.3.5 The City must be able to control levels of permission and

approval for City employees uploading information to the site, and must have the ability to immediately delete permissions for terminated employees.

4.4 Other Minimum Requirements and Features:

4.4.1 Cross-referenced information should be hyperlinked from page to page within the website, with the home page link always visible;

4.4.2 Graphic files should be relative to the site and provide for quickest loading;

4.4.3 There must be a capability to maintain an archive of existing and past records, such as agendas, minutes, press releases and newsletters with version control (e.g., Version 1.0, followed by Version 1.1);

4.4.4 The vendor shall assist departments with information design, as requested, for the initial website design;

4.4.5 City staff will maintain the information on the site. A system needs to be in place with capabilities for updating information by less tech-savvy staff.

4.5 Other Information:

4.5.1 The selected firm may be required to attend a minimum of one (1) City Council meeting to respond to any questions that the Common Council may have relative to the project.

4.5.2 Project Administration: The Project Coordinator will be Mr. Tig

Kerkman, City of Kenosha's Director of Information Techmology. Mr. Kerkman will be the City contact for project issues; the review, approval of invoices and payments; review of products and technologies, scheduling of meetings, as well as any other necessary managerial tasks for the project. Mr. Kerkman will be the primary point of contact with the selected vendor. He can be contacted at (262) 653-4201. Integrally assisting Mr. Kerkman will be Mr. Mark Willing, City of Kenosha's Purchasing Manager who can assist vendors with inquiries

relative to the RFP, the RFP process and requirements. Mr. Willing can be contacted at (262) 653-4180.

4.5.3 Clarification and / or Revisions of this R.F.P. Clarifications and / or any revisions to this R.F.P. will be made only by an official written amendment issued by the City's Purchasing Manager.

5.0 RE QUESTED INFORMATION AND PROPOSAL FORMAT:

5.1 The Proposal Cost Summary that is to be submitted, should take into account the costs for the following elements, but shall not be limited by them. 5.1.1 The cost shall include:

.1 Designing and building the basic site, including migrating content for top-level pages and a site map;

.2 A content management system with levels of permission and approvals, allowing for ease of use for non-technical end users. An Open Source Content Management System is preferred;

.3 Functionality. The responding firm may respond to all or some of the functions listed below based upon its knowledge and experience with such functions;

i. Events calendar ii. Site search capability, iii. E-commerce,

iv. Online permitting,

v. Archiving (with version control capability), vi. Streaming video,

vii. Emergency notification to residents and/or an intranet; viii. Citizen request/complaint tracking

ix. Other (please specify): ____________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________

.4 Annual web content management software licensing and support costs (segregate costs);

5.1.2 Alternate Items (to be selected based on funds available and City priorities), include:

.1 Cost of hosting the site, if recommended by the

respondent and if deemed cost-advantageous by the City. Include annual maintenance cost;

.2 Migrating content for all existing pages beyond the top-level pages.

.3 Costs for alternate items shall be segregated.

5.1.3 The proposal should specify the necessary software and hardware, additional communication requirements, integration needs and potential costs necessary to host and maintain the website (e.g., hardware,

software, installation, licensing, training, conversion and testing);

5.1.4 All proposed costs shall not be incorporated into the narrative portion of the proposal. To do so will result in the immediate disqualification of the proposal.

5.1.5 All proposal cost elements shall be in a separate and sealed envelope, accompanying the Original copy of the submitted proposal only.

5.2 Other Proposal Information and Requirements:

5.2.1 The proposal should include details on the firm’s years of experience related to website design, the names of all principals, the resumes of all principals who would be involved in the project, as well as their roles and responsibilities for the project;

5.2.2 The proposal should include an itemization of the project team's

certifications, licensures, proficiencies, profound knowledge and skills with a concentration on experience with local governmental designs, use of Open Source technologies such as, but not limited to, Linut and CMS, ADA Compliance;

5.2.3 The proposal should include an organizational chart delineating each project team member's role and responsibility;

5.2.4 The proposal should include the approach and timeline for completion of the project with a delineation of tasks/activities required of city staff;

5.2.5 The proposal should include recommendations on basic training for a small population of employees, a delineated training plan, online tutorials and/or

documentation and a training time line;

