7-2026-100RFP Parks and Ground Maintenance.pdf

2026-100RFP Parks and Grounds Maintenance Page 0

Request for Competitive Sealed Proposals

Parks and Grounds

Maintenance

Solicitation No. 2026-100RFP

Sealed proposals will be received by September 11th, 2025 until 2:00 p.m. (MDT).

Return Bid to: Araceli Gonzalez Purchasing Agent

Town of Horizon City 14999 Darrington Road Horizon City, Texas 79928

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE

Section A. Notice to Proposers 2

Section B. Information for Proposers 4

Section C. Instructions to Proposers 7

Section D. General Conditions, Specifications and Scope of Services 14

Section D-1 List of Ponding Areas 26

Section E. Solicitation Form 28

Section F. Solicitation Summary 34

Section G. Proposer Information Sheet/Signatures 35

Section H. Evaluation Process 36

Best Value Questionnaire 37

Responsibility Check List 38

Section I. Certificate of Non-collusion 39

Section J. Contract Clauses 40

Exhibit A. Project Reference Form 49

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Section A

Town of Horizon City

Parks & Grounds Maintenance Contract

NOTICE TO PROPOSERS

The Town of Horizon City will entertain proposals from qualified landscape & grounds maintenance contractors for turf and native area mowing, fertilization, herbicide/pesticide application, tree and ornamental bush trimming, and other assigned tasks, including cleaning of weeds, trash and debris, for Town of Horizon City’s twelve (12) municipal parks, the Senior

Center, Town Hall campuses, ponding areas, major roadway medians, parkways, curb and gutters, sidewalks, the Horizon Boulevard hike and bike path, other hike and bike trails with amenities, landscaped areas, and trash and pet waste receptacles. The attached Request for

Proposal documents include the proposed contract terms/conditions and a detailed scope of work.

The proposal should indicate whether a proposer is able to provide the full range of services requested, or if subcontractors will be utilized to perform some of the services and the listing of the price by component for services being supplied. If subcontractors are utilized, a proposer should provide a clear explanation of how the work will be coordinated and supervised. Under

Part B: Additional Services, a proposer must provide unit costs for the identified items.

A voluntary virtual pre-proposal conference is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. (MDT) on

__August 27th, 2025__________.

Link to Meeting: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NjI2ZTIzN2QtMmM1My00NDJlLThjYWMtNzFmNWM5MWRkY mQ5%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2250abdec5-6487-484c-94db-

2dbce37f9668%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22fffbdf34-ad11-4001-a338-

32592c47267f%22%7d

Meeting Number (Access Code): 290 831 561 250 8

Meeting Password: Qb9FW7Na_ (from phones and video systems)

Dial in by phone: 213-204-2613

Conference ID: 658 018 664#

Proposals must be submitted to the Town of Horizon City’s Purchasing Agent on or before 2:00 p.m. (MDT) on September 11th, 2025. Please clearly mark the outside of your sealed envelope as “Parks and Grounds Maintenance Contract Town of Horizon City, Texas -BID Number__2026-100RFP_____.” Proposals received by the Town of Horizon

City’s Purchasing Agent after the submission deadline shall be returned unopened and will be considered void and unacceptable. The Town of Horizon City is not responsible for delayed mail, carriers, etc. and the time/date stamp clock used upon receipt of any proposal by Town of

Horizon City’s Purchasing Agent shall be the official time of receipt.

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The proposals filed with the Town of Horizon City shall be opened at the time stated in the advertisement, or any subsequently issued addendum, and publicly read aloud; and shall thereafter remain on file with Town of Horizon City.

The proposer agrees to furnish all items [supplies or services] at the prices offered, and deliver at the designated point or points, within the time established for the contract if this offer is accepted within ninety [90] consecutive days from the date set for the receipt of offers. All proposals shall expire on the 90th day after the proposals are open unless

Town of Horizon City requests an extension of the proposals in writing and the proposer agrees to extend in writing.

The Town of Horizon City expects that the successful proposer will provide input towards making any necessary refinements to the elements and timing of the elements of the scope-of-work, to produce an improved result for the contract and for the facilities. Literal compliance with the scope-of-work is less important than the outcome of the effort done in coordination with the Town of Horizon City.

At any time during the term of the contract, Town of Horizon City’s Purchasing Agent or designated personnel, through the use of a contract amendment may increase or decrease the scope of services, or adjust, should new facilities come online or replace existing facilities, as may find necessary to accomplish the general purpose of the contract.

Schedule of Events

The following Schedule of Events represents Town of Horizon City’s estimate of the timetable that will be followed in connection with this solicitation:

EVENTS DATE AND TIME

Release Bids August 7th, 2025 @ 8:00 a.m.

Last Day for Proposers to Submit Written Questions September 2nd, 2025 @ 10:00 a.m.

Answers provided September 4th, 2025 @ 5:00 p.m.

Sealed Proposals Due Date and time September 11th, 2025 @ 2:00 p.m.

Sealed Proposals Opened September 11th, 2025 @ 2:30 p.m.

Evaluations September 26th, 2025 @ 5:00 p.m.

Contract Award Date October 9th, 2025

Town of Horizon City reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to adjust this Schedule of Events as it deems necessary. If necessary, the Town of Horizon City will communicate adjustments to any event in the Schedule of Events in the form of an amendment. Interested organizations who have picked up bid packages will receive the addenda or be notified that the addendum is posted on Town of Horizon City’s website and can be retrieved there.

