ADDENDUM 2 - IFB 102-360 - Landscaping Services.pdf

ADDENDUM 2

102-360 – Landscaping Services

September 4, 2025 Questions submitted and responses listed below are as follows:

1. Section 2.7, page 7 - The IFB states, "copies of bid files must be provided on separate read-only CD’s, DVD’s or flash drives." Please clarify if this is required at the time of bid submission on September 9th at 2:00 p.m.

Response: An electronic copy of the bid is not required. Vendors are required to submit one (1) original, executed hard copy of the bid response.

2. Section 4.6, page 12-14 - What documentation will be required from the vendor to ensure their personnel are authorized to work in the United States? I am assuming.

"a cover letter by the Vendor on company letterhead with a list of the full names matching a required government issued photo ID, addresses, and birth dates of each person representing the contracting company."

Response: Yes, that documentation will be acceptable.

3. Section 5.0, page 15 - The IFB states, "the vendor is required to have all appropriate licenses as required to do business in North Carolina and the Rutherford County area" and "the vendor shall be properly licensed." You don't need a license to do landscaping in North Carolina or Rutherford County. Please clarify acceptable documents to fulfill this requirement.

Response: The landscaping services solicited in this IFB (mowing, edging, fertilizing, mulching, pruning, debris removal, overseeding, and related turf/lawn care maintenance) fall under the exemptions in Chapter 89D of the North Carolina General Statutes and therefore do not require a North Carolina Landscape Contractor License. The intent of this requirement is simply to ensure that vendors are properly registered and authorized to conduct business in North Carolina.

Acceptable documentation includes:

• A Certificate of Existence/Good Standing from the North Carolina Secretary of State (for corporations, LLCs, LLPs, LPs, or similar entities); or

• A copy of a filed Assumed Business Name Certificate with the Rutherford County Register of Deeds (for sole proprietorships).

o In summary, while a landscaping-specific license is not required, vendors must still provide documentation demonstrating that they are properly registered to conduct business in North Carolina and/or Rutherford County, as applicable.

4. Section 5.2, page 18 - Does the NCDA pesticide license need to be valid on the day of the bid submission (September 9th at 2:00 p.m.)? What do you need to fulfill this requirement?

Response: Yes, the pesticide license must be valid on the day of bid submission and remain valid for the contract duration.

5. Section 5.2, page 18 - During the pre-bid, several different types of mulch were mentioned, and even different types of mulch at different locations. Please clarify.

Response: The College will use hardwood bark mulch around flowerbeds and trees, and pine bark mulch in the picnic areas near the lake. Either type of mulch may be used in other areas across campus at the College’s discretion.

6. Section 5.2, page 18 - The IFB states, "the vendor will be required to supply approximately 4,000 cubic feet of brown-dyed natural wood mulch annually." Is 4,000 cubic feet an accurate estimate? What if the required amount goes over the 4,000 cubic feet? Does the vendor stop at 4,000 cubic feet or does the College pay for the additional mulch? How is this calculated if additional mulch is required?

Response: The figure of 4,000 cubic feet was provided only as an estimate and should not be considered a fixed requirement. The College is requesting that each vendor provide pricing per cubic yard of mulch. Therefore, the actual quantity used in a given year may be more or less than the estimate, and the College will pay based on the actual amount of mulch supplied at the contracted unit price.

7. Section 5.2, page 18 - I could not locate in the IFB where it discusses bush hogging.

However, a large area was mentioned during the pre-bid as needing bush hogged.

Please clarify.

Response: The larger field behind the Foundation Building leading up to the Barn must be bush hogged at least two (2) times a year.

8. Section 5.3, page 19 - In the IFB, overseeding is listed as "additional services-on an as needed basis." However, during the pre-bid, overseeding was required. Please clarify.

• Response: Overseeding is a mandatory service. To eliminate confusion, it has been incorporated into the main specifications and scope of work (Sections 5.1 & 5.2) and is no longer classified as an additional service.

o PLEASE NOTE: additional does NOT mean optional. If you do not provide pricing information for the additional services or leave any part of the cost form incomplete – you will be deemed NON-RESPONSIVE and DISQUALIFIED for award.

CONTINUED ONTO NEXT PAGE

These specifications are in addition to the original specifications:

Vendor Responsibilities – Grounds Maintenance

• In addition to maintaining all designated college property, the vendor will also be responsible for maintaining the soccer field located across from campus.

• The soccer field must be mowed to a height of 2 ¼ inches.

• Mowing must be completed no later than Fridays to ensure the field is ready for weekend games.

• The awarded vendor will be provided with a schedule of soccer games to support timely maintenance.

• The awarded vendor will be responsible for maintaining the horse pen behind the barn, ensuring it remains free of weeds.

o The vendor must use only animal safe chemicals when performing weed control in this area.

