2026029-PU-B_WTP Chemicals ITB_FINAL_05-05-26.pdf

INVITATION TO BID (ITB) COVER PAGE

ISSUE DATE:

May 5, 2026

INVITATION TO BID NUMBER:

2026029-PU-B

FOR:

Water Treatment Chemicals

DEPARTMENT:

Public Utilities

CONTRACT ADMINISTRATOR:

Dennis McGuffin, Water Treatment

Superintendent

DATE/TIME OF CLOSING ON EVA:

May 27, 2026 at 3:00pm

DATE/TIME LAST DAY FOR

QUESTIONS:

May 18, 2026 on or before 12:00pm (noon) local time

PRE-BID MEETING:

N/A

PRE-BID MEETING MANDATORY:

Yes No N/A

Bids - In accordance with the following and in compliance with all terms and conditions, unless otherwise noted, the undersigned offers and agrees, if the bid is accepted, to furnish items or services for which prices are quoted, delivered or furnished to designated points within the time specified. It is understood and agreed that this entire ITB and any addenda shall constitute a contract.

Sealed bids, subject to terms and conditions of this Invitation to Bid will be received until the date/ time specified above for furnishing items or services delivered or furnished to specified destinations within the time specified or stipulated by the vendor(s).

The City does not discriminate against small, women-owned, minority-owned, military family-owned, service disabled veteran-owned businesses, employment services organizations or faith-based organizations.

VENDOR INFORMATION

Name of Vendor:_____________________________________ Telephone #:_________________________________________

Address: ___________________________________________ Federal Employer Identification #:__________________________

Contact Name: ______________________________________ Contact Email Address:__________________________________

By signing this bid, Vendor(s) certifies, acknowledges, understands and agrees to be bound by the conditions set forth in this ITB. Vendor further certifies that they and/or any member of their proposed team are not currently debarred or suspended by any agency or locality of the Commonwealth of Virginia and that no organization conflict exists between their company and any member of their proposed team.

VENDOR’S LEGALLY AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE

DATE

PRINT NAME TITLE

Please take a moment to let us know how you found out about this Invitation to Bid (ITB) – Check one:

eVA Website Bid Room (Please List) ___________________________________

The Daily News Record Newspaper Notified by City Directly Other (Please List) ________________________________________

*Complete & return this document with bid submission.

Table of Contents

1.0 INTRODUCTION

2.0 BACKGROUND

3.0 SPECIFICATIONS

3.1. PRODUCTS & ESTIMATED ANNUAL USAGE

3.2. ORDERING & DELIVERY PROCEDURES

3.3. SAFETY

3.4. BID PRICING & PRICING ESCALATION/DE-ESCALATION

4.0 PRE-BID MEETING

5.0 GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS FOR THE CITY OF HARRISONBURG, VA

6.0 INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS

6.1 BID OPENING INFORMATION

7.0 QUESTIONS

8.0 AWARD OF CONTRACT

9.0 CONTRACT TERM

10.0 PAYMENT TERMS

ATTACHMENT A. GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS FOR THE CITY OF HARRISONBURG, VA

(REV. 10-08-24)

ATTACHMENT B. PROPRIETARY/CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION IDENTIFICATION FORM

ATTACHMENT C. STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION (SCC) FORM

ATTACHMENT D. NON-COLLUSION AFFIDAVIT

ATTACHMENT E. CITY OF HARRISONBURG SAMPLE STANDARD CONTRACT

ATTACHMENT F. REFERENCES LIST

ATTACHMENT G. INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS FORM

ATTACHMENT H. NOTICE OF EXCEPTIONS TO CONDITIONS

ATTACHMENT I. EXCEPTIONS TO SPECIFICATIONS FORM

ATTACHMENT J. PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

ATTACHMENT K. BID FORM

City of Harrisonburg, VA - Water Treatment Chemicals ITB (2026029-PU-B) Page 1 of 24

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this Invitation to Bid (ITB) by the City of Harrisonburg, Virginia (City) is to solicit sealed bids from interested vendors (Bidder) to provide water treatment chemicals on an “as-needed” basis to be delivered to the City’s Water Treatment Plant (WTP) located at 308 Grandview Drive, Harrisonburg, VA 22801.

2.0 BACKGROUND

The City of Harrisonburg is an independent city located in the central Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia. It is the county seat of Rockingham County and encompasses 17.3 square miles, serving a population of approximately 60,000. Harrisonburg is located along Interstate 81 and is only two hours away from both

Richmond, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Harrisonburg is home to two university campuses – James Madison

University and Eastern Mennonite University – as well as numerous other businesses, non-profit organizations and a vibrant downtown.

The Department of Public Utilities is responsible for providing water and sewer services to residences and businesses in the City of Harrisonburg and some in neighboring Rockingham County. Currently, this department manages approximately 17,000 accounts. This department not only provides water for drinking, bathing, cleaning, recreational use, industrial supply, and fire protection but also provides waste disposal in the form of sewer services.

3.0 SPECIFICATIONS

3.1. PRODUCTS & ESTIMATED ANNUAL USAGE

Product specifications may be found in Attachment J.

