General Provisions RFP.pdf

PROPOSAL GENERAL PROVISIONS

Please Read Carefully

These Provisions Are a Part of Your Proposal and any Contract Awarded

The bidder agrees that:

A. Bidder has carefully examined the specifications, and all provisions relating to the item(s) to be furnished or the work to be done; understands the meaning, intent, and requirements; and

B. Bidder will enter into a written contract and furnish the item(s) or complete the work in the time specified, and in strict conformity with the City of Chula Vista specifications for the prices quoted.

Note: Bidder is defined as any individual, partnership, or corporation submitting a bid, proposal, or quotation in response to a request for bid, request for proposal, or request for quotation. A bidder may also be referred to as consultant, contractor, operator, supplier, or vendor.

Bid is defined as any bid, proposal, or quotation submitted in response to this solicitation.

1. Items Offered If the item offered has a trade name, brand and/or catalog number, such shall be stated in the bid. If the bidder proposes to furnish an item of a manufacturer or vendor other than that mentioned on the face hereof, bidder must specify maker, brand, quality, catalog number, or other trade designation. Unless such is noted on the bid form, it will be deemed that the item offered is that designated even though the bid may state or equal.

2. Samples Samples may be required for bid evaluation and testing purposes. Bidders shall agree to provide samples within forty-eight (48) hours upon request and at no additional cost to the City

3. Verify Quotations Prices shall be verified prior to bid submittal, as withdrawal or correction may not be permitted after the bid has been opened.

4. Firm Prices Prices on bid shall be firm prices not subject to escalation. In the event the specifications provide for escalation, the maximum limit shall be shown, or the bid shall not be considered. In the event of a decline in market price below a price bid, the City shall receive the benefit of such decline.

5. Modification or Withdrawal of Bids Bids may be modified or withdrawn by written or facsimile notice received prior to the exact hour and date specified for receipt of bid. A bid may also be withdrawn in person by a bidder, or authorized representative, prior to the exact hour and date set for receipt of bids. Telephone withdrawals are not permitted.

6. Late Bids, Modifications, or Withdrawals

a) Bids, modifications of bids, or bid withdrawals received after the exact time and date specified for receipt will not be considered unless receipt is before the contract is awarded and the City determines that late receipt was due solely to City error.

b) Modification of a successful bid that makes the terms of the bid more favorable to the City will be considered at any time.

7. Mistake in Bid

a) If the bidder discovers a mistake in bid prior to the hour and date specified for receipt of bid, bidder may correct the mistake by modifying or withdrawing the bid in accordance these provisions.

b) If within seventy-two hours of the bid closing and prior to the issuance of a purchase order or a contract, the bidder discovers a mistake in its bid of a serious and significant nature which is unfavorable to bidder, bidder may request consideration be given to modifying the bid if it remains the lowest bid or to withdrawal of the bid if the result of the correction of the mistake makes another bidder lowest and best bidder. The mistake must be evident and provable. The right is reserved by the City to reject any and all requests for correction of mistakes in bids received after the hour and date of the bid closing. The decision of the Purchasing Agent is final as regards acceptance or rejection of requests for correction of bids.

c) A mistake in bid cannot be considered once a purchase order or contract is issued.

8. Signature All bids shall be signed, and the title and firm name indicated. A bid by a corporation shall be signed by an authorized officer, employee or agent with his or her title.

9. Alternative Proposals To be responsive to the bid, bidder must submit a proposal that meets all specific bid requirements. Once bidder has proposed a product which is responsive to the specification, bidder may include with the bid any additional proposals or alternative products that bidder believes can meet or exceed the City’s requirements and that may offer additional advantages, benefits, or cost savings. The City reserves the right to evaluate, and accept or reject, such alternatives as though they were part of the original specifications without advertising for further bids, when in the best interests of the City. Any awards so made will be based on operational and cost analysis considerations that would result in the optimum economic advantage to the City.

10. Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) The City defines Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) as the procurement or acquisition of goods and services that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing goods or service that serve the same purpose. With few exceptions, environmentally preferable products shall only be purchased when determined to be cost-effective while considering a true cost during its lifecycle from use, management and disposal. EPP requires attention to numerous environmental considerations, including energy efficiency, postconsumer recycled content, water efficiency, low/zero hazardous substances and responsible manufacturing, to name just a few. Testing and evaluation of environmentally preferable products is one allowable exception and may be requested at any time during the solicitation process.

For more information, please consult the CalRecycle website at: https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/epp.

11. Quality Unless otherwise required in the specifications, all goods furnished shall be new and unused.

12. Litigation Warranty The bidder, by bidding, warrants that bidder is not currently involved in litigation or arbitration concerning the materials or bidder’s performance concerning the same or similar material or service to be supplied pursuant to this contract of specification, and that no judgments or awards have been made against bidder on the basis of bidder’s performance in supplying or installing the same or similar material or service, unless such fact is disclosed to the City in the bid. Disclosure may not disqualify the bidder. The City reserves the right to evaluate bids on the basis of the facts surrounding such litigation or arbitration and to require bidder to furnish the City https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/epp with a surety bond executed by a surety company authorized to do business in the State of California and approved by The City of Chula Vista in a sum equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the contract price conditional on the faithful performance by bidder of the contract in the event the bid is awarded to bidder, notwithstanding the litigation or arbitration.

13. Performance Standards Performance of work and acceptability of equipment or materials supplied pursuant to any contract or award shall be to the satisfaction of the City.

14. PUBLIC DISCLOSURE

All proposals submitted in response to this RFQ become the property of the City and public records, and as such may be subject to public review. Under the California Public Records Act (California Government Code Section 6250 et seq.) records in the custody of a public entity generally have to be disclosed unless the information being sought falls into one or more of the exemptions to disclosure set out in Government Code Sections 6254 through 6255.

A cover letter should be provided with the Request for Bid containing a paragraph that states whether or not Vendor believes that its proposal does or does not contain information that falls into one of the exemptions of Government Code Sections 6254 through 6255 and whether or not Vendor considers such information to be confidential.

In the absence of a declaration, the City may be obligated to disclose the proposal to any party that requests it.

Regardless of assertions of confidentiality, proposal contents may still be disclosed if City, or a court with jurisdiction, determines that such proposal is a public record requiring disclosure.

15. Warranties

a) All material, labor or equipment provided under the contract shall be warranted by bidder and/or manufacturer for at least twelve (12) months after acceptance by City. Greater warranty protection will be accepted. Lesser warranty protection must be indicated by bidder on the bid proposal as an exception

b) Bidder shall be considered primarily responsible to the City for all warranty service, parts and labor applicable to the goods or equipment provided by bidder under this bid or award, irrespective of whether bidder is an agent, broker, fabricator or manufacturer’s dealer. Bidder shall be responsible for ensuring that warranty work is performed at a local agency or facility convenient to City and that services, parts and labor are available and provided to meet City’s schedules and deadlines. City may require bidder to post a performance bond after contract award to guarantee performance of these obligations. Bidder may establish a service contract with a local agency satisfactory to City to meet this obligation if bidder does not ordinarily provide warranty service.

16. Addenda

The effect of all addenda to the bid documents shall be considered in the bid and said addenda shall be made part of the bid documents and shall be returned with them. Before submitting a bid, each bidder shall ascertain whether or not any addenda have been issued, and failure to cover in this bid any such addenda issued may render the bid invalid and result in its rejection.

17. Specifications to Prevail The detailed requirements of the specifications shall supersede any conflicting reference in these General Provisions that are in conflict therewith.

18. Taxes The City will furnish Exemption Certificates for Federal Excise Tax. The City is liable for State, City and County Sales Taxes. Do not include this tax in the amount bid. However, tax is to be added by the successful bidder to the net amount invoiced. All or any portion of the City Sales Tax returned to the City will be considered in the evaluation of bids.

