Aquatic_Plant_Harvester.pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

2024-RFP-093-PR

AQUATIC PLANT HARVESTER

County of Dane

City-County Building, Room 425, 53703

Madison, WI 53703

RELEASE DATE: November 22, 2024

DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS: December 20, 2024

RESPONSE DEADLINE: January 10, 2025, 2:00 pm

RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO:

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane

County of Dane

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Aquatic Plant Harvester

I. Introduction II. RFP Guidelines and Overview

III. Project Overview & Scope of Work IV. RFP Response Requirements & Evaluation Criteria V. Pricing Proposal

VI. Vendor Questionnaire VII. Standard Terms and Conditions

Request For Proposal #2024-RFP-093-PR Title: Aquatic Plant Harvester

1. Introduction

1.1. Summary

The purpose of this document is to provide interested parties with information to enable them to prepare and submit a proposal according to the specifications set forth within this document.

The County intends to use the results of this process to award a contract or issue a purchase order for the product(s) and/or service(s) stated: Aquatic Plant Harvester.

The Dane County Purchasing Division is the sole point of contact for questions and issues that may arise during the RFP process.

1.2. Contact Information

Pete Patten

Purchasing Manager

Email: patten.peter@countyofdane.com

Phone: (608) 267-3523

Department:

Land & Water

1.3. Timeline

Release Project Date November 22, 2024

Question Submission Deadline December 20, 2024, 4:00pm

Question Response Deadline January 3, 2025, 4:00pm

Proposal Submission Deadline January 10, 2025, 2:00pm mailto:patten.peter@countyofdane.com tel:(608)267-3523

2. RFP Guidelines and Overview

2.1. GENERAL SOLICITATION PROCESS

1. REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS

A. The County will provide reasonable accommodations, including the provision of informational material in an alternative format, for qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. If you need accommodations at a vendor conference or site visit, contact the Purchasing Officer listed or call WI Relay 711 for TDD Services.

2. VENDOR REGISTRATION

A. Interested vendors are required to register at the County's eProcurement Portal. Registration is free and will ensure that you receive notifications of solicitations that match your profile and category codes as well as providing the County with up-to-date company contact information.

B. Once registered, please double check to make sure your vendor information including commodity codes is up-to-date by signing into your account at the County's eProcurement

Portal.

3. CALENDAR OF EVENTS

A. Specific and estimated dates and times of actions related to this solicitation are listed in the timeline in the Introduction Section. The actions with specific dates must be completed as indicated unless otherwise changed by the County. In the event that the County finds it necessary to change any of the specific dates and times in the calendar of events listed below, it will do so by issuing an addendum to this RFP and posting such addendum on the Dane

County eProcurement Portal.

4. CLARIFICATION OF THE SPECIFICATIONS / QUESTIONS

A. All inquiries concerning this solicitation must be submitted via the County's eProcurement

Portal.

B. Questions must be submitted before 4:00 pm on Friday, December 20, 2024.

1. Requests submitted after that time frame will not be considered.

C. Proposers are expected to raise any questions, exceptions, or additions they have concerning the solicitation at this point in the process. If a proposer discovers any significant ambiguity, error, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or other deficiency in this solicitation, the proposer should immediately notify the contact person of such error and request modification or clarification to the solicitation document.

D. Proposers are prohibited from communicating directly with any employee of Dane County, except as described herein. No County employee or representative other than those individuals https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane listed as County contacts on this solicitation is authorized to provide any information or respond to any question or inquiry concerning this solicitation.

5. ADDENDA & REVISIONS

A. In the event that it becomes necessary to provide additional clarifying data or information, or to revise any part of this bid, addenda and/or supplements will be posted via the

County's eProcurement Portal. Bidders are responsible to regularly monitor the web site for any such postings. It is recommended to check the eProcurement Portal for addenda prior to submitting a proposal. Bidders must acknowledge the receipt/review of any addenda via the eProcurement Portal.

B. The Purchasing Division has the sole authority for modifications to specifications and/or the solicitation document.

6. INSPECTION OF PREMISES/VENDOR SITE VISIT - when applicable

A. When applicable, bidder’s may inspect site(s) prior to submitting bids to determine all requirements associated with the project by contacting Pete Patten. Failure to do so will in no way relieve the successful bidder from the necessity of providing, without additional cost to the

County, all necessary services that may be required to carry out the intent of the resulting contract.

2.2. BID / PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

Dane County strongly encourages all vendors to submit proposals well in advance of the solicitation deadline. By doing so, if there are any technical difficulties, there is time to attempt to resolve the situation before the deadline. Late bids will not be accepted.

If there are technical difficulties while trying to submit, first, contact OpenGov Support by clicking into the small blue circle on the bottom, right side of your screen while logged into the OpenGov system.

1. SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS

A. Dane County reserves the right to accept any part of this bid deemed to be in the best interest of the County. The County also retains the right to accept or reject any or all bids.

B. Proposals must be submitted via the County's eProcurement Portal before 2:00 pm on Friday, January 10, 2025. Late, faxed, mailed, hand-delivered, or incomplete proposals will be rejected unless otherwise specified. Dane County is not liable for any cost incurred by proposers in replying to this solicitation.

C. To Submit a Proposal:

1. Register at the County's eProcurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane

2. Click on the green "+Subscribe" button on the left side of the screen and proceed to create an account or sign in if an account already exists.

