IFB 2027-06 Specifications.pdf

OFFICE OF PROCUREMENT

AND CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

6751 Columbia Gateway Drive, Suite 226, Columbia, MD 21046 https://www.howardcountymd.gov/Departments/County- Administration/Procurement-and-Contract-Administration

Rev. 9.12.25

INVITATION FOR BIDS

Via eProcurement System

IFB NO. 2027-06

LITTLE PATUXENT WATER RECLAMATION PLANT ON-CALL

CONTROL SYSTEMS ENGINEER

CAPITAL PROJECT NO. S6602

OPENING: SEPTEMBER 16, 2026 AT 11:00 A.M.

PRE-BID CONFERENCE: AUGUST 13, 2026 AT 2:00 P.M.

BUYER: Michael V. Decker, CPPB

PHONE: 410-313-6375 EMAIL: mdecker@howardcountymd.gov

HOWARD COUNTY, MARYLAND

NOTICE OF LETTING

OFFICE OF PROCUREMENT AND CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

6751 COLUMBIA GATEWAY DRIVE, SUITE 226

COLUMBIA, MARYLAND 21046

INVITATION FOR BIDS NO. 2027-06

LITTLE PATUXENT WATER RECLAMATION PLANT ON-CALL SYSTEMS ENGINEER

CAPITAL PROJECT NUMBER S6602

A PRE-BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD VIRTUALLY, VIA WEBEX, ON AUGUST 13, 2026 AT 2:00

P.M. PLEASE VISIT PLANETBIDS FOR THE MEETING LINK.

OPENING: SEPTEMBER 16, 2026 AT 11:00 AM

Howard County intends to procure the services of one or more firms to perform on-call Control Systems Integrator (CSI) projects for the County’s water and sewer facilities, with most work primarily located at the Little Patuxent Water Reclamation Plant (LPWRP) in Savage, Maryland. The on-call projects will be assigned as needed and may include, but are not limited to, the design, fabrication, configuration, programming, testing, startup, and complete implementation of electrical instrumentation and control systems.

This project is in SHA Cost Group “A”.

The solicitation with instructions to the bidders will be posted electronically on PlanetBids on July 28, 2026. PlanetBids is the only location where this solicitation will be available. To view, download or print the solicitation, please use the link provided here: Planet Bids, Howard County

For Procurement Questions, Contact: Michael Decker at mdecker@howardcountymd.gov or (410) 313-6375.

Howard County, Maryland Office of Procurement and Contract Administration

Gateway Building, Suite 226 6751 Columbia Gateway Drive

Columbia, Maryland 21046

INVITATION FOR BIDS NO. 2027-06

LITTLE PATUXENT WATER RECLAMATION PLANT

ON-CALL CONTROL SYSTEMS ENGINEER

CAPITAL PROJECT NUMBER S6602

SECTION DESCRIPTION NUMBER

OF PAGES

NOTICE OF LETTING 1

A INFORMATION FOR CONTRACTORS 13

B GENERAL CONDITIONS 1

C SPECIAL PROVISIONS 10

D TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS 0

E SAMPLE DOCUMENTS TO BE EXECUTED UPON CONTRACT AWARD

Performance Bond 4 Payment Bond 3 Contractor Agreement 3 Attachment to Contractor Agreement 3

IMPORTANT: ADVISE OFFICE OF PROCUREMENT AND CONTRACT

ADMINISTRATION IMMEDIATELY IN THE EVENT ANY OF THE ABOVE

SECTIONS ARE MISSING.

SECTION A

Invitation for Bids No. 2027-06

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INFORMATION FOR

CONTRACTORS

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INFORMATION FOR CONTRACTORS

CONTENTS

PARAGRAPH TITLE PAGE NO.

1. Submission of Bid Documents A-1

2. Bid Deposit A-2

3. Performance / Payment Bond A-2

4. Bidder’s Qualifications A-2

5. Estimated Quantities A-4

6. Method of Award A-4

7. Work Schedule A-4

8. Prohibitions Against Discrimination A-5

9. Cooperative Purchasing A-6

10. Protest A-6

11. Authority A-6

12. Maryland Registration A-6

13. Background Checks and Investigations A-6

14. Insurance A-7 15 Integration and Modification A-8

16. Agreement A-8

17. Governing Law A-8

18. American Manufactured Goods A-9

19. Availability of Funds A-9

20. Disputes A-9

21. Non-Assignment of Agreement A-9

22. Public Information/Proprietary/Confidential Information A-10

23. Contract Period A-10

24. Price Adjustment A-10

25. Method of Purchase A-10

26. Billing and Payment A-11

27. Subcontracting A-12

28. Performance and Payment Bond Reimbursement A-13

A-1

INFORMATION FOR CONTRACTORS

1. SUBMISSION OF BID DOCUMENTS

1.1 Failure to attach the required documents may be cause for rejection of bid.

1.2 Unless otherwise specified, all formal bids submitted shall be irrevocable for 120 calendar days following the bid opening date.

1.3 Proposals made on anything other than the attached documents will not be considered.

Changes in phraseology of the proposal, additions, or limiting provisions, will render the proposal nonresponsive and may cause its rejection.

