county of peoria snow removal services 05-04-26.pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Issued By

COUNTY OF PEORIA

PURCHASING DIVISION

PEORIA COUNTY COURTHOUSE

324 MAIN ST * ROOM 501

PEORIA, ILLINOIS 61602

PHONE (309) 672-6931

Sealed bids will be received at the Purchasing Office, Peoria County Courthouse, Peoria, Illinois until

June 30, 2026 at 2:00 PM for the goods or services described herein.

SNOW REMOVAL SERVICES

RFP #05-04-26

Company Name ______________________________

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LEGAL NOTICE

GENERAL INFORMATION

PROJECT INFORMATON

EXHIBIT A SCOPE OF WORK

BID FORM*

SIGNATURE SHEET*

NON-COLLUSION AFFIDAVIT*

REFERENCE LIST*

BOND NOTE

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY INFORMATION

FORM CC-1**

*These forms must be included within your proposal.

**Although all vendors are encouraged to obtain Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Certification, vendors do not need an EEO Certification to respond to a bid or proposal request.

The EEO Certification Number is only required prior to the award of the contract.

If applying for EEO certification or recertification, please include a copy of the CC-1 form with your bid or proposal. Send the original CC-1 form, and payment to the City of Peoria, 419 Fulton Street, Room 108, Peoria, IL, 61602. If you have a current EEO certification number, include the number on the Signature Sheet where indicated.

LEGAL NOTICE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

The County of Peoria is currently accepting proposals for the following goods or services:

SNOW REMOVAL SERVICES

RFP # 05-04-26

Proposals will be received until:

June 30, 2026 at 2:00 p.m.

At the following location:

Peoria County Courthouse Purchasing Office

324 Main Street, Room 501 Peoria, IL 61602

Bid documents and information may be obtained at: bid_info@peoriacounty.org

GENERAL INFORMATION

INTRODUCTION

The County of Peoria is currently accepting proposals from qualified vendors for RFP #05-04-26 Snow Removal Services.

RFP INFORMATION

Sealed proposals – one original and two copies – will be accepted by the County of Peoria, Purchasing Division, 324 Main Street, Room 501, Peoria, Illinois, 61602, until 2:00 p.m. on June 30, 2026. Proposals shall be submitted in a sealed envelope or package. Please include the RFP name and number along with the due date and time marked on the outside. Please include your company name and return address on the outside of the envelope.

Proposals received after the stated date and time will not be considered. Faxed proposals will not be accepted. Proposals will be opened and publicly recorded immediately following the closing time set for the receipt of proposals. At the RFP opening, only the names of vendors that submitted proposals by the deadline will be read aloud. Proposal pricing and other contents will remain confidential and will not be disclosed until after an award has been made, in accordance with applicable laws and policies.

AWARD OF RFP

The RFP will be awarded to the lowest responsive responsible bidder based on the given requirements. These are minimum specifications. The County of Peoria reserves the right to award to a single or multiple vendors. The County of Peoria reserves the right to waive technicalities and accept the proposal that best suits its needs.

QUESTIONS*

All questions regarding this solicitation must be submitted in writing. Please submit at:

https://www.bidnetdirect.com/illinois/peoriacounty

*Vendors may not contact any other County Departments or Staff with inquiries regarding this bid.

Schedule of Events:

RFP Released: June 4, 2026 Questions Due: June 18, 2026 @ 2:00 PM CST

Submit question through BidNet: https://www.bidnetdirect.com/illinois/peoriacounty

Proposals Due: June 30, 2026 @ 2:00 PM CST

County of Peoria Request for Proposals for: Snow Removal

I. INFORMATION TO BIDDERS:

The County of Peoria requests bids from interested professional snow removal companies to perform snow removal at several County Facilities. Interested companies shall respond using provided documentation and noting their company’s bid to provide this service. The Bid Evaluation Criteria will be used to evaluate each submission.

A. BID FORMAT:

The bid shall be submitted in a format divided into sections, including the following information.

1. Completed Bid Response Form.

2. Brief history of company.

3. Experience with similar contracts during the last five years

4. A list of snow removal/snow melting equipment in fleet

5. References

6. Certificates of Insurance

7. Bid Cost Sheet

8. You are invited to include a maximum of five pages of additional information not included above, if you believe it may be useful and applicable to this contract.

B. EEO REQUIREMENT:

The County of Peoria, Illinois, is an equal opportunity employer. Its Affirmative Action program has been developed to adhere to all state laws and regulations. It requires proper utilization of protected classes of employees and strives for an increase in their employment whenever possible. Peoria County Centralized Purchasing Ordinance, Section 19, refers to the EEO guidelines which businesses and/or organizations must comply with to do business with the County of Peoria.

Therefore, to become an authorized vendor of Peoria County, all EEO/Affirmative Action standards as set forth in Section 19 of the Ordinance shall be met. The EEO certificate, issued by the City of Peoria, will only be required for the awarded vendor(s).

C. CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION:

The designated representative for administration of this contract shall be Calvin Kerley, Facilities and Ground Operations Director, Peoria County Courthouse, 324 Main Street, Room B-01, Peoria, Illinois 61602.