3. Once registered, click on the "draft" button to draft your proposal.

4. Provide company information

5. Complete the entire Vendor Questionnaire

6. Where indicated, upload the required documents.

7. The file upload status can be seen for each document uploaded.

8. Confirm all files have been uploaded

9. Review your work and click on "submit" proposal

10. Acknowledge any addenda

2. MULTIPLE PROPOSALS & ACCEPTANCE

A. Multiple proposals from a vendor will be permissible; however, the proposer must create separate accounts with separate log-in sequences, emails, and passwords on the

County’s eProcurement Portal. Each such proposal must be submitted separately and labeled as

Proposal #1, Proposal #2, etc.

B. Please message procurementsupport@opengov.com with any questions regarding set up.

3. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS ON SUBMITTING COST PROPOSALS

A. The Cost Proposal section of this solicitation will either be incorporated into the system as a

Pricing Table or as a separate Cost Proposal Attachment that must be downloaded, completed, saved, and uploaded to the Vendor Questionnaire section.

B. Price(s) quoted shall include all labor, materials, equipment, shipping and other costs and conditions outlined within the bid. Pricing shall remain fixed.

4. RIGHT TO REJECT PROPOSALS & NEGOTIATE CONTRACT TERMS

A. The County reserves the right to accept any part of a submission deemed to be in the best interest of the County and to reject any and all proposals and to negotiate the terms of the contract, including the award amount, with the selected proposer prior to entering into a contract. If contract negotiations cannot be concluded successfully with the highest scoring proposer, the County may negotiate a contract with the next highest scoring proposer.

2.3. VENDOR QUESTIONNAIRE DEFINITIONS

1. LOCAL VENDOR PURCHASING PREFERENCE - applicable to RFBs - DOES NOT APPLY TO PUBLIC WORKS

BIDS

mailto:procurementsupport@opengov.com

A. Under Dane County Ordinance 25.08(11)(c-e), a Locally Based and Owned Vendor, Locally

Operated Vendor, or Non-Locally Operated Vendor may be invited to match the low bid if the low bid is offered by a vendor that is not identified as a Locally Based and Owned Vendor, Locally Operated Vendor, or Non-Locally Operated Vendor according to Dane County Ordinance requirements. Local Vendor Preferences do not apply to bids for sand, gravel, salt, asphalt and concrete.

Locally Based and Owned Vendors:

1. When bids are reviewed, the County will determine if a Locally Based and Owned Vendor responding to the bid is the low bidder. If a Locally Based and Owned Vendor is the low bidder, they will be awarded the bid.

2. If a Locally Based and Owned Vendor is not the low bidder but is within 15% of the low bid, the

County will contact the Locally Based and Owned Vendor and provide that vendor the option of matching the low bid price.

3. If no Locally Based and Owned Vendors are among the responding bidders, or the Locally Based and Owned Vendor declines to match the low bid, then the County will determine if a Locally

Operated Vendor has responded to the bid.

Locally Operated Vendors:

4. If a Locally Operated Vendor is within 10% of the low bid, the County will contact the Locally

Operated Vendor and provide that vendor the option of matching the low bid price.

5. If no Locally Operated Vendors are among the responding bidders, or the Locally Operated

Vendor declines to match the low bid, then the County will determine if a Non-Locally Operated

Vendor has responded to the bid.

Non-Locally Operated Vendors:

6. If a Non-Locally Operated Vendor is within 5% of the low bid, the County will contact the Non-

Locally Operated Vendor and provide that vendor the option of matching the low bid price.

7. If no Non-Locally Operated Vendors are among the responding bidders, or the Non-Locally

Operated Vendor declines to match the low bid, then the County will award the bid to the low bidder without regard to the location of the vendor.

2. LOCAL VENDOR PURCHASING PREFERENCE - applicable to RFPs - DOES NOT APPLY TO PUBLIC WORKS

BIDS

A. Under County ordinances, a Local Vendor is defined as a supplier or provider of equipment, materials, supplies or services that has an established place of business within the County of

Dane. An established place of business means a physical office, plant or other facility. A post office box address does not qualify a vendor as a Local Vendor.

1. County ordinance provides that a local vendor (within Dane County) automatically receive five points toward the evaluation score.

2. County ordinance provides that vendors located within the counties adjacent to Dane County

(Columbia, Dodge, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Rock, Sauk) automatically receive two points toward the evaluation score.

3. LOCAL CONTENT VENDOR PREFERENCE - generally only applicable to RFBs - DOES NOT APPLY TO

PUBLIC WORKS BIDS

A. Under Dane County Ordinance 25.08(4)(f-j), bidders offering goods made in Dane County, its surrounding counties, or the State of Wisconsin receive a price preference on sealed bid solicitations. Bids are first evaluated to determine if any bidders are offering products that qualify as Dane County-Made Goods, Regionally-Made Goods, or Wisconsin-Made Goods. Local

Vendor Preferences do not apply to bids for sand, gravel, salt, asphalt and concrete.

B. A bidder offering Dane County-Made Goods will be considered the successful bidder if their price is up to 15% higher than the low bid for goods that are not Dane County-Made Goods. If no vendors meet this criteria, then the County will determine if any bidder is offering Regionally-

Made Goods. If so, then such a bidder will be considered successful if their price is up to 12.5% higher than the low bid for goods that are not Regionally-Made Goods. If no vendors meet this criteria, then the County will determine if any bidder is offering Wisconsin-Made Goods. If so, that bidder will be considered successful if their price is up to 10% higher than the low bid for goods that are not Wisconsin-Made Goods. If no vendors are offering Dane County-Made, Regionally-Made, or Wisconsin-Made Goods, then the County will evaluate the low bid without regard to the content of the goods.

