26 0225 - Specifications.pdf

SPECIFICATIONS

SCOPE

Harris County is soliciting bids from qualified and experienced vendors to establish a term contract for the preventive, predictive, and emergency maintenance, inspection, testing, troubleshooting, repair, upgrades, and potential construction of fiber optic communication systems and related infrastructure for the Harris County Office of the County Engineer (OCE). Services shall include all labor, supervision, equipment, materials, tools, transportation, and incidental items necessary to perform the work in accordance with the specifications and requirements of this solicitation.

The contract term shall begin on October 27, 2026, and shall continue for a period of one (1) year, unless otherwise terminated in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract. Any services authorized by a valid purchase order issued prior to the contract expiration date shall remain in effect until all work has been satisfactorily completed, accepted by the County, and all contractual obligations have been fulfilled.

PRE-BID CONFERENCE

A pre-bid conference is scheduled for August 18, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. CST, local time via Microsoft Teams.

Join the Meeting Now:

https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/233804136705062?p=ZoteOs6dWKDDtXHCDU Meeting ID: 233 804 136 705 062 Passcode: wc75JD9L

Or call in (audio only) +1 281-985-1862,,527847940#

Attendance is not mandatory but preferred so that all vendors have a better understanding of the requirements of this bid. The pre-bid conference will not be rescheduled due to tardiness or any other issues that may arise; no exceptions. Persons with disabilities requiring special accommodations should contact the Purchasing Office at (713) 274- 4400 at least two (2) days prior to the pre-bid conference.

It is the responsibility of each vendor to examine the entire bid package, seek clarification in writing, and review their bid for accuracy before submitting. Questions relating to this bid must be submitted in writing within Bonfire. The deadline for submission of questions relating to this bid is listed on the Event Schedule within Bonfire. All questions submitted in writing prior to the deadline will be compiled and answered in writing. A copy of all questions and answers will be forwarded via Public Notices through Bonfire to all firms. The County will not be bound by any information conveyed verbally.

M/WBEs Harris County strives to engage with prime Vendors and sub Vendors that represent the diverse businesses of the County. We will ensure that historically underutilized minority- and woman-owned businesses (M/WBEs) receive a fair and equal opportunity to participate in the County's procurement process. The County expects Vendors to make a good faith effort and the Vendor agrees to reasonably assist the County to meet or exceed goals for awarding contracts associated with a project the County procures, operates, maintains, or constructs to M/WBEs.

Maintenance of Communications Infrastructure and Related Items at Various Locations for Harris County https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/233804136705062?p=ZoteOs6dWKDDtXHCDU tel:+12819851862,,527847940

RENEWAL OPTIONS

Harris County may consider four (4) one-year renewal options, renewable one (1) year at a time, based on the same terms and conditions but pricing will be revised for goods and services according to the attachment titled CPI-W Based Price Adjustment Calculations. Any annual CPI adjustment increase shall be capped not to exceed four percent (4.0%) or a negotiated percentage less than the established cap. Renewal is subject to approval by Harris County Commissioners Court. Once renewal options are exhausted, the contract must be rebid. Harris County reserves the right to rebid at any time as is in its best interest and is not automatically bound to renew.

CERTIFICATE OF INTERESTED PARTIES (FORM 1295)

Texas law requires all parties who enter into any contract with the County which must be approved by Commissioners Court to disclose all interested parties. Form 1295 must be completed in its entirety at the following website: https://ethics.state.tx.us/filinginfo/1295/ prior to submitting your response. Failure to do so may result in disqualification of your response.

USAGE REPORTS

Harris County reserves the right to request, and receive at no additional cost, up to two (2) times during the contract period, a usage report detailing the products and/or services furnished to date under a contract resulting from this bid. The reports must be furnished no later than five (5) working days after written request and itemize all purchases to date by Harris County department, description of each item purchased, quantity of each item purchased, per unit and extended price of each item purchased, and total amount and price of all items purchased.

CHANGE IN CONTRACT

Should any changes to the contract be required, a Change in Contract form shall be generated by Harris County Purchasing and will be sent to the awarded vendor(s) for execution. Any changes in contract shall be in writing and must be signed by both Harris County and the awarded vendor.

PURCHASE ORDERS

Products and/or services must not be provided and invoices will not be paid without a purchase order, signed by the Harris County Purchasing Agent. Purchase orders will be written in annual increments when applicable.

Once a purchase order is issued, the using department will contact vendor directly to place orders.

PAYMENT CARD INDUSTRY COMPLIANCE

As a merchant accepting payment cards, the County is required to maintain compliance with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard (DSS). This requirement extends to all cardholder information and systems within the County’s control, including information and systems that may be accessed or managed by County contracted vendors. A County contracted vendor may have access to confidential information, which may include customer credit card information, that may be accessed and utilized by the vendor to perform services under the terms of this Agreement and/or other agreements between the County and said vendor. The vendor acknowledges that any such confidential information is the sole property of the County, and the vendor agrees to protect and secure the information from unauthorized access, whether by the vendor’s employees or other parties.

