2026_Vegetation_Management_RFP.pdf

This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Central Florida Electric Cooperative, Inc.

PO Box 9, Chiefland, FL 32644

11491 NW 50th Ave, Chiefland, FL 32626

ISSUED DATE: March 25, 2026

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Central Florida Electric Cooperative, Inc. (CFEC), is seeking your proposal to provide Vegetation

Management for overhead lines in specified substations. This document is a request for proposal

(RFP) for the scope of work described below. This RFP establishes minimum requirements a bidder must meet to be eligible for consideration as well as information to be included in the

Contractor’s bid response.

BID SUBMISSION

All proposals should be submitted through the VendorLink portal where the opportunity was broadcast by April 10, 2026 at 3:00 p.m.

GENERAL QUESTIONS

CFEC will entertain questions for clarification until April 3, 2026, at 3:00 pm. All questions must be submitted in writing by email to cbeauchamp@cfec.com. No questions will be answered after that date.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• Submittal of Proof of Insurance as required by the requirements below

• Completion of Exhibit “A”

• Completion of Exhibit “B”

WORK SCHEDULE

Crews are permitted to work Monday through Friday. Saturday will be optional at the discretion of CFEC. The start time for this work schedule will be 7:00 a.m.

CFEC observes the following holidays (no work outside of outages will be allowed on these holidays to prevent disturbances to our members):

New Year’s Day Independence Day

Memorial Day Christmas Eve Day

Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day

Friday following Thanksgiving Day Labor Day

Veteran’s Day Martin Luther King Jr. Day

If any holiday falls on Saturday, it shall be observed the Friday preceding the holiday, and if any mailto:cbeauchamp@cfec.com holiday falls on Sunday, it shall be observed the following Monday.

DRUG FREE WORKPLACE

CFEC is a Drug Free Workplace. CFEC also requires its Contractors to be drug free and have their employees periodically drug tested by Contractor.

INSURANCE

Contractor shall, at its own cost and expense, procure and maintain in full force and effect during the term of this Agreement, policies of insurance, of the types and in the minimum amounts stated herein, with responsible insurance carriers duly qualified in those states (locations) where the

Services are to be performed, covering the operations of Contractor, pursuant to this Agreement.

TYPES OF INSURANCE

Required

(X)

LIMITS OF LIABILITY

(Minimum Amounts)

Comprehensive or Commercial

General Liability and Third-Party

Property Damage

X $1,000,000 per occurrence, $3,000,000 aggregate

Excess Liability insurance X $2,000,000 per occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate

Comprehensive or Business

Automobile Liability; Personal Injury

(including bodily injury) and Third-

Party Property Damage

X $1,000,000 per occurrence, $3,000,000 aggregate

Workers' Compensation X Statutory limits

Employer’s Liability X $500,000 per accident

Professional Errors and Omissions

Insurance

N/A

CFEC shall be named as an additional insured in such policies which shall contain standard cross liability clauses. The contractor shall cause the liability it assumed under this Agreement to be specifically insured under the contractual liability section of the liability insurance policies. The liability policy shall be primary without the right of contribution from any insurance by CFEC.

Such policies shall require that CFEC be given not less than thirty (30) days prior written notice of any cancellation thereof or material change therein. CFEC shall have the right to request an adjustment of Limits of Liability for General Liability and Errors and Omissions Insurance as

Contractor’s exposure to CFEC increases (i.e. if Contractor’s annual payment is expected to be

$2,000,000 then $1,000,000 limits are no longer adequate). Such policies shall provide coverage for CFEC during the term of this Agreement and up to and until the expiration of any applicable statute of limitations applicable to the occurrences triggering any of the insurance, indemnification, subrogation, and defense clauses included in this Agreement.

Upon CFEC’s request, Contractor shall provide CFEC with certificates of insurance evidencing all of the above coverage, including all special requirements specifically noted above, and shall provide CFEC with certificates of insurance evidencing renewal or substitution of such insurance thirty (30) days prior to the effective date of such renewal or substitution.