5.2.6 The respondent should provide a list of at least five (5) comparable websites, particularly those of municipalities and governmental agencies that have been designed by the firm. Each site listed should include the website address, company/agency contact, email address and telephone number. These companies/agencies will be contacted for references;

5.2.7 The proposal will be prepared and submitted at the respondent’s sole expense. Proposals will become the property of the City of Kenosha and will not be returned;

5.2.8 Submit five (5) hard copies of the proposal plus one (1) original hard copy with sealed cost proposal.

5.2.8.1 The submittal shall be addressed as shown, clearly bearing and showing the responding firm's name and address as shall be marked as follows:

.1 Proposal Notice #13-15, Website Redesign, Development and Implementation Services.

5.2.8.2 All proposals are to be submitted to the City of Kenosha, Department of Finance, Room 208, 625-52nd Street, Kenosha, WI. 53140. Submittals must be received before or by 4:00 P.M. C.S.T. , Tuesday June 30, 2015 via U.S. Mail, UPS, Federal Express or personal delivery. All proposal submittals must be time-stamped by the City of Kenosha

Department of Finance by the stated deadline. Proposals received after this deadline will not be accepted. The City of Kenosha will not accept faxed or

other electronically communicated submissions.

5.2.8.3 All required documentation and narrative components must be found in the proposal. All submittals must include the following:

.1 Cost Proposal in separate envelope, to be included only with the Original Copy of the proposal submittal;

.2 References;

.3 A thorough description of the firm's experience in web design and qualifications and credentials of involved staff to be assigned to the project;

.4 A complete timeline delineating important milestones, etc. and an estimate of the time interval necessary to achieve substantial completion of the project. The City reserves the right to reject any proposal with a time sequence and

substantial completion date that is deemed unreasonable or detrimental to its implementation goals;

.5 A copy of a Certificate of Insurance showing the firm's insurance coverages (per Attachment I).

.6 A completed Informational sheet (Attachment II).

6.0 SELECTION CRITERIA AND PROCESS:

6.1 The following criterion will be used in evaluating each response:

6.1.1 Experience. The City will consider the respondents’ experience in

designing websites, particularly government sites, and overall understanding of site architecture, navigation, search capabilities and other components of website sign. References will be verified.

6.1.2 Value to users. The City will evaluate the respondent's proposal to add value based upon the recommendations on visual appeal, design consistency, features offered and technical support based upon their statement of work; 6.1.3 Maintenance and upgrades. The City will consider how easy the site is to maintain by various users, including less tech savvy staff, and the ease in which additional features can be added in the future based upon their statement of work;

6.1.4 Investment. The City will consider the ‘total cost of ownership’ of each proposal, including any annual support, license fees, and the effort required to maintain the site. Total cost of ownership will also include city staff time

requirements to complete the project. Anticipated staff time should be addressed in the statement of work.

6.1.5 Project Management. The City will evaluate the team and the

methodology proposed in the statement of work for carrying out the project. The City reserves the right to accept or reject any and all proposals, waive any irregularities in the proposal process, and award a contract as a whole or in part, as may be in the City’s best overall interests. The City will be the sole judge of the suitability of products, services and system designs being offered.

6.1.6 Interviews / Presentations. The respondents deemed by the City to be the most advantageous will be invited to present their

proposals and a demonstration of sample projects before the designated Review Committee on Thursday, July 9, 2015. After the

interview/presentation process has been completed, the City staff will make a final determination regarding the selection of a firm and a award of work. The selected firm will be required to enter into an agreement for the project with the City. A draft copy of the agreement would be made available to potential respondents through the City Attorney's Office.

6.1.7 Before the City executes an agreement with the selected firm, it shall furnish the City with a certificate of insurances evidencing

the coverages (as shown in Attachment I):

6.1.8 The City shall be named as an additional insured and the Certificates of Insurance must be accompanied by the applicable endorsements for the specific insurance policy. The selected firm must comply with the standards of insurance (as shown in Attachment I). 6.1.9 The vendor will hold the City of Kenosha, its officers, agents and employees harmless from liability of any nature or kind on account of use of copyrighted or uncopyrighted composition, secret

processes, patented or unpatented inventions, article or appliance furnished or used under the quotation.

