IFB GB25MOWZ2.pdf

M D O T - S T A T E H I G H W A Y

A D M I N I S T R A T I O N

I n v i t a t i o n f o r B i d s ( I F B )

C o n t r a c t s L e s s T h a n $ 5 0 , 0 0 0

PROJECT: Roadside Litter Pickup, Hand Mowing & Trimming

Services – Anne Arundel County MDOT-SHA

CONTRACT NO. GB25MOWZ2

ADVERTISEMENT DATE: May 30, 2024

BID DUE DATE / TIME: Tuesday, June 11, 2024, @ 1:30 PM

BID LOCATION: MDOT - State Highway Administration

Glen Burnie - Maintenance Shop

910 Stewart Avenue, MD, 20772

I. SUMMARY STATEMENT

Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration Maintenance

Shop is currently soliciting bids for the Roadside Hand Mowing around Guardrails, Signs, Grass Islands, and Culverts with Small Mowing Equipment in Anne Arundel

County Maryland. The Routes Consist of (See Attachment II).

Litter pickup and disposal in the same areas shall be included in the costs and job functions of the crew.

This contract will be used as needed to support State Highway Administration mowing efforts during the 2024-2025 spring mowing season.

II. SMALL BUSINESS RESERVE PROCUREMENT

This is a Small Business Reserve Procurement for which the award will be limited to

Certified Small Business vendors. Only vendors that meet the statutory requirements set forth in State Finance and Procurement Article Subsections 14-501 – 14-505, Annotated

Code of Maryland, and who are registered with the Department of General Services

Small Business Reserve Program are eligible for the award of a contract.

Refer to Attachment No. II for further information regarding this program.

IIIA. ISSUING OFFICE and PROCUREMENT OFFICER

Maryland Department of Transportation

State Highway Administration

910 Stewart Avenue

Glen Burnie, MD 21061

The sole points of contact for the purposes of this IFB are the Procurement Officer

Reggie Haysbert. The Procurement Officer may be contacted by telephone at 410-766-

3770 between 7:30 A.M. and 4:00 P.M.

IIIB. PRE-BID CONFERENCE

There will not be a Pre-Bid meeting for this Contract.

SITE INVESTIGATION

By submitting a bid, the vendor acknowledges that he has investigated and satisfied himself as to the conditions affecting the work, including but not restricted to those bearing upon transportation, disposal, handling, and storage of materials, availability of labor, or other environmental factors that may impact the work to be performed. Any failure by the contractor to acquaint himself with the available information will not relieve him from responsibility for estimating properly the cost of successfully performing the work. The SHA shall not be responsible for any conclusions or interpretations made by the contractor of the information made available by the MDOT

SHA.

IV. BID DUE DATE

The Bids must be received by the Procurement Officer Reggie Haysbert at the MDOT

State Highway Administration offices located at 910 Stewart Avenue Glen Burnie, MD

21061 on or before Tuesday, June 11, 2024, at 1:30 PM local time.

Bids shall be opened publicly at the time, date, and location designated above.

Vendors are responsible for assuring that their bids are delivered to the specified location before the deadline for receipt of bids, including those delivered by the U.S. Postal

Service.

Oral, fax, telegraphic, mailgram, or E-mail bids will not be accepted.

Bids, requests for withdrawals, and modifications not received by the time and at the place indicated are late and may only be considered in accordance with COMAR

21.05.02.10.

V. DURATION OF BID OFFER

Prices submitted in response to this solicitation are irrevocable for ninety (90) days following the due date. The Procurement Officer may, however, request vendors to extend the time during which the State may accept their bids. Once a bid is accepted, all prices, terms, and conditions shall remain unchanged throughout the contract period.

VI. PROCUREMENT METHOD

This solicitation shall be conducted in accordance with COMAR 21.05.07 – Small

Procurement Regulations ($50,000 or less).