PROOF OF LICENSES

Respondents shall provide proof of required licenses for the firm and the scope of services to be performed. This shall include:

• A commercial applicator license is required.

• All personnel applying pesticides shall be supervised by a certified pesticide applicator in accordance with Florida Department of Agriculture regulations. The supervisor shall be certified for the utility right-of-way and natural areas category and shall always be present on the CFEC system.

• It shall be the responsibility of the Contractor to ensure that all crews follow all federal, state, and local rules and regulations pertaining to this work.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

1. For the consideration of this proposal, the terms and conditions mutually agree as follows:

as needed to retard wood/evasive plant growth under or near wires of the Cooperative according to the specification stated below. The Contractor is to provide clearance pursuant to the specification, which are incorporated in the proposal by reference. The attached maps are provided to show general areas work is to be performed. It is the

Contractor’s responsibility to ensure all main lines, taps and guys within the areas indicated on the attached maps are treated, as per the attached maps.

2. The Contractor will be responsible for the protection of all environmentally sensitive areas and for all other property of landowners adjacent to the right of way. The Contractor shall be solely responsible for all technical and/or professional services under this agreement, including the techniques and procedures used to accomplish the desired results without causing damage to the Cooperative facilities and private property. The Contractor agrees to indemnify the Cooperative and the Cooperative’s representatives, agent, and employees from and against any and all liability, loss, damages, costs and expenses, including reasonable attorney’s fees which in may hereafter incur, suffer, or be required to pay to the proportionate extent caused by Contractor’s negligent performance under this agreement except liability which is directly attributed to the Cooperative’s negligence.

3. The Cooperative shall contact property owners to determine whether there are objections to the planned work. In the event there are such objections, the Cooperative shall notify the Contractor and no work shall be performed in this area until matter can be resolved.

All correspondence pertaining to this matter should be in writing to ensure all parties understand what is to be done and by whose authority.

a. Complaints received from property owners or others shall be promptly reported by the Contractor to the Cooperative together with a report of the action taken by the Contractor to settle the complaint.

b. Contractor shall not obligate the Cooperative for any payment to another party for treatment of right of way where payment is requested, required, or expected, and no work shall be done on such trees or brush without the written approval of the

Cooperative.

4. The Contractor is doing this work as an Independent Contractor and is free to perform the work covered by this agreement by such means and in such manner as the Contractor may choose as long as the specifications in this proposal are adhered to and met. All work is subject to inspection by the Cooperative to assure compliance with the specifications, and if any work is found not to comply, the Cooperative may stop work in progress until all previous work has been corrected to meet specifications.

5. The Contractor shall treat all wires, power lines, and other electrical equipment of the

Cooperative as HOT. It is the sole responsibility of the Contractor to inform all personnel under the Contractor’s control of the possibility of injury or death if any equipment or part of the body comes in contact with or comes within arcing distance of wires, lines, or other electrical equipment of the Cooperative.

6. The Contractor shall be solely responsible for taking all usual and necessary safety precautions to protect life and property.

7. The Contractor shall perform promptly and diligently all authorized work in good, proper, and workmanlike manner. The Cooperative will schedule a completion date with the

Contractor for work awarded. Then exception to meeting this deadline would be in the event of a catastrophe where the Contractor was pulled off to work toward restoring service either for the Cooperative or for another Cooperative. The Contractor will keep at least one

(1) crew on the job at all times without first consulting with the Cooperative.

8. All labor, tools, equipment, transportation, and materials shall be furnished by the

Contractor.

9. The Contractor shall furnish all Apple mobile devices required by their crews to accomplish this Scope of Work. The Contractor must have the ability to remotely manage and/or remotely wipe the Apple mobile device in the event the device is stolen or lost. All Apple mobile device performance issues not related to CFEC’s mobile work order software or mobile mapping software are the sole responsibility of the

Contractor. Apple mobile device minimum requirements and capacity are listed below:

Apple Minimum Hardware Specifications for mobile work orders and map viewing/inspection of new or existing poles in map.

