Consulting Services

The vendor is required to provide consulting services for include:
• Provide a comparison of current water and sewer system costs (operations, capital improvements, bonded debt) against appropriate industry benchmarks. 
• Recommend baseline rate structure required to fund water and sewer system costs, as well as adjustments to rates needed to fund capital improvements and other costs.
• Recommend ways of communicating utility system costs including recommendations for restructuring utility bill format.
- Requirements
• The study is to be performed in conformance with the following policy directions: 
• The consultant will meet with a staff committee at project initiation to discuss ideas and develop parameters for the project. the staff committee will guide and oversee the project. 
• The recommended rate structure as well as adjustments to the impact and capacity fees shall be based on cost of service and shall be sufficient to meet short and long-term revenue requirements of county’s water and sewer utility funds. 
• The study shall recommend rate structures that consider and make provisions for the following factors: 
• Current and future cost of providing water and sewer services in accordance with established and anticipated standards and regulations. 
• Age and condition of the system and the need to fully fund long-term capital improvements water replacements for the supply, distribution, and collection infrastructure. 
• Funding requirements for all current and future long-term liabilities and debt obligations. 
• Impact of current and future water and sewer regulations. 
• Other impacts as identified. 
• The recommended rate structures shall provide direct identification of revenues appropriated to major funded activities and infrastructure. 
• The recommended rate structures shall be consistent with industry practices for utility rate making in state.
• The study shall provide at least two recommended rate alternatives based upon standard rate practice (increasing block rates, decreasing block rates, etc.) that meet the criteria above. 
• The consultant will make a recommendation as to which one best meets the criteria. 
• All alternatives shall assume a base plus consumption rates. 
• The recommended rate structure shall be easy to administer and understand. 
• The county water and sewer department’s automated billing system should be able to handle any proposed rate structure. 
• The recommended rate structure shall be planned and developed for a ten-year period.
- Elements
• In making its rate structure recommendations, the final report shall explicitly include the following elements: 
• Current rate structure: assess the current rate’s structure performance as a baseline for comparing recommended changes. 
• Develop a cost allocation assessment: demonstrate the equity of the proposed water and sewer rates and discuss the need for each rate class. 
• Other service charges: assess existing customer service fee structure including, but not limited to, impact water capacity fees, tap fees, late fees, etc. and identify other potential areas for service and system charges and recommend changes. 
• Annual operating fund balance targets. 
• Annual target contingency fund balances and level of liquidity. 
• Budgeting horizon and cycle: assess appropriate budgeting horizon and cycle needed to support recommended rate structures. 
• Develop a comprehensive rate model: assess performance of each recommended rate structure against current rate structure performance as baseline and provide recommendation on preferred rate structure. 
• Supporting data: provide data supporting conclusions and observations made for each of the areas above and site within study.
- Services to be provided by consultant
• Conduct a detailed review of the existing water and sewer rates and status of the utility funds. 
• Develop a general familiarity with the county water and sewer billing system. 
• Review the current county water and sewer capital improvements plan. 
• Interview or confer with staff as needed to assess infrastructure needs, costs, time schedules and any other pertinent information. 
• Conduct a review and provide current impact and capacity fees and rates for all comparable neighboring providers.
- Questions/Inquires Deadline: June 18, 2025