VII. TERMS and CONDITIONS

A. Termination for Nonappropriation. If funds are not appropriated or otherwise made available to support continuation in any fiscal year succeeding the first fiscal year, this Contract shall be terminated automatically as of the beginning of the fiscal year for which funds are not available. The Contractor may not recover anticipatory profits or costs incurred after termination.

B. Maryland Law Prevails. The law of Maryland shall govern the interpretation and enforcement of this Contract.

C. Disputes. Disputes arising under this Contract shall be governed by the State

Finance and Procurement Article, Title 15, Subtitle 2, Part III, Annotated Code of

Maryland, and by COMAR 21.10 Administrative and Civil Remedies. Pending resolution of a dispute, the Contractor shall continue to perform this Contract, as directed by the Procurement Officer.

D. Changes. This contract may be amended only with the written consent of both parties. Amendments may not change significantly the scope of the Contract (including the Contract price).

E. Termination for Default. If the Contractor does not fulfill obligations under this

Contract or violates any provision of this Contract, the State may terminate the Contract by giving the Contractor written notice of termination. Termination under this paragraph does not relieve the Contractor from liability for any damages caused to the State.

Termination hereunder, including the determination of the rights and obligations of the parties, shall be governed by the provisions of COMAR 21.07.01.11B.

F. Nondiscrimination. The Contractor shall comply with the nondiscrimination provisions of federal and Maryland law.

G. Anti-Bribery. The Contractor certifies that, to the Contractor's best knowledge, neither the Contractor; nor (if the Contractor is a corporation or partnership) any of its officers, directors, or partners; nor any employee of the Contractor who is directly involved in obtaining contracts with the State or with any county, city, or other subdivision of the State, has been convicted of bribery, attempted bribery, or conspiracy to bribe under the laws of any state or of the United States.

H. Termination for Convenience. The State may terminate this Contract, in whole or in part, without showing cause upon prior written notice to the Contractor specifying the extent and the effective date of the termination. The State shall pay all reasonable costs associated with this Contract that the Contractor has incurred up to the date of termination and all reasonable costs associated with the termination of the Contract.

However, the Contractor may not be reimbursed for any anticipatory profits which have not been earned up to the date of termination. Termination hereunder, including the determination of the rights and obligations of the parties, shall be governed by the provisions of COMAR 21.07.01.12A(2).

VIII. SCOPE OF CONTRACTOR SERVICES

This contract is for the hand mowing of guardrails, signs, grass islands, and around culverts in medians and/or shoulders at the various locations in Anne Arundel

County. The main intent of this contract is to mow grass where larger tractor-mowers are unable to reach. This contract is being bid as cycles (defined below) for all areas listed.

All work performed must be in compliance with OSHA, MOSH, and the MUTCD Traffic

Guidelines and be performed in a professional manner. The vendor shall have been in the commercial mowing business for a minimum of 3 years or have employees with similar hands-on experience and be fully licensed to perform work in the State of Maryland.

The roadway hand mowing contract will be bid based on Cycles and should be invoiced at the completion of each cycled work that is completed. Prior to award, contractor may be required to submit a listing of equipment and manpower to verify their ability to perform the work in an efficient and effective manner.

Timeframe: this contract will be used as needed mainly beginning approximately mid-

July 2024. Specific dates will be communicated to the successful bidder by the engineer upon award. Each call-out will be a minimum of five (5) consecutive weather-permitting business days. Some callouts may be longer due to seasonal environmental factors and will be discussed with the awarded bidder.

The contract shall end upon exhaustion of all the successful low bid amounts or 8 months, whichever comes first.

This is a non-exclusive Contract. It does not include all the work expected to be performed in the designated areas. Therefore, at times, other Contractors may be performing similar work that is not associated with this Contract.

The contractor shall have adequate equipment and staff to meet these requirements.

Any person employed by the Contractor who in the opinion of the Engineer MDOT/SHA

Representative; does not perform their work in a proper manner or is intemperate or disorderly, shall at their request be removed by the Contractor and shall not be employed in any position of work for work on this contract without the written approval of the procurement officer.

