Event_4291_-_Specification.pdf

Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board 21 August 2026

Natural Surface Trail Maintenance and Expansion

Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board

Event 4291 - Natural Surface Trail Maintenance and Expansion -

FALL 2026

Theodore Wirth Regional Park & Brownie Lake Park

Natural Surface Trail Maintenance and Expansion

MINNEAPOLIS PARK & RECREATION BOARD

2117 West River Road North Minneapolis, Minnesota 55411

Theodore Wirth Regional Park and Brownie Lake Park Natural Surface Trail Maintenance and Expansion

Tyler Pederson, PLA Design Project Manager Planning Services Division

BID OVERVIEW/REQUIREMENTS

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) is requesting bids from trail builders (Contractors) in good standing with the Professional Trail Builders Association to perform maintenance on and construct new natural surface mountain biking trails within Theodore Wirth Regional Park in Golden Valley, MN, and Brownie Lake Park in Minneapolis, MN.

Prevailing Wage Certificate Under the City of Minneapolis Code of Ordinances, prevailing wages are required for laborers on all MPRB construction projects.

Major Project Milestones Contractor must be prepared to start the project upon acceptance of the bid and authorization to proceed from the MPRB. The estimated start date is September 2026, or at a time to be negotiated upon acceptance of the proposal. The date of Substantial Completion shall be December 2026. Additional time may be granted for inclement weather with the MPRB’s written permission.

Purchase Order Award A purchase order will be awarded based on MPRB’s determination of the lowest responsible responsive bidder. The Owner reserves the right to reject any or all Bids or to advertise for new bids as deemed in its best interest.

Owner’s Representative Tyler Pederson will serve as the Owner’s Representative.

CONDITIONS OF THE AGREEMENT

Independent Contractor Nothing contained in this Agreement is intended to or shall be construed in any manner as creating or establishing the relationship of employer/employee between the parties. The Contractor shall pay all its unemployment insurance premiums, FICA, retirement, life and medical insurance, workers’ compensation insurance premiums, and income tax withholdings for itself and its employees, as it is an Independent Contractor.

Conflict of Interest No officer, official, or employee of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board shall have personal or financial interest, direct or indirect, in this Agreement or the proceeds thereof.

Natural Surface Trail Maintenance and Expansion

ADA

All Contractors must fully comply with the most recent applicable standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

SCOPE OF WORK DESCRIPTION

General Conditions and Scope You are bidding on a sustainable trail maintenance and construction project awarded by a Purchase Order.

Work will consist of approximately 900 lineal feet of new trail in the northwest corner of the Back 40 area, constructed using sustainable trail-building techniques, and the maintenance of several areas across the park’s mountain bike trail system, including reconstructing about 500 lineal feet of technical trail in Brownie Lake Park. Trail construction includes developing a new trail with rollers, bermed turns, and technical features common to intermediate-level mountain bike trails. Trails are meant to accommodate all non-motorized activities, including mountain biking, fatbiking, hiking, trail running, and snowshoeing. Several areas of trail within Theodore Wirth Regional Park require general maintenance, and three of the armored trail segments within Brownie Lake Park require reconstruction using large rock boulders and slabs.

General areas of work:

1. Back 40 area of Theodore Wirth Regional Park – new trail construction.

2. Brownie Lake Park – reconstruction of armored trails.

3. Theodore Wirth Regional Park – general trail maintenance at the SW Loop and Glenwood Spur.

Generally, trail design shall be consistent with existing trails in the Back 40 area. The Back 40 area is mostly hand-built, with tight turns, no significant berms, and several technical features. New trails should emulate this style but be built by machines. About half of the armored trails at Brownie Lake Park were built with rocks that were too small, leading to washouts and unsustainable conditions. Reconstructed trails will use imported rock boulders and slabs. All trails should generally abide by the sustainability techniques described in the Minnesota DNR’s Trail Planning, Design, and Development Guidelines document and IMBA’s trail construction techniques.

