For more information, please visit our online supplier portal, located at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityofgainesville.org

RTSX-260026-DS

BUS SHELTERS AND AMENITIES

RELEASE DATE: January 13, 2026

RESPONSE DEADLINE: February 18, 2026, 3:00 pm

Please refer to the project timeline in this document for all important deadlines.

Bus Shelters and Amenities

Table Of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION

2. DEFINITION OF TERMS

3. SCOPE OF WORK/SPECIFICATIONS

4. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SOLICITATION

5. REQUIRED SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - FTA

6. AWARD

7. CONTRACT SECTION

8. GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS - ITB (FTA)

9. FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION (FTA) REQUIRED CLAUSES

Attachments:

A - Bid Pricing Form B - Draft Contract C - Consolidated State Law Affidavit 10-22-25 D - Buy America - Steel or Manufactured Products E - Certification Regarding Debarment F - Certification and Restrictions on Lobbying G - Disclosure of Lobbying Activities H - Federal Tax Liability and Recent Felony Conviction I - Prohibition on Certain Telecommunications...

J - Contractor Responsibility Certification K - Federally Funded Purchase Questionnaire

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. Summary

It is the intent of the City of Gainesville's Regional Transit System (“RTS”) to obtain bid responses for a variety of amenities that will be installed at bus stops to improve the safety, accessibility, and comfort of bus stops.

1.2. Background

Gainesville is the largest city and also the county seat of Alachua County. It serves as the cultural, educational and commercial center for the north central Florida region.

The city provides a full range of municipal services, including police and fire protection; comprehensive land use planning and zoning services; code enforcement and neighborhood improvement; streets and drainage construction and maintenance; traffic engineering services; refuse and recycling services through a franchised operator; recreation and parks; cultural and nature services; and necessary administrative services to support these activities. Additionally, the city owns a regional transit system, a municipal airport, a 72-par championship golf course and a utility.

Gainesville is home to Florida's largest and oldest university, and is one of the State’s centers for education, medicine, cultural events and athletics. The University of Florida and UF Health Hospital at UF are the leading employers in Gainesville and provide jobs for many residents of surrounding counties. Known for its preservation of historic buildings and the beauty of its natural surroundings, Gainesville's numerous parks, museums and lakes provide entertainment to thousands of visitors. Because of its beautiful landscape and urban "forest," Gainesville is one of the most attractive cities in Florida.

1.3. Procurement Representative

Daphyne Sesco

Procurement Specialist 3 sescoda@cityofgainesville.org

Respondents shall submit all inquiries regarding this bid via the City of Gainesville Procurement Portal, located at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityofgainesville

Please note the deadline for submitting inquiries. All answers to inquiries will be posted via Addendum on the City of Gainesville Procurement Portal. Respondents shall click “Follow” on this bid to receive an email notification when Addenda are posted. It is the responsibility of the respondent to check the website for answers to inquiries.

1.4. Timeline

Release Project Date: January 13, 2026 https://go-rts.com/ https://www.flygainesville.com/ http://gru.com/ https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityofgainesville

Question Submission Deadline: January 27, 2026, 11:59pm

Response Submission Deadline: February 18, 2026, 3:00pm

2. DEFINITION OF TERMS

2.1. DEFINITION OF TERMS

A. Addendum/Addenda: Written or graphic document(s) issued prior to the Response due date, which make additions, deletions, or revisions to the solicitation or contract documents.

B. Agreement: A written Contract between two or more Parties. “Contract” and “Agreement” are synonymous.

C. Bid: The written response to a Solicitation.

D. CITY: City of Gainesville

E. Cone of Silence: The period between the issue date of the solicitation and the time CITY Officials and

Employees award the contract.

F. Due Date: The date the response is due.

G. Lobbying: When any natural person, for compensation, seeks to influence the governmental decision-making, to encourage the passage, defeat or modification of any proposal, recommendation or decision by CITY officials and employees, except as authorized by procurement documents.

H. Non–Responsive: A response that does not meet the material requirements of the solicitation.

I. Redacted: means that the confidential/proprietary information in the proposal has been obscured so that it cannot be read.

J. Respondent: An individual or business entity that submits a response to a Solicitation.

K. Response: A written document submitted by a Respondent in reply to Solicitation.

L. Responsive: A response that conforms in all material respects to the requirements set forth in the

Solicitation.

M. Solicitation: A written document issued by an agency to obtain information or pricing for goods and/or services. May also be referred to as an Invitation to Bid (ITB), Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for

Quotation Quote), Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) or Request for Statement of Qualifications (RFSQ).

N. Work: Activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result requested in the scope.

O. Unredacted: means that the entire document, including the confidential/proprietary information, has not be obscured and is visible for the evaluation team to use in their evaluation process.

3. SCOPE OF WORK/SPECIFICATIONS

3.1. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Not applicable.

3.2. SCOPE OF WORK

A. General Description

It is the intent of the City of Gainesville's Regional Transit System (“RTS”) to obtain bid responses for a variety of amenities that will be installed at bus stops to improve the safety, accessibility, and comfort of bus stops. Bus stop amenity improvements are part of RTS’s effort to simultaneously enhance its existing transit network and make plans for the expansion of future services. Amenities include items such as bus stop shelters, kiosks, benches, trashcans, and bicycle racks. A well-documented quality assurance (QA) program must be in place that provides a systematic approach for evaluation, inspection, testing, or whatever is needed to monitor and assure the quality of materials, workmanship, and finish shall be required. The period of performance shall be three years. Contractor agrees to sell amenities at the same price and under the terms and conditions of this agreement from the time of contract award to the contract term expiration. The line item unit price(s) of each amenity listed must include all costs that the bidder intends to recover, including freight. It is assumed that the unit price on large orders may decrease due to bulk freight rates and these savings will be passed to the City of Gainesville. All pricing to be firm for the entirety of contract, including the optional one-year extension, as no price escalations/adjustments will be made.