The City will accept bids based on the following annual requirements of the following chemicals to be used for the purpose of water treatment. The City will not guarantee or be obligated to purchase any defined quantity of any chemicals. Quantities below are only estimates and are given of the information of Bidders and for the purpose of bid evaluation. They do not indicate actual quantity, which will depend upon requirements that develop during the contract period. No bid will be considered which stipulates that the City shall guarantee to order a specific quantity.

Product Estimated Annual Usage

Aluminum Sulfate Solution, 48% 35,000 gallons: 180,000 lbs.

Sodium Hypochlorite Solution, 12.5% 50,000 gallons: 61, 150 lbs.

Sodium Hydroxide Solution, 25% 34,000 gallons: 89,675 lbs.

Hydrofluosilicic Acid Solution, 23% 5,000 gallons: 11,500 lbs.

Desired package size for product is bulk.

The City reserves the right to add or remove water treatment chemicals from the contract at any point during the life of the contract. The City also reserves the right to make purchases from another supplier under conditions of urgency or emergency where the contracted supplier cannot meet the required deadline.

3.2. ORDERING & DELIVERY PROCEDURES

Chemicals shall be ordered and delivered on an AS-NEEDED BASIS.

When placing an order, the Contract Administrator or designee will provide the Contractor with a list of products and quantities needed. The Contractor shall provide an order confirmation via email that includes: product information, quantity ordered and delivery date. The City requires the delivery to be City of Harrisonburg, VA - Water Treatment Chemicals ITB (2026029-PU-B) Page 2 of 24 completed within seven (7) days notification, otherwise subject to default. Contractor shall confirm delivery date and time with the Contract Administrator prior to delivery.

Delivery shall be made to the Harrisonburg Water Treatment Plant. Deliveries will be received at the

WTP Monday through Friday, except major City holidays (http://www.harrisonburgva.gov/city-holidays).

Only full capacity deliveries (generally 36,000 to 48,000 lbs depending on the chemical) shall be accepted;

partial deliveries shall not be permitted. Upon delivery of the product(s), the Contractor’s delivery driver shall provide paperwork which includes: the products delivered as well as the actual weight and concentrations as delivered. A current Globally Harmonized System (GHS) sheet must accompany the delivery of each chemical purchase.

The Contractor shall make deliveries in a neat and business-like manner. The Contractor is responsible for cleanup of spills incidental to deliveries at his/her expense and to the satisfaction of the City.

Contractor is responsible for all carrier claims.

Pricing shall be “F.O.B. destination – freight included” for all competitive bids. “F.O.B. destination – freight included” shall include all shipping costs to the Harrisonburg Water Treatment Plant at the unit cost in accordance with all specifications, terms and conditions herein. Bid price shall be exclusive of all taxes and inclusive of all transportation, unloading, surcharges, insurance or any other expenses incurred by the Bidder in complying with these specifications. No additional shipping charges shall be allowed.

All deliveries must be in compliance with the Department of Transportation (DOT) Hazardous Materials

Regulations. It shall be the responsibility of the Contractor to inspect the receiving site to ensure that existing facilities are capable of receiving the shipper’s trucks.

3.3. SAFETY

All contractors and subcontractors performing services for the City are required and shall comply with all

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), State and City Safety and Occupational Health

Standards and any other applicable rules and regulations. All contractors and subcontractors shall be held responsible for the safety of their employees and any unsafe acts or conditions that may cause injury or damage to any persons or property within and around the work site area under this contract.

3.4. BID PRICING & PRICING ESCALATION/DE-ESCALATION

Vendors shall bid unit price on quantity specified and extend and show total on bid form (Attachment K).

In case of error in extension, unit prices shall govern.

The successful Contractor or the City may initiate modifications to price at the time of contract renewal.

The bid prices as accepted shall remain effective for each contract term. The opportunity for modification of unit prices will extend to the completion of the original contract period, or the extended contract period if applicable. Any proposed change must not exceed the amount indicated by a mutually accepted chemical price index value. This latter requirement shall make reference to using the index value of the effective price in relationship to the index value of the proposed price. PPI Chemical and Allied Products

WPU06 index is an approved index, others subject to review and approval by the City.

Bids subject to unlimited price increases will not be considered.

4.0 PRE-BID MEETING

No pre-bid meeting will be held for this solicitation.

City of Harrisonburg, VA - Water Treatment Chemicals ITB (2026029-PU-B) Page 3 of 24 http://www.harrisonburgva.gov/city-holidays

5.0 GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS FOR THE CITY OF HARRISONBURG, VA

Bidders shall review and take into consideration all aspects of the City’s General Terms and Conditions listed in

Attachment A.

6.0 INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS

All bids for this ITB shall be submitted through the eVA platform (https://eva.virginia.gov/). Faxed, emailed and hard copies of bids will not be accepted. Bids shall be received by the Purchasing Office no later than the date and time listed on the Cover Page of this ITB. Any bids received after this date and time will not be accepted.

To submit a bid through eVA, the Bidder must be a registered vendor on eVA. To register as a new vendor, visit:

https://eva.virginia.gov/register-now.html. If you have questions or issues during the process of submitting a bid, contact eVA Customer Care at: 1-866-289-7367. Do not contact the City regarding issues with the eVA platform.