The vendor agrees to comply with the PCI DSS in all vendor-owned systems, networks, and hosts which interface with County-owned systems. The vendor agrees that the processes it uses for developing and/or accessing systems that contain client confidential information will be PCI DSS compliant. The vendor agrees to promptly notify the County of any security breach or failure of a vendor-owned system that affects confidential information belonging to the County.

https://ethics.state.tx.us/filinginfo/1295/

INVOICING

Vendor shall furnish Harris County with an itemized invoice for services performed. Vendor shall furnish upon request any supporting documentation for invoices including but not limited to service tickets, invoices/receipts of materials used for repairs and sub Vendor invoices. Invoices shall state that these specifications have been strictly adhered to, and that the vendor has not received, and will not receive, any money or other type of compensation from any party for the services for which Harris County is paying.

NO CONFIDENTIALITY OF BIDS

Once opened, bids are public record. There are no exceptions. When submitting a bid, the vendor must be sure to redact confidential information if the information is needed to address requirements of the bid. If there are any questions concerning confidentiality of information to be submitted, contact Melissa McCord immediately at tamara.twiner@harriscountytx.gov.

ALTERATION OF DOCUMENT

No alterations may be made to this document. Any alterations made may result in the bid being deemed non-responsive and rejected. The terms and conditions contained within this bid supersede all conflicting terms within any cooperative purchasing contracts associated with this purchase.

TOLL/PARKING FEES

Any and all toll/parking FEES incurred by the vendor during the term of this contract will be the responsibility of the vendor.

BID BOND

A bid bond or bank cashier’s check only (company checks are not acceptable) in the amount of 5% of proposal is required and must be submitted with vendor’s proposal. The successful vendor is required to furnish a performance bond and/or payment bond in the amount of 100% of proposal within ten (10) days of the award. The performance bond and/or payment bond must remain in effect for the duration of the contract, including renewals. Upon award, Harris County Purchasing will send awarded vendor a performance bond application. If a vendor is not awarded, bank cashier’s checks will be returned within

(10) ten days of award. If a vendor is awarded, checks will be returned (10) ten days after receipt of the performance and/or payment bond.

PAYMENT BOND

Vendor(s) may subcontract any part of these contracted services. However, the vendor shall be the party liable to Harris County for strict compliance with all contract specifications. Additionally, Harris County must approve in writing any and all subcontractors prior to the subcontractor providing any services. If the vendor shall subcontract services during the term of the contract, the vendor is required to provide a payment bond in the full amount of the contract upon approval of award for this contract. Harris County will provide the bond forms to be completed and returned.

BACKGROUND CHECK

In accordance with the OCE employment policies for new hires, including temporary workers and vendor employees/contractors, the following requirements must be met at vendor’s expense:

1. Background check including, but not limited to, verification of previous employment;

2. Verification of licensure and/or certification;

3. Criminal activity background check;

4. Pre-employment drug screen with confirmatory testing in the event of a positive screen.

The awarded vendor/contractor must retain the above information and provide for review by Harris County upon request.

mailto:tamara.twiner@harriscountytx.gov

Harris County may also conduct its own criminal activity background checks of vendor employees/contractors at the County’s own expense. Upon request, vendor will obtain the consent of its employees/contractors authorizing Harris County or an authorized vendor to conduct such criminal activity background checks. Employees/contractors who do not consent shall not perform services under this contract.

BACKGROUND

The Harris County Office of the County Engineer (OCE) is responsible for planning, designing, constructing, operating, and maintaining the County's public infrastructure in support of the safety, mobility, and quality of life of Harris County residents. Serving one of the largest and fastest-growing counties in the United States, the OCE oversees a broad portfolio of infrastructure assets, including roads, bridges, drainage systems, traffic signals, communications infrastructure, and various public facilities. The department also provides engineering, surveying, project management, construction management, and technical support services for capital improvement projects and other County initiatives.

To support its mission, the Office of the County Engineer relies on a secure, reliable, and resilient communications network that enables connectivity between County facilities, field operations, traffic management systems, public safety infrastructure, and other critical technologies. Fiber optic communication systems serve as the backbone of this network by providing high-speed data transmission and supporting essential County operations. Ongoing preventive maintenance, inspections, testing, repairs, upgrades, and system expansions are necessary to maintain system reliability, minimize service interruptions, and ensure the communications infrastructure continues to meet the County's current and future operational needs.

SUBCONTRACTING

The vendor may subcontract any part of these contracted services. However, the vendor shall be the party liable to Harris County for strict compliance with all contract specifications. Additionally, Harris County must approve in writing any and all subcontractors prior to the subcontractor providing any services.

