BID_25-10._Mulching_and_Transport_of_Yard_Trash_and_Veg_Debris.pdf

Putnam County Board of County Commissioners BID No: 25-10 BID Name: Mulching and/or Transport of Yard Trash and Vegetative Debris

SPECIFICATIONS

FOR

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

PUTNAM COUNTY, FLORIDA

BID No: BID 25-10 BID Name: Mulching and/or Transport of Yard

Trash or Vegetative Debris BID Due: March 10, 2025 @ 2:00pm EST

Table of Contents

1.0 General Terms and Conditions

BID DUE DATE AND TIME

2.0 Contract Term

3.0 Schedule

Tentative Dates Scheduled

4.0 Proposal Instructions

5.0 Scope of Work Specifications

6.0 Required Forms

PROPOSAL COVER SHEET

STATEMENT OF BIDDERS QUALIFICATIONS

BID FORM

NON-DISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT FORM

ADDENDA ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM

PUBLIC ENTITY CRIMES FORM

DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE CERTIFICATION

INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

REFERENCES

LEGAL ISSUSE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR SERVICES

CALL FOR BIDS

The Putnam County Board of County Commissioners is requesting sealed bids from qualified contractors for the mulching and/or transport of yard trash and vegetative debris services for the Putnam County Sanitation Department.

Bid Documents are available online at: https://main.putnam-fl.com/?page_id=65#callforbidslink

To be considered responsive, bidders shall deliver before 2:00 p.m. EST. on 3/10/2025 one (1) original hard copy, (1) duplicate copy, and provide one (1) USB drive that contains “all” of your documentation included in the original bid in a pdf format. Sealed bids may be delivered in person or by courier mail to Putnam County Procurement Department c/o Leigh Doran, 2509 Crill Avenue, Ste 200, Palatka, Florida, 32177. Only sealed bids received on or before the aforestated time and date will be considered. Vendor must indicate the bid number and description on the outside envelope.

Questions concerning the specifications may be emailed to Leigh Doran, Procurement Supervisor, at Leigh.Doran@putnam-fl.gov. Questions are due by Thursday, February 27, 2025 at 2:00 PM.

The Putnam County Board of County Commissioners reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids and to waive any informalities. Putnam County complies with all federal statutes relating to non-discrimination.

Putnam County is an equal opportunity employer. Failure to follow the Bid Protest procedures prescribed by the Putnam County Purchasing Ordinance shall constitute a waiver of your protest and any resulting claims.

PUBLISH: February 7, 2025

Bid No. 25-10 https://main.putnam-fl.com/?page_id=65#callforbidslink mailto:Leigh.Doran@putnam-fl.gov

1.0 General Terms and Conditions

All Companies submitting a response to this BID understand and agree that the affirmative act of submitting a response constitutes acceptance and agreement to the General Terms and Conditions. Proposers are responsible for adhering to the General Terms and Conditions. Lack of knowledge by the Proposer will in no way be cause for relief from responsibility.

BID DUE DATE AND TIME

All Proposals must be delivered to the Procurement Department, located at 2509 Crill Ave, Suite 200, Palatka FL 32177 on or before the due date as listed below. Please boldly indicate the BID number on the outside of your sealed proposal envelope to assist the County internally in identifying your bid.

To be responsive your proposal shall be signed by an authorized employee/officer with the authority to bind a contract.

To be considered responsive, bidders shall deliver before 2:00 p.m. EST. on 03/10/2025 one (1) original hard copy, one (1) duplicate copies and provide one (1) USB drive that contains “all” of your documentation included in the original bid in a pdf format.

Note: Original proposal must be marked ORIGINAL and must have original signatures. Please label the USB drive with BID number, and your company’s name. (i.e. BID 25-10, ABC Inc.). It is the bidder’s responsibility to guarantee the USB drive is 100% identical to your original hard copy bid. In the event of a discrepancy, your original hard copy will prevail.

PLACE FOR RECEIVING PROPOSALS

Bids may be mailed or hand delivered to:

Putnam County Board of County Commissioners c/o Leigh Doran Procurement Supervisor 2509 Crill Ave, Suite 200 Palatka, Florida 32177

All bids must arrive and be received by a Purchasing Department representative prior to the specified bid due date/time. Bids received after that time will not be accepted. Bids cannot be faxed or emailed. The County will not be responsible for Postal or other delivery service delays.

PUBLIC BID OPENING

Putnam County Board of County Commissioners will conduct a Public bid/proposal opening immediately following the solicitation due date/time on March 10, 2025 in the conference room located at 2509 Crill Avenue, Suite 200, Palatka Florida 32177.

Sealed bids, proposals, or replies received by the County pursuant to this solicitation will remain confidential and are exempt from Florida’s Public Records Act (Ch. 119, Florida Statutes) until such time as the County provides notice of an intended decision or until 30 days after opening the bids, proposals, or final replies, whichever is earlier. Thereafter, by submitting a response to this solicitation, the proposer acknowledges that all documents and information submitted to the County, including pricing information, is considered a public record under Florida’s Public Records Act and may be disclosed to third parties upon request notwithstanding any confidentiality clauses or labels contained in such documents. Please direct any inquires to the County’s contact listed below.