Contract term shall be from date of contract execution through September 30, 2028, with an optional one-year extension. Prices are to remain firm for the entire contract term, including the optional one-year extension period.

1. All amenities shall comply with all applicable building codes, wind load, and seismic load specifications of the local and state jurisdictions, and shall adequately satisfy the intent to create a uniform look across the RTS service area. Amenities shall comply with standards included in the City of Gainesville Engineering Design, and Construction Manual[1] and the most current standards set forth by the American Society for Testing[2] and Materials and American Welding Society[3]. All amenities must also be in full compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements and should meet the applicable recommendations provided in the Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) Accessing Transit Design Handbook for Florida Bus Passenger Facilities Version IV 2023[4].

2. Quantities

RTS does not guarantee any purchase quantity with all minimums subject to available funding. Orders shall be placed on an as-needed basis. Estimated quantities are informational and not to be construed as a warranty of accuracy of historical or anticipated volumes. RTS typically purchases a minimum of one and maximum of ten shelters annually.

3. Delivery

• Delivery of amenities shall be within 8-12 weeks after placement of individual purchase orders and shall include the delivery packing slip. The packing slip shall contain the purchase order number and a detailed listing of all materials shipped.

• Each shipment shall contain installation instructions for all materials with parts clearly identified and fully compliant with all applicable guidelines, as well as all literature from the manufacturer for the delivered products.

• All hardware shall be prefabricated and prepackaged in knockdown kits for each individual stop improvement; bulk packaging of hardware is not acceptable. All delivered amenities shall be supplied with all necessary hardware for site installation.

• Amenities shall be installed using standard tools and equipment and be designed so that moderately skilled technicians can assemble and install, disassemble, remove, or replace with a limited amount of effort and time.

4. Plans and Permits

Contractor shall provide all drawings stamped and sealed by a professional structural engineer, licensed to practice in the State of Florida, confirming compliance with all applicable building codes. Drawings maybe included with the proposal or after the contract is awarded. Drawings include details for materials, fabrication and assembly, framing profiles, fastener types and locations, accessory components, mounting applications, installation and hardware to ensure all applicable building code standards are met. Drawings shall meet building code requirements for the permitting jurisdiction and be provided in a manner specified by local permitting jurisdictions. Notwithstanding the provision of drawings, technical specifications or other data by RTS, the contractor shall have the responsibility of supplying all parts and details required to make the amenities complete and ready for service even though such details may not be specifically mentioned in the drawings and specifications.

RTS requires 5 drawings, to scale, of each shelter type and amenity in electronic media (.pdf format preferred).

5. Descriptive Literature

• Bidders shall submit descriptive literature for all items that are not described by specific manufacturer, and/or for items that the bidder is offering as an “Equal Brand Name”. Descriptive literature must be received by the time specified in this solicitation for receipt of bids, and clearly marked to identify the specific item(s) of the bid to which it applies.

• “Descriptive literature” means information furnished, such as cuts, illustrations, drawings, and brochures that clearly show an item’s characteristics, construction, or explains its operation.

• Descriptive literature is used to determine whether the item(s) offered comply with the solicitation requirements. It is used to identify details of the item(s) pertaining to such significant elements as:

design, materials, components, performance characteristics, and methods of manufacture, assembly, construction, and/or operation. Descriptive literature includes only that information required to determine the technical acceptability of the offered product. It does not include other information such as that used to determine a prospective contractor’s responsibility, or for maintaining the item(s).

• Failure of a bidder to submit descriptive literature on time, or failure of the descriptive literature to clearly show that the item(s) offered, conform to the requirements of this solicitation shall result in rejection of the bid as nonresponsive.

6. Equal Product

The items called for in this solicitation are identified by generic description without mention of a brand name.

Throughout the specifications, all described features and other requirements are the minimum criteria that shall be acceptable to RTS. Items offered must meet or exceed the minimum criteria. Offers for items that do not satisfy the minimum criteria shall not be considered for award. RTS reserves the right to determine if items offered meet or exceed the minimum criteria. Bidders are required to provide the manufacturer and model number of the unit bid and include the descriptive literature referenced above. Any request for a change to any amenity design requirement of the contract must be fully supported with technical data, test results or other pertinent information showing evidence that the exception shall result in a condition equal to or better than that required by the contract, without a substantial increase in cost or time requirements.

7. Interchangeability of Units

• All amenities shall be constructed of modular, interchangeable components to allow for ease of installation and parts replacement.

• All units and components procured under this bid contract, whether provided by suppliers or manufactured by the contractor shall be duplicates in design, manufacture, and installation to assure interchangeability among amenities of the same type in this procurement. This interchangeability shall extend to the individual components of the amenities

8. Spare Parts

The Contractor shall guarantee the availability of replacement parts for these amenities for at least a 10-year period after the date of acceptance. Spare parts shall be interchangeable with the original equipment and shall be manufactured in accordance with the quality assurance provisions of this contract. All replacement part numbers must be provided.

9. Installation

RTS’s intent is to install all amenities using internal staff.

10. Material and Workmanship Quality

Materials furnished by the contractor shall conform to the requirements of this document. The contractor shall be responsible for all materials and workmanship in the construction of the amenities and all accessories used, whether the same are manufactured by the contractor or purchased from a supplier. Seller hereby warrants that all materials furnished shall meet the requirements and conditions of the contract and shall be fit for the purposes intended. Acceptance of this warranty and acceptance of the materials to be manufactured or assembled pursuant to the specification in these contract documents shall not waive any warranty, either express or implied.

All materials are warranted by the bidder to be new and free from defects in material and workmanship pursuant to and in accordance with manufacturer’s warranties; bidder to describe warranty in detail with submission and summarize on product information sheet. During said warranty periods, the materials shall maintain structural and functional integrity. The warranty is based on regular operation under operating conditions prevailing in the purchaser’s operating area. All general materials and workmanship shall be guaranteed to be free of defects for a minimum of at least one (1) year (unless explicitly stated differently elsewhere) from date of installation; this includes but is not limited to lifting, peeling, flaking, and corrosion.