D. LENGTH OF CONTRACT:

The initial term of this contract shall be for a period of approximately ten (10) months and will commence on or about October 1, 2026, and terminate on June 1, 2027. This contract has four (4), twelve (12) month optional renewal periods upon agreeable terms by either party.

for: Snow Removal

F. ADDITIONS AND DELETIONS:

The County reserves the right to add and/or delete facilities, or services, as listed in Exhibit A as needed.

G. BACKGROUND CHECKS:

The County of Peoria may require background checks to work at some facilities.

All employees added during the term of this contract shall be subject to this requirement, if instituted. The County shall use this information to conduct police background checks on personnel who may be assigned to work in areas determined as sensitive in nature by the County of Peoria. The County of Peoria reserves the right to approve or reject all names submitted by the Contractor who may be employed to work under this contract. The County of Peoria also reserves the right to prohibit certain employees of the Contractor from working in areas of any property covered by this contract.

H. SECURITY:

The Contractor shall be responsible for securing all spaces not occupied at the time the service is provided, if such a situation occurs in the line of this contract.

I. BREAKAGE / LOSS:

The Contractor shall be responsible for any breakage, damage, or loss incurred due to carelessness of any of its employees. Breakage or loss that may occur shall be compensated by replacement of the item at an equal value.

J. IDENTIFICATION:

Employees of the Contractor shall have company identification on them while working at any County Property. The Contractor shall ensure that all employees have Contractor logo attire and or company name badge on them while on County property.

K. CONTRACTOR PROVIDED SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT:

The Contractor shall provide all necessary equipment (other than those specifically listed herein as to be supplied by the County of Peoria), which are required to fulfill the terms of this contract. The Contractor shall be responsible for the operations cost of maintaining the pieces of equipment.

M. INSPECTIONS:

A representative of the Contractor’s management and the Peoria County Facility’s Manager may conduct bi-monthly inspections of all facilities to ensure that the terms of this contract are being met, or at a time convenient for Contractor and County. It shall be the responsibility of the Contractor to schedule said inspection with the Peoria County Facility Manager. If the Contractor does not schedule inspection, the County will contact Contractor to schedule meeting. This inspection for: Snow Removal shall occur during normal business hours, unless otherwise agreed to by the Contractor representative and the facility manager.

N. SERVICE HOURS:

Snow removal will be during snow event(s) regardless of time or date.

O. OBSERVED HOLIDAYS:

The County of Peoria observes the following holidays. Service is not expected on these dates. For snow removal, it will be during snow event(s) regardless of time or date at West Campus, Gift Ave complex, and PCAPS.

New Years Day Labor Day Martin Luther King Day Thanksgiving Day President’s Day Friday after Thanksgiving Good Friday Christmas Memorial Day Day before, or after, Christmas Independence Day

P. WAGE ADJUSTMENTS:

The minimum wage rate for workers performing work under this contract shall comply with all state and federal minimum wage laws. The Contractor shall be required to furnish certified payroll and any other documentation as may be required by the County of Peoria to verify compliance. The County of Peoria shall not allow any contract change for wage adjustments during the term of this contract other than those mandated by changes in laws pertaining to the federal or state minimum wage or national health insurance legislation effective after the date of this agreement. The Contractor shall be entitled only to the mandated increase in wages and related payroll taxes.

Q. INVOICING:

Invoices shall be prepared and submitted monthly for each location. Invoices shall include the site location and date(s) of service. Invoices shall be submitted on company letterhead with invoice number. All invoices shall be submitted to the attention of Calvin Kerley, Facilities and Ground Operations Director, Peoria County Courthouse, 324 Main Street, Room B-01, Peoria, Illinois 61602. Contact information will be provided to the awarded Contractor for any/all properties covered under this agreement.

R. METHOD OF PAYMENT:

Within thirty-(30) days of receipt of an invoice, the County of Peoria shall pay the Contractor for completed work. Invoices submitted without the proper documentation will not be considered for payment and will be returned to the Contractor for re-submittal.

for: Snow Removal

S. CANCELLATION:

If the Contractor fails to perform work to the standards as determined by the County of Peoria and recognized within the community as being standard, or does not complete the assigned work within reasonable times as determined by the County of Peoria, then the County of Peoria shall have the right to cancel this contract upon a ten (10) day written notice, delivered by certified mail to the Contractor’s address of record.

T. INSURANCE PROTECTION:

The Contractor shall include in the bid request Certificates of Insurance as noted below. The Contractor shall also provide said Certificates upon request by the County of Peoria at any time during the term of the contract. The certificate shall evidence that Peoria County is included as an Additional Insured under the General Liability policy. The Contractor shall present evidence of the following insurance coverage and shall always keep the bonds and insurance in effect during the life of this contract:

1. Workmen's Compensation Insurance: Statutory Limits

2. Employers Liability Insurance: $1,000,000

3. Comprehensive General Liability Insurance with a limit of 1,000,000 each occurrence and a $3,000,000 General Aggregate

4. Personal Injury Liability Insurance with a limit of $1,000,000.

5. Automobile Liability covering all owned, non-owned, and hired vehicles with a limit of $1,000,000 each accident.

6. Umbrella Liability Limits of Liability $2,000,000.00 each occurrence;

$2,000,000.00 aggregate.