BID PACKAGE

Interested bidders may obtain a BID Package from Leigh Doran, Procurement Supervisor for Putnam County Board of County Commissioners by any of the following methods.

By email: Leigh.Doran@putnam-fl.gov

By download, available at: http://bids.putnam-fl.com/bids

By USPS: Request sent certified mail to:

Putnam County Board of County Commissioners c/o Procurement Supervisor 2509 Crill Ave, Suite 200 Palatka, Florida 32177

Walk-in Pick Up:

c/o Procurement Supervisor 2509 Crill Ave, Suite 200 Palatka, Florida 32177

BID AWARD PROCESS

The basis for bid award, if awarded, is to the lowest and best proposal for solicited services which meets or exceeds the conditions of the bid specifications and the County is not bound to accept the lowest bid if that bid is contrary to the best interest of the County. POSTING OF RECOMMENDATION OF AWARD: The County’s recommendation of award will be posted to http://bids.putnam-fl.com/bids

PROTEST OF INTENDED DECISION

A Notice of Intended Decision to recommend or reject proposals will be posted to http://bids.putnam-fl.com/bids. In the event an unsuccessful firm desires to protest the County’s notice of intended decision to award or reject a proposal, that Firm shall be required to comply with Putnam County’s Protest Procedure, a copy of which is available from the Procurement Supervisor. Failure to follow the Bid Protest procedures prescribed by the Putnam County Purchasing Ordinance shall constitute a waiver of your protest and any resulting claims.

APPLICABLE LAW

The bidder shall comply with all federal, state, County and local laws, rules, ordinances and regulations (“Laws”) applicable to the Bidder’s response to the solicitation, the contract executed in connection with the solicitation, and the provision of services under the solicitation and the contract. The term “Laws” as used in this provision shall be deemed to include all laws which are specifically applicable to the County. This RFP and the contract to be executed in connection with the award of this solicitation must be modified in accordance with any statutory requirement of the State of Florida. Lack of knowledge by the Bidder will in no way be cause for relief from responsibility.

Venue The contract, when entered into and any disputes hereunder, shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Florida and enforced in the courts of the State of Florida. County and firm hereby agree that venue shall be in Putnam County, FL.

http://bids.putnam-fl.com/bids

ASSIGNMENT

If awarded, neither the resulting contract nor any of the Contractor’s rights, duties, or obligations under the contract may be assigned or subcontracted by the Contractor without the written consent of Putnam County BOCC. Any transfer of this Contract by merger, consolidation or liquidation, or (unless the stock of the Contractor is traded on a national stock exchange or in a generally recognized over the counter securities market) any change in ownership of or power to vote on the majority of the outstanding voting stock of the Contractor after the date hereof shall constitute an assignment of this Contract for purposes of this Section, and then in its discretion, Putnam County BOCC shall have the right to terminate the contract and shall specify the termination date in its written notice of termination. Any purchase order issued pursuant to this solicitation and any monies which may become due there under are not assignable except with the prior written approval of the County.

AWARD

As the best interest of the County may require, the right is reserved to reject any and all proposals, or any portion of the RFP, to waive any informality in proposals received, or to accept any item or group of items unless qualified by the Proposer. The County reserves the right to reject any portion or all proposals, to resolicit proposals or not and to waive informalities as deemed in the best interest of the County. The County reserves the right to issue to proposers Request for Information (RFI’s), to solicit best and final offers from all finalist firms and or to negotiate a satisfactory award of any portion(s) of this RFP with the top ranked firm. If this proposal requests prices for multiple items, the County reserves the right to award the proposal, by item, to the Bidder(s) which, in the sole discretion of the County, is the most responsive and responsible Bidder(s), price, qualifications, and other factors considered for that item. The issuance of a purchase order constitutes a binding contract.

BOND

A bond may be required to guarantee the payment of any losses by theft, burglary, pilfering or vandalism as a result of carelessness, negligence or willful acts of the Contractor, its agents, employees or assigns.

COMPLIANCE WITH SPECIFICATIONS

When formal specifications are referenced in the solicitation, insertion of brand names or makes and model numbers by the Proposer will be understood to mean that the product offered fully complies with such specifications unless the Proposer specifically states otherwise.

CONDITIONS AND PACKAGING

It is understood and agreed that any item offered or shipped as a result of this solicitation shall be new (current production model) at the time of the solicitation unless otherwise stipulated in the solicitation. All containers shall be suitable for storage or shipment. Proposal prices shall include standard commercial packaging, unless otherwise stipulated in the solicitation.

CONE OF SILENCE

From the time the public advertisement of this (ITN, RFQ, RFP, ITB, or other) takes place until the (ITN, RFQ, RFP, ITB, or other) is awarded and approved by the Board of Commissioners, a vendor shall not contact any other County personnel or members of the County’s Board of Commissioners, or Administrative staff either directly or indirectly, to discuss the selection process or in an attempt to further their interest in being selected.

Failure to abide by the Cone of Silence policy is grounds for disqualification from this (ITN, RFQ, RFP, ITB, or other) process and vendor will not receive further consideration in reference to this (ITN, RFQ, RFP, ITB, or other).