1.4 Each bid shall be accompanied by the Affidavit regarding price fixing, gratuities, bribery, and discriminatory employment practices. When the Contractor is a corporation, a duly authorized representative of said corporation shall execute the Affidavit.

1.5 The Foreign Services Disclosure Form must accompany bids for construction-related services, architectural services, engineering services and energy performance contract services of $2 million or more. Section 12-111 of the Maryland State Finance and Procurement Article requires bidders to local governments to make certain disclosures regarding plans, at the time the bid is submitted, to perform any services under the contract outside the United States. When applicable, the Foreign Services Disclosure form is provided in the solicitation package.

1.6 All bidders must be familiar with the general conditions, terms, and regulations for the bid.

In case of conflicts between the contract documents, the order of precedence shall be: (1) Addenda to Invitations for Bids; (2) Information for Contractors; (3) Special Provisions;

(4) Plans (Drawings); (5) Technical Specifications; (6) Volume IV Design Manual, Standard Specifications and Details for Construction; (7) SHA Standard “Standard Specifications for Construction and Materials”.

1.7 If a discrepancy in or omission from the specifications is found, or if a Contractor is in doubt as to their meaning, or feels that the specifications are discriminatory, the Contractor shall notify the Buyer in writing not later than ten (10) days prior to the scheduled opening of bids. Exceptions taken do not obligate the County to change the specifications. The Issuing Office will notify all Contractors of any changes, additions or deletions to the specifications by addenda. The County will not consider any exceptions to the terms, conditions and specifications after the solicitation closing date and time.

1.8 The submission of a proposal on this work and service will be considered as a representation that the bidder has carefully investigated (1) all conditions which affect or may, at some future date, affect the performance of the work or services covered by the proposal, (2) the entire area to be serviced as described in the attached specifications and other contract documents and that the bidder is fully informed concerning the conditions to be encountered; and (3) the character, quality and quantity of work to be performed and equipment and materials to be furnished. Also, that the bidder is familiar with all Federal, State, and County laws, all codes and ordinances of the County which in any way affect

A-2 the prosecution of the work or persons engaged or employed in the work or the materials and equipment used in the work.

1.9 Any quantities given under the various items of the proposal are approximate only and subject to increase or decrease, as provided in the contract, without changing the unit prices to be paid for the work.

1.10 The County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, and to waive informalities as the interest of the County may require.

2. BID DEPOSIT

2.1 Each bid submission shall be accompanied by an electronic copy of bid bond OR certified check. The bid deposit shall be 2% of the total bid for bids less than $100,000, and 5% of the total bid for bids of $100,000 and greater, made payable to “Director of Finance, Howard County”.

2.2 For a certified check, Contractor shall submit the original certified check to the Office of

Procurement and Contract Administration PRIOR to the bid due date and time to be deemed responsive.

2.3 The bond is to be forfeited, as liquidated damages in the event that this bid is accepted, and the above signed bidder shall refuse or neglect to execute the Contract and furnish the stipulated Bond under the conditions and time set forth in the Specifications.

3. PERFORMANCE/PAYMENT BOND

A performance bond and payment bond for the full amount of the contract price shall be required of the successful bidder within 10 days after award notification. Said bond shall be issued by a surety company subject to approval of Howard County.

4. BIDDER’S QUALIFICATIONS

4.1 Relevant Experience

Bidders shall have at least ten (10) years of continuous experience with providing control system services for water or wastewater facility control systems of comparable size and/or complexity to the Little Patuxent Water Reclamation Plant (LPWRP), including specifically work on Foxboro Distributed Control Systems (DCS) and Rockwell Automation/Allen Bradley Process Control Systems (PCS).

The bidder shall have completed at least five (5) control system integrator projects totaling $100,000 or more within the past nine (9) years under the supervision of the bidder’s Project Manager or Lead Programmer to be assigned to this contract, and at least two (2) of these five (5) projects shall have been work on a Foxboro DCS, and at least two (2) of these five (5) projects shall have been work on a Rockwell Automation/Allen Bradley PCS.

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The Bidder’s Project Manager and Lead Programmer shall be direct employees of the bidder and have at least five (5) years of relevant systems integration project experience in the water and wastewater industry.

4.2 The bidding Contractor/Company shall meet the following minimum requirements:

The bidding Contractor/Company shall be regularly engaged in the business of instrumentation and controls, including relevant projects requiring furnishing, coordination, installation, and programming of instrumentation and control equipment.

The bidding Contractor/Company shall demonstrate the requisite resources of in-house staff, facilities, and finances needed to complete the project specified. These resources shall include personnel who are direct payroll employees of the Contractor/Company to engineer, design, implement, fabricate, stage, program, and test entire integrated hardware and software systems at the Contractor’s/Company’s facilities. In-house personnel shall include all disciplines associated with system manufacture, fabrication, and integration to include but not be limited to engineering, drafting, analog and digital control systems and wiring design, construction, wiring, labeling, software configuration, test/demonstration programming, project management, quality control, field engineering, and training.

The bidding Contractor/Company shall have an active, permanent office facility with qualified personnel such that they can be onsite at the LPWRP within eight (8) hours of the County’s request for urgent control system needs. The bidding Contractor/Company’s Project Manager shall be based out of this office.

