Addendum 3 Q and A. docx.pdf

Department of Financial Management 411 West Ocean Boulevard, 6th Floor

Long Beach, CA 90802

(562) 570-6425

August 11, 2026

NOTICE TO PROPOSERS

ADDENDUM NO. 1: Q & A

No. RFP PW-25-648

As-Needed Tree Trimming and Related Services

This addendum changes and supersedes the language in the original RFP.

Please acknowledge receipt of this addendum by signing and submitting with your proposals. Any proposer who fails to submit this addendum may be disqualified.

The City would like to remind Proposers that pursuant to Section 5.2.27 of the RFP, the City will not be responsible for or bound by any oral communication or any other information or contact that occurs outside the official communication process specified herein, unless confirmed in writing by the City Contact.

The questions and answers are as follows:

1. Q: Why is the weight of Cost only 10%? RFPs with other cities have Cost weighted at 40%-60%. A weight of 10% favors the incumbent contractor.

A: The criteria are weighted by value of importance as determined by the RFP

Project Team.

2. Q: Will there be point reductions if the narrative proposal is more than 25 pages?

A: No. However, the content of the narrative should merit the need to exceed the recommended 25 pages to answer the specific questions as referenced in Section 4.3 of the RFP. (Note: Biographies are not counted toward the narrative page total).

3. Q: Is there a bid bond required?

A: Yes, because the total contract value exceeds $50,000.

4. Q: Are the park trees included?

RFP PW-25-648

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A: No. The Park trees are not included in this contract. (Parks, Recreation and

Marine Department is responsible for trimming trees within public parks and marinas.)

5. Q: Will the awarded contractor be allowed to use the current contractor yard located near Willow Springs Park, on the west side of Orange Ave. between E.

29th St and E. 28th St., to park trucks, equipment and store Roll-Off

Containers with tree debris on the ground?

A: Yes.

6. Q: Given that this project is primarily for tree maintenance services, shouldn’t the new C- 49 contractor’s license be required instead of the outdated D-49?

A: Yes. At the time the proposal is submitted, the Contractor shall have valid licenses for C-49 Tree and Palm Contractor (2024 replacing C61/D49) and C-

27 Landscaping Contractor License.

7. Q: Given the City’s requirements, per Section 3.11, that the contractor is responsible for traffic control, will the City consider requiring the C-31 state contractor’s license?

A: At the time the proposal is submitted, the Contractor shall have valid licenses for C-49 Tree and Palm Contractor (2024 replacing C61/D49) and C-

27 Landscaping Contractor License. A C-31 license is desirable, but not required, as traffic control can be sub-contracted.

8. Q: How will the City evaluate whether a bidder has a 90-foot aerial boom in their fleet as required per Section 2.1, subsection 1.3.

A: The City will evaluate the equipment referenced in the proposals submitted. Contractors shall complete the proposal narrative as instructed.

Please see Section 4.3 Narrative Proposal Template, Method of Approach.

Describe your logic model on how your organization will achieve target goals referenced in Exhibit A - Scope of Services as they relate to: Proposed number and type of equipment.

9. Q: Per the AB939 requirements, how much of the generated green waste from this project, in the form of clean wood chips, will the City accept?

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A: There is no cap or maximum for clean wood chips from green waste from the tree trimming program that the City will accept.

10. Q: Does any of the work have to be completed during off-hours? For example, at nighttime. If so, how will this be compensated?

A: For work schedule and hours, please see RFP Section 2.2.2 Contract

Management: “The Contractor and City representative will meet upon contract award to discuss scheduling,…" Emergency after-hours work is expected to be tracked and billed for separately.

11. Q: Will the City consider the proximity of the bidder’s office/yard to the City?

If so, how will this be considered?

A: Yes. For emergency response, the Contractor must be on-site within two

(2) hours or less with the appropriate staff and equipment to address the situation; failure to meet the 2-hour response time will result in a $500 penalty. (Please see RFP Section 2.2.1 Performance Metrics.);

no additional consideration is given to contractors unable to meet this requirement.