It is expected that personnel and team members from firms that have applied for this selection refrain from posting opinions, providing commentary or engaging is any discussion regarding the selection by the use of social media such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the like. Violation of these guidelines may result in disqualification of the applicant. The latter applies to employees of the Proposer, retained consultants or any other representative or individual promoting on behalf of the Proposer. Violation of these guidelines may constitute grounds for disqualification.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Any award hereunder is subject to Chapter 112 Florida Statutes concerning conflict of interest. All Proposers must disclose the name of any officer, director, or agent who is also an employee of Putnam County BOCC. All Proposers must disclose the name of any County employee or Commissioner who owns, directly or indirectly, an interest of 5% or more in the Proposer's firm or any of its branches or dealerships.

COOPERATIVE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

The County has reviewed purchasing agreements and state term contracts available under Florida Statutes Section 287.056 as required in Section 1010.04, Florida Statutes.

As provided in the Florida State Board of Education Administrative Rule 6A-14.0734(2)(c), and with the consent and agreement of the successful Respondent(s)/Bidder(s), purchases may be made under this RFP/Bid Solicitation by other State of Florida community/state counties, state universities, district school boards, political subdivisions and any other state agencies within the State of Florida. Such purchases shall be governed by the same terms and conditions stated in the proposal/bid solicitation document and resulting agreement, for the same price and for the same effective time period. If the period of time is not defined within the RFP/Bid solicitation document or resulting agreement, the prices and all terms and conditions shall be firm for one hundred and twenty (120) days from date of contract execution. Each State of Florida agency allowed by the successful Respondent(s)/Bidder(s) to use the resulting agreement shall do so independent of any other State of Florida agency. Each state agency shall be responsible for its own purchases and shall be liable only for goods or services ordered, received and accepted. No other state agency receives any liability by virtue of this RFP/Bid and subsequent agreement. This cooperative purchase agreement in no way restricts or interferes with the right of any State of Florida agency to re-bid any or all items or services.

DEFINITIONS

County or Putnam County BOCC refers to The Putnam County Board of County Commissioners.

Firm, vendor, business, proposer, contractor or bidder in this document refers to respondents to this request for proposal.

ELIGIBLE BIDDERS

Eligible bidders are defined as those bidders who are not excluded from bidding according to the Federal Government’s Excluded Parties List (www.epls.gov) or by Section 287.133, Florida Statute.

EXCEPTIONS TO THE CONTRACT

Not all items cataloged by the successful Proposer will be purchased under the ensuing contract. Some office supply, equipment or furniture purchases will be made from other sources as required by law or regulation, for example, purchases from state contract vendors, Florida Association of Rehabilitation Facilities (RESPECT) or Florida Prison Industries (PRIDE). For more detailed information on state contracts, or items marketed by RESPECT or PRIDE, contact the purchasing office of this solicitation.

http://www.epls.gov/

LOCAL PREFERENCE

Putnam County Ordinance 2018-20 regarding local preference will apply unless its application is prohibited by state or federal law in a particular situation, or its application is prohibited by the project’s funding source. A copy of this ordinance is available upon request.

PAYMENT

Payment will be made by the County after the services have been received, and found to comply with the specifications, and have been properly invoiced. Discounts will be taken if payment is made within the discount period. All invoices shall bear the County purchase order number. If contract is awarded, payment to contractor for services will be monthly for the rendition of the preceding month’s service during the term thereof and subject to a 10% retainage.

PERSONNEL

Contractor agrees each of its employees will be properly qualified and will use reasonable care in the performance of services. The county reserves the right to have personnel removed upon the County’s written notice, Contractor shall immediately provide qualified replacement. Contractor’s employees are expected to adhere to all County policies and procedures.

E-Verify

For projects utilizing state or federal funds, the Bidder (A) shall utilize the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify system to verify the employment eligibility of all new employees hired during the term of the contract; and (B) shall expressly require any subcontractors performing work or providing services pursuant to the contract to likewise utilize the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify system to verify the employment eligibility of all new employees hired by the subcontractor during the contract term.

PROTEST OF BID DOCUMENT

All firms are required to thoroughly review the BID document within a reasonable time after receipt. Any concerns or comments relating to the BID documents shall be brought to the attention of the County’s General Services Director: Julianne Young, in writing, promptly after receipt. However, if the Firm desires to protest the RFP document, or any of the specifications, requirements, or procedures thereof, the Firms will be required to comply with the County’s Protest Procedures within seventy-two (72) hours after receipt of the proposal document. Failure to comply with this procedure will constitute a waiver by the Firms of any right to later protest on the basis of the form, content and substance, including without limitation, the specifications, requirements or procedures, of the RFP documents.

PUBLIC RECORDS

To the extent that CONTRACTOR meets the definition of “contractor” under Section 119.0701, Florida Statutes, in addition to other contract requirements provided by law, CONTRACTOR must comply with public records laws, including the following provisions of Section 119.0701, Florida Statutes:

(a) Keep and maintain public records required by COUNTY to perform the service.

(b) Upon request from COUNTY's custodian of public records, provide COUNTY with a copy of the requested records or allow the records to be inspected or copied within a reasonable time at a cost that does not exceed the cost provided in chapter 119, F.S., or as otherwise provided by law.

(c) Ensure that public records that are exempt or confidential and exempt from public records disclosure requirements are not disclosed except as authorized by law for the duration of the contract term and following completion of the contract if the CONTRACTOR does not transfer the records to COUNTY.