19. Conflict of Interest No City employee or elected or appointed member of City government, or member of the employee’s immediate family, may participate directly or indirectly in the procurement process pertaining to this bid if they:

a) Have a financial interest or other personal interest that is incompatible with the proper discharge of their official duties in the public interest or would tend to impair their independence, judgment or action in the performance of their official duties.

b) Are negotiating for or have an arrangement concerning prospective employment with bidder. The bidder warrants to the best of his knowledge that the submission of the bid will not create such conflict of interest. In the event such a conflict occurs, the bidder is to report it immediately to the Purchasing Agent.

For breach or violation of this warranty, the City shall have the right to annul this contract without liability at its discretion, and bidder may be subject to damages and/or debarment or suspension.

20. Gratuities

The City may rescind the right of the bidder to proceed under this agreement if it is found that gratuities in the form of entertainment, gifts, or otherwise are offered or given by the bidder, or any agent or representative of the bidder, to any officer or employee of the City with the intent of influencing award of this agreement or securing favorable treatment with respect to performance of this agreement.

21. Faithful Performance Bond Successful bidder may be required to furnish the City with a surety bond conditioned upon the faithful performance of the contract. This may take the form of a bond executed by a surety company authorized to do business in the State of California and approved by the City of Chula Vista, an endorsed Certificate of Deposit, or a money order or a certified check drawn on a solvent bank. The bond shall be in a sum equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the amount of the contract price. Such bond or deposit shall be forfeited to the City in the event that bidder receiving the contract shall fail or refuse to fulfill the requirements and all terms and conditions of the contract.

22. Insurance Bidder shall provide proof of liability and property damage insurance prior to performance of duties. Coverage shall be from a company authorized to transact business in the State of California and shall be in an amount not less than $1,000,000 combined single limit (CSL), unless otherwise specified. The City of Chula Vista shall be named as an additional insured and thirty (30) days’ notice of cancellation shall be indicated. Worker’s Compensation coverage for each employee engaged in work on City premises is required. Bidder is solely responsible for all insurance premium payments.

23. Indemnification Bidder shall defend, indemnify, protect and hold harmless the City, its elected and appointed officers, employees, and agents, from and against all claims for damages, liability, and expenses (including attorney’s fees) arising out of this agreement and/or bidder’s performance hereunder, except as to such damages, liability, and expenses due to the sole negligence or willful acts of the City, its officers, employees or agents.

24. Award of Contract

a) Bids will be analyzed, and award will be made to the lowest, responsive and responsible bidder whose bid conforms to the solicitation and whose bid is considered to be most advantageous to the City, price and other factors considered. Factors to be considered may include, but are not limited to: bidder’s past performance, total unit cost, economic cost analysis, life cycle costs, warranty and quality, maintenance cost, durability, the operational requirements of the City and any other factors which will result in the optimum economic benefit to the City.

b) The City reserves the right to reject any item or items, to waive informalities, technical defects and minor irregularities in bids received; and to select the bid(s) deemed most advantageous to the City. The City will, however, consider bids submitted on an “all or nothing” basis if the bid is clearly designated as such.

c) The City reserves the right to award one or more contracts on the bids submitted, either by award of all items to one bidder or by award of separate items or groups of items to various bidders as the interests of the City may require, unless the bidder clearly specifies otherwise in his bid.

d) For the purpose of evaluating bids for multiple awards, the sum of $100.00 is considered to be the administrative cost to the City for issuing and administering each contract awarded under this solicitation, and individual awards will be made for the items and combinations of items which result in the lowest aggregate price to the City, including such administrative cost.

e) Upon acceptance by the City of Chula Vista, the solicitation, bid, proposal, or price quotation and a purchase order issued to the successful bidder shall be deemed to result in a binding contract incorporating those terms and these General Provisions without further action required by either party.