12. Q: Will the City consider requiring references for GPS tree inventory experience along with references for tree maintenance services?

A: Yes.

13. Q: What licenses/certifications will be required for pesticide application?

A: At the time the proposal is submitted, the Contractor shall have valid licenses for C -49 Tree and Palm Contractor (2024 replacing C61/D49) and C -

27 Landscaping Contractor License.

14. Q: If special equipment is required such as a crane or loader, how will this be charged?

A: The use of cranes and certified operators shall not result in additional charges to the City. Please see Exhibit A - Scope of Services, Section 4.20 Tree

Removal, #4.20.7.

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15. Q: Can contractors trim or remove any tree they deem necessary?

A: No. The contractor shall request approval from the City Arborist to trim or remove any tree.

16. Q: How will the update or addition of new trees to the inventory database be charged?

A: The contractor shall note when new trees are observed during grid tree trimming. The contractor shall notify the City representative and request to add the new tree(s) to the tree inventory, after which the contractor shall bill the City for trimming the new tree(s) within the designated grid.

17. Q: Please confirm whether proposals exceeding the 25-page narrative proposal limit will be deemed nonresponsive, penalized, or have points deducted, or whether the 25-page limit is intended as a guideline.

A: Please see answer #2.

18. Q: Please provide the anticipated evaluation period, whether interviews will be held if needed, anticipated contractor selection and negotiation timeline, anticipated contract execution date, and anticipated start date for services.

A: The forecasted RFP timeline was discussed in the mandatory Pre-Proposal

Meeting on June 23, 2026 (slide 15). The slides will be available on Long

Beach Buys.

19. Q: Please confirm whether Attachment AA must be submitted exactly as issued and whether proposers may submit a separate supplemental explanation or backup narrative regarding pricing assumptions without being deemed to have altered the Cost Proposal form.

A: Appendix 1 - Cost Proposal shall be submitted as is. No alterations or changes of any kind are permitted. Please note that the template is updated and the new version is now available on Long Beach Buys.

20. Q: Please provide the City's estimated annual budget, estimated annual spend, or engineer's estimate for this contract.

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A: The estimated annual award is $2.6M.

21. Q: Please provide the City's current annual tree maintenance budget for street trees, separate from any parks, Port, or capital project budgets.

A: Financial Year 26 Public Works Grid Trimming budget is $1.33M.

22. Q: Please confirm how Attachment AA's maximum renewal-period price increase percentages interact with the RFP's separate price adjustment language requiring requests 60 days before the annual anniversary date and justification by CPI, U.S. City Averages, or other indices. Please also confirm whether the proposed renewal-period price increase percentages will be evaluated or weighed as part of the City's reasonableness of cost review.

A: No, price increase shall not be permitted during the first two-year contract period; after the base period concludes, a price increase may be negotiated during the first, second, or third renewal period, and the increase rate shall not exceed the most recent available month for the Los Angeles-Riverside-

Orange County, CA Consumer Price Index (CPI) for All Urban Consumers for non-labor.

23. Q: Please confirm whether the two-year base term pricing must remain fixed for the full two-year base term.

A: Yes. Price increase shall not be permitted during the first two-year contract period.

24. Q: Please confirm the required dollar amount or percentage for the Faithful

Performance Bond and Labor and Materials Bond, and whether each bond is based on the total contract value, estimated annual value, or individual work order value.

A: It will be the total contract value, because it is greater than $50,000.

25. Q: Please confirm whether a bid bond is required. If so, please provide the required amount or percentage.

A: Yes, it will be the total contract value.

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26. Q: Please confirm which insurance requirements control where the RFP and pro-forma agreement differ. Specifically, the RFP appears to require

Commercial Auto Liability of $1,000,000 combined single limit covering

Symbol 1 (any auto), while the pro-forma agreement appears to state

$500,000 combined single limit; the pro-forma agreement includes

Professional Liability/Errors and Omissions of $1,000,000 per claim while the main RFP insurance schedule does not clearly identify this requirement; and the applicable Excess Liability requirement should also be confirmed if there is any difference between the RFP and pro-forma agreement.