The bidding Contractor/Company shall maintain a UL 508-listed fabrication shop for the assembly of the various control panels, cabinets, consoles, instrument racks, enclosures, and wiring required for this project. This shop shall be available for inspection by the Engineer to observe quality control and workmanship. The bidding Contractor/Company’s facilities shall include hardware and software owned by bidding Contractor/Company for development and support of any system software, and any testing and demonstration equipment to be utilized on the project. The bidding Contractor/Company shall have a system of traceability through purchase, production, assembly, and testing for the components incorporated into this project.

4.3 Bidders shall document this experience on the Qualifications Questionnaire and provide a detailed list of recently completed projects meeting the specified experience requirements.

The experience of owner(s) may be imputed to a newly formed company/contractor provided the owner(s) has/have at least ten (10) years of demonstrated experience of reliability and meets the criteria set forth herein.

4.4 The Qualifications Questionnaire shall be completed by all Bidders. Only the information contained in the Qualifications Questionnaire will be considered in evaluating the Bidder’s qualifications. Attachments (unless specifically requested), company brochures or submittals in any other format will not be considered in evaluating the qualifications of the Bidder. Bidders may reproduce sections of the Qualifications Questionnaire form as needed to provide the required information necessary to adequately demonstrate their experience.

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4.5 The County reserves the right to check references furnished and consider the responses received in determining award of this bid. The County reserves the right to request additional project references in its due diligence. The County will not contact Bidders for clarifications of illegible information, wrong names, wrong phone numbers, or wrong addresses provided by Bidders on the Qualifications Questionnaire. Incomplete submittals or unverifiable information may not be considered in the evaluation.

4.6 The County reserves the right to inspect the Bidders’ equipment, request resumes or past work experience of key personnel or to interview key personnel to be assigned to the contract.

4.7 Contracts shall be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder meeting all the specifications. In accordance with Howard County Code Sec. 4.117 (a) (4), the quality of performance of previous contracts or services shall be considered in determining the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. The County reserves the right to reject any bid deemed not responsible or non-responsive.

5. ESTIMATED QUANTITIES

The estimated quantities stated are provided as a general guide for bidding and are not guaranteed.

Actual quantities may be more or less than those estimated. The County reserves the right to add, change or delete items as deemed necessary.

6. METHOD OF AWARD

6.1 Howard County intends to make award(s) to one or more prime Contractors for the same line items, effectively to the lowest responsive responsible bidder(s) meeting all the specifications, having submitted all the required documents, and meeting all necessary experience and reference requirements for the total bid.

6.2 When a need arises, the County will contact a Contractor to provide a proposal using the fees submitted in their bid necessary to complete the required work. If the County and the Contractor cannot come to an agreement on the level of effort involving labor, equipment, and materials required for the task, or if that Contractor cannot provide the services requested within a timely fashion, the County may request a proposal from a second Contractor.

6.3 The assignment of work shall be at the sole discretion of the County. The bidder(s) shall waive any claim against the County for extra compensation or damages arising out of assignment of work by the County.

7. WORK SCHEDULE

7.1 The County observes a five-day workweek and the following holidays:

New Year's Day Martin Luther King, Jr. Day President's Day Good Friday

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Memorial Day Juneteenth

Independence Day, Fourth of July Labor Day Indigenous People’s Day Veterans Day Thanksgiving Day Friday after Thanksgiving Christmas Day

7.2 If any holiday occurs on Sunday, the following Monday shall be considered a holiday. If the holiday occurs on Saturday, the Friday immediately preceding shall be considered a holiday.

7.3 The Contractor will not be permitted to work on the above-mentioned holidays or

Saturdays unless requested 48 hours in advance by written notice. The Engineer will authorize this in writing and the Contractor will not be charged for the inspector’s time. In the event that the Contractor fails to work its forces as indicated in its written request, it shall be charged a minimum of one-half (1/2) day for inspection time at the overtime rate.

7.4 The normal number of working hours per day on this contract will be limited to nine (9), unless otherwise authorized by the Engineer in writing.

7.5 In case of emergency, which may require that work be done on Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, or longer than nine hours per day, the Contractor shall request permission of the Engineer to do so. If, in the opinion of the Engineer, the emergency is bona fide, he will grant permission to the Contractor to work such hours as may be necessary. Also, if in the opinion of the Engineer a bona fide emergency exists, he may direct the Contractor to work such hours as may be necessary whether the Contractor requests permission to do so or not.

7.6 All work shall be coordinated with the County’s Engineer, or his designee. The Engineer will notify the Contractor at least 5 working days in advance (except for emergency situations) of requiring a crew to begin work. In addition, the Contractor shall be required to observe the following:

7.6.1 The Contractor shall provide the Engineer with at least 24 hours’ notice, by telephone, prior to the start of any work under this contract. Failure to provide such notification will be considered unsatisfactory performance and may result in termination of the contract.

7.6.2 In the event that the Contractor’s scheduled work is delayed or canceled for any reason, the Contractor shall notify the Engineer by 7:30 A.M. on the scheduled starting day

7.7 The amount of liquidated damages for this contract shall be $500.00 per calendar day.

8. PROHIBITIONS AGAINST DISCRIMINATION

The Contractor and all subcontractors shall not engage in any unlawful employment practice prohibited by law in connection with the work to be done under this contract. The Contractor shall

A-6 not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, creed, color or national origin. The Contractor will take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed and that employees are treated during employment without regard to race, creed, color or national origin.

