24_009 _ Interment and Burial Services Contra.docx

CITY OF GRIFFIN, GEORGIA

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

RFP #24-009

FOR

INTERMENT AND BURIAL SERVICES SUPPLIER

For all questions about this RFP contact:

Sherri Huggins, Purchasing Coordinator shuggins@cityofgriffin.com

Deadline:

April 23, 2024 at 2:00 P.M.

IMPORTANT

SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENT

Submittals must be properly labeled to ensure they are not inadvertently opened before the designated time. Affix the label below to the outside of the sealed submittal envelope or delivery package.

If the label below is not used (i.e. in case of some delivery services), it is the supplier’s responsibility to ensure that the information is on the OUTSIDE of the delivery package. Submissions that do not comply may be rejected.

Submittals must also include the required number of copies specified in section 1.2.

Please make sure either the label below or the information on the label appears on the OUTSIDE of the delivery package and is clearly visible. There may be multiple solicitations open at any given time and if the sender organization and request for proposal number are not discernable, your response may not be recorded as properly received.

RESPONSE SUBMITTAL

DELIVER TO:

CITY OF GRIFFIN

PROCUREMENT – 3RD FLOOR

100 S HILL STREET

PO BOX T

GRIFFIN, GA 30224

RFP/PROPOSAL #: 24-009

RFP/PROPOSAL NAME: Interment and Burial Services Supplier DUE ON OR BEFORE: April 23, 2024

COMPANY NAME:

COMPANY ADDRESS:

CONTACT NAME:

CONTACT PHONE & EMAIL:

CITY OF GRIFFIN, GEORGIA

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

24-009 Interment and Burial Services Supplier

SECTION I – REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Information in this section is proposal-specific. Any conflicting information stipulated in this section shall supersede the General Terms & Conditions noted in Sections II - VII.

PURPOSE

The City of Griffin (City) is seeking qualifications and response proposals from qualified suppliers to provide grave digging, interment and final disposition services for the Public Works department (Cemetery). Approximately 150 – 200 conventional interments per year are anticipated. The intent of this solicitation is to contract with a supplier and a backup supplier to provide the services described in a timely, professional and dignified manner.

1.2. SCHEDULE & SUMMARY

This Request for Proposal will be governed by the following schedule and criteria:

1.3 SCOPE OF WORK

The City is seeking responses from qualified suppliers to provide the necessary equipment, tools, supplies, supervision, labor and other services as necessary for grave digging, interment and final disposition services for the Public Works department. This consists of graveside openings and closings, graveside spoils removal, and other associated services which include, grave leveling and, re-interments, and dis-interments per regulating requirements. In some burials, it will require movement of headstones and foot markers. The supplier will be expected to perform quality work in the specified time period and to ensure services are provided in a manner that supports and reflects best practices and industry standards. All services rendered must be compliant with all applicable statutes, ordinances, rules and regulations.

Any supplier doing work in the cemetery must agree to exercise his/her best skill and judgment; to give proper supervision to the work and to maintain sufficient workers and materials on hand so the job may be completed without delay. The supplier must make proper inspection of the City's lot and no allowance will be made for any oversight of obvious conditions. Every stage of work shall be under the supervision of the supplier or a capable supervisor who shall have charge of all operations and shall recognize any authority duly exercised by the cemetery supervisor.

All work of any description shall cease while a funeral or interment is being conducted nearby and trucks and workers will withdraw to a reasonable distance from the service. While within the cemetery grounds, all workers employed by outside firms and suppliers are subject to all regulations of the cemetery and supervision of the cemetery supervisor or designee. The supplier must confine his equipment and supplies to the City's lot or an area agreed upon with the cemetery. The supplier and any person employed by him shall observe all rules and regulations of the cemetery. The means of transportation of materials and supplies and routing within the cemetery must be approved by the cemetery supervisor or designee. The supplier shall keep the plot as free from accumulations of rubbish and waste materials as possible. After work has been completed, all trash, debris, materials, supplies, etc., shall be removed and the supervisor of the cemetery shall be notified to inspect the premises for approval.

The successful supplier must comply with the following requirements:

1.

1.1.

1.2.

1.3.

1.3.1. Qualifications

1.3.1.1. Any persons doing interments or other cemetery work must be licensed in accordance with Local, State and Federal regulations.

1.3.1.2. Suppliers must have a minimum of five (5) years of excavation experience in interment services. List number of years of experience and the source of that experience.

1.3.1.2.1. List the number of years your organization has been operating and in business under the current name and also under the current management.

1.3.1.2.2. Personnel shall be neatly clad and shall conduct themselves at all times in such fashion, and evidence in appearance and decorum, the proper dignity and professionalism required of this burial service.