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Contract Period

The term of this contract shall expire on December 31, 2029, with options to extend, as provided in Section J, paragraph 1.

Notification to Unsuccessful Proposers

All awards are made by Town of Horizon City Council and posted on a regular or special agenda of Town of Horizon City Council in accordance with state law. All City Council agendas are posted on the Town of Horizon City’s Web Page for review. The URL is:

http://www.horizoncity.org.

No other notice to unsuccessful proposers will be provided.

Section B

INFORMATION FOR PROPOSERS

Town of Horizon City will award the contract to the proposer that submits a proposal which represents the “Best Value” to Town of Horizon City. The Best Value shall not be based solely upon price but the proposal which receives the highest cumulative score for each of the evaluation factors delineated herein.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE

Proposals must be submitted to Town of Horizon City’s Purchasing Agent on or before 2:00 p.m. (MDT) on September 11th, 2025. All proposals must be in a sealed envelope clearly marked with the description “Proposal for Parks & Grounds Maintenance Contract” on the outside of the envelope. Proposals received by Town of Horizon City’s Purchasing Agent after the submission deadline shall be returned unopened and will be considered void and unacceptable. Town of Horizon City is not responsible for delayed mail, carrier, etc. and the time/date stamp clock used upon receipt of any proposal at the front desk of City Hall shall be the official time of receipt.

The proposals filed with Town of Horizon City shall be opened at the time stated in the advertisement, or any subsequently issued addendum, and publicly read aloud; and shall thereafter remain on file with Town of Horizon City.

PROPOSALS MAY NOT BE FAXED OR E-MAILED.

Proposals may be withdrawn at any time prior to the official opening. Alterations made before opening time must be initialed by proposer guaranteeing authenticity. After the official opening, proposals may not be amended, altered or withdrawn within ninety (90) consecutive calendar days without the written permission of Town of Horizon City.

No information given by Town of Horizon City or any official thereof shall be binding upon

Town of Horizon City. Proposers shall rely exclusively upon their own estimates, investigations and other data which are necessary for full and complete information upon which http://www.horizoncity.org/

2026-100RFP Parks and Grounds Maintenance Page 5 the proposal may be based. Any proposer, by submitting a proposal, represents and warrants:

that the proposal has been prepared in accordance with the specifications, with full knowledge and understanding of the terms and provisions thereof; that the proposal has been reviewed, studied and examined prior to the signing and submission of same; and that the proposer is cognizant of the terms of the proposal, verified the calculations and found the calculations to be correct and agrees to be bound thereby.

CONDITIONAL PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED

NOTICE: STATE SALES TAX

Town of Horizon City is by statute exempt from the State Sales Tax and Federal Excise Tax.

T o w n o f H o r i z o n C i t y will furnish, upon request, sales tax exemption forms to the proposal that is awarded. The successful proposer shall bear the responsibility of any sales or use tax if any product or supply is deemed to be taxable by state. Such situations may include paying state sales tax for the purchase, rental or lease of tools, machinery and equipment used in the performance of the awarded contract and for materials purchased which are not incorporated into the completed project. It is the obligation of the successful proposer to ascertain the amount of state sales tax to be paid under Chapter 151 of the Texas Tax Code and to include this amount in the proposal submitted to Town of Horizon City. For further information, the Successful proposer may wish to contact the Office of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts at 1-800-252-5555.

REQUESTS FOR CLARIFICATION

To meet Town of Horizon City’s schedule for awarding this contract, it is extremely important that requests for clarification or additional information, or requests for a change in the specifications, be submitted in writing no later than August 25th, 2025, at 10:00 am (MDT). Each proposer submitting questions shall clearly address each question by reference to a specific section, page, and item of this solicitation. Questions submitted after this date may not elicit a response. Please refer to Solicitation/Contract Number and Title in all correspondence.

SOLICITATION ADMINISTRATOR - CONTACT INFORMATION

Primary Contact

Araceli Gonzalez

Purchasing Agent

14999 Darrington Road

Horizon City, TX 79928

(915) 852- 1046, ext. # 114 agonzalez@horizoncity.org

If Primary is not available due to an Emergency

Lily Gaytan

Finance Director

14999 Darrington Road

Horizon City, TX 79928

(915) 852-1046, ext. #111 lgaytan@horizoncity.org

It is the proposer’s responsibility to follow up and make certain that Town of Horizon City received the proposal. Proposers shall promptly notify Town of Horizon City’s Purchasing Agent of any ambiguity or inconsistency which they may discover upon examination of the solicitation document. During the solicitation process, proposers shall not contact any City staff except those

2026-100RFP Parks and Grounds Maintenance Page 6 designated in the text of this solicitation or in subsequent documentation. Non-compliance with this provision may result in rejection of the offer involved.

