Iredell County Tree Trimming and Removal Services.pdf

Request for Proposals for

Iredell County Tree Trimming and Removal Services

Sealed RFP Process

27-455-RFP-01

Submission Deadline

August 26, 2026, 3:00 pm

FOR ALL QUESTIONS REGARDING RFP PROCESS, SUBMITTAL,

SCOPE OF SERVICES

Submit questions through the Procurement Portal

1. Scope of Services

1.1. Introduction

Iredell County is soliciting proposals from companies to provide tree clearing services for Facility Services Director, located at 221 Twin Oaks Rd in

Iredell County.

The purpose of this request for proposal is to

Iredell County is soliciting proposals from qualified, experienced vendors to provide comprehensive tree trimming and disposal services at various

County-owned properties and facilities. The intent of this solicitation is to establish a contract with a qualified vendor capable of providing safe, timely, professional, and cost-effective tree trimming, pruning, removal-related trimming, and disposal services as requested by the County.

The selected vendor shall furnish all necessary labor, supervision, equipment, tools, vehicles, transportation, materials, safety equipment, and disposal services required to satisfactorily perform the work identified by the County. Services may be performed at multiple County locations and may vary in scope, frequency, and size based on the County's operational needs.

Award of a Contract will be made to one vendor following the process, terms and conditions as described in this solicitation. Vendors shall provide pricing based on the requirements.

The proposed cost shall remain in effect for the duration of the contract term of one (1) year, with the option to renew for additional years thereafter provided both parties agree.

Iredell County currently has no contract in place and seeks proposals that include detailed information on companies capabilities, performance and security for providing services to a government entity.

The intent of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to have a professional, capable company specifically address the services required and provide the

Owner with a well-considered response for those services. It is anticipated that a contract will be negotiated and signed with the successful company who can perform these services on the basis of demonstrated competence and qualifications for the type of services required.

The chosen company will be selected for an initial one (1) year contract with additional twelve-month extensions based on performance of the contract and is at the discretion of the County. Iredell County reserves the right to terminate the agreement for any reason with 30-day written notice or for Company’s failure to follow the terms of the agreement, and at any time without notice for Company’s failure to follow Iredell County safe operating procedures in accordance with the specifications and requirements contained herein.

1.2. Solicitation for Iredell County Government Property Tree Removal Services

Scope of Work

This contract will consist of all work necessary for the removal and disposal of Trees (alive or dead) for Iredell County

Government Property. It will include providing all necessary traffic control, labor, materials, and equipment required to complete assigned task. The contractor will remove the designated trees and dispose of all debris including but not limited to trees, limbs, brush, and grind the stumps when needed. All stumps shall be cut just above ground level, unless instructed for them to be to the ground.

The contractor shall fill holes in the ground caused by the removal of trees and stumps without additional cost to the

County. Trees are to be taken down within ten (10) working days of notification or by project deadlines. NO TREES SHALL

BE REMOVED FROM PRIVATE PROPERTY UNLESS SPECIFICALLY DIRECTED TO DO SO BY THE IREDELL COUNTY.

It is the contractor’s responsibility, when necessary, to have all utilities located prior to beginning any work and coordinate with utility companies to disconnect power while work is being completed. The contractor shall take special care during this operation to avoid damage to the existing roadway surface, sidewalks and curbs. The contractor should avoid placing heavy equipment on sidewalks and curbs that will cause damage to these structures. Any damage, unavoidable, caused by the contractor’s operations, shall be repaired at their expense. The contractor shall also take special care to avoid damage to existing roadway shoulders, side ditches, outfalls, other watercourses and drainage structures. Any damage caused by the contractor’s operation shall be reported to the Facilities Director and repaired at his expense. Damage in this case shall include the fillings of previously open ditches, watercourses or drainage structures with soil or debris.

Iredell County would like to assess use of any mulch produced from the wood chipping on a case-by-case basis.

Work Requirements for Facility Services

1. General Conditions:

1.1 Contractor will remove all debris and trash generated in performing the work under this contract from each site daily.

Disposal of these materials, chipped or not, is the Contractor’s responsibility and must be done in a manner consistent with all applicable Local, State and Federal laws.

1.2 Following trimming or removal, all streets, driveways, sidewalks and paths must be swept clean.

1.3 Existing facilities, including grounds, structures, utilities, park amenities, trees, landscaping and so forth shall be protected by the Contractor. Any damage to existing facilities shall be reported to the

County on the day such damage occurs. Contractor shall promptly repair damage with like materials when ordered to do so by the County at Contractor’s expense. All repairs of damage to existing facilities should be made to the satisfaction of the County. Failure to repair damage shall be just cause for withholding payment for work, which becomes due.