9. COOPERATIVE PURCHASING

9.1 The County reserves the right to extend all of the terms, conditions, specifications, and unit or other prices of any contract resulting from this bid to any and all public bodies, subdivisions, school districts, community colleges, colleges and universities including non-public schools. This is conditioned upon mutual agreement of all parties pursuant to special requirements which may be appended thereto. The supplier/Contractor agrees to notify the issuing body of those entities that wish to use any contract resulting from this bid and will also provide usage information, which may be requested.

9.2 The County assumes no authority, liability or obligation, on behalf of any other public or non-public entity that may use any contract resulting from this bid. All purchases and payment transactions will be made directly between the Contractor and the requesting entity. Any exceptions to this requirement must be specifically noted in the bid response.

10. PROTEST

Any protest concerning the award of an Agreement shall be decided by the County. Protests shall be made in writing to the Issuing Office and shall be filed within ten days of issuance of award notification. A protest is considered filed when received by the Issuing Office. The written protest shall include the name and address of the protestor, identification of the procurement, a statement of the specific reason for the protest and supporting exhibits. The Issuing Office will respond to the written protest within ten days. The County’s decision is final.

11. AUTHORITY

Solicitations are issued pursuant and subject to the provisions of Article VIII, Howard County Charter; Sections 4.100 through 4.123, Howard County Code, 2003; and the rules and regulations as prescribed by the County.

12. MARYLAND REGISTRATION

Contractors must be registered to do business in, and must be in good standing in, the State of Maryland. Contractors not registered must obtain registration information from the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation website at: www.dat.state.md.us/ or by calling 410-767- 1184 or Toll Free 888-246-5941.

13. BACKGROUND CHECKS AND INVESTIGATIONS

13.1 If a Contractor’s employees or subcontractors are on-site in County buildings working without a County escort, each employee or subcontractor of the Contractor shall agree to a background check or investigation consisting of national criminal database search covering misdemeanors and felonies and the release of that information to the County in the event that it is required.

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13.2 The Contractor shall assume the cost to have background checks completed for each employee or subcontractor assigned to each facility. The County may bill the Contractor $100 for each standard background check. Public safety buildings require a higher level of security and in-depth background checks referred to as “investigations”. The County may bill the Contractor $250 for each in-depth background investigation. This fee, when billed to the Contractor, shall be payable to the County prior to the check or investigation being conducted.

13.3 The background checks or investigations shall include all employees, new employees, subcontractors and replacement employees to be completed prior to assignment of a building. The checks or investigations will be conducted by the County. The Contractor shall submit the proper forms (provided by the County) to the appropriate County agency, which will be determined if background checks or investigations are necessary.

13.4 The Contractor shall not assign any individual convicted of the following offenses which shall include, but are not limited to: Abduction, Homicide, Rape, Aggravated Assault, Sex Offender, Assault with Intent to Murder, or Assault with Intent to Rob.

13.5 The Contractor shall not assign any individual convicted or having incomplete probation for the following offenses which shall include, but are not limited to: Burglary, Breaking and Entering, Carrying or Wearing a Weapon, Destruction of Property, Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance with Intent to Distribute, Explosives, Kidnapping, Theft/Larceny, Maiming, Manslaughter, Sexual Assault, Hate Crimes, Robbery, and Distribution of a Controlled Substance.

13.6 The Contractor reserves the right to seek exception to the above guidelines governing acceptability for assignment to the facility by providing documented specifics pertaining to convictions of the employee in question. The County will, at its sole discretion, accept or reject the requested exception.

14. INSURANCE

The Contractor shall be required to purchase and maintain during the life of the Agreement, including any subsequent renewal terms, Commercial General Liability Insurance, Automobile Liability Insurance, and Worker's Compensation Insurance with limits of not less than those set forth below:

14.1 Commercial General Liability Insurance: Combined Single Liability limits of $1,000,000 each occurrence and $1,000,000 aggregate naming “Howard County, Maryland, its officials, employees, agents and volunteers” as Certificate Holder and as Additional Insured.

14.2 Automobile Liability Insurance: Combined Single Liability limit of $1,000,000 any one accident.

14.3 Worker's Compensation Insurance: Statutory coverage for Maryland jurisdiction, including Employer's Liability coverage, with a limit of at least $100,000.

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14.4 The Contractor shall assure that all subcontractors or independent contractors performing services in accordance with this solicitation carry identical insurance coverage as required of the Contractor, either individually or as an Additional Insured on the policies of the Contractor. Exceptions may be made only with the approval of the County. The Contractor shall indemnify the County for any uninsured losses relating to contractual services involving subcontractors, including workers' compensation claims.

14.5 The Contractor shall provide the County with Certificates of Insurance within ten days of award notification, naming “Howard County, Maryland, its officials, employees, agents and volunteers” as Certificate Holder and as Additional Insured on the certificate. Failure to provide the certificates as required shall result in rejection of award by the County. Such certificates shall provide that the County be given at least 30 days prior written notice of any cancellation of, intention to not renew, or material change in such coverage.