COPIES REQUIRED

ONE COMPLETE ORIGINAL COPY (signed in blue ink), and ONE COPY of the PROPOSAL

PACKAGE are required. Proposers must provide enough information with their proposal to constitute a definite, firm, unqualified and unconditional offer. The Proposer shall submit the proposal on the forms (UNALTERED) as furnished by Town of Horizon City. All proposals shall contain the following:

1. Those pages on which proposers are required to fill in prices, furnish other information, or which call for a signature, and

2. Any other information requested.

The submission or attachment of company “Quotation Forms” or any other documents containing alternative terms and / or conditions is not acceptable and may result in the proposal being deemed non-responsive. Unauthorized additions, serious omissions, proposals that do not contain a unit price where required or irregularities of any kind which make the proposals incomplete, indefinite, or otherwise ambiguous are not acceptable and may result in the proposal being deemed non-responsive.

CONDITIONS OF WORK

It shall be each proposer’s sole responsibility to inspect the sites of the work and to inform himself regarding all local conditions under which the work is to be done. It shall be understood and agreed that all such factors have been thoroughly investigated and considered in the preparation of the proposal submitted.

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Section C

INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

1. RECEIPT AND OPENING OF PROPOSALS

• Proposals received by Town of Horizon City’s Purchasing Agent after the submission deadline shall be returned unopened and will be considered void and unacceptable. Town of Horizon City is not responsible for delayed mail, carrier, etc. and the time/date stamp clock used upon receipt of any proposal by Town of Horizon City’s Purchasing Agent shall be the official time of receipt.

• Proposals are solicited for furnishing the materials and services set forth in this invitation for Competi t ive Sealed Proposals . Completed proposals must be received by the

City’s Purchasing Agent by the deadline stated above. All proposals must be in a sealed envelope clearly marked as “Proposal for Parks & Grounds Maintenance Contract” on the outside of the envelope. If submitting a proposal by express mail, please place the proposal in a separate sealed and labeled envelope inside the carrier’s envelope.

• PROPOSALS MAY NOT BE FAXED OR E-MAILED.

• Proposals may be withdrawn at any time prior to the official opening. Alterations made before opening time must be initialed by proposer guaranteeing authenticity. After the official opening, proposals may not be amended, altered or withdrawn within ninety (90) consecutive calendar days without the written permission of Town of Horizon City.

2. PREPARATION OF PROPOSAL

• Proposers are advised that the plans, specifications and other documents on file as compiled into the furnished proposal packet shall constitute all the information which

Town of Horizon City shall furnish. Town of Horizon City excludes any express or implied warranties relating to such documents. Proposers are required, prior to submitting any proposal, to review the plans and read the specifications, solicitation packet, and contract forms carefully; to visit the site of the work; to examine carefully local conditions; to inform themselves by their independent research, tests and investigations of the difficulties to be encountered and judge for themselves the accessibility of the work and all attending circumstances affecting the cost of doing the work or time required for its completion; and to obtain all information required for its completion; and to obtain all information required to make an intelligent bid.

• No information given by Town of Horizon City or any official thereof shall be binding upon Town of Horizon City. Proposers shall rely exclusively upon their own estimates, investigations, tests and other data which are necessary for full and complete information upon which the proposal may be based. Any proposer, by submitting a proposal, represents and warrants: that the proposal has been prepared in accordance with the specifications, with full knowledge and understanding of the terms and provisions thereof;

2026-100RFP Parks and Grounds Maintenance Page 8 that the proposal was reviewed, studied, and examined prior to the signing and submission of same; and that the proposer is cognizant of the terms of the proposal, verified the calculations and found the calculations to be correct and agrees to be bound thereby.

• The Proposer shall submit his proposal on the forms furnished by Town of Horizon City.

All blank spaces in the form shall be correctly filled in and the proposer shall state the prices both in words and numerals, for which he proposes to do the work contemplated or furnish the material required. Such prices shall be written in ink distinctly and legibly. In cases of discrepancy between the price written in words and price written in figures, the price written in words shall govern.

• If the proposal is submitted by an individual, his/her name must be signed by him/her or his/her duly authorized agent. If the proposal is submitted by an association or partnership, the name and address must be given, and the proposal signed by a duly authorized member of the association or partnership. If the proposal is submitted by a corporation, the corporate name and business address must be given, and the proposal signed by a duly authorized corporate officer or agent. Powers of attorney authorizing agents to sign the proposal must be properly certified and must be in writing and submitted with the proposal. The proposal shall be executed in ink.

• The proposer shall sign and date a proposal where shown in the signature block. The person signing the proposal must have the authority to bind the company in a contract.

Proposals which are not signed where indicated may be rejected.

• Town of Horizon City is by statute exempt from the State Sales Tax and Federal Excise

Tax; therefore, the proposal price shall not include taxes. A p r o p o s e r shall bear the responsibility of any sales or use tax if any product or supply is deemed to be taxable by state. T o w n o f H o r i z o n C i t y will furnish, upon request, sales tax exemption forms to the successful proposer that is awarded the contract.

• The p r o p o s e r agrees, if i t s p r o p o s a l is accepted, to furnish any and all services and materials upon which prices are offered, at the price(s) and upon the terms and conditions contained in the specifications and agreed upon by the proposer and City.

• All delivery and freight charges are to be included in the proposal price.

• Any reference to model/make/manufacturer used in proposal specifications is descriptive, not restrictive. It is used to indicate the type and quality desired. Proposals on items of like quality will be considered unless indicated by stating “no substitutions allowed.”

• Quantities indicated in the solicitation documents are estimated based upon information at the time proposals are requested. Town of Horizon City reserves the right to increase or decrease the quantities by any amount it deems necessary and as permitted by law to meet its needs without any adjustment in the contract price.