4. FAIR LABOR PRACTICES CERTIFICATION

A. Dane County Ord. 25.09 (1) is as follows:

1. (28) BIDDER RESPONSIBILITY. (a) Any bid, application or proposal for any contract with the county, including public works contracts regulated under chapter 40, shall include a certification indicating whether the bidder has been found by the National Labor Relations

Board (NLRB) or the Wisconsin Employment Relations Committee (WERC) to have violated any statute or regulation regarding labor standards or relations within the last seven years.

The purchasing manager shall investigate any such finding and make a recommendation to the committee, which shall determine whether the conduct resulting in the finding affects the bidder’s responsibility to perform the contract.

B. If a company indicates that they have been found by the NLRB or WERC to have such a violation in the Vendor Questionnaire section, a copy of any relevant information regarding such violation with is required to be uploaded with the bid submission.

C. Additional information about the NLRB and WERC can be found using the following links:

www.nlrb.gov and http://werc.wi.gov.

5. COOPERATIVE PURCHASING

A. Participating in cooperative purchasing gives vendors the opportunity for additional sales without additional bidding. Municipalities and state agencies use cooperative purchasing to expedite purchases. A “municipality” is defined as any county, city, village, town, school district, https://www.nlrb.gov/ http://werc.wi.gov/ board of school directors, sewer district, drainage district, vocational, technical and adult education district, or any other public body having authority to award public contracts (s.

16.70(8), Wis. Stats.). Federally recognized Indian tribes and bands in this state may participate in cooperative purchasing with the state or any municipality under ss. 66.0301(1) and (20, Wis.

Stats.

B. In the Vendor Questionnaire section, you will have the opportunity to participate in allowing municipalities and state agencies to piggyback this bid. Participation is not mandatory. A vendor’s decision on participating in this service has no effect on awarding the bid.

C. Dane County is not a party to these purchases or any dispute arising from these purchases and is not liable for delivery or payment of any of these purchases.

6. DESIGNATION OF CONFIDENTIAL & PROPRIETY INFORMATION - generally only applicable to RFPs

A. All restrictions on the use of data contained within a proposal and all confidential information must be clearly stated on the Vendor Information Attachment under the “Designation of

Confidential and Proprietary Information” section.

B. Proprietary information submitted in a proposal, or in response to the RFP, will be handled in accordance with the applicable Wisconsin State Statute(s).

C. Submitted pricing will always become public information when proposals are opened and therefore cannot be designated as confidential.

D. Other information cannot be kept confidential unless it is a trade secret. Trade secret is defined in Sect. 134(80)(1)(c) Wis. State Statutes, as follows: "Trade secret" means information, including a formula, pattern, compilation, program, device, method technique or process to which all of the following apply:

1. The information derives independent economic value, actual or potential, from not being generally known to, and not being readily ascertainable by proper means by other persons who can obtain economic value from its disclosure or use.

2. The information is the subject of efforts to maintain its secrecy that are reasonable under the circumstances.

E. To the extent permitted by law, it is the intention of Dane County to withhold the contents of the proposal from public view until such times as competitive or bargaining reasons no longer require non-disclosure, in the opinion of Dane County. At that time, all proposals will be available for review in accordance with the Wisconsin Open Records Law.

F. In the event the Designation of Confidentiality of this information is challenged, is required to provide legal counsel or other necessary assistance to defend the Designation of Confidentiality.

G. Failure to designate confidential and proprietary information within the Designation of

Confidential and Proprietary Information section of the Vendor Information Attachment may mean that all information provided as part of the proposal response will be open to examination or copying. The County considers other markings of confidential in the proposal document to be insufficient. The undersigned agrees to hold the County harmless for any damages arising out of the release of any material unless they are specifically identified within the Designation of

Confidential and Proprietary Information section of the Vendor Information Attachment.

2.4. EVALUATION

1. PRELIMINARY EVALUATION

A. The proposals will first be reviewed to determine if all applicable requirements are met. Failure to meet mandatory requirements may result in the proposal being rejected. In the event that all vendors do not meet one or more of the mandatory requirements, the County reserves the right to continue the evaluation of the proposals and to select the proposal which most closely meets the requirements specified in the solicitation.

2. PROPOSAL SCORING - applicable to RFPs

A. Accepted proposals will be reviewed by an evaluation team and scored against the stated criteria in the evaluation section of the RFP posting. This scoring will determine the ranking of vendors based upon their written proposals. If the team determines that it is in the best interest of the County to require a Phase 2 Evaluation which may include oral presentations, the highest-ranking vendors will be invited to make such presentations. Those vendors that participate in the interview process will then be scored, and the final ranking will be made based upon those scores.RFP Cost Proposal's will be scored using a standard quantitative calculation where the most cost criteria points will be awarded to the proposal with the lowest cost.

3. ORAL PRESENTATIONS/INTERVIEW - applicable to RFPs

A. Top ranked selected proposers may be required to make oral interview presentations and/or site visits to supplement their proposals, if requested by the County. The County will make every reasonable attempt to schedule each presentation at a time and location that is agreeable to the proposer. Failure of a proposer to conduct a presentation to the County on the date scheduled may result in rejection of the vendor’s proposal.

2.5. AWARD

1. RFB AWARD

A. The County will award the bid to the most responsive and responsible bidder whose bid is most advantageous to the County. In determining the most advantageous bid, the County may consider criteria such as, but not limited to, cost, bidder’s past performance and/or service reputation, and service capability, quality of the bidder’s staff or services, customer satisfaction, references, the extent to which the bidder’s staff or services meet the County’s needs, bidder’s past relationship with the County, total long term cost to the County, fleet continuity and any other relevant criteria listed in this solicitation.