- Required Equipment o Pickup with equipment trailer (with amber top lights visible) o Transportation for staff/employees o Two ea 36” to 46” Zero Turn Mower (s), Stand-on Mowers, or commercial walk-behind mower with Mulch attachment or rear discharge (grass cannot be thrown on pavement surface or directed at vehicles) o Small 20-22” Walk behind/push mower to cut in obstructed areas o Commercial Grade String trimmers for guardrail and vertical objects (one for each employee plus 2 backup units) o Adequate replacement line and fuels.

o Rakes, blower, etc to help remove debris and clippings if needed.

o Litter pickers o 30-gallon Bags for removal of trash and litter debris

- Litter pickup shall be performed in all areas prior to being mowed as the contractor moves from area to area. NO LITTER shall be mowed or spread along the area and must be cleaned up by the contractor. The contractor shall collect litter in bags and provide a count weekly to the engineer. The contractor may utilize the Glen Burnie shop litter dumpster for drop-off.

Bid Lines:

Bid items have been established for CYCLES OF HAND MOWING, TRIMMING, AND

LITTER PICK UP based on the locations listed in the (See Attachment II). Bidders shall review each Bid Item’s location to determine the UNIT PRICE of doing a complete cycle of the work required. Calculations of UNIT PRICES should be based on the complexity of the site; the approximate acreage / linear feet; all labor at the current and anticipated future Living Wage rates; all equipment needed to complete the work for that location.

Crew Day

Estimated (starting approximately in July 2024, minimum 5 consecutive weather permitting business days per callout)

Defined as a full 8-hour day (not inclusive of lunch or rest breaks)

Starting at 7:30 am and ending at 4:00 pm

Base Crew consists of:

• A working foreman/supervisor (shall be capable of performing all duties)

• All staff shall work to perform the duties of the contract at all times.

No idle time shall be paid under this contract.

Crew day may start on the roadside predetermined location or at the MDOT/SHA shop yard, depending on the engineer’s discretion and daily requirements.

Crew day may end on the roadside predetermined location or at the MDOT/SHA shop yard, depending on the engineer’s discretion and daily requirements.

Crew shall meet and begin each day at a location agreed upon and approved by the MDOT/SHA engineer.

Additional Hand Mowing, Trimming, And/or Litter Pickup

I. Separate items, if applicable, for ‘Extra Hand Mowing’; ‘Extra Trimming’, and/or ‘Extra

Litter Pick Up’, have been established for use as directed by the Engineer.

II. The Contractor will be responsible for providing trash bags and maintaining an accurate record of the number of bags of litter picked up per route. These records shall be available to the Engineer upon request. The Administration will provide a location for disposing of trash bags.

Overall Guidelines:

- Grass shall be cut to 3” finished height

- Grass shall be cut a minimum 36”width from any sign pole or delineator leaving a 72” diameter cut. *Note: All area between two post mounted signs to be cut. ** see drawings

- All grass mowed in front of guardrail to pavement edge **see drawings**

- All grass mowed behind shoulder and median guardrail to woods line, bottom of ditch, or waters edge, or 60” minimum in front or behind guardrail.

- All grass mowed from pavement edge to pavement edge on median guardrails where grass is the full width of the median.

- For ramps: curbs shall be trimmed to expose all concrete- grass may not overhang surface.

- All grass beneath all guardrails **see drawings**.

- All grass along concrete barriers, and bridge structures. **see drawings**

- All grass islands at intersections.

- All grass around culverts, not to include residential driveways, is to be mowed a minimum of 36” width around structure.

- All grass shall be cut a 36” minimum around SHA lighting poles and signal lighting support poles. **see drawings**

- All grass is to be mowed in a direction as not to throw grass or objects toward the roadway. Any grass on paved surface is to be swept or blown off before leaving site.