Any defects shall be repaired or replaced to meet specifications at the expense of the contractor, including freight, parts and labor. Units shall be fabricated only with materials that will not rust or corrode in outdoor installations and will not be affected by any weather conditions. Moreover, all amenities are to be vandal resistant and maintenance free.

B. Amenity Specifications

For all items, it is RTS’s expectation that each bidder will use their discretion to provide a single type item for each category that meets all the structural and design requirements outlined in the bid document and that maintain a uniform look between all proposed items.

All items, including optional features, should be individually itemized along with their unit price.

1. Shelters

RTS serves a variety of street patterns, building designs and orientations, setbacks, and developable space. Because of the varied conditions, a non-advertising shelter design that can be easily reconfigured, with styles available in various sizes would serve the needs of RTS and its passengers.

1.1 Design

1.1.1 Universal dimensions:

• Minimum interior clearance of 7’ high; maximum height not exceeding 10’ high

• Entry and exit points with a minimum clear width of 4’

• Clear floor area 30” x 48” entirely within the perimeter of the shelter; located adjacent to the bench to allow shoulder-to-shoulder seating with a companion

1.1.2 Dimensions:

• 12’ x 4.5’ x 8’ (Type II)

• 16’ x 4.5’ x 8’ (Type III)

1.2 Other Considerations

Shelters shall also have:

• Unobstructed views into and out of the approach side.

• Tamper-proof and vandal-resistant system map or kiosk display to accommodate material up to

11”x17” in size; see later section for more information on kiosk design standards.

• A design that maximizes shading and encourages cooling air movement - avoiding impervious side panel materials.

• No gutter, downspouts or other drain component that can be blocked by leaves or other debris or to entrap standing water. Runoff shall be diverted away from the open front and avoid any possible entrapment of standing water.

• A clear space of 6” to 12” for the sides and back between the bottom frame member and the foundation.

1.3 Construction Materials

Construction material shall consist of:

• No glass or Plexiglas panels.

• Wall panels of 16 gauge perforated metal with ¼’ holes on 3/8”stagger pattern.

• Stainless steel fasteners sized to meet specified loads. Any exposed fasteners shall be colored to match the finish of the framework components. Self-tapping fasteners or bolts fastened into threads cut into the aluminum framework at connection points shall not be acceptable.

• Coatings or materials that prevent electrolysis or other corrosion between dissimilar materials.

• All aluminum extrusions and components shall be AA6063-T6, minimum 1/8” wall thickness.

1.4 Structural Framing

1.4.1 Roof

• Modular allowing for other roof components, such as optional lighting to be securely fastened to the shelter in a concealed and tamper-proof manner.

• A perimeter with a minimum 4” high flat fascia suitable for application of logo decals, or location identification.

• Two horizontally channels: one to serve as a rain gutter and the other to allow for optional electrical wiring for lighting and/or conduit for “real-time” transit “information. Rain diverter channel will be covered with perforated screens to avoid debris collection

• Pre-drilled Roof beams with alignment channels for supporting legs to facilitate field installation.

• No snap together corners which can be vandalized.

• Dome or barrel vault roof.

• Lift points on each side of the roof to allow temporary movement of the shelter.

1.4.2 Other

• Shelters being surface-mounted with threaded rod and epoxy or approved equal to concrete pads without the need for special footings or other foundations.

• Joints that are neat and clean and edges free of burrs.

• A powder-coat finish (preferred color RAL 7043 Traffic Grey) with touch-up kit to match the color. An outline of proposed powder coat finish process including sandblast, cleaning, pretreat, top coat and quality check shall be provided.

• Walls supported with adjustable stainless steel assemblies, which anchor to the concrete pad or sidewalk.

• Adjustable plated footings (with flared escutcheons for finished appearance) made of material compatible with the mounting of the corner posts feet, internally telescoping into the bottom of the posts in order to accommodate a minimum 12” variation in pad surface height. Final level shall be maintained by a minimum of two, ¼” stainless steel rivets or fasteners per post. Self-tapping screws shall not be acceptable.

• Mechanisms to be frangible or breakaway when impacted. Acceptable breakaway mechanisms for shelters include hardware that breaks away without slowing the vehicle by more than 15.4 feet per second and that leaves a stub with no substantial remains taller than 4 inches. Breakaway supports should be of an omni-directional design.

2. Benches

All benches shall have an expected lifespan of at least 12 years.

All benches will be ADA-compliant. For standalone benches, bench dimensions shall be as follows:

• Standalone benches shall incorporate an advertising display within the back support.

• The minimum overall size of the advertising display shall be 72 inches wide by 24 inches high.

• The minimum live area of the advertising display shall be 70.5 inches wide by 22.5 inches high.

• 20” to 24” in seat depth.

• Maximum 28” in depth and 44” in height.

• Bench seat 17” (preferred) to 19” above the ground or floor.

• Back support that extends from a point 2” maximum from above the seat surface to a point 18” above the seat surface (gap between seat and back support).

Benches shall also contain the following features/characteristics:

• Be able to support 250 pounds of force applied at any point on the seat, fastener, mounting device, or supporting structure.

• Benches are constructed from metal with metal or composite slats.

• Surface mounted with hot dipped galvanized anchors.

• Be slip‐resistant and designed to shed water.

• Match the style of accompanying amenities.

• Bolt-on anti-vagrant bar(s).

Benches of the same style but scaled to fit each shelter style and that meet all other applicable requirements stated in this document are also of interest. These benches should be same color as shelter.

3. Trash Receptacles

RTS desires trash receptacles to match the material and color of surrounding amenities requested. Other trash receptacles features/characteristics include:

• Surface mountable on concrete pad independent of the shelter structure using hot dipped galvanized anchors.

• A capacity of 30 to 40 gallons.