Items are to be furnished as described in the bid and in strict conformity with all instructions, conditions, specifications, and provisions in the complete contract, as defined by this clause 28 or any related integrated agreement.

25. Protests

Protests by unsuccessful bidders to the selection for award shall be submitted in writing to the Purchasing Agent no later than ten (10) calendar days after award recommendation. The unsuccessful bidder shall have the right to appear at the City Council to protest any award to be confirmed by Council. Failure to submit a timely written protest to the Purchasing Agent shall bar consideration of such protest.

26. Documentation Due to the time constraints that affect contract performance, all required documents, certificates of insurance and bonds shall be provided to the City within ten (10) calendar days following award or date of request by City, whichever is later. Any failure to comply may result in bid being declared non-responsive and rejected, and at City’s option the bid bond may be attached for damages suffered.

27. Seller’s Invoice Invoices shall be prepared and submitted in duplicate to address shown on the Purchase Order. Separate invoices are required for each Purchase Order. Invoices shall contain the following information: Purchase Order number, item number, description of supplies or services, sizes, unit of measure, quantity, unit price and extended totals.

28. Document Ownership

a) All technical documents and records originated or prepared pursuant to this contract, including papers, reports, charts, and computer programs, shall be delivered to and become the exclusive property of the City and may be copyrighted by the City. Bidder assigns all copyrights to City by undertaking this agreement

b) All inventions, discoveries, enhancements, changes, or improvements of computer programs developed pursuant to this contract shall be the property of the City, and all patents or copyrights shall be assigned to City, unless otherwise agreed. Bidder agrees that City may make modifications to computer software furnished by bidder without infringing bidder’s copyright or any license granted to City.

29. Advertisements, Product Endorsements City employees and agencies or organizations funded by the City are prohibited from making endorsements, either implied or direct, of commercial products or services without written approval of the City Manager. No bidder may represent that the City of Chula Vista has endorsed their product or service without the Purchasing Agent’s prior written approval.

30. City Provisions to Prevail Except as indicated in the specifications, the City’s standard General Provisions shall govern any contract award.

Any standard terms and conditions of bidder submitted by bidder shall not be acceptable to City unless expressly agreed to by the City. The City reserves the right to reject bidder’s bid as non-responsive, to consider the bid without bidder’s standard terms and conditions, or to require bidder to delete reference to such as a condition of evaluation or award of the bid. If, after award of contract, bidder (contract vendor) shall provide materials or services accompanied by new or additional standard terms or conditions, they too shall be considered void and City may require deletion as a further condition of performance by Bidder. To the extent not otherwise provided for by the contract documents, the California Commercial Code shall apply.

31. Invalid Provisions In the event that any one or more of the provisions of this agreement shall be found to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in effect and be enforceable.

32. Amendments and Modifications The Purchasing Agent may at any time, by written order, and without notice to the sureties, make a modification to the contract or an amendment to the Purchase Order, within the general scope of this contract, in (1) quantity of materials or service, whether more or less; (2) drawings, designs, or specifications, where the supplies to be furnished are to be specially manufactured for the City; (3) method of shipment or packing; and (4) place of delivery. If any such change causes an increase or decrease in the cost or the time required for the performance of this contract, an equitable adjustment shall be made by written modification of the contract or amendment to the Purchase Order. Any claim by the bidder for adjustment under this clause must be asserted within 30 calendar days from the notification date.

33. Assignment Bidder shall not assign or delegate duties or responsibilities under this agreement, in whole or in part, without prior written approval of the City.

34. Disputes Except as otherwise provided in these provisions, any dispute concerning a question of fact arising under this contract which is not disposed of by agreement shall be decided by the Purchasing Agent, who shall reduce this decision to writing and mail a copy to the bidder. The decision of the Purchasing Agent shall be final and conclusive, unless bidder requests mediation within ten (10) calendar days. Pending final decision of a dispute, the bidder shall proceed diligently with the performance of the contract and in accordance with the Purchasing Agent’s decision.