The City of Harrisonburg is not responsible for any delays in submission caused by the eVA platform, vendor registration, or internet outage. Please ensure you have allotted ample time to submit your bid document(s). The

Bidder has the sole responsibility to have the bid submitted on or before the above address and by the above stated time and date.

All expenses for making bid to the City shall be borne by the Bidder. If proprietary/confidential information is identified (Attachment B), Bidder is required to submit a redacted copy of their bid in addition to the unredacted copy. All documents contained within the bid submission shall be completed in their entirety and signed and dated where required. Bids will be publicly opened and the names of bidders will be announced along with the bid amount.

6.1 BID OPENING INFORMATION

Shortly after the closing date and time, bids will be opened and read publicly at City Hall, 409 South

Main Street, Room 11, Harrisonburg, VA 22801. The names of bidders will be announced along with the bid amount.

7.0 QUESTIONS

Questions related to the RFP or requests for clarification shall be directed to the Procurement Manager for the

City of Harrisonburg, by email (Questions@harrisonburgva.gov). Oral questions will not be permitted. All responses to inquiries will be in writing and will be posted as addenda on the eVA website at https://eva.virginia.gov/. All questions must be received no later than the date and time listed on the Cover Page of this RFP. It is the responsibility of all Offerors to ensure that they have received all addenda and to include signed copies of any and all addenda with their proposal submission.

8.0 AWARD OF CONTRACT

The City prefers to award the contract to one (1) Bidder that can provide all chemicals. The contract will be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder meeting the applicable specifications for the aggregate sum of all chemicals; if the aggregate sum is no more than 110% of the aggregate sum if awarded individually for each chemical. This format recognizes the advantages of an award to one vendor that can provide all chemicals, including complexity with multiple delivery schedules, administrative requirements, and managerial requirements are noted. The City may award a comprehensive bid for all chemicals or may award each chemical individually based on the above-mentioned criteria.

The Procurement Manager will post a Notice of Award on the eVA website at https://eva.virginia.gov/. The City reserves the right to reject any and all bids and will further reserve the right to waive or not waive any informality in any bid. The City reserves the right to ask for additional information from the vendor to determine whether a company is responsible. The successful bidder shall submit a recent W-9 to the City Purchasing Office via email

(Purchasing@harrisonburgva.gov) or fax (540-432-7779) within fourteen (14) calendar days of contract award.

City of Harrisonburg, VA - Water Treatment Chemicals ITB (2026029-PU-B) Page 4 of 24 https://eva.virginia.gov/ https://eva.virginia.gov/register-now.html mailto:Questions@harrisonburgva.gov https://eva.virginia.gov/ https://eva.virginia.gov/ mailto:Purchasing@harrisonburgva.gov

9.0 CONTRACT TERM

The subsequent contract will be for an initial one (1) year term with the anticipated contract(s) start date of July

1, 2026. The fee(s) will remain firm through the initial contract term and will include all charges that may be incurred in fulfilling the requirements of this initial contract. The City shall have the option to renew the contract for four (4) additional one (1) year terms. Changes in cost for any renewals will be based on mutual agreement between both parties. For any pricing increases the contractor will need to provide written justification and documentation to support such request.

10.0 PAYMENT TERMS

Upon successful delivery and acceptance of the product, the Contractor shall provide an invoice to the Contract

Administrator. Invoices may be mailed to the Contract Administrator’s attention at the Department of Public

Utilities at 2155 Beery Road, Harrisonburg, VA 22801. Information on the invoice shall include: product description, quantity ordered, quantity delivered, unit price, shipping date, and ordered date. Payment shall be remitted by the City to the Contractor within 45 days.

City of Harrisonburg, VA - Water Treatment Chemicals ITB (2026029-PU-B) Page 5 of 24

ATTACHMENT A. GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS FOR THE CITY OF

HARRISONBURG, VA (REV. 10-08-24)

These General Terms & Conditions shall apply to all purchases and be a part of every contract awarded by the City of Harrisonburg unless otherwise specified in writing. Bidders/Offerors are expected to inform themselves fully as to the conditions, requirements and specifications before submitting a bid/proposal. Procurement by the City is subject to the Virginia Public Procurement Act (VPPA) Title

2.2, Chapter 43 of the Code of Virginia and the provisions of The Procurement Policy Manual for the City of Harrisonburg and any revisions thereto. If an inconsistency exists between Virginia Code and the Purchasing and Contracting Policy Manual for the City, the

Virginia Code sections take precedence.

DEFINITIONS

ADDENDUM/ADDENDA: Addition(s) or supplement(s) to a solicitation to clarify, modify or support information which becomes part of the contract.

BID: The offer of a prospective vendor/supplier to an Invitation To Bid to provide specific goods or services at specified prices and/or other conditions specified in the solicitation.

BIDDER/OFFEROR: Any individual, company, firm, corporation, partnership or other organization who submits a response to an

Invitation to Bid or a Request for Proposal and offering to enter into a contract with the City.

COLLUSION: A secret agreement or cooperation between two or more parties to accomplish a fraudulent, deceitful, or unlawful purpose.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST: An actual or potential situation in which the personal interests of a vendor, employee or public official are, or appear to be, in conflict with the best interests of the City.