• Over-seeding has been moved to the main specifications (Sections 5.1 & 5.2) and is no longer classified as an additional service.

Required Documentation (in addition to all other bid submission requirements)

• Vendor must submit a valid North Carolina Pesticide Applicator License.

• A Certificate of Existence/Good Standing from the North Carolina Secretary of State (for corporations, LLCs, LLPs, LPs, or similar entities).

• A copy of a filed Assumed Business Name Certificate with the Rutherford County Register of Deeds (for sole proprietorships).

Subcontracting Requirements Pesticide services may be subcontracted; however, the following conditions apply:

• The prime vendor remains fully responsible for the subcontractor’s compliance, performance, and adherence to all contract requirements.

• If pesticide application is subcontracted, the subcontractor’s valid North Carolina Pesticide Applicator License must be included with the bid submission.

• Vendors must include all costs associated with subcontracted services in their bid price. No additional payment will be made for subcontracted work.

Vendors are required to use the revised cost form included in this addendum in lieu of the original cost form, as overseeding has been incorporated into the main specifications and is no longer classified as an additional service.

5.1 SPECIFICATIONS

A. GENERAL CONDITIONS:

1. The vendor shall be properly licensed and shall have been established in landscaping services contracting business for a minimum of three (3) years in North Carolina.

2. The vendor shall furnish all materials, equipment and supplies, adequate in quantity and of commercial quality, necessary for professionally performing all work in this contract. All equipment used shall be commercial grade and of sufficient size to complete tasks effectively and in a timely manner. All equipment shall be in good working order capable of being used as originally intended, including all guards and safety attachments.

3. The vendor shall make necessary provision to protect all work areas and shall be responsible for full restoration of any damages and costs of restoration to the work areas. All damages to the work areas, incidental to the performance of the work described in this contract shall be repaired or replaced by the vendor.

4. The vendor shall make necessary provision to protect structures and property from any and all damage arising out of, relating to, or resulting from this work.

5. The vendor shall keep the grounds free from accumulations of waste materials or rubbish caused by their employees at work. Vendor shall remove all supplies, materials, and equipment belonging to vendor when work is completed, leaving the premises clean.

6. Only the vendor’s employees (no friends, family members, etc.) are permitted on site when services are performed.

B. VENDOR’S PERSONNEL:

1. Upon request, the vendor must supply the College with a list of employees and/or supervisors to be used in performing services in the areas maintained.

2. Vendor’s staff shall be in uniform at all times during performance of this contract.

a. Shirts shall be uniform in appearance. T-shirts shall be acceptable.

b. Shirts must have business identification such as logo or business name.

c. Pants shall be uniform in appearance in both color and style. Pants must be waist to ankle.

d. Hats are optional, but if chosen to be worn, must be of a uniform type with company name/logo on the front.

e. Tattered cut-offs for shirts or pants are unacceptable.

f. Vendor shall provide visible business identification on vehicles.

C. GENERAL SUPERVISION OF EMPLOYEES:

1. Vendor’s employees shall be of good integrity and character.

2. Vendor’s employees shall have no convictions for violent crimes (homicide, rape, robbery, assault, sexual offense, etc.) or property crimes (burglary, larceny, shoplifting, etc.) for the last ten years.

3. Vendor’s employees shall report any property loss or damage to their Supervisor immediately. The Supervisor shall report in writing, such damage to the Director of Facilities within 24 hours. Written notice of the incident will be faxed, emailed or provided in hardcopy, specifying the location and extent of the damage. Failure to report such damage, as required, may be construed as default of the contract.

5.2 TURF MAINTENANCE – MOWING, EDGING, AND CLEANUP

1. Mowing

a. Mow all turf areas throughout the growing season, March-September weekly and as necessary to maintain turf height at a “literal” four (4) inches October-February. Do not allow grass to exceed (6) six inches before the next mowing. Once the mowing cycle has begun, work must be continuous until the cycle is completed. The number of mowing cycles may increase or decrease due to weather, holidays, or special request by the College.

b. The vendor shall not mow in the same track on consecutive weeks to prevent tracking and rutting.

c. If rutting occurs, the vendor must fill with topsoil and re-seed within one month of occurrence or detection during the growing season.

d. If zero-turn mowers are used, refrain from locking the pivot wheel which may cause turf damage.

e. All hard services, parking lots, walks, patios, and especially curbs must be kept free of grass clippings and debris.

f. The College prefers the lawn not to be mowed when the grass is wet or the ground is soft to prevent tracking.

g. Mechanically edge curbs, walks and other surfaces where turf has grown over or onto surfaces. Do not exceed one (1) inch depth nor a one half (1/2) inch width when edging adjacent to surfaces where pedestrian traffic occurs. Remove excess edging material at each mowing cycle.

h. Edge bed lines to maintain a neat division between turf and bed areas.

i. All Branches, limbs, sticks and other debris and trash should be removed before mowing. Trash should be disposed of in the college’s trash containers. Organic debris – tree limbs, branches, pinecones, seed ball – should be transported off-campus.

j. Remove and dispose of cut excessively long and windrowing grass on the same day it was mowed.