1.4 Any damage of public or private property caused by the Contractor's operations shall be resolved with the property owner within ten (10) days after damage occurs to the satisfaction of the County. The Contractor shall inform the County of any damage caused by the Contractor's operation on the day such damage occurs. Should the damage not be rectified within the time frame agreed upon or to the satisfaction of the County, the County reserves the right to repair or replace that which was damaged or assess the Contractor such cost as may be reasonable and related to damage caused by the contractor.

2. Safety Requirements

2.1 The contractor shall block off work areas from vehicle and pedestrian traffic while conducting work and remove temporary signs and barriers as soon as work is completed.

2.2 Prior to cutting, the contractor shall identify all overhead wires and guy wires to avoid damage to utilities.

2.3 Under no circumstances shall a work area be left in unsafe conditions. Before leaving a site unattended for any period of time the following must be addressed:

2.4 The main access road(s) entering and/or exiting a tree removal area must be cleared to allow for access by emergency vehicles.

2.5 All hangers, spring poles, and/or leaners, or any other falling hazard, must be completely felled before the end of each workday.

2.6 All trees which have been cut, even partial or minor cuts, must be felled.

2.7 Under no circumstances shall logs from trees be left for the public and adjacent homeowners to collect.

3. Additional quoted and Emergency Tree Services

3.1 During the term of this Agreement, the County may request Contractor to quote and carry out additional tree work and/or provide emergency tree services according to the specifications provided above. Emergency services would require immediate resources.

3.2 All additional quoted and emergency work carried out by the Contractor for the County shall be provided under the terms and conditions in this Agreement.

3.3 Additional quoted and emergency tree services shall be billed by the Contractor according to the hourly rates in the

Form B. Pricing Worksheet.

4. List of Equipment

4.1 With your submission, include a list of all available equipment.

5 Tree Trimming Specifications

5.1 Where a tree is marked for trimming, Contractor shall:

5.1.1 Cut all dead, diseased or broken limbs greater than 1-1/2 inches in diameter from the marked tree.

5.1.2 Pruning cuts shall be clean and smooth; leaving the bark at the edge of the cut firmly attached to the wood. A three-cut process, sometimes known as “jump-cutting”, shall be used to remove larger limbs to avoid stripping or tearing of the bark, and to minimize unnecessary wounding.

5.1.3 All cuts should be made sufficiently close to the parent limb or trunk without cutting into the branch collar or leaving a protruding stub, so that closure can readily start under normal conditions.

5.1.4 Remove all trimmed branches and limbs from the site.

5.1.5 Climbing harness or aerial lift bucket may be used for tree trimming work.

5.2 Where a tree is marked for removal Contractor shall:

5.2.1 Remove the tree without damaging any surrounding trees, utilities or structures.

5.2.2 Remove all trunks, treetops, branches and limbs from the site.

5.3 Stump Grinding Specifications: Where a tree is marked for stump grinding, in addition to removing the tree. Stump Grinding shall only be completed per Iredell County request.

5.3.1 Grind the remaining stump to a minimum depth of eight (8) inches from surrounding grade or deeper, if necessary, to completely sever the roots from the main root mass.

5.3.2 All surface roots and / or raised areas from the root flare shall be ground out or leveled and filled to match the surrounding grade.

5.3.3 Holes where stumps have been ground out and any other areas disturbed by Contractor’s activities or equipment shall be backfilled and smoothed to the level of the adjoining grade with pulverized black dirt (topsoil).

5.3.4 The Contractor shall supply its own topsoil for backfilling which shall be of sufficient quality to support grass cover and contain no debris (glass, sawdust, large rock etc.)

5.3.5 Backfilling of holes shall occur on the same day grindings are removed; otherwise, the site shall be properly barricaded overnight to ensure public safety.

5.3..6 The topsoil shall be properly leveled and compacted to ensure minimum settlement of the backfill material.

Work Requirements for Parks and Recreation

1 Special Provisions

1.1 Notification/Start of Work- Once work begins, the project will be worked continuously until completion to the best of the contractor’s ability. The contractor shall notify the County of any cancellations or delays in the project schedule.

1.2 Project activity shall only occur during Iredell County business hours (Monday – Friday 7:00am-

5:00pm) unless provisions are made between the contractor and Iredell County to ensure the safety of staff and citizens.