A: The RFP requirements supersede pro-forma requirements.

27. Q: Please confirm whether there are any insurance policy or coverage requirements for this contract other than those listed in the RFP and pro-forma agreement.

A: There are no changes to the insurance requirements, please refer to

Section 5.3 to review the insurance requirements.

28. Q: The RFP states that if federal assistance applies, the contractor must pay the higher of the applicable DIR or federal wage rates. Please confirm whether federal assistance applies to this contract. If so, please confirm whether Davis-Bacon requirements apply to all work under the contract or only to specific federally funded work orders/task orders.

A: The bid is subject only to California State wages. Any proposed work with

Federal funding will be communicated by the Department before any work starts.

29. Q: Please identify the applicable prevailing wage classifications expected for tree trimming, removal, stump grinding, planting, traffic control, inventory/GIS, and emergency response work.

A: The Prime contractor is responsible for determining which classification(s) are to be used based on the scope of work performed. Please refer to the

DIR website for classifications:

https://www.dir.ca.gov/oprl/DPreWageDetermination.htm https://www.dir.ca.gov/oprl/DPreWageDetermination.htm

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30. Q: Please clarify whether the City will require certified payroll submission through DIR only, a City web-based labor compliance system, or both.

A: The City requires Certified Payroll submission via LCPtracker and DIR

Portal.

31. Q: Please confirm what subcontractor proof-of-payment documentation must be included in the proposal and what will be required during contract performance.

A: Please refer to Section 5.2.23 regarding payments to sub-contractors.

32. Q: Please confirm the total number of trees included in this contract by category, including street trees, medians, parks, facilities, Port/Harbor trees, Coastal Zone trees, palms, and young trees requiring watering.

A: As referenced in the RFP Section 1.1 Project Summary, the City maintains a population of approximately 96,000 street trees. These street trees are in two areas, the City area, which has approximately 92,000 trees, and the Long

Beach Harbor District (Port area), which has approximately 4,000 trees. The

City area includes approximately 8,400 trees in the California Coastal Zone, comprised of the following: approximately 5,900 within the City Permit

Jurisdiction; approximately 2,400 within the Appealable Area; and 100 within the State Permit Jurisdiction.” Tree watering isn’t included in the scope of work in this contract.

33. Q: Please identify City staff or City crews currently performing tree trimming, removal, planting, watering, emergency response, or inventory work, and describe how work will be divided between City forces and the awarded contractor.

A: For the scope of work to be performed by the contractor, please see

Exhibit A - Scope of Services, Section 1 - General Requirements.

34. Q: Exhibit A-5 identifies 8,482 Coastal Zone street trees and 1,108 Coastal

Zone park trees. Please confirm whether park trees are included in this contract scope and pricing, or whether this contract is limited to street/right-of-way trees.

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A: Please see answer #4.

35. Q: Please confirm whether State Permit Jurisdiction coastal trees are included in the contract scope. The RFP project summary references approximately

100 street trees within State Permit Jurisdiction, while Exhibit A-3 states the

LCDP modification excludes State Permit Jurisdiction.

A: Yes. The coastal trees are included.

36. Q: Please confirm whether Port/Harbor District trees are excluded from this contract scope unless separately directed by the City.

A: Port/Harbor District trees are included in this contract. Please see Exhibit

A-5 Map - Coastal Zone.

37. Q: Please identify any species, districts, corridors, or Coastal Zone areas that require more frequent pruning, special seasonal restrictions, or special equipment.

A: Queen Palms and Chinese Elms require more frequent pruning and special seasonal restrictions. Equipment needed includes handsaws, pole pruners, and bucket trucks.

38. Q: Please provide the current 2023-2029 grid schedule, estimated tree counts by grid/year, last grid completed, and the first grid or work areas expected to be assigned under this contract.

A: The Trim Grid Cycle Map is provided in the RFP. Please see Exhibit A-4 Map

- Tree Trimming Grid.

39. Q: The RFP states that the City currently operates on a six-year grid trimming cycle. Please confirm whether palms are trimmed on the same six-year cycle as hardwood trees, or whether palms are trimmed on a different frequency.

