Grounds RFP 2024.pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP PUBLIC LIBRARY

GROUNDS MAINTENANCE AND SNOW REMOVAL SERVICES

November 14, 2024

Bloomfield Township Public Library is accepting firm, sealed bids for library grounds maintenance and snow removal service.

Bid guidelines are listed below. This request for proposals also can be obtained on BidNet or by emailing or calling Katherine Bryant, Assistant Director, at bryantka@btpl.org or 248-642-5800, ext. 114.

A mandatory walk-through will be held on Tuesday, December 3, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. All prospective vendors must attend. Bids submitted without attendance from an authorized vendor representative will not be considered. The meeting will begin with a review of the RFP, followed by a tour of the grounds and time for questions.

The deadline for bids is 3:00 p.m. on Friday, December 20, 2024. For a bid to receive consideration, it must be received prior to the deadline. No bids will be accepted after the deadline. Vendors can submit responses either electronically online or by paper/hardcopy:

Electronic responses may be submitted online via BidNet at https://www.bidnetdirect.com/mitn/btpl. Once logged into the system and viewing this notice, use the “Place a Bid” button at the top of the page. Follow the instructions to the end and ensure you receive a confirmation page that shows your response was successfully submitted. If you need assistance, please contact BidNet’s Vendor Support Department at 800-835-4603, Option 2. Do not wait until the last minute in case you encounter questions or technical issues. No proposals will be accepted after the time specified.

Hardcopy or paper RFP responses may be hand delivered or mailed. If submitted a hardcopy, please provide four (4) copies of the proposal in a sealed envelope marked with the name of the proposer and entitled “Bid for Library Grounds and Snow.” Address these to:

Katherine Bryant, Assistant Director Bloomfield Township Public Library 1099 Lone Pine Road Bloomfield Township, MI 48302

It is the proposer’s responsibility to ensure that bids are received in the proper location and by the deadline specified.

All bids will be publicly opened at 3:01 p.m. on Friday, December 20, 2024, at the Library.

All questions regarding this RFP should be directed to Katherine Bryant via email at bryantka@btpl.org with the subject line “Questions about Grounds and Snow RFP.”

https://www.bidnetdirect.com/mitn/btpl mailto:bryantka@btpl.org https://www.bidnetdirect.com/mitn/btpl mailto:bryantka@btpl.org

OVERVIEW

All bids should be quoted for a three-year period beginning on April 1, 2025 through March 31, 2027. The bid will be awarded for a minimum of one year with the option of renewal for two additional years.

Contract work should be considerate of the library’s hours of operation. All bids will adhere to the following practices: landscape maintenance, which includes lawn mowing, lawn fertilization, trimming, edging, weeding, and mulching of tree beds, spring and fall leaf clean-up, snow removal, and de-icing. The Library’s requirements for grounds maintenance and snow removal are as follows.

1. Lawn Fertilization

• Spring – fertilization and pre-emergent weed and crabgrass control.

• Early summer – fertilization and pre-emergent weed and crabgrass control.

• Late summer – fertilization.

• Fall – fertilization and broadleaf weed control.

• Grub control as necessary.

2. Lawn and Grounds Maintenance

A. Spring Clean-Up

• Remove all winter debris, dead leaves, sticks, broken branches, bushes, and trash accumulated over the winter season by raking, blowing, or sweeping debris from walks, building entrances, turf areas, parking lots islands, and beds, and dispose of properly.

• Remove all weeds by the roots from plant beds and dispose of them

• Remove all dead and broken branches from trees and bushes.

B. Fall Clean-Up

• Remove leaves and debris from the turf and beds in autumn weekly.

• The continuous removal of all fallen leaves, twigs, and branches from the property is to be performed as necessary whether or not "Fall Clean-Up" has commenced.

• Leaves are to be raked and swept, then removed from the property.

C. Mowing

• Ensure the mowing blades are sharp and set to 2.5-3.0 inches as frequently as needed to maintain this height. Include hauling debris as necessary. Commercial lawn care equipment is required.

• Police the lawn area prior to mowing. Remove all debris that could be dislodged by mowing operations. Mower blades shall be sharp and balanced for a quality cut. Worn or damaged blades are considered safety hazards and must be replaced immediately.

• Operate mowers so as not to permit discharge from chutes toward building, air intakes, mulch beds, flower beds, etc. In areas where this is difficult to do, the use of a grass catcher or a rear discharge mower is recommended. Grass clippings blown on hard surfaces shall be vacuumed or blown from the area.