(d) Upon completion of the contract, transfer, at no cost, to COUNTY all public records in possession of the CONTRACTOR or keep and maintain public records required by COUNTY to perform the service.

If the CONTRACTOR transfers all public records to COUNTY upon completion of the contract, the CONTRACTOR shall destroy any duplicate public records that are exempt or confidential and exempt from public records disclosure requirements. If the CONTRACTOR keeps and maintains public records upon completion of the contract, the CONTRACTOR shall meet all applicable requirements for retaining public records. All records stored electronically must be provided to COUNTY, upon request from COUNTY's custodian of public records, in a format that is compatible with the information technology systems of COUNTY.

(e) IF THE CONTRACTOR HAS QUESTIONS REGARDING THE APPLICATION OF CHAPTER

119, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO THE CONTRACTOR'S DUTY TO PROVIDE PUBLIC RECORDS

RELATING TO THIS CONTRACT, CONTACT THE CUSTODIAN OF PUBLIC RECORDS AT

PUTNAM COUNTY ATTORNEY

2509 CRILL AVENUE

PALATKA, FL 32177

PR-REQUESTS@PUTNAM-FL.COM

(386)329-1903

(f) THE CONTRACTOR ACKNOWLEDGES THAT PUTNAM COUNTY BOCC CANNOT AND

WILL NOT PROVIDE LEGAL ADVICE OR BUSINESS ADVICE TO CONTRACTOR WITH

RESPECT TO ITS OBLIGATIONS PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION RELATED TO PUBLIC

RECORDS. THE CONTRACTOR FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT WILL NOT RELY ON

PUTNAM COUNTY BOCC OR ITS COUNSEL TO PROVIDE SUCH BUSINESS OR LEGAL

ADVICE, AND THAT CONTRACTOR HAS BEEN ADVISED TO SEEK PROFESSIONAL

ADVICE WITH REGARD TO PUBLIC RECORDS MATTERS ADDRESSED BY THIS

AGREEMENT. THE CONTRACTOR ACKNOWLEDGES THAT ITS FAILURE TO COMPLY

WITH FLORIDA LAW AND THIS AGREEMENT WITH RESPECT TO PUBLIC RECORDS

SHALL CONSTITUTE A MATERIAL BREACH OF THIS AGREEMENT AND GROUNDS FOR

TERMINATION.

PUBLIC ENTITY CRIME

Contractor selection will be in accordance with the Public Entity Crimes statute, Section 287.133, Florida Statutes which states that a person or affiliate who has been placed on the convicted vendor list following a conviction for a public entity crime may not submit a BID/RFP/RFQ on a contract with a public entity for the construction or repair of a public building or public work, may not submit bids on leases of real property to a public entity, may not be awarded or perform work as a contractor, supplier, subcontractor, or consultant under a contract with any public entity and may not transact business with any public entity in excess of the threshold amount provided in Section 287.017, Florida Statutes for Category Two ($35,000) for a period of 36 months from the date of being placed on the convicted vendor list. A completed Public Entity Crime Form must be returned in the BID response.

RESPONSE MATERIALS

Any material submitted in response to this invitation to respond becomes the property of the County upon delivery to the Office of the General Services Director and may be appended to any formal document which would further define or expand the contractual relationship between the County and the successful proposer.

Additionally, any material or documentation submitted in response to this solicitation will be a public document pursuant to Section 119.07, Florida Statutes. This includes material which the responding bidder or proposer mailto:PR-REQUESTS@PUTNAM-FL.COM might consider to be confidential or a trade secret. Any claim of confidentiality is waived upon submission effective after public opening pursuant to Section 119.07, Florida Statutes.

SAFETY STANDARDS

All manufactured items and fabricated assemblies shall comply with applicable requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), Federal EPA, Florida DER and any standards otherwise stipulated in the solicitation.

SAFETY REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor by submitting a proposal response agrees that it shall be solely responsible for supervising its employees, that it shall comply with all rules, regulations, orders, standards and interpretations promulgated pursuant to Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, including but not limited to training, recordkeeping, providing personal protective equipment, lockout/tag out procedures, Material Safety Data Sheets and labeling as required by the right to know standard, 29 CFR 1910.1200.

SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY

The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that Putnam County is a political subdivision of the State of Florida.

As such, the County is entitled to sovereign immunity except to the extent of the waiver set forth in Section 768.28, Florida Statutes, the County's performance under any resulting agreement and any amendments thereto or attachments connected there with, shall at all times be subject to any and all state laws, state regulations and County Ordinances which are applicable to the County's operations, commitments and/or activities in furtherance of any terms specified herein.

TAXES

The County does not pay federal, excise or state sales taxes. The applicable tax exemption numbers are:

Florida Sales Tax: 85-8013889128C-1 Federal Identification Number: 59-6000816 Any and all taxes and licenses imposed by Federal, State and local governments on the services to be provided by the Contractor under the terms of the agreement are the sole responsibility of the Contractor.

WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSAL

Proposal may be withdrawn by written or telegraphic notice prior to solicitation public opening. Withdrawals received after the time set for opening of solicitation will not be considered.