Vendor and subcontractors will have a minimum of three (3) years of experience in services described in this bid. If the vendor shall subcontract services during the term of the contract, the vendor is required to provide a payment bond in the full amount of the contract upon approval of award for this contract. Harris County will provide the bond forms to be completed and returned.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Vendor may offer for sale additional items related to the scope of goods and/or services described herein and/or listed on the BidTable. Though the related items offered may be considered during the award recommendation, and/or may be made a part of a subsequent contract, if any, with Harris County, the affect of the related items cannot be extended and totaled in determining the lowest bidder since an estimated usage is unknown.

Purchases by Harris County of related items should not exceed 20% of the total annual purchases under the contract.

The rates quoted on the BidTable must be all-inclusive. “All-inclusive” shall be constructed as costs incorporating all charges for labor, material, equipment, testing and any other cost incurred. No separate line item rates or charges will be accepted.

During the term of the contract, only industry-wide changes in price, reflected by documentation from supplying manufacturer/mill(s) will be approved. Pricing is subject to manufacturer’s increase/decrease, and for the amount of the increase/decrease only. Prices cannot be increased for ninety (90) days after the contract begins. Prices cannot be increased within ninety (90) days of any previous price increase. Price reductions must be applied to Harris County costs as soon as applied to vendor’s costs.

This bid or Commissioners Court approved award does not obligate Harris County to the eventual purchase of any product/service described, implied or which may be proposed. Progress toward this end is solely at the discretion of Harris County and may be terminated at any time.

The County may award to more than one (1) vendor as “Primary” and “Secondary” vendor. The “Secondary” vendor will be utilized due to time constraints, availability, etc.

SPECIFICATION

The Vendor shall furnish all labor, supervision, materials, equipment, tools, transportation, supplies, replacement parts, and incidentals necessary to provide preventive, predictive, and emergency maintenance, inspection, testing, troubleshooting, repair, upgrades, and potential construction services for fiber optic communication systems and related infrastructure in accordance with the requirements of this solicitation.

The vendor shall provide services for preventative, predictive, and emergency maintenance, inspection, testing, upgrade, repair, and construction of OCE’s fiber optic cable communications system. Additional maintenance and related services shall include, but are not limited to adds, moves and changes to the cable infrastructure as it currently exists. Vendor may also be required to provide tower climbing services as part of this Bid. The vendor shall assume maintenance/warranty responsibility for existing and future cabling that is installed as a result of new construction of County facilities and highway construction projects. The OCE designated representative will determine and direct all work that is to be done under this contract.

I. General Requirements

Vendor shall meet or exceed the following requirements:

A. Minimum Vendor Qualifications

The vendor shall provide all labor, materials, equipment parts, storm water pollution prevention, and traffic control, necessary to meet requirements of the specified services described herein throughout the term of this contract. The performance of this contract requires specialized knowledge of practices, techniques, operation and maintenance of sophisticated testing and splicing equipment which includes, but not limited to, fusion splicers, Optical Time Domain Reflector (OTDR), fiber optical light sources, and fiber optical power meters. The vendor shall use a Fluke OFP-100-QI/GLD OTDR, or an OCE-approved equal, for all testing requiring OTDR, to maintain software interoperability with OCE testing and acceptance procedures. A bidder proposing an equal product shall submit a written substitution request with its bid, including technical documentation demonstrating functional and software-interoperability equivalence to the named product. OCE will evaluate and approve or deny equal-product requests resulting from this Bid. All repair and testing equipment shall be factory calibrated and current per manufacturer’s guidelines. The vendor shall furnish all testing equipment and instruments necessary for making tests on the systems and/or equipment as soon as the need arises at no additional cost to OCE. At a minimum, the vendor shall have fiber optic light sources, fiber optic power meters, fiber optic OTDR, fiber optic fusion splicer, portable computer with daylight visible screen with a 10/100 Base-T Ethernet port, 9-pin RS-232 port, and current version of Windows Operating System for testing.

The maintenance activities and services to be provided under this contract will require the use of a variety of mechanical equipment including but limited to, pole boring and setting machines, trenching machines, back-hoe and conduit boring machines, bucket truck, digger truck, service van, air compressor, jack hammer, splicing trailer or van set up to allow work on splicing, connectorization and enclosures, free from environmental exposure. This list is not all-inclusive and the vendor shall provide all other tools and machinery as required to perform work described herein. The vendor shall ensure that when work is being performed in traffic lanes, the appropriate signs, barrels, and other safety devices are used to ensure the safety of the technicians as well as the travelling public.

Materials, equipment, labor, parts, components, and services will be paid in accordance with the bid items shown on the bid sheets. Nature and Scope of the Project. The County currently has over 100 buildings/sites with infrastructure cabling across the state of Texas. The County is also including conduit and the installation of roadway fiber in new construction and road re-build projects. Around 50% of the services that the vendor will provide through this Bid will be generated through the re-modeling of County facilities. The number of re-modeling projects is estimated at 15 per year.

