City of Milwaukee

Department of Administration – Purchasing Division

Request for Proposal (RFP) #18667

Vendor Service Contract for

Municipal Court Website Redesign Project
Diana Herrejon, Purchasing Agent
(414) 286-3716
[email protected]

Submissions must be submitted on the Bonfire portal prior to the closing time of
Tuesday, March 8, 2022 at 2:00 PM CST
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 Municipal Court Website Redesign Scope of Services
December 1, 2021

Table of Contents
A. Project Description ......................................................................................................................................................... 3
B. Purpose and Objectives .................................................................................................................................................. 3
C. Timeline........................................................................................................................................................................... 3
D. Background of Organization ........................................................................................................................................... 4
E. Budget ............................................................................................................................................................................. 4
F. Website Specific Functions ............................................................................................................................................. 4
G. Audience ......................................................................................................................................................................... 5
H. Website Deliverables ..................................................................................................................................................... 5
I. Guidelines......................................................................................................................................................................... 6
J. Staff Resources and Ongoing Maintenance..................................................................................................................... 6
K. Product Delivery.............................................................................................................................................................. 6
L. Proposer Qualifications ................................................................................................................................................... 7
Appendix A. Submitting Not Guilty Plea ............................................................................................................................. 7
Appendix B. Online Reschedule .......................................................................................................................................... 7
Appendix C. Juvenile Hearing Registration ......................................................................................................................... 8
M. Evaluation Criteria ........................................................................................................................................................ 8
N. Proposal Submission Requirements ............................................................................................................................... 9
O. Structure of Response .................................................................................................................................................. 10
P. Other: ................................................................................................................................................................................ 10
Proposal Questions ...................................................................................................................................................... 10
Contractor’s Relationship to the City of Milwaukee ................................................................................................... 10
Insurance ...................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Addenda........................................................................................................................................................................ 11
Jurisdiction, Venue, Choice of Law .............................................................................................................................. 11
Follow-up Interviews.................................................................................................................................................... 11
Negotiations ................................................................................................................................................................. 11
Incurred Costs ............................................................................................................................................................... 11
Confidential Matters .................................................................................................................................................... 11
Assignment ................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Rejection ....................................................................................................................................................................... 12
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A. Project Description

The Milwaukee Municipal Court is accepting proposals for the redesign of its online case query site, which interacts with
the Court’s proprietary case tracking system (CATS).

B. Purpose and Objectives

The Court’s query website must be redesigned in 2022. It is currently hosted on an internal IIS server which interacts
with an Oracle database used by CATS. In 2022, CATS will be upgraded and migrated from Oracle to MS SQL. As a result,
the website must also be updated to accommodate MS SQL. The site is beyond its lifespan, making this the right time for
a complete redesign.

Current Website: query.municourt.milwaukee.gov

This public-facing website provides defendants, attorneys, media, and the general public with the ability to search cases
and citations, file not guilty pleas, reschedule pre-trials, make online payments, and register for juvenile hearings. The
redesigned site must provide the same functions, interact with MS SQL, and be built on a CMS platform allowing staff to
easily make content updates and accommodate future online services to the public.

C. Timeline

RFP Release Date Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Questions Due to DOA – Purchasing Division Thursday, February 17, 2022

Answers to Questions Posted Online via an

Thursday, February 24, 2022
Addendum

Closing Date Tuesday, March 8, 2022*

Evaluation of Proposals March 8- March 11, 2022*

Selection of Highest-Ranked Proposers Week of March 14, 2022*

Proposer Follow-up Interviews/Presentations Week of March 21, 2022*

Award of Contract Week of March 28, 2022*

Contract Negotiations Week of April 4, 2022 *

Commencement of Services April 18, 2022*

* Tentative Dates

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D. Background of Organization

The mission of the Milwaukee Municipal Court is to impartially adjudicate ordinance violation cases such that the legal
rights of individuals are safeguarded, and public interest is protected.

A municipal court is a trial court that deals exclusively with cases involving city ordinance violations. Offenses brought
before a municipal court occur within the limits of the municipality. Examples of violations handled in municipal court
are traffic, assault and battery, disorderly conduct, vandalism, loitering, theft, shoplifting, building code, health code,
and drunken driving.

The Milwaukee Municipal Court, established in 1974, is one of only two full-time municipal courts in Wisconsin. In
addition, the Milwaukee Municipal Court handles the highest volume of cases of any municipal court in the state. In
each of our three branches, up to 60,000 cases are filed and adjudicated per year.