B. A resulting award and any part thereof shall not be subcontracted or assigned to another

Contractor without prior written permission of the County. The Contractor shall be directly responsible for any Subcontractor’s performance and work quality when used by the Contractor to carry out the scope of the job. Subcontractors must abide by all terms and conditions under this Contract.

2. RFP AWARD

A. An RFP award will typically be granted in one of two ways.

1. The award may be granted to the highest scoring responsive and responsible proposer.

2. Alternatively, the highest scoring proposer or proposers may be requested to submit final and best offers. If final and best offers are requested, they will be evaluated against the stated criteria, scored and ranked. The award will then be granted to the highest scoring proposer.

B. A resulting award and any part thereof shall not be subcontracted or assigned to another

Contractor without prior written permission of the County. The Contractor shall be directly responsible for any Subcontractor’s performance and work quality when used by the Contractor to carry out the scope of the job. Subcontractors must abide by all terms and conditions under this Contract.

3. PAYMENT TERMS AND INVOICING

A. Unless otherwise agreed upon in writing, Dane County will pay properly submitted vendor invoices within thirty (30) days of receipt of goods or services. Payment will not be made until goods or services are delivered, installed (if required), and accepted as specified. Invoices presented for payment shall be submitted to via email to the Department Invoice Email

Address shown on the Bill To section of the PO issued. The Dane County purchase order number must be noted on the submitted invoice.

B. Other incidental or standard industry charges not identified herein, are not allowed under this contract. Miscellaneous service charges used to help the Contractor pay various fluctuating current and future costs are not allowed. These charges include, but are not limited to, costs directly or indirectly related to the environment, energy issues, fuel charges, service and delivery of goods and services.

4. NOTIFICATION OF INTENT TO AWARD

A. Upon finalizing the award, a notification email may be sent via the OpenGov system showing the awarded vendor(s).

B. As a courtesy, the County may send a Notice of Intent letter to responding vendors at the time of the award. - applicable to RFPs

C. Written notice of award to a vendor in the form of a purchase order or other document, mailed or emailed to the address shown on the bid will be considered sufficient notice of acceptance of bid.

5. CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE

A. The successful vendor is required to submit to Dane County a Certificate of Insurance prior to performing any work under this contract. The certificate is required prior to issuance of purchase order. See Section 22.0 Insurance Responsibility in the Standard Terms & Conditions.

B. Please contact your insurance representative to issue an Additional Insured Endorsement naming County of Dane, a municipal corporation, its boards, commissions, agencies, officers, employees and representatives listed as an ADDITIONAL INSURED on the General Liability policy.

C. Indicate mailing address as:

o County of Dane

Risk Management

City County Building Room 425

210 Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd.

Madison, WI 53703

D. Please inform your insurance representative that you have agreed to provide us with 30 Days written notice in the event of cancellation for any reason before the expiration date of your policy or policies.

E. Call 608-266-4965 with any questions.

6. PERMITS & LICENSES

A. The Contractor selected under this bid shall be required to obtain the necessary permits and licenses prior to performing any work under this contract. The Contractor will be required to demonstrate valid possession of appropriate required licenses and will keep them in effect for the term of this contract.

B. Contractor must be financially responsible for obtaining all required permits and licenses to comply with pertinent regulations, municipal, county, State of Wisconsin and Federal laws, and shall assume liability for all applicable taxes.

7. SATISFACTORY WORK

A. Any work found to be in any way defective or unsatisfactory shall be corrected by the

Contractor at its own expense at the order of the County. The County also reserves the right to contract out services not satisfactorily completed and to purchase substitute services elsewhere. The County reserves the right to charge the vendor with any or all costs incurred or retain/deduct the amount of such costs incurred from any monies due or which may become due under this contract.

8. GOVERNMENT STANDARDS

A. All materials, equipment, and supplies provided to the County must fully comply with all safety requirements as set forth by the Wisconsin Department of Commerce and all applicable OSHA

Standards. Bidders shall comply with all local, state and federal regulations, directives and laws.

9. DANE COUNTY SUSTAINABILITY PRINCIPLES

A. On October 18, 2012, the Dane County Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution 103, 2012-2013 establishing the following sustainability principles for the county:

o Reduce and eventually eliminate Dane County government’s contribution to fossil fuel dependence and to wasteful use of scarce metals and minerals;

o Reduce and eventually eliminate Dane County government’s contribution to dependence upon persistent chemicals and wasteful use of synthetic substances;

o Reduce and eventually eliminate Dane County government’s contribution to encroachment upon nature and harm to life-sustaining ecosystems (e.g., land, water, wildlife, forest, soil, ecosystems); and o Reduce and eventually eliminate Dane County government’s contribution to conditions that undermine people’s ability to meet their basic human needs.

2.6. CONTRACTING

1. CONTRACT/PROJECT ADMINISTRATION

A. The County department(s) utilizing the service will be responsible for drafting, coordinating, monitoring and administering the resulting service contract/purchase order. The department shall be responsible for notifying the awarded vendor about contract renewals or extensions.

Any modifications or additions to the contract(s)/purchase order(s) shall be communicated by the department to the Purchasing Division.

2. CONTRACT ASSIGNMENT - SUBCONTRACTORS

A. A resulting contract and any part thereof shall not be subcontracted or assigned to another

Contractor without prior written permission of the County. The Contractor shall be directly responsible for any subcontractor's performance and work quality when used by the Contractor to carry out the scope of the job. Subcontractors must abide by all terms and conditions under this Contract.

