city of harvard residential refuse recycling yard waste.pdf

CITY OF HARVARD

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

RESIDENTIAL REFUSE, RECYLING, AND YARD

WASTE COLLECTION

Proposal Number 2026-102

ADVERTISEMENT DATE 8/14/2026

PROPOSAL DUE DATE 9/18/2026

ANTICIPATED AWARD DATE 10/27/2026

ANTICIPATED START DATE January 1, 2027

Please submit all questions regarding this proposal to Debi Bejot at bejot@cityofharvard.org

The City of Harvard reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive any and all technicalities, or to accept the proposal deemed most advantageous to the city operations.

BID NOTICE 2026-102

THE CITY OF HARVARD WILL BE ACCEPTING PROPOSALS UNTIL

September 18, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.

Sealed proposals must be addressed to:

Deputy Clerk Jannette Nunez City of Harvard PO Box 310 201 W. Diggins St.

Harvard, IL 60033

Each proposal shall be accompanied by proposal security, which shall be in the form of a certified check or bank cashier’s check in the amount of five thousand dollars ($5,000.00), made payable to the City of Harvard. Proposals submitted without the required security shall be rejected. In the event the proposal is withdrawn after the deadline, or there is neglect or refusal to enter in a contract after the award, the proposal security shall be forfeited, and the Contractor shall be liable for any damages the City may thereby suffer. Unawarded proposals shall receive a refunded security deposit.

A written request for the withdrawal of a proposal may be granted if the request is received by the City Administrator prior to the submittal deadline. After the deadline, the Contractor cannot withdraw or cancel the proposal.

Sealed envelopes should be clearly labeled “Residential Refuse, Recycling, and Yard Waste Collection.”

It is anticipated that the awarded proposal will be sent to the Harvard City Council on October 27, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. for final approval.

Advertisement Date: August 14, 2026 Proposal Due Date: September 18, 2026 Anticipated Award Date: October 27, 2026 Contract Start Date: January 1, 2027

PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

I. Proposal Content A. Cover Letter/Statement of Proposal introducing the firm, qualifications, and the proposal overview.

B. Company overview, history of the company, and key personnel. Key personnel resumes should be included.

D. Experience and three references with contact information.

E. Price quotations as requested.

F. Signed submittal agreement for professional services.

II. Submittal Guidelines A. The proposer declares careful examination of the Proposal Package in its entirety has been made, with familiarity and understanding of all project conditions and requirements of the work to be performed.

B. The proposer further understands and agrees that if accepted, all necessary materials, tools, apparatus, and other means to perform the work shall be provided so as to perform the work in accordance with the requirements set forth herein.

C. No proposal shall be considered unless the party offering the proposal furnishes evidence satisfactory to the City that necessary facilities, ability, and resources are available to fulfill the conditions of the contract.

III. Conditions A. The City is exempt from all State and Federal tax.

B. All proposals are good for Ninety (90) days from the date of the proposal’s due date.

C. Proposers shall be required to comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including those relating to the employment of labor without discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, handicap, sex, national origin, or religion. Prevailing wage laws apply.

IV. Evaluation A. The City will evaluate all submittals that are deemed responsive based on services proposed and cost.

B. Proposals will be reviewed by a team of officials including:

1. Mayor

2. City Council

3. City Administrator

V. Award A. The City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive any and all technicalities, or to accept the proposal deemed most advantageous to the city operations.

B. The City may consider the following:

1. The experience and past performance of the proposer, its agents, employees, and subcontractors in completing projects of similar type, size, and complexity.

2. The proposer’s understanding of the requested services.

4. The quality of the proposal response.

5. Proposed costs. The City may not necessarily select the lowest proposal.

VI. Rejection A. The City reserves the right to cancel requests for proposals or modify deadlines for submission and proposal requirements without penalty if in the best interest of the City. Notice of cancellation or modifications shall be sent to all individuals or entities solicited.

B. The City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive any minor informality or irregularity in any proposal, to negotiate changes and/or modifications with the lowest responsible bidder, and to make an award to the response deemed to be the most advantageous to the City.

C. Any proposal not conforming to the specifications or requirements set forth by the City, or proposals from any bidder deemed unresponsible due to the lack of qualifications, capacity, skill, experience, reliability, of financial stability may also be rejected.

ABOUT THE CITY

The City of Harvard is a diverse and growing community located in McHenry County, Illinois, approximately seven miles south of the Illinois/Wisconsin border, 63 miles from the Chicago Loop, and 20 miles northeast of Rockford, Illinois. The transportation network supporting the City provides residents easy access to Chicago and Wisconsin by way of U.S.