CONTRACTOR: The entity that has a direct contract with the City to furnish goods, services or construction for a certain price.

CITY or OWNER: City of Harrisonburg, Virginia.

DAY(S): Defined as calendar days unless otherwise specified as business days.

INFORMALITY: A minor defect or variation of a bid or proposal from the exact requirements of the Invitation to Bid or Request for Proposal which does not affect the price, quality, quantity or delivery schedule for the goods, services or construction being procured.

INVITATION TO BID (ITB): A formal request which is made to prospective suppliers (bidders) for their quotation on goods, services, or construction desired by the City. The issuance of an ITB will contain or incorporate by reference the specifications and contractual terms and conditions applicable to the procurement.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES: Any type of professional service performed by an independent contractor within the practice of accounting, actuarial services, architecture, dentistry, land surveying, landscape architecture, law, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, or professional engineering (which shall be procured as set forth in the Code of Virginia). Virginia Code § 2.2-4301

PROPOSAL: The document submitted by the offeror in response to the RFP to be used as the basis for negotiations for entering into a contract.

PURCHASING AGENT: The individual employed and given authority by the Harrisonburg City Council by adoption of the City of Harrisonburg Purchasing and Contracting Policy Manual. Purchasing Agent may also be referred to as Procurement

Manager.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP): A formal request for a proposal from prospective offerors which will indicate the general terms which are sought to be procured from the offeror and where negotiations are conducted to come to a final contract. The

RFP will specify the evaluation criteria to be used and will contain or incorporate by reference other contractual terms and conditions applicable to the procurement.

RESPONSIBLE BIDDER/OFFEROR: An individual, company, firm, corporation, partnership or other organization having the capability in all respects to perform fully the contract requirements, and also having the moral and business integrity and reliability which will assure good faith performance.

RESPONSIVE BIDDER/OFFEROR: An individual, company, firm, corporation, partnership or other organization having submitted a bid/proposal which conforms in all material respects to the ITB or RFP.

SOLICITATION: A formal document issued by the City with the intent to purchase goods, services or construction. Can be either an Invitation To Bid or a Request For Proposal.

SWAM: Small, Women, and Minority-owned businesses.

SUBCONTRACTOR: A business entity that has a contract to supply labor or materials to the prime contractor to whom the contract was awarded or to any subcontractor in the performance of the work provided for in such contract.

CONDITIONS OF BIDDING

BID PRICE CURRENCY: Unless stated otherwise in the solicitation, bidders/offerors shall state bid/proposal prices in US dollars.

City of Harrisonburg, VA - Water Treatment Chemicals ITB (2026029-PU-B) Page 6 of 24

BID/PROPOSAL ACCEPTANCE PERIOD: Unless otherwise specified, all bids/proposals submitted shall be binding and may not be withdrawn for ninety (90) days following the bid/proposal opening date and time, unless extended by mutual consent of all parties.

If the bid/proposal is not withdrawn at that time it remains in effect until an award is made or the solicitation is cancelled.

CANCELLATION OF SOLICITATIONS: Virginia Code § 2.2-4319 An ITB, RFP or any other solicitation may be cancelled or rejected, but shall not be cancelled or rejected solely to avoid awarding a contract to a particular responsive and responsible bidder/offeror. The reasons for cancellation shall be made part of the contract file.

CLARIFICATION of TERMS: Virginia Code § 2.2-4316 If any prospective bidder/offeror has questions about the specifications or other solicitation documents, the prospective bidder/offeror should contact the person identified in the solicitation no later than five (5) business days before the due date. Any revisions to the solicitation will be made only by addendum issued by the City.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST/COLLUSION: Contractor certifies by signing their bid/proposal submission to the City, that no conflict of interest or collusion exists between the Contractor and City that interferes with fair competition and no conflict of interest or collusion exists between Contractor and any other person or organization that constitutes a conflict of interest with respect to the contract with the

City.

DEBARMENT STATUS: By signing their bid/proposal, the bidders/offerors certify that they are not currently debarred from submitting bids/proposals on contracts from any agency, public entity/locality or authority of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

DISCRIMINATION PROHIBITED: Virginia Code § 2.2-4310 In the solicitation or awarding of a contract the City shall not discriminate against a bidder/offeror because of race; religion; color; sex; national origin; age; disability; status as a small, women-owned, minority-owned, or service disabled veteran-owned; employment services organization; or any other basis prohibited by state law relating to discrimination in employment. The City encourages the participation of these entities in public procurement activities.

Towards that end, the City encourages contractors to provide for the participation of these entities through partnerships, joint ventures, subcontracts, and other contractual opportunities.

ERRORS IN BIDS/PROPOSALS: When an error is made in extending total prices, the unit price will govern. Bidders/Offerors are cautioned to recheck their bids/proposals for possible errors prior to submission.

ETHICS IN PUBLIC CONTRACTING: Virginia Code § 2.2-4371 By submitting their bids/proposals, the bidders/offerors certify that their bids/proposals are made without collusion or fraud and that they have not offered or received any kickbacks or inducements from any other bidder/offeror, supplier, manufacturer or subcontractor in connection with their bid/proposal, and that they have not conferred on any public employee having official responsibility for this procurement transaction any payment, loan, subscription, advance, deposit of money, services or anything of more than nominal or minimal value, present or promised, unless consideration of substantially equal or greater value was exchanged.