- Grass is to be mowed around all guardrails, light poles, signs and culverts progressively along the highway. No skipping around unless determined and approved by the

Engineer.

- All mowers are to be equipped with turf tires as to not cause damage to turf.

- All mowers are to have blades sharp enough to give an even cut.

- All vehicles on site must be equipped with a 360 degree amber warning light with at least two rotating or flashing bulbs.

- All personnel must wear a class III safety vest or equal work shirt, have appropriate footwear, hearing and eye protection meeting OSHA standards.

- SHA will provide all Lane closure permits and all Maintenance of Traffic for this contract. This will consist of:

o A bid item, if applicable, has been established for a Protection Vehicle (PV). This

Item may or may not be used on a continuous basis, but shall be used as directed by the Engineer.

o All signs required by MUTCD (Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices) standards and as Lane Closure Permit requires.

- Contractor shall work within the work zone established by MDOT/SHA and the protection vehicle

- Contractor must notify office by phone each day before beginning work and at the end of the work day.

- ABSOLUTELY NO CHEMICAL APPLICATION IS TO BE DONE ( For example:

Round Up)

IX. LIABILITY:

INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS:

A. The Contractor or Vendor shall maintain insurance issued by companies licensed and authorized to do business in the State of Maryland, and acceptable to the State

Highway Administration (SHA).

1. Comprehensive General Liability

Broad Form, combined single limit of one million dollars and no cents ($1,000,000.00).

2. Worker’s Compensation/Employee Liability

To comply with statutory coverage in the State of Maryland, all States’ liability and Employer’s Liability (Coverage “B”) with the limit of one million dollars and no cents ($1,000,000.00).

B. Said certificate shall verify that the SHA has been named an additional insured to the Contractor’s or Vendor’s above policies, that the insurer, at its own expense, will defend all parties insured, and that coverage is extended to cover all contractual obligations of the Contractor or Vendor contained in this contract.

C. Should the Contractor or Vendor subcontract any part of the service to be provided under this agreement, the subcontractor shall be required by the

Contractor or Vendor to provide insurance as described above.

If, at any time, the required insurance is cancelled, terminated, or modified so that coverage is not in full force and effect, the State Highway Administration may terminate the contract for cause, or obtain additional coverage equal to that required – the cost of which shall be borne by the Contractor or Vendor.

D. A Certificate of Insurance meeting the above requirements shall be provided to

State Highway Administration prior to “contract award”.

X. BID CONTENT

The bidder shall submit an original Contract Bid Form for this Project. The bid shall be submitted on Attachment No. I. Attachment No. I is not to be altered in any way and is to contain only the price or prices stipulated on the form. Furthermore, Attachment No

III Small Business Reserve Contract Affidavit must be included with the bid submission.

Bid submissions must be:

• Submitted in a sealed envelope.

• Addressed to c/o Reggie Haysbert MDOT/SHA, 910 Stewart Avenue Glen Burnie, MD 21061

• Clearly marked with the full name and address of the bidder.

• Clearly marked with the contents of the envelope (i.e., "Bid Submission - Contract

No. GB25MOWZ2

• Include completed Small Business Reserve Contract Affidavit (Attachment No. III)

XI. OPENING of BIDS

Bids will be opened publicly in accordance with the provisions in COMAR 21.05.02.11 on the date and time specified in Section IV of this IFB.

XII. DURATION / TERM OF THE CONTRACT/PROJECT

The duration/term of the contract will be written, as not to exceed 8 months from the award date and not to exceed the lowest successful bid.

XIII. PAYMENT

1. Payments will be issued based on the unit prices established in the bid page, which shall be full compensation for furnishing labor, materials, insurance, daily examinations, and all incidentals necessary to provide the requirements in this

IFB.

2. Subject to the performance of the work, and its acceptance by the MDOT SHA, the Contractor shall submit invoices once the cycle has been completed for the area, for all services performed, no later than (5) five days after completion of that cycle.