The selected Contractor shall assist in the field design and shall construct purpose-built natural surface mountain bike trails within Theodore Wirth Regional Park and Brownie Lake Park as shown in Map A below, and as otherwise directed by the Owner’s Representative. The Contractor shall be a member in good standing of the Professional Trail Builders Association or show at least three examples of sustainable trail construction projects.

Note that the minimum contractor qualifications and accreditations required are at the end of this scope. All contractors shall be required to meet MPRB/City of Minneapolis purchasing requirements, including providing a prevailing wage certificate and insurance certificate prior to being awarded the work. This document also references and incorporates external publications into the scope of work.

The Contractor shall be required to have an experienced Field Construction Manager. The Field Construction Manager shall be on-site at all times during the work to ensure finished trails are consistent with desired design outcomes and sustainable trail-building practices. The Field Construction Manager shall participate in the field design process as described in this scope of work.

The Contractor shall document and provide the Owner with information to close out all necessary permits for this work with the City of Minneapolis and Golden Valley, as needed. The Contractor will abide by all necessary agency and permit requirements and follow identified best practices for erosion control during work and after work is completed. Erosion control design and devices will be approved by the Owner’s Representative and paid by established unit prices. An MPRB construction permit is required before construction begins for this work. The “Internal Application” can be found at:

https://www.minneapolisparks.org/rentals permits/construction_permits/. The MPRB permit fees will be waived.

The bid form near the end of this document is structured into two parts to delineate between the two projects’ funding sources:

Part 1 Wirth Park Trail Maintenance & Back 40 Trail Construction

Part 2 Brownie Lake Park Trail Reconstruction

Trail Alignment Protocol (field design) The final trail layout and alignment (field design) will be determined in the field using the following protocol:

1. The Owner’s Representative and Contractor will "rough" flag the trails and trail features prior to construction. Note that trail corridors may change as determined in the field, as warranted by site conditions.

2. Owner’s Representative and Contractor shall jointly refine the trail alignment with flagging and/or pin stakes in the field consistent with sustainable design standards provided in this document or otherwise stipulated. Owner’s Representative and Contractor shall initially document the trail type being constructed (types identified below) for the purpose of determining approximate quantities.

(Final quantities will be determined under step 11, with the Owner’s Representative making the final determination of quantities of each trail type constructed.)

3. The Contractor shall undertake initial corridor brushing based on the flagged trail alignment to establish a visible trail corridor.

4. The Owner’s Representative and Contractor shall walk the trail alignment and make any final adjustments prior to rough grading of the trail. (Only if necessary, after brushing, as determined by Owner's Representative.)

5. Erosion control measures will be installed prior to any earth moving as directed by the Owner’s Representative.

6. If requested by the Owner’s Representative, the Contractor shall construct a minimum 150-foot sample section for each newly flagged trail segment to field-test the design approach and trail tread stability for review by the Owner's Representative. The Contractor may commence work on the segment after the Owner’s Representative approves the test section.

7. The Contractor undertakes rough grading of the trail following the flagged final trail alignment.

8. The Owner’s Representative and Contractor walk the rough-graded trail to ensure conformance with sustainable design standards and design intent.

http://www.minneapolisparks.org/rentalspermits/construction_permits/

9. The Contractor completes trail finish grading and detail work in accordance with the requirements, including finishing the backslope, outsloping the tread, rounding the frontslope, compacting the tread, seeding all exposed soils, and completing other finish work (if included in the unit price).

10. The Owner's representative and Contractor shall walk the trail corridor for preliminary field inspection and approval, including final determination of which trail type was constructed and field measurement of lineal feet of trail that was constructed to establish the basis for payment.

11. Contractor completes final trail work in accordance with requirements.

12. The Owner's Representative and the Contractor walk the completed trail for final field inspection and approval.

Tree and Brush Removal, and Limb Trimming Tree and brush removal shall be included in the per-linear-foot unit bid prices. No tree removals are expected; only brush removal (buckthorn) is anticipated. Generally, trail corridors are clear of vegetative obstructions. Tree removal, brush removal, and limb trimming for trail reconstruction shall be consistent with the following specifications:

• Brushing corridors, if required, shall be up to 10 feet wide and 10 feet high as needed. This includes removing woody vegetation and deadfall that are in the way of trail grading. Less corridor clearing is preferred over more. Trees up to 3 inches in diameter that fall within the trail tread grading area shall also be removed as encountered. No trees larger than 3 inches or Oak trees of any size shall be disturbed during construction unless flagged and approved by the Owner's Representative.

