Municipal Advisory Services

Zone 7 Water Agency (hereinafter referred to as "Zone 7") is seeking Proposals from qualified Consultants to provide professional services, in coordination with Zone 7 staff to serve as the Agency's sole municipal advisor relating to future debt issuance(s). The selected firm/advisor shall be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Municipal Securities Rule Making Board as required under Section 975 of Title IX of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

A preliminary scope of work, provided below, has been developed to assist the Proposer in gaining an understanding of Zone 7's goals as they relate to this effort. The final scope of work will be developed in cooperation with the selected Consultant and included as part of the contract between Zone 7 and the selected Consultant.

Long-Term Debt Financing

The Agency is requesting municipal advisory services that may include assisting the Agency with the issuance of debt to fund the construction of water treatment infrastructure and/or the refunding of outstanding water revenue bonds. Assistance may include, but may not be limited to:

• reviewing and analyzing Agency's outstanding water revenue bonds and long-term financial plan including those for refunding opportunities;
• reviewing and updating, as necessary, the Agency's Debt Management Policy;
• providing debt affordability/capacity analysis in relation to existing debt;
• evaluating the feasibility of utilizing existing revenue sources or the need for additional revenue sources;
• developing and/or updating the Agency's existing financial model and preparing a pro-forma for the proposed issuance;
• obtaining other debt financing by performing tasks such as advising on the essential features of the bonds, market timing, and financing structures; providing market analysis and information to advise and determine the best method of sale or course of action for the Agency; assisting with preparation of requests for proposals and evaluation of proposals (as needed) to complete the financing team; participating in the preparation of offering or other documents needed for the financing; preparing necessary materials for such purposes as rating agency and credit enhancement review processes; coordinating the bidding for bonds in a competitive sale; negotiating bond terms in a negotiated sale; working with the finance team to facilitate an effective bond sale or other closing and delivery of proceeds; preparing a comprehensive preliminary and final pricing book for the transaction; providing post-sale advice on proceeds investments;
• In conjunction with Disclosure Counsel, preparing continuing disclosure reports, as necessary or as otherwise required by the Agency's current or future bond covenants, to the Electronic Municipal Market Access, a service of the MSRB.

General Financial Consulting

• Providing other municipal advisory services to the Agency as needed and serving as liaison with various stakeholders, including rating agencies.
• Review the Agency's long-range financing needs, particularly with respect to its FY 2026-27 Water System Capital Improvement Plan and review alternative strategies for meeting those needs.
• Present alternative strategies for managing the Agency's current or future debt to achieve the best value for the rate payers.

All Proposals shall be submitted through the E-Procurement Portal (https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/zone7water). Proposals must be received no later than **2:00 pm on Thursday, November 19, 2026**. Proposals received after this time will not be accepted.

Evaluation and selection will be based on a two-step process. Proposals will be evaluated on an initial maximum score of 102 points, and interviews, if conducted, will be optional and worth up to 100 additional points. Interview Date (If Needed): December 15, 2026, 10:00am.

Selection of a firm will result in a Standard Agreement for Professional Services that will begin on the date it is signed by the Zone 7 General Manager, which is anticipated to be in January 2027 and will conclude December 2027. Zone 7 intends to enter into an initial one (1) year contract with the Consultant from January 2027 to December 2027. The contract may be extended for up to two (2) additional years, at the sole discretion of Zone 7.

Agreement awards in excess of $50,000 require Zone 7 Board approval. Any award requiring Zone 7 Board approval is expected to be made at the January 20, 2027 Board meeting.