Remove any clippings or leaves blown onto paved areas or walkways during mowing on the same day as mowed. Do not blow clippings, leaves, or debris into storm drains, air conditioner units, buildings, vehicles, windows, landscape beds, mulched areas, etc.

k. Upon the occurrence of a weather event that has caused water or wind damage all branches, limbs, sticks and other debris and trash shall be removed from turf areas within 24 hours after a request from the Maintenance Department.

2. Turf Nutrition – Fertilizing

a. Fertilizing

i. Apply fertilizer to turf areas at 1 lb. of Nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. Material to be a complete turf grade fertilizer consisting of N-P-K such as 16-4-8, 18-5-9, 20-4- 10, etc., or approved equivalent.

ii. Use only slow-release nitrogen fertilizers.

iii. Schedule: Apply fertilizer, pre and post-emergent herbicides at the below-listed schedules:

1. Spring (February 15 – April 15)

2. Fall (October 15 – December 15)

3. Documentation: Submit all labels from fertilizers to the College for approval before application.

3. Leaf, Trash, and Debris Removal

a. Provide supplementary maintenance of the landscaped areas of the College as follows:

Collect fallen leaves on an as-needed basis from all turf, plant, and mulch areas to maintain a well-groomed appearance. Do not allow large accumulations of leaves to remain. Transport all leaves and debris off-campus. Trash should be disposed of in the College’s trash containers. Organic debris

– tree limbs, branches, pinecones, seed balls – should be transported off-campus. Leaf pick-up should begin in mid-October. Pick-up shall occur at a minimum of once a week from October 1st- November 30th, or as needed to maintain a clean lawn. Collect all fallen leaves or blow them into woods or natural areas. Mulching the leaves and leaving them on the lawn is unacceptable.

4. Weed and Disease Control

a. Weed Control

i. Use only non-burning pesticides

ii. Do not allow chemicals to leach into shrub and bed areas and tree root systems.

b. Application

i. Time applications to prevent the burning of turf by any material application.

ii. Clean up all fertilizer and weed control materials from paved areas immediately after application.

c. Schedule: Apply pre and post-emergent herbicides at the below-listed schedules according to the rate specified on product labels:

i. February: One application if full rate is applied, if a full application is not applied a secondary application will be required in 60 days.

1. Pre-emergent herbicide

2. Broadleaf post-emergent herbicide

ii. Vendor shall use an herbicide that is non-toxic to local pollinators.

iii. Where spraying is not possible due to harming desirable plants, weeds will be manually removed by hand to ensure no growth and mulch to keep the open ground between plants and within in-ground cover areas weed-free. Leaching of chemicals into turf areas is not acceptable.

iv. The vendor shall indemnify and hold the College harmless for any citations or fines issued to the College that are directly attributable to the vendor’s failure to comply with Local, State, and/or Federal laws or regulations governing the use of herbicides.

v. The vendor will maintain a log of herbicide applications made by employees. The log will note all application locations, amounts applied and dates of application. Entries into the log will be reported to the Director of Facilities once a month.

d. Use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to control diseases and weeds. Scout for disease on all plant material including turf, trees, shrubbery, and ground covers and apply pesticides as needed to control diseases each time work is performed. This includes all diseases that affect the plant material or may be hazardous to the general public.

i. Documentation: Submit all labels for pesticides to the College for approval before application.

e. Spray and kill vegetation occurring within the asphalt and concrete cracks, walks, and medians as well as median tips, dividers, expansion joints, curbs, and gutters; around rip-rap areas, signposts, guy wires, fire hydrants, guardrails, fence lines, or other such areas which cannot be properly maintained otherwise. SPRAY BANDS ARE NOT PERMITTED AROUND MULCHED AREAS.

f. Ensure all chemical applications conform to NCDA pesticide laws and applicable federal laws. All chemicals and pesticides proposed for use require prior approval by the College Project Manager.