7. Primary Commercial Blanket Bond with rider extending protection to

Customer in the sum of $20,000.00.

II. BID EVALUATION CRITERIA

Submissions for this project shall be evaluated based upon the table below. The company receiving the highest score combined with favorable reference checks will be recommended to the Peoria County Board as the most responsive, responsible low bidder to perform the services described in Exhibit A of this Bid. This contract will be awarded to the most responsive, responsible low bidder that scores the highest. NOT the lowest bid.

Category Points

1. Cost 60

2. Available equipment 20

3. Similar contract experience 20 for: Snow Removal

Exhibit A Scope of Work

The following shall constitute the Scope of Work for this contract.

III. SCOPE OF WORK

The work of this contract is for snow removal for multiple County Facilities. Locations and frequency of snow removal listed below. The most responsive and responsible low bidder scoring the highest according to the Bid Evaluation Criteria shall be selected to supply all labor, materials, equipment, and other items associated with the scope of services as may be necessary to perform the contract.

Contract Locations:

1. Peoria County Courthouse – 324 Main Street Peoria, IL 61602 Building Hours: Monday through Friday – 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Snow removal to 1” during snow events including building sidewalks (fronting Main, Jefferson, Hamilton, and Adams), driveway and small parking area located off of Adams Street, and building perimeter on Bicentennial Plaza side.

2. Peoria County Jail/Sheriff’s Office – 301 N. Maxwell Rd. Peoria, IL 61604 Building Hours: 24/7 Snow removal to the 1” during snow events including parking areas, building entrance, ring road, and sallyport access.

3. Peoria County Juvenile Detention Center – 223 N. Maxwell Rd. Peoria, IL 61604 Building Hours: 24/7 Snow removal to the 1” during snow events including parking areas, building entrance, and sallyport access.

4. Peoria County Animal Protection Services - PCAPS – 2600 NE Perry Peoria, IL 61603 Building Hours: Open to public- Monday through Saturday 8:30-5. Sunday - Facility is closed to the public but employees report to facility 8:30-5. Require same rate of removal during this time.

Snow removal to the 1” during snow events including parking areas and building entrances.

General Requirements

A. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to protect the properties of the County. Contractors shall have the resources necessary to provide simultaneous snow/ice removal services at listed locations. The Peoria County Jail and JDC are 24/7-day operations with parking for personal and county-owned vehicles. During a weather event requiring snow/ice removal services, the Peoria County Jail/JDC shall be the top priority and must be scheduled first. The Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring that all security gates are closed behind them to for: Snow Removal not allow unauthorized access to restricted areas. Access for the Contractor to this restricted area will be coordinated with Peoria County Sheriff’s Department.

B. If an employee of the Contractor is found by the County to be violating any security procedures or found to be in neglect of his or her realm of responsibility, the County has the right to have this person removed from access, either permanently or until a meeting can be scheduled with the Contractor to determine if further action is required.

C. Contractor shall provide its own employees, equipment, supplies and materials necessary to complete the services described hereunder which include all snow and ice removal, clearing all drive lanes, hydrants, parking areas, sidewalks adjacent to buildings and public sidewalks.

D. The Contractor ensures that all employees and/or agents shall abide by all safety rules and regulations, which may be promulgated from time to time by either the County or Contractor as they pertain to the operations.

E. All work shall be performed in a professional and workmanlike manner, using personnel with appropriate skill and experience, and in accordance with generally accepted industry standards applicable to the services being provided.

F. Contractor shall pay all salaries, payroll and other taxes, fees, worker's compensation and other charges or insurance levied or required by any federal, state or local statutes relating to the employment of its employees.

G. Contractor shall be responsible for damage to the Property caused by snow removal operations including, but not limited to, buildings, curbs, parking blocks, islands, sidewalks, light poles, signs, landscaping, paving or striping of the Property or equipment used in connection therewith. Contractor shall be responsible for damage caused to vehicles caused by snow removal operations.

Snow/Ice Removal Requirements

H. An event is defined as any continuous wintery precipitation. Small breaks in the storm are considered part of same event if they are within six hours of the end of the initial precipitation.

Once a storm has had a break of precipitation for greater than six hours, it is considered a separate storm event.

I. Event pricing includes the final pass of clean up and/or salt after an event has ended.

J. If parking stalls are occupied, contractor shall return to plow these spaces. Most parking lots are relatively empty of parked cars before 6:30 AM or after 5:00 PM.

K. In the case of blowing or drifting snow and the Contractor’s need to return to a given property, this will be considered as part of the initial event. County Staff reserves the right to request follow-up service at a given property.

L. Contractor shall make every attempt to begin snow removal and ice melt operations at each property at a time that will leave the areas safe for vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Due to the critical operations at Peoria County Jail and JDC, continuous dedicated service may be needed for: Snow Removal during long storms. Prioritization of each location will be finalized between the County and Contractor prior to contract award.

M. Contractor shall not pile snow near line of sight, stop signs at/or near intersections of traffic lanes or crosswalks.

