AGENDA CAPTION:
Title
Consider approval of Resolution 2026-190R, awarding a contract to Silverblaze for a Utility Billing Customer Interface Portal in the amount of $374,538.00, including an initial implementation year and up to four one-year renewals; authorizing the City Manager, or her designee, to execute the contract and any renewals on behalf of the city; and declaring an effective date.
Body
Meeting date: October 20, 2026
Department: Finance Department
Amount & Source of Funding
Funds Required: $173,837.00
Account or Project Number (C = CIP funds): 21006320-52395
Funds Available: Yes
Account Name: Software License & Maintenance
Fiscal Note:
Prior Council Action: N/A
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Public Safety, Core Services & Fiscal Excellence
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Core Services
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Background Information:
On April 2, 2026, the City received ten (10) proposals in response to RFP 2026-014 for Utility Billing Customer Interface Portal. A City-staffed evaluation team thoroughly examined each submission and ultimately selected Silverblaze, located in Richmond Hill, Ontario, as the best value based on the relative importance of price, experience, and all other evaluation criteria stated in the solicitation documents.
The contract includes several phases: initiation and planning, configuration and customization, integration and data migration, user training and change management, and go-live and post-implementation support. The process to reach go-live is estimated to take approximately 5 months. The contract is for an initial one-year period with 4 automatic one-year extensions for a total contract term of 5 years.
• Year One $173,837
• Year Two $ 46,565
• Year Three $ 48,893
• Year Four $ 51,338
• Year Five $ 53,905
The Silverblaze Customer Portal will provide utility customers with a modern, accessible and user-friendly platform for managing their utility accounts and accessing self-service functions.
The portal is designed to simplify navigation across desktops and mobile devices and will include a mobile application as well as a mobile-friendly web experience.
Silverblaze will integrate with the City’s existing Northstar billing system and supporting applications, including Paymentus, Smartworks, Infosend, and Outage Metering System providing a more streamlined customer service experience. The portal will also support targeted marketing messages for utility customers.
Key functionality will include individual and multi-account payments, including the ability for customers such as apartment complexes to view and manage multiple accounts without system timeouts, outage reporting, year over year bill comparison charts; and customizable electric and water usage threshold alerts.
The portal will support English and Spanish, the two selected languages for San Marcos. Additional languages may be added as an optional service at an additional cost.
The implementation of Silverblaze will enhance customer self-service, improve access to utility account information, streamline customer support, and provide customers with additional tools to manage payments, usage, alerts, and service needs through a single, integrated portal.
Council Committee, Board/Commission Action:
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Alternatives:
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Recommendation:
Award the Utility Billing Customer Interface Portal contract to Silverblaze.