EXCUSABLE DELAY: The City shall not be in default of any failure in performance of this agreement in accordance with its terms if such failure arises out of causes beyond its reasonable control and without the fault of or negligence of the City. Such causes may include, but are not restricted to acts of God or the public enemy, fires, flood, epidemics, quarantine restrictions, strikes, freight embargoes, and unusually severe weather, but in every case the failure to perform must be beyond the reasonable control and without the fault or negligence of the City.

LICENSES, PERMITS and FEES: All proposals submitted shall have included in price the cost of any business or professional licenses, permits or fees required by the City of Harrisonburg or the Commonwealth of Virginia. At or prior to delivery of the signed contract, the bidder/offeror to whom the contract is awarded shall deliver to the City a copy of their City Business License (if applicable).

The bidder/offeror shall ensure that the Business License indicates a basis amount equal to or greater than the awarded Contract value. For information on City Business Licenses contact the Harrisonburg Commissioner of the Revenue’s office at 540-432-7704.

The bidder/offeror must have all necessary licenses to perform the services in the Commonwealth of Virginia and, if practicing as other than an individual, be authorized to do business in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

MANDATORY USE of CITY FORMS AND TERMS and CONDITIONS for ITBs AND RFPs: Failure to submit a bid/proposal on the official City form(s) provided or in the format identified, for that purpose shall be a cause for rejection of the bid/proposal.

Unauthorized modification of or additions to any portion of the ITB or RFP may be cause for rejection of the bid/proposal. The City reserves the right to decide, on a case by case basis, in its sole discretion, whether to reject any bid/ proposal which has been modified.

As a precondition to its acceptance of an ITB response, the City may, in its sole discretion, request that the bidder withdraw or modify nonresponsive portions of a bid which do not affect quality, quantity, price, or delivery. No modification to the provisions of the contract shall be effective unless the modification is incorporated into the contract document.

MODIFICATION & WITHDRAWAL OF BIDS/PROPOSALS: Virginia Code § 2.2-4330

City of Harrisonburg, VA - Water Treatment Chemicals ITB (2026029-PU-B) Page 7 of 24

1. A bidder for a public construction contract, other than a contract for construction or maintenance of public highways, may withdraw his bid from consideration if the price bid was substantially lower than the other bids due solely to a mistake in the bid, provided the bid was submitted in good faith, and the mistake was a clerical mistake as opposed to a judgment mistake, and was actually due to an unintentional arithmetic error or an unintentional omission of a quantity of work, labor or material made directly in the compilation of a bid, which unintentional arithmetic error or unintentional omission can be clearly shown by objective evidence drawn from inspection of original work papers, documents and materials used in the preparation of the bid sought to be withdrawn.

If a bid contains both clerical and judgment mistakes, a bidder may withdraw his bid from consideration if the price bid would have been substantially lower than the other bids due solely to the clerical mistake, that was an unintentional arithmetic error or an unintentional omission of a quantity of work, labor or material made directly in the compilation of a bid that shall be clearly shown by objective evidence drawn from inspection of original work papers, documents and materials used in the preparation of the bid sought to be withdrawn.

2. The bidder shall give notice in writing of his claim of right to withdraw his bid within two business days after the conclusion of the bid opening procedure and shall submit original work papers with such notice.

3. No bid shall be withdrawn under this section when the result would be the awarding of the contract on another bid of the same bidder or of another bidder in which the ownership of the withdrawing bidder is more than five percent.

4. If a bid is withdrawn in accordance with this section, the lowest remaining bid shall be deemed to be the low bid.

5. No bidder who is permitted to withdraw a bid shall, for compensation, supply any material or labor to or perform any subcontract or other work agreement for the person or firm to whom the contract is awarded or otherwise benefit, directly or indirectly, from the performance of the project for which the withdrawn bid was submitted.

6. The public body shall notify the bidder in writing within five business days of its decision regarding the bidder’s request to withdraw its bid. If the public body denies the withdrawal of a bid under the provisions of this section, it shall state in such notice the reasons for its decision and award the contract to such bidder at the bid price, provided such bidder is a responsible and responsive bidder.

At the same time that the notice is provided, the public body shall return all work papers and copies thereof that have been submitted by the bidder.

7. These procedures also apply for the withdrawal of bids for other than construction contracts.

8. A bidder/offeror may modify or withdraw his bid/proposal, either personally or by written request to the Purchasing office at any time prior to the scheduled time for opening of bids/proposals.

PUBLIC INSPECTION OF CERTAIN RECORDS: Virginia Code § 2.2-4342 Public inspection of all records is strictly governed by Virginia Code § 2.2-4342 and in accordance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Virginia Code § 2.2-3700 et seq). Any inspection of procurement transactions shall be subject to reasonable restrictions to ensure the security and integrity of the records. Cost estimates relating to a proposed procurement transaction prepared by or for a public body shall not be open to public inspection.