3. Invoices must contain the complete company name as it appears on the W9, remit to address, telephone number, contact person, F.E.I.N. (Federal

Employment Identification Number), MDOT SHA provided contract number, a unique invoice number, and invoice date. The invoice shall clearly describe details of services and include the location/address of services and dates of services. Each invoice shall be labeled as “Progress” and the final invoice shall be labeled as “Final.” Failure to do so may result in a delay of payment. The invoice shall also include copies of all sign-in and sign-out sheets and certified payroll records. Invoices that do not have attached sign-in and sign-out sheets or certified payroll records may be rejected back to the Contractor for corrections. Invoices held for verification, missing information, or returned for corrective re-submittal shall not be subject to late fees or interest accrual.

MDOT SHA is exempt from Maryland Sales and Use Taxes by Exemption

Certificate Number 3000256-3 and from Federal Excise Taxes by Exemption

Number 52-73-0358K. Do not include tax.

All invoices shall be sent by email to D5GlenBurnieInv@mdot.maryland.gov or by mail to:

State Highway Administration

Glen Burnie Maintenance Shop

910 Stewart Avenue

Glen Burnie, MD 21061

Attention: Accounts Payable/ Reggie Haysbert

ATTACHMENTS

Contract Bid Form –

Mowing Cycles - Attachment No. II (required with bid submittal)

Mowers Ahead Signs- Attachment No. II

Small Business Reserve Procurement – Attachment No. III

Small Business Contract Affidavit – Attachment No. IV (required with bid submittal)

A T T A C H M E N T I P A G E 1

B I D F O R M

I N V I T A T I O N F O R B I D # G B 2 5 M O W Z 2

T h i s f o r m i s t o b e c o m p l e t e d i n i t s e n t i r e t y a n d u n a l t e r e d .

Column A

Column

B

Column

C

Column

D

Item/Description Qty Unit of

Measure

Unit

Price

Total

Cost

(Column

B X C)

Cycle of Median and roadside mowing, trimming, on MD 2, MD 177,MD 173,MD 607, MD 711

5 Each $ $

Cycle of Median and roadside Extra trimming along guardrail on MD 2, MD 177,MD 173,MD 607, MD 711 5 Each $ $

Cycle of Median and roadside litter pickup on MD 2, MD

177,MD 173,MD 607, MD 711

5 Each $ $

Extra Mowing 20 Acres $ $

Extra Trimming 15,000 LF $ $

Extra Litter Pickup 20 Acres $ $

TOTAL BID AMOUNT (Sum of Column D) $

References for work of a similar nature your business has completed within the last 3 years (include at least 3)

NOTE:

a) The contract written with the lowest responsible bidder will be written for the lowest responsive bid amount, if under $50,000. If the low bid amount exceeds $50,000 this procurement will be cancelled b)

Reference Company, contact name, phone # Type of work completed Date Work Completed

A T T A C H M E N T I I P A G E 2

Zone 2

Route Start End Mile Point Acres LFT

Trimming

Comments

MD 2 MD 170 Leelyn Drive 41.40-29.434 15 10500 Include Ramp Interchanges

MD

MD 2 Gibson Island 0.00 - 10.92 7.5 7500 MD 10 Ramp Interchanges

MD

Baltimore City Line Road End 0.00 - 8.92 6.5 4500

MD

MD 173 Woods Drive 0.00-1.54 2.5 900

MD

MD 2 Arundel Corp Rd, End 0.00 - 0.51 1.5 1100 695 - Ramp Interchange

Total 32.5 24500

A T T A C H M E N T I I I P A G E 3

For the Contractor:

Company Name & Address

City State Zip

Phone Fax Email

Representing the above Company

SIGNATURE

Print Name & Title

SOCIAL SECURITY NO. OR

FEDERAL TAX ID NO_____-. DATE:

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

SMALL BUSINESS RESERVE PROCUREMENT

This is a Small Business Reserve Procurement for which award will be limited to Certified Small Business vendors.