Route 14, U.S. Route 20, and Interstate 90, with other arteries for interstate and intrastate travel provided by Illinois Route 23, Route 47, and Route 173. With boarding facilities located in the City, the Chicago and Northwestern railroad provides commuter train service to and from Chicago for area residents and visitors alike. Major air transportation services are provided by Chicago O’Hare International Airport, the Chicago Rockford International Airport in Rockford Illinois, and Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population of the City was 9,469, and the corporate city limits currently cover approximately eight square miles.

The City operates under the Mayor/Council form of government. The City Council is comprised of the Mayor and eight Council Members, two from each of the City’s four wards.

As the elective legislative body, the City Council is responsible for enacting the codes and ordinances of the municipality, representing the community, and planning a long-range vision for the future of Harvard. The Mayor and City Council appoint a City Administrator to carry out policies and directives, combing political leadership with professional administration. The City operates six departments including Administration, Community and Economic Development, Police, Public Works, Public Utilities, and Parks. Each department is led by Department Directors who report to the City Administrator.

https://www.cityofharvard.org/directory

INTRODUCTION

The City of Harvard, herein after referred to as the City, desires Request for Proposals (RFP) for the establishment of a Residential Refuse, Recycling and Yard Waste Collection and Disposal Service. Any firm, hereinafter referred to as “Contractor”, desiring to furnish a quotation for such services shall submit a sealed proposal in accordance with the specifications as outlined herein.

It is the express intent of the City to award an exclusive contract for a five (5) year period commencing January 1, 2027, and ending on midnight December 31, 2031, for curbside collection of refuse, yard waste, and recyclable materials. The contract shall include detached single-family dwelling units and multi-family dwelling units containing no more than six (6) units, which currently receive curbside refuse collection (approximately 2,600 households). The contract shall not include multifamily properties serviced by curbside service, centralized dumpsters, or commercial, and industrial properties.

The specifications included in this package describe the services which the City feels are necessary to meet the performance requirements of the City and shall be considered the minimum standards expected of the Contractor. Specifications are not intended to exclude potential Contractors, and alternatives to these specifications may be indicated if the proposed alternatives are equal to or greater than what is required by these specifications.

All alternatives shall be separately listed, and a justification for each shall be stated. If the Contractor is unable to meet any of the specifications as outlined herein, all requested deviations from the specifications, with justifications attached for each deviation, shall be separately listed.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

The Contractor shall be responsible for performing all work as outlined in the specifications herein and shall provide and furnish all labor, materials, equipment, supplies, vehicles, transportation services, and landfill and compost facility space required to perform and complete the collection and disposal of refuse, recyclables, and yard waste including leaves.

Obligations: The Contractor shall furnish all labor, material, and equipment necessary for the curb side collection and disposal of residential collectible items, general and recyclable, once per week. These collections are listed as follows:

All kitchen waste, including household food, accumulation of animal food, and vegetable matter attendant on the preparation, use and serving of foods, as well as non-glass bottles and cans not made of aluminum, steel, or tin.

General household trash and refuse, including ashes, crates, wrapping materials, cloth material, discarded toys, discarded clothing, and similar materials.

Small amounts of building materials which fit into the supplied garbage container, excluding hazardous, toxic, or inflammatory materials, or materials of explosive nature, earth, sod, rocks, concrete, or electronic waste (“E-Waste”) as defined by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) or any material which is currently or may in the future be prohibited by the IEPA from being place into an IEPA approved landfill. (Contractor shall have the right to refuse to collect any bag which Contractor has reason to believe contains excluded materials.)

Collection: The method of collection shall be a tote-based system involving the exclusive use of Contractor supplied totes as described in this RFP. The Contractor shall make necessary arrangements with processors required to perform and complete the collection and marketing of recyclables in strict accordance with the RFP document. The collection of refuse, recyclables, yard waste, and leaf vacuuming shall be a joint program awarded to one firm and cannot be quoted or operated as separate programs.

Collection Items:

Recyclable Material (at a minimum):

Non-Paper Items:

Cloudy white HDPE (#2) plastic milk and water jugs Colored HDPE (#2) plastic blow-molded containers PETE (#1) plastic blow-molded containers LDPE and HDPE soft plastic 6 & 12 pack rings Brown, green, and clear glass containers Aluminum-formed containers and wrap Steel/bi-metal cans Aerosol cans Aseptic packing and gable-top containers

Paper Items:

Corrugated cardboard Chipboard (paperboard) Newspapers (ONP) Magazines and catalogs (glossy & non-glossy) Telephone directories Brown kraft paper bags Frozen food packages Mixed paper Wet strength carrier stock

The aforementioned materials shall be referred to as the basic recycling package. The Contractor may accept additional recyclable materials as part of their proposed minimum recycling package at no additional cost to the residents.

Yard Waste: The Contractor shall provide yard waste collection once each week for at least eight (8) months during the calendar year (April-November). The yard waste collection service shall be offered each year from April 1 through November 30 during the term of the contract. In order for yard waste to be collected, it shall be placed curbside in maximum 33-gallon biodegradable kraft paper bags.