1.3 Contact the designated Iredell County Facility Services or Parks and Recreation representative prior to making any changes to the project plan.

2 Project Equipment/Bridge Capacity Parks and Recreation Facilities

2.1 During initial project review, entry/egress routes will be established. When crossing a greenway bridge, concrete boardwalk or low water crossing, vehicle size and weight limit restrictions must be confirmed, and equipment to be used approved by the designated Parks and Recreation representative.

2.2 NO vehicles are permitted to drive on/over any elevated wood boardwalk. (Use of utility carts may be authorized by the park and Recreation representative with prior approval.)

2.3 When crossing the property, the contractor shall stay on the paved/graveled trail where possible.

2.4 No equipment or debris shall be stored on the property overnight without consent of Iredell County representative.

Any stored equipment must be in a stored in a safe and inoperable manner.

3 Safety/Signage

3.1 Greenway/trail signage (typical industry signage such as: Caution, Work Ahead) shall be posted during working hours to alert Greenway users of the Project.

3.2 When driving vehicles or equipment on the Greenway trail, contractors shall drive cautiously and at speeds no more than 10mph with 4-way flashers activated.

3.3 Contractor shall take all precautions when entering and exiting the greenway from roadways.

3.4 Contractor shall take all precautions to ensure safety of Greenway users including but not limited to, cones, caution tape, advance warning measures, etc.

3.5 At least 50% of the width of the greenway shall remain open for public use and all efforts should be made to limit greenway closure. (Short term closures are permitted when necessary for public safety, e.g. felling operations, removing limbs over greenway surface etc.)

4 Completion of Work

4.1 Contractor shall be responsible for cleaning the Greenway/trail and ensuring it is restored back to original condition

(prior to project commencement).

4.2 All dirt, debris, and other project materials shall be cleaned up and removed from the Property.

4.3 Contractor shall notify the County representative when the work is complete.

4.4 Any damage to County-owned improvements, resulting from the project, shall be reported to Facility Services

Director and Recreation and is the contractor’s sole responsibility to repair unless discussed with and Iredell County representative prior to commencement of the project. (contact list to report incidents will be provided to the awarded company)

2. Qualification Statement

The selected company’s assigned project leads/staff must be experienced in all phases of planning, design, implementation and all compliance requirements of similar services, have extensive knowledge of the regulations governing the implementation of services in the State of North Carolina, and have a proven capability to effectively and efficiently produce a successful service consistent with, and meeting the needs of, the goals outlined by Iredell County.

Emphasis should be placed on the completeness of services offered and clarity of content. All submittals should be complete and carefully worded and must convey all of the information requested by the County. If errors or exceptions are found in the company's proposal package, or if the package fails to conform to the requirements of the RFP, the County will be the sole judge as to whether that variance is significant enough to reject the company's submittal.

The following describes the elements that should be included in each section of the proposal and the maximum points that may be awarded during proposal evaluation. The evaluation panel may revise, add to or remove these elements as it deems appropriate, and/or redistribute the points for each element to ensure adequate evaluation. Proposals will be collectively evaluated and ranked by an evaluation panel made up of County Staff involved with Facility Services Director that will, starting with the highest rated proposal, determine a final recommendation for award. At the option of the panel, an in person and/or phone interview with one or more finalists may be scheduled. Failure to attend a scheduled interview may result in rejection of the proposal.

The Evaluation Panel reserves the right to interview any, all or none of the companies under consideration prior to the determination of the award. If notified and scheduled for an interview, Companies must be prepared to speak with the County to discuss any aspect of their potential activity of this project. Failure to participate in any scheduled interview may be grounds for disqualification. Company finalists must be prepared to speak during the specific assigned appointment time.

The following criteria will be used in making the selection of a company:

3. Evaluation Criteria

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Qualifications and Involvement with Similar

Projects

Include Letter of Interest. State the full name and address of your Company and, if applicable, the branch office or other subsidiary element that will perform, or assist in performing, the work hereunder. Indicate whether it operates as an individual, partnership, or corporation. Include information showing all issued licenses to operate in the State of North Carolina.

Include the name of the owner/executive and personnel by skill and qualification (if applicable) that will be employed in the work.

Show where these personnel will be physically located during the time they are engaged in the work. Indicate which of these individuals you consider key to the successful completion of the services. Identify only individuals who will perform the work on this project by name, title with contact information.