• Latest version of Apple iOS installed

• iPads: iPad Air or larger for map viewing

• iPad Mini or larger for mobile work orders

• iPhone: 11 or larger for map viewing

• Cellular connectivity: Required for Field Communication and improved Location

Services accuracy.

10. The Contractor agrees to comply with all facets of the Equal Opportunities Act as outlined in Executive Order 10925 and 11114 and will diligently complete and return all forms pertaining thereto as supplied by the Cooperative.

11. The Contractor shall be responsible to ensure his crews follow all Federal, State and Local rules and regulations pertaining to this work. The Contractor shall familiarize and comply with the Jessica Lunsford Act, Section 1012.465, Florida Statues. The Contractor shall stay off school grounds while children are present.

12. The Contractor agrees to save harmless and indemnify the Cooperative from and against any liability, loss damages, costs, or expenses, including reasonable attorney’s fees, arising or resulting from claims, liens, or suits for labor or materials furnished by the Contractor.

13. The Contractor shall advise the Cooperative regularly as to the progress and location of the work. The Contractor shall furnish the Cooperative with suitable written reports indicating the CIRCUIT name and number of the percentage for line treated and ready for inspection.

Payment will be made for complete CIRCUITS only. No partial payment will be made for partially completed CIRCUITS, unless approved in writing by the Cooperative.

a. A CIRCUIT is defined as a feeder from a substation. A detailed map showing all

CIRCUITS in the applicable AREAS will be provided to the successful bidder.

14. For distribution lines listed in paragraph 15, Contractor shall submit to the Cooperative invoices for complete sections reported in paragraph 13 above. Payment will be made once a substation is completed. The Cooperative shall make payment of 70% of the amount of such invoices within a reasonable time after the Cooperative has approved and accepted the work being invoiced. Payment of the remaining 30% of the charges shall not be due and shall not be paid by the Cooperative until one hundred and twenty (120) days elapses after the Cooperative has accepted and approved the Contractor’s work of the designated substation.

15. This scope of services covers the vegetation management work for the lines specified by the attached exhibits and maps. Any change order shall be in writing and shall be signed by both parties. Any SECTIONS deleted from this scope shall be done at the substations’ average cost per mile of the line to calculate the proper amount to be deducted from the contracted price. Any SECTIONS added to this scope will be done at the agreement of the

Contractor and will be priced at the substations’ average cost per mile as stated above. This shall be in effect and binding until all right of way maintenance work on the specified lines has been complete to the satisfaction of the Cooperative.

16. The Contractor shall not assign or transfer any interest without written consent of the

Cooperative. In the event permission is given to assign or transfer any interest in this agreement the Cooperative reserves the right to again be a named insured on all the required insurance of the new interested parties and they will be required to obtain the same insurance as outlined above.

17. Upon receiving the bids, they will be opened by the Manager and/or Designees. They will be reviewed, and the Manager and/or the Designee will take their recommendations and bids to the Trustees of the Cooperative. At this time, the Trustees will award the contract to the selected company.

18. The Contractor shall commence this work promptly after receipt of the written Notice to

Proceed by the Cooperative. All work shall be completed within the specified time. The time limit will be extended on the reasons which are beyond the control of the Contractor and are approved in writing by the Cooperative.

19. If the Contractor defaults and fails to complete the contract as specified herein, the contract may be cancelled, and all monies withheld, as holdback shall become the property of the

Cooperative as liquidated damages. In addition, failure to complete the contract within the scheduled time frame noted above in Section8 will result in forfeiture of the Contractor’s

Bond.

20. The start date for 2026 Vegetation Management Contract is May 1, 2026. All work will be completed on or before December 31, 2026. Failure to meet the completion deadline will result in a $300.00 per day penalty.

SPECIFICATIONS

1. All spraying, both initial and re-spraying, shall be done in accordance with the best-recognized and approved principles of modern vegetation management practices.

2. No Glyphosate is to be used with the exception of bare ground treatment.

3. The amount of clearance to be obtained shall be determined by Cooperative procedure with proper respect or consideration given at the job site to the position occupied by the wires in reference to the trees, the varied rate of growth of different trees, and the desires of the property owners.