Clippings shall not be left to accumulate in curbs or any other place they might collect. Signposts, signs, and walls shall be cleaned if grass clippings adhere to them.

• Perform trimming around monuments, flagpoles, fences, walls, trees, shrubs, flowers, ditches, culverts, etc., each time grass is cut. Trimming height shall be the same as grass cutting height.

• Extreme care is to be exercised when trimming around tree trunks, fences, signposts, buildings, shrubs, flower beds, or any other fixed object. Trimming equipment and cutting surfaces must not come in contact with or cause damage to any fixed objects.

• The first cutting should take place with spring clean-up and the last cutting with fall clean-up. Two fall clean-ups may be required.

• Each lawn cutting shall entail removing weeds, clippings, debris, and trash from all lawn areas as needed.

D. Edging

• Perform edging where and as needed. Edged areas shall be the same height as areas mowed with larger equipment. All edging equipment shall be operated vertically to prevent turf scalping.

• Establish and maintain a well-defined linear and curvilinear edge, where applicable, between lawns and adjacent areas.

• All sidewalks and curbs should be trimmed and power edged as needed. All lawns, flatwork concrete, and asphalt surfaces should be free of clippings and debris using leaf blowers.

• The edges of all lawns adjacent to planting beds, individual trees, building foundations, parking areas, utility vaults, signs, light poles, fences, guardrails, sidewalks, curbs, etc., shall be mechanically trimmed/edged before every other mowing and all clippings shall be removed. The use of chemicals for this purpose is not permitted.

• Any grass or weed growth within sidewalks or other pavement areas (cracks, expansion joints, curb lines, parking islands, etc.) shall be removed as necessary. The use of herbicides is permissible within paved areas.

• At the end of each visit, all sidewalks and parking lots shall be blown clear of landscape debris, and trash shall be removed. Curbs are to be cleaned with mechanical blowers and/or brooms to maintain a neat appearance.

• Leaves shall be removed from the beds during all visits for a crisp, clean look.

E. Pruning

• Perform two pruning visits, one by May 1 and the other in October, for all bushes, plants, and trees.

• Remove low-growing branches if they impede passing vehicle or pedestrian traffic or obscure oncoming traffic from view, and/or trim or remove branches that touch or scrape the building.

• Remove split or broken branches before they have the chance to come crashing down. Prune out low-hanging, whip-like branches (especially those with thorns) that may strike passersby.

• Cut out wayward branches, remove thin growth, remove suckers (stems growing up from the roots) and water sprouts (upright shoots growing from the trunk and branches).

• Remove dead or dying portions of plants and any diseased or insect-infected portions if other treatment methods cannot control the problem.

• Remove portions of plants injured or killed by winter conditions (frost).

3. Shrub, Evergreen and Groundcover Beds

• All flower beds are maintained and mulched by the library horticulturist. Site plan available upon request.

• All beds other than the flower beds maintained by the library horticulturist shall be maintained neat and weed-free by cultivating or weeding during regular visits to maintain an attractive appearance throughout the growing season.

• All shrubs, evergreens, trees, and ornamental grasses shall be pruned to remove dead or damaged branches and to contain the size to maintain the natural form of the plant, to maintain an “air” space between the plant and building, and to eliminate any branches which hang too low over walkways or parking areas.

• Lawn areas adjacent to beds shall be edged during Spring Clean-Up and one more time mid-season to prevent turf encroachment and maintain an attractive presentation throughout the growing season.

• All tree and shrub beds will be edged and maintained with the edging work. All planting beds will be kept clean of debris.

4. Trash & Rubbish

• Remove and properly dispose of any trash or rubbish found on the grounds during ground maintenance (grass-cutting) work. All trash shall be removed and disposed of.

5. Cleanup

• Upon completion of maintenance operations, the site shall be left in a neat, orderly, and workable condition. All walks, driveways, etc., shall be blown free of grass and other trimmings, mulch, dirt, clippings, etc., using brooms, blowers, or whatever equipment is appropriate for this purpose.

6. Mulch Replacement

• Install shredded hardwood mulch (up to 200 yards) covering 6 large tree beds plus 80 tree rings.

• Colored dye mulch is to be used in areas originally mulched per the landscape plan.

Mulch should be installed once a year to maintain a 3" layer. Existing mulch shall be removed as required to maintain the 3" depth.

• Edges should be reformed as needed to maintain a neat appearance.

7. Grounds Repair

• Each year after the initial Spring Clean-Up, the lawn should be thoroughly inspected for areas of poor growth or damage. These include areas damaged by foot or auto traffic, erosion, disease, insect infestation, etc.

