Independent Organizational Benchmark Study Services

The Vendor is required to provide the study will benchmark performance against peer utilities and provide actionable recommendations for improvement.
- Benchmarking with other systems across a range of operating cost metrics related to the efficiency and sustainability of the commission.
•    Compare the commission’s performance against other peer organizations and industry standards to identify gaps, best practices, and areas of improvement. 
•    Conduct a comparative analysis of the commission’s operating costs (cost per customer, cost per mile of pipeline, maintenance cost, etc.), service efficiency (response times, water loss percentages, billing accuracy, etc.), capital program effectiveness (infrastructure investment per year, maintenance backlog), sustainability initiative (water conservation efforts, energy efficiency, etc.) against similar water and sewer utilities.
•    Assess trends in operating expenses and efficiency gains over time.
•    Identify key performance indicators (KPIs) for cost efficiency and sustainability.
•    Evaluate the commission’s ability to maintain affordability for customers while sustaining infrastructure investments.
- The commission’s capital program and its ability to maintain water and sewer distribution pipelines and processing plants that meet asset management standards.
•    Evaluate the commission’s capital planning and investment strategies, including allocation of funds and other resources to maintain and upgrade water sewer distribution and processing plants.
•    Assess the condition and maintenance practices of assets and infrastructure to determine if capital investment is prioritized effectively based on factors including infrastructure age, condition, and risk level.
•    Compare asset management strategies with best practices in the industry and other peers. 
•    Determine whether the commission is adhering to an established asset management framework and assess whether it meets the established standards or requires improvement.
•    Analyze the commission’s effectiveness in tracking pipeline conditions, failure rates, and maintenance schedules, and determine whether rehabilitation plans are in place for aging infrastructure.
- Study of the commission’s use of its police force, including:
a. Comparative analysis with the police force of other utilities; and 
•    Evaluate and analyze the size of the commission’s police force in comparison to other similar utilities.
•    Assess police-to-facility and police-to-customer ratios relative to industry benchmark.
•    Identify the roles and responsibilities of the commission police force, including facility security, patrols, investigations and emergency response.
•    Determine the scope of law enforcement authority and whether it extends beyond internal security. 
•    Review the annual expenditures on police operations, police salaries, training, equipment, and overall operational costs. 
 compare cost per officer, per facility with industry standards to assess cost effectiveness.
b. Whether there are more efficient approaches to water utility security and policing.
•    Evaluate alternative security and policing models used by comparable utilities.
•    Assess whether outsourcing, shared security agreements, or technology-based solutions could improve efficiency and reduce costs.
•    Evaluate the advantages and risks of employing regular security personnel compared to police officers.
•    Assess whether security cameras, automated monitoring, and other technologies can reduce the need for off-site officers. 
•    Compare the threat detection and response systems used by other utilities. 
•    Analyze whether other utilities rely on local police departments instead of maintaining their security force. 
•    Assess whether increased coordination or outsourcing could reduce costs while maintaining security effectiveness.
- Analyze the impact of the commission not being a government entity in the context of access to government programs that provide customer water assistance or other available funding.
•    Identify federal, state, and local programs that provide customer water assistance programs, infrastructure funding, and disaster relief funding for emergencies like drought, water contamination, or infrastructure failure, and determine eligibility requirements and opportunities to determine if the commission fully utilizes all available funding opportunities. 
•    Review eligibility constraints regarding federal and state programs for customer water assistance and infrastructure funding.
•    Evaluate how the commission funds infrastructure projects. 
•    Identify if it relies more on rate increases, bond issuance, or private financing. 
•    Identify how borrowing costs compare to government-run utilities.
•    Evaluate the commission's rate structure compared to government-owned utilities and determine what impact the absence of subsidies or federal grants has on rates, and evaluate if operating costs are impacted by the commission’s non-government status.

- Pre-Bid Meeting (Non-Mandatory) Date: July 23, 2025
- Questions/Inquires Deadline: July 25, 2025