N. Snow must be cleared from parking lot as accumulated to minimize the loss of parking spaces.

Entrances, handicapped/ADA stalls, sidewalks, public sidewalks, fire lanes and fire hydrants must be kept free from snow and easily accessible in case of emergencies.

O. Drainage areas and radio tower entrances must be kept free from snow stockpiles.

P. Ice melt applications should be applied in sufficient quantities to achieve bare pavement surfaces.

Q. Ice melt applications should be applied prior to an anticipated formation of black ice and prior to and during freezing rain events.

R. For overnight snowfall, sidewalks should be cleared and salted before 6:00 AM to allow for start of work for employees and County visitors to facilities.

S. If called by facility staff, Contractor shall be at the site or sites requested within one hour.

T. It is imperative that all equipment needed for the snow plowing, removal of snow and ice, and ice melt is located within vicinity of Peoria County’s designated sites. Contractor’s equipment shall be available and ready for each snow/ice event. If Contractor wants to pre-deploy equipment for the season or upcoming storm, they should coordinate with facility staff for approval.

U. Snow is to be piled in areas designated by Peoria County facility personnel. Removal of snow piles from a given property shall be at the request of the contract manager only.

Reporting & Quality Control

V. Contractor shall monitor weather conditions and respond accordingly.

W. Contractor shall call Peoria County Maintenance and leave a message anytime Contractor is beginning a snow or ice removal operation.

X. Contractor shall have a supervisor check each site during and after each event to monitor progress and check for completeness.

Y. If the Contractor is unable to meet our agreed upon level of service, the County reserves the right to engage other contractors and will back charge Contractor for services used by either internal or external resources.

Z. Contractor is to subscribe to a private snow removal weather service and be able to advise the County on changing conditions such as snowstorms, freezing precipitation, black ice, extreme temperatures and strong winds. Contractor shall be prepared to take appropriate action when aforementioned conditions are forecasted.

for: Snow Removal

AA. Contractor shall meet with the County Maintenance Director/staff in early December to stake sites for snow stockpiles, to review any consideration to increase efficiency and effectiveness of the operation, and to review site for existing damage to turf, concrete, signs and other site items. Items not agreed upon prior to snow season may be called out during the spring review as damage that the Contractor is expected to repair or replace. Contractor shall meet with County Staff in late April to review sites for possible damage. Damage by the Contractor’s snow equipment to the County parking surfaces, islands and/ or other property will be repaired by the Contractor. If the Contractor is unable or unwilling to make such repairs, the County will do so and deduct from the payment owed to the contractor or foreclose on the performance bond.

Contract Pricing: As noted in the attached Bid Cost Form, Peoria County seeks pricing on a per-event basis for snow removal services and ice melt operations. Peoria County acknowledges that neither the County nor the Contractor can accurately predict the number snow removal events that may be needed. Pricing is one metric in how qualifications will be judged, see Section II. The Contractor with the lowest overall rate, will be awarded the maximum value for this portion of the evaluation criteria.

for: Snow Removal

County of Peoria Bid Cost Form

THIS FORM SHALL BE COMPLETED FOR THIS BID TO BE EVALUATED. PLEASE PRINT OR TYPE:

Submitted by: _________________________________________________

For Property Location below, Contractor shall complete table with pricing for each event (DEFINED AS PRECIPITATION OF GREATER THAN 1”) to include snow and/or ice removal at areas described in Exhibit A

Contract Locations.

ITEM YEAR 1 YEAR 2

COURTHOUSE

Snow/Ice Removal 1” +

Ice Melt Application

Total

PEORIA COUNTY JAIL

Snow/Ice removal 1” +

Ice melt application

Total

PEORIA COUNTY JDC

Snow/Ice removal 1” + Ice melt application Total for: Snow Removal

PCAPS

Snow/Ice removal 1” + Ice melt application Total

GRAND TOTAL

ALTERNATE SERVICES/PRICING (AT COUNTY’S REQUEST ONLY)

MISC SNOW REMOVAL PER HOUR

Labor Hourly Rate

ACCUMULATED SNOW REMOVAL PER HOUR

Skid steer loader $

Skid steer loader operator $

Tractor trailer dump truck $

Tractor trailer dump truck operator $

Off-site tipping fee $

County of Peoria Signature Sheet

EXECUTION OF THIS FORM CERTIFIES UNDERSTANDING AND

COMPLIANCE WITH THE TOTAL RFQ PACKAGE.

THIS FORM SHALL BE COMPLETED FOR THIS SUBMISSION TO BE

EVALUATED.