In terms of quality of service, the court undertakes innovative steps to make itself understandable to the general public,
reach out to defendants who fear courts, and vigorously enforce its judgments. It uses interpersonal help and
technological systems to guide nervous newcomers through legal processes.

E. Budget

The Court is budgeting $30,000 - $40,000 for the query site redesign. Budgets for ongoing maintenance can be
determined as the project proceeds.

F. Website Specific Functions

The current website has the following functions which must be included in the new website:

User Agreement. In order to use the website’s functions, the visitor must accept the user agreement.

Search by Case Number. Users enter a single case number and click search. Case numbers are eight digits in length. A
successful search displays the case details.

Search by Citation Number. Users enter a single citation number and click search. Citation numbers vary in length and
format based on the originating City department. A successful search displays the case details associated with the
citation.

Search by Name. Users enter the person and birthdate or business name, then click search. A successful search will
display the case details, or if there are multiple, list all associated cases.

Search by Location. Users enter appropriate address information and click search. A successful search will display the
case details, or if there are multiple, list all associated cases.

Case Details. A successful search will display case details which include the following:

▪ Case number and case type

▪ Defendant name, birthdate, gender, and race
▪ Last known address
▪ Case summary and status
▪ Citation number
▪ Violation, date, and location
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 ▪ Plea
▪ Deposit amount, in collection status, and installment plan
▪ Warrant information and warrant status
▪ Judgement, judgement date, penalty, balance due, due date, and branch
▪ Alternatives to non-payment, commitment, number of days, and enforced date
▪ Links to make a payment, list all cases for defendant, and list of scheduled appearances for defendant

Submit Not Guilty Plea. With a valid email address and driver’s license or state-issued ID card, a not guilty plea can be
submitted. Workflow for this function is detailed in Appendix A.

Reschedule Court Hearing. With a valid email address and driver’s license or state-issued ID card, a pre-trial hearing can
be rescheduled. Workflow for this function is detailed in Appendix B.

Make Payment. A list of cases for a defendant is displayed. When selecting a case, the case number and amount owed
is provided. The user enters the amount they are paying, clicks submit, and gets redirected to Virtual Merchant to
process the transaction. Payments are not processed directly on the Court’s website.

List of Defendant Cases. For any given defendant, the list of cases includes:
▪ Case number
▪ Citation number
▪ Scheduled date and time
▪ Court branch
▪ Reason

List of Scheduled Appearances. For any defendant, the list of appearances includes:
▪ Case number
▪ Citation number
▪ Scheduled date and time
▪ Court branch
▪ Reason

Register for Juvenile Hearings. When juvenile defendants receive, by post mail, a hearing notice, it contains a 5-digit
registration code. The defendant goes to the website, enters the code, date of birth, and preference of appearance
(videoconference vs. in-person). Upon submission, the defendant gets a confirmation message or general status update.
A successful registration will update a screen in CATS listing defendants who have registered. Workflow for this function
is detailed in Appendix C.

G. Audience

The audience includes defendants, attorneys, and media.

H. Website Deliverables

CMS Based Site. We are open to suggestions on which .NET CMS platform is most appropriate. If a paid solution, license
costs must be detailed. The website will be hosted on IIS and MS SQL servers.

Responsive Design. Website must be responsive to mobile, tablet and desktops. It should contain design elements of
the main Court and City website (city.milwaukee.gov/municourt).

Strong Emphasis on UX/UI. Website should have simple navigation and be ADA compliant.

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Lookup Case and Citation Information. Users can look up a case by case number, name, location, or citation number.

Submit Not Guilty Plea. Website should allow defendants to search for their case and file a not guilty plea.

Online Payment. Website must accommodate online payments similar to existing website. Transactions are redirected
to a third part vendor, Virtual Merchant.

Juvenile Hearing Registration. Defendants can register for a scheduled juvenile hearing by providing a unique
registration code and birthdate. The registration code is sent to the defendant via post mail.

I. Guidelines

Navigation. User experience must be simple and include breadcrumb trails.

Testing and Compatibility. Providing and proofing content will be the responsibility of the Court. We expect the selected
vendor will test functionality of code, navigation, database interaction, etc. Design should be compatible to mainstream
web browsers including Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.

Analytics. The query site must integrate with Google Analytics. Access to the Court’s Google Analytics account will be
made available to the winning vendor.