14.6 The providing of any insurance required herein does not relieve the Contractor of any of the responsibilities or obligations assumed by the Contractor in the Agreement awarded or for which the Contractor may be liable by law or otherwise.

14.7 Failure to provide and continue to enforce such insurance as required above shall be deemed a material breach of the Agreement and shall operate as an immediate termination thereof.

14.8 Failure to comply with this requirement at any time during the initial term and any subsequent renewals may be sufficient cause for termination for default.

15. INTEGRATION AND MODIFICATION

This solicitation, the Contractor's response to this solicitation, subsequent Purchase Order(s), and, if applicable, the legal Agreement represents the entire understanding between the parties. Any additions or modifications shall only be made in writing and executed by both parties.

16. AGREEMENT

16.1 The County and Contractor must execute an Agreement resulting from the award of this solicitation. In order to expedite this process, a sample standard Agreement is attached for review as part of this solicitation. Exceptions, if any, to the County’s standard Agreement, Section E, must be noted in the bid to be considered during evaluation. The County will not accept any exceptions to the Agreement after the opening date and time of this solicitation. Exceptions to the County’s standard Agreement may result in rejection of the bid.

16.2 Do not fill in or sign the sample Agreement attached. The County will prepare an Agreement specific to this solicitation for execution by the successful Contractor.

17. GOVERNING LAW

17.1 This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Maryland without regard to any choice of law principles that would dictate the laws of any other jurisdiction. The parties agree that the exclusive venue for any and all actions related hereto shall be the appropriate Federal or State court located within the State

A-9 of Maryland.

17.2 The laws of Maryland and Howard County shall govern the resolution of any issue arising in connection with the contract, including, but not limited to, all questions on the validity of the contract, the capacity of the parties to enter therein, any modification or amendment thereto, and the rights and obligations of the parties hereunder.

18. AMERICAN MANUFACTURED GOODS REQUIRED FOR PUBLIC WORKS

18.1 The Contractor shall comply with Section 14-416 of the Maryland State Finance and

Procurement Article which requires a Contractor or subcontractor to use or supply American Manufactured goods in the performance of a contract for (a) constructing or maintaining a public work; or (b) buying or manufacturing machinery or equipment that is to be installed at a public work site, as the same may be amended from time to time.

18.2 This section does not apply: (a) if the County determines that: (i) the price of the American manufactured goods exceeds the price of a similar manufactured good that is not manufactured in the United States by an unreasonable amount; (ii) the item or a similar item is not manufactured or available for purchase in the United States in reasonably available quantities; (iii) the quality of the item or a similar item manufactured in the United States is substantially less than the quality of a comparably priced, similar, and available item that is not manufactured in the United States; or (iv) the procurement of a manufactured good would be inconsistent with the public interest; or (b) to emergency life safety and property safety goods.

18.3 The Contractor shall certify to the County whether the offered goods and/or services are provided in the United States.

19. AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS

The contractual obligation of the County under this Agreement is contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds from which payment for this Agreement can be made.

20. DISPUTES

In cases of disputes as to whether or not an item or service quoted or delivered meets specifications, the decision of the County Purchasing Agent or Designee shall be final and binding on all parties All other disputes arising under or related to the Agreement will be resolved, to the extent possible, by negotiation and settlement between the parties Pending resolution, the Contractor shall proceed diligently with performance of the Agreement unless otherwise directed in writing.

21. NON-ASSIGNMENT OF AGREEMENT

Neither the County nor the Contractor shall assign, sublet or transfer its interest or obligations under the resulting Agreement to any third party, without the written consent of the other Nothing herein shall be construed to create any personal or individual liability upon any employee, officer or elected official of the County, nor shall the resulting Agreement be construed to create any rights hereunder in any person or entity other than the parties to this Agreement.

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22. PUBLIC INFORMATION/PROPRIETARY/CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

22.1 The County operates under a public information law, which permits access to most records and documents.

22.2 Bids will be available for public inspection after the award announcement, except to the extent that a Contractor designates trade secrets or other proprietary data to be confidential Material designated as confidential must be readily separable from the remainder of the bid to facilitate public inspection of the nonconfidential portion of the bid A Contractor's designation of material as confidential will not necessarily be conclusive, and the Contractor may be required to provide justification why such material should not be disclosed, on request, under the Maryland Access to Public Records Act, State Government Article, Sections 10-611 through 10-628, of the Annotated Code of Maryland.

23. CONTRACT PERIOD

23.1 This is a requirements-type contract for 1 year commencing on or about December 1, 2026 after approval and proper execution of the contract documents, with a renewal option for 4 additional years, in one-year increments, exercisable at the sole discretion of the County.

23.2 In the event the County exercises its option to renew this contract beyond the initial one year period, the prices for the renewal term shall be the price bid for the initial contract plus the adjustment defined in Paragraph 19, Price Adjustment.

24. PRICE ADJUSTMENT

24.1 Prices offered shall be firm against any increase for one year from the effective date of this

Agreement. Prior to the commencement of subsequent renewal periods, it shall be the Contractor’s responsibility to notify the Issuing Office in advance of any requested price changes.