1.3.1.2.3. Supplier shall maintain at all times a bound log of all operations and communications with the Cemetery office. This log must be kept up to date, complete and accessible for review by the City.

1.3.2. Scheduling

1.3.2.1. Interments will be scheduled for the City's cemeteries ONLY by the City.

1.3.2.2. Interments are scheduled seven days a week, fifty-two weeks a year, possibly including holidays referenced below.

1.3.2.2.1. The scheduling of Holiday funerals will follow the same guidelines as noted above. Holiday schedules will be updated each January as set by Board of Commissioners and provided to Funeral Directors and the supplier.

1.3.2.3. Funeral homes are required to notify the Cemetery Office for weekday funerals no later than 12:00PM the day prior to the service.

1.3.2.4. Funeral homes are required to notify the Cemetery Office for weekday funerals no later than 12:00PM two (2) days prior to the service if the site is located in the Old Oak Hill or Old Rest Haven Sections in order to allow for any site issues and also to allow proper excavation by the supplier since a few may require hand digging.

1.3.2.5. Funeral homes are required to notify the Cemetery Office before 12:00PM on Friday for funerals scheduled during the weekend or on Mondays.

1.3.2.6. The standard operating procedure is to notify the Supplier at the time the Cemetery is informed. The Cemetery office must receive a confirmation response within four (4) hours from the notification and preferably within two (2) hours.

1.3.2.7. All conventional graves are to be dug at least twenty-four (24) hours before the funeral. There may be times when the Cemetery is not informed in a timely manner. In those situations, the supplier must be willing to work with the Cemetery to provide the highest level of customer satisfaction.

1.3.2.8. The Cemetery staff will locate and mark each interment location according to Interment Permit and contact the funeral home with the location.

1.3.2.9. Each gravesite will be clearly marked with placard showing name of funeral home and will have four corners of the space flagged.

1.3.2.10. The entire interment process is subject to inspection by the City at any time.

1.3.3. Digging

1.3.3.1. The supplier must notify the Cemetery staff upon arrival prior to conducting any work.

1.3.3.2. Prior to excavation, the Supplier will properly measure gravesites and examine them for potential encroachments, and will coordinate with Cemetery staff to make any necessary changes to sites.

1.3.3.3. Monuments that are required to be moved for excavation must be properly reinstalled and sealed. Foot markers that are moved will need to have footing replaced and marker re-installation coordinated by the cemetery supervisor.

1.3.3.4. Supplier must ensure that the depth of each grave complies with City standards, which are a four (4)-foot depth for normal burials and eight (8)-foot or double depth in Veterans Memorial.

1.3.3.5. Any opening that is left unattended for any reason must be completely covered.

1.3.3.5.1. Some lots in older sections of Oak Hill Cemetery have concrete floors and will have to be penetrated prior to digging.

1.3.3.5.2. Floors must be replaced within 30 days.

1.3.3.6. All OSHA regulations must be followed at all time; this is particularly important when excavating a double-depth burial.

1.3.4. Backfilling

1.3.4.1. Backfilling should commence immediately after all mourners have left the cemetery and be completed fully on the same working day.

1.3.4.2. All backfill materials (including the material placed between the liners or vaults and sides of opened graves), will be tamped and compacted in layers not to exceed 1 feet in depth, using soil free from large lumps or debris in order to reduce later subsidence and settlement of the grave.

1.3.4.2.1. Remedial work must be undertaken immediately if there is soil settlement.

1.3.4.3. Toe final 6" to 8" will be topped with loose topsoil mixture to promote grass growth.

1.3.4.4. Monitoring of the condition of the backfilled grave is to be carried out weekly within the first month and thereafter at regular intervals (at least monthly).

1.3.4.5. Supplier will collect, transport and dispose of all remaining spoils in designated site, located in Old Oak Hill Cemetery after each grave closing.

1.3.5. Performance Standards

1.3.5.1. Corrective action needed to repair damage as a result of graveside preparation shall be initiated by close of business the same day. Additional time will be allowed during inclement weather.

1.3.5.1.1. There will be a maximum of 90 days to repair damaged monuments, walls or other property, incurred during excavation or mobilization of equipment.

1.3.5.2. Open graves must be identified, covered and protected by appropriate devices while unattended.

1.3.5.3. Each day's burial site(s) must be covered, initially groomed, marked, and presentable for visitors before the close of business each day. The integrity of the existing graves around the worksite must be preserved.

1.3.6. Supplier Responsibilities

1.3.6.1. Must maintain insurance coverages as defined in section 5.1 with the City named as additional insured in the indemnification provisions.