Hosting. The website will be hosted internally. Some collaboration may be necessary to configure IIS environment and
interaction with the MS SQL server.

Updates. It is imperative that Court staff can easily update front-end content with minimal assistance. Content is
routinely modified based on input from defendants, attorneys, and judges.

Security. Access to software, case data, and online transactions must be secure. We currently use Virtual Merchant to
process credit card transactions.

Future Functionality. Website must accommodate future added functions (e.g. online registration for arraignment
hearings).

Confidentiality Agreement. Due to the nature of the data, potential proposers must sign a confidentiality agreement.

Access and Ownership. The Milwaukee Municipal Court must own, have full access to, and have the right to customize
the site code.

Subcontractors. The use of sub-contractors must be clearly stated in the proposal. Sub-contractors should be identified
and the specific work they will perform listed.

J. Staff Resources and Ongoing Maintenance

As stated above, Court staff will perform content updates via the CMS system. In-house developers will also handle
future back-end development. More complex development will likely involve the selected vendor.

K. Product Delivery

The selected vendor will deliver to the Court all code. Launching of the site will be performed collectively by the Court
and selected vendor. Timing will coincide with the CATS migration from Oracle to MS SQL. Required access to the
hosting environment will be provided.
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L. Proposer Qualifications

Proposers should include the following organizational information in the proposal:

1. Company profile including length of time in business and core competencies.

2. Number of full-time staff and organizational chart.

3. Provide background summary of team members assigned to this project.

4. Detail your organization’s service level agreement.

5. Include proposed timeline for completion with milestones and associated payments. Our goal is to launch the
website in Q3 of 2022. Ability to successfully develop and launch site within this time frame will be weighed
heavily in the decision process.

Appendix A. Submitting Not Guilty Plea

On the existing site, there are two ways to start the process: (1) search by case number or (2) search by citation number.

1. Searches by a Case Number

a. Under “Search Milwaukee Municipal Court Case,” expand “Search By Case Number.”
b. Enter the case number and click “Search.”
c. If the case is found, defendant and case information will be displayed.
d. Under “Defendant Information,” click “All Scheduled Appearances/Submit a Plea.”
e. A list of all cases for the defendant will be listed. Those eligible to file a not guilty plea will have an “Enter
Plea” link.

2. Searches by Citation Number

a. Under “Online Services,” expand “Submit a Not Guilty Plea.”
b. Enter the citation number(s) and click “Continue.”

Both options bring users to a list of schedule arraignments eligible for not guilty pleas. There are three separate views
for each branch.

1. Select which case(s) to submit and preferred pre-trial date (by filing a not guilty plea, the case moves to a pre-
trial). Preferred dates are selected from the branch schedule for pre-trial hearings.
2. Enter driver license (or state ID), email address and any special request.
3. Click “Continue.”
4. ID is verified and the email address MX record checked. If either fail, an error message is displayed.

The Online Not Guilty Plea confirmation screen will require acceptance of terms by either the defendant or attorney. A
confirmation number is provided on the website and sent via email.

Appendix B. Online Reschedule

On the existing site, the process can be started under “Search by Citation Number” or “Reschedule a Court Hearing.”
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 1. Search by Citation Number

a. Under “Search Milwaukee Municipal Court Cases,” expand “Search by Case Number.”
b. Enter the case number and click “Search.”
c. If case is found, defendant and case information will be displayed.
d. Under “Defendant Information,” click “All Scheduled Appearances/Submit a Plea.”
e. A list of all cases for the defendant will be listed. Those eligible to reschedule will have a “Reschedule” link.

2. Reschedule a Court Hearing

a. Under “Online Services,” expand “Reschedule a Court Hearing.”

b. Enter the case number and click “Continue.”
c. A list of all cases for the defendant will be listed. Those eligible to reschedule will have a “Reschedule” link.

Both options bring users to the “Scheduled Hearing” screen which has only one view of all cases scheduled for the pre-
trial hearing being rescheduled. Individual cases cannot be selected or unselected; all cases must be rescheduled
together.

1. Select a preferred date.

2. Enter driver license (or state ID), email address, and any special request.
3. Click “Continue.”
4. ID is verified and the email address MX record checked. If either fail, an error message is displayed.

The “Reschedule Confirmation” screen will require acceptance of terms by either the defendant or attorney. A
confirmation number is provided on the website and sent via email.

Appendix C. Juvenile Hearing Registration

Juvenile hearing registration is a sensitive process. Juvenile information cannot be emailed or discussed over the phone.
Therefore, a process was created to allow juvenile defendants to register for a hearing while maintaining confidentiality.