A: Typically, all trees are trimmed on a six-year cycle. However, some palm trees along major thoroughfares may have two-year cycles based on available resources.

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40. Q: If palms are trimmed on the six-year cycle, please confirm whether proposers should assume that palm trees assigned under the initial contract work may include up to six years of accumulated fronds, fruit, seed pods, or trunk cleaning needs.

A: Yes, all of the above.

41. Q: Based on the current condition of certain palms, it appears that some palm trees may have deferred maintenance or accumulated growth beyond a normal pruning cycle. Please confirm how the City intends to compensate the contractor for catch-up palm maintenance where palms require work beyond a standard cycle trim, including excessive dead fronds, fruit, seed pods, skirt removal, trunk cleaning, or other accumulated maintenance needs.

A: Palm trees are on a 6-year trim cycle and will be paid under the standard palm trimming prices.

42. Q: If palms are intended to be maintained on a two-year cycle, but certain palms have not been serviced for approximately four years or more, please confirm whether the initial catch-up service will be paid under the standard palm trimming unit prices, treated as additional work, paid under hourly rates, or otherwise separately authorized by the City.

A: Please see answer to #41

43. Q: A City memorandum dated July 1, 2024, regarding the Modified Tree Grid indicated that, at that time, the scheduled FY 23/24 work was approximately

12 months delayed due to a high volume of out-of-cycle trimming. Please confirm whether the City's grid trimming cycle is now back on schedule or whether cycle trimming remains delayed.

A: Yes. The cycle is back on schedule.

44. Q: If the cycle remains delayed, please identify the current backlog, the last grid completed, and the first grid or work areas expected to be assigned under this contract.

A: The last grid completed is grid 18. The next grid will be grid 23.

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45. Q: The RFP states personnel shall complete all work within 60 days as specified, the performance metric states work orders must be completed within 60 days of assignment, and Exhibit A states additional work must be completed within 60 days. Please confirm whether this requirement applies only to individual assigned work orders/additional work, or whether any annual grid trimming or annual maintenance program assignment must also be completed within 60 days.

A: Contractor shall complete assigned work orders/additional work within 60 days of assignment. Contractors shall also complete the annual grid trimming cycles, accordingly/when due, and complete the Annual

Maintenance Program schedule as agreed, after the contract is awarded.

46. Q: Please confirm whether weather, public safety conditions, access restrictions, active nesting restrictions, or City-directed delays excuse the emergency response penalty or extend work-order completion deadlines.

A: For Emergency response time requirements, please see RFP Section 2.2.1

Performance Metrics, item 1) Emergency Response Time. Failure to meet the

2-hour response time will result in a $500 penalty.

47. Q: Please confirm whether proposers may receive a copy of the City's current

GPS tree inventory in Excel or CSV format before proposal submission.

A: The Contractor awarded will receive a copy (in Excel format) of the City’s last Tree Inventory.

48. Q: The RFP states that the City maintains approximately 96,000 street trees.

Please confirm how many of those trees are currently included in the City's existing inventory and when the inventory was last fully updated.

A: The City’s Tree Inventory has 87,430. The last inventory count was in 2017.

49. Q: Please confirm whether the contractor is required to create a new GPS inventory for all City trees at contract startup, or whether the requirement is to migrate/upload existing City data and update the inventory based on work performed.

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A: At no cost to the City, the Contractor is required to create and operate a new Global Positioning System (GPS) tree inventory web-based database. For

Tree Inventory requirements, please see RFP Section 2.2.1 Performance

Metrics, item 4. City's Tree Inventory.

50. Q: Inventory Startup / Quarterly Update Requirement: Exhibit A states that the contractor shall provide periodic quarterly updates to the City's tree inventory based on all work as it is completed, at no additional cost to the

City, within three months of contract award. Please confirm whether the three-month requirement applies to the start of quarterly inventory updates for work completed under the contract, or whether the City expects the awarded contractor to migrate, verify, correct, and complete the full Citywide inventory of approximately 96,000 street trees within the first three months of the contract.