Leaf Vacuuming: The Contractor shall cause leaf piles in the City’s parkways to be removed by vacuum. Leaf removal shall be conducted seasonally during the Fall and Spring of each year of the term of this agreement. Leaf vacuuming shall occur between September and December, and March or April, or during periods that are mutually agreeable to both the Contractor and the City. The Spring leaf vacuum shall be for one week only during the noted times.

Bulk Items: Collection of one (1) “Bulk Items” per residence per week shall be allowed.

Bulk items are discarded items that are too large to fit into a tote. Examples of Bulk Items include beds, sofas, tables, chairs, dressers, and other household furniture and small household appliances. Bulk Items shall not include any item that contains or has contained PCB, mercury, CPC, HCFC, refrigerant gas, any item containing a hazardous material, or items classified as Electronic Waste (“E-Waste”) per the IEPA. White Goods such as clothes washers, clothes dryers, and other large appliances shall not be considered Bulk Items, and each Resident shall contract with the Contractor separately for the proper definition, removal, and disposal of White Goods. All collections of E-Waste or White Goods shall be at the additional expense of the resident or property owner.

Other Items: The Contractor shall perform a special collection of Christmas Trees for all customers in the month of January.

City Services: The Contractor shall provide the following services to the City at no additional cost:

Provide container and disposal services for all municipal buildings and parks.

Provide collection for up to four (4) other special events as requested by the City.

Monitor and remove any waste from downtown city owned garbage cans.

Monitor and remove any overflow waste from downtown alleyways.

Scheduled Collection Days/Time: The collection and disposal of garbage, refuse, recycling, yard waste, and leaf vacuuming shall be made on such days of the week, and for such an area or district within the City as may, from time to time, be agreed upon by the City and the Contractor. Pick-ups shall be made for each area, district or neighborhood, not less than once per week. In the event that the day for any pick-up shall fall on a legal holiday, on which the employees of said Contractor do not work, all pick-ups for that week for the day of said holiday or succeeding days of such week, shall not be delayed for more than one day.

The recyclable material shall be picked up on the same day as the garbage-refuse. The Contractor shall not begin any residential refuse collection, recycling, yard waste, or tree leaf vacuuming before six o’clock a.m.

Vehicles & Equipment: The Contractor shall exclusively use enclosed, waterproof, packer type disposal truck bodies for all garbage/refuse collection. The Contractor may, however, when practical or necessary, use a pick-up truck to transfer garbage/refuse for a short distance from said pick-up truck to the required vehicle. The Contractor, in any event, shall not allow litter to scatter or to be spread as a result of the Contractor’s services provided within the City. With regard to leaf removal, Contractor shall provide a leaf vacuum truck with sufficient power and capacity to remove leaf piles in the City’s parkways by users in an expeditious manner. All equipment used by the Contractor shall be painted with no rust showing on the cab, chassis, or body.

Vehicle equipment shall be fully equipped with original equipment to meet federal, state, and local laws. No advertising sign shall be displayed on the back or body of the truck, except the name, address, and telephone number of the Contractor. The Contractor, upon request of the City, shall provide the City with a list of all equipment to be used. Trucks shall be identified by the number painted on the truck, by the make, by the year of the cab, chassis and body, and by the make of the body.

Disposal Totes (Carts): The contractor shall provide carts at no additional cost. Each cart shall include a hinged lid and wheels. All carts will remain the property of the Contractor.

The Contractor shall repair or replace any carts rendered non-functional or inoperable due to normal wear and tear. If any cart is damaged due to neglect, misuse, or abuse, the contractor shall, at its discretion, replace or repair the cart and shall invoice the billing address or property owner for the replacement or repair. The determination of whether any cart has been damaged by neglect, misuse, or abuse shall be in the sole discretion of the Contractor. If payment for the repair or replacement of the cart is not received within thirty

(30) days of billing, the Contractor may suspend service to the billing address until payment is received. If the Contractor suspends service to the billing address, the contractor shall so notify the City. The City shall then assist the Contractor with the collection of the amount due so the Contractor may resume service to the billing address.

Disposal Site Methods: All garbage, ashes, rubbish or waste, and refuse collected by the Contractor shall be disposed of by the Contractor at a site provided by the Contractor outside the City limits. Disposal methods and sites shall be licensed and approved by the IEPA.

Documentation of said license and approval by the IEPA shall be required upon request from the City. The Contractor shall be solely responsible for the sanitary disposal of materials collected by the Contractor.