Only businesses that meet the statutory requirements set forth in State Finance and Procurement Article, 14-501 -

14-505, Annotated Code of Maryland, and who are registered with the Department of General Services Small

Business Reserve Program are eligible for award of a contract.

For the purposes of a Small Business Reserve Procurement, a small business is a business, other than a broker, that meets the following criteria as amended October 1, 2008:

The business is independently owned and operated;

The business is not a subsidiary of another business;

The business is not dominant in its field of operation;

The wholesale operations of the business did not employ more than 50 persons, and the gross sales of the business did not exceed an average of $4,000,000 in its most recently completed 3 fiscal years;*

The retail operations of the business did not employ more than 25 persons, and the gross sales of the business did not exceed an average of $3,000,000 in its most recently completed 3 fiscal years;*

The manufacturing operations of the business did not employ more than 100 persons, and the gross sales of the business did not exceed an average of $2,000,000 in its most recently completed 3 fiscal years;*

The service operations of the business did not employ more than 100 persons, and the gross sales of the business did not exceed an average of $10,000,000 in its most recently completed 3 fiscal years;* and

The construction operations of the business did not employ more than 50 persons, and the gross sales of the business did not exceed an average of $7,000,000 in its most recently completed 3 fiscal years.*

The architectural and engineering operations of the business did not employ more than 100 persons, and the gross sales of the business did not exceed an average of $4,500,000 in its most recently completed 3 fiscal years*.

* If a business has not existed for three years, the gross sales average shall be the average for each year or part of a year during which the business has been in existence.

Further information on the certification process is available at https://procurement.maryland.gov and click on the eMMA hyperlink.

https://procurement.maryland.gov/

Attachment III

Maryland Department of Transportation

SMALL BUSINESS CONTRACT AFFIDAVIT

********** PROVIDING FALSE INFORMATION **********

Anyone providing false information to the State of Maryland in connection with obtaining or attempting to obtain a contract under Small Business Reserve or Preference procurement may be subject to the following:

1. A determination by a Procurement Officer that a bidder/offeror is not responsible;

2. A determination that a contract entered into is void or voidable under § 11-204 of the State Finance and

Procurement Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland;

3. Suspension and debarment under Title 16 of the State Finance and Procurement Article;

4. Criminal prosecution for procurement fraud (§ 11-205.1 of the State Finance and Procurement Article), perjury, or other crimes; and

5. Other actions permitted by law.

********** FAILURE TO MEET MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS **********

Any Bidder or potential bidder failing to meet the qualifications of a "small business" specified in § 14-501(c) of the

State Finance and Procurement Article will be ineligible to participate in a procurement designated for a Small

Business Reserve under § 14-504 or Small Business Preference under § 14-206 - 207. Any person or company bidding on Small Business Reserve or Preference procurement and not qualifying as a small business under § 14-

501(c) will have its bid or offer rejected on the ground that the bidder is not responsible.

I AFFIRM THAT:

To the best of my knowledge, information, and belief, as of the date of submission of this Bid/Proposal, (name of firm) meets the qualifications for certification as a Small Business in Maryland. I further affirm that, if for any reason during the term of the contract (name of firm) no longer meets the qualifications of certification as a Small Business in Maryland, I will notify the Procurement

Officer within 30 days. I agree that a failure to so notify the Procurement Officer of this change in circumstances may result in this contract being terminated for default.

I DO SOLEMNLY DECLARE AND AFFIRM UNDER THE PENALTIES OF PERJURY THAT THE

CONTENTS OF THIS AFFIDAVIT ARE TRUE AND CORRECT TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE,

INFORMATION, AND BELIEF.

SMALL BUSINESS QUALIFICATION NUMBER ___________________

Date of Most Recent Qualification__________________________________

DATE: _____________

BY: ____________________________________________________________

Signature (Authorized Representative and Affidavit)