Remaining stumps and tree roots shall be removed to below finished tread grade and cut flush on backslopes.

• Limb trimming shall be to a maximum 10-foot height unless otherwise authorized by the Owner's Representative. Limbing and pruning shall be completed using approved trimming techniques that comply with MPRB guidelines. Do not break limbs. Cut limbs with a saw.

• Ground vegetation (grasses, ferns, small shrubs, and wildflowers) shall be removed only as required for grading the trail tread and backslopes to limit the extent to which uncovered soil is exposed.

Brushed material, limbed material, and removed trees shall be disposed of onsite (excluding fruiting Buckthorn) by dispersing it in a natural manner on the periphery of the trail so as to not to create visual intrusion on the site. Brushed and removed trees shall not be left in piles unless otherwise approved by the Owner's Representative. Contractor shall confirm the approach to dispersal of removed vegetation with the Owner's Representative at the time of construction. At the Owner's Representative's discretion, removed woody materials may be used as a trail feature.

Fruit-bearing buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica and Rhamnus frangula) and honeysuckle (Lonicera tartarica) branches shall be carefully removed and stockpiled near trail entrances for off-site disposal by MPRB to prevent the spread of berries and seeds.

Trail Tread Grading and Finishing Tread grading and finishing are included in the Contractor's unit bid price for each of the trail construction types, as defined below in the Trail Design Specifications and Description of Bid Items sections. Trail grading shall be consistent with the following specifications:

• Tread surface shall be compacted native soil (Types A and B), rock armored (Type C), or rock garden (Type D) with a typical finished width of up to 30 inches (bottom of backslope to breakpoint of front slope), unless otherwise shown on the plans or authorized by the Owner's Representative.

• Trail types A and B shall be constructed using only the soils and materials existing on the site, unless otherwise authorized by the Owner's Representative. All trails shall be full bench cut unless specifically approved by the Owner's Representative (such as bermed turns or establishing positive grades in flat areas).

• The trail shall be designed and constructed on the sideslopes using the rolling grade technique to ensure proper drainage. On level/flat areas, the Contractor shall meet with the Owner's Representative to determine the best alignment and grading to minimize ponding of water on the trail.

• All trails shall be full-bench cut into the sideslope, with a typical 4% to 5% outslope on the tread. At the discretion of the Owner’s Representative, outslope around select curves may be increased across the tread width to enhance the curve design.

• The backslope on the uphill side of the trail shall match a natural angle of repose that is stable for the general soil type as determined by the Owner's Representative.

• The average grade of any climbing or descending section should be in the 3% to 10% range with a maximum slope of %15 in any 100-foot section unless specifically authorized by the Owner's Representative. Any grades over 15% will be armored with large stones that can withstand water erosion. Actual grades for each section of trail will be established in the field by the Owner's Representative and Contractor during field flagging of the trail segments.

• The trail tread length between crests and dips shall be limited, as required by soil conditions, to prevent stormwater runoff from gaining sufficient force to cause erosion of the trail tread.

Contractor shall be responsible for grading to appropriate crests and dips as needed to prevent stormwater runoff from causing excessive erosion.

• Pin rocks and other materials intended to guide riders along new trail segments will be installed.

Materials for the pin rocks can be found on site, such as a tree trunk, excavated rock, or deadfall, or rocks imported to the site.

• After approval of rough grading, Contractor shall fine grade the trail tread cross-slope, backslope, and frontslope. Fine grading includes raking smooth all duff and earthen spoils to match surrounding grades, including blending displaced soils into existing grade lines on the downslope side of the trail.

All roots shall be trimmed below finished grade on all trail treads and flush on all backslopes. All loose rock or other debris shall be removed from the backslope.