Other Requirements:

Special Needs Services For circumstances where a serviced customer has special needs (i.e., disabled, elderly, long driveways, etc.) and requests for special services are made of the Contractor, the Contractor shall make reasonable arrangements for servicing the customers with special needs. The Contractor shall advise the resident directly of the terms of such collections including the special needs services that will be provided, how the materials should be prepared, and the policy on furnishing advance estimates of charges. Such services shall be by advanced arrangements with the Contractor at the customer’s request. Any applicable, additional charges for service will be charged to the customer. The serviced customer shall make payment for any special collection director to the Contractor, and collection of such fees shall be the sole responsibility of the Contractor.

Future Development/Annexations: The Contractor shall service any land annexed to the City’s Corporate City Limits during term of the contract, as well as any residential dwellings constructed during said term. Service to land annexed to the City and future residential development shall be provided on the same terms as set forth herein. Any changes to the corporate boundaries or service area resulting from annexations, zoning actions, site plan approvals, construction, etc., shall be communicated to the Contractor by the City.

Contact Information Required: The Contractor shall provide the City a main point of contact upon the execution of the contract, including direct telephone number and email. The Contractor shall maintain a published telephone number and be available for the receipt of service calls from customers on all business days for a minimum of eight (8) hours per day.

Complaints and Missed Collections:

All complaints shall be given prompt and courteous attention. In the event that a collection has not been made as scheduled, said pick-up shall be made within twenty-four (24) hours after receipt of the complaint.

Payment Methods:

The Contractor shall make available for the convenience of the customers electronic payment options to include direct debit, phone payments, credit card payments, and internet account management. All payment methods must be secured.

INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall carry a insurance policies in the Contractor’s name issued by a company authorized under the laws of the State of Illinois, to write insurance contracts to protect itself against liability. Insurance requirements are as follows:

Comprehensive General Liability with a combined policy limit of not less than $2,000,000.00 per person and per occurrence.

Comprehensive Automobile Liability policy covering operations, with combined limits of not less than $2,000,000.00 per person per occurrence.

Umbrella Excess Liability Insurance with a limit of not less than $5,000,000.00 for bodily injury, property damage, and personal injury per occurrence.

Workers’ Compensation Insurance to cover the contractor’s employees as required by the Workers Compensation and Occupational Disease Acts of the State of Illinois, in such amounts as to meet the statutory maximum exposure of the Contractor.

These policies shall name the City as an additional insured and protect the Contractor and the City from any liability, loss, damage, or claims of such liability, loss, or damage resulting, or claimed to have resulted from the operations of the Contractor pursuant to this Agreement.

Certificates of Insurance shall be furnished to the City by the Contractor upon the execution of this Agreement. In addition, the Contractor shall indemnify and hold harmless the City from any loss or damage to the City arising out of the Contractor’s acts, or as a result of the Contractor’s performance of its obligations hereunder, which indemnification shall include the City’s reasonable attorney’s fees and costs incurred in defense of any lawsuit.

TOTE FEES AND INVOICING

Each active customer account in the City shall utilize one of the following sizes of plastic molded wheeled and covered refuse container (cart):

95-gallon garbage tote 65-gallon garbage tote

The Contractor shall invoice each billing address, or property owner in the case of multi-family residential buildings, directly for all service charges and other charges. Service charges shall be billed in advance on a quarterly basis. In addition, fees incurred for the collection of White Goods, E-Waste, collected construction debris, and any volume of residential refuse collected from any one billing address that exceeds the volume limits of the selected tote plan shall be billed separately to the billing address or residential property owner with payment due withing fifteen (15) days. The City shall cooperate with the Contractor to provide account information and billing addresses for each residential property meeting the requirements of a property to be served by the Contract.

ADDITIONAL BID ITEMS

Provide a program to include the collection of E-Waste per the IEPA as part of the tote pricing.

Provide a program for the collection of White Goods as part of the tote pricing.

EXHIBIT A

General Collection Program Quotation (Refuse, Recycling, and Seasonal Leaf/Yard Waste)

Monthly Flat Fee 65 Gallon Totes

Monthly Flat Fee 95 Gallon Totes

January 1, 2027 – December 31, 2027

January 1, 2028 – December 31, 2028

January 1, 2029 – December 31, 2029

January 1, 2030 – December 31, 2030

January 1, 2031 – December 31, 2031

General Collection Program Quotation Include E-Recycle and White Goods

Monthly Flat Fee 65 Gallon Totes

Monthly Flat Fee 95 Gallon Totes

January 1, 2027 – December 31, 2027

January 1, 2028 – December 31, 2028

January 1, 2029 – December 31, 2029

January 1, 2030 – December 31, 2030

January 1, 2031 – December 31, 2031

Other Special Service Offers

(Describe) (Describe) January 1, 2027 – December 31, 2027

January 1, 2028 – December 31, 2028

January 1, 2029 – December 31, 2029

January 1, 2030 – December 31, 2030

January 1, 2031 – December 31, 2031