3. CONTRACT ADDITIONS

A. The County reserves the right to add new items and locations at a price conforming to other like items on the contract. The procedure for such additions shall be as follows:

1. The County Purchasing Officer will contact the vendor requesting pricing for the item(s) to be added.

2. The vendor, within three working days, should respond in writing and include the bid number, contract period and the price for each item or service to be provided.

3. Upon receipt, the County shall issue a Change Order adding the service or product(s) to the

Contract or Purchase Order.

B. The County reserves the right to accept or reject prices and obtain bids on the open market for these add ons.

C. When applicable, Contractor may be required to sign a Dane County Contract.

4. CONTRACT TERMINATION

A. If for any reason the successful contractor fails to fulfill the requirements of the contract for providing the specified services, the County shall have the right to cancel the contract at any time and negotiate for the services with another contractor.

3. Project Overview & Scope of Work

The following definitions and links are used throughout the RFP.

County: Dane County

County Agency: Department/Division utilizing the service or product.

Dane County Purchasing website: https://www.danepurchasing.com/

Proposer/Vendor/Firm/Contractor: a company submitting a proposal in response to this RFP.

3.1. General Specifications

ACCEPTABLE MODELS

A. All equipment offered shall be new and unused, and of a proven design.

B. Equipment must not be a prototype.

C. All models offered shall have been in regular production for a minimum of fifteen (15) years.

D. Equipment offered shall utilize parts and components (paddle wheel motors, gearboxes, conveyor motors, hydraulic valves, hydraulic cylinders, conveyor belting, bearings, etc.) that are interchangeable with existing Aquarius Systems harvesters and/or transporters.

E. To demonstrate compatibility, Bidder must supply a complete manual with parts catalog for equipment being offered.

MANUFACTURING

F. All equipment shall be designed and constructed to the best industry standards.

G. All components requiring fabrication shall be manufactured entirely at the bidder’s proprietary facility, including the barges, superstructures, conveyor frames and sidewalls, operator and engine platforms, paddle wheels and guards, etc. (typical purchased finished parts such as the engine, hydraulic motors and conveyor mesh are exempt from this requirement).

INSPECTIONS

H. The County reserves the right to visit the successful bidder’s manufacturing facility at any time prior to and during production of the equipment offered for the purpose of inspection.

I. The County shall be permitted full access to all parts of the facility when and where the equipment is being manufactured.

EQUIPMENT DUE DATE

J. All equipment offered herein shall have a desired delivery date on or before May 31, 2026.

DELIVERY

K. Delivery shall be made by appointment only between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

https://www.danepurchasing.com/

L. The delivery location will be determined by the County upon notification that the equipment is ready for shipment.

M. Prices quoted shall include freight charges prepaid and included (FOB Destination) unless otherwise stated.

FLUID LEVELS

N. The equipment shall be delivered with all system fluids filled to working level, with the exception of diesel and/or gasoline fuels.

MANUALS

O. Two complete sets of operating manuals including technical parts identification bulletins, engine manual, operation and maintenance instructions shall be provided to the County upon delivery of the equipment.

P. One copy shall be supplied in electronic format.

Q. A copy of the current complete manual for the equipment specified shall be supplied in electronic format on a flash drive with the bid documents. Failure to provide manual information may be cause for disqualification.

CERTIFICATES OF ORIGIN

R. One (1) original Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin shall be provided for each piece of equipment purchased through this RFB.

WARRANTY

S. All equipment offered shall have a minimum one (1) year warranty.

T. Bidders must attach a written description of the warranty with their offer. Failure to do so will result in disqualification.

SHOP DRAWINGS

U. Shop drawings shall be submitted for County approval prior to construction and fabrication.

LIST OF COMPONENTS

V. A list of equipment and instrumentation with model numbers and quantities shall be provided.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

W. The aquatic plant harvester sought herein shall be a completely self-contained system, self-powered, capable of operating on the water and, with minimum disassembly, transportable over public roads by one truck.

X. The harvester shall be capable of cutting, loading and unloading both bottom rooted and floating aquatic plants, and marine floating debris without manual assistance.

OVERALL OPERATING DIMENSIONS – shall not exceed

Y. Length: 47 feet 0 inches

Z. Width: 18 feet 0 inches

AA. Height: 11 feet 0 inches

OVERALL SHIPPING DIMENSIONS – shall not exceed

BB. Length: 47 feet 0 inches

CC. Width: 12 feet 0 inches

DD. Height: 11 feet 0 inches

3.2. Flotation Barge

HULL

A. The barge shall be constructed of minimum 12 gauge sheet 304 Stainless Steel welded over a substantial internal angle iron framework.

B. Internal support structure shall consist of angle iron cubes on maximum 24” centers throughout the barge.

C. All deck load bearing areas must be reinforced with additional internal support angles and ¼” stainless steel plate on the deck.

CONSTRUCTION

D. Bidder shall submit a detailed description and drawing of barge construction. Failure to do so may result in disqualification.

REINFORCEMENT STRUT

E. Barge sidewalls, port and starboard, shall be formed and constructed with an indented reinforcement strut measuring at load line approximately 4” tall and extending the entire length of the barge.

BOTTOM PROTECTION

F. Replaceable 3.5” x 3.5” high density polyethylene runners shall protect the full length of the barge bottom.

COMPARTMENTS:

G. The hull shall have a minimum of six (6) airtight and watertight compartments, each fully tested under pressure.

H. Each compartment shall have a 2” NPT inspection plug on the port side deck and a ½” NPT drain plug on the lower starboard side.