• Twenty gauge steel that is 100% welded including hinge latch mechanism that can be locked.

• Hard rubber liner.

• Powder coat finish approximately 5ml thick.

• Design considerations that ensure explosive or hazardous materials cannot be hidden inside the receptacle.

• Dome lid cover capable of reducing the deposit of oversized items and reducing water buildup in the receptacle.

4. Bicycle Racks

All bicycle racks shall have an inverted U shape and meet the standards set forth in the City of Gainesville

Engineering, Design, and Construction Manual (refer to first document referenced in footnotes below).

Download the BID PRICING FORM from the Attachments/Downloads tab.

[1]https://www.gainesvillefl.gov/Government-Pages/Government/Departments/Public-Works/Capital-Projects [2] http://www.astm.org/Standard/standards-and-publications.html [3] http://pubs.aws.org/t/procedures [4] https://fdotwww.blob.core.windows.net/sitefinity/docs/default-source/transit/transit-facilities-design/accessing-transit---design-handbook-for-florida-bus-passenger-facilities-14-20-rev.pdf?sfvrsn=e53730e5_1 https://www.gainesvillefl.gov/Government-Pages/Government/Departments/Public-Works/Capital-Projects http://www.astm.org/Standard/standards-and-publications.html http://pubs.aws.org/t/procedures https://fdotwww.blob.core.windows.net/sitefinity/docs/default-source/transit/transit-facilities-design/accessing-transit---design-handbook-for-florida-bus-passenger-facilities-14-20-rev.pdf?sfvrsn=e53730e5_1 https://fdotwww.blob.core.windows.net/sitefinity/docs/default-source/transit/transit-facilities-design/accessing-transit---design-handbook-for-florida-bus-passenger-facilities-14-20-rev.pdf?sfvrsn=e53730e5_1

4. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SOLICITATION

4.1. DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION

Respondents must submit all inquiries regarding this bid via the City Procurement Portal ("eProcurement Portal") at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/CityofGainesville. Please note the deadline for submitting questions. All answers to questions will be posted in the eProcurement Portal. To receive notifications when answers are posted, respondents should select "Follow" on the bid title. It is the respondent's responsibility to monitor the website for answers to inquiries.

4.2. PROHIBITION OF LOBBYING

To ensure fair consideration, consistent and accurate dissemination of information for all respondents, the CITY prohibits communication to or with any department, employee, or agent evaluating or considering proposals during the submission process, except as authorized by the Procurement Division representative. Additionally, the CITY prohibits communication initiated by a respondent to any CITY official or employee evaluating or considering the proposals (up to and including the City Commissioners) before the time an award decision has been made. Any communication between proposer and the CITY required to obtain information or clarification for preparing a bid or to enable a proper, accurate evaluation of a proposal will be handled solely through the Procurement Division staff. Any communications initiated between the respondent and the CITY outside these parameters may be grounds for disqualifying the offending respondent from consideration for award of the proposal and/or any future proposal.

Lobbying means when any natural person, for compensation, seeks to influence the governmental decision-making, to encourage the passage, defeat or modification of any proposal, recommendation or decision by the CITY officials and employees, except as authorized by procurement documents.

4.3. CONE OF SILENCE

During the Cone of Silence, except as pursuant to an authorized appeal, no person may lobby on behalf of a competing party in a particular procurement process, no person may lobby CITY officials or employees except the Procurement Division designated staff. Violation of this provision shall result in disqualification of the party on whose behalf the lobbying occurred.

The Cone of Silence is the period between the issue date of the solicitation and the time the CITY Officials and Employees award the contract.

4.4. DETERMINATION OF RESPONSIBLE BIDDER

As a part of the proposal evaluation process, the CITY reserves the right to conduct a background investigation of bidder, including a record check by the Gainesville Police Department if the qualifications require it. Bidder’s submission of a proposal constitutes acknowledgment of the process and consent to such investigation.

No contract will be awarded to any respondent who is in arrears to the CITY for any debt, fee, tax, or contract, https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/CityofGainesville or who is a defaulter as surety or in any other capacity, upon any obligation to the City. Additionally, any respondent determined to be not responsible by the CITY pursuant to Pro-01 Procurement Administrative Guidelines, C.2.ii., will not be awarded a contract.

Respondent must demonstrate that it is responsible as defined in the City of Gainesville’s Pro-01 Procurement Administrative Guidelines, C.2.ii., as may be amended. These criteria assess the respondent's capability to perform.

A. The ability of the bidder to successfully carry out a proposed contract.

B. Past performance (including reference check), experience, business and financial capabilities, skills, technical organization, legal eligibility and reliability.

If it is determined that the respondent is not responsible, the CITY may notify respondent of its finding, including evidence used, and allow respondent the opportunity to come into compliance within three (3) business days of notification.

If selected, respondent must either update or complete CITY’s vendor application, pay business tax (if applicable), and register with the State of Florida (if required by law).

4.5. RESPONSIVENESS OF BID

A responsive proposal is one which follows the requirements of the solicitation, includes all required documentation, is submitted in the format outlined in the solicitation, is of timely submission through the eProcurement Portal, and has the appropriate signatures as required on each document. Failure to comply with these requirements may deem the proposal non-responsive (Pro-01 Procurement Administrative Guidelines , C.2.i.)

Each proposal shall be reviewed to determine if the proposal is responsive to the submission requirements outlined in the solicitation.

4.6. EXAMINATION OF SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS - FULLY INFORMED

RESPONDENT

A. Prior to responding to the Solicitation, Respondents are responsible for the following: (1) examining the

Solicitation thoroughly, (2) considering federal, state and local laws and regulations that may impact or affect cost, progress, performance or furnishing of the Work, (3) studying and carefully correlating

Respondent’s observations with the Solicitation, and (4) notifying the Procurement Representative of all conflicts, errors or discrepancies in the Solicitation.

B. Respondents are expected to become fully informed as to the requirements of the Specifications and failure to do so will be at their own risk. Respondents cannot expect to secure relief on the plea of error.