Ten (10) days before a scheduled juvenile hearing, a pre-registration notice is sent, via post mail, to the defendant. This
notice contains a web URL and registration code. The defendant then takes the following steps:

1. Manually type the URL in a web browser. The juvenile registration page is not accessible by any menu
navigation.
2. Enter the registration code and defendant birthdate.
3. After validating the information, a confirmation, status, or appropriate error message is displayed.
4. The website updates CATS with confirmation information. Staff then registers the defendant within CATS.

M. Evaluation Criteria

The City will use specific criteria for evaluating proposals to perform the requested services.

All contracts are subject to the approval of the City’s legal counsel and the Purchasing Director, prior to execution. The
evaluation will assign points to each response several categories that are listed below:

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Cost estimate 20 Points Maximum
Proposal demonstrates clear understanding of project 15 Points Maximum
Proposal satisfies all required deliverables 15 Points Maximum
Provides clear timeline with specific stages and goals 10 Points Maximum
Ability to complete project within 3-4 months 10 Points Maximum
Vendor is experienced with .NET CMS environments 10 Points Maximum
Has sufficient staff resources for development and project management 10 Points Maximum
Experience working with public sector 5 Points Maximum
Provides relevant examples of previous projects 5 Points Maximum
Bonus: This RFP does not have a mandatory Small Business Enterprise (SBE)
requirement; however, proposers who partner with a City certified SBE firm may
Up to Five (5)
receive up to five (5) additional points for SBE participation on this contract. Your
Additional
proposal must document the participation of the SBE firm. In addition, SBE Form A
Points
must be completed and submitted with your proposal. For further information on the
City’s SBE program, contact Nikki Purvis at 414-286-5552.
Bonus: If a Local Business Enterprise (LBE) is a responsive and responsible proposer,
an additional five (5) points shall be applied to the total score attained by the LBE Up to Ten
proposer. The Local Business Enterprise Program Affidavit of Compliance form must (10)
be submitted in order to qualify for additional LBE points. If an SBE qualifies for the Additional
LBE program, an additional ten (10) points may be counted toward the SBE’s total Points
cost points.
Bonus: Proposers who submit a Socially Responsible Contractor (SRC) Affidavit of
Up to Five (5)
Compliance, and are found to be compliant, shall be awarded an additional number
Additional
of points equal to 5% of the maximum number of points used in the evaluation of
Points
RFPs. For more information regarding the SRC Program click here.

N. Proposal Submission Requirements

For this RFP, the City of Milwaukee is using a Bonfire portal for accepting and evaluating proposals digitally.

Upload your submission at:

https://cityofmilwaukee.bonfirehub.com/projects/59669/details

Your submission must be uploaded, submitted, and finalized prior to the Closing Date and Time of Tuesday, March 8, 2022
at 2:00PM CST. We strongly recommend that you give yourself sufficient time and at least ONE (1) hour before Closing
Time to begin the uploading process and to finalize your submission.

Failure to submit the RFP in the manner described herein may result in proposal rejection.

In addition to the above, one (1) hard copy of your proposal which includes the entire proposal and any attachments must
be mailed and provided prior to the closing date and time to:

City of Milwaukee
DOA-Purchasing Division
200 E. Wells Street, Room 601
Milwaukee, WI 53202

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O. Structure of Response

In order to simplify the review process and to obtain the maximum degree of comparability, proposals should be
submitted in the following sequence. Failure to comply with these requirements may be cause for the proposal to be
considered non-responsive and not receive further consideration.

Title Page - The Title Page shall include at a minimum, the name and address of the proposing organization as well
as the name, phone number, e-mail address of the contact person, and a reference to “Request for Proposal (RFP)
18667 – Vendor Service Contract for Municipal Court Website Redesign Project”

Table of Contents – The table of contents should identify the material by section, the beginning and ending page
number of each section, and any appendices.

RFP Document and All Addenda – Proposers are required to sign the original copy of the RFP Invitation, the
addendums (unless instructed otherwise), and any applicable affidavits. Digital signatures are acceptable.
Proposers are also required to submit all of the pages applicable to the RFP document with their proposal
submittal.

Demonstrated understanding of the Scope of Services – Proposers are to provide a detailed proposal which
demonstrates an understanding of the scope of work and related objectives. The proposal shall include the
contractors approach to providing services outlined. The proposal should also include innovative techniques and
documentation of success; prior experience and familiarity with services required; and demonstrate the capacity
to meet the requirements of the proposal as contained in this scope of services.