1.3.6.1.1. City must be provided with notice that the insurance will remain in effect during the full term of any resulting contract and also be notified of any material changes to the policy or policy cancellation.

1.3.6.2. Must be able to complete the opening/closing of up to 200 conventional burials per year.

1.3.6.3. Must have the ability to complete up to 3-5 opening/closings in a day.

1.3.6.4. Must have a setup for grave digging, including but not limited to:

Mechanical equipment (tractor or excavator) Truck (dump truck or variant) Hand tools (tamper, shovels, wheelbarrow, etc) Safety equipment (sturdy covering for grave, caution tape, etc).

1.3.6.5. The supplier shall assume responsibility for all damages attending the execution of any work in the cemetery and shall be held liable for any violations of the rules and regulations of the cemetery or the laws and ordinances of the city. The supplier shall provide adequate protection for his work and shall bear the cost of repairing or replacing any damage done by him, his workers, or his equipment. The supplier will promptly inform cemetery supervisor of any issues with regard to any property damage that may occur. It is strongly recommended that supplier take photos prior to commencement of excavation activities, particularly in older sections of cemetery. These should be kept on file, noting any particular damages or discrepancies observed. Any damages to monuments, walls or property, incurred during excavation or mobilization of equipment, must be repaired within 90 days.

1.3.6.6. In the event the work performance is unsatisfactory, the supplier will be notified by the Cemetery and be given one day to correct the work. Labor for any necessary re-work will be at no cost to the City.

1.3.6.7. Any supplier who violates the rules and regulations of this article shall be subject to having his privileges suspended or revoked at the discretion of the City.

1.3.6.8. Supplier shall maintain at all times a bound log of all operations and communications with the Cemetery office. This log must be kept up to date, complete and accessible for review by the City.

1.4 PACKAGING/SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

The following information and/or documents MUST be included with the supplier’s response and in the order listed below:

a. ___ Information/Cover Page (supplied)

b. ___ RFP Response Disclosures & Acknowledgement sheet (supplied). Note: Non-Collusion and Conflict of Interest Disclosures section must be notarized

c. ___ Contractor Specific Information & Documentation

1) Qualifications: Provide information on the firm’s qualifications and prior experience that relates to this RFP;

2) Similar Project: Submit a list of current contracts;

3) Other: Include any other pertinent information that may be used by the City to evaluate the Firm’s proposal.

d. ___ Pricing Sheet (supplied)

e. ___ Technical Response Sheet (supplied)

f. ___ References Sheet (supplied)

g. ___ Tax Compliance form (supplied)

h. ___ Company Registration paperwork – to be done online*

i. ___ Contractor Affidavit – an additional copy (showing as notarized) of the Contractor (EV) affidavit must be included with response

j. ___ Subcontractor Affidavit (if applicable)

k. ___ Sub-subcontractor Affidavit (if applicable)

* If a complete and compliant (both required documents uploaded) registration has been submitted online, you may include a statement that you have a completed registration on file. Instructions and forms for registration may be found on the City’s website under Resources.

A checklist for your convenience has been provided at the end of this document. This checklist is for your convenience only and should not be returned with the submittal.

1.5 EVALUATION CRITERIA

The City reserves the right to offer an award based on any combination of factors it determines to be in the best interests of the City and the City Residents. Price will be a factor, but it will not be the sole determining factor in awarding the bid. The City may award the proposal to the contractor demonstrating the most complete response and demonstrating full compliance with the specifications in accordance with procurement requirements set forth by the State of Georgia and the Federal Government.

The basis of selection will be the lowest responsive and responsible bid, as determined based on the Evaluation Committee’s evaluation of the Proposals, including but not limited to the following evaluation criteria:

- Ability to meet scope of work 25%

- Qualifications/Staff Experience/References 25%

- Demonstrated technical capability 10%

- Demonstrated professionalism 10%

- Fee schedule 30%

The City reserves the right to accept the BEST-EVALUATED RESPONSE as deemed by the Evaluation Committee, which may or may not be the lowest monetary response.

1.6. FEDERAL TERMS AND PROVISIONS REQUIRED IN CONTRACT

The following terms and conditions must appear in any contract entered into the with Successful Contractor related to the services set forth in this RFP.