• Unless otherwise authorized, all disturbed soils shall be seeded with a seed mix type approved by the Owner’s Representative. After completion of all grading, the trail tread shall be mechanically compacted to its approved width using a vibratory plate, sheep's foot, or other approved compactor.

• Final acceptance of the trail by the Owner’s Representative will occur after observation of its performance following a rain event of a minimum of ½” in a 24-hour period. All washouts shall be re-graded prior to final acceptance. (Note: If Owner's Representative reroutes a trail segment due to sustainability concerns, those segments will be considered new trail and paid for accordingly.)

Trail Removal Trail removal for these two projects will be very limited. It may be necessary when installing a new trail or reconstructing an existing one to prevent continued use of the old trail. Trail removal may involve punch-and-cover work, including laying brush or logs over the removed segments, seeding, and installing erosion-control fabric on ground surfaces with slopes above 30%.

1. The Owner’s Representative and Contractor shall flag or mark trail removal areas in the field and agree upon the work prior to commencing.

2. The Contractor shall use the mini excavator bucket to punch into and disturb the trail tread to create a rough, soft surface. An approved seed mixture shall be spread over the punched surfaces. Large deadfall segments shall be placed over the trail entry and exit to create a barrier for travel on the closed trail.

3. Erosion control blanket shall be laid over the ground surface on areas with slopes over 30%.

4. The Owner's Representative and Contractor shall walk the closed segment for preliminary field inspection and approval, including field measurement of the lineal feet of trail that was closed to establish a basis for payment. Work beyond the established work areas defined in #1 above shall not be the responsibility of the Owner unless previously agreed upon.

5. The Contractor shall complete final work in accordance with requirements, if needed.

6. The Owner's Representative and Contractor shall walk the completed trail for final field inspection and approval.

Safety and Site Protection The Contractor shall be responsible for protecting the public from unfinished trails and work areas. Trail work areas or staging areas left unattended must be clearly marked as closed for construction and appropriate caution or danger signs installed. This work includes furnishing, installing, and maintaining site protection devices (fencing, barriers, caution tape, signage, etc.) on all trail segments under construction to protect the public for the duration of the project, until the trails are considered open and usable. Site protection may be moved by the Contractor as segments are constructed and completed; multiple relocations are incidental. All open borrow pits will be filled by the end of the workday; none shall be allowed overnight. The Contractor will be responsible for complying with OSHA construction safety standards.

Erosion Control The Contractor will be responsible for erosion control in areas where trail work is performed. Bioroll or other similar methods of limiting soil erosion are required, as generally indicated on Map B. The Contractor shall spread seed over exposed soil outside the effective width of the trail tread within 24 hours. Seed type is specified in the Description of Bid Items section below. Bioroll shall be installed perpendicular to the slope, secured with wooden stakes at 10-foot intervals. The wooden stakes will be installed at an uphill angle on the downhill edge of the bioroll, pinning it to the ground rather than staking through it.

Allowable Construction Equipment To minimize environmental impact on the surrounding lands and maintain a limited development footprint, construction equipment shall be limited to hand tools or small-scale (mini) walk-behind or ride-on mechanized equipment with a width no larger than 60”. Mini-excavators with track widths up to 60” may also be used. Given the desire to minimize site impacts, the use of larger equipment is not permitted unless pre-approved by the Owner's Representative for a specific task. All equipment operators must have adequate skills to limit the grading zone to the specified width of the trail, grade in crests and dips, and create a curvilinear layout following field-flagged alignments. The Owner’s Representative has the authority to stop construction at any point if concerns about the skills of the equipment operator(s) appear inadequate to complete a sustainable trail as required under the provisions of this proposal.

Walk-behind equipment or hand tools shall be used in skills areas and where the trail layout is too technical for ride-on mechanized equipment. Hand tool selection shall be at the Contractor's discretion.

Contractor Experience Requirements and Accreditations Specific requirements and accreditations under this scope of work include the following and shall be submitted with your bid. The Contractor:

• Must be a current member of the Professional Trail Builders Association in good standing, or

• Provide a minimum of 3 examples of completed purpose-built natural surface trail projects.