• All bare spots, especially parking lot islands, shall be repaired by re-sodding or reseeding, as well as other areas of damage, regardless of cause

• Any holes, ruts, or erosion areas shall be filled in with screened topsoil and resodded or reseeded as appropriate to reestablish a smooth, stable surface. The contractor shall protect new lawn areas as required until establishment.

8. Damages to Grounds & Property

• Any and all damage to the irrigation system, plastic storm grates, vegetation, and/or fencing resulting from the use of lawnmowing equipment on the premises will be promptly assessed and necessary repairs or replacements will be carried out at the expense of the contractor.

9. Snow Removal and Deicing

• Snow removal and deicing of the library parking lot, drive-up return lane, delivery lane in front of waste collection area, and driveway entry de-acceleration lane, for snowfall over 1.5” and at the Library’s request.

• Salt shall be applied to all lots and drives for snowfalls of less than 1.5”, after each plowing service, when slippery conditions exist, and at the Library’s request. Per ton or application costs shall be specified in the proposal.

• Sidewalk shoveling is expected during off hours when the snowfall is 1.5” or greater.

Sidewalks should require no more than three (3) fifty (50) pound bags of ice melt (magnesium or calcium chloride blends only). USE OF ROCK SALT IS NOT

PERMITTED ON SIDEWALKS.

• Overnight snowfalls must be cleared from the parking lot and sidewalks before 7:30 a.m., before the Library opens for business, seven (7) days a week, Monday through Sunday, and as needed during snowfalls between the hours of 7:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.

• Snow plowing must start with the west parking lot for employees and early arrival parking.

• Snowbanks and piles should not block visibility in the parking lot or drives and should not exceed four (4) feet in height. Snow removal from the premises should be provided at the Library’s request.

• Snow removal must be completed with industry-standard commercial snow plowing equipment.

• Provide pricing for both seasonal and per-push options, fixed price of road salt (per ton), and sidewalk ice melt. Include percentage of annual cost increases for each over the course of three (3) successive years. The seasonal service period is from November 15 through April 15 of each year of the contract.

PROPOSED TIMELINE

Thursday, November 14, 2024 – Grounds Maintenance and Snow Removal RFP released.

Tuesday, December 3, 2024, 10:00 a.m. – Mandatory bid walk-through at the Library.

Friday, December 20, 2024, 3:00 p.m. – Deadline for bids and 3:01 p.m. public bid opening.

Tuesday, February 18, 2025, 7:00pm – Bid awarded at the regularly scheduled monthly Library Board meeting.

Tuesday, April 1, 2025 – Contract begins.

PROPOSAL ELEMENTS & SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Company Information Provide contact information including company name, address, website, primary contact person, telephone number, and email address. Include the year the company was established, number of employees, and a list of equipment available to complete the requested work in this bid. Also, provide proof of being bonded and insured.

References Provide contact names and phone numbers for at least three organizations for which you have recently provided grounds maintenance and snow removal services. Provide contact names and phone numbers, plus references, for any subcontractors with whom you work to complete the contract work.

Grounds Maintenance and Snow Removal Experience Discuss your experience in providing grounds maintenance and snow removal services – list only experience at companies of comparable size. Comment on the library grounds, noting any special features or unusual circumstances.

Description of work Be specific as to the description of the work to be performed, equipment used in the performance of this work, and any and all materials to be used.

Budget Indicate your costs for grounds maintenance and snow removal/deicing services separately.

Break out the costs for each part of the bid. Indicate any costs that may be optional and/or ways to decrease costs of requested services. This will allow for adjustments to the budget as necessary. Specify monthly or quarterly billing periods with bottom line summary of charges.

Availability Address your availability, reliability, and flexibility to meet library needs for this contract.

All bids submitted will remain firm for a period of one hundred twenty (120) days and valid throughout the life of the contract.

Bloomfield Township Public Library reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids, either in whole or in part; to award the contract to other than the lowest bidder; to waive any irregularities and/or informalities; and in general, to make awards in any manner deemed to be in the best interests of the Library. Award of the bid work may include all or some of the above components.

The successful bidder will declare and stipulate that its bid is made in good faith, without collusion or connection with any other person or persons bidding for the same work, and that the prices quoted include all terms, insurance, royalties, transportation charges, allowances, taxes, use of all tools and equipment, overhead, profit, etc., necessary to fully complete the work in accordance with the request for bids documents.

Bids will be evaluated on the information provided, including the completeness of the bid and information supplied.