Outline of qualifications are requested for all proposed personnel, including all subcontractors. Qualifications and capabilities of any and all subcontractors must also be included.

If any subcontractor will be used for aspects of service, the successful company shall provide to the Purchasing Officer a list of names of any of the intended subcontractor, their applicable license number(s) and a description of the work to be done by each subcontractor. The successful company shall not substitute other subcontractors without the written consent of the

County. The successful company shall be responsible for all services performed by a subcontractor as though they had been performed by the successful company. If at any time the County determines that any subcontractor is incompetent or undesirable, the

County shall notify the successful company accordingly, and the successful company shall take immediate steps for cancellation of the subcontract and replacement.

Nothing contained in any contract resulting from this RFP shall create any contractual relationship between any subcontractor and Iredell

County. It shall be the successful company’s responsibility to ensure that all terms required in the attached contract are incorporated into all subcontracts.

Provide a brief history of the company, in terms of length of existence, former names under which the company operated, etc. Identify the technical details that make the company

Points Based 30 (30% of Total) uniquely qualified for this work or would provide the best view of your company.

The written proposal must include a list of current similar projects including brief description, size, cost, staff involved, etc. The proposal listing must also include descriptions of three (3) past projects of similar size and scope, including size, cost, staff, completion period, etc.

2. Understanding of Scope of Services &

Proposed Work Plan

Provide a detailed and comprehensive description of how the Company intends to provide the services requested in this RFP. This discussion shall include, but not be limited to:

how the services will be managed and scheduled, how and when data will be delivered to the

County, communication and coordination, the working relationship between the Company and

County staff, and the Company's general philosophy in regards to providing the requested services.

Responses will be evaluated on the clarity, thoroughness, and content of their responses to the above items and unique qualifications or work methodology. Proposal must also include a timeline for complete delivery of services and training.

Include current workload and percentage of availability.

Points Based 30 (30% of Total)

3. References

A complete list of references, minimum of three

(3), must be provided for similar projects recently (last 4 years) completed for other government entities or similar sized private agencies. It shall include the company name, address, email, telephone number, project title and information, and contact person.

Points Based 20 (20% of Total)

4. Provide list of Equipment and Written

Safety Practices

List other factors that may be deemed functional to and for the County as appropriate for the project.

Points Based 15 (15% of Total)

5. Insurance

Provide confirmation that company is able to adhere to insurance requirements including adding Iredell County as additional insured.

Reply is under the Vendor Questionnaire.

Points Based 5 (5% of Total)

4. Vendor Questionnaire

1. Qualifications & Involvement with Similar Projects*

Please reference the Evaluation Criteria Section for a detailed description.

*Response required

2. Understanding of Project and Proposed Work Plan*

Please reference the Evaluation Criteria Section for a detailed description.

*Response required

3. References *

Please reference the Evaluation Criteria Section for a detailed description.

*Response required

4. Provide List of Equipment and Written Safety Practices *

List of other factors that may be deemed functional to and for the County as appropriate for this project.

*Response required

5. Iredell County Insurance Requirements*

I certify that if awarded the contract the company will be able to supply the proper insurance, making Iredell

County the certificate holder and endorsing Iredell County as additional insured?

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

6. Complaints and Terminations

Must include a list of all claims, litigation and any other legal action taken against the Firm within the last five years, to include disposition of each case.

7. Pricing Proposal*

*Response required

8. Service Contract Requirements

Iredell County will be using its own service contract. You may submit and provide, a copy of the company's standard proposed contract. This contract will be reviewed as necessary to meet Federal, State and County legal requirements. Submission of a qualifications statement in response to this Request for Qualifications denotes acceptance of all necessary revisions to complete a negociated contract. Failure to do so will be grounds for rejection.

9. Additional Information

10. E-Verify Certification *

Employer understands that E-Verify is the federal E-Verify program operated by the United States Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies, or any successor or equivalent program used to verify the work authorization of newly hired employees pursuant to federal law in accordance with NCGS §64-25(5).

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofiredellnc/projects/288685/document?section=2781386 https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofiredellnc/projects/288685/document?section=2781386

Employer understands that Employers must Use E-Verify. Each employer, after hiring an employee to work in the United States, shall verify the work authorization of the employee through E-Verify in accordance with

NCGS§64-26(a).

Employer's subcontractors comply with E-Verify, and Employer will ensure compliance with E-Verify by any subcontractors subsequently hired by Employer.