Please print or type:

SUBMITTED BY:

Company Name:

Authorized Agent Name & Title:

Contact Person:

Company Address:

City, State Zip Code

Daytime Telephone:

Daytime E-Mail (if available):

EEO Certificate of Compliance Num.:

DUNS/UEI number: ____________________________________________________

Addenda Received: _______ _______ _______ _______ _______

Signature of Authorized Agent Date

NON-COLLUSION AND CERTIFICATION OF ELIGIBILITY

AFFIDAVIT OF PRIME BIDDER

State of __________________________ )

County of ________________________ ) SS

______________________________________, being first duly sworn, deposes and says that:

(1) He/she is _______________________________ of __________________________________, the Bidder that has submitted the attached bid;

(2) He/she is fully informed respecting the preparation and contents of the attached bid and of all pertinent circumstances respecting such bid;

(3) Such bid is genuine and is not a collusive or sham bid;

(4) Neither the said Bidder nor any of its officers, partners, owners, agents, representatives, employees or parties in interest, including this affiant, has in any way colluded, conspired, connived or agreed, directly or indirectly with any other Bidder, firm or person to submit a collusive or sham bid in connection with the contract for which the attached bid has been submitted or to refrain from bidding in connection with such contract, or has in any manner, directly or indirectly, sought by agreement or collusion or communication or conference with any other Bidder, firm or person to fix the price or prices in the attached bid or of any other Bidder, or to fix any overhead, profit or cost element of the bid price or the bid price of any other Bidder, or to secure through any collusion, conspiracy, connivance or unlawful agreement any advantage against the County of Peoria of any person interested in the proposed contract; and

(5) The price or prices quoted in the attached bid are fair and proper and are not tainted by any collusion, conspiracy, connivance or unlawful agreement on the part of the Bidder or any of its agents, representatives, owners, employees, or parties in interest, including this affiant.

(6) That the Prime Bidder is not barred from contracting with any unit of State or local government as a result of a violation of either 720 ILCS 5/33E-3 (Bid Rigging) or 720 ILCS 5/33E-4 (Bid Rotating).

Signed________________________________________

(Title)

References The bidder must list three (3) references, listing firm name, address, telephone number and contact person to whom they have provided similar services, material or equipment for a period of not less than not less than one

(1) year.

The bidder verifies that they have provided equipment or supplies to that contained in this contract to the following parties with needs similar to that of County of Peoria and authorizes the County to verify references of business and credit at its option.

In addition, please detail the following information:

Length of account tenure

Company Name:

Address:

City, State, Zip Contact Person:

Telephone Number:

Email:

Company Name:

Address:

City, State, Zip Contact Person:

Telephone Number:

Email:

Company Name:

Address:

City, State, Zip Contact Person:

Telephone Number:

Email:

Company Name Signature Title

Signature of Bidder authorized the County of Peoria to verify business references.

BOND NOTE INFORMATION:

In the General Instructions to Bidders, the sections pertaining to Performance Bond (5-A) and Prevailing Wage (23) shall not apply for this bid letting.

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS

Revised 2/2025

This document ("General Instructions to Bidders") is for your information and does not need to be submitted with your response. The terms "bid" and "proposal" or "RFP" are interchangeable when referenced in this document as are the terms "vendor" and "contractor." The information contained within this document may not pertain to certain types of professional or consulting services.

1. Bid Submittals:

Copies of the bid proposal form and other documents shall be submitted by bidders as noted or requested. This includes pamphlets and product literature when requested. All bid documents shall be submitted in duplicate unless otherwise noted.

Submission of Bids:

A. Bids will be received until the time and date specified at the place set forth in the invitation to bid.

B. Bids shall be submitted in a sealed envelope or package and shall be addressed as follows:

County of Peoria Purchasing Division Courthouse, Room 501 324 Main Street Peoria IL 61602

Bidders are requested to write the bid/RFP name and number and the date and time the bid is due in the lower left-hand corner of their envelope.

Bids received at the above address after the deadline will be marked "Late" and will be returned to the bidder unopened. It is the Vendor's responsibility to ensure that the bid or proposal submission is received prior to the stated deadline no matter what method is used to submit the bid.

2. Preparation of Bid:

A. Bids shall be submitted on forms included in bid documents unless otherwise specified.

B. All information requested on bid forms shall be typewritten or written in ink.

Where both written words and numerical figures are required, the written words shall apply in the event of a conflict.

3. Bid Surety Not required for this RFP

When indicated in the advertisement for bids and/or the general information, all bidders shall be required to submit a bid surety with their bid submittal. The amount of the bid surety shall be specified in the bid documents but shall never be greater than ten percent (10%) of the total bid price. The bid surety shall be in a form acceptable to the County.

The Vendor shall pay all premiums and costs associated with this bid surety.

4. Inquires:

All inquires, outside of the prebid conference when applicable, that concern the bid request shall be submitted in writing to the Purchasing Division, which shall respond to such inquiries upon consultation with the Project Manager and/or the County Legal Counsel. If the nature and volume of inquiries indicate a substantial defect in the bid specifications, terms, or conditions, the Purchasing Division will either schedule an additional prebid conference, extend the deadline for submission of bids, or cancel the bid and reissue corrected or appropriately modified specifications, terms and/or conditions.

ALL BIDDERS ARE ADVISED THAT ANY COMMUNICATION WITH ANY COUNTY

EMPLOYEE, OFFICIAL OR OFFICER CONCERNING THE SPECIFICATIONS, TERMS, OR

CONDITIONS OF A PROPOSED BID COULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE

CRIMINAL CODE OF ILLINOIS, 720 ILCS 5/33E. ACCORDINGLY, BIDDERS SHALL ONLY

CONTACT THE PURCHASING DIVISION WITH QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS AS

AFORESAID.