C. A Respondent who is aggrieved in connection with the specifications of this Solicitation may protest in writing to City of Gainesville Procurement at least within five (5) work days of the solicitation posting date.

4.7. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

The bid response, containing all required documents, with authorized signatures, must be submitted in OpenGov by 3:00 p.m. on the due date indicated on the Solicitation Cover Page. OpenGov will reject late proposals, and the City will not accept proposals submitted in any other manner that through OpenGov.

Both the response and the price proposal, if required to be submitted as a separate document, must be signed by an officer of the business who is legally authorized to enter into a contractual relationship in the name of the bidder. An authorized representative who is not an officer may sign the proposal, but must attach a corporate resolution granting authorization to the representative to execute on behalf of the business.

The submittal of a response by a respondent will be considered by the City as constituting an offer by the respondent to perform the required services at the stated fees.

4.8. INTERPRETATION AND ADDENDA

All questions about the meaning or intent of this Solicitation are to be directed to the Procurement Representative via the CITY's eProcurement Portal, https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityofgainesville, unless stated otherwise. Interpretations or clarifications considered necessary in response to such questions will be issued by Addenda posted on the City’s eProcurement Portal.

Respondents must create an account on the City’s eProcurement Portal to receive notifications. Registered Respondents will be notified of all Addenda posted in the City’s eProcurement Portal.

Only questions answered by formal written Addenda will be binding.

A. Addenda may also be issued to modify the Solicitation as deemed advisable by the Procurement

Representative.

B. Addenda issued before the Solicitation due date and time are considered binding and treated as if they were originally written into the Solicitation. It is the responsibility of the Respondents to ensure they have received, signed, and included all addenda(s) with their submittals.

4.9. EXCEPTION TO THE SOLICITATION

Respondents may take exception to any of the terms of this Solicitation unless otherwise stated. Should a respondent take exception where none is permitted, the proposal will be rejected as non-responsive. All exceptions taken must be specific to allow the City a meaningful opportunity to evaluate and rank proposals.

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

Where exceptions are permitted, the City shall determine the acceptability of the proposed exceptions. The proposals will be evaluated based on the proposals as submitted. The CITY retains the right to accept or reject the exceptions. Where exceptions are rejected, the CITY may request that the respondent furnish the services or goods described herein, or negotiate an acceptable alternative.

4.10. MODIFICATION OR WITHDRAWAL OF A RESPONSE

Modifications to or withdrawal of a respondent’s submittal can be made until the Response Submission Deadline (See Section 1.4 – Deadline). Modifications or withdrawals must be documented in the City eProcurement Portal https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityofgainesville prior to the Response Submission Deadline (See Section 1.4 – Deadline) in order to be recognized by the CITY. Any bid not withdrawn will constitute an irrevocable offer, for a period of one hundred twenty (120) days, to provide the CITY adequate time to award the Contract for the services specified in this solicitation.

4.11. COLLUSION

Only one (1) response from any individual, firm, corporation, organization or agency under the same or different name will be considered as a response to this Solicitation. Multiple responses from any individual, firm, corporation, organization or agency under the same or different name may result in rejection of all responses from the Respondent.

A. Respondent, by signing the Respondent’s Verification Form, declares that the Response is made without any previous understanding, agreement, or connections with any persons, firms, or corporations responding on the same items and that it is in all respects fair and in good faith without any outside control, collusion or fraud. A non-exclusive manufacturer/distributor relationship does not, in and of itself, constitute a prior understanding, agreement, connection or collusion between Responders.

B. By responding to the Solicitation, the Respondent acknowledges that it has not offered or given any gift or compensation to any CITY officer or employee to secure favorable treatment with respect to being awarded this Contract.

4.12. TRADE SECRETS OR CONFIDENTIAL AND EXEMPT INFORMATION

Florida’s Public Records Law, Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, includes numerous exemptions to the general requirement to disclose information to the public in response to a public record’s request. Exemptions are found in various provisions of the Florida Statutes, including but not limited to Section 119.071, Florida Statutes (General exemptions from inspection or copying of public records), and Section 119.0713, Florida Statutes (Local government agency exemptions from inspection or copying of public records). Section 815.045, Florida Statutes (Trade secret information), provides that trade secret information as defined in Section 812.081, Florida Statutes (Trade secrets; theft, embezzlement; unlawful copying; definitions; penalty) is confidential and exempt from disclosure because it is a felony to disclose such records. The Parties understand and agree that Florida’s Public Records Law is very broad and that documents claimed by a Party to be confidential and exempt from public https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/GRU disclosure pursuant to the Public Records Law may in fact not be deemed such by a court of law. Accordingly, the following provisions shall apply:

A. Identifying Trade Secret or Otherwise Confidential and Exempt Information.

For any records or portions thereof that respondent claims to be Trade Secret or otherwise confidential and exempt from public disclosure under the Public Records Law, respondent shall:

1. Upload a pdf version reply of the complete UNREDACTED proposal. Include “UNREDACTED, CONFIDENTIAL” in document title. This is the version that will be used by the evaluators when they are reviewing your proposal. It is essential that the items that will be redacted are highlighted in yellow to prevent the evaluation team from discussing these items after the award. The first page of the document for the unredacted document should provide a general description of the information respondent has designated as confidential and/or exempt, and provide a reference to the appropriate Florida or Federal statute supporting the confidential and/or exempt classification.

2. The City’s evaluators will be provided with the complete unredacted proposal, including any trade secret or otherwise confidential and exempt information. The City evaluators will maintain the confidentiality of the information through the evaluation process, including any recorded evaluation team meetings.

3. Upload a pdf version reply of the REDACTED copy of the proposal. Include “REDACTED” in the document title. This copy will be used to support any public records requests that may arise from this solicitation.