A: Within the first six months of the contract, the quarterly update for the

Citywide inventory is due.

51. Q: Given the size of the City's urban forest, would the City consider allowing the awarded contractor to complete the inventory migration, verification, and field updates over a longer implementation period, such as one year, while updating records in parallel as crews move through the City?

A: Within the first six months of the contract, the complete Citywide inventory migration is due.

52. Q: If the City requires complete inventory migration, verification, or creation within the first three months, please confirm what City staff, GIS support, existing inventory data, maps, zone boundaries, and daily coordination resources will be assigned to assist the awarded contractor in confirming which areas, trees, vacancies, and datasets are included in the contract inventory.

A: City staff support will be provided.

53. Q: Please provide technical specifications for the Cityworks Service 2013 inventory system, including required data fields, export format, integration method, API requirements if any, user access requirements, and reporting format.

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A: Cityworks Service 2013 (web-based) is the City’s internal invoicing database. At this time, there is no intention to request the Contractor awarded to import any data into Cityworks.

54. Q: Exhibit A states the data upload must be complete and operational before commencement of any tree service work. Please confirm whether the City will allow a transition period for inventory migration before routine service begins.

A: The City will allow a three-month transition period for inventory migration.

55. Q: Please confirm whether canopy spread measurements and all invoice data fields are required for every tree serviced, every tree in the inventory, or only certain work categories.

A: Yes. The canopy spread measurements and all invoice data fields are required for every tree serviced on the tree inventory.

56. Q: Please provide the current tree inventory export, GIS shapefiles, grid maps, and any current pruning-cycle or priority reports that will be used for the annual maintenance program.

A: The Trim Grid Cycle Map (2023-2029) is provided in the RFP. Please see

Exhibit A-4 Map - Tree Trimming Grid.

57. Q: For tree work in the Coastal Zone, please confirm whether a biologist or ornithologist survey/report is required before work may proceed. If so, please confirm whether the City is responsible for contracting with and paying for the biologist/ornithologist, or whether the awarded contractor is expected to include those costs in its proposal pricing.

A: The City is responsible for the cost of the biologist for tree work in the

Coastal Zone.

58. Q: Please confirm who bears the cost of qualified biologist/ornithologist surveys, monitoring, written reports, demobilization, remobilization, hand-tool requirements, and schedule delays caused by bird activity or Coastal

Zone restrictions.

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A: The City bears the cost of the biologist for tree work in the Coastal Zone.

59. Q: Please confirm whether non-emergency Coastal Zone tree work is limited to October through December and identify the process for authorizing health/safety or emergency work during the January through September breeding/nesting season.

A: Non-nesting season has no limit. If emergency work is warranted during nesting season, the City is required to report to the Coastal Commission for an emergency permit, as well as hire a biologist.

60. Q: Please confirm how the 300-foot survey/buffer requirement will be applied in dense street-tree environments, and who has authority to issue the final Notice to Proceed after surveys.

A: All tree trimming shall not continue if a nest is within 300 feet of the work area. A biologist will have to be contacted to issue the notice to proceed.

61. Q: Please identify the general pruning window months for trees in the

Coastal Zone, outside of emergencies or special City-authorized requests.

A: October 1 to December 31 is the general pruning season in the Coastal

Zone.

62. Q: Please confirm whether the City will provide no-parking/tow-away postings and permits, or whether the contractor is responsible for obtaining and posting all traffic/parking notices beyond the required tree/site notices.

A: No. The City will not provide no-parking signs. The contractor is responsible for posting the signs.

63. Q: Please confirm whether the City will allow equipment staging on City streets, public rights-of-way, City facilities, parks, yards, or other City-designated locations during scheduled grid trimming, removals, emergency response, or other assigned work.

A: No (overnight) equipment staging is permitted.

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64. Q: If equipment staging is allowed, please identify any permitting, approval, parking, traffic control, security, or time-limit requirements.

A: Equipment staging is not allowed.

65. Q: For the emergency response penalty, please confirm how the $500 penalty is applied during a large storm or widespread emergency event.