5. Contract to be Awarded/Terms and Conditions:

The following general contract terms and conditions are included in these instructions to inform vendors of those terms and conditions that the County will require the successful vendor to agree to. It is to be understood that this listing is not intended to be exclusive, and that additional terms and conditions may be required by the county. Nor are these terms and conditions to be considered non-negotiable but are provided to put the vendors on notice that these terms and conditions are considered of substantial importance by the County and the acceptance of these terms and conditions may be considered necessary to the awarding of a contract to any particular vendor. By inclusion in bid or RFP documents, this document becomes a part of the bid and any subsequent contract.

A. Performance/Payment/Maintenance Bond: Not required for this RFP.

When indicated in the notification the Vendor shall deliver a performance bond to the County using a bond form acceptable to the County. This bond shall be in the amount of 100% of the Contract amount and it shall be maintained in force for one (1) full year after completion of project.

The Vendor shall pay all premiums and costs of this bond. Attorney-in-fact who signs the bond must file with the bond a certified and effectively dated of copy of their power of attorney.

B. Assignment of Contractual Rights:

It is agreed that the Vendor shall not assign, transfer, convey, or otherwise dispose of the Contract or its right, title or interest in or any part thereof, without previous written consent of County and the sureties.

"County" includes all offices of the County unless an individual officer is exercising independent contractual authority. Contact the County Administrator's office at

(309) 672-6056 if this is an issue.

C. Contract Management:

The Vendor shall appoint an individual person as an Agent who, when requested, shall be available for discussions concerning the fulfillment of the

Contract. The County will deliver official documents addressed to the Vendor to the Agent of the Vendor. The Agent shall be available at the time of Contract award.

The name, address and telephone number of the person to be designated as Agent shall be included in the bid or proposal submittal.

D. Meetings:

After the award of the Contract, technical, scheduling and/or status meetings may be held. These meetings will be for the purpose of, but are not limited to the following:

- Establishing the project schedule

- Establishing functional details of the construction or equipment

- Delivery, installation and maintenance of equipment or hardware

- Progress meetings

The vendor shall provide the services of his technical staff and/or Agent for these meetings.

E. Progress Reports:

The Vendor is required to submit monthly reports on the status of the project so that the County Project Manager is kept fully informed of progress. The information required will be specified at the meetings with the Vendor.

F. Notice and Service Thereof:

Any notice to Vendor from the County relative to any part of this Contract shall be considered delivered, and the service thereof completed, when said notice is posted by U.S. mail to the said Vendor at his last given address or delivered in person to Vendor’s Agent.

G. Copeland “Anti-Kick Back” Act

The Vendor/Contractor shall comply with the Copeland “Anti-Kick Back” Act (18 USC 874) as supplemented in the Department of Labor Regulations (29 CPR Part 3). This Act provides that each contractor or subcontractor shall be prohibited from inducing, by any means, any person employed in the construction, completion or repair of public work to give up any part of the compensation to which he is otherwise entitled.

H. Conflict of Interest

A vendor submitting a bid or proposal thereby certifies that no officer, agent or employee of the County who has a pecuniary interest in the bid or proposal has participated in the contract negotiations on the part of the County, that the bid/proposal is made in good faith without fraud, collusion, or connection of any kind with any other Vendor for the same ITB/RFP, and that the Vendor is competing solely in its own behalf without connection with, or obligation to, any undisclosed person or firm.

I. Law of State of Illinois:

Contracts shall be entered into within the State of Illinois, and the laws of said state, whether substantive or procedural, shall apply to the Contract. All statutory, charter and ordinance provisions applicable to public contracts in the County of Peoria and the State of Illinois shall be followed with respect to the Contract.

J. Preference for Illinois Products and Labor:

Vendors' attention is called to the fact that the Statutes of Illinois provide that, on public improvements, preference shall be given to products and provisions grown and coal produced in the State of Illinois and with Illinois labor. The Vendor will be required to conform to all such Statutes as are applicable.

K. Fiscal Funding:

If Illinois state laws are changed resulting in failure to appropriate funds or a means of funding for the contract, the obligation of the County shall cease immediately and without penalty.

L. Non-Discrimination:

The Equal Employment Opportunity provision of Peoria County (copy attached) shall be incorporated into every agreement entered into by Peoria County.

M. Liability and Insurance:

The County does not assume any liability for acts or omissions of vendor and such liability rests solely with vendor.

Vendor’s Insurance – The Vendor and all its subcontractors shall secure and maintain such insurance policies as will protect itself from claims for bodily injuries, death or property damage which may arise from operations under this Contract whether such operations be by itself, or anyone employed by Vendor directly or indirectly. The following insurance policies are required:

Workmen's Compensation Insurance: Statutory Limits

Employers Liability Insurance: $1,000,000

Comprehensive General Liability Insurance with a limit of 1,000,000 each occurrence and a $3,000,000 General Aggregate

Personal Injury Liability Insurance with a limit of $1,000,000.

Automobile Liability covering all owned, non-owned, and hired vehicles with a limit of $1,000,000 each accident.

Umbrella Liability Limits of Liability $2,000,000.00 each occurrence; $2,000,000.00 aggregate.

Primary Commercial Blanket Bond with extending rider protection to Customer in the sum of $20,000.00.