4. Provide an affidavit or similar type of evidence that describes and supports the basis for

Respondent’s claim that the information is confidential and exempt from public disclosure, referencing all applicable Florida Statutes

B. Request for Trade Secret or Otherwise Confidential and Exempt Information.

1. In the event a public record request is made to view the information which respondent claims is confidential and/or exempt, the City will notify the respondent and give the respondent a reasonable opportunity (generally 2 business days) to institute appropriate legal action to prevent the disclosure of the information claimed as confidential and/or exempt.

2. In the event that the City in its sole discretion finds no basis for respondent’s claim that certain information is Trade Secret or otherwise confidential and exempt under Florida’s Public Records Law, then City shall notify respondent in writing of such conclusion and provide respondent a reasonable amount of time to file for declaratory action requesting a court of law to deem the requested information as Trade Secret or otherwise as confidential and exempt under Florida’s Public Records

Law. If respondent fails to file for declaratory action within the reasonable amount of time provided, then City will disclose the information requested.

3. If a public records lawsuit is filed against CITY requesting public disclosure of the information labeled by respondent as Trade Secret or otherwise as confidential and exempt, CITY shall notify respondent and respondent shall intervene in the lawsuit to defend the nondisclosure of such information under

Florida’s Public Records Law.

4. Respondent hereby indemnifies and holds CITY, its officers and employees harmless from any and all liabilities, damages, losses, and costs of any kind and nature, including but not limited to attorney’s fees, that arise from or are in any way connected with respondent’s claim that any information it provided to CITY is Trade Secret or otherwise confidential and exempt from public disclosure under

Florida’s Public Records Law.

C. How to Designate Trade Secret or Otherwise Confidential and Exempt Information

If a respondent believes that its reply contains Trade Secret or otherwise confidential and exempt information (as defined by Florida or Federal law) and should be withheld from disclosure to the public, in such cases the respondent must provide a redacted copy of the proposal for public access.

D. How the City will Handle Material Identified as Trade Secret or Otherwise Confidential and Exempt Information

All public records submitted to the City, including those claimed as confidential and/or exempt, will be retained by the City and will not be returned to a respondent at the conclusion of the bidding process.

4.13. PROTEST OF SOLICITATION SPECIFICATIONS AND/OR AWARD

Participants may protest the Specifications of the solicitation in accordance with Section C.5.i. of the Pro-01 Procurement Administrative Guidelines

Participants may protest the Solicitation Award in accordance with Section C.5.i. of the Pro-01 Procurement Administrative Guidelines

4.14. SOLICITATION POSTPONEMENT/CANCELLATION/WAIVER OF

IRREGULARITIES

The City may, at its sole and absolute discretion, reject any and all, or parts of any and all, proposals; re-advertise this solicitation; postpone or cancel, at any time, this solicitation process; or waive any irregularities in this solicitation or in the proposals received as a result of this solicitation.

https://www.gainesvillefl.gov/Government-Pages/Government/Departments/Financial-Services/Do-Business-with-the-City https://www.gainesvillefl.gov/Government-Pages/Government/Departments/Financial-Services/Do-Business-with-the-City https://www.gainesvillefl.gov/Government-Pages/Government/Departments/Financial-Services/Do-Business-with-the-City https://www.gainesvillefl.gov/Government-Pages/Government/Departments/Financial-Services/Do-Business-with-the-City

5. REQUIRED SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - FTA

1. RESPONDENT VERIFICATION*

DOWNLOAD THE BELOW DOCUMENT, COMPLETE AND UPLOAD HERE.

I hereby propose to provide the goods/services requested in this Solicitation. I agree to hold pricing for at least 120 calendar days from the Solicitation due date. I agree that CITY’s terms and conditions herein take precedence over any conflicting terms and conditions submitted for CITY’s consideration, and agree to abide by all conditions of this Solicitation.

I certify that all information contained in this Response is truthful to the best of my knowledge and belief. I further certify that I am duly authorized to execute and submit this Response on behalf of the organization as its agent and that the organization is ready, willing and able to perform if awarded.

• RESPONDENT_VERIFICATION.pdf

*Response required

2. BID RESPONSE*

UPLOAD YOUR RESPONSE, INCLUDING THE BID PRICING FORM AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION, HERE.

*Response required

3. DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE CERTIFICATION FORM*

DOWNLOAD THE BELOW DOCUMENT, COMPLETE AND UPLOAD HERE.

Whenever two or more bids which are equal with respect to price, quality and service are received, preference shall be given in the following order: (1) Bidders submitting the attached Drug-Free Workplace form with their bid/proposal certifying they have a drug free workplace in accordance with Section 287.087, Florida Statutes;

and (2) coin toss.

• Drug_Free_Workplace.pdf

*Response required

4. CONSOLIDATED STATE LAW AFFIDAVIT*

DOWNLOAD THE BELOW DOCUMENT, COMPLETE, NOTARIZE AND UPLOAD HERE.

• Consolidated_State_Law_Affi...

*Response required

5. REFERENCES*

DOWNLOAD THE BELOW DOCUMENT, COMPLETE AND UPLOAD HERE.