4. Effort shall be made whenever possible to gain and improve the quality of clearance secured at the last spraying and not to exceed the established right of way.

5. All stub poles and down guys shall be treated around with a five (5) foot radius.

6. Only low volume backpack application will be accepted other than specified by the

Cooperative.

7. The use of ATV/UTV’s shall not be permitted.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

1. Any damage to the Cooperative property (this includes knocking the lines out) by the

Contractor or Contractor equipment or personnel will be reported promptly by the

Contractor to the Cooperative dispatcher. The Cooperative will make the necessary repairs to the lines or equipment and bill the Contractor at the usual hourly rate of Cooperative employees and equipment and for the necessary material needed to make the repairs.

Contractor shall make payment to the Cooperative within thirty (30) days of the date of billing.

2. Contractor must address consumer complaints immediately

3. The Contractor will supply qualified personnel to handle complaints and questions.

4. The Cooperative will inspect work 60 days after the job is completed. At this time, any line that is missed will be noted and reported to Contractor. The Contractor will be expected to spray such line within 60 days of notification.

5. The Cooperative will notify all consumers possible by phone before the Contractor starts the project. The Cooperative will compile all consumer concerns and assign them to

Contractor for contact.

6. The Contractor will be required a 98% kill rate. This will be inspected and determined by a representative of the Cooperative and a representative of the Contractor.

7. Contractor will be required to follow all guidelines set forth in the Utility Accommodations

Manual concerning chemical vegetation management on state right of way.

8. Contractor will keep daily records of applications which will include date, wind speed, temperature, wind direction, and chemical type and amount. A copy of these records will be submitted to the Cooperative on a weekly basis.

9. Contractors are required to contact Cooperative at the start of the workday to inform they are on the system and what area they are in.

10. Contractors shall notify the Cooperative when the workday is completed, and they are no longer on our system.

11. Contractor shall provide information as to where the crews are based and where the trucks will be headquartered. Contractor shall provide and keep an updated list of the names and qualifications of each worker on site.

E XHIBIT A

2 026 VEGETATION MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT

AREA MILEAGE

Substation Feeder Miles Substation Feeder Miles

Trenton Jennings Lake 132 Newberry Langford #1 100

Tyler Grade#2 14 Preston Hodge #3 92

Shady Grove#3 57 Waccasassa #4 25

Otter Springs #4 93 Total 217

Total 296 Suwannee Yellow Jacket #1 33

Chiefland 1 Ira Gore #1 72 Suwannee #3 30

TJ Harper #2 155 Total 63

Chiefland South #3 29

Walmart #4 3 Bell Ira Bea #1 131

Total 259 340 East #2 47

JR Philman #3 15

Neals Smith Store #1 75 Rock Bluff #4 39

Bottling Plant #2 4 Sun Springs #5 99

Voting Booth #3 135 Total 331

Total 214

E XHIBIT B

2 026 VEGETATION MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT

B ID PROPOSAL

We the Contractor submit the following proposal for vegetation management. It is understood that bidders must submit a firm price for the year 2026 for all overhead line on these substations.

It is understood that the Board of Trustees of Central Florida Electric Cooperative, Inc. reserves the right to waive any and all informalities or techniques therein and reserves the right not to accept any or all bids.

Feeder Bid Price Feeder Bid Price

Jennings Lake Langford #1

Tyler Grade#2 Preston Hodge #3

Shady Grove#3 Waccasassa #4

Otter Springs #4 Total

Total

Yellow Jacket #1

Ira Gore #1 Suwannee #3

TJ Harper #2 Total

Chiefland South #3

Walmart #4 Ira Bea #1

Total 340 East #2

JR Philman #3

Smith Store #1 Rock Bluff #4

Bottling Plant #2 Sun Springs #5

Voting Booth #3 Total

Total

Total Bid Price for All Areas $_________________

Company Name: __________________________________________

Signed: _________________________________________________

Print Name: _____________________________________________

Date: ___________________________________________________

Central Florida Electric Cooperative, Inc. hereby accepts the foregoing proposal.