2.0 Contract Term

If awarded, the successful bidder will enter into a contract with the County based on the solicitation specifications and the results.

Putnam County BOCC has the option and reserves the right to extend the contract beyond the initial contract term of March 25, 2025 – March 24, 2028 by mutual consent of the parties.

Tentative Contract Term: March 25, 2025 – March 24, 2028

Renewal Term #1: March 25, 2028 – March 24, 2030

Renewal Term #2: Mach 25, 3030 – March 24, 2032

3.0 Schedule

The following schedule is a general guideline for issuance and recommendation of award of this BID and issuance of the contract. The County may change the dates of any events of this BID and the issuance of the Contract. Any changes to this schedule will be posted on the webpage dedicated to this BID.

Tentative Dates Scheduled Issue BID Friday, February 7, 2025 Written questions due by 2:00 pm Thursday, February 27, 2025 *submit via email Leigh.Doran@putnam-fl.gov Proposals Due by 2:00 pm Monday, March 10, 2025 Public Opening of Proposals Monday, March 10, 2025 Intent to Award* Tuesday, March 11, 2025 Protest Period March 11, 2025 – March 14, 2025

*The Bid Award is contingent upon acceptance and approval by the Putnam County Board of County Commissioners of the recommended Intent to Award. The recommendation of the Intent to Award is scheduled to be presented at the board meeting on March 25, 2025.

Preconstruction Conference Tuesday, April 8, 2025

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 If special accommodations are required in order to attend any Public Meeting, Pre-Bid Conference, Tour of Grounds, etc., contact the Procurement Supervisor via email at Leigh.Doran@Putnam-FL.gov or at 386-329-0376.

PUBLIC BID OPENING

The County will conduct a Public bid/proposal opening on March 10, 2025. The meeting will be held at the Government Complex located at 2509 Crill Avenue, Suite 200, Palatka, FL 32177 immediately following the bid close at 2:00pm EST. The meeting is open to the public, bidders are welcome to attend but will not have the opportunity to speak.

4.0 Proposal Instructions

ERRORS AND OMMISSIONS

Bidders are expected to comply with the true intent of these bid specifications taken as a whole and shall not avail themselves of any errors or omissions to the detriment of the services. Should any bidder suspect any error, mailto:Leigh.Doran@Putnam-FL.gov omission, or discrepancy in the specifications or instructions, the bidder shall immediately notify the Director of General Services in writing who will issue written instructions to be followed. Bidders are responsible for the contents of their proposal and for satisfying the requirements set forth in the bid specifications. Bidders must satisfy themselves of the accuracy of the estimated quantities in the BID Schedule by examination of the site and a review of the drawings and specifications including addenda. After BIDS have been submitted, the bidder shall not assert that there was a misunderstanding concerning the quantities of work or of the nature of the work to be done.

EQUIPMENT/MATERIALS/LABOR

IT WILL BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SUCCESSFUL PROPOSER TO SUPPLY ALL

MATERIALS, TOOLS, NECESSARY LABOR, ETC. FOR THE WORK TO BE PERFORMED AS

SPECIFIED.

INSURANCE

The “awarded” contractor shall furnish a current Certificate of Insurance to the County’s General Services Director prior to contract award / commencement of the work, as well as a copy of your GL policy endorsement (on the ISO Endorsement Schedule format attached) that ensures the County will be provided 30 days written notice if your policy lapses for any reason. This certificate must include the Bid Number and be effective for the term of the contract and any extension thereof. All insurance companies named on the certificate shall be licensed to do business in the State of Florida and have a minimum A.M. Best rating of A-. All policies must be written on a primary basis, non-contributory with any other insurance coverages or self-insurance of the County. Contractor shall obtain and maintain the minimum insurance coverages set forth below. By requiring such minimum insurance, County shall not be deemed or construed to have assessed the risk that may be applicable to Contractor under this contract. Contractor shall assess its own risks and, if it deems appropriate and/or prudent, maintain higher limits and/or broader coverages. The Contractor is not relieved of any liability or other obligations assumed or pursuant to the Contract by reason of its failure to obtain or maintain insurance in sufficient amounts, duration, or types. The insurance coverages stated below do not replace any surety bonds as required by contract.

Minimum Insurance Requirements Schedule Policy: Workers Compensation Coverage: WC Statutory Limits

Policy: Automobile Liability Coverage: $1,000,000 Combined Single Limit Each Accident

Policy: Comprehensive General Liability Insurance:

Coverage: $1,000,000 Each Occurrence $ 100,000 Fire Damage (Any One Fire) $ 5,000 Medical Payments (Any One Person) $1,000,000 Personal and Adv Injury $2,000,000 General Aggregate $2,000,000 Products – Comp/OP Aggregate

LIQUIDATED DAMAGES: TIME IS OF THE ESSENSE

Each BIDDER is reminded that time is of the essence of this Agreement, and failure to complete the Work on time shall constitute a material breach of the Agreement, the basis for a determination of the default of the CONTRACTOR, and termination of the Agreement for cause. If the Contract/Bid Documents so indicate, an amount determined for liquidated damages at the rate specified shall be assessed against the successful BIDDER not complying with a stated delivery time or performance time.

MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS FOR RESPONSIVE BIDDERS

This section of the BID provides proposers with instructions concerning required information that must be submitted as part of their proposal. Failure to provide any of the required information or required documents or failure to arrange the proposal in accordance with these instructions may result in the proposal being rejected.

QUESTIONS

Questions concerning this Invitation to BID shall be directed to: Leigh Doran by email at:

Leigh.Doran@putnam-fl.gov and to no other person or department at the County.

5.0 Scope of Work Specifications

The Putnam County Board of County Commissioners is requesting sealed bids from qualified contractors for the mulching and/or transport of yard trash and vegetative debris services for the Putnam County Sanitation Department.

The Contractor will provide all labor, materials and equipment necessary to mulch the County’s separated yard trash and vegetative debris and/or transport the mulch material on-site and off-site.

THE CONTRACTOR SHALL:

1. Grind all yard trash and vegetative debris delivered to the processing site, producing a mulched product that consists of pieces no larger than three (3) inches. Grinding shall be conducted on a quarterly basis unless notified by the County. Once grinding has begun, the Contractor shall complete the grinding for all on-site material within seven (7) working days. In the event of an extreme circumstance, and on a case-by-case situation, the County may extend the deadline for mulching.

2. All processed material must be weighed either on the County’s scale or with a belt scale. If belt scales are used, the Contractor will provide the County with tickets for each day’s mulching, with the day’s date and total tons mulched for that day. The County reserves the right to verify the accuracy of the Contractor’s belt scales at any time.

3. All transported mulch leaving the facility will go across the County’s scale.

4. Material transported within the facility will be delivered to an area designated by the Sanitation Director or designee.

5. Mulch all stockpiled material within the processing site no less frequently than every quarter.

6. Obtain approval of an operations and maintenance plan to the Sanitation Department Director, or his designee, prior to beginning work pursuant to this Agreement.

7. Accept the processing site “as is” and provide at the Contractor’s expense any additional facilities, i.e., water, electric, sanitary facilities, etc., as approved by the Sanitation Department Director.

8. Bear all equipment maintenance and operating costs.

9. Follow and adhere to all rules and regulations established by the State, County, or other regulatory agencies.

10. Cooperate with authorized representatives of the County Sanitation Department to facilitate the progress of the work contemplated under this Agreement.

mailto:Leigh.Doran@putnam-fl.gov

11. Perform all work at the processing site during normal business hours. All other working hours (overtime, maintenance, etc.) must be approved by the Sanitation Department Director, or designee.

Normal working hours are Monday through Friday 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

12. Notify the Sanitation Department Director immediately following any accident or injury to County or Contractor equipment or personnel.

13. Give the County and other governmental agencies access to the processing site for their observation, inspection, and testing.

14. Obtain and maintain at the Contractor’s expense throughout the initial agreement term and any renewal term thereof all necessary and required licenses, permits and approvals of any regulatory agency relating to the mulching operation performed by the Contractor hereunder and for any expenditure for these licenses and permits.

THE COUNTY SHALL:

1. Provide a processing site at the Central Landfill, Putnam County, Florida, to conduct the mulching operation agreed to within this Agreement.

2. Have yard trash and vegetative debris delivered to the processing site.

3. Provide the labor necessary to inspect the incoming yard trash and vegetative debris and determine if the loads can be processed. The County shall dispose of all contaminants from the processing site prior to mulching.

4. Maintain at its expense and in good working order a scale at the Central Landfill to be used for weighing mulch.

5. Issue with reasonable promptness any requested clarifications or interpretations of the Agreement requirements and specifications.

COMPENSATION:

1. For planning purposes, the County estimates that approximately 1,500 tons of mulchable material will be on hand each quarter at Central Landfill. The County does not guarantee the quantity available at any time. The County reserves the right to suspend or discontinue the operations at any time.

2. The compensation payable hereunder constitutes the total compensation payable to the Contractor for performing all the work contained within this Agreement. All duties, responsibilities and obligations assigned to or undertaken by the Contractor shall be at the Contractor’s expense without change in the compensation parable hereunder except as may be expressly provided otherwise in this Agreement.

3. The County will determine the actual quantities of mulch to compensate the Contractor based on the actual processed mulch weight as recorded on the County’s scale: and/or the Contractor’s belt scales: at the Central Landfill. The County’s quantities will be final and binding upon both the County and the Contractor unless within ten (10) days after the request for payment the Contractor delivers to the Sanitation Department Director evidence and verification of quantities that would entitle the Contractor to more compensation.

4. Requests for payment by the Contractor shall be submitted to the County representative after the work has been performed and tonnages have been verified. The County’s representative will either indicate in writing approval of payment or indicate in writing reasons for non-payment.

5. This contract shall be for a three (3) year initial term. The term of the contract may be extended for two (2), two (2) year periods upon approval of both parties.

CHANGE ORDERS/MODIFICATIONS:

1. The County’s representative may authorize minor changes or alterations in the work not involving extra cost and not inconsistent with the overall intent and Scope of Work indentified in the Agreement documents. These may be accomplished by a written modification.

2. Additional work performed by the Contractor without written approval of the County will not entitle the Contractor to an increase in the compensation payable hereunder.

6.0 Required Forms

PROPOSAL COVER SHEET

Proposer must complete all information requested on the PROPOSAL COVER SHEET. The Proposal Cover Sheet is to be the first page of the proposer’s response.