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• Design, strength and quality of materials must conform to the highest standards of manufacturing practice.

• The proposer will be required to file for the appropriate permits as required by City Code.

3. ADDENDA AND INTERPRETATIONS

• No interpretation of the meaning of plans, specifications, or other solicitation documents will be made to any proposer orally. Every request for such interpretation should be in writing addressed to Town of Horizon City’s Purchasing Agent, 14999 Darrington Road, Horizon City, Texas, 79928. To be given consideration, the request for clarification or interpretation must be timely received, as stated in Section B, Requests for Clarification.

Any and all such interpretations, and any supplemental instructions, will be in the form of written addenda to the specifications. Failure of any proposer to receive any such addendum or interpretation shall not relieve such proposer from any obligation under its proposal as submitted. All addenda so issued shall become part of the contract documents and must be acknowledged on the proposal form.

• Any interpretations, corrections or changes to this Request for Competitive Sealed

Proposals and specifications will be made by addenda. Sole issuing authority of addenda shall be vested in the Horizon City Purchasing Agent. Addenda will be posted on Town of

Horizon City's website (www.horizoncity.org) under the "RFP's/RFQ's" tab on the homepage.

• Proposals shall acknowledge receipt of all addenda as provided in Section F and all addenda so issued shall become part of the contract documents.

4. SIGNATURE FORMALITIES

• The Proposer shall sign and date its proposal where required in the signature block. The person signing the Proposal must have the authority to bind the proposer in a contract.

Proposals which are not signed where indicated may be rejected.

• If the proposal is submitted by an individual, his/her name must be signed by him/her or his/her duly authorized agent. If the proposal is submitted by an association or partnership, the name and address must be given, and the proposal signed by a duly authorized member of the association or partnership. If the proposal is submitted by a corporation, the full corporate name and business address must be given, and the proposal signed by a duly authorized corporate officer or agent. Powers of attorney authorizing agents to sign the proposal must be properly certified and must be in writing and submitted with the proposal. The proposal shall be executed in ink.

• If proposer is a corporation, a Corporate Certificate must be completed by the Secretary or by another officer if the proposal is signed by the Secretary. In lieu of the certificate, 2026-100RFP Parks and Grounds Maintenance Page 10 there may be attached to the proposal, copies of as much of the records of the corporation as will show the official character and authority of the officers signing, duly certified by the Secretary or Assistant Secretary under the corporate seal to be true copies.

• If the proposer should be operating as a partnership, each partner should sign the proposal. If the proposal is not signed by each partner, there should be attached to the proposal a duly authenticated power of attorney evidencing the signer’s authority to sign such proposal for and on behalf of the partnership.

• If the proposer is an individual, the trade name (if the proposer is operating under an assumed name) should be indicated in the proposal and the proposal should be signed by such individual. If signed by one other than the Proposer, there should be attached to the proposal a duly authenticated power of attorney evidencing the signer’s authority to execute such proposal for and on behalf of the Proposer.

• A DBA certificate must be provided if the proposer used a trade name in the solicitation documents other than the name under which the company was organized.

5. SUBMISSION OF PROPOSAL

• A proposers must supply with its proposal, a list of at least three (3) references where like goods or services have been supplied by its company. Include name of the business, address, telephone number, email address and name of representative with whom Town of

Horizon City may speak.

• Section 176.006 of the Texas Local Government Code requires a vendor to file a conflict-of-interest questionnaire if the vendor has a business relationship with Town of Horizon

City and has:

a) an employment or other business relationship with an officer or an officer’s family member that results in that person receiving taxable income that is more than $2,500 in the preceding twelve months; or

b) has given an officer or an officer’s family member one or more gifts totaling more than $250 in the preceding twelve months.

A vendor is required to file a questionnaire not later than the seventh business day after the later of the following:

a) the date the vendor begins discussions or negotiations to enter into a contract with

Town of Horizon City or submits an application or response to a proposal; or

b) the date the vendor becomes aware of a relationship or gives a gift to an officer or officer’s family member.

State law requires that a vendor file an updated questionnaire with Town of Horizon City

Clerk’s office annually, before September 1st, and or not later than the 7th business day after

2026-100RFP Parks and Grounds Maintenance Page 11 the date the originally filed questionnaire becomes incomplete or inaccurate. Compliance with this law is the responsibility of each bidder/vendor.

Note—only Form CIQ, adopted 1/01/2021 or as may be further amended, may be used.

• If this proposal is accepted and approved by Town of Horizon City, this proposal shall be incorporated into a contract. No oral agreements either expressed or implied shall be valid. No different or additional terms will become part of this contract with the exception of a change arising through the approval of Town of Horizon City and agreed upon by the proposer.

• By accepting this invitation to s u b m i t a c o m p e t i t i v e s e a l e d p r o p o s a l a n d s u b m i t t i n g a p r o p o s a l on the item(s) set forth in the proposal, proposer accepts any and all of the general conditions set forth above and any additional specifications and conditions contained within the contract attached.