• Respondent_References.pdf

*Response required https://procure-now.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/shared-sections/production/3108/33200953-3330-4776-8777-07383674d609_RESPONDENT_VERIFICATION.pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=ASIA47RIURE4N2PEGQT5%2F20260113%2Fus-west-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260113T131554Z&X-Amz-Expires=72000&X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEDwaCXVzLXdlc3QtMiJHMEUCIQCC1j3FjOCwyRgekDJhT9PKtALXe1CxKdGj%2FXmDIJpgAQIgV5RK5OeZ3uTQ48pGrfhe9uzJSKNANr4XKNv%2FkF0HYlYqhQUIBRACGgw4OTIzNjQ2ODc2NzIiDOXOmGxf2XW3suZPNSriBEOYWdy3DPiSTd3G4uw1sBAeJkRypf5rHOoeidJ9Co6ex3uYhEKGhEVORflcJkzOyRZ7croQ%2FFE4pVeXJXrSnHpNGjedPJ0rFV%2Bzs8CkFrxE2O3kcwk9DVOV9cOLqSx912aiO7%2BeG%2FyRwd%2FGJQK7%2B1irMfISijAtgxN%2FGOc82YQfoHNxowEuh%2BI702sZyNQtPJfr4rE8kgxvxbWva%2BJi%2B4vq18vCiGyHRtwo62FPr1vrzzuxQRNgTwu8i4CgC%2FuhoUGuTl%2FaIg6JB3BOJxTUU6BNOLIknoU32Hgqi%2BC%2Bky7q7mzaqzlMFQxRCXd%2FuNoGrrkR6iIk%2Bd3Kyjwsxac%2FHZ9oQ7y%2FiBOf3wjxCyntEPyIiRIukisPmLVzRNEBZJP97yQPhgEIrd8gRCGD581z1BKp04N6jRIepH5N2vM1PxgOuQrUgPA6yKGOv8vmRvd4Wa7TeOMhQeMwPbGNTU9D8K234hLE3oX5F8eIEP0d9jVJEVmVsQfhqjIrsndAXzL8CpnvXF9ymxL%2F%2FZqLEBAoOa8ZLG%2F1NuTB7AhihDwrXgKDoAvj9IwVFo0bM3gsQyB01QC6oRW83jhwgk4paj0vd9ga6FxsTUxCApmIOwxI4jtAMIndO7siUZ%2B%2BSvTiJRx9tZob8EFG%2F8jM4wlOv7eWmgagBJSd1rd1Y4IUG6Z5n79kKwSe3McoRg%2BwnilIZCezwAet2K2z2gjfAWxrZJKfI7Cc7h%2FnvrMwLFmUc7H%2FCnk%2BZWE2uMJbRbldMyhuFz%2B%2Fps1B%2FyBJWpADI78GFt9l0UNRKN68QtMqr%2BppiXAd1qn0ftcw7emYywY6mQHKt1be3yNtQ7r57xev%2FZ46oYfRrGvjh8jl3Mn3IG2Hh1JSsIfJPxctewDwGhx20WGgbuWL2B5sY7vaPJ5Wa6mMbF2zjfT2pkjpfP8xGaYgVNAFeJNKRGkyJscNhGzz668ahwVb1toVXBYWYueny9s3sccyZp%2BVjcGuiNW42u3g%2F5wfPz4n6bAixwNcjPZ3EFyqNPDrKE2XT7Q%3D&X-Amz-Signature=4a51c7538ea0fffae37982553098b0ceb1ad08174618d2cab085490faf4a55ce&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&response-content-disposition=attachment%3B%20filename%3D%22RESPONDENT_VERIFICATION.pdf%22&x-id=GetObject https://procure-now.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/shared-sections/production/3108/6757491c-7964-4fbf-a883-858e4baa17f4_Drug_Free_Workplace.pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=ASIA47RIURE4N2PEGQT5%2F20260113%2Fus-west-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260113T131554Z&X-Amz-Expires=72000&X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEDwaCXVzLXdlc3QtMiJHMEUCIQCC1j3FjOCwyRgekDJhT9PKtALXe1CxKdGj%2FXmDIJpgAQIgV5RK5OeZ3uTQ48pGrfhe9uzJSKNANr4XKNv%2FkF0HYlYqhQUIBRACGgw4OTIzNjQ2ODc2NzIiDOXOmGxf2XW3suZPNSriBEOYWdy3DPiSTd3G4uw1sBAeJkRypf5rHOoeidJ9Co6ex3uYhEKGhEVORflcJkzOyRZ7croQ%2FFE4pVeXJXrSnHpNGjedPJ0rFV%2Bzs8CkFrxE2O3kcwk9DVOV9cOLqSx912aiO7%2BeG%2FyRwd%2FGJQK7%2B1irMfISijAtgxN%2FGOc82YQfoHNxowEuh%2BI702sZyNQtPJfr4rE8kgxvxbWva%2BJi%2B4vq18vCiGyHRtwo62FPr1vrzzuxQRNgTwu8i4CgC%2FuhoUGuTl%2FaIg6JB3BOJxTUU6BNOLIknoU32Hgqi%2BC%2Bky7q7mzaqzlMFQxRCXd%2FuNoGrrkR6iIk%2Bd3Kyjwsxac%2FHZ9oQ7y%2FiBOf3wjxCyntEPyIiRIukisPmLVzRNEBZJP97yQPhgEIrd8gRCGD581z1BKp04N6jRIepH5N2vM1PxgOuQrUgPA6yKGOv8vmRvd4Wa7TeOMhQeMwPbGNTU9D8K234hLE3oX5F8eIEP0d9jVJEVmVsQfhqjIrsndAXzL8CpnvXF9ymxL%2F%2FZqLEBAoOa8ZLG%2F1NuTB7AhihDwrXgKDoAvj9IwVFo0bM3gsQyB01QC6oRW83jhwgk4paj0vd9ga6FxsTUxCApmIOwxI4jtAMIndO7siUZ%2B%2BSvTiJRx9tZob8EFG%2F8jM4wlOv7eWmgagBJSd1rd1Y4IUG6Z5n79kKwSe3McoRg%2BwnilIZCezwAet2K2z2gjfAWxrZJKfI7Cc7h%2FnvrMwLFmUc7H%2FCnk%2BZWE2uMJbRbldMyhuFz%2B%2Fps1B%2FyBJWpADI78GFt9l0UNRKN68QtMqr%2BppiXAd1qn0ftcw7emYywY6mQHKt1be3yNtQ7r57xev%2FZ46oYfRrGvjh8jl3Mn3IG2Hh1JSsIfJPxctewDwGhx20WGgbuWL2B5sY7vaPJ5Wa6mMbF2zjfT2pkjpfP8xGaYgVNAFeJNKRGkyJscNhGzz668ahwVb1toVXBYWYueny9s3sccyZp%2BVjcGuiNW42u3g%2F5wfPz4n6bAixwNcjPZ3EFyqNPDrKE2XT7Q%3D&X-Amz-Signature=bfa26f9e708ca86d19ad7fefaf7781a84770ae12b9d7b022b0b3d01a20d0ae73&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&response-content-disposition=attachment%3B%20filename%3D%22Drug_Free_Workplace.pdf%22&x-id=GetObject https://government-project.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/210509/f74d40e0-6979-4293-a311-33029e5e15c7_Consolidated_State_Law_Affidavit_10-22-25.docx https://procure-now.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/shared-sections/production/3108/61aa0683-9800-48b7-ac0a-d2821bdc6c43_Respondent_References.pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=ASIA47RIURE4N2PEGQT5%2F20260113%2Fus-west-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260113T131554Z&X-Amz-Expires=72000&X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEDwaCXVzLXdlc3QtMiJHMEUCIQCC1j3FjOCwyRgekDJhT9PKtALXe1CxKdGj%2FXmDIJpgAQIgV5RK5OeZ3uTQ48pGrfhe9uzJSKNANr4XKNv%2FkF0HYlYqhQUIBRACGgw4OTIzNjQ2ODc2NzIiDOXOmGxf2XW3suZPNSriBEOYWdy3DPiSTd3G4uw1sBAeJkRypf5rHOoeidJ9Co6ex3uYhEKGhEVORflcJkzOyRZ7croQ%2FFE4pVeXJXrSnHpNGjedPJ0rFV%2Bzs8CkFrxE2O3kcwk9DVOV9cOLqSx912aiO7%2BeG%2FyRwd%2FGJQK7%2B1irMfISijAtgxN%2FGOc82YQfoHNxowEuh%2BI702sZyNQtPJfr4rE8kgxvxbWva%2BJi%2B4vq18vCiGyHRtwo62FPr1vrzzuxQRNgTwu8i4CgC%2FuhoUGuTl%2FaIg6JB3BOJxTUU6BNOLIknoU32Hgqi%2BC%2Bky7q7mzaqzlMFQxRCXd%2FuNoGrrkR6iIk%2Bd3Kyjwsxac%2FHZ9oQ7y%2FiBOf3wjxCyntEPyIiRIukisPmLVzRNEBZJP97yQPhgEIrd8gRCGD581z1BKp04N6jRIepH5N2vM1PxgOuQrUgPA6yKGOv8vmRvd4Wa7TeOMhQeMwPbGNTU9D8K234hLE3oX5F8eIEP0d9jVJEVmVsQfhqjIrsndAXzL8CpnvXF9ymxL%2F%2FZqLEBAoOa8ZLG%2F1NuTB7AhihDwrXgKDoAvj9IwVFo0bM3gsQyB01QC6oRW83jhwgk4paj0vd9ga6FxsTUxCApmIOwxI4jtAMIndO7siUZ%2B%2BSvTiJRx9tZob8EFG%2F8jM4wlOv7eWmgagBJSd1rd1Y4IUG6Z5n79kKwSe3McoRg%2BwnilIZCezwAet2K2z2gjfAWxrZJKfI7Cc7h%2FnvrMwLFmUc7H%2FCnk%2BZWE2uMJbRbldMyhuFz%2B%2Fps1B%2FyBJWpADI78GFt9l0UNRKN68QtMqr%2BppiXAd1qn0ftcw7emYywY6mQHKt1be3yNtQ7r57xev%2FZ46oYfRrGvjh8jl3Mn3IG2Hh1JSsIfJPxctewDwGhx20WGgbuWL2B5sY7vaPJ5Wa6mMbF2zjfT2pkjpfP8xGaYgVNAFeJNKRGkyJscNhGzz668ahwVb1toVXBYWYueny9s3sccyZp%2BVjcGuiNW42u3g%2F5wfPz4n6bAixwNcjPZ3EFyqNPDrKE2XT7Q%3D&X-Amz-Signature=614bbec36ba181080a9015b4e475ed575c5a9a2a6195f2eafd078ac4f1cc548f&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&response-content-disposition=attachment%3B%20filename%3D%22Respondent_References.pdf%22&x-id=GetObject