6.1.10 The City reserves the right to reject any proposal that does not address all the terms and conditions of this RFP. In addition, the City may reject any and all proposals at any time when it is

determined to be in the City’s best interests not to make the award from among the submitted bids.

6.1.11 The City reserves the right to negotiate terms of the project, including the project cost up to and including a request for best and final offer(s) of the design firms judged to still be in contention for award of contract upon completion of interviews.

7.0 ANTICIPATED CALENDAR REVIEW & APPROVAL PROCES S:

7.1 Timetables are subject to change at the City’s sole discretion; 7.2 DATE EVENT

June 5, 2015 RFP Issuance

June 30, 2015 Proposals due before or by 4:00 P.M. C.S.T. July 2, 2015 Review by Selection Team Completed

July 9, 2015 Interviews of top selected firm(s) July 13, 2015 Selection of Design Firm

July 20, 2015 Approval of Agreement by Common Council July 21, 2015 Project Start - Up

8.0 OWNERSHIP AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY:

8.1 All screens, graphics, domain names, content and the “look and feel” of the site developed will be the property of the City of Kenosha, together with all layered Photoshop or Flash files. Any type of source files, which would be necessary for the City to update or change the design of the site, must be delivered at the end of the project.

8.2 All intellectual property developed in connection with the website will be owned solely by the City of Kenosha.

8.3 In developing the website, the vendor will not infringe or violate the copyright and other intellectual property rights of third parties.

8.4 The vendor is responsible for securing various rights, licenses, clearances and other permissions related to works, graphics or other copyrighted materials to be used or otherwise incorporated in the website.

8.5 All applicable copyright notices will be displayed on the website.

9.0 CITY’S RESPONSIBILITY:

9.1 A City representative will be designated to monitor all technical aspects of the project and to assist in the administration of the agreement. The City Project Coordinator will be Mr. Tig Kerkman, IT Director for the City.

9.2 The City will be responsible for providing the vendor with the specific information required on the content of the website.

Attachment I STANDARD INSURANCE REQUIRED

The design vendor selected to coordinate the project, shall carry the following insurance policies to be issued by an insurer authorized to do business in the State of Wisconsin and have an AM Best Financial Strength Rating of A- or better, in the following minimum limits, which shall be written and enforceable in accordance with the laws of the State of Wisconsin:

1.0 Commercial General Liability: $1,000,000.00, Per Occurrence $2,000,000.00, Aggregate

2.0 Worker's Compensation: Statutory Limits Employer's Liability:

$100,000.00, Each Accident

$100,000.00, Disease, Each Employee $500,000.00, Disease, Policy Limit

3.0 Professional Liability: $2,000,000.00, Aggregate. 4.0 Network Security Liability:

$ 3,000,000, Aggregate

5.0 Certificate of Insurance. The insurance coverages listed above shall be

verified with a Certificate of Insurance issued to the City as Certificate Holder and shall provide, that if should any of the described policies be canceled before the expiration date thereof, the issuing insurer will mail thirty (30) days written notice to the Certificate Holder.

6.0 Additional Insured. The City shall be named as an additional insured with respect to the insurance coverages listed above for Commercial General Liability, Automobile Liability, Cyber Liability and Professional Liability only. Vendor's policies to be primary. The City shall be provided a Waiver of Subrogation with respect to the Vendor's Worker's Compensation Policy.

INFORMATIONAL SHEET Attachment II

Firm Name: ____________________________________________________________ Firm Address: __________________________________________________________ Name of Project Representative: ___________________________,________________

Title

Telephone: _________________________ E-mail: __________________________ FAX: ______________________________

Type of Agency:

Corporation: _________ Partnership: _________ Limited Liability Company: _________ Sole Proprietorship: _________

Year Firm Established : _______________________________ FEIN: ______________________________________________ Is Firm a DBE/ WBE/ MBE ? Yes _______ No _________

List any lawsuits, claims or demands related to the firm's participation on any public contract during the past five (5) years, whether the lawsuit, claim or demand was initiated by the public owner against the firm or initiated against the firm in a capacity of subcontractor.

__________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________ Signature for Project Representative: ____________________________________________