• Proposers may be disqualified, and their proposals not considered for the following specific reasons:

(a) Town of Horizon City has reason for believing collusion exists among the proposers,

(b) Town of Horizon City has reasonable grounds for believing that any proposer is interested in more than one proposal for the work contemplated,

(c) the proposer is currently in any litigation against Town of Horizon City, or where such litigation is contemplated or imminent, in the sole opinion of Town of Horizon City’s Purchasing Agent,

(d) the proposer is in arrears on any existing contract or has defaulted on a previous contract,

(e) the proposer fails to demonstrate technical competency, responsibility or financial capability,

(f) the proposer has uncompleted work which, in the judgment of Town of Horizon City’s Purchasing Agent or designee, shall prevent or hinder the prompt completion of additional work if awarded, or

(g) the proposal included unbalanced value of any solicitation items.

6. METHOD OF AWARD—BEST VALUE

• All proposals meeting the intent of this solicitation will be considered for award. Proposers taking exception to specifications, or offering substitutions, shall state these exceptions in the section provided on the Solicitation Form or by attachments as a part of the proposal.

The absence of such a list shall indicate that the proposer has not taken exceptions, and

Town of Horizon City shall hold the proposer responsible to perform in strict accordance with the specifications of this solicitation. Town of Horizon City reserves the right to accept any, all, or none of the exception(s)/substitution(s) deemed to be in the best interest of Town of Horizon City.

• After proposals are opened, the proposals shall be tabulated for comparison on the basis of the best value criteria set forth within the proposal. Until final award of the contract, Town

2026-100RFP Parks and Grounds Maintenance Page 12 of Horizon City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive technicalities or irregularities at its option, to re-advertise for new proposals or proceed to do the work otherwise in the best interests of Town of Horizon City. Each proposer shall be furnished a copy of the proposal tabulation upon request.

• Town of Horizon City may conduct a survey relating to a proposer’s record of performance on past and present projects that are similar to the scope of work identified in this solicitation, which may include services/projects not identified by the proposer. Town of

Horizon City reserves the right to perform whatever research it deems appropriate in order to assess the merits of any proposal. Such research may include, but not necessarily be limited to, discussions with outside vendors, interviews and site visits with the proposers existing clients and analysis of industry reports. Town of Horizon City will make a finding of the proposer’s Technical Resources/Ability to perform the solicitation’s scope of work based on the results of the survey. A proposer will be determined responsive if Town of

Horizon City determines that the results of the Technical Resources/Ability survey reflect that the proposer is capable of undertaking and completing the solicitation scope of work in a satisfactory manner.

• The contract shall be deemed as having been awarded when formal written Notice of

Award shall have been duly served upon the proposer to whom Town of Horizon City has awarded the contract (the “Contractor”) by some officer or agent of Town of Horizon City duly authorized to give such notice. The Contractor shall commence work on January 1, 2026 provided however, that no work shall commence before the required insurance has been obtained by the Contractor, with certificates filed with the Purchasing Agent evidencing the required coverage to be in force, and any required proof of certificates/permits has also been filed.

• Delivery of the NOTICE OF AWARD shall be hand-delivery, evidenced by a written and dated receipt, or by Certified Mail, and the date of receipt shall be established as the date of Delivery shown on the US Postal Service Domestic Return Receipt form or facsimile confirmation.

• The person or persons, partnership, company, firm, association or corporation whom

Town of Horizon City selects shall within five (5) working days after receipt of the contract sign the necessary documents for entering into the required contract with Town of

Horizon City and provide the necessary evidence of insurance as required under the contract documents. No contract shall be binding on Town of Horizon City until all authorized signatures required by law have been affixed and the executed contract delivered to the Contractor.

• The failure of the Contractor to execute the contract within five (5) working days or provide the required evidence of insurance shall constitute a breach of a proposal and

Town of Horizon City may annul the award. In the event Town of Horizon City should seek new proposals, the defaulting Contractor shall not be eligible to bid.

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7. CONE OF SILENCE POLICY

A "Cone of Silence" is imposed upon this bid after advertising and terminates at the time Town of Horizon City’s Purchasing Agent places a written recommendation on City Council Agenda.

The Cone of Silence prohibits any communication regarding this bid between, among others:

• Potential vendors, service providers, proposers, lobbyists or consultants and City's professional staff.

• Potential vendors, service providers, proposers, lobbyists or consultants, any member of

Town of Horizon City's professional staff, the Mayor, Council Members or their respective staff and members of the respective selection committee.

The provisions above do not apply to, among other communications:

• Oral communications with Town of Horizon City’s Purchasing Agent and designees, provided the communications are limited strictly to matters of process or procedure already contained in the solicitation document,

• The provisions of the Cone of Silence do not apply to oral communications at pre-proposal or pre-bid conferences, oral presentations before selection committees, contract negotiations during duly noticed public meeting, public presentations made to the Mayor and Council Members during a duly noticed public meeting; or

• Communications in writing at any time unless specifically prohibited by the applicable bid document.

In addition to any other penalties provided by law, violation of the Cone of Silence by any proposer shall render that proposer’s solicitation award voidable. Any person having personal knowledge of a violation of these provisions shall report such violations to Town of Horizon

City’s Purchasing Agent.