6. IS PROPOSER CLAIMING A PUBLIC RECORD EXEMPTION FOR TRADE

SECRETS OR CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION IN SUBMITTAL?*

☐ Yes - Include cover letter citing specific Florida Statute exemption(s) and upload both a redacted AND unredacted version (identified in title) of your submittal under 2 above.

☐ No - No further action is needed.

*Response required

7. BUY AMERICA - STEEL OR MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS*

DOWNLOAD THE BELOW DOCUMENT, COMPLETE AND UPLOAD HERE.

Buy America is applicable if the purchase will exceed $150,000. Bidder must be able to sign the compliance statement to be considered for award. If compliance statement is not signed or both statements are signed, then bidder will be automatically disqualified.

• Buy_America_-_Steel_or_Manu...

*Response required

8. CERTIFICATION REGARDING DEBARMENT*

DOWNLOAD THE BELOW DOCUMENT, COMPLETE AND UPLOAD HERE.

• Certification_Regarding_Deb...

*Response required

9. CERTIFICATION AND RESTRICTIONS ON LOBBYING*

DOWNLOAD THE BELOW DOCUMENT, COMPLETE AND UPLOAD HERE.

• Certification_and_Restricti...

*Response required

10. DISCLOSURE OF LOBBYING ACTIVITIES*

DOWNLOAD THE BELOW DOCUMENT, COMPLETE AND UPLOAD HERE.

An instruction page is included with this form. If this form is not applicable to your entity, then mark "N/A", sign, and upload with your submittal.

• Disclosure_of_Lobbying_Acti...

*Response required

11. CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBLITY CERTIFICATION*

DOWNLOAD THE BELOW DOCUMENT, COMPLETE AND UPLOAD HERE.

• Contractor_Responsibility_C...

*Response required…