Insurance Inclusions – The comprehensive general liability insurance shall include independent contractors’ protective liability, products and completed operations broad-form property damage coverage. The completed operations and products liability shall be maintained for two years after final payment.

Contractual Liability – The insurance required above shall include contractual liability insurance coverage for the Vendor’s obligations under Section N below entitled, “Hold Harmless and Indemnification Agreement”.

Certificates of Insurance – Certificates of insurance acceptable to the County indicating insurance required by the Contract is in force shall be included in the bid submittal when stated or filed with the County prior to approval of the Contract by the County. These certificates shall contain a provision that coverage afforded under the policies will not be canceled until at least thirty (30) days prior written notice has been given to the County.

N. Hold Harmless and Indemnification Agreement:

The Vendor shall save and hold harmless and indemnify the County and the citizens of Peoria County against any and all liability, claims and costs of whatever kind and nature for injury to or death of any person or persons and for loss or damage to any property occurring in connection with or in any way incident to or arising out of the use, service, operation or performance of work under the terms of this contract, resulting from the negligent acts or omissions of Vendor, or any employee, agent or subcontractor. Vendor is not responsible for consequential damages.

O. Limited Distribution or Use of Certain Data and Information:

Performance of this contract may require the Vendor to have access to and use of data and information which may be considered proprietary to a government agency or government contractor, or which may otherwise be of such a nature that its dissemination or use, other than in performance of this contract, would be adverse to the interest of the County or others.

Vendors agrees that Vendor personnel will not divulge, or release data or information developed or obtained in connection with their performance of the resulting contract, unless made public by the County, except to authorized County personnel or upon written approval of the Peoria County Administrator.

Except as may be otherwise agreed to with a data owner, the Vendor agrees not to use, disclose or reproduce proprietary data, other than as required in performance of this contract; provided, however, that nothing herein shall be construed as precluding the use of any data independently acquired by the Vendor without such limitation.

All proprietary information and all copies thereof shall be returned to the County upon completion of the work for which it was obtained or developed.

P. Ownership of Equipment, Information and Materials:

If the agreement is for sale of goods, Vendor will pass title to the County after completion of the County’s obligation and will warrant title. Title to all source data, information and materials furnished to the County, together with all plans, system analysis and design specifications and drawings, completed programs and documentation thereof, reports and listings, all test data and test procedures, and all other items pertaining to the work and services to be performed pursuant to this agreement, including any copyright, shall rest with the County. Such ownership does not extend to proprietary materials brought in by the Vendor for use on any project. Upon project completion, the County shall have the full right to use each of the above for its purposes without compensation or approval by the Vendor. The County shall at all reasonable times have the right to inspect the work and shall have access to and the right to make copies of the above-mentioned items.

Q. Responsibility for County Property:

The Vendor assumes full responsibility for and shall indemnify the County for any and all loss or damage of whatsoever kind and nature to any and all County property (and/or property belonging to other governmental agencies within Peoria County), including any equipment, supplies, accessories, or parts furnished, while in Vendor’s custody and care for storage, repairs, or services to be performed under the terms of the resultant contract, resulting from the negligent acts or omissions of Vendor or any employee, agent or representative of Vendor including its subcontractor(s) and its employees.

The Vendor shall do nothing to prejudice the County’s right to recover against third parties for any loss, destruction of, or damage to County property (and/or property belonging to other governmental agencies within Peoria County), and upon the request of the contracting officer shall, at the Vendor’s expense furnish to the County all reasonable assistance and cooperation, including assistance in the prosecution of suit and the execution of instruments of assignment in favor of the County in obtaining recovery.

R. Right to Audit:

Vendor agrees that the County or its representatives shall have the right to examine any Vendor records which directly relate to this contract.

S. Breach:

Any breach of this contract by Vendor will allow the County to cancel without penalty and have any other available relief.

T. Taxes:

The County is exempt from all State and City sales tax and will provide documentation upon request.

U. Change Orders:

While the Contract is in effect, if unforeseen conditions require a change or major variations from the original plans, such work will be covered by a Change Order.

The Change Order shall be outlined in complete detail the nature of the change and its reasons therefore. Whether it is an addition or reduction with respect to the original Contract price is to be covered in detail as well as any extension or reduction of the completion date. Any work requiring a Change Order shall receive prior approval from the Project Manager before commencing.

6. Examination of Site:

When specified in bid documents, prior to submitting a bid each bidder shall visit the site of the proposed work and fully acquaint himself with conditions as they exist, so that he may fully understand the facilities, difficulties and restrictions which may affect the work and cost thereof. Bidders shall also thoroughly examine and become familiar with the specifications as set forth for a project.

7. Interpretations:

No oral interpretations will be made to any bidder as to the meaning of the contract documents or specifications outside of prebid conferences. Every request for interpretation outside of prebid conferences shall be made in writing and submitted to the Peoria County Purchasing Office for review and clarification.

8. Withdrawal of Bids:

Bidders may withdraw a bid proposal at any time prior to the bid closing time by written request. No bidder shall withdraw his bid for a period of ninety (90) calendar days from the bid opening date and prices submitted in the bid shall remain firm for at least 90 days.