1) Access to Records. The following access to records requirements applies to the Contract in addition to any requirements that may be elsewhere imposed:

a. Contractor agrees to provide City, the Comptroller General of the United States, or any of their authorized representatives or designees, access to any books, documents papers, and records of Contractor which are directly pertinent to this Agreement for the purposes of making audits, examinations, excerpts, and transcriptions. Contractor shall keep its books documents, papers, and records available for this purpose for at least five years after this Agreement terminates or expires or such longer time as requested by City at any time prior to the expiration of the then applicable time frame. This provision does not limit the applicable statute of limitations.

b. Contractor agrees to permit any of the foregoing parties to reproduce by any means whatsoever or to copy excerpts and transcriptions as reasonably needed.

c. Contractor agrees to provide any of the foregoing parties access to construction or other work sites pertaining to the work being completed under this Agreement, if applicable.

d. Contractor shall ensure that public records that are exempt or confidential and exempt from public records disclosure requirements are not disclosed except as authorized by law for the duration of the contract term and following completion of the contract if Contractor does not transfer the records to City or any authorized or designated federal representative.

2) Environmental Compliance.

a. Contractor shall comply with all applicable standard, orders, or regulations issued pursuant to the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. § 1701 et seq.) and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act as amended (33 U.S.C. § 1251 et seq.).

b. shall report all violations to City, any applicable State agencies, and the regional office of the Environmental Protection Agency.

c. Contractor shall include these requirements in each subcontract exceeding $150,000 financed in whole or in part with federal assistance.

d. Contractor shall comply with the mandatory standards and policies relating to energy efficiency which are contained in the state energy conservation plan issued in compliance with the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. § 6201 et seq.).

3) Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act.

a. Overtime requirements. No contractor or subcontractor contracting for any part of the contract work which may require or involve the employment of laborers or mechanics shall require or permit any such laborer or mechanic in any workweek in which he or she is employed on such work to work in excess of forty hours in such workweek unless such laborer or mechanic receives compensation at a rate not less than one and one-half times the basic rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of forty hours in such workweek.

b. Violation; liability for unpaid wages; liquidated damages. In the event of any violation of the clause set forth in Paragraph (a) of this section, the Contractor and any subcontractor responsible therefor shall be liable for the unpaid wages. In addition, such Contractor and any subcontractor responsible therefor shall be liable to the United States (in the case of work done under contract for the District of Columbia or a territory, to such District or to such territory) for liquidated damages. Such liquidated damages shall be computed with respect to each individual laborer or mechanic, including watchmen and guards, employed in violation of the clause set forth in Paragraph (a) of this section, in the sum of $26 for each calendar day on which such individual was required or permitted to work in excess of the standard workweek of forty hours without payment of the overtime wages required by the clause set forth in Paragraph (a) of this Section.

c. Withholding for unpaid wages and liquidated damages. The applicable federal funding agency shall upon its own action or upon written request of an authorized representative of the Department of Labor withhold or cause to be withheld, from any moneys payable on account of work performed by the contractor or subcontractor under any such contract or any other federal contract with the same prime contractor, or any other federally-assisted contract subject to the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act, which is held by the same prime contractor, such sums as may be determined to be necessary to satisfy any liabilities of such contractor or subcontractor for unpaid wages and liquidated damages as provided in the clause set forth in Paragraph (b) of this Section.

d. Subcontracts. The Contractor or subcontractor shall insert in any subcontracts the clauses set forth in Paragraphs (a) through (c) of this section and also a clause requiring the subcontractors to include these clauses in any lower tier subcontracts. The prime Contractor shall be responsible for compliance by any subcontractor or lower tier subcontractor with clauses set forth in Paragraphs (a) through (c) of this Section.

4) Equal Employment Opportunity. This provision is applicable to all federally assisted construction contracts, as that term is defined at 41 C.F.R. § 60-1.3. To the extent the Agreement meets this definition, Contractor agrees as follows:

a. The Contractor will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin. The Contractor will take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin. Such action shall include, but not be limited to the following: employment, upgrading, demotion, or transfer; recruitment or recruitment advertising; layoff or termination; rates of pay or other forms of compensation; and selection for training, including apprenticeship. The Contractor agrees to post in conspicuous places, available to employees and applicants for employment, notices to be provided setting forth the provisions of this nondiscrimination clause.

b. The Contractor will, in all solicitations or advertisements for employees placed by or on behalf of the Contractor, state that all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.

c. The Contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because such employee or applicant has inquired about, discussed, or disclosed the compensation of the employee or applicant or another employee or applicant. This provision shall not apply to instances in which an employee who has access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of such employee’s essential job functions discloses the compensation of such other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to such information, unless such disclosure is in response to a formal complaint or charge, in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or is consistent with the Contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

d. The Contractor will send to each labor union or representative of workers with which he has a collective bargaining agreement or other contract or understanding, a notice to be provided advising the said labor union or workers’ representatives of the contractor’s commitments under this section, and shall post copies of the notice in conspicuous places available to employees and applicants for employment.