A: The Contractor must be on-site within two (2) hours or less with the appropriate staff and equipment to address the situation; failure to meet the

2-hour response time will result in a $500 penalty. (Please see RFP Section

2.2.1 Performance Metrics.)

66. Q: Please confirm whether the City will designate green waste/wood chip disposal or delivery sites, and whether hauling to City-designated sites is included in the unit prices with no additional compensation.

A: At the direction of the Program Manager or Designee, wood waste generated from tree removals shall be chipped into pure wood chips with an even uniform size. These chips shall be dumped and spread in specified locations in the City at no additional cost. (See Exhibit A - Scope of Services, Section 4.11. Disposal of Materials.)

67. Q: Please confirm whether crane work, specialty equipment, large removals, and extraordinary traffic control will be paid under existing unit prices, hourly rates, emergency rates, or separately authorized extra work

A: Services and materials necessary to provide services under the contract shall be included in the proposal's base price and shall not result in additional charges to the City. Please see Exhibit A - Scope of Services, Section #4 Project Special Provisions.

68. Q: For Attachment AA Item 3, Single Tree Trimming, please confirm whether this specific line item is intended for individual service request trimming, single-tree callouts, bundled out-of-grid trimming assignments, or another category of work. Because the cost to prune a small hardwood tree differs significantly from the cost to prune a large hardwood tree, would the City consider breaking Item 3 out by DBH range, consistent with the hardwood grid trimming categories? If the City does not intend to break Item 3 out by

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DBH range, would the City consider making Item 3 an hourly rate item instead?

A: Single Tree Trimming is intended for single tree callouts.

69. Q: For Attachment AA Item 8, Tree Planting, the Cost Proposal includes one line item for Fan Palm planting from 10 to 30 feet BTH on a per-tree basis and another line item for Fan Palm planting priced per foot of brown trunk height. Please clarify the intent of these two pricing options and how the City will determine which pricing method applies to a given fan palm planting assignment.

A: There will be no tree planting in this contract. (As of 2024, tree planting is managed by Department of Sustainability.) An updated Cost Proposal template will be provided in Long Beach Buys

70. Q: For Attachment AA Item 9, Tree Watering, please confirm whether the City will provide the water source and water meter, or whether the contractor is responsible for supplying water and any required water meter, hydrant meter, permits, or related costs.

A: There will be no tree watering in this contract. (As of 2024, tree watering is managed by Department of Sustainability.) An updated Cost Proposal template will be provided in Long Beach Buys

71. Q: For Attachment AA Item 10, Emergency Services, please confirm whether the cost per hour should be priced as a fully equipped 3-person crew hourly rate, or as a per-person/man-hour rate.

A: Emergency Services cost should be per-person/man-hour rate.

72. Q: Please confirm whether tree planting stock, nursery procurement, staking, watering, warranty/replacement, and establishment care are included in the unit pricing, and provide the expected warranty period.

A: Please see answers #69 and #70.

73. Q: Do you have an approximate work start date?

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A: The forecasted work start date is the end of February 2027, and was referenced in the mandatory Pre-Proposal Meeting on 6/23/26 (slide 15). The slides will be available on Long Beach Buys.

74. Q: Can you confirm payment and performance bonds will not be required? If yes, will the City allow for annual renewable payment and performance bonds?

A: No, if the total contract value is less than $50,000.

75. Q: What is the city’s award methodology or evaluation criteria?

A: The City awards the contract to the Contractor with the highest score received in the proposal evaluation process. For evaluation criteria, please refer to the RFP Section 3.2 Evaluation Criteria.

76. Can the contract be awarded to multiple contractors?

A: Yes. If the contract is awarded to more than one contractor, the award authority would be shared among the contractors awarded.

77. Can the C27 be through the subcontractor?

A: No. At the time the proposal is submitted, the prime Contractor shall have valid licenses for C-49 Tree and Palm Contractor (2024 replacing C61/D49) and C-27 Landscaping Contractor License.

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PREPARED BY:

Janet Kariuki, Procurement Analyst I

ACKNOWLEDGED BY:

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