Negligence on the part of the bidder in preparing a bid proposal confers no right of withdrawal or modification of a bid proposal after it has been opened. No bid will be opened which has been received after the closing time specified in the bid proposal. Late bids will be marked "Late" and shall be returned to the bidder unopened.

9. Award of Contract:

A. For ITBs, an award will be made to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder that complies with the terms and conditions of the specifications provided that it is in the best interest of the County to accept the bid. Awards may be made on a per item basis or total low bid overall. The quality of the articles to be supplied, their conformity with specifications, their suitability to the requirements of the County and delivery and discount terms will be taken into consideration in making the award.

For RFPs, an award will be made to the respondent whose proposal is rated the highest by a selection committee after specific selection criteria have been evaluated and whose offer is deemed to best meet the needs and interest of the County and its citizens.

B. Award of a contract as a result of the solicitation is dependent upon the availability of funds from which payments will be made.

C. Professional service selection will be awarded within the guidelines of the Local Government Professionals Service Act (50ILCS 510/0.01).

10. Rejection of Bids:

The County of Peoria reserves the right to reject any or all bids when such rejection is in the best interest of the County and to restart the bidding process at any time after such rejection if so desired.

11. Acceptance of Bids:

The right is reserved, as the interest of the County may require, to reject any or all bids and to waive any minor informality or irregularity in the bids received. The County will enter into a contract or reject all bid proposals within ninety (90) calendar days from the bid opening date.

12. Alternate Bids:

The specifications describe the supplies and/or services, which the County feels are necessary to meet the performance requirement of the County. Bidders desiring to bid on items which deviate from these specifications, but which they believe to be equivalent, are requested to submit alternate bids. However, Alternate Bids must be clearly marked as such and deviations from the specifications must be plainly noted. The bid must be accompanied by complete technical specifications of the alternate item(s) offered.

Equivalency shall be at the County's sole discretion, and it shall be the County's sole decision whether to accept an alternate or not.

13. Prices:

Unit prices shall be shown for each item as applicable and for which vendor is offering a bid. The unit price shall include all packing, crating, freight/shipping charges and cost of unloading supplies at destination unless otherwise stated in the bid proposal. Unit prices shall not include any local, state or federal taxes. In case of a mistake in the extension of price, the unit price shall govern. All prices must be typewritten or written in ink adjacent thereto and initialed in ink by the party signing the bid or vendor's authorized representative.

14. Discounts:

Cash discounts for payment within fifteen (15) days or more will be considered in awarding the bid. Discounts of less than fifteen (15) days will not be considered in the bid evaluation.

Where the net bid is equal to a bid with the cash discount deducted, the award shall be made to the net bid. Discounts will be figured from the date of delivery and acceptance of the articles, or in the case of incorrect invoice, from the date of receipt of corrected invoice.

Vendors should note cash discounts in bold on the cost sheets or pricing proposal.

The successful bidder agrees to protect, defend, and hold the County harmless against any demand for payment for the use of any patented material process, article, or device that may enter into the manufacture, construction or form a part of the work covered by the contract.

15. Default:

In case of default by the vendor, the County will procure the articles or services from other sources and hold the vendor responsible for any excess cost incurred.

16. Cancellation:

The County reserves the right to cancel in whole or in part, any contract, if the contractor fails to perform any of the provisions in the contract or fails to make delivery within the time stated. The contractor will not be liable to perform if situations arise by reason of strikes, acts of God or public enemy, acts of the County, or disasters beyond the control of either the County or the Contractor such as fire or flood.

17. Signatures:

Each bid or proposal must be signed by the bidder with his usual signature. Bids by partnerships must be signed with the partnership name and by one of the members of the partnership, or by an authorized representative, followed by the signature and title of the person signing. Bids by corporations must be signed with the name of the corporation, followed by the signature and title of the person authorized to bind the corporation in a contract. All signatures must be in ink.

18. Special Conditions:

Where special conditions are written in the specifications, these conditions shall take precedence over any conditions listed under the “General Instructions to Bidders”.

19. Permits and Licenses:

The successful bidder shall obtain, at his own expense, all permits and licenses which may be required to perform the contract, unless otherwise stated.

20. Prices Specified:

The bidder agrees to furnish the material or services according to the County’s plans, specifications and conditions and at prices specified in the bid proposal.

21. Samples:

When required, samples of items must be submitted within the timeframe specified and at no expense to the County; and, if not destroyed in testing, will be returned at the bidders request and expense. Samples which are not requested to be returned by the vendor within thirty (30) days, will become the property of the County.

22. Prevailing Wages:

Contracts for work under some bids will obligate the awarded Contractor and its Subcontractors to pay workers on the project the current prevailing wage. Provisions of the Prevailing Wage Act, 820 ILCS 130/0.01 et. seq. will apply to public works projects.

Public works projects include all fixed works as defined in the Prevailing Wage Act.

Applicable prevailing wage rates are on file in the office of the County Clerk, for examination.

During the term of the Contract, or as long as work continues, whichever is longer, and on a monthly basis, the Contractor shall submit in person, by mail or electronically, a certified payroll to the project manager at Peoria County. The certified payroll shall consist of a complete copy of the following records: a list of all laborers, mechanics, and other workers employed by them to perform the work hereunder.