Pesticide license are required for the application.

g. Control all weeds and vines on trees, shrubbery, or perennials upon detection.

i. Pre-emergent Herbicide Application:

1. Apply pre-emergent herbicides according to label rates, to all landscape areas, mulched areas, and natural areas as needed to control all weed and vine growth.

ii. Post-emergent Herbicide Applications:

1. Apply post-emergent herbicides according to label rates, weekly or as needed to keep landscape areas weed-free.

5. Over-Seeding

The vendor will provide annual core aeration and overseeding for turf areas. The seed must be turf-type tall fescue to be applied at the rate of 6 lbs. per 1000 square ft. Seed and weed-free straw must be applied at a rate of 90lbs.

per 1,000 sq. ft. to bare areas 2 sq. ft. and larger after seeding. This process should coincide with turf renovations and fertilization.

Seed labels must be submitted to the College before applying for approval.

6. Shrub, Mulch Beds, and Trees

a. The vendor will be required to furnish hardwood bark mulch for mulching per year in all current mulch areas, mulch beds, and around all tree bases that are not located in a natural area. The mulch must be free of contaminants, such as sticks, pinecones, trash, and other vegetation that would cause an unsightly appearance to the area.

b. The hardwood bark mulch in beds will be refreshed in all beds annually in the Spring (March – April).

i. Vendor will provide documentation of the number of cubic feet/yards placed

c. All beds will be checked for weeds and diseases in each mowing cycle. The vendor will remove or treat weeds and diseases using an appropriate method in each mowing cycle.

d. If chemicals or herbicides are needed, the vendor shall use these products by label directions and the manufacturer's recommended handling methods. All chemicals and herbicides shall be handled with all applicable regulations.

e. The vendor will be required to supply approximately 4,000 cubic feet of pine bark mulch annually. The actual quantity used in a given year may be more or less than the estimate, and the College will pay based on the actual amount of mulch supplied at the contracted unit price.

f. Formal hedges and topiary shall be trimmed twice a year (once in Fall September – October, once in the Spring April – May) to maintain a uniform height and width. Documentation shall be required to be reported to the Maintenance team each time this service is completed.

g. Ornamental Tree and Shrub Trimming

i. All ornamental trees and shrubbery shall be trimmed once a year between November 15th and

February 28th.

ii. All cut limbs and debris must be collected and transported off-campus.

5.3 ADDITIONAL SERVICES – ON A AS NEEDED BASIS.

1. Emergency Response The College may request additional services on an as needed basis including storm debris and tree removal and cleanup.

In the event of an emergency, the vendor shall provide a three (3) man crew and any necessary equipment for cleanup. The vendor shall submit an hourly rate to provide the emergency crew, which includes labor and equipment. In the event of a major catastrophe, hurricane, ice storm, etc., the College may request additional crew members to assist in the cleanup at the agreed-upon prior hourly rate.

2. Snow and Ice Removal The vendor will coordinate with the Facilities Director before any de-icing or snow/ice removal. This service shall include removing snow and/or ice from all parking lots, walks, steps, patios, and courtyard areas after snow/ice accumulation. The Vendor shall use only environmentally safe de-icing materials.

Rock salt is not an approved material. Certain materials and equipment may not be allowed in certain situations where damage to pavement or pavers may be a problem. Use the college’s existing inventory of de-icing materials first before procuring additional materials. The Vendor shall be responsible for applying de-icing materials to all walks, steps, patios, and courtyard areas before eminent storms and after scraping if necessary. Equipment and materials must be available to perform such tasks expediently. Snow and ice removal equipment shall include but is not limited to shovels, tractor plows loaders, dump trucks, and snow blowers. This service shall be initiated and under the direct supervision of the Facilities Director and must be done immediately to allow for the college to re-open as soon as possible.

Vendors are required to use the revised cost form included in this addendum in lieu of the original cost form, as overseeding has been incorporated into the main specifications and is no longer classified as an additional service.

ATTACHMENT A-1: COST FORM

Vendor shall furnish all necessary parts, labor, equipment, transportation, tools, materials, and supplies, as may be required to provide professional landscaping services for Isothermal Community College in accordance with the scope and work, specifications and bid requirements.

FURNISH AND DELIVER:

Landscaping Services Monthly Cost Yearly Cost All services specified in sections:

5.1 & 5.2 – YEAR 1

5.1 & 5.2 – YEAR 2

5.1 & 5.2 – YEAR 3

Hardwood Bark Mulch

Description

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3 Cost per Cubic Yard

(including labor)

Pine Bark Mulch

Cost per Cubic Yard

(including labor)

ADDITIONAL SERVICES – SECTION 5.3:

• All hourly rates shall be fully burdened.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE

Cost per Hour

Year 1 Cost per Hour

Year 2 Cost per Hour

3-Man Crew Labor

Skid Steer

Saws and Hand Tools

Dump Truck

SNOW & ICE REMOVAL

3-Man Crew Labor (per hour)

Snow/Ice Removal Equipment (per hour)

Ice Melt Spreader and Hand Tools (per hour)

Salt/Ice Melt (per pound)

ATTACHMENT A-1: COST FORM