REVISIONS to the OFFICIAL ITB/RFP: No bidder/offeror shall modify, revise, edit or make any unauthorized change(s) to the original official ITB/RFP. The official solicitation document and the Addenda(um) are the documents posted on the eVA website at https://eva.virginia.gov. In the event the eVA website is not able to be used, the City will post Addenda on the City’s website at www.harrisonburgva.gov/bids-proposals . Any such violation as stated above may result in rejection of the ITB/RFP response. In addition, violations may result in the debarment of the bidder/offeror by the City of Harrisonburg.

TAXES: Sales to the City of Harrisonburg are normally exempt from State sales tax. Virginia Sales and Use Tax Certificate of

Exemption, Form ST-12, will be issued upon request. The City may also be exempt from other taxes and fees.

UNIFORM STATE BUILDING CODE: Virginia Code § 2.2-4303 If the purchase is for construction, compliance with the Uniform

State Building Code will be required.

SPECIFICATIONS

CONDITION OF ITEMS: Unless otherwise specified in the solicitation, all items shall be new, latest edition/model in first class condition.

FORMAL SPECIFICATIONS: When a solicitation contains a specification which states no substitutes, no deviation therefrom will be permitted and the bidder will be required to furnish articles in conformity with that specification.

USE OF BRAND NAMES: Virginia Code § 2.2-4315 Unless otherwise provided in this solicitation, the name of a certain brand, make or manufacturer does not restrict bidders/offerors to the specific brand, make or manufacturer named, but conveys the general style, type, character, and quality of the article desired. Any article which the public body, in its sole discretion, determines to be the equal of that specified, considering quality, workmanship, economy of operation, and suitability for the purpose intended, shall be accepted. The bidder/offeror is responsible to clearly and specifically identify the product being offered and to provide sufficient descriptive literature, catalog cuts and technical detail to enable the City to determine if the product offered meets the requirements of the solicitation. This is required even if offering the exact brand, make or manufacturer specified. Normally in competitive sealed

City of Harrisonburg, VA - Water Treatment Chemicals ITB (2026029-PU-B) Page 8 of 24 http://www.harrisonburgva.gov/bids-proposals bidding only the information furnished with the bid will be considered in the evaluation. Failure to furnish adequate data for evaluation purposes may result in declaring a bid nonresponsive. Unless the bidder/offeror clearly indicates in its bid/proposal that the product offered is an “equal” product, such bid/proposal will be considered to offer the brand name product referenced in the solicitation. The

City reserves the right to determine the suitability of substituted items for those specified and to accept in whole or in part any and all bids/proposals received.

BONDING REQUIREMENTS: If a bid security is required, it shall be provided in the amount of 5% of the total bid value unless otherwise specified. Bid security must be in the form of a cashier’s check, certified check or bid bond issued by a surety. The City reserves the right to retain the bid security of all bidders until the successful bidder enters into the Contract or until 90 days after bid opening, whichever is sooner. If performance and payment bonds are required, the contractor shall provide each in the amount of 100% of the total contract sum. If the contract sum changes at any point during the contract term, the contractor shall ensure the value of the performance and payment bonds is at least 100% of the remaining contract sum. For bids submitted on the eVA website that require a bid security, the bid security shall be delivered to the Purchasing Office prior to the date and time for bid closing.

DELIVERY

DEFECTS OR IMPROPRIETIES: In instances where there is a defect or impropriety in an invoice or in the goods or services received, the City shall notify the supplier of the defect or impropriety, if the defect or impropriety would prevent payment by the payment date. The notice shall be sent within (30) thirty days after receipt of the invoice or the goods or services.

TESTING AND INSPECTION: Virginia Code § 2.2-4302.1 The City reserves the right to conduct any test/inspection it may deem advisable to assure goods and services conform to the specifications. Materials or components that have been rejected by the City, in accordance with the terms of the contract, shall be replaced by the Contractor at no cost to the City.

TRANSPORTATION AND PACKAGING: All materials shipped to the City must be shipped Free On Board (FOB) Destination unless otherwise stated in the contract. By submitting their bids/proposals, all bidders/offerors certify and warrant that the price offered for FOB destination includes only the actual freight rate costs at the lowest and best rate and is based upon the actual weight of the goods to be shipped. Except as otherwise specified herein, standard commercial packaging, packing and shipping containers shall be used.

All shipping containers shall be legibly marked or labeled on the outside with purchase order number, commodity description, and quantity.

AWARD

CONTRACT AWARD

For ITB: The award(s) made in response to an ITB will be made to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder(s) for each item, or group of items indicated in the bid. The City reserves the right to make the sole determination of whether the product and/or options offered meet the minimum specifications and is acceptable in accordance with the specifications. The City’s decision shall be final. The

City reserves the right to make a separate award for each item, a group of items or all items, and to make awards either in whole or in part, whichever is deemed by the City to be in its best interest. Delivery timelines may be a factor in making an award.

For RFP: The award(s) made in response to an RFP will be made to the highest qualified offeror whose proposal is determined to be the most advantageous to the City, taking into consideration the evaluation criteria set forth in the RFP. After negotiations, the offeror who has made the best proposal and provides the best value shall be awarded the contract.

Professional services shall be procured and awarded by competitive negotiation as set forth in Virginia Code § 2.2-4302.2 A 4.