24.2 Requests for price adjustments must be submitted to the Issuing Office, not the User Agency.

24.3 The County will entertain requests for escalation in accordance with the current Consumer

Price Index at the time of the request or up to a maximum 5% increase on the current pricing, whichever is lower. (For purposes of this section, “Consumer Price Index” shall be the Mid-Atlantic Consumer Price Index-All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), Baltimore- Columbia-Towson, MD, All Items, Not Seasonally Adjusted, as published by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.) The County reserves the right to grant or deny the request for a price increase and will do so in writing. If the price increase is approved, the price increase will be effective upon written approval and will remain firm through the renewal period.

25. METHOD OF PURCHASE

25.1 For work performed in conjunction with capital improvement projects and programs, the Contractor shall provide a separate cost estimate for each work assignment. The cost estimate shall be based on the unit prices bid for labor plus approved material, subcontracting, and performance and payment bond costs.

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25.2 In addition to the cost estimate, the Contractor may be requested to provide a cost per item breakdown, a lump sum cost or a combination of per item and lump sum costs for payment purposes. The County will direct the Contractor as to the form of the cost breakdown for each specific project. A notice to proceed and release purchase order will be issued for each such project.

25.3 For work performed in conjunction with the County’s operation and maintenance program the Contractor will be required to provide a construction cost estimate based on the unit prices provided in the Bid. A notice to proceed and release purchase order will be issued for each such project.

25.4 For work performed under an emergency or urgent basis, as requested by the County, a telephone call from the County will authorize the initiation of work. This verbal authorization will be followed by written confirmation and release purchase order.

Payment will be made on a time and materials basis in accordance with the unit prices provided in the Bid.

26. BILLING AND PAYMENT

26.1 Labor

26.1.1 Only individuals who actually worked on the construction project shall be billed to the project and individuals shall only be billed for hours actually worked on the construction project. The hourly rates bid in the online e-bidding system shall include the cost of payroll burden, overhead, insurances, profit, equipment, transportation, fuel, tools or other incidentals for that labor classification to satisfactorily provide the bid item for an 8-hour work day. There shall be no hidden fees.

26.1.2 For work hours on the job site exceeding 8 hours per day by order of the engineer, the hourly labor rates will be 150% of the bid rate. For work on holidays or weekends by order of the engineer, the hourly labor rates will be 150% of the bid rate. When work is completed prior to the end of the working day or when work is stopped by order or approval of the Engineer because of inclement weather or other reason, payment will be made based on the hourly rates bid in the Proposal as follows:

26.1.2.1 Work in progress less than 4 hours - payment for 4 hours at the hourly rate for each employee.

26.1.2.2 Work in progress more than 4 hours but less than 8 hours - payment for 8 hours at the hourly rate for each employee.

26.1.2.3 Work in progress more than 8 hours on any 1 day - for that labor authorized in excess of 8 hours, payment at the hourly rate plus 50 percent.

26.2 Materials

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26.2.1 Materials and material pricing shall be approved prior to start of work efforts under this contract. The Contractor shall be responsible for the payment of all taxes associated with any and all work under this contract. To ensure fair pricing, the Contractor may be asked to provide pricing from 2 or more suppliers for the same or similar items meeting the County’s specifications. The County reserves the right to reject materials or material suppliers based on price, schedule or past performance on County projects.

26.2.2 Materials authorized by the County to be purchased by the Contractor and incorporated into the work efforts shall be reimbursed based on the Contractor’s actual cost plus a percentage of the material cost as the Contractor’s mark-up.

26.2.3 The Contractor shall provide in the online e-bidding system the mark-up percentage that the Contractor will accept for materials authorized by the County for installation under this contract. In no case shall the Contractor’s mark-up percentage for materials exceed 10%.

26.3 Travel Time

Hourly rates for labor apply to a designated work site. Payment will be authorized for time to transport personnel and/or equipment to the job site at the beginning of the work day or from the job site at the end of the work day. Payment for travel time shall not exceed 45 minutes to transport personnel and/or equipment to the job site at the beginning of the work day or 45 minutes at the end of the work day. Hourly charges shall apply in the event the Contractor is directed to deploy personnel and/or equipment between 2 or more job sites The travel time will be reimbursed as straight time for labor, and will not count towards the 8 hour job site workday.

26.4 Invoices

All invoices for work performed shall include the following information: purchase order number, name of County Project Manager, name of Department and Bureau for whom the work was done, itemized list of labor type, labor hours, equipment type, equipment hours, unit bid prices, extension of each bid item, materials furnished and material invoices or material payment receipts. Daily work order tickets, prepared by the Contractor and signed by the County Inspector, shall accompany each invoice. The work order tickets shall include a description of work completed and all labor and materials used.

27. SUBCONTRACTING

27.1 The Contractor may subcontract items of work with the approval of the County.

27.2 If subcontracted services are required, the Contractor shall submit for approval, the names of the subcontractors, identifying the work to be subcontracted, and the subcontractors’ cost estimates as part of the Contractor’s total price proposal to perform the overall task.

All subcontractors and costs shall be approved in advance of any work. To ensure fair pricing for subcontracted work, the Contractor may be asked to provide pricing from 2 or more subcontractors for the same service. The County reserves the right to reject a subcontractor based on price, schedule or the subcontractor’s past performance on County projects.