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SECTION D

GENERAL CONDITIONS AND SCOPE OF SERVICES

GENERAL CONDITIONS

1. MINIMUM SPECIFICATIONS: The specifications listed are to be interpreted as meaning the minimum required by Town of Horizon City. A proposer commits to provide goods/services that are consistent with Town of Horizon City’s specifications in every regard unless an exception is clearly noted. Town of Horizon City may accept a proposal subject to a non-material exception if, in the sole judgment of Town of Horizon City, the proposal meets or exceeds Town of Horizon City’s specifications. If the goods/services offered do not meet or exceed Town of Horizon City’s specifications because of the exception, Town of Horizon City will consider the proposal non-responsive.

2. SAFETY AND CAPACITY INSPECTIONS. Town of Horizon City reserves the right to conduct safety and capacity inspections of facilities, equipment, and staff prior to the award and periodically during the contract term. If, in the sole discretion of Town of Horizon City, a proposer is deemed to have inadequate safety equipment and/or procedures, has a track record of safety violations, or has insufficient capacity to honor the contract requirements, then the proposer may be declared non-responsible or in default.

3. EQUIPMENT, PERSONNEL AND RESPONSIBILITY DETERMINATION. At the time of submission, the proposer must provide and/or identify as appropriate: 1) their primary equipment it intends to use in the execution of this contract to include quantity, brand, type, and model year; 2) the number of personnel it employs that can fulfill the contract requirements; and 3) information regarding a financial responsibility determination. COMPLETE THE RESPONSIBILITY

CHECK LIST IN SECTION H.

4. CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

A. FULL TIME CONTRACTOR. The Contractor must work full-time, regularly providing mowing and grounds cleaning services.

B. PERMITS AND LICENSES. The Contractor shall obtain and pay for any and all permits and licenses required to fulfill this contract, whether specifically noted within this Request for

Proposal package or not.

C. COMMUNICATION. The Contractor shall provide an answering service, telephone answering machine, email, fax machine, pager, etc., to enable prompt communications. The

Contractor, or designee, shall respond to communications requests from Town of Horizon City’s

Public Works Director or designee, within one (1) hour during the normal working hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

D. HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS/DAMAGE. The Contractor is required to notify Town of

Horizon City’s Public Works Director or designee, immediately of any hazardous conditions and/or damaged city property. The Contractor is responsible for any damage done to plant material or other property as a result of mowing or cleaning operations. The Contractor will be responsible for repair or replacement of all trees, shrubs, and vegetation that are damaged by the

2026-100RFP Parks and Grounds Maintenance Page 15 contractor. The Contractor will be responsible for any damage done to private property (cars, plants, structures, etc.)

E. SUPERVISION. The Contractor shall provide supervision of all work crews at all times.

Each work crew shall have a designated person on the work site that has the authority, and the ability to communicate effectively in English, to respond to inquiries about work details or priorities.

F. NO DISCRIMINATION. As a condition of this contract, the Contractor covenants and agrees that it will take all necessary actions to ensure, in connection with any work under this contract, that Contractor, its associates and employees, will not discriminate in its treatment or employment of any individuals on the grounds of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, or physical handicap unrelated to job performance, either directly or through contractual or other arrangements. In this regard, the Contractor shall keep, retain and safeguard, all records relating to this contract for work performed hereunder for a minimum period of two (2) years from final contract completion, with full access allowed to authorized representatives of Town of Horizon

City upon request, for purposes of evaluating compliance with this and other provisions of the contract.

G. INCLEMENT WEATHER. In the event of inclement weather, wet or rainy weather when the condition of the soil is such that rutting of property will not allow mowing of grass or other services provided under the contract to be accomplished satisfactorily, the Contract may be allotted addition time. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to notify Town of Horizon

City’s Public Works Director or designee when unable to complete the work and provide information about the condition and state when completion can be expected. Expected completion date must be acceptable to Town of Horizon City’s Public Works Director or designee.

H. SAFETY DEVICES/ATTIRE AND PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT. The

Contractor shall adhere to all safety requirements as set forth in Section 7 of the Contract Clauses in Section A. The Contractor and its employees shall dress and remain dressed in a presentable fashion due to high public visibility of these employees. A uniform or shirt with a company logo is preferred.

I. EQUIPMENT OPERATION SAFETY. The Contractor shall comply with equipment manufacturer’s operating and safety instructions.

J. UNSAFE PRACTICES NOT PERMITTED. The Contractor will not permit unsafe practices.

Examples of unsafe practices include but are not limited to, using inappropriate equipment for the job, operating with one arm of a bat wing mower raised with blades exposed and spinning, removing chains or other safety devices from equipment, traveling with an operator sitting in the back of a pickup truck with the tailgate lowered, and operating mowing equipment at excessive speed. Unsafe practices will be grounds for termination of the contract.

K. SCHEDULE OF WORK. It is solely the responsibility of the Contractor to develop a work schedule that will be approved by Town of Horizon City’s Public Works Director, or designee.

The Contractor shall provide Town of Horizon City’s Public Works Director or designee with general plan/schedule of work for the upcoming work month. Such schedule shall include, but is not limited to, projected work areas on a daily or weekly listing, work completed during current month, any notes/comments concerning work completed, and requirements for specific tasks as

2026-100RFP Parks and Grounds Maintenance Page 16 set forth under Part A, Basic Services, below. Such schedule shall be delivered via email by 12 noon on Thursday prior to the scheduled month to allow for any discussion or requests for upcoming work.