Employer is a person, business entity, or other organization that transacts business in this North Carolina and that employs 25 or more employees in this State. (mark Yes or No)

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

11. Certification of Eligibility: Under the Iran Divestment Act*

Pursuant to G.S. 147-86.59, any person identified as engaging in investment activities in Iran, determined by appearing on the Final Divestment List created by the State Treasurer pursuant to G.S. 147- 86.58, is ineligible to contract with the State of North Carolina or any political subdivision of the State. The Iran Divestment Act of 2015, G.S. 147-86.55 et seq.* requires that each vendor, prior to contracting with the State certify, and the undersigned on behalf of the Vendor does hereby certify, to the following:

A. that the vendor is not identified on the Final Divestment List of entities that the State Treasurer has determined engages in investment activities in Iran;

B. that the vendor shall not utilize on any contract with the State agency any subcontractor that is identified on the Final Divestment List; and

C. that the undersigned is authorized by the Vendor to make this Certification.

Click to confirm vendor acknowledges the requirements of this Act of 2015.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

12. Responder's Declaration of Submitted Proposal *

I have carefully examined the Request for Proposal and any other documents accompanying or made a part of this Request for Proposal and hereby propose to furnish the services for Iredell County in accordance with the instructions, terms, conditions, and requirements incorporated in this solicitation.

All cost associated with such undertaking; and he/she has prepared, examined and checked the Proposal to ascertain that no mistake or error is contained in the Proposal; and that he/she will make no claim for correction or modification after the closing time for the receipt of the proposals.

Applicants understand a failure to request additional information, or clarification shall preclude the Applicant from subsequently claiming any ambiguity, inconsistency, or error.

I certify that all the information contained in this response is truthful to the best of my knowledge and belief. I further certify that I am duly authorized to submit this response on behalf of the firm as its act and deed and that the company is ready, willing and able to perform if awarded the contract. I affirm that this response is genuine and is not a collusive or sham response.

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

5. Evaluation and Selection Process

A. Telephonic or in-person contact or contact with other County Staff during this RFP is prohibited, may be grounds for disqualification.

B. This proposal request does not commit Iredell County to make an award or to pay any costs incurred in the preparation of a proposal in response to this request. Iredell County intends to award to the most qualified company on the basis of best overall package that, in its sole opinion, is the most advantageous to the County.

C. All submissions, responses, inquiries or correspondence relating to this RFP shall become the property of Iredell County when received. An Evaluations Committee (the Committee) will be appointed to evaluate each package. The Committee will identify strengths, weaknesses, deficiencies and risks associated with each Company according to the criteria and point system referenced in the Evaluation

Criteria Section. All submittals shall provide a straightforward, concise description of the company's ability to satisfy the requirements of the RFP.

D. The ranking of proposals and recommendation of any Company is the sole responsibility of the

Committee. Selection may be based solely on the individual merits of one Company depending on the findings and opinion of the Committee or the Committee may choose to create a short-list of companies for further evaluation and consideration.

E. The County will issue responses to inquiries and any other corrections or amendments it deems necessary in written addendum prior to the Proposal due date. Applicants should rely only on the representations, statements or explanations that are contained in this RFP and the written addendum to this RFP. Where there appears to be a conflict between the RFP and any addendum issued, the last addendum issued will prevail. It is the Company's responsibility to assure receipt and understanding of all addenda.

F. The proposer shall not offer any gratuities, favors, or anything of monetary value to any official or employee of Iredell County for any purpose.

G. Iredell County reserves the right to request clarifications for any proposal. The proposal with all the requested information does not guarantee the proposing Company to be a candidate for additional consideration. The Committee may contact references to verify material submitted.

H. The Committee, at its sole discretion, may choose to schedule interviews with any, all, or none of the selected Companies. If interviews are to be held via telephone or in person, selected Company(ies) will be given the opportunity to discuss further their qualifications, past experience and proposed work plan in more detail.

I. Iredell County reserves the right to: accept or reject any and all submissions received in response to this

Request for Proposal; to cancel the RFP process at any time; to request additional information or clarification of information provided in a response without changing the terms of the RFP; to elect not to proceed with any of the respondents; to modify the scope of the work; to cancel and re-solicit; or choose not to award for any reason regardless of status of the process or reason.

J. Iredell County additionally reserves the right to award the contract to any qualified responder. Iredell

County is in no way obligated to award a contract to any Company regardless of status of the process.