• Provide a minimum of 3 client references.

• Identify an experienced Field Construction Manager. (Contractor is required to identify the Field

Construction Manager in the bid, along with their direct experience.)

TRAIL DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS

Payment for unit-price bids shall be based on the type of trail constructed, as illustrated in the following trail type graphics. The length of each type of trail to be built (Types A, B, C, and D) is shown in Map B and estimated in the bid form below and will be finalized in the field by the Owner’s Representative (coordinated with the Contractor) at the time of construction. Trails shall be installed in accordance with the following illustrations and the procedures described under the Trail Alignment Protocol and Trail Tread Grading and Finishing sections.

Brownie Lake Trail

SW Wirth Trail

Glenwood Spur

Back 40

TRAIL LOCATION

The trail work will take place within Theodore Wirth Regional Park and Brownie Lake Park, west of Theodore Wirth Parkway. Map A below shows the general site locations. Map B shows the areas in which work will generally take place. The trail work location within Theodore Wirth Regional Park is accessible by vehicle and trailer over paved and gravel trails. Work at Brownie Lake Park is accessible by vehicle and trailer over gravel trails. Construction staging and parking areas will be defined at the start of the project.

Map A – Site Locations

Map B – Trail Locations. Trail locations are shown for diagrammatic purposes only;

Contractor and Owner shall make the final layout in the field.

DESCRIPTION OF BID ITEMS

Part 1 – Theodore Wirth Regional Park, Back 40 Trail Construction These bid items pertain to the construction of a new trail within the Back 40 area of Theodore Wirth Regional Park.

Trail Maintenance - Berm Total cost per unit (1 lineal foot) includes:

• Surface maintenance of berms, including fracturing and recompacting surfaces to smooth brake bumps and rutting. Does not include reconstruction of the berm.

• Field Construction Manager

• Trail crew

• All necessary equipment to complete the work

• Use of on-site materials for construction

The above means that the Contractor’s crews will do all of the work associated with maintaining a lineal foot of berm.

Trail Maintenance - Trail Total cost per unit (1 lineal foot) includes:

• Surface maintenance of trails, including smoothing brake bumps and rutting, regrading for water drainage, and de-berming the outside edge of the tread. Does not include trail reconstruction.

• Field Construction Manager

• Trail crew

• All necessary equipment to complete the work

• Use of on-site materials for construction

The above means that the Contractor’s crews will do all of the work associated with maintaining a lineal foot of berm.

Trail Types A, B, C, and D Total cost per unit (1 lineal foot) includes:

• Regular trail construction is noted in the trail type drawings above, including rolling grade, small berms, small rollers, armoring materials, rock garden materials, and pin rocks.

• Corridor clearing

• Seeding all disturbed areas with MNL Woodland Seed Mix or approved equal

• Field Construction Manager

• Trail crew

• All necessary equipment to complete the work

• Use of on-site materials for construction

The above means that the Contractor’s crews will do all of the work associated with constructing a lineal foot of trail.

Trail Removal

• Field Construction Manager

• Trail crew

• All necessary equipment to complete the work

• Use of on-site materials for the work

The above means that the Contractor’s crews will do all the work associated with removing one lineal foot of trail.

Erosion Control Unit prices include furnishing, installing, and maintaining a 9” straw bioroll for the duration of the project until stabilization is complete.

Site Protection This is an incidental item and is included in your costs. Site protection includes barricades, fences, temporary signs, and caution tape marking throughout the site to ensure the safety of park users and the protection of the work site.

Miscellaneous Items Contractor shall be responsible for the following:

• Ordering/purchasing material (unless indicated by Owner)

• Coordinating delivery of materials from the manufacturer (or from the Owner, if indicated)

• Handling and proper disposal of packing materials and all crew-generated trash

• Field marking installation locations as directed by the Owner’s Representative

• Installation as required per the material manufacturer’s instructions or industry standard

Part 2 – Brownie Lake Park Trail Reconstruction These bid items pertain to the reconstruction of armored segments of the trail within Brownie Lake Park.

Work will include regrading and installing new stone armor to restore the trail tread to a sustainable and challenging condition.

Trail Types A, B, C, and D Total cost per unit (1 lineal foot) includes:

• Regular trail construction is noted in the trail type drawings above, including rolling grade, small berms, small rollers, armoring materials, rock garden materials, and pin rocks.

• Corridor clearing

• Seeding all disturbed areas with MNL Woodland Seed Mix or approved equal

• Field Construction Manager

• Trail crew

• All necessary equipment to complete the work

• Use of on-site materials for construction The above means that the Contractor’s crews will do all of the work associated with constructing a lineal foot of trail.

Trail Removal

• Field Construction Manager

• Trail crew

• All necessary equipment to complete the work

• Use of on-site materials for the work The above means that the Contractor’s crews will do all the work associated with removing one lineal foot of trail.

Erosion Control Unit prices include furnishing, installing, and maintaining a 9” straw bioroll for the duration of the project until stabilization is complete.

Site Protection This is an incidental item and is included in your costs. Site protection includes barricades, fences, temporary signs, and caution tape marking throughout the site to ensure the safety of park users and the protection of the work site.

Miscellaneous Items Contractor shall be responsible for the following:

• Ordering/purchasing material (unless indicated by Owner)

• Coordinating delivery of materials from the manufacturer (or from the Owner, if indicated)

• Handling and proper disposal of packing materials and all crew-generated trash

• Field marking installation locations as directed by the Owner’s Representative

• Installation as required per the material manufacturer’s instructions or industry standard

2117 West River Road Minneapolis, Minnesota 55411-2227

TREE PROTECTION MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

Project:

General Contractor:

CONTRACTOR / SUB-CONTRACTOR GUIDELINE AGREEMENT TO MAXIMIZE TREE HEALTH AND MINIMIZE TREE DAMAGE

THROUGHOUT THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS

Every reasonable effort will be made to protect trees on the construction site. The construction site will include not only the trees that will be impacted directly by the construction process, but also perimeter trees in the surrounding site.

Soil Compaction damage will be controlled by:

1. No unnecessary equipment or materials will be allowed to be parked on, driven over, and be piled on areas or perimeter areas that will impact trees’ root system. An example of this would be a pickup truck parked in a shaded area of a project instead of a hard surface parking lot area.

2. Within the construction zone, every effort will be made to use a one entry—one-exit traffic or loading zone area rather than multiple entries and exits which can impact all the surrounding trees.

3. Debris or construction materials will not be stored underneath or around trees. This not only prevents compaction but also prevents damage to the trunks of trees and branches through scrapping or scuffing of the bark.

4. Any necessary excavation materials will not be left for extended periods, but will be disposed of in an expedient fashion to prevent compaction of soils and minimize damage to trees.

5. Any periods of heavy rains, which saturate soils, may delay construction traffic until soils dry-out. Wet soils will magnify compaction problems and magnify tree damage.

Tree protection barriers may be needed in some circumstances to insure no traffic inside the barriers and to better delineate access areas.

Certain circumstances may require areas of mulch to be spread to minimize compaction when or where compaction cannot be avoided.

In situations where root severing has to occur, the root cutting will be clean cuts—not jagged or ripped. Also, the exposed roots should be covered as soon as possible.

If existing trees have to be transplanted or re-located the proper size tree spade will be used to accommodate the tree size and proper follow-up care will be done. This would include mulching and watering as needed.

Grade changes that are of significant nature to impact trees may have to incorporate retaining walls or some engineering to rectify grade change.

In summary, there are THREE MOST COMMON FORMS OF CONSTRUCTION DAMAGE –SOIL COMPACTION, BARK ABRASIONS, AND ROOT CUTTING. Most of the damage can be prevented or at least, minimized by simply being aware of the trees and respecting their presence, and staying away from them during the construction process. In cases where they must be impacted, some of the above steps will be utilized to restore the health of the trees.

CONTRACTOR’S SIGNATURE

I have read and understand the need for minimizing tree damage and I will make every effort to abide to the items listed above.

SIGNED DATE