Designation of Confidential and Proprietary Information – Proposers should identify those sections of their
proposal submittal that they would like to be kept confidential. This document should be signed and submitted
with the proposal even if they do not designate anything in their proposal as confidential and proprietary.

Exceptions to the Scope of Work or Terms and Conditions – Proposers should identify specific areas of the scope
of work and City of Milwaukee terms and conditions that they may take exception to.

Cost Proposal – The Cost Proposal Documents must be submitted in a separate document clearly marked
“COST PROPOSAL DOCUMENTS.” Proposers shall submit their cost for providing the services as outlined in the
Scope of Services. Proposers must submit their cost on the “Cost Proposal Sheet” provided with this RFP. Cost
shall not be disclosed anywhere outside the Cost Proposal Document provided with this RFP. The price in the
proposal should be all-inclusive. If any charges are excluded, a detailed list must be provided with an explanation
of the nature of those fees.

P. Other:

Proposal Questions
The deadline for submitting questions regarding this RFP is no later than 2:00 PM-CST Thursday, February 17, 2022.
Questions are to be submitted to Diana Herrejon via Bonfire (only) at Messages – Opportunity Q&A. Answers to the
questions submitted will be posted in the form of an addendum to this RFP on Thursday, February 24, 2022. Questions
submitted after the deadline will not be considered (no exceptions).

Contractor’s Relationship to the City of Milwaukee

It is expressly understood that the successful vendor is in all respects an Independent Contractor as to the work, and the
vendor is in no respect an agent, servant or employee of the City of Milwaukee.

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Insurance
The successful proposer will be required to provide the City with evidence of Insurance coverage that is in full compliance
with the City of Milwaukee’s Insurance Requirements. It is the successful proposer’s responsibility to provide its insurance
agent with a copy of the City’s Insurance Requirements for this RFP. It is also the successful proposer’s responsibility to
check the Insurance Certificate before it is sent to the City to verify that these documents are in full compliance with the
City’s Insurance Requirements. An original copy of the fully compliant Insurance Certificate and shall be furnished to the
City prior to the contract being fully executed.

Addenda
It is the responsibility of the Proposer, prior to submitting a response to the RFP, to periodically check the Purchasing
Division webpage to ensure that all addendums for this Request for Proposal have been downloaded and that all of the
information, documentation, etc. that has been requested has been included in the RFP response.

Jurisdiction, Venue, Choice of Law

This RFP and any resulting contract shall be governed by and construed according to the laws of the State of Wisconsin.

Follow-up Interviews
Should the department request follow-up interviews, proposers must be available for these follow-up
interviews/presentations at City facilities or by teleconference on specific dates and times. The contractor’s and
consultant’s proposed primary point of contact person must be present at this meeting or during the teleconference call
to lead the interview team.

Negotiations
After interviews and final evaluations are completed, the City may at its sole option open negotiations with three or more
of the highest ranked proposers prior to award. The City also reserves the right to open negotiations with one or more
of the next highest ranked proposers if negotiations with one or more of the previously selected highest ranked proposers
are not successful.

Incurred Costs
Those Proposers submitting proposals do so entirely at their expense. There is no expressed or implied obligation by the
City to reimburse any individual or firm for any costs incurred in preparing or submitting proposals, for providing additional
information when requested by the City or for attending and/or participating in any follow-up interviews and negotiation
sessions.

Confidential Matters
• City Data: All data and information pertaining to this RFP, shall be treated by the Proposer and its agents as
confidential. The Proposer and its agents shall not disclose or communicate the aforesaid matters to a third party
or use them in advertising, publicity, propaganda, and/or in another job or jobs, unless written consent is obtained
from the City.

• Vendor Data: If any information submitted in the proposal is confidential or proprietary, the Proposer must
identify this information by completing and including the Designation of Confidential and Proprietary Information
with their proposal.

Assignment
The Proposer may not reassign any portion of the work that is awarded as a result of this RFP, without prior written
consent from the City.

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Rejection
The City reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, to waive any informality in the proposals that are received, to
accept or reject any or all items in the proposal, and to award contracts to three or more environmental contracting and
consulting firms in whole or in part. Moreover, the City reserves the right to make no selection if the proposals are deemed
to be outside the fiscal constraint or not in the best interests of the City.

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