SPECIFICATIONS

Standards for Work and Supervision

(If there are professional licenses or permits required, be sure to attach those. See, e.g., Section

18, Contract Clauses, Section J)

Prices

Price shall include all costs necessary to complete the work, including but not limited to the following: labor, landfill tipping fees, trash receptacle and pet waste bags, irrigation supplies, insurance, overhead, profit, travel time, mileage, and be exclusive of taxes.

Insurance Requirements

By submitting this proposal, the proposer affirms it reviewed the insurance requirements found below in the applicable contract and confirms its ability to procure the required insurance upon award of this contract.

Contract

By submitting this proposal, the proposer affirms it has reviewed the attached contract(s) and takes no exceptions. Should the proposer wish changes to the contract, those changes should be listed in the exceptions portion of the solicitation form below.

SCOPE OF WORK

The Town of Horizon City is soliciting proposals from qualified landscape & grounds maintenance contractors for turf and native area mowing, fertilization, herbicide/pesticide application, tree and ornamental bush trimming and other assigned grounds maintenance and related tasks, including cleaning of weeds (pulling weeds from their roots and only leaving sod on sod areas), trash and debris, for Town of Horizon City’s twelve (12) municipal parks, the

Senior Center, the Town Hall Site, Courts and Police Site, ponding areas, major roadway medians, parkways, curb & gutters, sidewalks, the Horizon Boulevard hike & bike path, landscaped areas, and trash and pet waste receptacles and hike & bike paths.

In the event that an additional park is added during the life of this contract, the maintenance requirements for such park will be discussed at the time the park becomes part of Town of

Horizon City’s park inventory and appropriate maintenance work as appropriate for the park may be added to this contract through the issuance of a contract amendment based on the pricing established under this proposal. Additional ponding areas may be added and the pricing shall be as established under Section E, Part B, J. (Note: In the event that an construction project arises throughout the areas mentioned within this contract happens to limit or prevent contractor from

2026-100RFP Parks and Grounds Maintenance Page 17 performing their scheduled maintenance, an adjustment shall be made to the monthly charge to accommodate the area that did NOT get maintenance).

Grounds:

Parks to be maintained for the full term of the Contract:

• Ranchos Desierto Bello (RDB) Park a 7.0 acre park located at 14345 Sabio Dr.

north of Sabio Dr. and east Brezo St.

• Horizon Town Center Park a 2.253 acre park located at 13741 Town Center Dr. north of Town Center Dr. and east Horizon Crossing Dr.

• Horizon Town Center Park 2 (West) a 0.84 acre park located at 13720 Town Center

Dr. south of Town Center Dr. and west of Horizon Crossing Dr.

• Horizon Town Center Park 2 (East) a 0.64 acre park located at 13720 Town Center

Dr. south of Town Center Dr. and east of Horizon Crossing Dr.

• David Ortiz Park a 0.68 acre park located at 3244 Kevin Boothe east of the intersection between Glen Warner Blvd. and N. Kenazo Ave.

• Golden Eagle Park, a 6.41-acre park located at 14467 Alberton Ave. south of Golden

Eagle Drive and east of Frank Macías Elementary School.

• Horizon Mesa Park, a 3.82-acre park, located at 601 Desert Mist Dr. southwest of the intersection of Desert Mist Drive and Desert Fire Court. Including Desert Mist Dr median from Desert Fire Ct. to Eastlake Blvd.

• Desmond P. Corcoran Park, (Corky Park) a 7.02-acre park located at 400/500

Rodman St. northeast of the intersection of Rodman Street and Venny Webb Street.

• West Eastlake Estates 2, a 19.776 acre park located at 14390 Steve Joyce Parkway.

Corner of Steve Joyce Pkwy and Burd Holland Dr.

• Claret Cup Park, a 5.022 acre park located at 14565 Claret Cup between Painted

Lady St. and Candelilla St.

Senior Center:

• Horizon Senior Center, located at 13969 Veny Webb Street.

Town Hall Site and Parkways:

• Town Hall, located at 14999 Darrington Rd.

• Courts & Police, located at 15021 Darrington Rd.

Ponding Areas:

• 52 ponding areas as established in Section D-1.

Horizon Blvd. Hike and Bike Trial

• Horizon Boulevard landscaped areas and hike & bike path with amenities (excluding the ponding areas located between Thea Smith Dr. and Lago Este Dr.) on the

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Horizon Hike and Bike Trail, located in the northern right-of-way of Horizon

Boulevard between Ashford Street and Rifton Street

All other areas are described as follows:

10 feet of shoulder, medians, parkways, sidewalks and gutters of weeds, trash and other debris and sediment on the streets listed below.

• Hike & Bike Trails and open space area that runs between Darrington Road and Benton

Street (next to First Baptist Church)

• Hike & Bike Trail and landscaped parkway along the street frontages of the ponding area at the corner of Ryderwood Road and Benton Street

• Sidewalks, Parkways, and Landscaped Open Space on Ryderwood Avenue (between

Darrington Road and Horizon Heights Circle)

• Open Space area at the end of Cutler Place

Part A: Basic Services

During the initial month under contract, the Contractor shall perform an irrigation audit to ensure relative uniformity of water delivery. The result of this audit determines the irrigation/watering schedules thereafter. All rates of application of water shown in the schedule below represent the minimum water application and thus are applicable to those portions of turf area receiving the least amount of water.