35. Mediation Should an unresolved dispute arise out of this agreement, any party may request that it be submitted to mediation. The parties shall meet in mediation within thirty (30) days of a request. The mediator shall be agreed to by the mediating parties; in the absence of an agreement, the parties shall each submit one name from mediators listed by either the American Arbitration Association, the California State Board of Mediation and Conciliation, or other agreed-upon service. The mediator shall be selected by a Blindfold@ process.

The cost of mediation shall be borne equally by both parties. Neither party shall be deemed the prevailing party.

No party shall be permitted to file a legal action without first meeting in mediation and making a good faith attempt to reach a mediated settlement. The mediation process, once commenced by a meeting with the mediator, shall last until agreement is reached by the parties but not more than sixty (60) days, unless the maximum time is extended by both parties.

36. Lawful Performance Bidder shall abide by all Federal, State and Local Laws, Ordinances, Regulations, and Statutes as may be related to the performance of duties under this agreement. In addition, all applicable permits and licenses required shall be obtained by the bidder, at bidder’s sole expense.

37. Business License Chula Vista Municipal Code Section 5.02.020 requires all firm/entities doing business with the City to obtain a Business License. Section 5.02.20 states: It is unlawful for any person, or for any person as agent, clerk or employee, either for himself or for any other person, within the corporate limits of the City, to transact, engage in, or carry on any business, show, exhibition or game hereinafter specified without first having procured a license.

38. Annual Appropriation of Funds Multi-year term supply and service contracts and leases are subject to annual appropriation of funds by the City Council. Payments made under term contracts and leases are considered items of current expense. Purchase Orders are funded when issued; therefore, they are current expense items and are not subject to any subsequent appropriation of funds.

In the event sufficient funds are not appropriated for the payment of lease payments or anticipated term contract payments required to be paid in the next occurring lease or contract term, and if no funds are legally available from other sources, the lease or contract may be terminated at the end of the original term or renewal term and the City shall not be obligated to make further payments beyond the then current original or renewal term. The City will provide notice of its inability to continue the lease or contract at such time as the Purchasing Agent is aware of the non-appropriation of funds. However, failure to notify does not renew the term of the lease or contract. The City has no monetary obligation in event of termination or reduction of a term contract since such contracts represent estimated quantities and is not funded as a contract except to the extent of the Purchase Orders issued.

39. Extension When in the City’s best interest, this agreement may be extended on a daily, month-to-month, or annual basis by mutual agreement of both parties. Services and/or materials received under an extension shall be in accordance with pricing, terms, and conditions, as described herein.

40. Debarment The Purchasing Agent may recommend to the City Council that the person or business be debarred from consideration for award of contracts. The period of debarment will be contingent upon the severity of cause.

Causes for debarment include:

a) Conviction under state or federal statutes of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, receiving stolen property, or other offense indicating a lack of business integrity or business honesty

b) Violation of contract provisions which is regarded by the Purchasing Agent to be so serious as to justify debarment action, including:

i. Deliberate failure without good cause to perform in accordance with the specifications or within the time limit provided in the contract; or

ii. A recent record of failure to perform or of unsatisfactory performance in accordance with the terms of one or more contracts, or

iii. Two or more claims of computational error in bid submission within a two-year period.

c) Debarment by another governmental entity.

d) Any other cause the Purchasing Agent deems to be so serious and compelling as to affect responsibility as a City bidder. A bidder may be permanently debarred for the following causes:

i. Collusion in bidding

ii. Conviction for commission of a criminal offense as an incident to obtaining or attempting to obtain a contract or subcontract with the City of Chula Vista or in the performance of such contract or subcontract.

iii. Conviction under State or Federal antitrust statutes arising out of the submission of bids or proposals.

41. Venue This agreement shall be governed by and interpreted according to the laws of the State of California, and venue for any proceeding shall be in the County of San Diego.

(REV February 2021)