e. The Contractor will comply with all provisions of Executive Order 11246 of September 24, 1965 and of the rules, regulations, and relevant orders of the Secretary of Labor.

f. The Contractor will furnish all information and reports required by Executive Order 11246 of September 24, 1965, and by rules, regulations, and orders of the Secretary of Labor, or pursuant thereto, and will permit access to his books, records, and accounts by the administering agency and the Secretary of Labor for purposes of investigation to ascertain compliance with such rules, regulations, and orders.

g. In the event of the Contractor’s noncompliance with the nondiscrimination clauses of this contract or with any of the said rules, regulations, or orders, this contract may be cancelled, terminated, or suspended in whole or in part and the Contractor may be declared ineligible for further Government contracts or federally assisted construction contracts in accordance with procedures authorized in Executive Order 11246 of September 24, 1965, and such other sanctions may be imposed and remedies invoked as provided in Executive Order 11246 of September 24, 1965, or by rule, regulation, or order of the Secretary of Labor, or as otherwise provided by law.

h. The Contractor will include provisions in Paragraphs (a) through (g) set forth in this subsection in every subcontract or purchase order unless exempted by rules, regulations, or orders of the Secretary of Labor issued pursuant to Section 204 of Executive Order 11246 of September 24, 1965, so that such provision will be binding upon each subcontractor or vendor. The Contractor will take such action with respect to any subcontract or purchase order as the administering agency may direct as a means of enforcing such provisions, including sanctions for noncompliance; provided, however, that in the event a Contractor becomes involved in, or is threatened with, litigation with a subcontractor or vendor as a result of such direction by the administering agency, the Contractor may request the United States to enter into such litigation to protect the interests of the United States. The applicant further agrees that it will be bound by the above equal opportunity clause with respect to its own employment practices when it participates in federally assisted construction work; provided that if the applicant so participating is a State or local government, the above equal opportunity clause is not applicable to any agency, instrumentality or subdivision of such government which does not participate in work on or under the contract.

The applicant agrees that it will assist and cooperate actively with the administering agency and the Secretary of Labor in obtaining the compliance of contractors and subcontractors with the equal opportunity clause and the rules, regulations, and relevant orders of the Secretary of Labor, that it will furnish he administering agency and the Secretary of Labor such information as they may require for the supervision of such compliances, and that it will otherwise assist the administering agency in the discharge of the agency’s primary responsibility for securing compliance.

The applicant further agrees that it will refrain from entering into any contract or contract medication subject to Executive Order 11246 of September 24, 1965, with a contractor debarred from, or who has no demonstrated eligibility for, Government contracts and federally assisted construction contracts pursuant to the Executive Order and will carry out such sanctions and penalties for violation of the equal opportunity clause as may be imposed upon contractors and subcontractors by the administering agency or the Secretary of Labor pursuant to Part II, Subpart D of the Executive Order. In addition, the applicant agrees that if it fails or refuses to comply with these undertaking the administering agency may take any or all of the following actions: cancel, terminate, or suspend in whole or in part this grant (contract, loan, insurance, guarantee); refrain from extending any further assistance to the applicant under the program with respect to which the failure or refund occurred until satisfactory assurance of future compliance has been received from such applicant; and refer the case to the Department of Justice for appropriate legal proceedings.

5) Contracting with Small and Minority Businesses, Women’s Business Enterprises, and Labor Surplus Area Firms.

a. If Contractor intends to subcontract any portion of the work covered by the Agreement, Contractor must take all necessary affirmative steps to assure that small and minority businesses, women’s business enterprises and labor surplus area firms are solicited and used when possible. Affirmative steps must include:

i. Placing qualified small and minority businesses and women’s business enterprises on solicitation lists;

ii. Assuring that small and minority businesses, and women’s business enterprises, are solicited whenever they are potential sources;

iii. Dividing total requirements, when economically feasible, into smaller tasks or quantities to permit maximum participation by small and minority businesses, and women’s business enterprises;

iv. Establishing delivery schedules, where the requirement permits, which encourage participation by small and minority businesses, and women’s business enterprises; and

v. Using the services and assistance, as appropriate, of such organizations as the Small Business Administration and the Minority Business Development Agency of the Department of Commerce.

6) Immigration and Nationality Act

a. Contractor agrees to comply with the terms of the employment provisions contained in 8 U.S.C. Section 1324A(e), Section 274A(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

7) Administrative Remedies for False Claims and Statements

a. Contractor acknowledges that 31 U.S.C. Chap. 38 (Administrative Remedies for False Claims and Statements) applies to Contractor’s actions pertaining to this Agreement.