The City reserves the right to cancel a solicitation at any time and to reject any or all bids/proposals, in whole or in part, to waive any informality and to delete items prior to making the award(s), whenever it is deemed in the sole opinion of the City to be in its best interest.

NEGOTIATION WITH THE LOWEST BIDDER: Virginia Code § 2.2-4318 Unless all bids are canceled or rejected, the City reserves the right to negotiate with the lowest responsive and responsible bidder to obtain a contract price within the funds available to the City whenever such low bid exceeds the City’s available funds for the project. The City shall initiate such negotiations by written notice to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder that its bid exceeds the available funds and the City wishes to negotiate a lower contract price. The times, places and manner of negotiating shall be agreed to by the City and the lowest responsive, responsible bidder.

PRECEDENCE of TERMS: General Terms and Conditions shall apply in all instances except for federally funded contracts. In the event there is a conflict between the General Terms and Conditions and any Federal, Special, Standard, or Supplementary Terms and

Conditions in this solicitation, the Federal, Special, Standard, or Supplementary Terms and Conditions shall apply.

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QUALIFICATIONS of BIDDERS/OFFERORS: The City may make such reasonable investigations as deemed proper and necessary to determine the responsibility and ability of the bidder/offeror to perform the services/furnish the goods and the bidder/offeror shall furnish to the City all such information and data for this purpose as may be requested. The City reserves the right to inspect bidder’s/offeror’s physical facilities prior to award to satisfy questions regarding the bidder’s/offeror’s capabilities. The City further reserves the right to reject any bid/proposal if the evidence submitted by, or investigations of, such bidder/offeror fails to satisfy the City that such bidder/offeror is properly qualified to carry out the obligations of the contract and to provide the services and/or furnish the goods contemplated therein.

SELECTION PROCESS/NOTICE OF AWARD: Upon the award or the announcement of the decision to award a contract as a result of this solicitation, the Purchasing office will publicly post such notice and/or will notify all responsive bidders/offerors and records are available for public inspection in accordance with the VA Freedom of Information Act (Virginia Code § 2.2-3700 et seq).

The City posts all Notice of Awards on eVA at https://eva.virginia.gov/. In the event the eVA website is not able to be used, the City will post Notice of Awards on the City’s website at www.harrisonburgva.gov/bids-proposals.

CONTRACT PROVISIONS

ANTI-DISCRIMINATION: Virginia Code § 2.2-4311 By submitting their bids/proposals, bidders/offerors certify to the City that they will conform to the provisions of the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, as well as the Virginia Fair Employment

Contracting Act of 1975, as amended, where applicable, the Virginians With Disabilities Act, the Americans With Disabilities Act.

In every contract over $10,000 the provisions below apply:

1. During the performance of this contract, the contractor agrees as follows:

a. The contractor will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other basis prohibited by state law relating to discrimination in employment, except where there is a bona fide occupational qualification reasonably necessary to the normal operation of the contractor. The contractor agrees to post in conspicuous places, available to employees and applicants for employment, notices setting forth the provisions of this nondiscrimination clause.

b. The contractor, in all solicitations or advertisements for employees placed by or on behalf of the contractor, will state that such contractor is an equal opportunity employer.

c. Notices, advertisements and solicitations placed in accordance with federal law, rule or regulation shall be deemed sufficient for the purpose of meeting these requirements.

2. The contractor will include the provisions of 1. above in every subcontract or purchase order over $10,000, so that the provisions will be binding upon each subcontractor or vendor.

ANTITRUST: By entering into a contract, the contractor conveys, sells, assigns, and transfers to the City all rights, title and interest in and to all causes of action it may now have or hereafter acquire under the antitrust laws of the United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia, relating to the particular goods or services purchased or acquired by the City under said contract.

APPLICABLE LAWS and COURTS: This solicitation and any resulting contract shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the

Commonwealth of Virginia, excluding its conflict of laws provisions, and venue for litigation with any respect thereto shall be proper only in the Circuit Court of Rockingham County, Virginia. The contractor shall comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations.

ASSIGNMENT of CONTRACT: A contract shall not be assignable by the contractor in whole or in part without the written consent of the City.

CHANGES to the CONTRACT: Changes can be made to the contract in any of the following ways:

1. The parties by mutual agreement in writing, to modify the terms, conditions or scope of the contract subject to item 2. below. Any additional goods or services to be provided shall be of a sort that is ancillary to the contract goods or services, or within the same broad product or service categories as were included in the contract award. Any increase or decrease in the price of the contract resulting from such modification shall be agreed to by the parties as a part of their written agreement to modify the scope of the contract.