OUTFITTING

I. Four (4) lifting eyes/lugs adequately designed and sized to lift the weight of the finished vessel and located near the outside corners of the barge deck.

J. A minimum of 12 anti-skid grip-tape type pads shall be mounted to the barge deck on the port and starboard sides.

BOW

K. The bow of the hull shall be designed in a “V” shape to reduce resistance when cutting through the water, to enhance the capture of vegetation and debris on the pick up conveyor and to increase stability.

L. A heavy duty clevis shall be securely mounted toward the center of the barge, on both the bow and stern.

BARGE DIMENSIONS – shall measure:

M. Length: 28 feet 0 inches

N. Width: 11 feet 11 inches

O. Height: 30 inches

DRAFT REQUIREMENTS – Max. allowable draft shall be:

P. Empty: 13 inches

Q. Fully Loaded: 22 inches

3.3. #1 Conveyor: Cutting and Collection Head

CONSTRUCTION

A. The conveyor shall be designed to facilitate the cutting and collection of material.

B. The cutting and collection head shall consist of a bow mounted structural pivoting frame supporting the pickup/loading conveyor.

C. The conveyor bed shall be made of stainless steel with flat expanded sidewalls.

D. For ease of repairs, cutter head must be built in separate sections. This includes, but is not limited to, the horizontal and vertical cutter frames (not just the cutter bars) being mounted by fasteners to the main frame.

E. Uni-body type cutter heads are unacceptable.

FUNCTION

F. The cutting and collection head shall serve to simultaneously cut aquatic plants, and collect floating vegetation and debris, and transfer that material from the water into the storage hold container.

G. Plants and refuse shall be brought on board by means of hydraulically powered conveyor belts traveling at 85’ to 100’ per minute.

H. Vessel shall include a momentary reversible valve or switch at the operator console that allows the operator to disengage the cutters and operate the pick up conveyor only, for the purpose of skimming floating aquatic plants and marine debris.

I. The cutting and collection head shall be capable of rising out of the water by 12” and lowered to a minimum depth of 5’ 2”.

J. Elevation and adjustment shall be accomplished by means of two (2) single acting hydraulic cylinders.

CUTTER BARS

K. The cutting and collection head shall consist of three (3) cutter bars, each having a 3” reciprocating stroke end drive.

L. The horizontal cutter shall be mounted across the lower front end of the pickup/loading conveyor frame. End drive with overhung adapter

M. The two (2) vertical cutters shall be attached to bolt-on style extension flares.

N. To enable easy repair, integral, one-piece and permanently welded extensions flares are not acceptable.

O. The vertical cutter bar extensions shall be painted that contrasts with the rest of the machine for visibility.

P. Cutting teeth and guards shall be John Deere #625.

DIMENSIONS – cutter bars shall measure:

Q. Horizontal: 10 feet 6 inches

R. Vertical: 5 feet 6 inches

DRIVE SYSTEM

S. Each of the cutter bars shall be powered by high torque hydraulic motors (3 total) and ⅝” diameter pitman rods with ⅝” rod end bearings with 3” drive hub.

T. The loading conveyor shall be driven by a high torque hydraulic motor by means of positive chain drive couplings.

U. Hydraulic motors shall be of sufficient capacity to continuously move a fully loaded conveyor belt.

V. A selector valve shall be used to isolate the cutters from the conveyor system.

IMPACT PROTECTION SYSTEM

W. The cutter head shall incorporate a double impact protection system to minimize damage in the event of collision with an underwater obstruction.

X. This system shall consist of:

Y. A minimum of four (4) pre-compressed shock rods with springs located behind the horizontal cutter bar

Z. Pivoting gravity spring suspension to pivot entire pick up conveyor upon impact

AA. Dual impact protection MUST be supplied; deviations are not allowed.

DRIVE SHAFT

BB. Cutter head conveyor drive shall be a bearing mounted shaft with a minimum of eighteen (18) drive sprockets.

CC. Conveyor shall be driven by ½” steel x thirteen (13) toothed machined and shouldered sprockets welded to the shaft.

DD. Ball type sprockets and forged steel sprockets are not acceptable.

IDLER SHAFT

EE. Cutter head conveyor idler roller shall be a bearing mounted smooth tube shaft.

TENSIONING DEVICES

FF. Proper belt tension on the pick-up conveyor shall be maintained with two (2) external telescoping threaded tensioning devices at the idler end.

CONVEYOR MESH

GG. Cutter head conveyor mesh shall be standard-duty 1” x 1” galvanized flat wire belting produced from Cambridge International (Rexnord)

HH. Conveyor bed shall be made up of three belts: Two belts at 36” wide (GA1008-36.00-SD-1-1-C-

37) and one belt at 30” wide (GA1008-30.00-SD-1-1-C-31).

3.4. #2 and #3 Conveyors: Storage Hold Container

CONSTRUCTION

A. The storage hold shall consist of two (2) separate structural steel frames with flat expanded metal sidewalls.

B. The storage hold conveyor design shall allow for a minimum of 2” clearance between the conveyor belting and the top side of the barge.

#2 CONVEYOR DRIVE SYSTEM

C. The #2 storage hold conveyor shall be driven by two (2) high torque hydraulic motors by means of positive chain drive coupling.

D. Hydraulic motors shall be of sufficient capacity to move a fully loaded conveyor belt.

E. The #2 conveyor belt speed shall be 20’ per minute.

#3 CONVEYOR DRIVE SYSTEM

F. The #3 storage hold conveyor shall be driven by two (2) high torque hydraulic motors by means of positive chain drive coupling.