The amount of data/voice cabling affected due to a re-modeling project per work order is estimated from around 20 to 100 connections, depending on the size and type of location. This may include conduit and electrical installations depending on the work order. Approximately 20% of services would be generated for modifications, demolition and installations of GAI- Tronics Radio/Intercom cabling, conduit, tele-panels and communication cabinets.

About 30% of services would be comprised of troubleshooting cabling problems, replacing or repairing problematic cabling/parts including roadway fiber, migrations to County buildings, minor changes in requirements at a facility, providing direction and technical solutions and on occasion services for a catastrophic event like a cable bundle being severed.

The vendor shall provide a cost estimate, which the designated OCE representative will approve in writing prior to any work being performed. OCE designated representative will also approve any major replacement components prior to installation and OCE will be the sole judge when identifying major components. OCE reserves the right to obtain service under a separate purchase order should it best serve the interest of OCE.

The vendor will be responsible for installing access points, antennas and coaxial cables for wireless communication. The vendor may have to run coaxial cable feeds for video and terminate a jack with BNP connectors. The vendor must supply all test equipment for the certification of terminated cabling; perform the tests for any cables they terminate and provide the test results to the County. The vendor must provide all equipment necessary and have the resources in trained personnel to perform any fiber splicing mechanical or fusion as required, provide all test equipment to certify the splice and provide the test results to the County. The vendor will provide all analysis equipment and the technical staff to properly identify the cause of a cabling problem and determine the appropriate action for problem resolution.

The vendor shall provide all equipment, labor, and materials for utility location services in the vicinity of the fiber duct bank area for Harris County, to include but not limited to, OCE existing fiber optic cable, communications cable, electrical cables, multi-duct conduit, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) conduit, rigid metal conduit (RMC), and all other conduits in the system for both conduit in use and for unused conduit in accordance with the National Utility Locating Contractors Association (NULCA) and American Public Works Association (APWA) guidelines and applicable local, state, and federal laws utilizing the appropriate equipment and latest technology.

The existing utilities shall be marked using the appropriate color codes and markings as accepted by the NULCA and APWA. The utility locates shall be completed within two (2) working days unless the request is deemed an emergency. The vendor shall also install tracer wire in existing and proposed conduits as directed by OCE designated representative.

The vendor shall also coordinate the locations of existing utility lines in the right of way that may be in conflict with the vendor work area.

OCE reserves the right to inspect the equipment, installation, and operation of any portion/component of the vendor installed fiber optic cable communications system at any time and/or modify settings whenever deemed necessary by OCE.

The vendor’s failure to complete the utility locates within two (2) working days shall result in the accrual of liquidated damages at $750/day for each utility locate until the utility locates are completed. OCE will notify the vendor of its intent to assess an amount for each day of delay as liquidated damages and not as a penalty.

B. Experience The Vendor shall be a company engaged in the business of providing labor, equipment, tools, and parts to perform preventative, predictive, and emergency maintenance, inspection, testing, upgrades, repair, and construction of fiber optic cable communications systems, associated equipment and related items for a minimum of three (3) years within the past six (6) years. Vendor shall submit as proof with bid, photographs, or other supporting documents, in addition to names, addresses and telephone numbers of the operating personnel of the business or agency where the services described herein were offered. OCE reserves the right to contact the operating personnel of the business or agency.

Vendor shall possess two (2) years of continued experience on projects requiring the location of utility lines including, but not limited to, storm sewers, sanitary sewers, power, natural gas, fiber optic, communication cables and other utility lines commonly found along the right of way.

C. Resources The vendor will be required to employ and maintain a force of qualified communication maintenance professionals on staff and have adequate staff to provide service at more than one location at a time. The vendor shall have available key personnel with a combined minimum work force that can meet the response time requirements described herein. In addition, the vendor shall be capable of mobilizing a minimum of two (2) crews with key personnel, equipment, and materials to begin immediate repairs within four (4) hours of notification to critical sections of the fiber backbone.

The vendor shall be required to provide all training to key personnel to upgrade skills and maintain any required certifications based on the latest technology implemented at no additional cost to OCE.

The vendor shall be required to diagnose reported problems and to take necessary steps to repair problems associated with OCE fiber optic network system. This may include, but not limited to, satellite communication hub buildings, environmental buildings, patch panels, encoders, decoders, and etc. In addition, the vendor will be required to be familiar with the design, construction, and maintenance of both underground and aerial fiber optic cable installations. This may include, but is not limited to, drop cables, outside plant (trunk/backbone) fiber, spider-fan outs, terminations, couplers, splice trays, enclosures, pole risers, buried service boxes, junction boxes, and etc. The vendor shall be familiar and trained in the use of any and all installation, testing, and maintenance equipment necessary to perform these duties.