2. A public contract may include provisions for modification of the contract during performance, but no fixed-price contract may be increased by more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the amount of the contract or $50,000, whichever is greater, without the advance written approval of the Harrisonburg City Council. In no event may the amount of any contract, without adequate consideration, be increased for any purpose, including, but not limited to, relief of a bidder/offeror from the consequences of an error in its (bid/offer). Virginia Code § 2.2-4309

3. The Procurement Manager (or City delegated agent) may order changes within the general scope of the contract at any time by written notice to the contractor. Changes within the scope of the contract include, but are not limited to, things such as services to be performed, the method of packing or shipment, and the place of delivery or installation. The contractor shall comply with the notice upon receipt unless the contractor intends to claim an adjustment to compensation, schedule, or other contractual impact that would be caused by complying with such notice, in which case the contractor shall, in writing, promptly notify

City of Harrisonburg, VA - Water Treatment Chemicals ITB (2026029-PU-B) Page 10 of 24 http://www.harrisonburgva.gov/bids-proposals the City of the adjustment to be sought, and before proceeding to comply with the notice, shall await the City's written decision affirming, modifying, or revoking the prior written notice. If the City decides to issue a notice that requires an adjustment to compensation, the contractor shall be compensated for any additional costs incurred as the result of such order and shall give the

City a credit for any savings. Said compensation shall be determined by one of the following methods:

a. By mutual agreement between the parties in writing; or

b. By agreeing upon a unit price or using a unit price set forth in the contract, if the work to be done can be expressed in units, and the contractor accounts for the number of units of work performed, subject to the City’s right to audit the contractor’s records and/or to determine the correct number of units independently; or

c. By ordering the contractor to proceed with the work and keep a record of all costs incurred and savings realized. A markup for overhead and profit may be allowed if provided by the contract. The same markup shall be used for determining a decrease in price as the result of savings realized. The contractor shall present the City with all vouchers and records of expenses incurred and savings realized. The City shall have the right to audit the records of the contractor as it deems necessary to determine costs or savings. Any claim for an adjustment in price under this provision must be asserted by written notice to the City within thirty (30) days from the date of receipt of the written order from the City. If the parties fail to agree on an amount of adjustment, the question of an increase or decrease in the contract price or time for performance shall be resolved in accordance with the procedures for resolving disputes provided by the Disputes Clause of this contract or, if there is none, in accordance with the disputes provisions of the City of Harrisonburg Purchasing and Contracting Policy Manual. Neither the existence of a claim nor a dispute resolution process, litigation or any other provision of this contract shall excuse the contractor from promptly complying with the changes ordered by the City or with the performance of the contract generally.

CONTRACT EXECUTION: Per City Code (Sec 3-1-2, 3-1-1), the City Manager and the Deputy City Manager shall have authority to execute all contracts and agreements on behalf of the City except as otherwise directed by the Harrisonburg City Council in specific instances.

CONTRACTUAL DISPUTES: Contractual claim procedures shall be as per Virginia Code § 2.2-4363.

COOPERATIVE PROCUREMENT: Virginia Code § 2.2-4304 This procurement is being conducted in accordance with the provisions of Virginia Code § 2.2-4304. Except for contracts for architectural and engineering services, if agreed to by the contractor, other public bodies may utilize this contract. The Contractor shall deal directly with any public body it authorizes to use the contract.

The City, its officials and staff are not responsible for placement of orders, invoicing, payments, contractual disputes, or any other transactions between the Contractor and any other public bodies, and in no event shall the City, its officials or staff be responsible for any costs, damages or injury resulting to any party from use of a City Contract. The City assumes no responsibility for any notification of the availability of the contract for use by other public bodies, but the Contractor may conduct such notification. Other public bodies desiring to use this contract must make their own legal determination as to whether the use of this contract is consistent with their laws, regulations, and other policies

DEFAULT OR BREACH OF CONTRACT: In case of failure to deliver goods or services in accordance with the contract terms and conditions, the City, after due oral or written notice, may procure items of a comparable quality from other sources and hold the contractor responsible for any resulting additional costs above the contract price when purchases are made in the open market. This remedy shall be in addition to any other remedies, which the City may have.

DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE: Virginia Code § 2.2-4312 During the performance of this contract, the contractor agrees to: (i) provide a drug-free workplace for the contractor’s employees; (ii) post in conspicuous places, available to employees and applicants for employment, a statement notifying employees that the unlawful manufacture, sale, distribution, dispensation, possession, or use of a controlled substance or marijuana is prohibited in the contractor’s workplace and specifying the actions that will be taken against employees for violations of such prohibition; (iii) state in all solicitations or advertisements for employees placed by or on behalf of the contractor that the contractor maintains a drug-free workplace; and (iv) include the provisions of the foregoing clauses in every subcontract or purchase order of over $10,000, so that the provisions will be binding upon each subcontractor or vendor.

IMMIGRATION REFORM and CONTROL ACT OF 1986: Virginia Code § 2.2-4311.1 By submitting their bids/proposals, bidders/offerors certify that they do not and will not during the performance of this contract employ illegal alien workers or otherwise violate the provisions of the federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

INDEMNIFICATION: Contractor agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the City, its officers, agents, volunteers, and employees against any and all liability, losses, damages, claims, causes of action, suits of any nature, cost, and expenses, including attorney’s fees, resulting from or arising out of Contractor’s or it’s agent’s and subcontractor’s negligent activities or omissions, or from which the Contractor would have legal liability outside of contract.

INSURANCE: By signing and submitting a bid/proposal under this solicitation, the bidder/offeror certifies that if awarded the contract, it will have insurance coverages per the solicitation document at the time of contract execution. For construction contracts, if any subcontractors are involved, the subcontractor will have workers’ compensation insurance in accordance with Virginia Code § 2.2-

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4332 and Virginia Code § 65.2-800 et seq.