K. Manager/Board Approval and Contract Negotiation/Execution: The Committee’s recommendation of the highest rated Firm will be presented to the County’s Manager or Board for approval and authorization to begin negotiations for an agreeable contract and fees. If after discussion and negotiation, a mutually agreeable agreement and fee is not successful, negotiations will be terminated and the County may enter into negotiations with the second highest rated firm, and so on.

L. Iredell County will not be charged, nor shall it pay, any charge above or outside of the proposal prices submitted. Proposed price does not include sales taxes, which will be charged on each invoice - separate taxes on submitted proposals.

M. Proposal submitted is not a “sham” proposal and is made without collusion.

N. Acceptance of and agreement to fulfill the insurance & risk requirements set forth in this solicitation– applicable for any work to be performed on Iredell County property.

O. All Companies who submit a Proposal will be notified of the selection results via OpenGov.

6. General Conditions of the Request for Proposal

A. Any and all cost incurred by respondents in preparing or submitting this request for proposals for the project shall be the respondents' sole responsibility.

B. All submissions, responses, inquiries or correspondence relating to this RFP will become the property of

Iredell County when received.

C. Proposal packages may be withdrawn prior to submittal deadline of 3:00 pm, Wednesday, August 26, 2026.

D. Iredell County encourages all businesses, including DBE, minority, and women-owned businesses to respond to all Request for Proposals.

E. If annual services are being requested, the successful company will be required to enter into a (1) one year service agreement. A copy of company's standard proposed contract must be included in the request for proposal for review. Contracting criteria includes agreement with E-Verify (NC GS 64-25(5) and Iran

Divestment Act of 2015 (NC GS 147-86.55).

F. Iredell County reserves the right to: accept or reject any and all submissions received in response to this

Request for Proposal; to cancel the RFP process at any time; to request additional information or clarification of information provided in a response without changing the terms of the Request for Proposal;

to elect not to proceed with any of the respondents; to modify the scope of the work; to re-solicit RFPs;

or choose not to award for any reason. Contact with other County Staff during this RFP process may be grounds for disqualifications.

G. Submittals to this Request for Proposals must be made by a principal of the company or an officer of the corporation duly authorized to bind the corporation to the submitted Proposal.

H. The selected company shall purchase and maintain in force, at his own expense, such insurance as will protect the company and the County, to include professional liability (E&O) (when applicable), from claims which may arise out of or result from the company's execution of the work, whether such execution be by himself, his employees, agents, subcontractors, or by anyone for whose acts any of them may be liable. The insurance coverage shall be such as to fully protect the County, and the general public from any and all claims for injury and damage resulting by any actions on the part of the company or its forces as enumerated above.

The selected company shall furnish a copy of an original Certificate of Insurance, naming Iredell County as an additional insured. Should any of the policies be canceled before the expiration date, the issuing company will provide thirty (30) days written notice to the certificate holder.

I. The company shall furnish insurance in satisfactory limits, and on forms and of companies which are acceptable to the Iredell County Purchasing Officer and shall require and show evidence of insurance coverage on behalf of any subcontractors (if applicable), before entering any agreement to sublet any part of the work to be completed under this contract.

J. North Carolina General Statute Chapter 132, Public Records, governs the accessibility of records compiled by NC Governmental Entities. In general, all documents submitted in response to this Request for Proposal are subject to public disclosure unless specifically excepted by North Carolina General Statute §132-1.2 and §66-152 which provide definitions and protection of certain documents and information from public disclosure that constitute a “trade secret”, provided it meets the specific conditions as outlined in §132-

1.2(1)a-d. Iredell County will attempt to withhold from public disclosure, or redact documents or information, designated “confidential trade secret” that clearly meet the conditions of NC G.S. §132-

1.2(1)a-d to the extent that it is entitled or required to do so by applicable law. Regardless, Iredell County shall not be held responsible for any information that is released nor shall Iredell County be held responsible for nor pay any penalty or expense in relation to information so released. Any submission marked “confidential” or “trade secret” in its entirety may be rejected at the sole discretion of Iredell

County.

7. Timeline

The proposed key activities and milestone dates for the project include:

Release Project Date: August 14, 2026

Question Submission Deadline: August 19, 2026, 2:00pm

Proposal Deadline: August 26, 2026, 3:00pm

Written questions regarding this Request for Proposal must be submitted through the Procurement Portal.

Questions received by the deadline date and time will be answered through the Procurement Portal and posted to Iredell County’s Procurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofiredellnc.

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofiredellnc