Form_References.docx

This is a Reference Form for the City of Gainesville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs grounds maintenance contract at Evergreen Cemetery in Gainesville, Florida. The form requires bidders to provide at least three verifiable references documenting similar grounds maintenance projects completed within the past two years, excluding any prior work performed for the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs department. Each reference must include the job location, date work was performed, business name, contact name, phone number, and email address. The contract itself involves furnishing supervision, labor, equipment, and materials for year-round landscape maintenance at the 56-acre Evergreen Cemetery facility located at 401 SE 21st Avenue. Maintenance activities include weekly mowing from May through September and bi-weekly to monthly mowing during other seasons, mechanical edging every two weeks from March through October, twice-annual shrub pruning, April raking prior to fertilization, application of slow-release fertilizer at 400 pounds per acre, and weekly debris removal. The contract term runs from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2028, with possible extension for up to three additional 12-month periods. Critical deadlines include a mandatory pre-proposal meeting on April 20, 2026 at 9:30 a.m. at the cemetery site, a question submission deadline of April 27, 2026, and a bid response deadline of May 7, 2026 at 3:00 p.m.

Minimum qualifications require bidders to possess at least five years of experience in landscape maintenance with supervisory personnel holding five years of supervisory experience and adequate commercial-grade equipment meeting specified age requirements. Evaluation criteria include price, technical expertise and past performance, and resource availability. Local preference provisions may be awarded to vendors possessing a valid City of Gainesville business tax receipt issued at least six months prior to bid opening and maintaining a physical business address within city limits. Contractors must maintain workers' compensation insurance, professional liability insurance, public liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence, and automobile liability insurance of $500,000 per occurrence. The contract is subject to compliance with Florida's E-Verify employment verification requirements, living wage requirements through September 30, 2026, and the Consolidated State Law Affidavit requirements addressing vendor scrutiny lists, Israel-boycott operations, sanctioned-country activities, human trafficking involvement, and foreign government ownership. Payment will be made electronically via funds transfer within forty-five days of receipt of a complete and correct invoice, and either party may terminate the contract without cause upon thirty days' written notice. No specific budget range or award value is disclosed in the solicitation documents.