8) Remedies

a. If any work performed and/or good delivered by Contractor fails to meet the requirements of the Agreement, any other applicable standards, codes or laws, or otherwise breaches the terms of the Agreement, the City may in its sole discretion:

i. Elect to have Contractor re-perform or cause to be re-performed, at Contractor’s sole expense, any of the work which failed to meet the requirements of the Agreement;

ii. In the case of goods, reject the goods and require Contractor to provide replacement goods that meet the needs of City and the terms of the Agreement;

iii. Hire another Contractor to perform the work and deduct any additional costs incurred by City as a result of substituting contractors from any amounts due to Contractor; or

iv. Pursue and obtain any and all other available legal or equitable remedies.

b. This Section shall in no way be interpreted to limit the City’s right to pursue and obtain any and all other available legal or equitable remedies against Contractor.

9) Compliance with Applicable Laws

a. Contractor agrees to be bound by the terms of the Federally-Funded Subaward and Grant Agreement between the City and FEMA and/or the State of Georgia and any of its agencies if applicable.

b. Contractor agrees to be bound by all applicable state and federal laws, regulations, and Executive Orders.

10) Suspension and Debarment

a. Federal regulations restrict the City from contracting with parties that are debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participation in Federal assistance programs and activities, where the contract is funded in whole or in part with federal funds. Accordingly, a contract or subcontract must not be made with any parties listed on the SAM Exclusions list. SAM Exclusions is the list maintained by the General Services Administration that contains the name of parties debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded by agencies, as well as parties declared ineligible under certain statutory or regulatory authority. The Contractor can verify its status and the status of its principals, affiliates, and subcontractors at www.SAM.gov.

i. This Contract is a covered transaction for purposes of 2 C.F.R. pt. 180 and 2 C.F.R. pt. 3000. As such the Contractor is required to verify that none of the Contractor, its principals (defined at 2 C.F.R. § 180.995), or its affiliates (defined at 2 C.F.R. § 180.905) are excluded (defined at 2 C.F.R. § 180.940) or disqualified (defined at 2 C.F.R. § 180.935).

ii. Contractor must comply with 2 C.F.R. pt. 180, Subpart C and 2 C.F.R. pt. 3000, subpart C and must include a requirement to comply with these regulations in any lower tier covered transaction it enters into.

iii. This certification is a material representation of fact relied upon by the City. If it is later determining that the Contractor did not comply with 2 C.F.R. pt. 180, Subpart C and 2 C.F.R. pt. 3000, Subpart C, in addition to remedies available to the City, the Federal Government may pursue available remedies, including but not limited to suspension and/or debarment.

11) Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment

a. Contractors who apply or bid for an award of $100,000 or more shall file the required certification found below. Each tier certifies to the tier above that it will not and has not used federally appropriated funds to pay any person or organization for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a member of Congress, officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with obtaining any federal contract, grant, or any other award covered by 31 U.S.C. § 1352. Each tier shall also disclose any lobbying with non-federal funds that takes place in connection with obtaining any federal award. Such disclosures are forwarded from tier to tier up to the recipient.

b. The certification referenced in Paragraph (a) of this Section is below:

Certification for Contracts, Grants, Loans, and Cooperative Agreements The undersigned certifies, to the best of his or her knowledge and belief, that:

1) No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid, by or on behalf of the undersigned, to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal contract, the making of any federal grant, the making of any federal loan, the entering into of any cooperative agreement, and the extension, continuation, renewal, amendment, or modification of any federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement.

2) If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with this federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement, the undersigned shall complete and submit Standard Form-LLL, “Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying,” in accordance with its instructions.

3) The undersigned shall require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all subawards at all tiers (including subcontracts, subgrants, and contracts under grants, loans, and cooperative agreements) and that all subrecipients shall certify and disclose accordingly.

REQUESTS FOR PROPOSAL

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sections II - VII review the general terms and conditions. Any bid-specific information noted in Section I or in the Specifications & Response Section will take precedence.

2 SECTION II – GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

All available information, notices and addenda regarding this RFP shall be posted on the City’s website. Effective July 1, 2018, House Bill 489 requires that any solicitation extended by a municipal corporation for goods and services valued at $100,000 or more and any solicitation opportunity extended for public works subject to Chapter 91 of Title 36 of the O.C.G.A. also be posted on the Georgia Procurement Registry (GPR).

It is the Supplier’s responsibility to check the City’s website in order to confirm they have the most current information prior to submitting a response. Subsequent to the opening, all status notices will also be posted on the City’s website.