STATEMENT OF BIDDERS QUALIFICATIONS

BID FORM

NON-DISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT FORM

Putnam County does not discriminate against any person in its programs, activities, policies or procedures on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, marital status, religion, age, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, disability, or veteran status.

ADDENDA ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM

If any addendums are issued, the proposer must acknowledge compliance with the addendum by submitting a signed copy of the addendum in this section. This form will be issued as part of the addendum process, if any addendums are issued. If no addendums are issued, this section only needs to be acknowledged as “none received”.

PUBLIC ENTITY CRIMES FORM

Conviction for a public entity crime may not submit an RFP on a contract to provide any goods or services to a public entity, may not submit a RFP on a contract with a public entity for the construction or repair of a public building or public work, may not submit RFPs on leases of real property to a public entity, may not be awarded or perform work as a contractor, supplier, subcontractor, or consultant under a contract with any public entity, and may not transact business with any public entity in excess of the threshold A person or affiliate who has been placed on the convicted vendor list following amount provided in S.287.017 for category two for a period of 36 months from the date of being placed on the convicted vendor list, as per State of Florida Statute 287.133

(2) (a). The proposer must acknowledge compliance with this statute and its intent.

DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE CERTIFICATION

Whenever two or more bids which are equal with respect to price, quality, and service are received for the procurement of commodities or contractual services, pursuant to Section 287.087, Florida Statutes, a bid received from a business that certifies that it has implemented a Drug-Free Work Place Program shall be given preference in the award process.

INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

The consultant, contractor, lessee, or vendor agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Putnam County BOCC, its officers, employees, agents and other representatives, individually and collectively from an against any and all claims, losses, etc. arising from injury to persons or damage to property as a result of an act or omission of the consultant, contractor, lessee, or vendor. For purposes hereof, claims / liabilities shall mean, but are not limited to, any losses, damages (including loss of use), expenses, demands, claims, suits, proceedings, liabilities, judgments, deficiencies, assessments, actions, investigations, penalties, interest or obligations (including court costs, costs of preparation and investigation, reasonable attorneys’, accountants’ and other professional advisors’ fees and associated expenses), whether suit is instituted or not and, if instituted, at all tribunal levels and whether raised by the Parties hereto or a third party, incurred or suffered by the County Indemnities or any of them arising directly or indirectly from, in connection with, or as a result of (a) any false or inaccurate representation or warranty made by or on behalf of the Contractor in or pursuant to this RFP and the Agreement; (b) any disputes, actions, or other Liabilities arising with respect to, or in connection with, compliance by the County with any Public Records laws (as hereinafter defined) with respect to the Contractor’s documents and materials; (c) any dispute, actions, or other liabilities arising in connection with the Contractor, the Contractor’s subcontractors, or their respective agents or employees or representatives otherwise sustained or incurred on or about the Premises; (d) any act or omission of, or default or breach in the performance of any of the covenants or agreements made by the Contractor in or pursuant to this RFP or the Contract executed in connection with this RFP; and (e) any services provided by the Contractor, its employees, agents, or authorized representatives in connection with the performance of the Contract executed for this RFP.

This indemnification shall survive termination of the RFP and the contract executed in connection with the RFP. The Contractor must acknowledge acceptance of the entire Indemnification Agreement.

REFERENCES

Provide a list of clients, preferably public or governmental organizations, for which you have provided a similar service. List should include reference name, address, telephone number, contact person, and a description of the service provided. In addition, the County reserves the right to contact current or former clients of the proposer not provided as part of the proposal.

Please provide a minimum of three references and a maximum of five.

LEGAL ISSUSE

The proposer must indicate if there are any:

A. Suits or proceedings pending, or to the knowledge of the proposer, threatened in any court or before any regulatory commission or other administrative governmental agency against or affecting the proposer or the instructors to be used in providing the Services, which, if adversely determined, will have a material adverse effect on the ability of the proposer or any of its instructors to perform their obligations as stated in their response.

B. The proposer is not in default under any instrument or agreement to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties or assets may be bound, or in violation of any applicable laws, which default or violation may reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the financial condition of the proposer.

If there are no issues in these areas, please respond that there are no pending or threatened suits or defaults.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR SERVICES

In addition to the required information, the Proposer may include any additional information which may be helpful to the County in analyzing the Proposer's ability to provide the desired service, as noted in this RFP.

Proposal Forms to Follow this Page

PROPOSAL’S CHECKLIST

THIS CHECKLIST IS FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF THE COMPANY SUBMITTING A

PROPOSAL AND MAY BE USED TO ENSURE THAT SECTIONS OF THE ITB/RFP/PROPOSAL

ARE PROPERLY COMPLETED AND RETURNED. THIS FORM (PROPOSER’S CHECKLIST) IS

FOR YOUR USE AND IS NOT REQUIRED.