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27.3 Following completion of the subcontractor’s work, the Contractor shall provide copies of the subcontractor’s invoices to evidence that the work has been completed along with the quantities and cost for that work. The County will reimburse the Contractor for the cost of the approved subcontracted work plus a percentage of the subcontracted cost as the Contractor’s mark-up. The Contractor shall provide in the online e-bidding system the mark-up percentage that the Contractor will accept for subcontracted work authorized by the County under this Contract In no case shall the Contractor’s mark-up percentage for subcontracted work exceed 15%.

28. PERFORMANCE AND PAYMENT BOND REIMBURSEMENT

The County will reimburse the Contractor for the cost of Performance and Payment bonds required by the terms of the Contract The Contractor shall provide in the online e-bidding system the mark-up percentage that the Contractor will accept for Performance and Payment Bond Reimbursement for projects authorized by the County under this contract. In no case shall the Contractor’s mark-up percentage for Performance and Payment bonds exceed 2%.

SECTION B

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GENERAL CONDITIONS

SECTION B

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GENERAL CONDITIONS

The Howard County Design Manual, Volume IV, Standard Specifications and Details for Construction, approved and adopted on May 30, 2017 and all subsequent amendments, are hereby made a part of this contract Where reference is made herein or on the Contract Drawings to the Standard Specifications, or Details, it shall be interpreted to refer to the above Howard County Specifications.

Where reference is made to the General Conditions, it shall refer to the General Conditions contained in the above referenced Howard County Design Manual, Volume IV, Standard Specifications and Details for Construction

SECTION C

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SPECIAL PROVISIONS

SECTION C

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SPECIAL PROVISIONS

CONTENTS

PARAGRAPH TITLE PAGE NO.

1 General C-1 2 Scope of Work C-1 3 Method of Purchase C-2 4 Billing and Payment C-3 5 Subcontracting C-4 6 Performance and Payment Bond Reimbursement C-4 7 Addenda C-4 8 Subsurface Data C-5 9 Use of Explosives C-5 10 Permits C-5 11 Existing Utilities C-5 12 Maintenance of Traffic C-5 13 Cost Groups C-6 14 Temporary Services C-6 15 Submittals/Shop Drawings C-6 16 Storage and Handling of Materials C-7 17 Warranty C-7 18 Bid Items C-7

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SPECIAL PROVISIONS

1. GENERAL

1.1 The Special Provisions are hereby made a part of the Contract. In the event of a conflict between this and any portions of the Contract Documents, refer to the Section titled Submission of Bid Documents of DOCUMENT A, INFORMATION FOR CONTRACTORS, and Section 4.02 of the General Conditions, Howard County Design Manual Volume IV Standard Specifications and Details for Construction.

1.2 The Contractor shall maintain on the site at all times copies of the following documents: complete construction plans, complete construction specifications, all addenda issued during the bidding process, the latest edition of the Howard County Design Manual Volume IV Standard Specifications and Details for Construction with all amendments, State Highway Administration Standard Specifications for Construction and Materials latest edition and the current applicable Maryland Standards and Specifications for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control and latest supplements for the duration of construction of this Contract.

2. SCOPE OF WORK

2.1 On-call control systems integrator (CSI) projects for the County’s water and sewer facilities, primarily at the Little Patuxent Water Reclamation Plant in Savage, Maryland. The value of each individual project will typically be within the State Highway Administration’s Cost Group “A”, up to $100,000 each. The projects may include, but are not limited to, the design, fabrication, configuration, programming, testing, startup, and complete implementation of electrical instrumentation and control systems.

2.2 The County intends to use the services of the on-call Contractor for performance of work required under the various capital improvement programs and projects, the operation and maintenance program, and for and during emergency contract service work. The County will prepare plans and/or specifications when necessary. The Contractor shall prepare a cost estimate for each project for the County’s review based on the unit prices provided in the proposal. If the estimate is acceptable, the County will initiate a Purchase Requisition for the work effort. Upon receipt of the Purchase Order, the Contractor shall schedule the work effort within 10 working days unless authorized by the Engineer to modify this schedule. The Contractor shall provide all materials, equipment and labor necessary for the construction of the facilities including all appurtenances and incidental items of work as required on the plans, specifications, the Howard County Standard Specifications and Details for Construction, and/or as directed by the Engineer. A separate purchase order will be issued to the Contractor authorizing each project.

2.3 The plans and specifications, when provided, are intended to cover a complete project. It should be distinctly understood that failure to mention specifically any work which would naturally be required to complete the project shall not relieve the Contractor of his responsibility to perform such work.

2.4 The Contractor shall confine his operation within the limits of new work to be done as indicated on the drawings and to any other areas as approved by the Engineer for storage or disposal of material, access, field offices, and other features required for performing the work.

2.5 Examples of Work: The work will generally originate from one of the two sources described below:

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2.5.1 Capital Improvement Projects and Programs: Examples of such work may include CSI work for small scale capital projects and capital projects funded under the LPWRP Capital Repairs and Upgrades Program (Capital Project S6602).

2.5.2 Emergency Work and Work performed under the County’s Operation and Maintenance Program done on an “as-needed” basis”.