2.1 RESTRICTIONS ON COMMUNICATIONS WITH STAFF

All questions about this bid must be submitted in the following format:

All questions, including questions regarding specifications/technical issues related to the RFP and administrative issues, must be in writing to the Purchasing Coordinator for this RFP (with a ‘cc’ to Project Manager). The deadline for questions is noted in Section 1.2 of this RFP.

The Purchasing Coordinator and Project Manager’s contact information is as follows:

Sherri Huggins Purchasing Coordinator City of Griffin 100 S. Hill Street P.O. Box T, Griffin, GA 30224 Email: shuggins@cityofgriffin.com

Mariza Eller Project Manager / Public Works Director City of Griffin 100 S. Hill Street P.O. Box T, Griffin, GA 30224 Email: meller@cityofgriffin.com No questions other than written will be accepted. No response other than written will be binding upon the City. Questions will be combined into one list of questions and responses and will be posted as an addendum.

From the issue date of this request until an award has either been made or deemed closed for other reasons, institutions or individuals providing submissions are not permitted to communicate with members of the commission, the evaluation team or City employees, other than Procurement, with regard to the purpose or intent of this Request for Proposal. The exception to this is the submission of written technical questions to the Purchasing Coordinator with the Project Manager copied, or communications unrelated to this Request for Proposal which occur in the ordinary course of City business. The City reserves the right to reject the submission of the offending supplier if this provision is violated.

Any updates or changes to this and related documents will be posted on the City’s website (https://vrapp.vendorregistry.com/Bids/View/BidsList?BuyerId=52b8c206-866a-4ed2-b7b8-bef7db8a901b) or by selecting “Resources” and then “Bid Opportunities” from the City home page. It is the Supplier’s responsibility to refer to the website for any addenda or other pertinent information before responding to this Request for Proposal.

2.2 PUBLIC DISCLOSURE AND PROPRIETARY INFORMATION

All bids and any other public record with respect to solicitation shall be subject to public inspection, upon request, after the posting of the Notice of Intent to Award (NOIA) or Notice of Award (NOA). This is being done in order to protect the integrity of the procurement process unless otherwise required by law. For any Open Records requests, the City may assess fees for the costs of producing these public records as permitted by the Georgia Open Records Act.

Exceptions to the availability of information include 1) bona fide trade secrets meeting confidentiality requirements that have been properly marked and documented; 2) matters involving individual safety as determined by the City; 3) company financial information requested by the City to determine supplier responsibility; and 4) other constitutional protections. All documents that are to be proprietary and confidential are to be clearly marked as such.

Information received in response to this bid request will become the property of the City and will not be returned. If a proposer feels that any information is confidential or proprietary in nature, the proposer must prominently mark and initial such information as “PROPRIETARY INFORMATION”. The City will not release or divulge such information to third parties without the consent of the Proposer unless required to do so by applicable law or order a court of competent jurisdiction.

3 SECTION III –OVERVIEW AND PROCEDURES

Sections II - VII review the general terms and conditions. Any bid-specific information noted in Section I or in the Specifications & Response Section will take precedence.

3.1 COMPANY BACKGROUND & EXPERIENCE

Suppliers that have not contracted with the City of Griffin in the past 2 years should provide a list of clients for whom similar services, as detailed in this bid, have been provided during the past 3-4 years. References must be for the organization or person submitting the bid. Subcontractor’s references are not acceptable.

The list must include:

The Supplier will also disclose any services terminated by the client(s) and the reason(s) for termination.

Failure to provide this information will disqualify the bid submission.

3.2 REFERENCES

References should be for historical projects of similar size and scope. Details regarding these references are noted on the Reference page.

3.1.

3.2.

3.3 BID REQUIREMENTS

3.3.1 SPECIAL CONDITIONS

By submitting a bid response, Suppliers certify that their proposals are made without collusion or fraud and they have not offered or received any inducements in connection with their proposals. They further agree that this solicitation and any resulting contract shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the State of Georgia and they shall comply with applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. Any contracts or leases resulting from the award of a Bid are to be for a period of not more than one year, with four renewal options for a total period not to exceed five years. Any exceptions to this policy must be noted and agreed to by both parties in writing, prior to the issuance of the Notice of Award. Pricing must remain firm for the duration of the initial term of the resulting contract; failure to hold firm pricing for the initial contract will be considered as sufficient cause for termination. Proposal submissions must remain valid for a minimum period of ninety (90) days after the submission due date unless otherwise stipulated.

The City reserves the right to reduce or increase the scope of the project if the lowest responsible and responsive supplier’s submittal is not in line with the budgeted amount for the project. The City, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to increase or decrease the scope of work to facilitate an award. This scope reduction will be enacted only if it is in the best interest of the City and constitutes no guarantee of scope.