II. Applicable Law and Standards

All work shall be performed to the most recent standards and specifications included and stated herein, but not limited to, throughout the contract duration and any updates throughout the life of the contract. Vendor shall perform work that produces end results in accordance with Harris County Specifications, all Texas and Federal standards, and applicable industry codes in effect at the time of the performance of the specific work.

The vendor shall provide all equipment, parts and materials and perform work that produces end results in accordance with OCE’s specifications, Harris County Public Infrastructure Coordination (PIC) Specifications and Standards, TXDOT Standard Specifications for Construction of Highways and Bridges, latest edition, TXDOT Traffic Engineering Standard Plan Sheets, Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (TMUTCD), National Electric Code (NEC), National Electric Safety Code (NESC), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), local utility requirements, and applicable industry codes in effect at the time of the performance of the specific work and consistent with the manufacture’s repair and maintenance practices. All fiber optic cable installation, splicing, and testing shall meet EIA/TIA category testing standards, and all labeling and infrastructure documentation shall conform to ANSI/TIA-606, or OCE-approved equal standards.

All personnel shall be familiar with and all Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), NEC, NESC requirements as they apply to aerial and underground construction activities as well as relative maintenance practices. In addition, all personnel shall have an International Municipal Signal Association (IMSA) Work Zone Safety Certification, Valid Texas Driver License, if operating a vehicle. All personnel performing fiber repairs and/or installation shall have, as a minimum, Lucent, or Corning, or OCE approved equal Optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) factory certifications.

A. Safety

All safety materials and or devices necessary to perform the work in a safe and orderly manner shall be furnished by the vendor. Safety equipment for vendor personnel includes but is not limited to reflective vests, hardhats, protective gear including safety glasses and ear plugs, and safety lighting for all vehicles.

Vendor shall maintain project site(s) in a clean and orderly fashion and remove all trash, debris, containers and etc. from the project site(s) upon completion of work each day and dispose of materials in accordance with Federal and State regulations at no additional cost to OCE. Harris County is not responsible for vendor errors and omissions.

Vendor personnel performing work in crawl spaces, tunnels, trenches, or other confined spaces shall comply with applicable OSHA confined-space entry procedures. Vendor personnel performing aerial work on poles or towers shall utilize fall-protection equipment consistent with OSHA and industry standards. The vendor shall maintain and make available, upon request, safety data sheets (SDS) for any chemicals or hazardous materials brought onto a project site.

B. Permits and Licenses OCE reserves the right to direct the vendor to acquire any and all permits and or licenses required to perform services related to this bid from, but not limited to, TxDOT, City of Houston, Harris County, Fort Bend County , Montgomery County, OSHA, Railroad Companies and Etc., as applicable throughout the term of this contract at no additional cost to Harris County.

C. Account Manager The vendor shall provide the County with a local account manager (name, location, phone number and email address). Account manager will serve as primary point of contact and shall provide usage report(s), and other documentation as requested by Harris County. This point of contact shall be available during regular working hours at the vendor’s location, or via cellular telephone.

The vendor shall also provide Harris County with a toll-free number for after-hours emergencies.

The vendor shall provide a cellular telephone to all applicable personnel. The customer service department and contact information shall be a local or toll-free number and available Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m.– 5:00 p.m. CST. An overnight and weekend contact shall be provided by the vendor. For off-shift hours, the vendor shall provide a point of contact, with a single telephone number, who can be reached twenty–four (24) hours, seven (7) days a week including holidays.

D. Reporting The vendor shall submit reports as requested by OCE, attachment l., Reporting Form. Reports and format standards will be approved by OCE and shall be submitted directed by OCE designated representative. The reports shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

1. Daily Status Report: The vendor shall provide a daily work report in accordance with requirements established between the vendor and OCE.

• Date when work was performed

• Locations or limits of work completed

• Itemized list of charged parts used during that day’s activities, including quantities,

• Problems requiring OCE approval to repair, and

• Location of next day Preventative Maintenance activities.

2. Repair Forms:

Summarized by date, location, typo of repair or replacement, time spent by the vendor’s technician(s) to complete the assignments, and other information as required by OCE.

3. Usage Reporting Requirements:

Harris County reserves the right to request and receive at least one (1) usage report during the contract period. The Vendor shall furnish the requested report within five (5) working days of receiving written notice from Harris County.

Each usage report shall detail all services provided to date under the contract and shall include, at a minimum, the following information:

• Harris County department receiving the service;

• Description of each service provided, including service type;

• Quantity of each service performed;

• Unit price and extended price of each service; and

• Total quantity and value of all services rendered to date.

For the purposes of this section, “working days” exclude weekends and Harris County holidays (refer to Harris County Holidays for the current schedule).

All usage reports shall be computer-generated and formatted in Microsoft Excel (latest edition) or another format approved in writing by Harris County. Reports shall be provided https://www.harriscountytx.gov/Residents/Information/Harris-County-Holidays electronically or as directed by the County.