G. Hydraulic motors shall be of sufficient capacity to move a fully loaded conveyor belt.

H. The #3 conveyor belt speed shall be 20 feet per minute.

STORAGE CAPACITY

I. The storage hold container shall be self-draining and have a minimum capacity of 820 cubic feet or

J. 15,600 pounds, whichever is reached first.

FUNCTION

K. In the operating mode the storage container shall be kept in a horizontal position.

L. To unload, the discharge end must be hydraulically raised to an inclined position.

DRIVE SHAFTS

M. Storage conveyor drives shall be bearing mounted shafts with a minimum of eighteen (18) drive sprockets.

N. Conveyor shall be driven by ½” steel x thirteen (13) toothed machined and shouldered sprockets welded to the shaft.

O. Ball type sprockets and forged steel sprockets are not acceptable.

IDLER SHAFTS

P. Storage conveyor idler rollers shall be bearing mounted smooth tube shafts.

TENSIONING DEVICES

Q. Proper belt tension on the storage hold conveyors shall be maintained via external threaded tensioning devices on the bearing plates.

R. The #2 conveyor tensioners shall be mounted at the idler shaft; #3 conveyor tensioners shall be mounted at the drive shaft.

CONVEYOR MESH

S. Cutter head conveyor mesh shall be standard-duty 1” x 1” galvanized flat wire belting produced from Cambridge International (Rexnord)

T. Conveyor bed shall be made up of three belts: Two belts at 36” wide (GA1008-36.00-SD-1-1-C-

37) and one belt at 30” wide (GA1008-30.00-SD-1-1-C-31).

DISCHARGE REACH

U. The #3 Discharge Conveyor shall extend a minimum of 7’ beyond the barge stern and be capable of raising a minimum of 5’ to unload.

V. Raising and lowering the #3 conveyor shall be accomplished by means of two (2) single acting hydraulic cylinders.

W. Optimum unloading time is ninety (90) seconds.

SHORE CONVEYOR POWER

X. None

3.5. Power Plant and Hydraulics

LOCATION

A. For ease of servicing and protection from splashing water, the engine and hydraulic pump, on rubber vibration isolators, shall be platform mounted with bottom alongside the hydraulic tank and lockable battery box above the storage container and as far back from the operator as possible.

B. Deck mounted engines and/or power packs are not acceptable.

ENGINE

C. Hatz Diesel Engine, Silent Pack 3 Cylinder W/Control Panel

D. Engine shall have a 12 volt electrical system and automatic low oil pressure shutdown.

FUEL TANK

E. The harvester shall be equipped with a permanent 50-gallon aluminum fuel tank (min. capacity) with a fuel level gauge.

F. Fuel tank shall be labeled for diesel fuel, and shall include a lockable filler/breather cap(s).

G. A separate in-line fuel filtering system shall also be supplied.

H. Bidder must supply details on in-line fuel filtering system.

HYDRAULIC PUMP SYSTEM

I. The engine shall directly drive a variable volume pressure compensated demand pump to power all hydraulic systems on the harvester.

J. Total flow capacity/gallons per minute (GPM) shall be sufficient to operate both paddle wheels as well as all cutting and loading conveyor motors simultaneously.

K. The system should allow for all operating functions at infinitely variable speeds from zero to factory set maximum speeds.

HYDRAULIC RESERVOIR

L. The hydraulic reservoir shall have a minimum capacity of 35 U.S. gallons and shall include a lockable filler/breather cap, water collection drain pepcock, magnetic particle collector, suction strainer, 10 micron in-tank return filter, visual oil level & temperature gauge and electronic low level sensing unit with alarm.

M. The hydraulic tank shall be mounted on an elevated platform next to the engine.

HYDRAULIC OIL

N. Hydraulic oil shall environmentally safe and marine grade of proper viscosity for operating location.

HYDRAULIC LINES

O. All hydraulic lines shall be made of heavy duty stainless steel tubing, except where flexibility is required.

P. Stainless tubing shall be uniformly shaped and bent, and shall be trimly mounted to the machine using tube clamp brackets.

Q. Where flexibility is required, high quality heavy duty double braided rubber hose shall be used.

This hose shall be guarded with nylon sheathing at all potential friction points.

HYDRAULIC FITTINGS

R. Only high quality hydraulic JIC fittings shall be used; all fittings shall be o-ring boss fittings properly matched in size and rating to the hydraulic tubing and/or hose.

S. Pot metal, inferior metallic fittings and/or plastic fittings are not acceptable.

HYDRAULIC OPERATION

T. The paddle wheels shall have separate speed control, both forward and reverse, by manual cable operated valve mounted remotely. Parker V-20 Valve

U. All other hydraulic functions shall be independently activated by electric over hydraulic valves mounted remotely.

3.6. Propulsion System

PADDLE WHEELS

A. Two bi-directional paddle wheels shall be center mounted on the port and starboard sides of the barge.

B. Each Paddle wheel shall be easily attached and removed via five (5) bolts with tapered fit lug nuts for over-the-road transport.

C. Paddle wheels shall each be powered by a Fairfield planetary motors, Parker large shaft ‘A’ flange #103 series.

D. Each paddle wheel motor shall be protected by a cross over relief valve.

E. The use of tapered shafts and/or direct drive paddle wheel systems is unacceptable.

DIMENSIONS – each paddle wheel shall measure approx.

F. Diameter: 72 inches

G. Width: 32 inches

PADDLE WHEEL GUARDS

H. None

FINISH

I. Paddle wheels and entire paddle wheel guard system shall be painted in a color that contrasts with the rest of the machine for safety.