The City also reserves the right to add to the contract any future work or purchased goods, with the agreement of the supplier, at prices offered in this bid document. This option will be enacted during the contract or within six months subsequent to the end of the contract, if in the best interest of the City and with the agreement of both parties.

0.

3.3.2 RESPONSES

In responding to a bid, ALL item numbers with appropriate formatting must show some type of acknowledgment in order for the response to be properly evaluated. Failure to respond to all specification criteria items may be deemed as sufficient reason to reject a submission. If formatting is not provided for a response at the item level, any non-compliance must be clearly marked, detailed and included with the bid response. Any items not identified shall be deemed as in compliance. Suppliers must: 1) complete any/all required forms; 2) indicate agreement or disagreement on each mandatory requirement and, if requested, provide additional information on how the specifications will be exceeded or not met; and 3) provide complete and detailed responses to any and all non-mandatory requirement that can be fulfilled.

If determined to be in the City’s best interests, a Best and Final Offer (BAFO) may be requested. A BAFO may be requested when:

· The prices for all responsive and responsible submittals exceed budget;

· No single responsive and responsible submittal meets all requirements;

· When all responses are unclear or deficient in one of more areas;

· When the grading scores of two or more submittals require additional evaluation;

· At the discretion of the evaluation team to clarify submittals or to negotiate costs or other deliverables.

3.3.3 PACKAGING OF BID

Submissions must be by the following method:

No e-mail, fax or scanned submissions will be accepted. Hard copies are to be submitted in a sealed package containing an original and the number of copies specified in Section 1. The sealed package must be labeled on the outside as follows:

(Supplier Name) RFP # (Bid Number) (Bid Title)

Supplier response to this bid must consist of the following documents in addition to any bid-specific information requested in Section 1.4:

· Pricing

· Supplier Registration is to be completed online, with the following forms needing to be uploaded

· Supplier Affidavit (E-Verify) (available online),

· W-9 (available online),

· Some responses may require an additional notarized Supplier affidavit. (See section 1.4),

· The City cannot award to a supplier that is not registered and compliant,

· Tax Compliance form (required if over $99,000) (supplied if required),

· Reference list of a minimum of three (3) references (supplied).

3.3.4 SUBMISSION OF BID

The original and specified copies of the bid response must be delivered to the Purchasing Coordinator no later than the time and date specified in Section I. Any bid received after stated time or delivered to department other than Procurement will not be accepted. The City of Griffin will not be responsible for any responses not received by the Procurement Department prior to the deadline.

Proposals must be submitted to:

City of Griffin Attention: Sherri Huggins – Procurement Coordinator P. O. Box T, Griffin, GA 30224

Or delivered to:

Attention: Sherri Huggins – Procurement Coordinator 100 S Hill Street, 3rd Floor Griffin, GA 30223

*Note: Notify Purchasing Coordinator via email (shuggins@cityofgriffin.com) if submittal is mailed via Post Office (USPS).

3.3.5 ALTERNATE BID DOCUMENTS

Documents prepared by the City which have been supplied for your use must be used for the submission of Bid Response where provided. The use of alternate forms that deviate from those supplied (See Section 1.4 of this RFP) may disqualify the Bid Response from consideration. If a form is not provided, the Bidder may produce their own document with the required/requested Bid Response information.

3.3.6 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ADDENDA

The City will issue responses to inquiries and any other corrections or amendments it deems necessary in written addenda issued prior to the bid opening date. Suppliers should not rely on any representations, statements, or explanations other than those made in this Invitation to Bid and its’ addendums. Where there appears to be a conflict between the Invitation to bid and any addenda issued, the last addendum issued will prevail. It is the Supplier’s responsibility to check for addendums (under Bid Opportunities) on the City’s website.

Suppliers must acknowledge any issued addenda. Bids which fail to acknowledge the supplier’s receipt of any addendum will result in the rejection of the bid if the addendum contains information which substantively changes the City’s requirements.

3.3.7 PROPOSAL PRICING, ERRORS AND OMISSIONS

3.3.7.1 In the event there is a discrepancy between a unit price submitted and the extended price, the unit price will prevail.

3.3.7.2 All corrections, changes or erasures to the proposal submission are to be initialed in ink.

3.3.8 WITHDRAWAL OF BID

A supplier may withdraw his bid before the submittal deadline without prejudice to the supplier by submitting a written request of withdrawal to the Procurement Analyst.

3.3.9 LATE SUBMITTAL, LATE MODIFICATIONS & LATE WITHDRAWALS

Bid…