Required one (1) original hard copy, (1) duplicate copy and provide one (1) USB drive that contains “all” of your documentation included in the original bid in a pdf format of each of the following:

____ Proposal Cover Sheet

____ Statement of Bidder’s Qualifications

____ Detailed Proposal Response / Solution

____ Non-Discrimination in Employment Form

____ Addendum Acknowledgement

____ Public Entity Crimes Form

____ Drug-Free Work Place Certification

____ Hold Harmless and Indemnification Agreement

____ References

____ Legal Issues

____ List of Subcontractors

____ Copy of License(s)

____ *Proof of Minority / Women Business Enterprise Number (M/WBE) – if applicable

____ *Additional information – if applicable

____ Exhibit A – Payment Bond (informational purposes only)

____ Exhibit B – Performance Bond (informational purposes only)

PROPOSAL COVER SHEET

ANTI-COLLUSION STATEMENT: The Bidder by signing and submitting a bid has "not" divulged to, discussed or compared his/her bid with any other Bidders and has not colluded with any other Bidders or parties to a bid whatsoever. (NOTE: Including there have been No premiums, rebates or gratuities paid or permitted either with, prior to, or after any delivery or personal contact. Any such violation will result in the cancellation of award of any resulting contract from this bid and the Bidder being debarred for not less than three (3) years of doing business with the County.)

Failure to sign this form may result in your proposal being deemed as “Non Responsive”.

LEGAL NAME OF BIDDER: _____________________________________________

TAX ID NUMBER: _____________________________________________

MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE

TYPE & NUMBER: (if applicable): _____________________________________________

MAILING ADDRESS: _____________________________________________

CITY, STATE, ZIP CODE: _____________________________________________

TELEPHONE NUMBER: _____________________________________________

BY: SIGNATURE (Manual): _____________________________________________

BY: SIGNATURE (Typed): _____________________________________________

TITLE: _____________________________________________

PHONE NO: _____________________________________________

FAX NO.: _____________________________________________

E-MAIL ADDRESS: (if available) _____________________________________________

STATEMENT OF BIDDER’S QUALIFICATIONS

All questions must be answered and the data given must be clear and comprehensive. If necessary, questions may be answered on separate attached sheets. The Bidder may submit any additional information he desires.

1. Name of Bidder.

2. Permanent main office address.

3. Copy of licenses required to perform work.

4. When organized.

5. How many years have you been engaged in the contracting business under your present firm of trade name?

(minimum requirement of two years)

6. Contracts on hand: (Schedule these, showing amount of each contract and the appropriate anticipated dates of completion).

7. Have you ever failed to complete any work awarded to you?

8. Have you defaulted on a contract?

9. List the more important projects recently completed by your company, stating the approximate cost for each, and the month and year completed.

10. List your major equipment available for this project.

11. Experience in construction work similar in importance to this project.

12. Background and experience of the principal members of your organizations, including the officers.

13. Credit available: $____________________.

14. Give bank reference.

15. Will you, upon request, fill out a detailed financial statement and furnish any other information that may be required by the County?

16. The undersigned hereby authorizes and requests any person, firm, or corporation to furnish any information requested by the County in verification of the recitals comprising this Statement of Bidder’s Qualifications.

Bidder Date

BID FORM

Project: Mulching and/or Transport of Yard Trash & Vegetative Debris, Bid No.: 25-10 To: The Board of County Commissioners Putnam County, Florida Date Submitted: _______________________, 2025

BID PROPOSAL OF

Full Legal Company Name

Mailing Address Telephone Number Email Address Bidders: Having become familiar with requirements of the work, and having carefully examined the Bidding Documents and Specifications entitled: Bid No: 25-10 – Mulching and/or Transport of Yard Trash & Vegetative Debris in Putnam County, Florida, the undersigned proposes to furnish all materials, labor and equipment, supervision and all other requirements necessary to comply with the Contract Documents.

Note: Any and all fees, charges, and cost associated with performing the required services must be included in the total price submitted below.

Price Per Ton / Mulching

Transport On-Site

Transport Off-Site

*Mulching is the bulk of services required under this contract; therefore, contract award will be based mainly on this price first.

NAME OF BIDDER: ______________________________________________________________

ADDRESS: ______________________________________________________________________

BY:___________________________________________TITLE:___________________________

IRS W-9

INSTRUCTIONS FOR W-9 FORM: Contractors can obtain the W-9 Form and Instructions by visiting: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdfThe W-9 form is requested to be completed and returned with your BID proposal submittal:

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf

NON-DISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT POLICY

(Section 301, Executive Order 10925, March 6, 1961, 26 FR 1977 as amended by Executive Order 11114, June 22, 1963, 28 FR 6485)

"During the performance of this contract the contractor agrees as follows:

"(1) The contractor will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, creed, color, or national origin. The contractor will take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin. Such action shall include, but not be limited, to the following: employment, upgrading, demotion or transfer; recruitment or recruitment advertising; layoff or termination; rates of pay or other forms of compensation; and selection for training, including apprenticeship. The contractor agrees to post in conspicuous places, available to employees and applicants for employment, notices to be provided by the contracting officer setting forth the provisions of this non-discrimination clause.

"(2) The contractor will, in all solicitations or advertisements for employees placed by or on behalf of the contractor;

state that all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, color or national origin.

"(3) The contractor will send to each labor union or representative of workers with which he has a collective bargaining agreement or other contract or understanding, a notice, to be provided by the agency contracting officer advising the said labor union or workers' representative of the contractor's commitments under this section, and shall post copies of the notice in conspicuous places available to employees and applicants for employment.

"(4) The…