III. Location and Protection Utilities The vendor shall be solely responsible for the location and protection of any and all public, private, and utility customer service lines in the work area.

Prior to beginning any excavation work, the vendor shall contact the Utility Coordinating Committee at 713- 223-4567 or 811 to locate, mark, uncover, or otherwise protect all such utilities from any damage. Any damage to any utilities caused by the vendor shall be repaired in a timely manner at no additional cost to OCE.

It is the responsibility of the vendor when working near power lines, to comply with the appropriate sections of Texas State Law and Federal Regulations relating to the type of work involved. If any overhead or underground power line needs to be de-energized, the vendor shall coordinate this effort with the governing utility company. Any cost associated with de-energizing the power lines and/or protective measures required shall be at the vendor’s expense.

Fiber optic duct banks owned by TXDOT and Harris County may also exist within the project limits.

These fiber optic duct banks are not part of the Texas One Call System. The vendor shall be responsible for locating and marking OCE existing fiber optic duct banks as described herein and responsible for contacting TXDOT, OCE, and Harris County Traffic to obtain fiber optic duct bank locates at the following numbers or email.

TXDOT – 713.802.5895

Harris County Traffic Signal Hotline – 713.881.3210 Harris County Office of the County Engineer – kenneth.payne@harriscountytx.gov

IV. Vendor Personnel and Classifications:

Vendor shall provide trained and qualified personnel to provide all services related to this bid and shall identify classifications and specialties needed to maintain the contract as required.

Classifications identified herein shall establish minimum service requirements. Vendor shall identify within bid submission all classifications, specialties and hourly rates needed to perform the services herein.

A. Fiber Optic Technician

The vendor shall have three (3) fiber optic technicians with a minimum of three (3) years of verifiable field experience relative to fiber optic construction, installation, maintenance, testing and use of watertight splice enclosures. The fiber optic technicians shall be required to perform advance fiber optic troubleshooting techniques as well as being able to perform fiber optic fusion splicing, repairs, maintenance, and testing as required on both aerial and underground fiber optic cable.

The fiber optic technicians shall be required to operate a bucket truck or other lift equipment, climb poles, climb towers, enter crawl spaces, tunnels, or trenches to inspect, install, or repair fiber optic lines, terminal boxes, auxiliary equipment, and appliances. The fiber optic technicians shall be required to install, re-install, or repair aerial and underground fiber systems including messenger, lashing wire, fiber cable, slack storage loops, splice enclosures, poles, attachments, and other necessary cable hardware or appliances. The fiber optic technicians must be proficient in the use of all testing and splice equipment and shall be capable of efficiently testing, troubleshooting, documenting, and analyzing the results using an Optical Time Domain mailto:kenneth.payne@harriscountytx.gov

Reflectometer (OTDR) and power meter. The fiber optic technicians shall perform uni-directional and bi-directional OTDR tests, Polarization Modal Dispersion Tests, Chromatic Dispersion Tests, Continuity Tests, and Optical Light Loss Tests. The fiber optic technicians will be required to become familiar with OCE fiber system. Training and certifications required for the fiber optic technicians are as follows:

• International Municipal Signal Association (IMSA)/Fiber Optic Association (FOA)

Technician Level 1 and Level 2; Certified Fiber Optic Technician (CFOT); BICSI Installer or Technician certification; or an OCE-approved equal certification

• IMSA Work Zone Safety Certification

B. Electrician The vendor shall have at least two (2) electricians with a minimum of three (3) years of verifiable field experience each, relative to electrical installation, construction, testing, repair, and maintenance. The electrician shall be capable of installing and repairing electrical metallic tubing (EMT) Conduits, low/high voltage circuits, and service poles. The electrician shall be capable of working both outside and inside of buildings. Training and certifications required for the electrician are as follows:

• Licensed as an electrician by the State of Texas (Texas Department of Licensing and

Regulation License Data Search)

C. Common Laborer The vendor shall have a minimum of four (4) common laborers with a minimum of one (1) year verifiable field experience. Common laborers shall be capable of follow both written and verbal instructions and shall comply with all applicable safety procedures. Laborers may assist fiber optic technicians and perform related duties as required.

Personal qualifications and all proof of training/certifications shall be submitted with the bid package as part of the required documentation. OCE reserves the right to investigate such qualifications, certifications, and references to the extent it deems necessary and the vendor shall be required to assist in the investigation as needed. In addition, OCE reserves the right to interview submitted personnel who will be managing and/or performing actual services.

The vendor shall be required to notify OCE within two (2) calendar days of any deletions of personnel associated with the contract through the term of this contract. Proposed replacement personnel shall meet minimum qualifications and have experience comparable to the person(s) being replaced. Replacement personnel will be provided at no additional costs to OCE. Resume(s) and reference(s) will be requested for the proposed replacements and shall be pre-approved by

OCE.