2.6 Services Required: Specific scope requirements will vary by task and will be identified within each task order. Services required under this contract include but are not limited to as follows:

2.6.1 New/upgraded electrical, instrumentation, and control systems for Foxboro Distributed Control Systems (DCS) and Rockwell Automation/Allen Bradley Process Control Systems (PCS), migration of existing DCS to PCS, new/upgraded motor control centers (MCCs), motor starter and local control panels, variable frequency drive (VFD) panels, chemical feed panels, flow meters, and, level, pressure, and other process system monitoring and control instruments.

2.6.2 Preventative and corrective maintenance, replacement, or emergency repair of existing electrical, instrumentation, and control systems (hardware and software).

2.6.3 Design, engineering, fabrication, installation, factory/bench testing, startup, integration, demonstration, and commissioning of panels and control systems.

2.6.4 Control system programming by a qualified programmer experienced with Foxboro Distributed Control Systems (DCS) and Rockwell Automation/Allen Bradley Process Control Systems (PCS).

2.6.5 Work performed by a Maryland-licensed Professional Engineer including but not limited to engineering design and coordination, including the ability to provide necessary electrical, instrumentation, and controls schematics, on-line drawings, submittals, etc.

2.6.6 Work performed by a Maryland-licensed Master Electrician.

2.6.7 Installation of necessary electrical and communication infrastructure, including cables, hardware, conduit, and support.

2.6.8 Providing necessary operation and maintenance and record drawing documentation.

2.6.9 Site cleanup and restoration as necessary.

2.6.10 Obtaining all necessary permits and inspections required by federal, state, and local agencies.

3. METHOD OF PURCHASE

3.1 For work performed in conjunction with capital improvement projects and programs, the Contractor shall provide a separate cost estimate for each work assignment. The cost estimate shall be based on the unit prices bid for labor plus approved material, subcontracting, and performance and payment bond costs.

3.2 In addition to the cost estimate, the Contractor may be requested to provide a cost per item breakdown, a lump sum cost or a combination of per item and lump sum costs for payment purposes. The County will direct the Contractor as to the form of the cost breakdown for each specific project. A notice to proceed and release purchase order will be issued for each such project.

3.3 For work performed in conjunction with the County’s operation and maintenance program the Contractor will be required to provide a construction cost estimate based on the unit prices provided in the Bid. A notice to proceed and release purchase order will be issued for each such project.

3.4 For work performed under an emergency or urgent basis, as requested by the County, a telephone call from the County will authorize the initiation of work. This verbal authorization will be followed by written confirmation and release purchase order. Payment will be made on a time and materials basis in accordance with the unit prices provided in the Bid.

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4. BILLING AND PAYMENT

4.1 Monthly payments will be made in accordance with Section GC-9.03, Progress Payments, of the General Conditions.

4.2 Labor

4.2.1 Only individuals who actually worked on the construction project shall be billed to the project and individuals shall only be billed for hours actually worked on the construction project. The hourly rates bid in the online e-bidding system shall include the cost of payroll burden, overhead, insurances, profit, equipment, transportation, fuel, tools or other incidentals for that labor classification to satisfactorily provide the bid item for an 8-hour work day. There shall be no hidden fees.

4.2.2 For work hours on the job site exceeding 8 hours per day by order of the engineer, the hourly labor rates will be 150% of the bid rate. For work on holidays or weekends by order of the engineer, the hourly labor rates will be 150% of the bid rate. When work is completed prior to the end of the working day or when work is stopped by order or approval of the Engineer because of inclement weather or other reason, payment will be made based on the hourly rates bid in the Proposal as follows:

4.2.2.1 Work in progress less than 4 hours - payment for 4 hours at the hourly rate for each employee.

4.2.2.2 Work in progress more than 4 hours but less than 8 hours - payment for 8 hours at the hourly rate for each employee.

4.2.2.3 Work in progress more than 8 hours on any 1 day - for that labor authorized in excess of 8 hours, payment at the hourly rate plus 50 percent.

4.3 Materials

4.3.1 Materials and material pricing shall be approved prior to start of work efforts under this contract. The Contractor shall be responsible for the payment of all taxes associated with any and all work under this contract. To ensure fair pricing, the Contractor may be asked to provide pricing from 2 or more suppliers for the same or similar items meeting the County’s specifications. The County reserves the right to reject materials or material suppliers based on price, schedule or past performance on County projects.

4.3.2 Materials authorized by the County to be purchased by the Contractor and incorporated into the work efforts shall be reimbursed based on the Contractor’s actual cost plus a percentage of the material cost as the Contractor’s mark-up.

4.3.3 The Contractor shall provide in the online e-bidding system the mark-up percentage that the Contractor will accept for materials authorized by the County for installation under this contract. In no case shall the Contractor’s mark-up percentage for materials exceed 10%.

4.4 Travel Time

Hourly rates for labor apply to a designated work site. Payment will be authorized for time to transport personnel and/or equipment to the job site at the beginning of the work day or from the job site at the end of the work day. Payment for travel time shall not exceed 45 minutes to transport personnel and/or equipment to the job site at the beginning of the work day or 45 minutes at the end of the work day.

Hourly charges shall apply in the event the Contractor is directed to deploy personnel and/or

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