3.7. Control Bridge

LOCATION

A. The operator control area shall be a raised bridge, permanently mounted at the forward end of the harvester over the storage hold container.

B. Bridge shall be surrounded by safety railings with access to it from the barge deck by means of non-skid ladder steps from both the starboard and port sides.

C. Safety railings shall have a maximum height of: 24”

CONTROL CONSOLE

D. Manual control levers and foot pedals shall be mounted remotely.

E. Any hydraulic lines located in this vicinity must be shielded.

CONTROL PANEL

F. The control panel shall be mounted to the right of the operator seat within easy reach of an operator in the seated position; maximum distance from the seat shall be 12”.

G. Blocking the operator’s forward line of sight with the control panel is not allowed.

INSTRUMENTATION

H. Instrumentation shall include an ignition switch, engine accelerator, tachometer, oil pressure sounder, fuel gauge, hour meter, and ammeter gauge or sounder.

I. Gauges, controls and electrical circuitry must be of weather resistant design.

OPERATOR SEAT

J. The operator seat shall be an ergonomic type made of foam rubber, padded and covered with weather-proof heavy duty vinyl. With arm rests

PLATFORM BRIDGE

K. The harvester shall have a walkway bridge connecting the operator platform to the engine platform.

L. Platform bridge shall be center mounted and equipped with safety railings.

M. A foldable ladder shall also be installed on the stern of the engine platform to allow access to the bridge.

BIMINI CANOPY

N. The harvester shall include a large sun/rain Bimini canopy designed to shade the operator.

O. Mounting hardware must also be installed.

BATTERY BOX

P. The battery box shall be size 18” long x 12” high x 11” wide with a bottom and hinge that is easily accessible.

Q. Inside the batter box shall be spud anchor relays and the master switch.

3.8. Finish

PREPARATION & FINISH

A. All weldments and fabricated parts shall be thoroughly cleaned to remove all grease, oil and foreign material.

B. Weld spatter, slag, flux, rust and corrosion shall be completely removed.

C. All carbon steel surfaces shall be abrasive blasted per SSPC-SP10 and galvanized

D. All surfaces besides barge located above and below the waterline shall be galvanized. Barge itself shall be stainless steel.

COLOR

E. Equipment shall be finish coated in galvanized steel. (unless stainless)

STAINLESS STEEL FINISH

F. Stainless steel barge shall be cured with pickling paste for a minimum of twenty four (24) hours, then power buffed with rubbing compound to a high shine finish.

FASTENERS

G. Where applicable, fasteners shall be Grade 8 steel throughout.

PARTS AVAILABILITY

H. Parts and fittings for the vessel and any of its accessories, (ie: engine; hydraulic lines, pumps & valves; hydraulic motors, hoses & fittings; hardware; electrical components; etc.), shall be of a current manufacture, design and size that is readily available to the Buyer.

I. Odd sized, close-out or hard-to-find components are unacceptable.

3.9. Miscellaneous

SPARE PARTS KIT

A. A spare parts kit shall be provided with the vessel at no additional cost, and shall include at least the following:

B. Hydraulic oil filter/s

C. Engine oil filter/s

D. Cutter blades

E. Vertical and horizontal shear fingers

F. Rod end bearings

G. Miscellaneous fasteners

H. Hydraulic pressure gauge

I. Hydraulic motor seal kit

J. Any other parts deemed appropriate by the manufacturer.

MOBILIZER COMPATIBILITY

K. Stainless steel bosses shall be welded to the bow and stern of the barge to allow the connection of Dane County supplied mobilizers.

SPUD ANCHORS

L. Electric winch spud anchors shall be located on the port and starboard sides on the stern of the vessel. Near stern lifting eyes

M. The spuds shall be driven by an electric motor and 3/16” stainless steel cables capable of reaching a minimum of 7’ deep.

N. The electric switches with relays to control the spuds shall be located on the instrument panel. (Relays located in battery box)

O. Motors shall be comparable to Dayton 6X190B with no freespool mode or ability to disable the freespool. Relays shall be Cole Hersee 24450-BX

ALUMINUM STORAGE BOX

P. An aluminum storage box shall be heavy duty and installed with a size of 24” long x 18” wide x

10” high.

4. RFP Response Requirements & Evaluation Criteria

1. RFP Response - Proposers shall upload and submit their proposal response document(s) to Section 1 of the Vendor Questionnaire.

• The RFP Response shall be organized to comply with the section numbers and names as shown below. Each section heading shall be clearly marked.

o If applicable, the Local Vendor Preference section is answered within the Vendor

Questionnaire and doesn't need to be included in the RFP Response document.

• Cover Letter / Cover Page o Provide a Cover Letter or Cover page and at minimum should include:

▪ Contact Person for the RFP process

▪ RFP Title

▪ RFP #

▪ Name of Proposer

• Table of Contents may be included but is not required.

• Graphics may be included but are not required.

2. Cost Proposal Response

• Complete the Pricing Table if there is one located within the RFP Posting.

• If there is no Pricing Table within the RFP Posting:

o Download and complete the Pricing Section document from the Attachment Section of the

RFP Posting.

o Upload the completed Pricing Section document to Section 1 of the Vendor Questionnaire.

3. Document Formatting - The RFP Response and Cost Proposal (if applicable) documents must be saved in PDF format unless otherwise specified within the RFP document and the file name shall include the

RFP# and name of business submitting proposal.

• Example of how to name the files:

o RFP Response Document: "2023-RFP-025 – Vendor Name" o Cost…