OCE reserves the right to require the vendor to provide a background check on personnel receiving unescorted access to satellite hub buildings and OCE facilities.

In the event qualifications of personnel are not acceptable, OCE reserves the right to reject the vendor’s bid, award the contract to the next lowest responsive and responsible bidder, or take any other action deemed in the County’s best interest.

V. Types of Maintenance and Construction The vendor shall perform fiber optic system maintenance and construction, and any and all other https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/verify.htm https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/verify.htm activities necessary to maintain and upgrade OCE fiber optic system infrastructure. Maintenance and construction activities will be classified as:

• Preventative Maintenance

• Predictive/Emergency Maintenance Repairs

• Construction of Related Fiber Optic Cable Improvements, Additions, and Upgrades.

A. Preventative Maintenance

Preventative inspection and maintenance shall be performed in accordance with Attachment A., Preventative Maintenance Form. The vendor shall be required to complete and sign this form and submit it to OCE via ManageIT and/or as directed by OCE. In addition, the vendor shall provide a daily status report to OCE via ManageIT, email, and/or as directed by OCE. The daily status report shall include the following:

• Date when work was performed

• Locations or limits of work completed

• Itemized list of charged parts used during that day’s activities, including quantities,

• Problems requiring OCE approval to repair, and

• Location of next day Preventative Maintenance activities.

1. Scheduling of Preventative Maintenance

The Routine Preventative Maintenance schedule will be discussed and agreed upon with the awarded vendor and the OCE designated representative. Preventative maintenance will also be scheduled on an as-needed basis. This activity will be coordinated through OCE designated representative and OCE intends to authorize preventative maintenance on a corridor or sub-corridor basis. Once Preventative Maintenance is initiated at a location or corridor, the vendor shall complete all preventative maintenance tasks at the location or corridor.

2. Payment for Preventative Maintenance and Inspection Operations The items listed on Attachment A., Preventative Maintenance Form, shall be considered to constitute preventative inspection and maintenance, and shall be bid as a lump sum bid as shown on the bid sheet, inclusive of all labor, equipment, and incidentals necessary to accomplish these items.

B. Predictive/Emergency Maintenance Predictive/Emergency maintenance operations of OCE fiber optic system infrastructure, refers to the timely response associated with responding to reported malfunction(s), damage(s), or request(s) and making necessary corrective actions and repairs. The response time shall be measured from the time of the initial notification to the vendor, to the time the technician(s) arrive on the job site and begin trouble shooting and/or repairs. Upon receipt of notification of a request to provide emergency maintenance, the vendor shall handle repairs in the following manner:

• Inspect and troubleshoot equipment

• Make a list of parts and materials needed

• Provide a cost estimate for written approval by OCE designated representative

• Install and/or repair equipment to bring the system back into operation.

The vendor shall pursue identification of any potential problems and necessary repair operations with all haste in order that OCE fiber optic system infrastructure down time is kept to an absolute minimum. It is OCE’s intent that all necessary repairs be made during the initial visit to the site, unless scope of work and/or parts availability requires multiple days to complete task(s) required.

Each technician will be required to carry all necessary maintenance troubleshooting, and testing equipment in each service vehicle at all times to accomplish any and all repairs that can be done in the field. To prevent delays, OCE reserves the right to require the vendor to carry any additional equipment, parts, and/or materials necessary to perform repairs and/or maintenance activities in the field.

1. Classification of Predictive/Emergency Maintenance Call

The vendor shall be required to respond immediately to all requests to provide predictive/emergency maintenance, in accordance to the level of response that is associated with each request. All requests shall be classified by OCE according to the level of response that is required at the time a call is assigned to the vendor, and the vendor shall be able to respond twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week, including holidays. The level of response classification associated with a given request for Emergency Maintenance may be revised at any time, at the discretion of OCE.

The vendor shall be required to respond to requests from OCE in accordance with the following three (3) levels of response time:

• Level A - Required response time of one (1) hour, MAXIMUM. Repairs to be completed at the time of initial response.

• Level B – Required response time of four (4) hours, MAXIMUM. Repairs to be completed at the time of initial response.

• Level C - Required response time of five (5) working days, MAXIMUM, if required by

OCE. Repairs to be completed at the time of call or within ten (10) working days, MAXIMUM.

The classification of all calls shall be provided by OCE at the time each respective call is assigned. In the event that a call is assigned to the vendor without a specific level of response assigned, the vendor shall treat the call as a Level C emergency maintenance call.

2. Payment for Predictive/Emergency Maintenance Operations The vendor provided materials and/or labor required to complete a request for emergency maintenance at each respective location will be paid at rates submitted by the vendor on the bid sheet. Payment will require the vendor to submit documentation supporting pricing for materials. The following information shall be included with all invoices for predictive/emergency maintenance:

• Copy of OCE repair form; and

• Copy of vendor time sheets, with itemized work time with the labor charges for each predictive/emergency maintenance.

C. Construction of Related Fiber Optic System Improvements, Repair, and Upgrades The construction of related improvements consists of fiber construction, installation, and repairs.

The scope of work includes furnishing all materials, parts, equipment, labor, traffic control, test(s), and services necessary and incidental to performing a complete installation of specified systems, subsystems, and components. The vendor shall be required to provide a cost estimate and schedule to complete each construction project. The cost estimate and schedule shall be approved in writing by OCE prior to any work being performed.

The vendor shall submit to OCE for approval an acceptance test plan document for items requiring the upgrade of existing system. Items requiring an acceptance test shall remain in continued, uninterrupted operation for a period of sixty (60) days. If the equipment fails within thirty (30) days, the vendor shall provide all repairs required, restoring the equipment to normal operation and a new sixty (60) day test period will commence when the equipment is restored to normal operation. If the equipment operates for more than thirty (30) days, but less than sixty

(60) days, the vendor shall provide all repairs required restoring the equipment to normal operation and a new thirty (30) day test period will begin when the equipment is restored to normal operation.

The vendor shall provide submittals and/or shop drawings for all new materials and components, prior to usage as directed by OCE. Submittals will be reviewed and approved by OCE designated representative prior to use, and if approved, written approval will be provided by OCE.

1. Payment for Construction of Related Improvements

The vendor shall provide all equipment and labor for the construction of related improvements at no additional cost to OCE. The fiber optic cable system components, parts, materials, and incidentals will be paid in accordance with the bid items shown on the bid sheets.

VI. Spare Parts The vendor will not be expected to keep a complete parts and materials inventory but shall be sufficient to allow for prompt response. The vendor shall maintain, or have ready access to, a minimum on-hand inventory of essential components, including at minimum ten (10) spare splice enclosures, twenty-five (25) spare connectors of each type used in the system, and 10,000 linear feet of spare fiber cable reel stock, in addition to such other components and equipment required for fiber optic cable maintenance and repair.

VII. Warranty Requirements If, within one (1) year from the date of the initial installation, construction, repair and/or emergency maintenance services are completed by the vendor and accepted by OCE, a failure occurs with respect to any installed equipment or materials due to a defect in any part and/or equipment installed by and/or in workmanship of the vendors employees or subcontractors, the vendor shall make the appropriate repairs or replacements at no additional cost to OCE. The vendor shall promptly respond to OCE request to make repairs and shall document the cause of failures. The vendor shall document repairs with normal invoicing procedure, with NO CHARGE/WARRANTY CALL stamped and/or written legibly on all submitted invoices.

All parts, materials, and/or equipment shall be warranted against defects and defects in workmanship for a period not less than one (1) year and shall cover 100% parts and labor. The warranty period shall commence upon date of acceptance by OCE. If the manufacturer’s standard warranty period exceeds one (1) year, then the standard warranty period shall be in effect. The vendor shall be ultimately responsible for the warranty.

All items installed under this contract having a manufacturer’s guarantee shall be installed by or under the direction of the manufacturer and his certified agency when so required, to conform to the manufacturer’s guarantee. All such manufacturers’ guarantees, warranties and bonds shall be forward to HCTRA designated representative prior to leaving the job site.

The vendor shall maintain a warranty log or database identifying, at minimum, the installation date, warranty expiration date, and current warranty status of all warrantied parts, materials, and equipment installed under this contract, and shall furnish this log to OCE upon request and at each usage-reporting interval.

VIII. Equipment/Material Acceptance All parts, equipment, and materials shall be in compliance with OCE’s specifications, PID Specifications and Standards, TxDOT Standard Specifications for Construction of Highways and Bridges, latest edition and other standards described herein. All parts, equipment, and materials furnished and installed shall be new, unused, corrosion resistant, and in strict accordance with this specification. OCE reserves the right to reject any parts, equipment, and/or materials that do not comply with the specifications and standards described herein.

All equipment, parts, and related hardware provided by the vendor shall meet or exceed the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) specifications and warranty requirements. Vendor shall provide global positioning system (GPS) coordinates for all field equipment installed and shall label the field equipment with a bar code formatted and approved by OCE designated representative. All hardware furnished and installed shall be currently manufactured and supported by the manufacturer. The Contractor shall not provide discontinued products or hardware that is at or approaching its end-of-life or end-of-support phase.

All replaced and salvaged materials and components shall be tagged, cleaned, and returned to OCE, unless OCE requires the vendor to dispose of the material. The tag shall indicate date and location of repair and replacement.

Upon completion of each construction or upgrade project, the vendor shall furnish OCE with red-lined as-built drawings reflecting actual field conditions, including the location of all installed conduit, cable, splice points, and enclosures, in a format approved…