Pursuant to the approved work schedule, the Contractor shall perform the following basic services:

1. Inspect all irrigation systems weekly; repair and/or replace sprinkler heads, rotor sprinkler heads, pop up spray heads, and drip system as required.

2. Monthly till, rake and/or replace sand or wood chips in playground areas to maintain a presentable appearance and a safe environment. The replacement material must be the same type as the existing material.

3. Inspect the depth of base, sand and wood chips in playground areas to determine whether such materials have a minimum 12-inch depth and report if additional material is required.

4. Provide necessary bags for all trash receptacles including pet waste stations. Clean all trash and debris on all grounds, including trash accumulation in trash receptacles, and haul collected trash and debris to the Greater El Paso Landfill on Monday of each week, unless Monday is a Federal holiday or foul weather prevents the collection, in which case this activity is to be performed on the following Tuesday. A copy of the

TIP ticket shall be provided to the Public Works Director with the monthly invoice.

5. Inform the Public Works Director of any trash receptacles needing replacement.

6. Maintain, trim, and/or replace trees in parks, medians, and open space areas as required.

7. Immediately report any evidence of damage, defects or vandalism, including tipping over of portable toilets, park furniture/amenities, path furniture/amenities or other equipment to the Public Works Director for the Town of Horizon City.

2026-100RFP Parks and Grounds Maintenance Page 19

8. Clean10 feet of shoulder, medians, parkways, roundabouts, sidewalks and gutters of weeds, trash and other debris and sediment on all streets listed below:

• N. Darrington: Between Horizon Blvd. and Eastlake Dr. (developed parkways only on eastern side)

• S. Darrington: Between Horizon Blvd. and about 200' south of LTV Rd

Claret Cup Pl.

• N. Kenazo: Between Eastlake Dr. and Horizon Blvd.

• Rodman Street: Between N. Kenazo and Horizon Blvd.

• Ashford Street (eastern half from centerline): Between Horizon Blvd.

and Ryderwood Ave.

• Glenn Warner Blvd: Between N. Kenazo Ave. and Kevin Boothe Dr.

• Glenn Warner Blvd. Roundabout: Intersection of Glenn Warner Blvd.

and Kevin Boothe Dr.

• Kevin Boothe Dr. from Glenn Warner Blvd to the end of the street.

• Horizon Crossing St: Between Horizon Blvd. and Town Center Dr.

• Town Center Dr: Between Darrington Rd. and Horizon Crossing St.

• S. Kenazo between S. Darrington and Weaver Rd.

• Blair Dr. between S. Darrington and Weaver Rd.

• Weaver Rd. between S. Kenazo to the end of the street cul de sac.

• Pawling Dr. Between S. Darrington Rd. and Breaux St.

• Breaux St. between Horizon Blvd. and Nunda Dr.

• Oxbow Dr. between S. Darrington and Breaux St.

9. Perform the cleaning and maintenance for each of the 55 ponding areas, at least one time annually and according to the provided schedule provided by the Public Works

Director. (See list of ponds in Section D-1). This will include maintaining of parkways, curb & gutter, gate access, the cleaning and clearing of weeds, small trees, debris and other trash & vegetation from the sides/slopes and the basin of all ponds. The Public

Works Director will create a schedule for the cleaning, which will consist of no fewer than three (3) ponding areas per month within a twelve (12) month period.

10. Provide and maintain two portable toilets (four in total) at Horizon Mesa and Desmond

“Corky” Corcoran parks to include maintenance, cleanliness, spraying for pests and supplies on a weekly scheduled basis. All portable toilets must be secured to the ground to prevent tipping of the unit and one unit at each park must be ADA compliant.

11. Provide maintenance, to include supplies, and cleaning of the restroom facilities at

Golden Eagle Park and Desmond “Corky” Corcoran Park.

12. In accordance with the Advance Funding Agreement for Voluntary Maintenance by a

Local Government (On-System) between the Texas Department of Transportation and the Town of Horizon City, the maintenance on the Hike and Bike Path and landscaped areas within the northern portion of the Horizon Boulevard right-of-way

(excluding 10 feet from the road) must be maintained in accordance with State standards and conform to the following requirements:

a. Furnish all labor, equipment, materials, and incidentals to provide for maintenance activities on the Hike and Bike Path:

Hardscape, Landscape and Plant Maintenance

For the work of plant maintenance, all reasonable means shall be

2026-100RFP Parks and Grounds Maintenance Page 20 employed to preserve the plants and vegetative material existing within the landscaped areas and along the Hike and Bike Path in a healthy and vigorous growing condition.

The following maintenance services shall be performed monthly:

(1) Plant bed and basin maintenance including shaping, weed control and mulch layer.

(2) Plant repair, removal, and replacement as directed by the Public

Works Director.

(3) Insect, disease, and animal control.

(4) Fertilizing.

(5) Mowing and trimming.

(6) Re-staking, re-guiding, re-bracing and/or removal of staking, guiding, and bracing.

(7) Pruning.

(8) Litter pick-up: remove bagged litter the same day it is collected and dispose in accordance with the requirements in Paragraph 6 under

Section J.

b. Before beginning the maintenance on the landscaped areas and the Hike and

Bike Path, Contractor shall meet with the Public Works Director to verify location of all utilities within project area.